Review: Blood of the White Witch (ARC) by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: October 2010
Publisher: Moonstruck Media

Author's Website: laceyweatherfordbookds.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Smashwords.com Barnes and Nobles

When love came knocking on the door of novice witch, Portia Mullins, in the form of handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum, she had no idea how quickly the attraction between them would escalate. Now she finds her relationship with Vance taken to a whole new level, in a way she had never dreamed possible at this point and time of her life. Yet even as the personal connection between them explodes, the two quickly find themselves in a world of shifting balances. While searching for Vance’s missing mother, they realize they are suddenly unsure of who to trust, learning that sometimes things are not always as they appear. When Vance’s demon characteristics abruptly begin to resurface again without warning, the horrible truth comes out, crashing down upon them and shattering some of their most precious dreams. Once the deadly plan is uncovered, Portia and Vance find themselves hastily rushing against the hands of time in an attempt to stop an ancient ritual from being performed. But will they be successful before fate reaches out to twist them cruelly, possibly separating them and changing magic forever? Passion, loyalties, powers, and family ties, will all be tested when dangerous adventures abound in this third installment in the Of Witches and Warlocks series, Blood of the White Witch.

Blood of the White Witch is the third book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series by Lacey Weatherford. This instalment in the series is full of action, passion and love. Best of all, it’s set in Scotland.

Portia and Vance are still overcoming their ordeal with Damien Cummings (Vance’s father) from The Demon Kiss. Vance decides he wants to dig deeper into the confession that Darcy had made regarding his mother and his father’s family. This takes them on a journey to Scotland where they find more than they had bargained for.

I absolutely loved this book. Vance was his usual sexy and awesome self and Portia was sort of taking a bit of a back seat in this story, but we do see her powers developing. This book was more about Vance looking into his family history and Portia, being part of his family, was there every step of the way for support. Sometimes delving into the unknown can lead to good things, but unfortunately for our hero and heroine, something always goes wrong. Vance learns more about why his father was performing the demonic rituals on him when he was a child and the heritage that comes with it. Portia also learns more about herself in this book but what she finds out is the cause for landing her and Vance in their predicament half way through the book.

My heart actually broke at the end of this book. It was such a heart wrenching cliff hanger to be left on but it builds immense suspense and a brilliant set up for the next book in the series, The Dark Rising. My favourite moment in this book had to be when Vance and Portia newly got to Scotland and involves some sexy Scottish attire.

Overall, loved this book and love the series. Vance and Portia’s story is timeless and I would recommend everyone to pick the series up and have a go. You won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I was sent this ARC e-book for review from the author. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Of Witches & Warlocks (E-Books 1-4) Giveaway...

Hi everyone..the lovely Lacey Weatherford is having an awesome giveaway to celebrate the release of 'The Dark Rising'.

Lacey is giving away a set of e-books (books 1 to 4) from the Of Witches and Warlocks series to three luck winners.

If you want to be in with a chance to win these wonderful books, just fill in the form below. The giveaway closes on Friday..so be quick.

Review: The Dark Rising by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, E, E

Published: July 2011
Publisher: 4 Corners Press

Author's Website: LaceyWeatherfordBooks.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com and Smashwords.com

When Portia Mullins discovers the love of her life is still alive her heart soars. But reality sets in immediately causing it to plummet when she realizes he doesn’t remember his past life with her. Unwilling to give up, she embarks on a loving quest to restore his life to him.

Vance Mangum sees the beautiful girl claiming to be his wife, and while he can’t remember her, he can’t deny the intense pull he feels between them. Not knowing where else to turn, he agrees to give her the time she’s asked for and to assist her in the effort to recover his memories.

The two quickly reconnect, but dark surprises are lurking in the wings when Vance discovers a desperate longing for something he feels he can’t withstand. Will he be able to resist? Or will evil raise its head in a new form, leaving Portia as the prey of the very man her heart desires?

Darkness reigns supreme in this haunting tale of love and desperation, Of Witches and Warlocks, The Dark Rising.

The Dark Rising is the fourth installment in the Of Witches and Warlocks series by lacey Weatherford. This book oozes drama, action and some bad ass magic.

Portia has come a long way in her short time that she has discovered that she is a witch. She finds the love of her life, he is partially demon due to an incomplete transformation, got married to said love of her life and has been the recipient of a serious mojo power called the ‘The Awakening’. But none of that matters when your husband, bad-ass and gorgeous Vance Mangum, is killed.

I really felt for Portia in this book. She has been ripped apart by magic, the one thing that brought her and Vance together. It was so devastating. Then when things look like they are on the up-side for Portia, Lacey goes and ruins it all by flipping it to the dark side.

I had some serious issues with a certain character in this book most of the way through. One minute I was like, “aww, sweet”, and the next I was about ready to tear them to pieces. I think this book had a bit of bi-polar effect on me. I hated it but loved it at the same time. For the record, I don’t mean hate the book, I mean that the writing connects with me so much that I feel like I am Portia. I love reading books where I can get that caught up and lost in the character’s emotions and personal story that I feel like it’s happening to me. It means a book has actually touched me and it will always stay with me.

There was a new type of magic introduced in this book and I thought it was quite funky an innovative. I had never really thought of this type of magic being incorporated into this series but it works so well. So watch out for Hex. That’s all I am saying about that.

Overall, brilliant addition to the series and it has strengthened my love for the series (not that I was ever in doubt of it) but it has also made me slightly annoyed at the author as she well knows for that cliffhanger - Mrs Weatherford..you got some explaining to do! Hehe, just kidding, I am sure it will all unravel in the next book. Which might I add, I am giddy over and can’t wait to read.

Disclaimer: I bought this e-book via Smashwords.com. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

The Trouble With Spells Blog Tour: Interview with Lacey Weatherford

”Today, as part of the 'The Trouble With Spells' blog tour being hosted by The Bookish Snob Promotions I have Lacey Weatherford, author of said book and the Of Witches and Warlocks series, for an interview. But first..a little bit about Lacey =)

Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight. She resides in the White Mountains of Arizona , where she lives with her wonderful husband, six beautiful children, one son-in-law, and their energetic schnauzer, Sophie. When she's not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time writing, reading, blogging, and reviewing books.

Win a Kindle Treasure Hunt! We want to reward all the wonderful followers of this blog tour, so what better way to do that than to give away a free Kindle and Of Witches and Warlocks Swag! Being entered to win is easy! All you have to do is follow the tour each day and search for the highlighted words in the post. There may be only one word on some days or two or more on others, so be sure to read the whole post. They could be anywhere…even in this description! Keep collecting the words each day to build a certain phrase. At the end of the tour on April 22nd, bring your completed phrase to The Delusional Diaries and submit it into the form to be entered into the Kindle drawing! Did you miss a day? No worries! Just follow the linky list on The Delusional Diaries to the post for that day and search for it. After you have submitted the special phrase, add up all the times you commented on the different post during the tour and add that number for extra entries! Lots of chances! So come join in the FUN!

Now onto what you have all been waiting for..my interview with Lacey. Enjoy!

1. What/who inspired you to become a writer?

I think reading inspired me the most. I would often day dream of stories I read as a child and think up things I would have done differently. My first attempts at writing were at the age of nine. I tried to write a mystery story that featured me and my cousin. I was a huge Nancy Drew fan at the time. Unbeknownst to me, my mom saved all those writings of mine. I found them in a box of hers when I was going through her things after she passed away. It brought tears to my eyes, and more than a little bit of laughter too when I read them. My mom always encouraged me in my writings, and was very influential in my love of reading.

2. Which of your books was the easiest to write/hardest to write and why?

Book two, The Demon Kiss, was definitely the easiest to write. I wrote it in seven days. I felt like someone was just feeding the material straight into my head and I could hardly type fast enough to keep up with it! I worked on it for probably 20 hours a day, stopping for a few hours to sleep when exhaustion hit. I would wake up out of a dead sleep with ideas and start writing again. I had to start keeping my computer by the bed so I didn’t have to keep running into the other room to type stuff!

Book four, The Dark Rising, was the most difficult. My first version of The Trouble with Spells came out right in the middle of writing it and kind of threw me off my groove. I stopped writing to do marketing stuff and when I tried to pick up again I felt like I had hit a brick wall. I was just stuck. My mother-in-law called me up one day and said she had a suggestion for the book that might help me out. I actually laughed out loud at her idea, it seemed so ludicrous. But it turned out to be the comment that got the imagination rolling again, and her tip ended up turning into a fabulous story line.

3. Any fan of yours who has read your blog or your book will know that Matt Lanter (Liam from 90210) was your model for character Vance. If you could pick your own dreamcast to play your characters in a movie or TV series, who would they be?

Ha! Yes, Matt has been such a sweetheart about all of this. He’s a great guy!

I actually put a lot of thought into this question after Matt’s manager asked for the books. As far as the cast in book one I would like Matt to be Vance, of course. I would absolute love Emma Roberts to be Portia. She’s just so cute. When I wrote the part of Shelly it was actually with the image of Taylor Swift in mind. I had seen her on an episode of CSI and loved her in it. I think Zach Roerig from Vampire Diaries would be the perfect Brad. He’s dreamy! I like Rob Estes for Portia’s dad Sean, Selma Hayek for Portia’s mom, and Diane Keaton for Portia’s grandma, Milly. I think Amy Brenneman would be the perfect choice for Vance’s mom, Krista, and I had the ever-so-deliciously-evil Sean Bean in mind when I wrote Vance’s dad, Damien Cummings.

4. How many more books do you have planned for the Witches & Warlocks series?

There will be five books total. The first three are released right now. Book four, The Dark Rising, is finished and awaiting its release which I believe is slated for June. I’m halfway through writing the final installment, tentatively called Possession of Souls, now. I’m on chapter sixteen I believe. I’ve had to stop writing on it to do the release for this book, so hopefully I will be able to pick it up easily again soon!

5. What is your favorite scene/chapter from all of your books and why?

I don’t think I could pick! I love all the romantic scenes between Vance and Portia, but I also loved getting into the heads of some of the evil characters through the story. If I were to try to narrow it down to something I would have to pick a scene that happens at the end of book three that was extremely difficult for me to write. I don’t want to say what it is for those who haven’t read it yet, but I got sick from crying over it so much that I ended up with pneumonia! I would say I was probably most emotionally invested into that scene, and I still can’t read it without crying.

6. What is your favorite book of all time and why?

I want every book I pick up to read to be my favorite book of all time! I have favorites in all types of genres I have read, but way too many to even consider picking just one. In fact, that would probably be the way people could best torture me, lock me in a room and make me choose one book to be my favorite! I would go crazy! I sweat over picking my top ten for my end of the year blog posts!!

I can give you my favorite book I read in the last year. That was Forbidden, by Tabitha Suzuma. That book has a very controversial subject matter, dealing with an incestuous relationship, but it was written extremely well and afforded the reader a glimpse into the world of someone who is traumatized by their feelings. I think I still have a knot in my throat from reading that book. It was gripping.

Thanks for having me by Naomi! :D

The pleasure was all mine Lacey's. Thanks for stopping by.

If you want to read my review of The Trouble With Spells (2nd Edition) please click on the link.

To keep following Lacey's blog tour..check out Reader Girls tomorrow.

To check out who is all taking part in the blog tour go to The Bookish Snob Promotions.

Review: The Trouble With Spells (2nd Edition) by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, R, B
Published: 2011
Publisher: Global Authors Publications

Author's Website: OfWitchesAndWarlocks.com and The Delusional Diaries

Purchase @ E-Book Amazon.co.uk E-Book Amazon.com

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her Grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

The Trouble With Spells is the first book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series written by Lacey Weatherford. This book will have you addicted from the first page. Vance and Portia’s story is one that I couldn’t put down. Packed with action and love, this book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

Portia Mullins is your typical teenage girl. She loves hanging out with her best friend Shelly and spending time with her family. But now that her sixteenth birthday approaches it means she can start dating and boy does she pick the good ones. Not only that but she uncovers that she is also a witch.

Vance Mangum is the local bad boy. He rides a motorcycle and is drop dead gorgeous and not only that but the boy is seriously gifted. I don’t mean he is an underachiever, I mean he has some seriously awesome talent because he is a…warlock. Vance is over excited that it’s Portia’s sixteenth birthday because it means he can finally get to know her instead of admiring her from a distance.

Well, what can I say? This is my second time reading this book and I still love it. All the added extra scenes was definitely worth the re-print. My favourite part of the book was the prologue, this is a new section that was added to the book. I loved it because it was all from Vance’s perspective which was awesome. I think the first time I read the book I didn’t fully comprehend Vance’s feelings from Portia but this opening chapter explains it all and it made me realize how much he had to go through staying away from her for all that time and then eventually being able to let out all that pent up love.

I don’t think there were any parts of the book that I disliked. There was one moment, but I wouldn’t say I disliked it. It’s essential to the book plot and set up for the next book but it doesn’t make it pleasant. Tugged at my heart strings it did. Lacey sure knows how to build up the drama. Although I was giggling at certain parts.
Overall, brilliant book and I would highly recommend to anyone that is interested in reading about witches.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review as part of a blog tour via The Bookish Snob Promotions. This is the second edition of the book and you can find my review of the first edition here. I have not been paid to review this book.

Special Notice: You can get a free download of The Trouble With Spells E-Book from Smashwords.com by entering the following code.

The Trouble With Spells - Free E-Coupon

Lacey Weatherford, author of the Of Witches & Warlocks series, has generously decided to let us all get a copy of the e-book of her first book, The Trouble With Spells.

This is the second edition of The Trouble With Spells which has had the cover re-vamped, all errors removed and some brilliant new scenes added.

Use the following coupon code to claim your free e-book of The Trouble With Spells from Smashwords.

Happy reading everyone!!

Please vote..BEST YA Romance of 2010 (Of Witches & Warlocks; Blood of the White Witch)

Now I don't want to seem like I am ramming this down your throat or anything but I am just so pleased that I have to spread the word and let others know that they can vote if they want to..but, seriously, why would you not want to vote?

Lacey Weatherford, awesome author of the Of Witches and Warlocks series, has had one of her books, 'Blood of the White Witch', nominated for 'Best Young Adult Romance Novel of 2010' over at 'The Romance Reviews'.

If you have stumbled across my blog and never heard of Lacey or her book series then take a wander of to Of Witches and Warlocks website or to Lacey's own personal blog The Delusional Diaries for a looksie! Oh and you can follow her Twitter @LMWeatherford.

Also here's a wee teaser for you all..an awesome book trailer that stars Kamery Kae and Jake Solomon (Lacey's gorgeous daughter and son-in-law). Enjoy!

Review: The Demon Kiss by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: 2010
Publisher: Global Authors Publications

Author's Website: ofwitchesandwarlocks.com

Purchase @ susankmann.co.uk - UK Distributor Amazon.com

After being drained of nearly all the blood in her body, novice witch, Portia Mullins, wakes up to find that her warlock boyfriend, Vance Mangum, has fled in search of his demon father. Determined t keep him from facing the evil alone Portia follows after hi, unknowingly setting herself on the path of a new adventure that will taker he, Vance, and their coven over international borders, into a foreign place where they will discover that the black magic which awaits them is far worse than they ever imagines. Portia finds herself tangles up in a web of lies and deceit in another’s quest for demonic power in the excitingly romantic second paranormal novel in the Of Witches and Warlocks series, The Demon Kiss.

The Demon Kiss is the second book in the Of Witches and Warlocks series by Lacey Weatherford. This book has the perfect balance of love, action, determination and resilience.

After waking from a horrific ordeal, Portia finds that the love of her life is gone. This infuriates her and makes her determined to find Vance and give him a piece of her mind. He has ran off to find his demonic father and take care of him once and for all. Portia is outraged that Vance has left her behind and is worried that he won’t come back to her. So she decides to go find him along with her two best friends promising to call in the coven when she finds him.

This trip ends up being more of a black ops mission; to find Vance’s father, help save his victims and kill him whilst not getting killed themselves. This is a lot more tricky that what they think as Vance’s father has unlimited power and resources.

I loved the character development in this book. Portia shows just how resilient and strong she is in this story. Not only has she to deal with her every advancing powers and recovering from being drained of blood but also has a blood lusting boyfriend to deal with. I also loved how much closer Portia and Vance became in this book if that’s even possible. It seems as if their love is even more unbreakable.

I had a strange feeling of foreshadowing in this book but not from anything that Lacey had written. I had the feeling that something bad was going to happen as soon as I started reading one of the chapters and it ended up happening how I thought it would but at the same time I was surprise that it happened. The ending left me with the mother of all cliffhangers but at the same time it explains the nightmare that Vance went through in The Trouble With Spells.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Demon Kiss and can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Blood of the Witch. Hopefully some more answers will be made available in the next book.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the author for review. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Review: The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: 2009
Publisher: Publish America

Author's Website: ofwitchesandwarlocks.com

Purchase @ susankmann.co.uk - UK Distributor Amazon.com

Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant from a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with the one great perk in the form of the school’s handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance’s checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

The Trouble With Spells is Lacey Weatherford’s debut novel and first in the Of Witches and Warlocks series.

Where to start? I loved this book. I was hooked on this book as soon as I started reading. Portia, the lead female, sucked me right in with the description of her life, her little home town and her quirky grandma. The writing style is different from what I normally read. By that I mean the way characters talk and act. The majority of the responses from Portia and Vance I thought were unbelievable at first but once I thought about it, I realised that I was just thinking about how I would react or how other characters have reacted in other books I have read. Once I realised this, I pulled my mind away from that way of thinking and just let the characters tell the story. Best thing I could have ever done as it made enjoying the story ten times better.

I absolutely loved the way that Vance and Portia interact with one another. In some ways they are the epitome of teenager romance but then in other ways they are like an old married couple with experience beyond their years. They are unwilling to live without the other and I think a love that strong is unimpeachable and sweet. I originally thought everything was happening very fast between for our main characters but then once I thought about it some more it made sense. All teenagers go through these stages in life; falling head over heels in love, pushing everything aside to be with that person, doing things you wouldn’t normally do for love and this is exactly how it is for Portia Vance.

As always there is impending doom on the horizon for our loved up couple. The coven, Portia and Vance work tirelessly trying to avoid the danger but unfortunately it’s not enough. Vance and Portia are divided and it looks as if it could be a permanent. There was a devastating scene that I didn’t see coming and I literally screamed in my head. It was very out of the blue but it fit the story perfectly.

Overall, The Trouble With Spells is an absolutely great read. It captures the essence of teenage innocence with some of the supernatural mixed in. I definitely recommend it to anyone that has a thing for guys with gorgeous blue eyes, washboard abs and rides a motorcycle.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for review by the author. I have not been paid to review this book and everything i have said is of my own honest opinion.