Month: April 2012

Grave Mercy

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> book reviews

Assassination has often been a tool of politics throughout the centuries. There is a classic quote that “war is the continuation of politics by other means”. Assassination has historically been one of those “other means”–sometimes as a way of starting the war, sometimes as a way of stopping it.

But seldom outside of fantasy have readers had such a god-ridden heroine’s journey to follow, with an assassin as that heroine.

The heroine is Ismae Rienne, and the book is Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. It is the first in her series about, as the author’s website puts it “assassin nuns in medieval France”. That series is titled His Fair Assassin.

It’s historical fiction, not fantasy or science fiction. But Grave Mercy is still quite a trip.

Ismae grows up in a tiny farming village in Brittany. Not France, Brittany. That’s important. Brittany was still independent in the late 1400s and many people still clung to the old ways and the old worship. The old local gods were called “saints” by Ismae’s time, but people still brought them offerings.

Brittany was an independent duchy, and she wanted to remain that way. The tide of history was against her, but the tide wasn’t all the way out, yet.

Ismae was born with a significant scar on her back. Everyone in her superstitious town saw it as a sign that Ismae was the daughter of Death, literally, the guy with the scythe, Mortain. Why? Because that scar represented the effects of the drugs her mother took to abort her, drugs that failed. Only the child of Death himself would have failed to die.

Instead, Ismae spent her early life abused by everyone around her, including her father. And when it came time for her to be married, her father sold her to another brute, one who intended to kill her the moment he saw her scar.

But she was whisked away by Mortain’s followers to the Convent where his assassins were trained. After three years, she was sent on her first assignment. And thus became embroiled in the realpolitik for which the Sisters had barely prepared her.

Anne of Brittany‘s court turned out to be a spiderweb of intrigue. And even worse, the man the convent sent with her both for her to spy on and as her cover, Gavriel Duval, well, Duval is not what he appears to be. The Convent believes he must be betraying the Duchess, but Ismae knows he is not.

Which means that someone else is. Ismae must find the real traitor before he, or she, brings down the ducal house of Brittany. And Ismae must decide where her loyalties really lie.

Ismae is only seventeen. The Duchess whose realm she must protect at all costs is fourteen. The future rests on them.

Escape Rating A: This was one of those books where the pages fly by. Which was excellent, because there are a LOT of pages. This is a story that drags you in and doesn’t let you out until it’s wrung every emotion out of you.  At the end you’re completely spent and you feel satisfied, and slightly disappointed because you have to leave the author’s world.

This is historical fiction, not fantasy. The historical characters and the place and history behind this story did happen. Anne of Brittany, and the Mad War, and the fight over who she would marry, all happened. Gavriel Duval, Ismae and the Nine Old Gods or Nine Saints are fictional, but the blending of the fictional into the historic is seamless.

Grave Mercy reminded me of Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study, the young assassin’s training and first target story, except that Snyder’s story is fantasy. The seriously politically insane fantasy version is Kushiel’s Dart, although that is in no way YA, and Grave Mercy and Poison Study both ostensibly are.

Grave Mercy is a story you won’t want to let go. It’s an excellent thing that the author is returning to the world of His Fair Assassin in the Spring of 2013 with Dark Triumph.

 

ARC Review: The MineFields by Steven C. Eisner

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 3 1/2 Stars> book reviews> Marlene> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.

Format read: hardcover from publicist
Release Date: January 25, 2012
Number of Pages: 311
Genre: business fiction, autobiographical fiction
Publisher: When Words Count Press, LLC
Formats Available: hardcover, ebook

Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon , Barnes & Noble,

Blurb:

From an early age, Sam Spiegel single-mindedly pursued an entrepreneurial path that prepared him to transform a small-time ad agency into a regional powerhouse with national ambitions. A couple decades later, Sam had achieved almost everything he ever dreamed possible as the ad agency’s rainmaker, fountainhead, and unflappable pursuer of success. One final goal remained: To consolidate his gains by attracting an international advertising conglomerate and cash out. That’s when the nation is hit with the most unthinkable tragedy, and Sam begins to take stock of his own life, finding that he is growing weary of the relentless hunt. Unsatisfied in his marriage and embroiled in a mind-boggling professional crisis, everything Sam had achieved is put at risk.

My thoughts:

There seemed to be a really thin line between the fiction and the autobiographical in this book. So thin that it was impossible to tell where the character of Sam Spiegel left off, and the author’s real life filled in the blanks.

Which made reading this book a lot like watching the proverbial train wreck; you know it’s going to be a bloody, gory mess, and you’re still fascinated. You can’t turn your eyes away. The author’s blurb is a spoiler for the big event in the book, the real, or is it the fictional, story is in the details.

The description teases that this is based on or similar to Mad Men. I haven’t had that pleasure. What it is definitely about, much more than advertising, is the rise and inevitable fall of a closely-held family business, and the stresses and strains of trying to patch together a none-too-solid marital partnership by substituting a business partnership that only works if everyone stays at the top of their game indefinitely.

Which doesn’t happen in real life, and wouldn’t make very good fiction either.

Family golden boy goes through meteoric rise (relatively) and catastrophic fall (absolutely) does make good fiction. What I kept wondering was how much of the author’s life was fictionalized to make the story?

It’s hard to get past the temptation to do a Google search and find out.

But as fiction, The MineFields reads like Sam Spiegel, the main character, is telling you his life story over drinks. It’s his perspective, first-person point-of-view, with all the strengths and weakness of first person POV.

Sam knows how to tell a good story, but it’s pretty clear that he’s the star of his own show. Always has been, always will be. Even when he’s hit rock-bottom.

And because Sam is an ad man after all, his story is reads like he’s trying to sell us his version. Or maybe he’s trying to sell himself.

He sold me enough that I couldn’t put the book down. But I can’t stop myself from wondering whether a few things at the end are true or wish-fulfillment on the author’s part.

I give The MineFields 3 and 1/2 stars.

NetGalley April Read-A-Thon

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | NetGalley Month> NetGalley Review-a-Thon

It’s April, which means it’s time for the quarterly NetGalley catch-up month at Red House Books.

Emily has declared this month to be a Read-A-Thon, a chance to clear some of the backlog of NetGalley books and just plain maintenance tasks associated with reviewing.

Mmm. Well. Mmm. Marlene sticks her toe in the ground and looks down shame-facedly.

On the maintenance, I’m good. On the backlog, not so much.

I did finally take advantage of the “Kindle books don’t expire” option and mailed every possible NetGalley title to my Kindle app. Whether that will help or not, we’ll see. One thing I don’t see with that option is book covers. They are all “docs” and documents don’t have book covers. There is one word for them, and that word is “UGLY”.

Also very hard to tell apart.

I had a second reason for doing this. The Kindle app probably doesn’t get full. Bluefire, much as I love the app, does seem to have a limit. And I found it. Every time I need to add a book to it, I have to delete one.

Guess what? You can fill up an ebook reader, if you try really, really hard. Or at least, you can fill up an ebook app. (I’ve emailed Bluefire support and we’re in the middle of figuring this one out. It seems to have to do with expired books. Update: It turns out it definitely has to do with expired books. I have too many and there’s no easy way to get rid of them. Only very boring ways.)

In the meantime, I’ve got to take a look at my NetGalley queue. There’s plenty in there (shudder). I absolutely must post a couple of reviews this month for the Read-A-Thon.

After all, I can’t let the side down. I’m one of NetGalley’s Librarian Voices.

Haevyn: Humanotica Book 2

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews

Haevyn is a way, way, way better book than Silver.

Why? Because Haevyn Breina, the title character of Haevyn, is not just the star of her own story, Haevyn is an adrenaline junkie. She is psychologically incapable of waiting for life to happen to her. She is forced by her own nature to make things happen. In other words, Haevyn has “agency”, sometimes too much of it for her own good. She’s never passive.

There are occasions when Haevyn plays the submissive, but she never truly submits. Her point of view is well worth following, even to the point of wanting to shake her for some of the choices she makes, because she makes choices and acts on them. Decisively.

If Silver was intended as the story of a trinex, a person equally identifiable as male, female and humanotic, Haevyn is a story that separates those roles into three individuals, Haevyn herself, Grishna, her childhood friend and sometime lover, and Entreus, the humanotic rebel from book one, and Grishna’s lover. This should be a triangle.

But Grishna loves both Haevyn and Entreus, and his role is that of healer, mediator, balancer. He’s a peacemaker between two warriors who need each other to be whole. But they also both need his healing as a calming agent. The trick is to bring them together in a way that Haevyn won’t find manipulative, because she is easily spooked.

And Haevyn is both fascinated and repelled by humanotics. Her first sexual experience was rape by a humanotic. It’s left scars on her soul that she’s never been able to erase.

Grishna brings Haevyn to a Cockrage, which makes Fight Club look not just tame, but bland. A Cockrage is a cock-fight, but those are men in the ring, not birds. The fight is not just about the violence, it’s a fight for dominance. The champions and their challengers fight  in the nude, just to make that point more clear. The loser gets screwed in the middle of the fighting ring, in front of the wildly cheering audience.

The audience is supposed to be only male. Grishna sneaks Haevyn in under the pretense of losing a bet. He wants her to see Entreus in Cockrage. Entreus is the reigning champion. Haevyn’s risk-taking nature overwhelms her fear of humanotics, and she is caught up in the overwhelming sexual atmosphere of the Rage, but only for Entreus, who is equally enthralled by Haevyn. She reminds him of the warrior-women of his home dimension of Oricta as none of the submissive ladies of Quentopolis ever have.

But there is more to this story than just the erotic. Haevyn is an officer of the military, even if the branch she serves are trained sex-workers assigned to personally serve high-ranking officers. It is the only way a woman in her society can earn a decent wage.

Haevyn needs that money. Her brother is addicted to body-modification. (And doesn’t that sound strangely familiar?) But on Quentopolis, if a person has more than a certain percentage of humanotic parts, they automatically become a slave. Haevyn is afraid that someday she will have to buy her brother out of slavery, and her fear is justified. She’s saving up.

Most importantly, the officer Haevyn serves, besides being a sado-masochistic bastard, which Haevyn is not just required to tolerate but trained to deal with as part of her duties, is also a treasonous bastard. Haevyn has to go undercover in many, many more ways than she was trained in order to save her city.

And she has to do it fast. Her brother and both her lovers are in danger. And there’s a sorcerer on the loose who might blow everything up just for spite, first.

Escape Rating B-: Once I started Haevyn, I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out how the whole thing turned out. This was so much better than Silver. I liked Haevyn as a character much better than Silver, which made a huge difference.

There are things about the worldbuilding that bothered me. Since this is the second book in a Science Fiction Romance series, there was stuff about the underpinning that I would expect to know by now. Other worlds are referred to as “dimensions”; how is travel accomplished? It’s never clear.

The branch of service Haevyn is in, the CompSociates, are military prostitutes. A society that restricts the roles of women the way Quentopolis does, would it also develop something like this? It was an interesting idea, but I’m not sure. On the other hand, it made me think, which is always good.

Another puzzle: Haevyn refers to damage to her sporiti from her rape. Is sporiti spirit or mind? That was never quite clear in context, not even in combination with the first book.

But if you  have an interest in very erotic science fiction romance, Haevyn might be your ticket. For more thoughts on Haevyn, head on over to Book Lovers Inc.

 

What’s on my (mostly virtual) nightstand? 4-15-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Virtual Nightstand

If this were not a Sunday, in the U.S. today would be the day that the taxman cometh. Or perhaps goeth might be the better word.

April 15 is usually the deadline for filing U.S. Income Tax returns. Except when it falls on a Sunday–then we get a reprieve. Until April 17th this year.

All the procrastinators in the U.S. are waiting until tomorrow night. Or maybe even Tuesday night!

Does having more time make it better, or worse? You tell me!

In the trying not to put things off department, what books are on my nightstand, just waiting to be read and reviewed?

Two books for tours coming up. I’m doing more tours. I get some very interesting books, and some equally interesting commenters. Folks that I hope will like what they read, and come back for more.

About those books…

The Minefields by Steven C. Eisner was sent by Book Lovers Inc. It’s business fiction, which isn’t quite my usual, but the author’s family reminded me more than little of my own family. The story (I finished this afternoon) seems like fictionalized auto-biography. And if it is the author’s own life fictionalized, it’s definitely one I’d rather read about than have lived. But fascinating. The tour will be stopping at Reading Reality on April 20.

Completely 180° from there, Robyn Carr’s Sunrise Point tour will be stopping at Reading Reality the following week, on April 24. I’ll have an interview with Robyn and also a review of the book, the latest in her Virgin River series.

In addition to the tour books, there are three other books coming up next week that I’ve been really looking forward to.

Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules comes out next week.I have a print ARC that I picked up at PLA, as well as a NetGalley egalley for next week. I adored her Iron Fey series, so I have high hopes for this. I’ve tried not to spoil myself by reading any of the advance reviews.

 

Last year, I found this terrific new urban fantasy, Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis.  I really loved that book. Who would have thought that Scranton, PA would be crawling with the supernatural? The sequel is finally here. I can’t wait to find out just how dark the Evil Dark in Scranton really is.

 

Wicked Road to Hell by Juliana Stone is the first book in her League of Guardians series. Well, it’s the first whole book. I reviewed the prequel novella, Wrong Side of Hell a few weeks ago, and it was a fine introduction. It was also hellishly hot in all the right places!

 

Speaking of series, the next book in Amanda Stevens’ Graveyard Queen series, The Prophet, is on my list for next week. I still need to catch up with this series. I have a paper copy of The Restorer, and The Kingdom is still in my NetGalley queue.

And, back to things in my NetGalley queue, I’ve been trying to resist the impulse, but a couple of Carina Press titles caught my eye for this week: Desert Blade by Ella Drake and Darkest Caress by Kaylea Cross. Desert Blade is science fiction romance, which I can never pass up, and I just liked the sound of the paranormal romance in Darkest Caress.

And that’s my overburdened nightstand for this week. Hopefully I’ve tempted you into adding something to your nightstand.

What are you planning to read this week?

On My Wishlist #5

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | On My Wishlist

I fell in love with historical mysteries a long time ago, courtesy of Ellis Peters and Brother Cadfael. And I’m probably not alone.

There are two “private inquiry agents” operating in historic Rome. Marcus Didius Falco, created by Lindsey Davis, is the more sarcastic one. Falco doesn’t have a new book this year. Damn.

The more serious of the two is Gordianus the Finder. His author, Steven Saylor, has written a book exploring Gordianus’ earlier life. It’s a prequel story. It’s also the story of how Gordianus met his exotic wife in Egypt while on a trip to see the wonders of the world. I’ve always been curious about how he got his start. Maybe I’ll finally get to find out in The Seven Wonders: a novel of the Ancient World.

 

Michelle Sagara announced the on-sale date for Cast in Peril, the next book in her Chronicles of Elantra series. I read the previous  seven books in one big, delicious gulp, and I’m impatient for the next book. This series is fantastic. It reads like urban fantasy, but the world it’s set in is more of a high-fantasy type world. The combination is incredibly marvelous. And Kaylin Neya is a character I still want to know more about, even after 7 pretty long books.

I’ve seen so many terrific reviews for Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire that I want a copy of my very own. It looks like an absolute hoot! Sort of like Sanctuary, only much, much snarkier. Maybe I’m wrong on the comparison, but I definitely want to find out!

Okay peeps, I’ve told you mine, now you tell me yours! What’s on your wishlist?

 

In My Mailbox #5

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | In My Mailbox

If you remember the photos from last week’s In My Mailbox post you’ll understand why I tried to restrain myself this week.

I didn’t completely succeed. Hopefully someone will give me an “E for Effort”?

I subscribe to a few (several) newsletters about forthcoming books and the book trade. Shelf Awareness, Early Word and Publishers Weekly all cover books, bookselling, and publishing, but from different angles. Shelf Awareness is slanted a bit towards Indie Publishing, Early Word is aimed a bit a libraries, and Publishers Weekly, well, what they cover is pretty clear from their name!

Their email newsletters also offer contests for Advance Reading Copies in their sidebars. Every so often, I win one.

I won a print ARC of A Simple Murder by Eleanor Kuhns from one of the above. It’s a historical mystery set in a Shaker village in 1796. So neat setting, interesting premise. This book won an award from the Mystery Writers of America for the Best First Crime Novel. So it might be good. And the author is a librarian. Of course I’m interested!

 

Book Lovers Inc. sent me a request I couldn’t resist. I confess I didn’t read Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula when it came out. It’s just my kind of book, too. Alternate history with vampires! But it never quite made it to the top of the towering TBR pile. Kim Newman is re-issuing the sequel, The Bloody Red Baron, and asked BLI for a review. When the request was passed to me, I said I would, if I could get copies of both Red Baron and Anno Dracula. I got.

The only problem with alternate history is that doing it justice usually takes a lot of pages. Those two books are not short books. Either one. Oy!

The other night I was looking for something light and fun to read. So instead of wading through my TBR piles, I bought myself a treat-a copy of Stacey Kennedy’s Supernaturally Kissed. All the reviews I’ve read said it would be just the ticket. The next day I joined Stacey Kennedy’s Street Team and because I couldn’t resist the temptation to get a review copy of the next book in the series, Demonically Tempted.

I’m a tour host for Goddess Fish Tours, and I asked for review copies of books for two tours I’m hosting in May and June. Seized, an urban fantasy by Lynne Cantwell, and Dark Inheritance: Fallen Empire, a Regency romance/alternate history by K. Reed

 

Finally, I admit it, I gave in and bought Fifty Shades of Grey. I listened to myself dissing a book I’d never read and realized that I wasn’t being fair. I needed to either shut up, or read the book. I read the book. Now I have dissing rights. Which doesn’t mean I’m going to totally use them. You’ll see.

 

 

 

Wreck of the Nebula Dream

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> book reviews

A passenger liner is launching with technology so advanced that everyone is just positive it will break all the speed records for the route! Lots of money is riding (yes, pun intended) on her making port on a record-breaking date.

And in order to get her out of her docking berth, she’s launched with untested technology. Oh, she’s ahead of her time, alright, but even advances ahead of their time need shakedown cruises.

If all this sounds just a little familiar, it should. With a little tweaking this could be an introduction of the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. The 100th anniversary of her first, and last, voyage is this week.

But this is a book review of a slightly different story. The ship is the Nebula Dream, and her maiden voyage is a space flight. She’s still a passenger liner, and many of the conditions are intentionally the same. The Titanic disaster served as inspiration for this absorbing science fiction adventure.

Wreck was definitely inspired by the original events, but it is not slavishly devoted to them. Disasters make for great drama. They bring out the best in people…and the worst.

The Wreck of the Nebula Dream by Veronica Scott is the story of the maiden voyage of the passenger cruise ship Nebula Dream.

Instead of being an ocean-going vessel, the Nebula Dream cruises the space-lanes. Like the Titanic before her, the maiden voyage of the luxury Nebula Dream also includes some of the wealthiest people in her corner of her universe. They plan to be part of her record-setting trip.

But space and other factors make Nebula Dream‘s story a bit different from Titanic‘s, although not much less disastrous.

A chunk of that “less disaster” quotient is because the Nebula Dream‘s story is also the story of Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson.  He’s on board because his career has already crashed, and this trip is his last hurrah. Except that what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation turns out to be a mission unlike anything he ever undertook in his service career.

His last service mission was behind enemy lines. This vacation, well, this so-called vacation may not be as far from his last mission as it was supposed to be.

But from the minute that the luxury cruise starts heading towards disaster, Nick learns he’s not alone in this accidental adventure. The woman he’s been watching for days, the ice-cold business executive he was sure would think a simple Special Forces Captain wasn’t worth her time, well, she turns out to be the best partner he could want in this crisis. And maybe after…

If there is any after.

Escape Rating A-: I wanted this to be just a little bit longer. I also wanted to slap one of the side characters upside the head, or shake some serious sense into her. (Read the book and you’ll figure out exactly who I mean)

Wreck of the Nebula Dream is a terrific mix of science fiction, action adventure, and just the right touch of romance. I loved that there was both an alpha male and an alpha female! The heroine does not wait to be rescued, and she’s not just rescuing herself, she’s helping to rescue other people. The hero can either help or get out of her way!

The awesome assassin/sidekick from the mysterious Brotherhood was extra-special cool. I think the extra bit of story I want is where he came from, where he’s going, and are there any more like him at home? I’d like a sequel with his story.

 

Excerpt and Giveaway: Wanted Handsome Alien Abductor

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> ebook giveaway> Giveaways

Have you ever wished that you could be abducted by your very own handsome alien abductor? Someone who would not just sweep you off your feet, but take you away from this everyday, humdrum, “earthbound” existence?

Here’s an excerpt from Myra Nour’s science fiction romance Wanted: Handsome Alien Abductor, where Amber finds her dreams of alien abduction pretty darn…just read the excerpt, and decide for yourself how dreamy Amber’s alien abductor, Ryja is.

Ryja’s deep voice came from behind her. Amber turned and held her breath. He
was magnificent. A brown tunic fit rather loosely, but was more flattering with the help
of a wide leather belt. The garment fell to mid-thigh, and although leggings would have
been a natural part of the costume, Ryja’s legs were bare. She was sure he had
decided to forgo the leggings, and was glad. His massive thighs were calling for her
hands to stroke the chiseled muscles and light brown hairs that covered them.
The tunic was sleeveless, leaving his ripped biceps free. She couldn’t wait to run
her fingers over their bulges. A sword was stuck through the belt, and a pair of brown
leather boots covered his lower legs. She took in his whole physique. With his silky
wheat blonde hair, he did look like a Viking warrior.
“You must like the outfit, because I’ve been standing for about a minute waiting
for you to say something.”
Amber laughed. “You’re so beautiful and authentic looking, you silenced me.”
Ryja arched one eyebrow. “Beautiful?”
“You know what I mean.” She curtsied. “What about my costume?”
“It’s pretty,” he drawled out as he walked to her side. “But you are stunning no
matter what you wear, or don’t wear for that matter.”
Her cheeks reddened. Their first encounter had been wild and she had no
qualms about total nudity with a stranger. Amber’s heart raced as she wondered if this
time would be as exciting.
“You belong to me.” Ryja circled her waist, pulling her into his arms.
His eyes were a darker shade of blue, filled with lust. His hard erection pushed
against the layers of clothes between them. He looked like a conqueror and she
realized he’d stepped full in to their fantasy.
She cast down her eyes and whispered. “You raided my village. I am your
captive.”
If that had really happened to her, Amber doubted she’d act so meek. But she
would play the part they’d set in motion.
His hand slid to her chin, raising it. “Since you are my captive, I can do anything
I want with you.”
Instead of being scared, as she would be if she were a real captive, her body
was on fire.
Without warning, he swooped down, attacking her lips with a savage kiss. She
wanted to run her hands through his soft hair and pull him closer, but instead she
pushed against his chest. He released her and she stumbled back.
“So, you will fight me.” His eyes raked her body. Those cool orbs were hot,
setting her nerves to tingling with their intensity.
“You are a barbarian and my enemy.” Amber turned her nose up slightly.
“So I am.” Ryja bent and picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed. He
sat on the edge, with her across his lap like a child. When she struggled, he trapped
her arms with one iron arm and pulled her head up with his free hand.
She turned her head, but his hand slid behind her back, gripping her head above
her neck. Forcing her forward, he captured her mouth in a kiss. Amber only played at
refusing his kiss for a second, then her body relaxed against his. She was his.
His tongue teased hers, drawing a small moan from her. Then it swept across
her tongue like they were doing battle. It was thrilling. Ryja’s hand pushed her closer,
his kiss demanding more surrender as his steely arm pulled her tight against his chest.
She was breathless but it wasn’t the embrace that caused it, but his deepening kiss.
Suddenly, he withdrew, staring at her with a wicked look. She didn’t know what
he had on his mind, but she shuddered with feverish excitement. Standing up, Ryja
turned and gently laid her in the center of the bed. Then he ran his hand up her right
arm and stretched it over her head.
He leaned down, kissing her until she was restless and wanting more. While
they kissed he had been stroking her hand and wrist, or that’s what she thought. It was
hard to concentrate on her hand when he set her mouth on fire. She felt something
clamp around her wrist and craned her neck. Glancing under his arm, she was shocked
to see a fur lined handcuff on her wrist. It was attached by a cord to the bedpost at the
headboard.
“Oh,” she gasped. Amber tried to pull her hand down, not even remembering the
fantasy at this moment. Being trussed up was not her idea of fun.

 

Want to read more of Amber and Ryja’s adventure for yourself? All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter and leave a comment for Myra answering the following question. Since Ryja is visiting Earth to study its history, what historical period would you most want to go back and visit? 

One lucky winner will receive an ebook copy of Wanted: Handsome Alien Abductor. This contest will be open until 12:01 am on Sunday, April 15, and the winner will be announced on Monday, April 16.

Continue reading “Excerpt and Giveaway: Wanted Handsome Alien Abductor” →