Dren's B-Spot: Tribute

Showing posts with label Tribute. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Thank You Jennifer Rardin - Tribute & Giveaway

On Monday, September 20th, 2010 one of my favorite urban fantasy authors, Jennifer Rardin passed away unexpectedly. I found out via Twitter and immediately thought it was someone else -- not *my* Jen Rardin -- couldn't be. But as the news spread, I realized it was true and I had to stop and pause for a minute. The first thing that popped into my head was JAZ IS GONE? I know it sounds weird - but for me - Jennifer Rardin *was* Jaz Parks. I couldn't separate the two. I followed her on Twitter, her blog and Goodreads.com. She even replied to my emails of gush and awe at her work. She was amazing. Her writing - amazing. Her characters - full of life, humor and kick-ass adventures. Thinking -- knowing that she's gone, leaves me sad and empty. If this is how I feel as a reader, I can only imagine what her family is going through.

So with the help of Has from The Book Pushers, a few of us bloggers have created a tribute tour in memory of Jennifer Rardin. It's our way of saying Thank You to a wonderful author, mother and friend to many.

I've been a fan of Jennifer Rardin's work since her first book, Once Bitten, Twice Shy. I was introduced to Jaz Parks - government assassin and her hunky vampire boss Vayl and never looked back! Each book takes you on new adventures with Jaz and Vayl and their mishmash group of characters also known as their support team. You learn about what makes Jaz tick and what ticks Vayl off. The chemistry between the two main characters and their cohorts makes for a great read and a great series. But first and foremost - it's an Urban Fantasy and Jennifer does not disappoint. There's plenty of action and suspense in every single book that keeps you asking for "more please!!" I've been anxiously waiting for Book 7 to be released this fall; now even more so.

I hope with this tribute tour we can introduce Jaz to new readers all over - and reminisce with old readers for the good times.

I'm Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an Assistant Assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass.Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he's meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing's ever as easy as it seems?

Jaz Parks has enough trouble in her personal life. What she doesn't need is more trouble with her vampire boss and another mission. This time she has to retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole it: an ancient Chinese vamp. Their cover in this mission: professional entertainers at the Corpus Christi's Winter Festival. The crew's all here: a psychic, a techno-wizard, a singing vampire, a juggling PI, and Jaz. Holy crap in a bottomless well, Jaz is going to bellydance. It's definitely, probably, quite possibly going to be the end of the world as we know it.

This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit. To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.

Jaz Parks here. My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I'm here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust. Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward "The Raptor" Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA's number one assassin who also happens to be my boss.

The Raptor is trying to take over Vayl's former Trust. Unfortunately the Trust's new leader has her own plans.

This job is going to be the death of me.

It's Jaz Parks. I've already smoked the guy who was the pain in the CIA's you-know-what for the past few years. But now, in the power vacuum left by the death of Edward "The Raptor"Samos, a struggle for supremacy has begun between his former allies: The Flock, The Valencian Weres and the Coven of Inverness.

The CIA feels the balance must be maintained. So when an agent planted among the Weres discovers a plot to assassinate the Coven's leader, I and my vampire hottie (and boss), Vayl, are brought in to take out the woman hired to do the deed, a killer who might be as wily and Gifted as ourselves.

So it's off to the Scottish Highlands for some twisted fun among murderers, demons and half-crazed relatives. Sometimes being a top-secret CIA assassin isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Jaz Parks here. But I'm not alone. I'm hearing voices in my head - and they're not mine.

The problem, or maybe the solution, is work. And the job's a stinker this time -- killing the gnomes that are threatening to topple NASA's Australian-based space complex. Yeah, I know. Vayl and I should still be able to kick this one in our sleep. Except that Hell has thrown up a demon named Kyphas to knock us off track. And damn is she indestructible!

Jaz Parks here. I. Am. Pissed. Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman’s name. And it’s not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I’m forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.

So it’s time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack. What follows is a hair-raising, breath-taking bullet train ride to the finish as the crew battles on multiple fronts. I now know what I have to do – I must return to hell one last time. Release Date: November 8, 2010

As noted on Jennifer Rardin's website, she did complete the last and final book for the series and it will be released in June 2011.

For my giveaway, one winner will receive the first book in the series, Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Giveaway is open internationally to anywhere Book Depository ships. Please check to see if they ship to your country. Contest will run through Tuesday, October 5th, 11:59pm.

To enter, please leave a comment with your email address info. That's it.Winner will be chosen via random.org.

If you haven't started this series, what better way to start? There are more chances to win with my other Jennifer Rardin Tribute bloggers!

The Book Pushers - Organizer and main site for all Blog Participants

Renee's Book Addiction

Thank you for taking the time to visit and share my thoughts about a wonderful person. Jennifer Rardin, gone way to soon. You will be missed!

Peace & Blessiings!