Tag: paranormal romance

ARC Review: Savage Angel by Stacy Gail

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Format read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, audiobook
Genre: Paranormal romance, Fantasy romance
Series: Earth Angels #2
Length: 138 pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Date Released: February 4, 2012
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance

Feel nothing. Sara Savitch’s personal mantra has been hard to live by ever since her torrid one-night stand with army doctor Gideon Mandeville. Descended from the Seraphim, angels known as heaven’s soldiers, Sara may be an expert fighter, but she’s an amateur when it comes to relationships.

Physically unharmed, but still battle-scarred, Gideon has returned to Dallas in the hopes of regaining his faith in humanity—and in himself. Instead he’s walked into a nightmare. His father is on a serial killer’s hit list, and has hired a personal bodyguard—the very woman who has haunted Gideon’s dreams for a year.

As Sara works to build an impenetrable fortress around her client, she yearns to tear down the one around Gideon’s heart. With his bitter rejection of warriors, will he ever be able to accept her true nature? Sara must find a way to trust Gideon with her secret as the killer closes in….

My Review:

Although I enjoyed Savage Angel, the second book in Stacy Gail’s Earth Angels series, there were a couple of things that niggled at me just a bit.

Sara Savitch is leading the security team for Noah Mandeville, one of her security firm’s oldest and most loyal clients. Noah is recovering from a heart transplant, but that’s not the problem. The problem is that someone is targeting every single recipient of organs from the same donor that provided Noah’s new heart, and Noah’s next on his hit list.

The complication is that Noah’s son Gideon stole Sara’s heart right before he left on a tour of Afghanistan. He’s returned to help deal with the threat to his father’s life, but he’s been unwilling, or unable, to deal with what happened between himself and Sara at his going away party.

What happened was an absolutely incendiary one-night (actually one-afternoon) stand against a wall. One that neither of them has ever forgotten.

But Sara has no experience with relationships. None at all. She doesn’t understand Gideon’s complete lack of communication. His response to her message that his father had survived his transplant was was beyond terse.

Gideon returns from Afghanistan suffering from an extreme case of PTSD. Even though he served as a doctor, he saw combat. And came back shattered down to his soul.

Because Gideon is so screwed up, he tries to push Sara away and off his father’s security team. He has no idea who or what he is pushing around, and his treatment of her is not merely Neanderthal, but frankly unforgiveable.

Then he finds out what he’s really dealing with. Unfortunately, Sara finds out who their real enemies are. The world is nothing like Gideon thought it was. There are much greater evils abroad than he could possibly have imagined.

There are also angels. Gideon is just lucky that one of them loves him in spite of everything he’s done.

Escape Rating B-: The first third of this story made me want to smack someone, possibly Gideon. It may be because I just finished the first book in the series, Nobody’s Angel (see review), but the title Savage Angel is also a dead giveaway. I knew Sara was an angel, but the story kept trying to be coy about what she was.

Gideon might not have known what Sara was, but the readers do. That was so not the big reveal. It was just annoying.

Gideon starts out as more than an arsehole. I know it was the PTSD talking. And he is trying to push Sara away. Considering that he accused her of having gotten the job of leading his father’s security team by providing sexual favors to his father while the man was recovering from a heart transplant, Sara forgave him WAY too fast. With her skills, she should have kneed him in the family jewels for that remark, and made him grovel for a few days. At least a few days.

On the good side of the equation, once the story picked up steam, it really got cracking. I could see where this tale feeds into a larger story arc. There’s obviously a bigger bad operating behind the scenes, and the tension just got ratcheted up.

More, more!

***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: 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~~~~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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: The Impetuous Amazon by Sandy James + Giveaway

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

impetuous amazonFormat Read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Number of Pages: 261 pages
Release Date: January 14, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Alliance of the Amazons #2
Genre: Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance
Formats Available: ebook, audiobook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Megan Feurer is strong and impetuous, like the Fire element she represents. She is an Amazon, sworn to protect humanity from demons, demigods and all manner of supernatural beings who wish ill upon the world. But her fire burns hot and fast, and her unpredictable control of the element brings into question her fitness as an Amazon.

Johann Herrmann chose the life of a Sentinel—a trainer of the four Amazons—to save his sister’s life. Now bound to the patron goddess Rhiannon, he knows his duty demands a solitary existence. But when he’s assigned to evaluate the Fire Amazon, his sacrifice becomes much more difficult.

Megan’s passions ignite a flame that neither she nor Johann can control, and the goddess Freya has reason to fan those flames. A mysterious force is gaining power, and Megan and Johann must join together to fight. And once a passionate fire has started, it’s nearly impossible to stop…

My Thoughts:
First of all, the patron goddesses seem to run through their sentinels awfully fast. So far two sentinels down, and still two amazons left to go. I’ll bet that we find out what the recruitment process is for sentinels in the next book.

reluctant amazonMegan Feurer’s Fire Amazon is the opposite of Rebecca Massee’s Earth Amazon from Sandy James’ first book in this series, The Reluctant Amazon (see BLI review). And it’s totally appropriate. Earth is supposed to be, well, grounded. And fire is so, not.

The problem the story has to solve is that Megan seems to have zero control over her fire. Normals aren’t supposed to know that there is supernatural evil out there. Megan took out a demon in a mall. With a sword. Seriously. The number of memories that had to be wiped was astronomical.

Torchwood wouldn’t have enough ret-con to deal with this girl. No matter how many righteous hits she laid down. She’s just too public about it.

The patron goddesses send the second sentinel to teach her some control. And to keep an eye on her. Because the alternative is to send her back to the mundane world minus two years’ worth of memories. Talk about sucky alternatives!

Sending the sentinel to train an Amazon is normally the best way to go about this sort of thing. Not that it happens often. But then again, this situation is so far from normal it’s not even in the same universe as Amazon normal, and that’s saying quite a lot.

The goddesses send Johann Herrmann to teach Megan some control, while the two of them investigate the case of a missing young woman with ties to the Megan’s patron goddess Freya. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Johann is one of the causes of Megan’s loss of control. Amazons are not supposed to fall for their sentinels. And very definitely vice-versa. But since Earth Goddess Rhiannon let the last sentinel have his own happily ever after with the new Earth Amazon Rebecca, no one is quite sure where that stands anymore. Except that Rhiannon is a jealous witch and probably won’t let anyone else have any fun. She’s still a bit mad about Artair.

Not to mention she and Freya are not exactly best buds. Goddesses have eternity to score off against one another, and do they ever!

The missing girl that Megan is supposed to find? It’s not one missing girl, it’s lots. And lots. There’s a new badass in town. Except he’s a very, very old badass, with hypnotic powers. And he’s aiming for Megan.

He’ll get her, too. If Megan and Johann don’t break all the goddesses’ rules. With a little help from Freya.

Verdict: Where The Reluctant Amazon was the worldbuilding story, The Impetuous Amazon is fortunate that the scaffolding is already in place, and is able to just tell its story without having to create its world. We already know how things work here. That helps things get rolling, because Impetuous starts pretty darn impetuously, directly after the events in Reluctant. And I think you need to have read the first book for the second one to make sense. YMMV.

Megan’s problems with control relate to her lack of training, because the previous Fire was killed in the first book. Freya’s is honked off at Rhiannon because Rhiannon seriously bent the rules in book one. She feels like she can bend them too. And the villainy of the villain is definitely related to book 1.

I was so, so glad to NOT see the insta-love come out to play again. This story takes place two years after the beginning of book 1, so Megan and Johann have known each other that long. They both say that they’ve been interested in each other that long, in spite of rules against any relationship. They both talk about acting extra cold and extra-snippy to each other because that was the only way to deal with the attraction. Then Freya threw a monkey wrench into the works.

On the other hand, if all four of this generation of Amazons turn out to be goddess-daughters, that’s going to constitute serious buzz-kill. Once could be written in, twice started to stretch the old willing suspension of disbelief. Four is going to be well past over the top. That’s my personal opinion.

On my third and final hand, the scene where Johann asks Artair how he manages to let Rebecca fight, and Artair’s response, was absolutely beautiful. It reminded me of that fantastic saying that “men of quality are not threatened by women of equality”, but it was much, much better than that. Awesome stuff.

Freyr, Freya’s brother, lends a helping hand in this one, and makes everyone nervous when he does. He reminds me of Morden on Babylon 5. As Vir said, “Some gifts come at just too high a price.” In Freyr’s case, we haven’t seen the price yet. But I don’t think the good guys, including Freya, are going to like it when the bill is presented.

Can somebody please give me a chorus of “hunka hunka burnin’ love”? You’ll get it when you read the book.

3-one-half-stars

I give The Impetuous Amazon by Sandy James 3 and 1/2 fiery 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

impetuous amazon~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Sandy James has generously offered an ebook copy of The Impetuous Amazon to one lucky commenter!
All you have to do is answer her question:
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).
This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday February 2, 2013 and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good Luck!

Guest Post: Stacy Gail is Making Heroes + Giveaway!

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

I’m thrilled to welcome Stacy Gail to Reading Reality. Why? Because not only is Stacy the author of today’s featured review (check out my review of Nobody’s Angel for deets) but she also wrote my absolute favorite holiday story for 2012, How the Glitch Saved Christmas (reviewed at Book Lovers Inc.) I not only adored her glitch, but science fiction romance is one of my reading passions.

And writers like Stacy help me live those circuit-filled dreams. So take it away, Stacy! 

Angel VS Algorithm—Let’s Get Ready To Rumblllllle!
by Stacy Gail

Before we begin, I’d like to thank Marlene at Reading Reality, for kindly allowing me to stop by and chat about Nobody’s Angel, my latest release from Carina Press, and the first book in The Earth Angels paranormal romance series!

Confession:  When it comes to my heroes, my tastes are…exotic.  Heh.

If you don’t believe me, I have proof.  This past December I had a futuristic/sci-fi release in a Carina Press holiday anthology, by the name of How the Glitch Saved Christmas.  It was a fun project, a “gateway” novella to a futuristic world that’s going to tie up the lion’s share of my attention in the upcoming months.  In Glitch, I created Edison Wicke, a smart-mouthed, street-savvy cop, and, oh yeah—he’s a cyborg.  This part-man, part-machine, all-yummy guy had been living in my head for a while, so it was a kick to finally get him out into the world and let him stretch his meched-out legs.

Months before I wrote a single word on Glitch, I’d submitted a very different sort of project to my editor, along with an outline of a four-part paranormal series.  This series, The Earth Angels, would be built around the mythological beings known as the Nephilim—super-powered angel-human hybrids that got wiped out in the Great Flood.  But, since Goliath was supposed to be one of these guys, it’s suggested that some survived that extinction event.  That amazing concept is where The Earth Angels series picks up, with the modern-day, mostly human descendants of those long-ago survivors.  Nobody’s Angel starts things off with Zeke Reece, paramedic by day and masked hero flying through the shadows by night.

The question is, which hero is better?

I know, I know—that’s like asking a mother which kid is her favorite. 😛  For me, both Edison and Zeke are totally swoon-worthy in their own ways, so it’s hard to make comparisons.  Since that’s the case, how about we break it down as to what each hero can do?  They both have superhuman strength, speed and endurance (and rest assured, both of their ladies appreciate a man with impressive stamina *straight face*).  Zeke can fly, while Edison can withstand a fall of several stories without breaking so much as a nail (he does, however, break the ground like a meteorite wherever he lands).  Zeke battles spiritual beings and banishes them from this realm to the next, while Edison can search for information at the speed of thought, can see and record in a broad spectrum, from ultraviolet to infrared, and has fighting skills that rival Neo’s in The Matrix.

So…which one’s better?

In my mind, it’s a dead heat.  Whether they were born with some crazy angelic mojo in the DNA, or built in a futuristic lab to take a licking but keep on ticking, these two men haven’t earned the label of hero because of what they can do.  It’s who they are that makes them heroic.  Edison chose to become more than human because he was devoted to the idea of doing his job to the best of his ability—the job of serving and protecting his corner of the world.  Zeke may not have chosen to be born as part of an accursed race, but instead of lamenting that fate he does everything he can to make his world a safer place.  Both would sacrifice anything for the sake of others, and both would walk through hell and back for the women they love.  When it comes right down to it, who wouldn’t want someone like that—a true hero—in their life?

So tell me, do you have a preference?

About Stacy:

A competitive figure skater from the age of eight, Stacy Gail began writing stories in between events to pass the time. By the age of fourteen, she told her parents she was either going to be a figure skating coach who was also a published romance writer, or a romance writer who was also a skating pro. Now with a day job of playing on the ice with her students, and writing everything from steampunk to cyberpunk, contemporary to paranormal at night, both dreams have come true.

Where to contact Stacy:
stacygail1@gmail.com | website | twitter

Where to buy Nobody’s Angel:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance, eBooks.com, Google Play

 

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

GIVEAWAY: Stacy will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC for the grand prize; and second prize is a Zazzle mug with cover art on front, plus a Starbucks Via coffee pack (US only) to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Leave a comment with your email and name in order to enter for a chance to win!

Review: Nobody’s Angel by Stacy Gail

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Format read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, audiobook
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Earth Angels #1
Length: 89 pages
Publisher: Carina Press
Date Released: January 21, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance

Investigative journalist Kendall Glynn is horrified when a friend and colleague signs off permanently during a live newscast, jabbing a pen into his jugular. Kendall’s no expert, but judging by the strange white veil in the anchorman’s eyes, she would swear he was a man possessed.

A descendant of the accursed Nephilim, Zeke Reece prowls San Francisco by night, keeping the city free from paranormal phenomena. But even he is no match for whatever malevolent force is behind a recent rash of murder-suicides. And when a beautiful tenacious reporter becomes the next target, Zeke has no choice but to stay close to her, until he can find the evil spirit and cross it over.

The closer Kendall gets to the truth, the more danger she’s in. Fortunately, a sexy and mysterious masked stranger keeps swooping in to the rescue. Kendall’s life depends on finding who or what is responsible for the killings, before it finds her.

My Review:

Maybe not an angel, but definitely a hero. Possibly even a superhero.

Stacy Gail has taken the legend of superman and mixed it with the biblical origin story of the nephilim, the fallen angels, in order to create one gorgeous alpha male.

He’s got his own fortress of solitude, his black mask to hide his identity, his mild-mannered alter ego, but no cape, because it would just get in the way. That whole fallen angels heritage, well, this dude has his own wings to fly with. Wow!

The mild-mannered alter-ego, Zeke spends his days as the most gorgeous EMT that San Francisco has ever seen. He spends his nights sending restless ghosts on their way.

But the ghost that investigative reporter Kendall Glynn sees transform her friend into a rabid murderer refuses to be caught. So Zeke appoints himself Kendall’s protector, just to keep her from becoming the geist’s next victim.

Yeah, right. Pull the other one.

It’s really because he can’t make himself resist her. Lucky for him, the feeling is mutual. Even if Kendall does worry that she’s falling for two men for a bit, Zeke the hunky EMT, and the mysterious Guardian Angel who keeps rescuing her.

While she chases a story about multiple crazed murder-suicides by seemingly normal folks who get possessed by spirits.

Turns out there’s a new wizard in town, and he’s out to play games with everyone who ever did him wrong. And well, just plain everyone. Unless Zeke and Kendall stop him first.

Escape Rating B: Nobody’s Angel is short and sinfully delicious. It’s the first novella in Gail’s Earth Angels series, and I’m happy that the next books are a bit longer. I liked this one but I wanted just a tad more story.

Zeke’s heritage is sad, and yet so cool. He’s Superman but with a tragic, and slightly biblical backstory instead of the tragic extraterrestrial backstory. His status as a fallen angel descendant gives him some serious self-esteem issues.

Kendall is just a bit too good to be true. She’s perfect at everything, and she can see spirits! She and Zeke fall into the insta-love trope/trap, which made for terrific chemistry, hot sex and a quick story, but I’d like to have seen a bit more effort to make their bond real, or real-er.

But I still can’t wait for the next book in the series, Savage Angel, in February.

***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.

Author Interview with Lacy Danes + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> Giveaways

My special guest today is Lacy Danes. She’s here to introduce her fascinating new series, Dragon’s Fate, along with the first book in that series, Waterfall. This series has a very cool concept, and not just because the first dragon is the water dragon. Her series is in an alternate Regency, with cursed dragons as heroes. Very yummy (see my review for more details).

But now, let’s hear it from Lacy!

Marlene: Hi Lacy! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Lacy: Hello and thank you for having me here today as I am promoting my novella Waterfall! I live in the Pacific North West with my amazing husband and three kids.  We have one dog and two beat fish.   I have a day job at a global company in the IT field.  Writing is my passion.

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

Lacy: I sit down with my coffee or tea.  The coop dog (our Havana Silk Dog) cuddles up next to me and I read through and edit what I wrote last. From there I start writing again.  I don’t plot or plan and when I have the story never followed the plan anyway.

Marlene: I noticed that you like to write on the hotter side of romance. What made you choose to write mostly on the more erotic side of the romance spectrum?

Lacy: I have always loved that heart pounding sensation I get when I would read a great steamy romance.  When Amazon first started they had this feature that let you know the steam level of a romance book.  I would always look for historical romance that rated above 8 on a 1-10 scale.  When I started writing I was very nervous to write those scenes. The wonderful Sasha White gave a class on how to write sex scenes and from then forward I have been confident.  Though I have to say I still get nervous when I know a sex scene is coming up in my story.  I want to make sure that the scene is just as amazing as the stories I read.

Marlene: The dragons in the Dragon’s Fate series seem like a combination of myths and tropes. What was your inspiration for the Dragon’s Fate series?

Lacy: I did research about dragons a few years back.  I did this as I was considering getting a dragon tattoo.  I have yet to get that tattoo but I was fascinated by dragons in each culture.  When I decided to write this story I wanted to make them different and so I used myth, culture, and fiction to create them.

Marlene: How does the world of Dragon’s Fate differ from our own history?

Lacy: Dragon’s Fate’s world is filled with wonder, fantasy, and magic.

Marlene: On your blog you have a page on “Historic Sex” devoted to sex words and phrases used before the 19th century. It’s absolutely fascinating (and hilarious). When did you start researching this and why? And what made you decide to post it?

Lacy: I stared researching when my writing ventured into the more steam side of romance. Sadly I could not find this information consolidated in one place.  Because of that, I decided I needed to put my research up for others to use too.  I am not perfect at it, I know there are words missing and maybe some that are questionable as to the age of their origin. But it is a good list.

Marlene: What projects do you have planned for the future? What is next on your schedule?

Lacy: I am currently working on the second story in the Dragon’s Fate series. Open Flame. After Dragon’s Fate is complete, I have an unfinished WIP that I am going to dive into.

Marlene: If you could pick one book to read again for the first time, what would it be?

Lacy: A hard question. I have several that I go back to again and again.

Marlene: What is your favorite thing about the writing experience and why?

Lacy: I love editing.  Each pass I make through the story makes it come more and more to life.

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

Lacy: I have three tattoos.  Woodblock inspired flowers on my hip, an owl , and a moon and cherry blossoms on my back.

Marlene: Morning person or night owl?

Lacy: I am a night owl by nature, but my day job tries to make me a morning person. I work for a global company and have to be awake for 7:30 am meetings at times.

Waterfall
A Dragon’s Fate Novella, Book 1
Lacy Danes

Genre: Romance, Alternate Worlds, Paranormal, Steamy/Erotic

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Number of pages: 138
Word Count: 38K

Cover Artist: Kanaza http://www.kanaxa.com/

Book Description:

It’s easy to fall in love. Destiny requires tooth and claw.

Curses are designed to be cruel, but the one afflicting Jordan and his brothers is almost beyond bearing. A dragon born by blood magic, he is an immortal trapped in human form, with only one hope of finding his eternal mate. He must bite her—and pray she lives.

One dark night, he senses the wounded heartbeat of a woman in the shadows, begging him to end her life. Ever the gentleman, he chivalrously obliges her wish. Only to discover three days later that she lives. And has married another.

Celeste always dreamed of marrying for love, but the nightmare of living in her father’s home drives her to wed the Duke of Hudson. Yet on her wedding eve, she is compelled to follow a mysterious man who professes to know her secret. A man with curious blue scales on his muscular arms—whose shadowed eyes reflect a dangerous mix of destiny and desire…

Warning: This novel contains explicit sex, sex in water, four super-hot dragon brothers, and a curse born from magical power that has left them wondering who they are all their lives.

About Lacy Danes :Lacy Danes made a New Year’s resolution to write a hot, historical romance.A year and a half later, she achieved her goal. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where besides writing she enjoys playing cards, chasing her kids around, and savoring a great martini with the man of her dreams all while watching the world go by.Visit Lacy at her web site: www.LacyDanes.com | twitter | facebook 

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Review: Waterfall by Lacy Danes

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Format read: ebook provided by the author
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Dragon’s Fate
Length: 153 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date Released: January 1, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance

It’s easy to fall in love. Destiny requires tooth and claw.

Dragon’s Fate, Book 1

Curses are designed to be cruel, but the one afflicting Jordan and his brothers is almost beyond bearing. A dragon born by blood magic, he is an immortal trapped in human form, with only one hope of finding his eternal mate. He must bite her—and pray she lives.

One dark night, he senses the wounded heartbeat of a woman in the shadows, begging him to end her life. Ever the gentleman, he chivalrously obliges her wish. Only to discover three days later that she lives. And has married another.

Celeste always dreamed of marrying for love, but the nightmare of living in her father’s home drives her to wed the Duke of Hudson. Yet on her wedding eve, she is compelled to follow a mysterious man who professes to know her secret. A man with curious blue scales on his muscular arms—whose shadowed eyes reflect a dangerous mix of destiny and desire…

Product Warnings
This novel contains explicit sex, sex in water, four super-hot dragon brothers, and a curse born from magical power that has left them wondering who they are all their lives.

My Review:

Dragons, fated mates, infidelity and vampires. Oh and did I mention dragons?

The concept for this series  (Waterfall is definitely the first (and introductory at that) novella in a series) is fascinating.

Four dragons are born from stone eggs and cursed to live as immortal men. Each brother has power over one of the elements. None have any memory of being dragons.

They call themselves the Zir.

All they know is that the curse will end when they find their destined mates.

It’s a pity that the only way they will recognize their fated mates is by biting a poor woman (yes, like a vampire) and having her survive the poison they inject into their bites.

Each brother has left a string of lovely corpses behind him. Five centuries worth of corpses.

And their powers are fading. It’s a curse after all.

Until Jordan, the water dragon, finds Celeste washed up on shore, surrounded by the wrack of a terrible disaster at sea. Celeste is the only survivor. He bites her to give her a quick death, because her body is broken beyond all possibility of survival.

The next time he sees her, she is about to become the bride of one of their few human allies, the Duke of Hudson. Her survival means that she is Jordan’s mate.

Hudson’s long set plan to marry her means that someone else has been manipulating all of them like pieces on a chessboard. But none of the brothers, or, for that matter, poor Hudson, know who the other chessplayer really is. Or even why he’s playing.

All Jordan knows is that she is the reward for his centuries of endless waiting. The world has come alive for him again. And Celeste finally discovers that all the eerie things that have made her different, are all part of being fated to mate the water dragon.

But first there is this pesky problem of Celeste already having a promised husband. And that the Zir have a powerful enemy who has been waiting a long time for a chance to defeat them. Again.

Escape Rating B: There’s a lot of terrific build up of the scenario. This alternate Regency world, where those who are slightly “other” are known to the ton, is pretty cool.

But we only get glimpses of how things got there. It felt a bit like a tease.

It was definitely a tease about how the Zir got to be cursed, but we only know what they know, so that was fair.

The Duke of Hudson had to have had a powerful reason for going so completely “dark side”, and we only got a glimpse of it. We don’t see how he got seduced to fall. He was more of a charicature than a real villain. Or even a front for the real villain.

I enjoyed the story for the way it begins the saga. In this particular instance, the “fated mates” trope does make sense. There was certainly a reference in the story that what Jordan and Celeste felt wasn’t love, but that it could be in time.

Using the destined mates trope as an excuse for infidelity, just doesn’t say “romance” to me. It may be “curse-ending” but it’s not romance. On that other hand, paranormals don’t promise happy endings, just more adventures.

And I always want more worldbuilding. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Danes does with this fascinating setup. I’m looking forward to finding out the next brother’s and dragon’s fate.

***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.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 1-20-13

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

No football metaphors this weekend. Not that you could tell that from the Seattle news–they’re still talking about the Seahawks dream season. It’s right up there with Boeing’s nightmare week.

Guess where Boeing’s headquarters are?

Let’s just say that the Seahawks were way more fun to watch than what’s going on with the 737 Dreamliner right now.

Although speaking of mad scrambles, there’s going to be a totally different kind of mad scramble going on in Seattle next week. The Librarians are Coming! The American Library Association Midwinter Conference will be here in Seattle next weekend, January 25-28.

Between 5,000 and 10,000 librarians, vendors, exhibitors and associated hangers-on will descend upon Convention Center and the environs. It’s agonizing on the feet. It’s a terrific learning and networking experience. And did I mention it’s in 5 days?!?!?!

Meanwhile, the Happy Endings Blog Hop started yesterday, it runs until January 26, right in the middle of my ALA adventure. You still have plenty of time to enter for your chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card and lots of other fabulous bookish prizes. Think of me as I’m destroying my poor feet in the exhibit hall. (There are lots of lovely ARCs, but you have to walk miles of carpet over concrete to get them)

Enough about next week for the moment. What about last week?

B+ Review: Heels and Heroes by Tiffany Allee + Giveaway!
B Review: Sonata by Blair McDowell
Guest Post from Blair McDowell On Character Studies + Giveaway!
B- Review: Double Time by Olivia Cunning
B+ Review: King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab
A Review: The Killings at Badger’s Drift by Caroline Graham
Happy Endings Blog Hop

And we’re off to another exciting week at Reading Reality!

Three author visits this week! On Tuesday, Lacy Danes will be here for an interview, talking about the first book in her new paranormal/fantasy romance series. The book is Waterfall, and the series is Dragon’s Fate. So yes, we have dragons, and even better, they’re living in an alternate Regency. The first book was a terrific introduction. I’ll be reviewing Waterfall as part of Lacy’s tour.

Wednesday it will be my pleasure to host Stacy Gail as part of her tour for Nobody’s Angel, the first book in her Earth’s Angels series. Stacy’s going to have a guest post, and I have a review of the book. This Angel may not exactly be angelic, but that just makes him a lot more delicious.

And on Thursday, Stacey Kennedy is going to be at Reading Reality to introduce the first book in her new series (yes, this looks like first books week!) The Cat’s Meow is the first book in Stacey’s new Witch’s Brew series. I’d have reviewed anything with a “cat” title, but this witchy book has all of Stacey’s trademark humor mixed with romance.

Looking ahead to the last of January (that’s after ALA madness), on January 31 we’ll announce the winners of the SFR Galaxy Awards! Woohoo! What are the SFR Galaxy Awards? They are annual awards (this is the first year) for science fiction romance. Yours truly is one of the judges. We want to recognize some of the terrific work in SFR and raise awareness of this fantastic genre.

Love and spaceships. We think they go together like chocolate and ice cream!