Giveaway & Review Blog Tour Kickoff Pandora's Box by Katie Salidas

Title: Pandora's Box
Author: Katie Salidas
Series: Immortalis (#3)
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy/ Vampires
Publisher: Rising Sign Books
Release Date: July 2011
Edition/Formats Available In: E~Book and Print
Rating:


Rule number one: humans and vampires don't co-exist. One is the hunter and one is the prey. Simple, right? Not for newly-turned vampire Alyssa. A surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum's most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the human friend she's missed more than anything. Now she has some explaining to do. However, that will have to wait. With the Acta Sanctorum hot on their heels, staying alive is more important than educating a human on the finer points of bloodlust.

Immortalis Series by Katie Salidas

I was lucky enough to be apart of this awesome Blog Tour for the ah~may~zing Katie Salidas. I was able to review the first 3 books in her 

Immortalis Series. The copy I had was the Omnibus Provided to me By Katie But I want to break this down into the 3 books.

Book 1 Immortalis Carpe Noctem
Goodreads  Blurb

Explore the emotional upheaval that is the transformation from human to vampire.
Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: An unyielding thirst for blood as well as the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity.
As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her "turning", did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander.
Only by accepting her new-found immortality, seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander must fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them both.

My Review 4.5

This book was a great read I loved it.
Katie puts yet another spin to the Vampire Legends and does not disappoint. This first book is all about Alyssa learning to cope with being turned into a vampire and I just loved the way the characters develop as the story progresses. I love Alyssa's character and I really loved Lysander's character. I have to admit that, "Immortalis Carpe Noctem" is one of the best Vampire story I have read in awhile . I enjoyed the way she explained how Vampires came to be. She stuck to the myths and legends and made it work in a way that not many others have been able to do. And I love my vampire books and can never seem to get enough of them. I love the way vampires can be told an so many ways yet always seem to still keep you intrigued by the way another author can tell a story with them involved and not ruin it.
This story is packed with action, passion, romance and a lot of stubbornness. Katie will have any reader on the edge of their seat. I actually found myself holding my breath a couple of times as I read on waiting to see what would happen next. I love it when a book can make you feel some type of emotion and this book delivers on that aspect I laughed and I cried in this book. It is an extremely entertaining story that will keep you begging for more. You will not be able to put it down, let me assure you! Katie is gonna knock it out of the park with this series.

Book 2 Hunters and Prey
 Goodreads Blurb
The exciting sequel to Immortalis Carpe Noctem.
Rule number one: humans and vampires don't co-exist. One is the hunter and one is the prey. Simple, right? Not for newly-turned vampire Alyssa. A surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum's most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the human friend she's missed more than anything. Now she has some explaining to do. However, that will have to wait. With the Acta Sanctorum hot on their heels, staying alive is more important than educating a human on the finer points of bloodlust.

My review 5

Hunters and Prey picks up not long after Immortalis Carpe Noctem left off ~ Post-Kallisto & Acta Sanctorum battle with Alyssa continuing to struggle between her need for blood and having to kill her victims to keep her existence a secret. This book grabs the reader by the throat from the first line, while the vampire, Alyssa, gulps her victim’s blood.
Alyssa, is a young vampire, newly turned, living with a clan of ancients. Alyssa’s stubborn risk-taking habit puts. Every time it looked like Alyssa was properly lectured, and she promised not to do it again, she found more trouble or we can say trouble found her.
Lysander, ancient vampire, and leader of their clan, has his hands full, keeping track of Alyssa and saving  her. No wonder Lysander and the other members of the Peregrinus Clan say Alyssa is a magnet for trouble. But she is a loyal friend to Fallon even though trouble finds her. She does try to do things on her own to fix what she has essentially messed up even if it was all done in good intentions.
HUNTERS AND PREY is a welcome addition to the IMMORTALIS series . While I very much liked reading IMMORTALIS CARPE NOCTEM, I was more engaged when reading HUNTERS AND PREY. It's a book that held my attention with good characters, a good plot, and nice world-building. Best of all, it's made me want to dig into the next book in the series, as soon as possible. Katie is gonna keep you setting on the edge of your seat with this whole series. I am loving this series borderline obsessed with this series.
Book 3 Pandora’s Box
 Goodreads Blurb

After a few months as a vampire, Alyssa thought she'd learned all she needed to know about the supernatural world. But her confidence is shattered by the delivery of a mysterious package - a Pandora's Box. Seemingly innocuous, the box is in reality an ancient prison, generated by a magic more powerful than anyone in her clan has ever known. But what manner of evil could need such force to contain it? When the box is opened, the sinister creature within is released, and only supernatural blood will satiate its thirst. The clan soon learns how it feels when the hunter becomes the hunted. Powerless against the ancient evil, the clan flees Las Vegas for Boston, with only a slim hope for salvation. Could Lysander's old journals hold the key? And what if they don't? And how welcome will they be in a city run by a whole different kind of supernatural being? Werewolves.

My review 5

Ok Guys I don’t think I will ever stop FANGIRLING this series. Just when you think a series can not get any better well think again because Katie has done it again and you can not always believe what the movies say Vampires and Werewolfs can get along. In this installment Alyssa’s best friend Fallon accidently unleashes the very first vampire from Pandora’s Box and in order to stop the havoc it is causing Lysander and Clan travel to Boston to find his lost writings in hope of putting the evil that was released back in his prison and along the way they enlist the help of the local werewolf pack with the help of a witch.  I am no longer borderline obsessed with this series I am obsessed and dying to read the next installment in this awesome series.
After reading this series I contacted Katie and asked her if she would join us for the review today and answer a few questions and she said yes (YAY) FanGirling for sure now. My blog tour stop was scheduled for Jan. 25 and I recently found out by talking to Katie that Jan 25 is a special day for her it is her Birthday so I would like to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

and thank you so much for joining us today.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Well, I’m a mother of 2. I recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy (He’s 7 weeks old today). I also have a little diva of a daughter (She’s 7 years old). They are both my little loves! I live in Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada, which is where my Immortalis series begins. I’ve lived out here for about 15 years now and I thought it would be a really neat place to start off my vampire series. Think about it, what better place is there than 24 hour Las Vegas for a vampire to call home?

1. How was the Immortalis Series born so to speak?

It all started with a question: What would it be like to turn into a vampire?

Not the fantasy version where everything is perfect, I’m talking about a real blood sucking vampire who has to hide out from the sun and kill for its food. That’s where the Immortalis series was born. I wanted to explore the emotional upheaval that was the transition. I wanted to take readers on a first hand ride through what it might be like. Of course I didn’t want it to be all doom and gloom; there are some good parts to being a creature of the night, but I wanted to make it as realistic as I could and not gloss over the change and its effect on the main character.

2. Do you work with an outline or just write?

I’m a pantser. I like to write what the muse tells me. Originally, I tried outlining, but it felt too rigid. When I just let the story unfold instead of forcing it into a specific line, I found that it really took shape all on its own. The characters, in a sense, spoke to me and they found their own solutions and ways out of the conflicts I created for them.

3. How much research went into writing The Immortalis Series?

The Immortalis series has a lot of Greek Mythology in it. I based both my vampires and my werewolves on some of the old legends. The research behind it all was truly fascinating. I enjoyed learning about the gods, the curses they placed on humanity, the Pandora’s Box. It was really a lot of fun learning about them and then twisting them into my own story.

4. Do you have any rituals or quirks before or during your writing process? 

Nope. I just sit down and start typing. Being a pantser means that some days the words flow from my fingers to the keys with ease, and then on other days, I’ll sit and stare at my computer screen for hours with nothing to write. At times it can be very frustrating, but that is the only way I know how to do this.

5. A lot of authors have a playlist while writing do you have a playlist?

I don’t have a universal playlist. I have types of music I like to listen to. Music really helps set the mood for me. If I am writing an action scene, I need something with more of a hard beat to it. If I am writing a romantic scene, I might want something a little softer, lighter, and moody. It really depends on what I need at the time.

6. How did you choose the genre you write in?

I think the genre’s really chose me. I didn’t set out to write Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. Originally, I envisioned Immortalis as a horror. It all goes back to being a pantser. I let the story dictate what it wanted to be and I found myself really liking to work within both of those genres.

7. How many books do you have planned for The Immoratlis Series? ( I am loving this series and hope there is no end anytime soon. )

I’d love to see the Immortalis series have the same type of longevity as say the Sookie Stackhouse series, or the Mercy Thompson series. Those books just keep the story going. I don’t have a set “end” for this series. As long as Alyssa keeps fumbling her way through the Unnatural world, I’ll keep telling her story.
As for now, keep your eyes open for book 4. I’m in the final phases of revisions and it should be going to my editor very soon. 

Yay that makes me happy because I do believe Alyssa has a lot more fumbling to do. ( She is a magnet for trouble) and I love it.

8. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author and what has been the best compliment given?

Actually, I think they both went hand in hand. I’ve had someone tell me they just could not stand Alyssa, the main character in the Immortalis series. They just hated her. She was naive, ignorant, and at times, bratty. But, in that same breath they complimented me on the realism of the character. She has a lot of learning to do and through the series she grows as a person and a vampire, but I had to start her somewhere. Though they hated her at first, she was so real they wanted to keep reading to see if she did “grow up.”

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published if any?

Where do I begin? LoL. It took 5 years for me to write, rewrite, edit, and finally see Immortalis Carpe Noctem (the first book in the Immortalis series) take shape as a published work. I went through hundreds of agent and editor rejections. I then decided to take up the publishing part on my own. There was a steep learning curve there. Self-Publishing is no piece of cake. You truly are every part of the process: author, editor, cover designer, project manager, marketing director, event coordinator, etc… There was so much to learn and publishing that first book was 100% a hands on process.
With all that said, I am very glad I was able to do it. Seeing the book out there and hearing readers respond positively to it just makes my day! I cherish every reader I get!

10. Can you see yourself or anyone you know personally an any of your characters?

I think there is a little of me in all the characters. Alyssa’s naivety reminds me of my own youth. Nicholas’s antagonistic attitude, Rozalines mothering nature, Crystal’s friendly demeanor, Lysander’s secretiveness, they are all bits and pieces of me in a way, but they are not carbon copies.

11. If you could have any superpower what would it be and what would your kryptonite be?

I would love to be able to read people’s minds. To know what they are thinking when they give you those strange looks. You know what I’m talking about. Wouldn’t it be nice to peer into their head and know what’s going on in there?

Yes that would be awesome, but I always said if I had a superpower it would be to be omniscient.

I suppose though that my kryptonite would be not being able to shut out the voices completely. It could be horribly overwhelming to hear those voices all the time.

12. How and when did you know that you should become an author?

I don’t think there was one defining moment. I’ve always loved to be able to jot down stories or ideas. I have tons of old notebooks from my younger days. I wrote pretty silly things back then.
It’s always been there, a part of me.

Just for fun

Beach or Mountains?

Beach

White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate?

 Dark Chocolate… Mmmmmmm

Night Owl or Early Bird?

Night Owl, definitely a night owl!

Bed or Kitchen Table? (lol)

 Wouldn’t you like to know…. =)

Give or Receive?

Give

Pet Peeves?

 People who use the word “irregardless.” Actually, me and the hubby were laughing about that just the other night, words that are always said or used incorrectly.

and now to end

Do you have anything you would like to share with your readers?

Just my heartfelt thanks for taking the time to be here today and read the interview and perhaps check out my work. I really do cherish every one of you. Knowing people out there enjoy these crazy stories that pop out of my head is the reason I began publishing my work. I do hope you continue to enjoy.


*Hugs*

Places to find Immortalis series
Immortalis Carpe Noctem on Amazon
Hunters and Prey on Amazon
Pandora's Box on Amazon
Immortalis Omnibus Edition on Amazon
Immortalis Carpe Noctem on Books A Million
Hunters and Prey on Books A Million
Immortalis Omnibus Edition on Books A Million
Immortalis Carpe Noctem on Barnes and Noble
Hunters and Prey on Barnes and Noble
Pandora's Box on Barnes and Noble
Immortalis Omnibus Edition on Barnes and Noble
Or Signed Copies Here
Places to Find the Ah~May~Zing Katie Salidas
On Her Website Katie Salidas
Katie's Author Page on Facebook
Katie on Smashwords
Katie on Twitter
Katie on Goodreads

HAPPY READING !!!!!!

PLZ Share some love by leaving Katie a comment .