Book Review: Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

Marked is the first of 12 (so far the 12th coming out October 2014) books to this fast read of a series starring Zoey redbird as human turned vampire fledgling. The beginning of the book we see the normal everyday life of Zoey until she is marked with the outline of a crescent moon. This mark forces her to leave school and everything familiar behind to join the House of Night school where she was develop her fledgling ability as a vampire, though it will takes years, at any time a person’s body could begin to reject the turn and within hours they are dead. Supposedly…

Joining House of Night isn’t so bad. Zoey is quick to make friends, loves most of her unusual classes, and finds an odd sense of belonging there, but what she doesn’t understand is why she was hand selected as the ‘eyes and ears’ by the Goddess of Night, Nyx, herself, in a vision that she shares with no one, not even the High Priestess.

As you follow along with Zoey you are pulled into the world of vampires, magic, and the unknown. It was a good read and I give it four out of five stars.

As much as I loved this book and the thought out details in every aspect to the world: the influences of Wiccan, pagan, and Cherokee (which is in my blood), the controversy between the People of the Faith and Vampires, and a school that I would really love to be a part of, I was a little taken aback by the amount of swear words and sexual content. I’m normally not bothered at all by such things, but remembering that this is a YA I think some people will be surprised by the amount that’s present. Not to mention after the tenth pop culture reference I was getting a little tired of it, but it doesn’t take away from the plot of the story. It helps sets you into the teenage mind of their world.

All in all, it was a great read and I have to say I have become a fan. I will defiantly have to continue reading and review each book until the very last page!

-Brenda Franklin, author of the Pulse Trilogy and Guardian, A Fated Pairing.

Guardian, A Fated Pairing Coming April 13th

Coming April 13th! The Cover was designed by Rue Volley and it was edited by Victoria Shockley.

Vampires are on the brink of disappearing. Their numbers in the low thousands hidden all over the world. After years of searching for the cure to turn humans into their kind, one vampire believes he has done it! But in creating the cure he has started a bloody and desperate hunt. A race among animals, vampires and wolves, to find the cure and either destroy it, or use it.

Alisa Chamberlin as three jobs: Keep her sister safe, find Mr. Holiday, and stay alive. With a strong vampire hot on their heels Alisa's life can't get more complicated until a werewolf named Peter Woodrow shows up in her neck of the neighborhood, but this isn't a chance meeting. Peter has been hired as a Guardian to protect her, the only problem is, she's a vampire. She's a creature his kind hopes to one day make extinct and to top it all off he's certain she's his mate, but that can't be. A vampire's blood is sickening to a werewolf and goes against everything their kind believes in.

As Peter tries to keep an unwilling Alisa safe he begins to unravel the web of secrets surrounding her and why she is being hunted, but is what she protects worth the life of the one man she is destined to be with? And can he get over the fact that she is everything he hates long enough to realize she's just what he needs? Or will the sacrifice be too great in the end for either of them?

It's an adult Paranormal Romance (rated R) that I had worked on as my NaNoWriMo last year and finally I have gotten it as perfect as I think I can get it. I can't wait for your reviews and comments and I will probably continue to lose sleep for the first couple of days after it's release, but I hope you all will enjoy it as much as I have writing it!

Other works by me, Brenda Franklin

The Pulse Trilogy

A Steady Pulse Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble

Barely Beating Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble

Flat Line (Coming soon)

-Brenda Franklin

A Steady Pulse

Name: A STEADY PULSE

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Word Count: Approximately 85, 540

About:

Elizabeth just wanted to take a week off from life at her family’s cabin. Just one week to get herself back on her feet. Was that too much to ask for? Apparently, yes. The next thing she knows she’s neck deep in a Vampire--Yes, Vampire!--family feud where one side is trying to kill her and the other, led by Virgil--Mr. tall, dark, and irresistible-- wants to turn her! What’s a girl to do, other than have a panic attack and head for the hills?

The connection was instant. From the moment her thoughts entered his mind and his eyes locked onto hers, Virgil Hart knew he would never be able to be rid of her. And he didn’t want to. Elizabeth’s presence had awakened within him unfamiliar feelings. Was it love? Was it lust? Or could loneliness have finally driven him mad? Whatever the reason, Virgil won’t stand by and let Elizabeth be murdered by his brother. Now, if she would just calm down long enough to let him protect her then everything would go much smoother!

Smashwords---Amazon---Barnes and Noble

---Excerpt---

“I must be crazy.” Virgil laughed. He had wanted to run into her ever since the car ride, but now that he was face to face with her he felt unable to do anything more than make her upset. How was he to save her if she wasn't even going to listen to him?

“You…you are…” She whispered weakly trying to gather the courage to say what she prayed wasn't true.

“Not going to harm you. Not going to drink your blood. I am not a monster. I am a vampire.” He assured her with the best smile he could muster under the circumstances.

“Yeah…” She let out a shaky breath. He understood why her eyes were still searching him. She was looking for anything to prove or disprove what he was saying. So Virgil leaned his head back and lowered his jaw. He extended his fangs out and pushed hard to darken his eyes. What more proof could he give her?

Elizabeth would have fallen to the floor if she hadn't already been sitting, but she stayed facing Virgil taking one deep breath after the other. He pulled back in his fangs and lowered his head. His eyes returned to normal and the space between them was tense.

“I saw a pair like that once.” She whispered releasing a shaky laugh. “It was at a gothic store in the mall…”

“These are--”

“Don’t say real!” She snapped. “They can’t be!”

Brenda Franklin

Follow on Twitter and Facebook 

A Steady Pulse

A Steady Pulse is the first story of my Pulse Series.

Virgil just wants to continue living his somewhat normal life as a vampire, but when Elizabeth Parks drives up to Lake Pineywoods for a vacation away from her life, things become complicated.

Excerpt 

“What--” Virgil’s voice cut short by a dim female whisper.

Help…

He turned quickly to his right expecting to see someone. He looked around and even into Garrison’s room for a moment. He heard her. Clear as day. Her voice tired and scared, a plea.

“Virgil?” Garrison’s voice pulled him from his momentary insanity as he continued to glance around knowing that what he heard was impossible.

“I thought I heard someone for a moment.” He shook his head. It had been a hard pass few hours. Her voice was now haunting him. Even when he had left her house he could still see her memories. He could see pieces of her past and mixture of feelings all bottled up within.

“Virgil?” Helena entered the hall. “You okay?” Helena had been ease dropping on their conversation coming to check on Virgil out of concern. He laughed lightly at her worry and raised his hand to wave her worry away, but as his hand lifted up something unexpected occurred.

Virgil’s body slowed. Time almost stood still as he watched Helena slowly stepping towards him. Pulling his eyes away from her, he gazed upon Garrison rising slowly to his feet. Virgil’s senses stretched out. It was like Garrison was trying to talk but this wasn’t Garrison’s doing. His blood boiled as both his head and chest felt a great wave of pressure and pain. His felt body as though it was being crushed for a brief second.

Someone help! Please! She screamed as though she was just down the hall.

“Elizabeth!” Virgil gasped back to reality grabbing the doorframe for balance as Garrison reached out to him. Sweat beaded down his forehead. The room swayed for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Helena rushed to him, but Virgil turned with such speed tearing from Garrison’s light touch and down the hall past Helena to the front door.

He could feel it. Something was wrong. He didn’t know what had happened and how, but he wasn’t going to ignore something as loud as that.

“Hold on, I’m coming!”

A Steady Pulse by B. Franklin on Smashwords 
Post a comment, write a review and spread the word.
You can also follow me on Twitter

What I Write.

I spend most my time writing Fantasy fiction stories targeting young adults mixing in the occasional paranormal flare, or leaving it with the wonderful world of vampires and wolves. This can be seen in my Pulse series that I am still currently working on. 

The first book is called A Steady Pulse, which is about a vampire named Virgil who just wants to continue to live his somewhat normal life, but when 23-year-old Elizabeth Parks drives up to lake Syke for a vacation away from her own life, things get complicated.

I have also dedicated a good portion of my time to mapping out my own world and forming history to places such as Edenburrow and Sandcraft in my latest work called, Tale of a Script.

Introduction to Tale of a Script:

Sisters, Elaina and Madeline Script, ran away from their home on Trinity Islands three years ago. Since then they have taken on the occasional bounty job, saved a couple of lives, and tried to keep an eye on one another, until yesterday, when Madeline was found dead and displayed in the center of town.

At her wits end, Elaina is forced to take on street thuds, royal guards, and even storm the castle, all in the name of finding her sister's killer. But fear not, she isn't alone in her struggles. she meets several characters along the way, a mysterious fighter, and old friend, a master craftsman, and many more.

Join Elaina as she experiences loss, love, and betrayal, all within the course of the next few days in, The Tale of a Script.


Thank you for taking the time and reading this.

I am B. Franklin and you can find all my works on Smashwords.com.