Review: To Kill A Warlock by H.P. Mallory

"The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch. Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She's a Regulator-a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she's either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim. Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie's got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals."

One of my favorite things about To Kill A Warlock were the characters. Duclie O'Neal is a kick ass Regulator who also writes books on the side. But not just any kind of book, the one she's focusing on has to do particularly with a bit of frisky and pirates.Then you have Bram, Knight and Quill, all 3 extremely sexy men with a different purpose and a beautiful depth that not just anyone could pull off, but H.P. does. You will find yourself drooling over each of them at one point or the other but you don't get lost in it.

The beginning was one of the funniest starts to a book that I've ever read. This is actually a picture of a comic that H.P. would like to complete, I found this on her website which is linked to below.

 And the ending is one that will leave your heart racing, wrenching and spinning all confused and misjumbled.

Overall, I felt the book was enjoyable though felt really slow at times. To Kill A Warlock had nice new way to express law enforcement and H.P. does a fantastic job of creating a world that you will keep wanting more of.

My rating for this book:

H.P. Mallory is a writer for urban fantasy and paranormal romance books. She is a writer, a friend and an inspiration to many people. You can reach her at:

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Please Welcome Wenona Hulsey!

Today we have something special in store for you guys, an interview with Wenona Hulsey herself! I'm lucky enough to be friends with her through H.P. Mallory's Book Club and I am pretty pumped to have her here today. You can find my review of her new book Blood Awakening in the post below the interview. And trust me, it is one you're going to want to read! So without further ado... Here's our little Q&A with Wenona Hulsey!

What was your inspiration behind Burden of Blood?

I've always loved a story about someone who just didn't fit in anywhere but triumphs in spite of it. Finding out that their differences are what makes them strong has always left me, as a reader, more in love with the characters.  I wanted to write a story that would give people that feeling too. So much so that I started writing my first novel Burden of Blood.

What were you feeling about it being released?

On release day I was so nervous! I knew I loved my story and that my friends loved it too but there is always that self-doubt eating away in the back of my mind. Tons of 'what ifs' almost caused me to put off releasing my novel for a few more months, until I could go over it again with a fine tooth comb for the fourth time, but I made myself push forward and I'm so glad I did.

What made you want to become a writer?

I can't really pin it down to one thing. I've always been an avid reader and a bit of a dreamer, so writing a novel has been in the back of my mind since I was a teenager (a long time ago). I just love to explore what my mind is capable of coming up with and the best place for me to do that is in stories. Sometimes I make myself laugh and other times I say "Dang girl! You have one twisted mind!" but either way, it makes me happy.

Are there certain writers that inspire you specifically or perhaps influence your style of writing?

H.P. Mallory has been my number one influence.  Her success as an indie author, who was turned down over and over by publishers, has made me realize that just because one person said no, it doesn't mean you work won't be loved. She is also the reason I started reading paranormal romance which is the category my novel, Burden of Blood, somewhat falls into.

Burden of Blood part of a series or single book?

There will be a second book to follow Burden of Blood, called Blood of Fire. This is planned to be the final one of Nicole's story. I also released a short story called Blood Awakening which gives you the back story of best friends, Nicole and Kat.

Are the settings in your book based off where you grew up?

Actually yes! It is loosely based on the small town I grew up in and the surround towns. The description I give of the town is a mix of  how it was when I was a teen and how it is now. Biggest difference between the two time periods is that Double Springs has TWO red lights now!

What is the best tip you could give an aspiring writer?

Don't give up on your dream. After all, in the end, we all feel either a great sense of fulfillment or disappointment in the way we spent our time on this earth. You only have right now so make the most of it!

What is your biggest writing/ reading pet peeve?

I don't guess I have a pet peeve. I'm trying real hard to think of one but nothing really bothers me. I just love a good story. Entertain me and I'm happy.

What is the most tedious part of the publishing process?

Publishing is a whole new world to me! I had to learn so much so fast I felt like my head was spinning. I kept looking for the easy button for publishing so I could get back to writing but there isn't one. I think the hardest part is when you self-publish is figuring out the dang formatting for e-books. That was enough to give me gray hair!!

Favorite weird food?

Does peanut butter and banana sandwiches count as weird? Wish I had one right now!

Color?

Favorite color is blue.

As a child, what did you want to grow up and be?

An astronaut! I wanted to meet aliens!! Outer space is where everyone said they lived so I started making plans to get me to NASA.  

Thank you so much Wenona for visiting The Ink Puddle! We loved having you.
And I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. :)