Round 1 Day 8: Tess Davies vs. Demetrius

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Fighting for the PJV - Claudia Gray's Tess Davies

Tess Davies vs. Demetrius  Remember to check out Dark Faerie Tale's Site and choose wisely...tweet out your choice #SuperSmack

Name: Tess Davies
Book Series: FATEFUL (standalone)
Job: maidservant
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 130
Hair Color: blonde
Eye Color: blue
From (Location): England, 1912
Significant Other: Alec Marlowe, of Chicago, Illinois, USA, though more recently residing in Paris, France
Signature Move: punching werewolves in the nose
Kill Highlights: stranding werewolves on the Titanic
Enemies: Count Mikhail Kalashnikov; the Brotherhood; Regina, Lady Lisle; and Layton Lisle, heir to the title
Favorite Pastime: spending time on the steerage deck with Myriam; laughing about the Lisles with Ned the footman; clandestinely reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries in the Moorcliffe library
Other Facts: Possesses keys to the Lisle family strongbox and the locked doors that separate different class sections of the Titanic. Knows how to get bloodstains out of a carpet in a jif. Only rarely left her home village before traveling to Southampton to board the Titanic on its voyage to New York. Has one older sister, Daisy, who previously also served the Lisle family at Moorcliffe before she was suddenly dismissed under mysterious circumstances.

____

Hello, my name is Tess Davies. I'm a maidservant in the employ of the family of Viscount Lisle, principally engaged in fixing Miss Irene's hair and sewing her ballgowns. If this doesn't sound like hard combat duty to you, well, you've never met the Lisles. Certainly you've never met Lady Regina. I'm still alive after four years working for that harridan, so I imagine I'm tough enough for any match. I haven't any magic powers or anything like that (unlike some other people I know), but they tell me I've a quick mind and iron nerves. My main weapons would have to be scissors and needles, which could do quite well in a combat situation, don't you think? And in FATEFUL, once or twice I use my fists. My main skills are strength (try hauling buckets of bathwater upstairs sometimes -- builds the biceps!), endurance (see above regarding Lady Regina), practicality (don't knock it -- it strikes me as a rare quality in our genre, I mean, line of work) and courage. There's not a fight I'll back down from, even if I know I'll lose. That said, I choose my battles wisely, or try to.

My principal experience with the paranormal comes aboard the RMS Titanic, which you'd think would make an eventful enough trip on its own, wouldn't you? Had I known one-half of what would happen on that voyage, I’d never have set foot on the ship, beautiful though she might be. But I might have guessed that hitting an iceberg was possible – even if I had never thought it was likely, or that the greatest ship ever built could sink like a stone. I mean, such things are within the realm of the possible. Werewolves – less so. Or that’s what I thought.

 Against werewolves, it’s good to fight with silver. Burns their skin, poisons them dead. Though I haven’t any permanent silver weaponry of my own, I do have the keys to the valuables belonging to the Lisle family, which happily includes many silver objects, some of them heavy and blunt, ideal for swinging into an unsuspecting werewolf’s head. It also includes something called an Initiation Blade. That’s an item I had better not describe in great detail; the more you know about it, the greater danger you’re in. Werewolves are mad to get them – but if you know how to use the Blade, you can turn it against a werewolf in an instant.

 In my experience, though, humans can be nearly as nasty as werewolves. With humans, you’re best off fighting with your wits. Learn whatever it is they’d rather you didn’t know about them – and as a servant, you have opportunities to learn all kinds of interesting things. People think servants can’t hear what’s being said right next to them. But I hear. I remember, too. And I know how to use what I’ve learned. Anybody can tell you, that’s the deadliest skill of all.

______

It's about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless and until he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you?

But no. Their biggest problem -- though they don't know it yet -- is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.

About the Author:  Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I am a full-time novelist based in Chicago. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing. 

Although I'll blog about major announcements at this site, you can also check my LiveJournal, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter to hear more frequent updates about my work, my day and whatever else might be on my mind.

 Spread the word about the #Smackdown!

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Claudia Gray will be stopping by a few places on her tour...why don't you stop by and say hello...
 Sept 9
http://chickloveslit.com/
Sept 12
http://www.readingteen.net/
 Sept 13
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
Sept 14
http://www.candacesbookblog.com/

Or meet Claudia in person!! How fun!Dark Days Tour Dates

Tuesday, October 11th
6:30 PM
University Bookstore
15311 Main St
Mill Creek, WA 98012
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Anna Carey (EVE)

 Wednesday, October 12th
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway
Lynnwood, WA
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Anna Carey (EVE)

 Thursday, October 13th
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Anna Carey (EVE)

Friday, October 14th
7:00 PM
Tattered Cover
9315 Dorchester Street
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Jocelyn Davies (A BEAUTIFUL DARK)

 Saturday, October 15th
1:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
2999 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Jocelyn Davies (A BEAUTIFUL DARK)

 Sunday, October 16th
2:00 PM
Anderson’s
123 West Jefferson
Naperville, IL
with Kiersten White (SUPERNATURALLY), Amy Garvey (COLD KISS) and Jocelyn Davies (A BEAUTIFUL DARK)

Hourglass by Claudia Gray - Giveaway Alert!

Hourglass (Evernight Novels #3) by Claudia Gray


ARC review copy provided by Harper Collins.

PJV's QUICKIE POV: I thought Evernight (links take you to reviews) was a good YA book.  Stargazer and OK follow-up, but Hourglass...blew both books away.  Never before has a third in a series entertained and delighted like this book did? A third?? Can you believe it? This book had it all, tragic love, fights for their lives, a hint at a triangle, some life or death decisions, a little hanky-panky and an ending that had me throwing the book across the room than running over to it to reread and than cursing that I would have to wait like forever for the fourth book, Afterlife, to come out. Word on the street is that there will also be a Balthazar book, but hints at 2011 releases have me pulling out my hair.

Review:  I can't review this without SPOILERS for Evernight & Stargazer so go and read those books before you read this. Bianca after being lied to by her parents, attacked by ghosts and survived a Black Cross raid is now living amongst the enemy - but she is with Lucas, her soulmate.  They aren't given much time together though as she is forced to bunk under nasty conditions, and train as a Black Cross agent - learning how to fight and kill her own kind.  All the while she is desperate to spend as much time with Lucas, sneak away to get a little "blood" snack, and remain perfectly and 100% human ot the Black Cross people.

The third Evernight book is stuffed full of suspense and heart ache. Lucas and Bianca are literally stranded in a world that they never chose to be a part of.  Lucas was raised to hunt and kill vampires, Bianca was raised to some day become a vampire herself. They were never given choices, they were never even given another option, their life was fated before they were even born. Bianca's was filled with lies and half-truths, Lucas' was filled with misconceptions and bigotry.  They are forced to remain in Lucas' world until they can finally save up enough money to escape...but what other options does a 17 and 19 year old have, especially with no education and no money?

The Romeo and Juliet connotations continue throughout this book...all the way until the end, and what a shocker that was! Oh I'm still reeling from that bomb that Ms. Gray threw at me. Thanks! Now I will go insane with wonder. Love those cliffhangers.

Recommendations: Recommended that you read Evernight and Stargazer before reading Hourglass. You don't have to but it forms the foundation of the relationship between Bianca and Lucas and Balthazar quite well.  These book push the mature teen envelope, this is a maturing teen couple...there are sexual scenes in it. Nothing descriptive at all, I would give this to my teen. Fans of vamps, UF and YA paranormals read this series.

There are 5 Copies of Hourglass to be won at Blog with Bite.  Click on the image below to be taken to the contest post!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Stargazer (Evernight Novels 2)
Free from the Jefferson Parish Library
Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV: An excellent follow-up to Evernight. Stargazer continues the story of the star-crossed-lovers Bianca and Lucas. A play on the Romeo and Juliet story, the second installment of the Evernight Novels delivers a more grown-up version of the first novel. The suspense of the last minute reveal from Evernight is lost, but other secrets are to be found out, so it still possess that dark flavor that was so prevalent in the first novel. I was very pleased with this novel, and am looking forward to reading Hourglass.

Review: What would happen if Romeo and Juliet didn't kill themselves, but instead just lied to their parents that they weren't seeing each other anymore? What if Juliet was a vampire and Romeo was a vampire hunter? What if Paris was really hot, and really nice and Romeo was a bit grumpy and aggressive? Well, that would be Stargazer.

Bianca is back for another year at Evernight Academy, this time sans her love Lucas.  In fact everyone is under the impression that Lucas and Bianca are old news and Bianca has kicked Lucas to the curb, what any self-respecting vamp would do when they found out their boyfriend was a secret spy for the deadly Black Cross. Yet, Lucas and Bianca are above labels, Lucas doesn't care that Bianca is a vampire, and Bianca looks passed the fact that Lucas kills her own kind for a living, or do they?  With time, seperation and a truck full of bias between the two of them, can Lucas and Bianca's love survive.

Then to top it all off, there is something that is hunting Bianca, and stalking Evernight Academy.  Something that everyone seems to be afraid of, yet knowledgeable about, but Bianca has no clue.  Her parents are lying to her again, even the head mistress seems to know what is going on, but no one will tell Bianca.  The only saving grace is Balthazar, his support and friendship is what is keeping Bianca going. Yet, as Lucas and Bianca's relationship becomes more strained...and Balthazar makes more and more overtures of his interest in Bianca...can this be the end of something and the beginning of another?

Once again excellent second installment. In Stargazer the characters have matured a bit, leading to a more dramatic and deeper story-line. The writing was done well and the suspenseful plot was very hard to figure out just like in the first novel. Characters are expanded on and I found myself really enjoying Balthazar, in fact I was pretty much rooting for him instead of Lucas.  This is a first, I usually stick with numero uno, the only other time I've jumped ship from number 1 was with the Sookie Stackhouse series - not a fan of Bill.  All in all good novel, I definitely recommend this series.

Recommendations: Older teens and adults.  Fans of Twilight, House of Night and Vampire Academy will love this book. There are some mature interactions, but nothing actually occurs, so I would put this as 15+.

Evernight by Claudia Gray - Quickie Review

Evernight (Evernight, Book 1) by Claudia Gray
Paid for by me!
Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV: Read this right before I started PJV. Picked it up after I had tore through the Twilights. I just got to the second in the series, so I thought I would revisit Evernight with a quickie review. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and had planned on sucking down the sequel quickly, but with an out of control TBR it took me awhile.

Review: Under duress, Bianca is forced to attend a creepy and snobbish school called Evernight Academy.  Bianca's parents are teachers at the school and they are hoping the school will help Bianca with her incompetent social skills.

Bianca really doesn't fit in though, and her parents aren't exactly happy that Bianca falls in with the least likely of candidates a very angry and controlling gent by the name of Lucas. Lucas is an enigma to Bianca and she knows that hooking up with him might lead to even more shunning from the other students. While this is going on there is also a lot of hinting to the fact that something odd is afoot at Evernight Academy.

A true Romeo & Juliet retelling, Evernight was highly enjoyable and I felt myself wanting more the moment the last page was turned. There were a few problems with the novel, but nothing that drove me crazy.  A lot of critics haven't liked the "reveal" but I enjoyed it and thought it was a good way to turn things on end instead of the usual "Girl Meets Vamp" YA happiness.  Check this book, it is worth the read, especially since Hourglass is about to be released, you won't have long to wait.

Recommendations: Fans of Meyer's Twilight series, Mead's Vampire Academy  and the Cast's House of Night series. Both adults and teens, parents, nothing to be worried about but a few kisses.