Tag: Entangled Publishing

Interview with Author Nico Rosso + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> blog tours

Rosso_Portrait_12V2-255x300My guest today is one of my favorite SFR authors. And, he’s also the husband of one of my favorite authors. So I was especially pleased when Entangled Publishing gave me the opportunity to interview Nico Rosso as part of the tour for their superhero romance anthology, Holding Out for a Hero. I did love Nico’s story (see my review for details), but I also adore the concept, so I hope we get lots more.

True confession, Nico and his wife Zoë Archer’s shared steampunk romance series, The Ether Chronicles was one of my 2012 favorites at Library Journal this year. Interviewing him was an absolute treat. So without further ado…

Marlene:  Welcome Nico! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Nico: -I’m a romance writer, married to a romance writer (Zoë Archer), and I’m trying to find some simplicity in life.  I think that’s why the romance genre is so appealing.  No matter what external threats you throw at the characters, or how damaged they’ve been in the past, it always comes down to the two of them finding themselves and each other at just the right time.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Nico: -I’m definitely a planner, so I like to have my outline in pretty good shape before I start in on pages.  Once the piece is humming, I’ll get up early (maybe around 6:30am) to take advantage of the morning calm.  From there I’ll break for meals.  If I’m lucky, I’ll get my day’s work done before lunch, but there are usually more words that need putting down in the afternoon. 

Marlene: What’s the story behind your switch from Hollywood to romance writer? Would it make a good romance novel? Or maybe a screenplay?

Nico: -It’s not a very dramatic story.  Through years of grinding, trying to make inroads, I discovered that the kinds of movies that inspired me in the first place weren’t being made anymore.  I decided that rather than trying to fight my way into something I no longer really liked, I had to find a place where new voices and ideas were welcome.  Through Zoë, I learned that romance was just that place.

nights of steelMarlene:  What’s it like co-creating a steampunk series with your spouse?

Nico: -It’s fantastic working on the Ether Chronicles with Zoë.  Because there’s such a range in the stories, we can be researching Scottish moors one minute, then figuring out how an ether rifle works the next.  We’re always discussing our projects with each other, anyway, so this was just a natural evolution.

Marlene: And how did you work out the writing territory in The Ether Chronicles? Pins in a dartboard? Knives at 20 paces?

Nico: -We knew early on that I’d be writing the Westerns and she’d handle everywhere else.  It suited our interests and kept things defined so there’d be no thumb wrestling over who got to tell which story.  The only time we take out the rubber knives is when we have to choreograph fight scenes (seriously, we do this).

holding out for a heroMarlene: What can we expect of Ironheart?

Nico: -I really wanted Ironheart to take me back to my early days of reading comic books in the ‘80s, so you’ll find a lot of gritty action and tough talking heroes.  But there’s also a very human story at the core.  Despite all their powers, both Vince “The Anvil” and Kara “SnapDragon” are vulnerable where their hearts are concerned, and it’s a difficult struggle for them to learn to trust again.

Marlene:  Will there be more books in the Heroes Guild?

Nico: -I’d love to explore more stories in the Heroes Guild.  It all depends on demand.  If the reader’s devour Ironheart and still want more (wink), I’ll deliver.

Marlene: All your writing is on the “way out there” side of the romance equation: steampunk, science fiction romance (YES!) and now superheroes. What drew you to that spark of the genre in particular?

Nico: -I think because I didn’t come to romance as a reader first, but as a writer, I found inspiration in other genres from my past, then drew them into the romance writing.

Marlene: Name one book that you’ve bought just because of the cover.

Nico: -I bought a 1957 edition of H. Rider Haggard’s She & King Solomon’s Mines because the cover was so simple and classic for these adventure stories.  A green hardcover cloth binding with a black rectangle telling you the author and titles.  It’s small, so it fits in the hand beautifully.  The kind of book you keep with you for train rides and rainy cafes.

Marlene: What is the one book that you most want to read again for the first time?

Nico: -Because I read them in high school and didn’t bring as much life experience to the works as they deserve, I’d like to rediscover Flannery O’Connor’s short stories.  Her use of overt and subtle imagery is amazing.

Marlene: You mentioned something in your blog about a new project. Have anything you want to share? Or can you tell us something about your not-so-secret upcoming projects?

Nico: -I’d love to share all the details, but unfortunately it’s just too early.  I can say that this new project isn’t like anything I’ve written in romance before.  Expect more of my actual voice in the piece.  It’s still a romance, but it’s definitely raw and raunchy. 

Marlene: Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn’t know to ask.

Nico: -I love to cook, and one of the greatest pleasures is to have time in the kitchen to bake bread.  It’s such a simple process, but not always easy.  Like a meditation, where you have to maintain focus.  And at the end, you have warm food to eat, uncomplicated and made from your own hands.

Marlene: Coffee or Tea?

Nico: -Coffee for when I want to break down walls.  Green tea for when I want to walk through them.

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The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 2-17-13

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Book Lovers Inc.> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

This is Presidents Day weekend in the U.S. We are not celebrating the vampire-hunting prowess of Abraham Lincoln. (Officially, it turns out we really are still celebrating George Washington’s birthday, in spite of the date gerrymandering.)

We are celebrating the U.S. Federal government’s desire to provide 3-day weekends to as many people as possible, in the hopes of encouraging tourism. I don’t know how well that’s working out.

Some of us have Monday off to celebrate this slightly strange amalgam of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12, 1809) and George Washington’s birthday (February 22, 1732). Or as my father used to call the latter, “Birthington’s Washday”.

It’s a long slog until the next holiday, Memorial Day at the end of May. At least that’s one we almost all get.

But let’s celebrate this past week first. What happened last week?

Celebrating Saint Valentine Blog Hop (ends tonight!)
B Review: Lady In Deed by Ann Montclair + Giveaway (ends 2/22)
B Review: Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts by Heather Massey
A Review: A Devil’s Touch by Victoria Vane
A+ Review: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Stacking the Shelves (34)

This week I will be part of the tour for Holding Out for a Hero, the superhero anthology with stories from Christine Bell and Ella Dane, Tamara Morgan, Nico Rosso and Adrien-Luc Sanders. I’ll be reviewing two of the stories here, and two of the stories at Book Lovers Inc. on Friday. I’m also planning to have an interview with Nico Rosso here on Wednesday.

I also had a chance to review The Dragon Healer, one of the Dragon Knights series by Bianca D’Arc for Library Journal. Since I got book 1.5, it gave me an excuse to give longer reviews here at Reading Reality.

There will be other surprises this week, so stay tuned and see what pops up!

Review: Treacherous Temptations by Victoria Vane + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews> Giveaways
Format read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 181 pages
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date Released: January 19, 2012
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

A reluctant heiress resigned to her fate… Mary Elizabeth Edwardes has one of the largest fortune’s in England, but has no desire to leave her quiet country existence… and even less to acquire a husband she cannot choose for herself.

A dissolute nobleman bent on retribution… Trapped in a duplicitous existence since scandal destroyed his fortune and family name, Lord Hadley Blanchard has spent the better part of a decade posing as a disaffected exile while spying and seducing in the service of the English Crown.

A dangerous game of seduction, and intrigue… When summoned from abroad by a former lover, Lord Hadley perceives an opportunity for vengeance at last. By employing the full measure of his seductive charm, he woos the ward of the man who destroyed his life, little knowing that winning Mary’s fortune will mean risking his own treacherous heart.

Treason, rebellion, espionage, government-backed Ponzi schemes. Dead scapegoats. Live corrupt officials. Incest.

Some of it even happened.

Victoria Vane is an expert at weaving the soiled threads of actual Georgian-era events into a tapestry that proves yet again that foul deeds can wear a fair face. Behind the glittering masks of the aristocracy lurked the corruption that the later Victorian era’s compulsive prudishness was a reaction against.

The Georgian era was a revel.

Two of the events that lay behind the story of Treacherous Temptations were real, historic events. After the Hanoverian kings, in the person of George I, took the throne of Britain, there were a series of rebellions in favor of James Stuart, and later his son Charles. History calls his son “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. The rebellions are known as the “Jacobite Rebellions” and they cost Scotland dearly. The breaking of the clan system in the Highlands was one of the results. (If you want to read more about the Jacobite Risings, invest some time in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. The first three books cover it in glorious detail.)

The Scots did not want “German Georgie” on the throne. They paid in blood. Spying on them paid in cash.

The government-backed Ponzi scheme was also historic fact. Bernie Madoff was small time compared to the South Sea Bubble, because the South Sea Bubble started off as a government investment. It was supposed to reduce the cost of the national debt by investing in trade with South America. There was just one problem–at that point in history, all South American Trade was controlled by Spain, and Britain was at war with Spain. There was also a pesky problem with insider trading.  (Some things never change)

As our story begins, Hadley Blanchard is summoned home after nearly ten years spying on the Jacobite court in exile. This was a dangerous game for him. If he was caught by the Jacobites, they would have killed him. If he was caught in England delivering messages to either his paymaster or to any of the exiled court’s contacts, he had his choice of being executed for treason or killed on sight.

His paymaster would not have protected him, and he knew it. He was living by his wits, and time was probably running out.

About that summons home, it comes from his stepmother. Funny thing about that, she’s also his lover. Or she was. That both is and isn’t as bad as it sounds. They are about the same age. But, it was the sight of the two of them together that caused his father to kill himself instead of her.

The old man definitely shot the wrong person.

And his father’s death was terribly, terribly convenient for the other officers of the South Sea Company. Dead men make very handy scapegoats. Hadley was all of nineteen at the time. He lost his home, his estate, his title, and his income. The government gave him a small stipend and sent him on his way. Disgraced by proxy.

He wants it back. He wants his home back. He wants his self-respect back. He knows that his father was not the engineer behind the South Sea Company collapse. Hadley knows that the man currently paying him to spy on the Jacobites is responsible. He just can’t prove it.

Until fate throws Mary Edwardes in his lap. Literally. The woman whose father purchased his former estates. quite legally. The woman who is now the ward of his enemy, along with her fortune.

All he has to do is seduce her and marry her. He doesn’t even have to like her. It would be so much easier for him if he didn’t like her. If he didn’t care.

But Mary Edwardes seems to actually like him, not just want him. He’s practiced at making women want him. Having someone like him, that’s different. It’s more than novel. It makes him feel like there might be a future, and not just revenge.

Except that he’s not remotely worthy of a woman like Mary. And he still has to make her see that he’s better than any of the alternatives that her guardian will sell her to, even after she finds out the awful truth about him.

Escape Rating B+: Treacherous Temptations has a number of elements of the “perils of Pauline” type of story. Mary Edwardes does seem beyond innocent, even naive. She is nineteen, not sixteen. It’s not that she doesn’t know about sex, it’s that she doesn’t know about people. Sir Richard, her guardian, is selling her to the highest bidder. Lady Barbara is not her friend. Human nature is the same all over. Even in her village there would have been people who were rotten, and nineteen is well out of the schoolroom.

But it’s Hadley’s journey that fascinates. He grows from being a besotted boy in the prologue to a man who has had enough and needs to find a way out. His redemption is the story that we’re following. He needs to throw off his last tie to Barbara, his dependence on Sir Richard’s money, and finally stand up for himself by saving Mary. Hadley pulling himself out of the gutter is the story.

And it’s a damned good one.

~~~~~~TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

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***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Guest Post by Victoria Vane + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> Giveaways> Guest Posts

My very special guest today is Victoria Vane. Victoria has just published Treacherous Temptations, her latest revel in the mad, bad and dangerously decadent Georgian Era. I’ve asked Victoria to tell us why she loves the Georgian Era so very, very much. (I will say that it seems to love her back. Her Georgian-Era romances are fabulous!)

Why I Love the Georgians (Redux) by Victoria Vane

As a historical romance author, I am often asked why I swim against the Regency tide. My reasoning has two parts. While I adore Regency romances and cut my first romance teeth on Georgette Heyer (still my all-time favorite author) my best loved stories have always been Heyer’s less popular Georgian works— The Black Moth, These Old Shades, The Masqueraders, Devil’s Club, and Powder and Patch. The Regency just doesn’t hold me in thrall the way the paradoxically naughty, bawdy, glitzy, and glamorous Georgian era does.

From almost as early as I can remember, I’ve had a particular fascination with the 18th century— the clothes, the manners, the art and the music, and the longer I have studied it, and the deeper I have delved, my interest has only magnified. The compulsive gaming, hard drinking, and fast living Georgians did everything to excess! And while it may be surpassed in its hypocritical character by the Victorian era with its puritanical social mores coupled with an underworld swimming in opium dens, in my mind, the smoky, gritty Victorians just can’t hold a literary candle to the gleaming gilt of the Georgians!

I think much of it is that we can’t take the Georgians (at least the aristocrats) at face value, for the face they presented to the world was often (literally) a painted façade. Yet, they were still able to mock themselves for it as evidenced by the satirical nature of the popular art and literature. Moreover, almost nothing was better appreciated in this jaded society than a quick wit, which oftimes alone served to elevate some of the lowliest people to the company of nobles.

In my exploration of this golden epoch, people like William Hogarth and Henry Fielding have been my guides, and in addition to consistently incorporating many real people into my stories as secondary characters, historical figures have also served as models for my fictional heroes and heroines. (Frederick, Baron Baltimore was a very loose model for Ludovic DeVere in the Devil DeVere series. Philip, Duke of Wharton inspired Hadley Blanchard in Treacherous Temptations, and the real Mary Edwardes served as a very close model for my own heiress in the same book.

My second reason for seeking my fame and fortune amongst the Georgians began as simply an endeavor to find my own niche—to stand out as a historical author amongst a flooded pool of genuine talent. I sought to do this by learning everything I possibly could about my chosen period. For four years, I have immersed myself in study of the history, politics and art, reading diaries, memoirs, and stage plays, all while listening endlessly to Baroque music.

I have done this in my endeavor to give my era life and breath, to enrich my stories in the most vivid possible way by bringing to them elements of historical reality. I have recently expanded upon this notion of vivid and elaborate world building by commissioning digitally rendered illustrations for my books that I hope will excited readers and enhance the reading experience. (More scene depictions and character portraits are available on my DeVere fan site.)

In all of this I have come to feel very much at home in Georgian England, as if I truly understand them—as if I actually belong there. And just as Georgette Heyer did with the Regency, it is my dearest desire to call the Georgian era my own.

About Treacherous Temptations

A reluctant heiress resigned to her fate… Mary Elizabeth Edwardes has one of the largest fortune’s in England, but has no desire to leave her quiet country existence… and even less to acquire a husband she cannot choose for herself.

A dissolute nobleman bent on retribution… Trapped in a duplicitous existence since scandal destroyed his fortune and family name, Lord Hadley Blanchard has spent the better part of a decade posing as a disaffected exile while spying and seducing in the service of the English Crown.

A dangerous game of seduction, and intrigue… When summoned from abroad by a former lover, Lord Hadley perceives an opportunity for vengeance at last. By employing the full measure of his seductive charm, he woos the ward of the man who destroyed his life, little knowing that winning Mary’s fortune will mean risking his own treacherous heart.

Purchase at Amazon.

About Victoria Vane:A lover of history and deeply romantic stories, Victoria combines these elements to craft romantic historical novels and novellas for a mature reading audience. Her writing influences are Georgette Heyer for fabulous witty dialogue and over the top characters, Robin Schone , Sylvia Day, and Charlotte Featherstone for beautifully crafted prose in stories with deep sensuality, and Lila DiPasqua for creative vision in melding history with eroticism.

You can find Victoria at:

Website | DeVere Fan Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Victoria is kindly giving away a digital copy of any title from her backlist.

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Review: Lycan Unleashed by Tiffany Allee

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

LycanUnleashed-500-200x300Format Read: ebook received from the publisher
Number of Pages: 115 pages
Release Date: January 13, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Detective Astrid Holmes is a sensitive, a human capable of feeling the energy of otherworlders. When she is dispatched to the horrific murder scene of a local vampire, she expects it to be just another day on the job. But when evidence is stolen on her watch, she is removed—not only from the investigation, but from her job as a member of the Chicago police department’s paranormal unit.

Astrid’s only hope of reinstatement lies with her ex co-worker and almost-lover, Lycan Mason Sanderson. But convincing the OWEA agent to let her assist with the investigation isn’t nearly as difficult as staying alive when the murderer realizes that Astrid may hold the key to unlocking his identity.

Fighting to take down a killer could have deadly consequences for Astrid and Mason, but working together puts their already fragile relationship in jeopardy.

My Thoughts:

Now that we’re three books into the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, the “world” it operates in is already established. This is excellent, as this series is made up of novellas rather than full-length novels, and each one ends up being just a bit short. Prior background is good.

The heroine of Lycan Unleashed is Astrid Holmes, and she’s someone we’ve met before. Astrid is the “sensitive” who’s been called on in previous cases. Astrid can, well, “sense” what type of paranormal committed a crime, and what kind of energy surrounds a crime scene.

She’s usually an office worker, because her sense is acute. She senses paranormal energy all the time. From every paranormal or Otherworlder (OW) around her. Every aura they exude. For example, vamps smell like old cigarettes and are surrounded by a miasma of fear. The scene where Astrid describes what it’s like to be her is truly awesome.

But speaking of aromas, lycans smell like the forest. Mason Sanderson particularly. Astrid thought that they might have the possibility of a relationship, but one kiss, one year ago, and after that, he can’t seem to stand to be in the same room with her. Not even when they have to work together on a case for the OWEA.

Still, when Astrid’s current case goes totally pear-shaped, she has nowhere else to turn. Her vampire partner Claude is away for one of his mysterious disappearances. A vampire is killed in a particularly nasty way (even for vamps) just to send a message to the Magister of the City. And then a critical piece of evidence goes missing while she is handling it.

Astrid is taken off the case and put on administrative leave. Of course she is. Cops do what cops do, even when they’re otherworlder cops.

To save her badge, and to redeem her name, Astrid needs to stay on the case. For that, she goes to Mason. And once they are back in each other’s close orbit again, she discovers that his regret over their one kiss last year wasn’t because he was sorry that he kissed her.

It was because he was sorry that he didn’t think it was a good idea to keep right on kissing her, and a whole lot more. Forever.

It’s just too bad that they’re trying to resolve their misunderstanding while people, and others, are trying to kill them.

Verdict: I like the world that Allee has created in this series. The more of it I learn, the more I want to know. In general, the books are too short.

In specific, this one was definitely too short.

Both Mason and Astrid are not on speaking terms with their birth families. Clearly, something terrible happened in both their pasts that is messing with their heads. It’s a factor in why Mason pushed Astrid away the previous year. But we don’t find out nearly enough details about what the heck happened with either of their families. We get some info, but it’s not enough.

The lack of closure or healing left me feeling a bit shortchanged regarding the love story. On the one hand, it wasn’t insta-love. On the other hand, I wasn’t quite sure why Mason finally gave in to his emotions. He didn’t really resolve any of his issues. He just stopped resisting.

There’s a lot in this story that’s about family. The crime that’s being investigated is a family crime. For those details, you need to read the story.

banshee-charmer-500-200x300I enjoyed this particular “File” from the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, but it didn’t quite live up to the previous entries. Banshee Charmer (review here) did a better job with the cop shop aspects of the story and Succubus Lost (review at Reading Reality) hit the high points of the romance higher. But the series as a whole is pure paranormal romance/urban fantasy fun and I’m looking forward to the next installment.

And Astrid’s partner Claude definitely needs his own story. Where does that vamp keep disappearing to?

3-one-half-stars

I give Lycan Unleashed by Tiffany Allee 3 and 1/2 wolfish stars.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Guest Post: This or That with Stacey Kennedy + Giveaway

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

I’m so happy to welcome Stacey Kennedy back to Reading Reality! Since Stacey has been here before, this time she’s doing something just a bit different. And that’s so appropriate, since Stacey’s paranormal romances are also just a bit different, but in a totally fun way. See today’s review of The Cat’s Meow to find out just how much fun her latest one is!

But her guest post is also just for fun. It’s a “This or That” list. Take a look and you’ll see whether Stacey likes this…or that.

Marlene: Coke or Pepsi?

Stacey: Pepsi over ice…YUM!

Marlene: Coffee or Tea?

Stacey: I have no hesitation in admitting that I am 100% addicted to coffee.

Marlene: Now that I’ve gotten the important drinks questions out of the way…Morning person or Night owl?

Stacey: Night Owl. It’s honestly a problem. My body seriously hates to go to sleep early and my kids wake up at 6 a.m.—you can see the problem, right?

Marlene: Plotter or Pantser?

Stacey: Panster for the win! Even if I try to plot, I never follow it, so it’s pointless. But sometimes on those longer novels, I outline just to keep everything organized.

Marlene: Do ahead or procrastinate?

Stacey: Oh, I would totally be a procrastinator, but I know better. If I dared to be lazy, I would get swallowed whole by my workload. I have to always keep moving forward or life would get a wee bit crazy. Or crazier than it already is, I should say.

Marlene: Oscar or Felix? (The Odd Couple, are you a slob or do you clean up
everything?)

Stacey: I’m a total Felix, but maybe have a little Oscar in me, too. I like things neat and tidy, but if that means tossing whatever in a closet so I don’t have to look at it, that’s okay, too.

Marlene: Homebody or Adventurer?

Stacey: Total homebody! I love my family and friends, and I love spending all my time with them. Plus, I’m a total chicken when it comes to adventurous things.

Marlene: Print books or ebooks?

Stacey: I used to be a print book kinda gal, but then I ran out of room to store them. So now, I love my ebooks! I keep the print buying for when I go to conferences and can have my favorite authors sign the books.

Marlene: Heroes or Anti-heroes?

Stacey: I’m a sucker for a sexy hero!

Marlene: Cats or Dogs?

Stacey: Dogs. Just don’t tell my 3 cats that!

I hate to tell you this, Stacey, but they probably already know. Cats rule, dogs drool. And cats have sneaky ways of reminding you at every opportunity. At least mine do.

The Cat’s Meow by Stacey Kennedy
Witch’s Brew Book One

A good witch always has a kick-ass back-up plan.

Libby is an Enchantress—a witch gifted by the Goddess to conjure spells. When a magical presence is detected around a recent string of feline slayings, Libby takes the case to uncover the reasons behind the odd deaths. Much to her displeasure, the coven also sends a sexy warlock, Kale, to assist her.

While having the muscle around proves to be useful, fighting the attraction between them is worse than a hex, especially considering Kale is keeping secrets. But soon, Libby has bigger problems than the elusive warlock when her spells turn up clues that point to something far more sinister than slaughtered cats.

Now Libby has landed herself in the midst of an uprising. She trusts no one and isn’t safe—not from the warlocks stirring up trouble. Not from the worrisome rebellion she can’t escape. And certainly not from Kale, who is weaving a very dangerous spell over her heart.

Read an Excerpt HERE

BUY at : Entangled Publishing | Amazon | B&N | Books on Board | iTunes

About Stacey:
Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart-squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll also find fast-paced action, life-threatening moments, and a big bad villain who needs to be destroyed. She lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband and two children. If she’s not plugging away at a new story—which is rare because her muse is annoying—you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy, Games of Thrones, Supernatural and Dexter.Stacey welcomes comments from readers. You can find her at:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

~~~~~~ GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

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Review: The Cat’s Meow by Stacey Kennedy

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Format read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Series: Witch’s Brew #1
Length: 182 pages
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date Released: December 13, 2012
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Libby is an Enchantress—a witch gifted by the Goddess to conjure spells. When a magical presence is detected around a recent string of feline slayings, Libby takes the case to uncover the reasons behind the odd deaths. Much to her displeasure, the coven also sends a sexy warlock, Kale, to assist her.

While having the muscle around proves to be useful, fighting the attraction between them is worse than a hex, especially considering Kale is keeping secrets. But soon, Libby has bigger problems than the elusive warlock when her spells turn up clues that point to something far more sinister than slaughtered cats.

Now Libby has landed herself in the midst of an uprising. She trusts no one and isn’t safe—not from the warlocks stirring up trouble. Not from the worrisome rebellion she can’t escape. And certainly not from Kale, who is weaving a very dangerous spell over her heart.

My Review:

Those poor cats. They gave their all to set the stage for this sizzling paranormal romance. Even I think it was a worthy sacrifice. (Don’t worry, this is not as bad as it sounds. Really.)

Libby is an Enchantress who doesn’t trust warlocks. While she has good reason for her mistrust, it does put her in one heck of a fix. Warlocks ooze sex appeal, it’s part of their power. And her coven has assigned her one while she investigates a sudden surge in magically-related feline deaths.

There hasn’t been ritual cat slaying in Charleston in months, so four popping up all at once has alarmed the coven. Libby’s their one and only Enchantress, so that automatically puts her on the case.

But Libby doesn’t have a clue why they’ve set the mysterious Kale to guard her while she figures out what’s going on. She’s sure it’s some kind of test. That they’re looking for an excuse to get rid of her because she’s rubbed them the wrong way one too many times. Make that one dozen too many times.

Even if her mother is one of the Priestesses of the coven, Libby’s sure they’re just checking up on her.

And even her connection with her Goddess tells her that Kale is hiding a whole bunch of secrets from her. If there’s one thing she can’t stand, it’s a warlock playing her. She’s been there and done that, and will fight tooth and claw to keep from going there again.

It turns out that Libby was right about that test. Just very, very wrong about exactly who is doing the testing. And that warlock who played her before…he’s doing it again…just not in the romantic sense this time.

The stakes are much, much higher than that.

Escape Rating A-:This was a fantastic paranormal romance/urban fantasy! The worldbuilding was also really well done. It felt a tiny bit like Buffy, not because they were teenagers, but the whole need to patrol the city to keep evil from getting a toe-hold. That need for “constant vigilance”.

The relationship between Libby and Kale is not just hot, but they have terrific chemistry and I love the unresolved/unrelieved sexual tension that absolutely permeates the whole story. They can’t resolve what they feel because Libby has a ton of issues about warlocks and Kane knows he’s keeping back too many secrets. He wants something real with Libby, and it can’t be real if he’s lying by omission. So he holds back. And she’s completely conflicted. She likes him when he’s honest, but he’s honest so seldom that she doesn’t trust him.

Sex appeal is part of a warlock’s natural “bag of tricks”. Libby can’t always tell whether what she feels is because she’s being played, or because she really feels it. Her caution is totally justified.

The reveal was a complete surprise. Not about who the evil dude was. I guessed that. And I guessed that Libby was being tested for bigger things. But the nature of exactly what things. And exactly how evil evil turned out to be, along with the fact that Libby’s testers had way underestimated pretty much everything was particularly cool. I always love seeing pomposity get popped.

I’m looking forward to more stories in this world. I’m very happy to see that this is labeled as #1 in a series. Bring on brew #2!

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: A Little Bit Wicked by Robyn DeHart

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 1/2 Star> book reviews> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

little bit wickedFormat Read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Number of Pages: 229 paged
Release Date: December 2, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Forbidden Love #1
Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Marcus Kincaid has returned to England after a ten-year absence. His older brother died during that time, making Marcus the Earl of Ashford. Not only that, his younger sister is embroiled in a potential scandal that could ruin her chance at marriage. His aunt has already called in reinforcements—The Paragon.

Vivian March is known simply as The Paragon. She moves through every circle within Society, smoothing out scandals and stopping gossip in its tracks. Everyone in London knows that if she aligns herself with you, Society will forgive you your sins. What they don’t know is that she uses their secrets to cover her own jaded past.

But with every kiss and every touch that Marcus thrusts upon her, Vivian comes to believe life is infinitely more fun when you can be just a little bit wicked…

My Thoughts:

I couldn’t finish this one. It’s not even that long,  but I still couldn’t do it. At the 60% mark I just couldn’t take it anymore.

The heroine, Vivian March, is 34 by the time of the story, and she keeps going on and on (and on) that she must be wearing a “Scarlet W” or the equivalent. That every man who sees her must somehow be able to sense that she is secretly a “wanton woman”.

In spite of the fact that for the past decade she has made her living as “The Paragon”–the woman who sweeps everyone else’s scandals under the carpet. And that no man has even bothered to do more than mildly flirt with her in ages.

Her breakdown in mental acuity is all because Marcus Kincaid is back in town, and he not only knows that she isn’t the paragon of virtue society believes she is, but he is determined to prove it to her at every available private opportunity.

One evening, long ago, Vivian kissed Marcus passionately, believing that he was the man she was betrothed to. The man she had already compromised herself with. That’s the problem with masked assignations, you often don’t realize your catastrophic mistakes until it is far too late.

Her supposed betrothed left for the continent that evening, and Vivian was lucky–she was not pregnant. She hasn’t seen him since, but she is just sure he’ll be back some day to ruin her reputation.

She hadn’t seen Marcus since that night either. He left to travel the world as a leader for an adventure exploration company, but now he’s back. His brother has died, and now, instead of being the spare, he’s the Earl.

He’s never forgotten that kiss. But when the scandal that his younger sister has created requires the services of “The Paragon”, he’s astonished to discover that it is the woman who stole his senses for one all too brief moment so long ago.

Marcus is determined to re-experience that moment, and make sure it lasts, this time. Maybe forever.

Verdict: DNF As I said at the beginning, I gave up.  This is the first time I’ve  just given up on a book I’m supposed to review, but I just couldn’t stand Vivian’s dithering another page.  She is supposed to be 34, not 17.

The concept of this story was good. I liked the idea of a scandal-sweeper. It may or may not have been historically accurate, but it made for an interesting premise. And Marcus’ background was fascinating. That a man who was intended to be the spare and not the heir would be leading adventure tours had to come home and suddenly be the Earl, made him a very different hero. He didn’t want the title. He loved the travel and the adventure and being away from society. But he knew his duty and loved his sister and knew what was required. Even if it hurt him quite a bit to give up a life he really loved.

It was obvious that Vivian’s old flame was going to come back and attempt to ruin things. The cat-and-mouse game he was playing started too soon and dragged out far too long. It got boring and so did Vivian’s melodramatic reaction to it.

But what killed it for me was that I didn’t sympathize with Vivian. At 34, she should have known her own mind. Or body. She was experienced. Not just sexually, although not much at that. The villain was clearly not very good at it. But Vivian was very experienced in the way society worked. She’d built her reputation for over a decade, and he was a nobody. Gone to the continent. She should have been able to outface him easily. Or simply blackmail her former clients into submission, because the secrets she knew were truly damning, and she had actual proof.

On the other hand, blaming her behavior with Marcus on a spell or mind-control, then thinking that everyone could see her secret wanton-ness, she just got ridiculous. She was not just an adult, but a woman of 34. She should have acted like one. Not a simpering chit fresh from the schoolroom.

one-half-star
The Grinch gives A Little Bit Wicked 1/2 star for the Epic Fail.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Dual Review: Night Thief by Lisa Kessler

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 4 Stars> book reviews> Dual Review> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover> The Winged Lover

Format Read: ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 109 pages
Release Date: September 28, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Night #1.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their wallets.

Sparks ignite when Kane captures the thief, but Marguerite harbors a dark secret that could ruin them both.

Our Thoughts:

Amanda: Night Thief was a nice quick hot read, that has whet my appetite for more of this series.

Marguerite is a pick-pocket who targets the upper class citizens of Paris. Working tirelessly to free herself and her cousin from their master and buy their passage abroad to the new world. Kane is Night Walker, orginating from the now deceased Mayan people where he was revered as a god. In Paris though he blends in to the crowds of well-to-do Frenchmen wining and dining their way through the Parisian social scene.

Marguerite and Kane’s paths cross when she tries to steal his valuable pocket watch. Being one of the most elusive thieves in Paris, Marguerite would have got away with it too had Kane not been able to track her scent. After a heated encounter Marguerite and Kane part ways, but Kane is unable to get Marguerite out of his mind so he finds a way too see her again, after which they realise that they do not want to part ways again.

Marlene: Having read the previous book in the series, I was happy to read a different perspective on the night walkers and their world. Kane is very different from Calisto, the hero of Night Walker. Calisto is only (only!) a couple of centuries old, while Kane seems to have been around for millennia. He’s so bored that getting robbed is interesting. But only because the thief is the pretty Voleur D’Or.

Amanda: Night Thief had all the elements of a great novella, fast paced with enough detail, a nice smattering of smut scattered through out for a romancing and a gut-wrenching ending. Having not previously read the first book in this series I was a little worried that I may have missed too much to fully be able to enjoy it, but that was definitely not the case.

Marlene: In spite of, as Amanda says, the gut-wrenching ending, Night Thief was a bit lighter in tone than Night Walker. There’s something about it being in Paris that makes it a bit less dense. The story doesn’t have the weight of centuries behind it, in spite of Kane’s age. Night Thief is complete by itself. They meet, they spark, and Kane decides to rescue Marguerite no matter what it costs. There is a horror element because of who, or maybe that should be what, Kane has to rescue her from, but the mission is accomplished, if not without some loss.

Amanda: Although it didn’t detract from the story itself I would have enjoyed reading more about Marguerite’s pick-pocketing adventures as it was so uncommon for women in the 1800’s to be masquerading as a fine lady but I was pleased to get a taste of Kane’s background, learning about why he moved to Paris in the first place and an insight into what a night walker actually was.

Marlene: I am really looking forward to Night Demon, which is supposed to have some details on the beginnings of the night walkers. The hints have been tantalizing. They are just enough like vampires to feel familiar, and just enough different that I want to know more. I was disappointed not to learn more, but I didn’t really expect to from the novella. This was a “tide us over” story. Darn it.

Amanda: Kessler’s writing can only be faulted on her time jumps which I had to get used to in the beginning. There was no break when it came to passing time, so some scenes lost a bit of their substance because it only felt like minutes had passed in the story world but if re-read one finds it’s actually an hour or two, sometimes even a day which became a little confusing at times.

Night Thief was a fantastic taste of the Night Walker world not to mention a great stand-alone novella in it’s own right. I have been left wanting more of this series.

Verdict: I give Night Thief 4 stars

Marlene: I enjoyed reading a totally different view of the Night Walker world. I loved the first book, Night Walker with its  story of a love that lasted centuries, and Night Thief is completely different. It’s short, sexy and sometimes gruesome, but still has a happy ever (and do I mean ever!) after for its immortal hero and his thieving love.

Verdict: I give Night Thief 4 gold stars. Let’s hope nobody steals them away.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Dual Review: Fortune’s Hero by Jenna Bennett

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 2 1/2 Stars> book reviews> Dual Review> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover> The Smutty Lover

Format Read:ebook provided by the publisher
Number of Pages: 400 Pages
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Series: Soldiers of Fortune #1
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Formats Available: Trade Paperback, ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK) | Goodreads | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website

Book Blurb:

Quinn Conlan had it all: a fast ship, a great crew, a gorgeous girlfriend, money, and adventure around every bend. That was before he agreed to ferry a shipload of weapons to the besieged planet Marica. Now he’s stuck in the prison colony on Marica-3, enduring weekly sessions with the camp’s “medical team,” and praying for a quick death before he breaks under the torture and spills everything he knows about the Marican resistance.

When opportunity strikes, Quinn takes Elsa, a Rhenian med tech, hostage and heads into the inhospitable interior of the small moon where he formulates a plan for getting his crew out of prison, his ship out of impound, and everyone out of orbit. But when Elsa professes her love, can Quinn take the beautiful doctor at her word, or will trusting her—and his heart—condemn him and his crew to an eternity on Marica-3?

Our Thoughts:

Has: When I first encountered the premise of a Sci Fi prison break typesque romance it was no contest that I would want to pick this book up! Quinn a smuggler, is captured, imprisoned and tortured for information about the rebels he has been helping with supplies. But he has refused to let the Rhenian authorities to break him down or to betray the Marican rebellion. But during a torture session, Quinn manages to escape with a hostage, Elsa who is a Rhenian doctor who has been assisting with his torture although she finds it distasteful. But stranded in a stark and barren planet, along with dangerous creatures and no water and food, strong feelings develop between Quinn and Elsa and despite their differences, they soon begin to trust each other.

I loved the setting, premise and the romance, between Quinn and Elsa. I felt that Jenna Bennett sets things out realistically especially with the initial mistrust and fear between Quinn and Elsa and I liked how she evolved their relationship over the course of the story to that of enemies to lovers. There was a lot of thought into the world-building, and setting and I could envision the desolate prison planet which were vivid and stark. However the pacing, in the story was a huge issue for me. While I was glad there was a lot of time spent in building up the relationship between Elsa and Quinn, I did find that not a lot of conflict or action was able to bring forward the pace, which felt like it was dragging quite slow especially in the beginning. And the romantic/personal issues between Elsa and Quinn was not enough to engage me in the story.

Marlene: While I, too, loved the idea of a Science Fiction Romance prison break (I really, really loved (review at Reading Reality) Heather Massey’s Queenie’s Brigade, which uses this theme to the max) Fortune’s Hero didn’t quite move me in the same way.

The prison planet is pretty starkly drawn (the creepy crawlies, ugh!) but what we don’t know is why the Maricans are rebelling and what it is about the Rhenian authorities that make the Maricans need to rebel. Yes, the Rhenians have allowed the governors of this prison planet to conduct atrocities, but is the entire Rhenian government atrocious? We want to believe that the Maricans are the plucky “Rebel Alliance” and that the Rhenians are the evil empire, but we don’t actually know. We just know the Rhenians have some extremely rotten apples running this prison planet.

Quinn is a mercenary, after all. Not a member of the rebel alliance. They paid him to run guns and supplies. He’s not a true believer.

And Elsa started out her posting to the prison believing in the Rhenian cause, whatever that is. She thought that the doctor was serving the right. His torture of his prisoners changes her mind about his methods, but doesn’t seem to change her mind about her country, or planet or empire or precisely whatever the Rhenian group is.  Even when she’s captured by Quinn, she still believes that Major Lamb is a upstanding Rhenian officer. It’s only after some time in Quinn’s company that her allegiance changes.

A case could be made that Elsa has Stockholm Syndrome. She’s bonded with her captor. An equal case could be made that Quinn has Lima Syndrome. He’s bonded with his captive.

Has: I disagree about the lack of explaining why the Rhenian’s were so bad and oppressive, because  I got the sense they were pretty domineering in the book although I agree that there should be more about why they wanted to take over Marican system. What made them so special and was it over resources?  But I definitely agree with you about Quinn’s reasoning on not betraying the rebels to Doctor Sterling and it didn’t ring true on why he would not especially with the extent of torture he went through which was horrific. But I think with Elsa, she wanted to be a doctor and to heal, but her society’s structure and ethos seems to be very patriotic and authoritative and in a lot of ways reminded me a bit like Nazi Germany.

I actually felt that their bonding was the strongest element in the book, because while they were hiding outside in the wilds, they were both stripped from what they knew and that helped them to bond with each other. I think those were my favourite scenes in the book, because the romance for me was genuine and real.

I didn’t see Elsa being a brainwashed citizen and I think she was a bit of a rebel at heart and being with Quinn helped her to face her feelings. I do think it was idealistic and naive to trust and actually like Sterling, who came across as a cold-blooded sociapath. While with Lamb, I didn’t get a great impression for him being a smart leader and was incompetent especially towards the end where I think the escape was too easy to be realistic. But I was glad she never defended them or thought of them as being good men at the end. but I wished there was more time, in her questioning her home-land’s beliefs and the damage they have done to other planets and people because it was not realistic.

Marlene: There are definitely hints at the beginning that the Rhenians are supposed to remind us of Nazi Germany, but to me, thats all they are, hints. And all those hints come from Quinn’s perspective as the prisoner. I’m not saying he’s incorrect, just that he’d be inclined to see things in the worst light possible.

Likewise, Sterling is definitely a sociopath. He clearly loves torturing people. However, except for the staff at the prison, most Rhenians seem to worship Sterling as an inventor of medical miracles. He’s a two-faced sociopath, and probably just eats up the worship. The prison seems to be a collection of Rhenian sociopaths, with the exception of Elsa.

I think my point about Quinn was that the rebel cause may not be all that glorious. Quinn needed to be paid to serve that cause. He’s holding out from revealing what he knows for a whole lot of reasons. It’s part of his own code of honor, and because it’s the best way of keeping his team alive. Once he talks, Sterling will have no more use for any of them, and will probably kill them all.

The bond that rises between Elsa and Quinn does make up the lion’s share of the story, and it does strip away the masks that both of them, especially Elsa, normally hide behind. However, both the syndromes I mentioned do make the emotions they engender feel real. They need that bond to survive. If there were a second book, I would expect that figuring out if what they discovered between them was real or the heat of the moment would cause some tension, but would stand the test of time.

The romance was well done. It makes the story work. My question is whether it’s happy-for-now or happy-ever-after, considering the circumstances where it begins.

I would also wonder if there wasn’t a tracker somewhere, because that escape was too easy. If the Rhenians have conquered so much, they can’t be that incompetent.

Has:I think Fortune’s Hero basically sets up and establishes the characters and the setting and that there will definitely be more to come because there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end and there are hints of what direction the next book may go into. I think the main issue is that this could have been a tighter book if it was a novella because it was overlong due to the lagging pace and lack of clarification on the agenda the Rhenians have over the Maricans but I suspect we will learn more in the next installment.

I hope the romance and the issues that both Elsa and Quinn have will be further developed in the next book and we get to see more of the wider universe. I did like the general world-building and the tone and feel that Jenna Bennett has created was well done but I agree there were definitely issues with the details and of the main plot and even some aspects of the characterisations.

Marlene: I agree 100%. This would have been a better book if it were shorter. Maybe not novella-length, but definitely cut down. I wanted more explanation of the Rhenian agenda and the Marican rebellion, and less repetition of the prison planet terrain.

The romance was well-developed but this couple is going to have a lot of issues that will need to be resolved in the future. How will a Rhenian “traitor” fit in with a band of mercenaries? Did they get tracked? Was the escape part of a bigger plan?

Verdict: I give Fortune’s Hero 2 and a half creepy-crawly stars (read the book to understand)


Has: Whilst I liked the premise, some of the execution was a bit of a let down, especially since it didn’t expand on important aspects of the plot and along with the  bogged down pacing the initial promise didn’t live to my expectation. The romance was a highlight for me but it wasn’t enough to carry the story for me, but I enjoyed Jenna Bennett’s voice and I will definitely check out future books of hers but I don’t think I will follow the sequel.

Verdict: I give Fortune’s Hero two star and half stars (and no creepy crawlies linked to it because I don’t like poisonous spiders!)

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.