Book
One of The Leila Marx Novels
Amber Garr
Amber Garr
Genre:
Urban Fantasy
ISBN:
978-1480021594
ISBN
10:
1480021598)
Number
of pages:
326
Word
Count: 81,000
Cover
Artist:
Amber Garr
Book
Trailer: http://youtu.be/1z7SEGu0jwo
Book
Description:
Leila
Marx is trying to put her life back together after her fiancé is
murdered. Her book illustrating career has limited her social contact
and nightmares have trapped her in the past. When a police
acquaintance enlists her help with a difficult case, Leila is
surprisingly thankful to have a purpose. Not only will this help to
keep her mind focused, but she will be able to use her talents as a
touch clairvoyant that are frequently dismissed by skeptics. Leila
and Detective Garrick Pearson delve into the mystery behind a series
of missing teenage girls and mummified corpses while fighting their
own growing attraction to each other.
Conner
Hoffman is an intriguing lawyer and striking half-demon who enters
Leila’s life unexpectedly. Although her visions are terrifying, she
is fascinated by his charm and his legacy. When it becomes evident
that the murders are linked to a paranormal event, Conner introduces
Leila to a world unbeknownst to ordinary society. She suddenly finds
herself immersed in supernatural politics, sorcery, and danger as she
becomes the killer’s next target. Staying alive will mean relying
on friends, accepting the unbelievable, and trusting in her heart
again.
Short
Excerpt
What
does one wear when they commit the first felony of their life? I
probably spent two hours going through my closest trying to find
something criminal. It had to be black. Yes, definitely black. I
finally settled on a turtleneck, spandex workout pants, and the only
pair of black sneakers I’d ever owned. They were left over from my
waitressing days and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were
still in good shape, even if they did smell a little like grease.
I
just finished pulling my hair back into a low bun, like spy girls do
in the movies, when the doorbell rang. Conner was here and my heart
fluttered instantly. Last night had been a lot of fun and I really
enjoyed my evening with Garrick, but this was the first time any man
had been to my house who wasn’t a part of the police force since
Russ was killed. This was also the first time I’d ever had a half
demon in the house, at least as far as I knew. After another quick
glance in the mirror, I bounced over to the door.
And
as soon as I opened it I realized how much of a dork I must have
looked like.
There
was Conner, in a regular pair of jeans and a college sweatshirt doing
all that he could not to laugh at me. I glared up at him.
“What?
No one told me what to wear so I had to improvise.” He started
laughing but then choked it back down when I tried to close the door
on him. His foot shot out and blocked my attempt.
“I’m
sorry. You look good. Really.” He smiled fully at me and then bowed
his head as he put his hands together in a prayer-like position. “May
I have permission to enter my ninja warrior princess?”
I
could see his shoulders shake with amusement again and I refused to
be embarrassed. With an exaggerated sigh, I walked back into my
bedroom, leaving Conner to let himself in. I decided that he should
wallow in uncomfortable silence for a while, although when I came
back into the living room and saw him flipping through some of my
illustrations, I realized he was unfazed.
“These
are really good. You’re quite talented.” I stood there, leaning
against the wall for a few seconds trying to judge if he was being
serious or not. Just as I started to give him the benefit of the
doubt, he arched an eyebrow my way and said, “A much better artist
than fashionista.”
I
threw the sweatshirt I had in my hands at him and stomped over to the
kitchen. His laugh consumed the room and I was surprised to find a
smile on my face as I opened the refrigerator.
“Should
we take snacks?” I asked. We were going to drive to a spot close to
the house and wait until it was clear. I’d been told that it might
take several hours and I didn’t want the cambion getting hungry
while we waited.
“Sure,
if you want. Maybe some water would be good.” It was obvious that
he enjoyed my lack of stake-out abilities.
I
grabbed one of my reusable grocery bags and filled it up with water,
crackers, and Twizzlers. All of the essentials. I briefly considered
grabbing a bottle of wine to control my anxiety, but decided against
it in the end.
“So,
are we ready to go?” I asked as I hoisted the bag on my shoulder
and grabbed the sweatshirt back. He studied me for a moment and then
pulled an object from his back pocket.
“Not
until you put this on,” he said as he tossed something small and
black at me. It was a ski mask, one of those ones that covered
everything except for your eyes. I pulled it over my head and batted
my lashes.
“Am
I ready now?”
He
laughed and took the snack bag off my shoulder. “Yes, Leila. I
think you’re ready for a life of crime.”
About
the Author:
Amber
Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering
if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in
Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry
kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is
sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of
smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies
and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing,
reading, or enjoying a good movie.
Guest Post:
Alternative
POV - Conner and Leila’s First Date
Human
souls still had their appeal and the restaurant vibrated with them
tonight. Taking in an extra long breath, I relished in the energy. I
may not need to collect them anymore, but I did enjoy identifying
which ones I might have marked.
The
bartender, for example, would have earned me an extra slap on the
back. Beneath his smile and flirtatious act, he hid a dark secret. He
enjoyed the hunt as much as me, but what he did to the ladies once he
got them home, was unacceptable. Yes, my father would have been happy
to acquire him.
A
small hand grabbed my shoulder for support. Sara climbed on the bar
stool again, body in constant motion. Her excitement made me
appreciate what my new life could be. Now that the contract with my
demon father was complete, I could fully enjoy living with the humans
for the next millennia.
“There
she is!” Sara said, jumping down from her seat and rushing over to
the door. Her husband, Ben, smiled and shook his head.
“Is
she always like this?” I asked.
He
laughed before finishing his drink. “It’s why I love her.” Ben
patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Conner, she’s great.”
I
raised my eyebrows.
“Leila,”
he clarified. “You’ll like her.”
I
nodded. Did he sense my nervousness? I moved here just a few weeks
ago, hoping to start fresh. The last thing I wanted to do was go on a
blind date, but Ben had been persistent.
“Looks
like she’s talking about you,” Ben said, nudging me in the side.
I
turned around, shocked at what I saw. My skin tingled and a red tint
flooded my vision, setting the cambion senses on alert. Of all the
women in Baltimore, I’d been set up with a supernatural.
Ben
laughed again, communicating silently with Leila while admiring his
wife. Forcing my eyes back to their human color, I took a moment to
assess my date. Blonde hair, long legs, great smile, and a
clairvoyant. I would have to be careful.
Sara
dragged her friend over to us, nearly tripping on her high heels.
Knowing this might be trouble, I still couldn’t tear my eyes away
from Leila. Her soul hummed with power. I focused on protecting my
secret and tried to act human.
“Conner,”
Sara said, “This is Leila. Leila Marx. And Leila, this is Conner
Hoffman.”
I
glanced at her one more time, concentrating so my eyes would not
react to her beauty. Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at the
floor. Amused at her reaction to me, I smiled.
“Leila,
it is very nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much, but to see you in
person is truly a delight.”
Gently
lifting her hand to my mouth, I kissed it. The touch sent shivers
through my body, warning me to be careful but reminding me what it
could be like. I wanted to live as a human again, and Leila Marx
might be the key to making that happen.
“I
didn’t tell him anything,” Ben joked. “I’m going to grab our
table.”
Leila
looked straight into my eyes, searching for something, before I let
go of her hand. I’ve met clairvoyants before, and I guessed Leila’s
gift relied on touch. Her forehead creased ever so slightly in
confusion. She had tried to read me.
I
smiled, knowing I could only hide my secret so long with this
beautiful woman.
My Thoughts and Review:
It has been
awhile since I have read not only a good mystery but one with a great
paranormal twist too it as well. Not only did this have a paranormal
element but it had all the creatures I love as well.
I fell in
love with Garr's writing after reading her YA series, Syrenka, so I
was pretty excited to see her writing in this new genre. I just knew
it was going to be great and I am so glad that it lived up to all of
my expectations.
Leila was a
great character. She was strong and fierce when she needed to be and
she took things in stride. Even though she was grieving she still
remembered to live.
There were
some fabulous secondary characters that made me laugh and smile
numerous times with their actions or banter. Mac was a character and
I loved his character. King stole my heart. Sarah was everything a
bestie should be. Evie was great, Terez, Connor, Garrick, all of them
were just great.
And the
best part about this book was that even though it is part of a new
series, this one didn't end with a million questions. This part of
the mystery was done with but still left it open for a lot more to
happen in the future.
Once again
I think Garr created a new unique fun series that I for one will be
picking up and reading as soon as they are released.
I give
this one a very solid 4 Stars!.
Giveaway:
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