Just One More Chapter: Blog Tour: Willow Creek: Craving

Title: Willow Creek: Craving

Author: Stephanie Summers

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publication Date: March 8, 2014

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

A small idyllic town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains is home to a thriving community. People are happy, crime is practically nonexistent, life is good…unless you’re Sabine Crowley, who has been chosen to be the next blood bag for the vampire lord who has protected the town from otherworldly creatures for 200 years. Sabine has big dreams for her life, and none of them include becoming a vampire’s concubine. On her 18th birthday, she seeks solitude to process the cruel turn her destiny has taken. As she sits alone in Cleary Park, a sexy stranger approaches her. He’s tall, mysterious, handsome, and a complete jerk. He soon reveals himself to be a vampire and she’s terrified of him and her strange attraction to him. She wants to get as far away from him as possible, yet finds herself wondering if she’ll see him again. Remy, the cocky newcomer vampire, has been summoned by his maker, Bastian, to take his place beside him in the hierarchy of vampires inhabiting Willow Creek. He’s none too thrilled to be stuck in a boring little town in the middle of nowhere where he’ll have to feed exclusively from the girl he’s been paired with. He’s repulsed by the whole situation. When Sabine tries to run away from her fate, Remy is forced to follow and bring her back. They’re unwillingly thrust into each other’s lives and reluctantly find an undeniable attraction between themselves. Will they ever look past their contempt for one another and act on their urges? Or are they destined to hate each other forever?

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The story here was original and interesting. I dislikes Sabine's parents immensely at the beginning of the book and I couldn't imagine being Sabine, knowing my sister could have a future and I could not. To make things worse, her parents gave the sister everything to ensure she had every opportunity available to her and Sabine got next to nothing because they felt there was no point in preparing her for a life she wouldn't have. Rude... I was glad they didn't have a huge role in the book.

The main characters have a lot of potential. I loved the sarcastic dialogue that was consistent between Sabine and Remy. He would be incorrigible but she was most times able to come up with a good retort. He was infuriating but that really just made him more attractive. Of course, as the reader, we knew they would get together eventually and the events that led up to the pairing had me first feeling anger, then compassion, and finally hope that what was thought to be horrible situation for both characters could end up being exactly the opposite. The more we got to know Remy and his back story, the more it was realized that he wasn't the cold, hard-hearted vampire he pretended to be. As Sabine began to see through his shell, he slowly began to let her into his world. I was glad that the relationship was a slow burn rather than the kind where they meet and fall in love in the first two chapters of the story. I particularly enjoyed when they traveled together and really appreciated just having each other as a companion.

This book was actually fun to read. There was only one thing I did not like and that was the cover. This is just personal preference. I am not a fan of book covers with half naked people on them. I must admit, I would not have picked this book up at all if I was not approached just because of the cover. However, I'm glad I agreed to read it. The mystery of this setting was fascinating. Like Remy, I still have so many questions. Why are vampires attracted to this town? What is it that they need/want so badly that the town needs constant protection. It is a question that wasn't really fully answered as of yet but there was a bit of foreshadowing toward the end that points toward this topic being addressed in the next book. I'll be waiting...

Stephanie Summers is a wife and mother of two. She recently graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in accounting, though writing is her true passion. Stephanie seemed to always have a story or two or ten running around in her mind. At the ripe old age of 30, she finally decided it was time to put aside the thought that she didn't have what it took to write a novel and began writing her first story. She has since began and finished a paranormal romance, The Willow Creek Series: Craving. Her short story, Love Forgotten, was chosen to be published in the upcoming Stardust anthology. Her contemporary rock star romance, Undone, is scheduled to be released later in 2014.