Tag: paranormal romance

Stacking the Shelves (15)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

There’s a terrible old joke about being on a seafood diet. You know the one, “I see food and I eat it”. The kitty in the picture may be the only one who can get away with it–or the only one who looks cute while saying it, anyway.

I think there should be the biblioholic’s version of that joke. “I see books and I want to read them!” It doesn’t make nearly as good of a pun, but it probably explains the tiny meeping I hear from my iPad as it complains about all those books I stuff into it.

Maybe I’m just hearing things.

What’s stacking your shelves this week?

For Review: (As always, everything is an ebook unless specifically stated otherwise.)

Wolfishly Yours (Westfield Wolves #6) by Lydia Dare
The Map of the Sky (Trilogía Victoriana #2) by Felix J. Palma
Dark Soul: The Complete Collection by Aleksandr Voinov
The Reluctant Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons #1)   by Sandy James
Broken Promises (Seasons of Invention) by J.K. Coi
Blue Nebula (Blue Universe #2) by Diane Dooley
Making Sense (Sensual Healing #2) by Serenity Woods
Haunted Sanctuary (Green Pines #1) by Moira Rogers
King of the Damned (League of Guardians #2) by Juliana Stone
A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey
The Buzzard Table (Deborah Knott #18) by Margaret Maron
Stranded by Anne Bishop, Anthony Francis and James Alan Gardner
Forbidden (The World of the Nightwalkers #1) by Jacquelyn Frank
This Case is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova
The Moonstone and Miss Jones (Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigator #2) by Jillian Stone

Purchased:

Lucifer’s Daughter (Princess of Hell #1) by Eve Langlais
Once Bitten, Forever Burned by Eve Langlais and Stacey Kennedy (free!)
A Map of Time (Trilogía Victoriana #1) by Felix J. Palma (print)

 

Guest Post: Author Jacqueline M. Battisti on True Names + Giveaway

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

Today is special! I get to host Jacqueline Battisti for her very first guest post ever. I’ll confess that I jumped at the chance to be part of the tour for The Guardian of Bastet, Ms. Battisti’s debut novel, because even from the blurb it looked like an a scrumptious combination of the paranormal and urban fantasy. And I was not disappointed. (See my review for details)

Without further ado, take it away, Jacqueline…

Hello. This is my first guest blog post and I am so excited to be doing this. My name is Jacqueline M. Battisti and I am the author of The Guardian of Bastet. I am a stay-at-home mother with young children who also writes when time and the children allow. I have always loved romance, fantasy and paranormal books, devouring them as soon as I could find them at the book store. I even collect a few authors that are my absolute favorites and reread their books when I’m stuck and need a break from my own musings. They inspire me to keep going.

The Guardian of Bastet has evolved over time with many incarnations. My main character, Trinity Morrigan-Caine was originally named Misty. But after a few chapters, the image she projected in my head said, snarky stripper. It took me a while to discover my character’s true name. Trinity. Like the trinity of Mother, Maid and Crone of womanhood. She is a cat shifter, a witch and then the Guardian of Bastet. Three roles she must grow into and accept just like her name.

The Guardian of Bastet is the beginning of Trinity’s story. Here is the official blurb:

Cat-shifter Trinity Morrigan-Caine has discovered a demon is killing supernaturals. Magically challenged, she has every intention of letting handsome Alpha werewolf Gordon Barnes handle it. But after a dying vampire gifts Trinity a mystical amulet, she is drawn into the fray as the legendary Guardian of Bastet, a warrior born when the need arises.

Though Trinity initially rejects the role, she warms to the idea when Gordon agrees to train her—and their passion for each other grows as he teaches her to embrace her animal instincts.

As she begins to accept her destiny and believe in her growing powers, Trinity realizes the danger is even closer to home than she ever imagined—and she and Gordon are going to have to face the demon in a fight to the death…

I am currently working on the sequel to The Guardian of Bastet. It was the reason I left a couple of loose ends in this one. I’m just as excited to see where Trinity’s escapades lead. I hope you are too after reading The Guardian of Bastet.

This reader is overjoyed to know that there will be a sequel to Guardian. I want to see more of Trinity’s world, and find out Trinity’s circle adjusts to her being the Guardian instead of the family magical dud. Her new life is certainly going to be interesting. “May you live in interesting times” kind of interesting, that is. It should make for more terrific reading.

**~~~~~**TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY**~~~~~**

In celebration of the release of her new book, Jacqueline is giving away 5 copies of The Guardian of Bastet (EPUB or PDF)

-and-

3 Pewter Egyptian Bastet Cat Pendants (The Goddess Bastet has a very important role in The Guardian of Bastet

(Contest open to North American shipping addresses only)

Please fill out the Rafflecopter to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline M. Battisti

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

Jacqueline M. Battisti’s new urban fantasy/paranormal debut, The Guardian of Bastet, had me from the very first word in the blurb. Her main character is a cat-shifter. Not a jaguar or a puma, oh no. At the full-moon, Trinity Morrigan-Caine shifts into a house-cat. The book might as well have jumped up and said “Here reader, reader, reader…”

The story made me purr with delight.

Trinity Morrigan-Caine is a half-breed. Her mother is a powerful witch of the Morrigan line. (Yes, that Morrigan. Morgaine. You know the one. She had a little something to do with a fellow named Arthur. Way, way back.) But Trinity isn’t a powerful witch like her mom. Because Olivia Morrigan went and fell in love with a werepuma, and that just isn’t done. So Olivia Morrigan got disowned and disavowed, and went to live with her husband, Ben Caine, in the Genesee Valley of upstate New York.

Which turned out to be kind of like Sunnydale in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Complete with demons and Hellmouth. Olivia Morrigan found herself the head witch of the Genesee Valley Society of Others (GVSO) because witches are just so much better than everyone else.

The only problem is that Olivia and Ben’s daughter, Trinity, isn’t quite what Olivia had in mind. Trinity isn’t much of a witch, and she doesn’t shift into anything fierce. Dad’s an alpha werepuma. When it’s Trinity’s time of the month, Trinity turns into good old Felis catus, otherwise known as an ordinary house cat. She even (ugh!) hunts mice. Very well according to her cousin and housemate.

Tracy’s other power? Well, since she turns into an animal, she can also understand them. Which makes her a fantastic vet. Her patients just adore her. And she does work miracles with the animals.

The other problem with being a were-kitty is that Trinity has all the morals of, well, a cat. She likes men. Frequently and often. And isn’t horribly particular. Which comes to bite her, and pretty much everyone around her, in the butt when Trinity brings a demon home on the worst booty call ever.

But at least Trinity didn’t summon the demon. She just didn’t pay attention when he started mesmerizing her. There’s a hotter place in hell for the ones who summoned him. Figuring that out and growing up and into her powers enough to take that bad boy out, is what makes this story sing.

This is Trinity’s story. She starts out as a damn good veterinarian, but a dud in everything else. Only one person believes in her, and unfortunately for Trinity, it isn’t one or both of her parents. (Dad did better than mom, but still…) The only one to believe in Trinity was the GVSO’s one and only resident vampire, Vincent. His last act is to gift Trinity with an ancient amulet, a powerful talisman that he has been keeping for centuries, waiting for the one person capable of meeting its potential.

That person is Trinity, the forbidden child of a witch and a shifter. Only she can be the true Guardian of Bastet. But only if she can accept herself and her own powers, powers that everyone has told her she does not have. She’s always believed she’s just a dud.

But only a true Guardian can send the demon back to the nether-realm he came from. And to do that, Trinity will have to accept that she is powerful and capable, and worthy of being the true avatar of Bastet.

Bastet was a warrior-goddess, the woman with the head of a lion. Her Guardian must also embrace the warrior within.

Trinity will need to be a warrior, and a shifter, and a witch. And powerful in all ways. Because that warrior within her will need to fight against a traitor who is way too close.

Escape Rating A-: The mother/daughter dynamics (and grandmother/mother/daughter dynamics) remind me a bit of Brave, and that’s a good reminder. A lot of what drives this story is the mother/daughter issue. Not just that Olivia makes no secret of her disappointment in Trinity, but also Gwendolyn Morrigan’s rejection of her daughter Olivia for marrying a shifter. And most of all, Trinity’s cousin Lily, and her feelings of rejection by her witch mother for also being an under-powered half-breed.

Trinity comes off as a bit self-absorbed at the beginning of the story (her mental dialog about turning into a cat once a month and playing with her cat-familiar as a cat is hilarious), but she definitely has reasons for where she starts out. And she certainly redeems herself.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 8-19-12

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

It’s so hard to believe that we’re sliding down towards the end of summer, isn’t it? But we really are.

High temperatures in Atlanta seemed to have finally dropped out of the 90s. Only down into the high 80s, mind you, but out of the 90s. It’s some kind of progress. Less beastly. I love winters in the South, but the summers are probably a foretaste of Hell. (I reviewed one of Eve Langlais‘ Hell books this week, I loved it, but her Hell sounds like the U.S. Deep South for climate)

It’s good to be home. The cats missed us. They’ve mostly forgiven us for leaving them. (If you are owned by cats, you know exactly what I mean!)

 

So what’s happening at Reading Reality this week? Let’s get out the old calendar (actually Google calendar) and take a look…

 

After Monday’s Ebook Review Central feature, which is the June multi-publisher post, this week we have…drumroll please…

Tuesday I’ll be reviewing Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon as part of a tour from Sizzling PR. Only Scandal Will Do is a terrific historical romance romp which starts with the absolutely opposite of a “meet cute”. The heroine gets sold to the hero at an auction in a whorehouse! This shouldn’t end well, and it doesn’t in the beginning, but of course it does in the end!

 

Wednesday is for The Memory of Roses. That’s not a commemorative, it’s a book by Blaire McDowell. Ms. McDowell also wrote Delighting In Your Company, a ghost/historical romance that I found, well, absolutely delightful when I reviewed it in June. So I couldn’t resist The Memory of Roses when it popped up on this Bewitching Books Tour.

 

Thursday I’ll be interviewing Gwyn Cready, the author of Timeless Desire. Since I’ve already reviewed Timeless Desire, I’ll be very interested to see what she has to say. The book was very good, a kind of Outlander-lite. And that feels right to me, after all, the subtitle is “An Outlander Love Story”.

 

Speaking of cats (well, we were a few paragraphs ago)…on Friday, I’ll have a guest post from Jacqueline M. Battisti, the author of The Guardian of Bastet as part of a tour from Bewitching. I’ll also be reviewing the book. I couldn’t resist. Bastet is the cat goddess.

And that all makes for one busy week!

But looking ahead to the next week, there’s one big event already on the calendar. Susan Wiggs’ will be here for an interview on Thursday, August 30 to celebrate her new book, Return to Willow Lake. And I’ll be doing a review. Naturally.

And then, and then, and then…it will be Labor Day. And Dragon*Con. Where did the summer go again?

Interview with Eve Langlais on Demonically Tempting Heroes

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

Today’s guest at Reading Reality, Eve Langlais,  is here to tempt you to read, not just her latest book, A Demon and His Witch, but all of her her previous forays into the lighter and sexier side of the Underworld, alien abductions, cyborg sex, and every other this or other-worldly variation her mind can think of.

A Demon and His Witch was my first trip to one of Eve Langlais’ laugh-out-loud, good time rides, and I’m already hooked. Take a look at my review and see if you’re not demonically tempted by this demon. (Just look at that cover picture. He’s temptation enough) Me, I’ve already started on another one of Eve’s books, The Geek Job.

Now let’s hear a few worlds from the temptress herself…

Marlene: Eve, can you please tell us a bit about yourself? What happens to Eve in her non-writing life?

Eve: In my non writing life I’m usually reading or wrangling kids lol. My ‘mom’ duties take up most of my free time, but I love it!

Marlene: In your bio you manage to use the words “Walmart”, “werewolves” and “aliens” in pretty close proximity. Help us all understand how that even works?

Eve: I love Walmart, even if my credit card doesn’t. For a family of five, it’s the place to shop for everything from clothes, to toys at Christmas, to just about everything. My heroines are often normal, just like me . They have to shop on a budget. They’re not quite perfect, maybe a little chunkier than society deems acceptable. My heroines might have differing self confidence levels and ways of dealing with the world, but they all have that special something about them that makes aliens and werewolves fall head over heels in love. Is there anything sexier than a male realizing that despite the fact a woman has a few extra pounds and maybe a prickly exterior, she’s his soulmate – whether she agrees or not? LOL.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing for us. Are you a planner, or do you just let the story flow?

Eve: I write Monday to Friday from about 9am until about 2 pm. The only outline is in my mind, although I do have notes about my characters and the world scattered all over my desk. My writing space is not neat by any means.

Marlene: Your books could be described as erotica with plot. What made you choose to focus on the erotic side of the romance equation in your writing?

Eve: Sex is a big part of romance. When I read a story where the characters are connecting on several levels, I don’t just want to read about the emotional changes they undergo, I want to see the sexual seduction. I want to recapture that first moment you fall in love with someone. I want to feel  the awareness, the hot connection that comes from a budding relationship where everything from how he looks at you, to how he touches you makes you feel so alive – and aroused. That to me is one of the best parts of falling love which is why I like my sex scenes to be explicit, hot, and squirm-in-your-chair worthy.

Marlene: On the other hand, the lovers in your trysts are not shy about breaking any of the rules or boundaries. Not just shapeshifters, but aliens, demons, cyborgs, (and any number or combination of any of the above) everything floats someone’s boat in your worlds. What’s your inspiration? Or who? 😉

Eve: My inspiration? LOL. I write what I think is hot. Alien abduction? Awesome (and possible!) Demons with attitude? Wicked – and who doesn’t love the idea of reforming a bad boy like that. Do some of my hot males share some of my hubby’s characteristics? Absolutely, which is why they’re not perfect and often drive my heroines batty.

Marlene: Could you tell us a little bit about A Demon and His Witch? Tempt everyone to read the book!

Eve: A Demon and His Witch is a humorous romp into my version of Hell. You’ve got Remy, a panty dropper of a male, who is paired with a witch who’d rather see all men die. But she’s got good reasons. Her ex boyfriend watched her burn at the stake and she never got over it. When Lucifer pairs her up with Remy to find some missing souls, when she doesn’t want to kill him, she remembers what it’s like to feel like a woman. She doesn’t have a choice because Remy is the king of sexual innuendo, and he throws corny pickup lines, one after another at Ysabel. She wants to hate him, she really does, but in the end, he chips away the armor around her heart and in the end, she can’t help but fall in love.

Marlene: Since I have a demonic feeling you love all the characters in A Demon and His Witch (or possibly just love tormenting them), what’s your favorite scene?

Eve: I can’t tell my favorite scene, because it’s a pivotal turning point in their relationship, but my second actually is between the heroine and Remy’s mother. Poor Ysabel gets caught in Remy’s bedroom, wearing next to nothing by Remy’s mom. Most people would find that awkward, but add in a mother who’s lost a few marbles and rips off her undies so she’s in style and you’ve got snort out loud hilarious.

Marlene: What was the first moment you knew you wanted to write?

Eve: When I was a kid, I loved to scribble down stories. I excelled in my creative writing class and had dreams of writing something epic. Then real life interfered for 20 years lol. But, I think that break gave me the life experiences I needed to make my stories believable –  and hot.

Marlene: What book do you recommend everyone should read and why?

Eve: Depends on what you like. If I’m looking for great urban fantasy, I go to Jim Butcher. Horror, early Stephen King. Mystery is Tess Gerritsen. Hot hunks written by someone else, Laurann Dohner. A giggle with your romance, ME! LOL

Marlene: You’ve already said that there will be more books in this series. So can you give us a hint or are you just going to torment us more? What is next on your schedule??

Eve: Book three for Welcome To Hell is currently stewing in my brain, but it’s got to wait as I’m finishing up work on Already Freakn’ Mated, third in my Freakn’ Shifter series. Then, I might just tackle Freakn 4 because I’ve already got a great storyline in mind LOL. Then, I have to do an alien story! I’m feeling sci-fi withdrawal. But after that, we’ll probably see Welcome to Hell 3 (with a Scottish demon lol) and a third Cyborg book.

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Eve: Funny. Hot. And most of all, romantic.

Marlene: Morning person or night owl?

Eve: Morning! I’m lucky if I  can sleep in until 6 am lol.

Eve, it is so completely appropriate that your name is Eve! You absolutely are a temptress–tempting everyone to read your wonderfully sexy, naughty, and funny (very funny) stories. (Yes, the scene with Ysabel and Remy’s mother was both hilarious and cute at the same time.) Lots of people think they have the in-laws from Hell, but in Hell, everyone does! 

For a good time, read Eve!

Review: A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais

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

There are absolutely no great literary themes or deeper meanings to be found in A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais. And frankly, if all the demons look like the one on the cover of the book, who the hell cares? Seriously, that man has got something, and if Hell can just bottle it, they’ll have a fortune in souls. Yum. Make that YUM!

When I said there were no deeper themes, I lied. Just a little. (What can you expect in a story where Lucifer, Prince of Lies, is the big boss?)

Ysabel is Lucifer’s assistant. When I say assistant, I mean his administrative assistant. Because Hell mostly works like the worst bureaucracy you’ve ever seen. (What did you expect?) Lucifer really, really needs an Admin to deal with the paperwork!

Why is Ysabel in Hell? Because she’s a witch. A spellcasting witch. One who was burned at the stake in ye olde Dark Ages. These things happened. But the folks who burned her at the stake, well, let’s say they really honked Ysabel off. Her lover’s mother didn’t want to let go of her not-so-little boy, so she led the torch-wielding brigade. The boyfriend didn’t just let it happen, he stood around and watched. With her last breath, Ysabel sold her soul to damn the whole lot of them to Hell.

She didn’t read the fine print in the contract. No one ever does. Five of the a**hats escaped, and Ysabel’s true torments began. It turns out that working in Lucifer’s office isn’t all that bad compared to re-experiencing your own personal burning-at-the-stake every single day.

Of course, if she recaptures her tribe of escaped miscreants, her little fire-show will go away again. But Ysabel is a witch, not a tracker. Lucifer has just the tracker in mind. Of course he does.

Ysabel doesn’t trust men. Not after her first and only lover let his mother burn her at the stake. Would you? So who does Lucifer send her? Hell’s best-known stealer-of-hearts and female panties, the name and number on every female restroom wall in Hell, “For a good f*** call Remy”.

Remy is one of Lucifer’s best trackers. A half-human, half-demon warrior with a string of commendations and a sweet but totally insane demon mother.

And a man who spouts some of the worst and funniest pick-up lines in history. But they work. Even on Ysabel. And isn’t she one surprised witch.

Especially when he brings her home to meet his mother.

Escape Rating A-: This is sweeter than you might expect from the story premise. Which doesn’t mean that it isn’t every bit as snarky, funny and sexy as you do expect from the blurb, because it absolutely is all of those things. But the love story between Ysabel and Remy has it’s surprisingly touching moments.

In order for love to work, even a demon and a witch in Hell need to trust each other for true love to blossom. They have to work pretty hard to get to their happily ever after. Even writing that seems strange–a happily ever after in Hell? But it happens for Ysabel and Remy. Since this is Hell, there’s a miserably ever after for others.

But the twisted way that Lucifer justifies his matchmaking is screamingly funny. After all, he can’t be good without explaining why his good time is going to be bad for someone else…eventually.

Pick this one up expecting a Hell of a good time. And a sequel, because Lucifer has matchmaking plans. Now that he’s been such a terrific success out-cupiding Cupid, he’s got another couple in mind. Look out for A Demon and his Psycho. I know I will.

Ebook Review Central, Samhain Publishing, June 2012

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Ebook Review Central> ebooks

The wheel has turned back around to Samhain Publishing. This issue of Ebook Review Central features Samhain’s June 2012 titles.

When I collect the reviews for this feature, I always wish I could see the sales figures for the Retro titles. It seems as if by their nature they would be a contradiction in terms; any reader longing for the type of romance represented by the “retro” label would be the ones least likely to be an ebook reader. And I may be absolutely wrong.  But the lack of new reviews always makes me wonder.

Most of Samhain’s list did not suffer from a lack of new reviews. So much so that I was spoiled for choices of which titles to feature in this week’s list. In the end, there were three books “out standing in their field”. At least, this particular field!

The author of the first featured title has been featured on Ebook Review Central before. All the way back in December, Lorelei James’ Cowboy Casanova made the list. Her Rough Riders series is a guilty pleasure for a lot of readers, featuring hot cowboys, rough sex and happy endings along with a dose of small-town western ranching life. Her latest entry in the series, Kissin’ Tell, reads like a country and western song, with a woman coming home to face a high school reunion (and her cheating ex) only to find true love with a sexy cowboy and get the last laugh on the man who done her wrong. Even better, she gets that laugh with the one she let get away back in high school.

 

Howling in the number two position is Wolf Line, the fifth book in Vivian Arend’s Granite Lake Wolves series. Of course they’re werewolves, but who could imagine werewolves on a cruise ship? Even better, an all-shifter cruise!  The cruise director and the stowaway would normally make for a fun romance, but when you add in wolfish mating urges, it makes the whole thing even hotter. But before they can act on what their chemistry is telling them, Keri the cruise director has to solve the problem of some thefts on board her cruise ship, and unfortunately her stowaway mate is the most likely suspect. The whole Granite Lake Wolves series is just plain fun, so much so that reviewers say you don’t have to read them all, but you’ll want to!

Devil’s Gate by Thea Harrison is this week’s third featured title. This novella is part of her Elder Races paranormal romance/urban fantasy series, following after the novella Natural Evil. Both Natural Evil and Devil’s Gate are between the full-length paperback Oracle’s Moon and the upcoming Lord’s Fall. Harrison’s Elder Races series is about a very powerful, and very ancient, species of shapeshifters known as the Wyr, which began in May 2011 with Dragon Bound. The Wyr are ancient, which means their politics are convoluted as hell. Some of them seem to shapeshift into dragon-form, which means they hoard. To add to the politics, this world has vampires. Did I mention politics? This series has absolute legions of fans, but start from the beginning.

You wouldn’t think that modern cowboys would have much in common with werewolves or ancient dragons, but these three book do share one thing; they are all the latest entries in continuing, and very popular, series. The anticipation added up to increased attention, and more reviews.

Probably more sales, too.

But that’s it for Samhain for June. Ebook Review Central shifts its attention to a new target next week, the monthly six-in-one post. Does that make it a hex-a-post? A multi-post?

I have a question for you readers out there. What do you think about “retro” romances?

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 8-12-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Have blog, will travel. I’m in Pittsburgh, PA, and the HP Notebook Smart Power Adapter turns out to be both smart and pretty darn adaptable.

We’re in Pittsburgh for a family re-union (part of me wants to type family “re-onion”–layers, tears–and it’s not even my family) and I only packed half the power adapter for the laptop. These things happen in the best families.

Best Buy is everywhere. Us geeks really have taken over the world. Spare power adapters don’t actually SAY they cover a two-year old laptop. But the HP turns out to be universal. Here we are.

And is there ever a ton of stuff going on at Reading Reality! After the usual Monday Madness that is Ebook Review Central, there will be three author interviews this week. What was I thinking?

Tuesday my guest will be Jane Kindred, the author of The Fallen Queen and The Midnight Court, the first two parts of her House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy. Jane’s going to talk about angels and demons, politics and history, love and kink, and the Snow Queen. Intrigued? Stop by on Tuesday.

 

While this isn’t quite Russia week, my guest on Wednesday will be Irina Lopatina, who doesn’t just write about Russian folklore, she actually lives in Siberia. Really, truly. As part of a tour from TLC Books, I had the opportunity to interview her as well as review her debut fantasy, White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors.

 

Things should warm up a bit (a lot!) on Thursday, when my guest will be Eve Langlais, for an interview and a review of her latest book, A Demon and His Witch. All of Eve’s stories are on the steamy side, but Demon is the start of Eve’s new series, Welcome to Hell, so, I expect things to be nice and toasty heading into the weekend.

As if Atlanta hasn’t been hot enough this summer!

On My Wishlist-Waiting on Wednesday-Desperately Wanting Wednesday-On the Weekend (5)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Desperately Wanting Wednesday> On My Wishlist> Waiting on Wednesday

I want my very own dust bunny.

Admittedly, my housekeeping skills are such that there are probably LOTS of them under the bed…but I don’t mean that kind of dust bunny.

I’m referring to the psychic kind. The occasionally predatory kind.

And if you’re a fan of Jayne Castle’s science fiction romance series, set on the planet Harmony, you know exactly what type of dust bunny I’m referring to.

The next (the ninth!) book in Castle’s Harmony series is coming out in September. If you’re as eager to read The Lost Night as I am, here’s the description from Goodreads to whet your appetite.

With the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Bonner has found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island with her dust bunny companion. Then Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve. Rachel can sense the heart of darkness within him— and the stirrings of desire within her own soul…

September 4. After the Labor Day weekend for those of us in the States. Why are the good books coming out after the long weekend is over? Where’s the justice in that?

Interview with Author Nana Malone on Superheroes in Romance

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

I’d like to welcome Nana Malone to Reading Reality today to tell us a bit about her thrilling (and deliciously sexy) superhero romance series, The Protectors. The first book, Reluctant Protector, is available free, so there’s no excuse not to dive right into Nana’s world of genetic experiments, brave escapes, and superhero rescues. Once you’re thoroughly hooked, Forsaken Protector (see review) will take you for another wild adventure.

But first, let’s see what Nana has to say about her writing, and her inspirations for this world of superpowers and super-villains.

Marlene: Welcome, Nana! Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Could you give us a picture of your non-writing life?

Nana: Oh I’m just your average Ghanaian/American girl who lives in sunny San Diego with an American husband who thinks my family is crazy.  My Big Fat Greek Wedding has nothing on us.  In my infinite spare time, I chase around my two year old trying to tame her wild mane of hair, try and corral my spunky Scottie and occasionally let my hubby pamper me.

Marlene: Reluctant Protector and Forsaken Protector are both well, superhero love stories. (Very cool, by the way!) What inspired you to write the series?

Nana: When I started thinking about doing a superhero romance, it was back when Heroes was on.  I kept thinking about all the places they could have gone with that story and didn’t.  Then when I started watching Alphas, I kept thinking about ways to evolve the superhero lexicon.  I wanted something that was believable for the modern world.  Like this could happen to you or your neighbors best friend.  But I also wanted it to be dark and explore the darker side of what happens when you have all this power and no one to relate to.

Marlene: Do you think that genetic engineering will be capable of creating “super soldiers” like Symone and Garrett sometime in the near future, or even in our lifetimes?

Nana: We’re already getting there.  I don’t know how many of you were watching the Olympics, but they had a world class runner competing with prosthetic legs.  The advances science and technology are making are huge.  I think if not in our generation then in my daughter’s for sure.

Marlene: In Forsaken Protector, Garrett is the only person that Symone is able to touch because of her powers. It almost feels like he’s her “fated mate”. Is that concept a part of the Protectors series, or is it a coincidence?  

Nana: Well, I don’t believe in coincidence.  I think we all have paths to travel and every decision we make helps us get there.  I also think there are different paths that can be taken to get there. For Symone and Garrett if they didn’t met when they did, I think they would have eventually met.  As for her not being able to touch anyone but him.  I think it has a lot to do with letting your guard down around someone.  Your real guard where someone sees the real you.  We don’t do that often as human beings.  Makes us entirely too vulnerable.  I think when Cassie and Symone found their partners in Seth and Garrett, they were at the point in their lives that they needed to be a little vulnerable to survive.  That’s kind of the running theme through out the books.

Marlene: Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

Nana: I have a rough outline for the first draft, then a more detailed one after that to assist in plugging holes etc for my first round of edits.

Marlene: Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Nana: All the time and I let them sometimes.  I can be very stubborn.

Marlene: Who first introduced you to the love of reading?

Nana: My parents.  I was reading at an early age and I have these faint memories of being in Ghana and being surrounded by books.  Either at home or at my grandparents’ place.

Marlene: Who influenced your decision to become a writer?

Nana: Helen Fielding 🙂 It wasn’t until I read her book with her style of humor and wit that I had the courage to do it myself.

 

Marlene: What book would you recommend that everyone should read, and why that book?

Nana: Yeesh, books are intensely personal.  All dependent on life experience and what your path is. But my favorite for triumphing against adversity is Kaffir Boy by Mark Matherbane.

 

Marlene: Can you share some info about your upcoming projects? Will there be a sequel to Forsaken Protector? Please?

Nana: Oh yes, there will be additional books in the Protectors series.  Next up is a fun contemporary called Sultry in Stilettos, then the next Protectors book, Wounded Protector.  After that will be another contemporary novella that’s the sequel to Game, Set, Match.  Next year we’ll be seeing more of the Protectors.   That series is meant to be 12 books.

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Nana: They’re fun escapism.  IF you love intense love stories, then they are for you.  And if you like it steamy, then I’m your gal! Plus who doesn’t love a superhero.

Marlene: Coffee or Tea?

Nana: I’m not really a hot drinks person 🙂

Nana, I think you made my day when you said there are meant to be 12 Protectors books. That is definitely something to look forward to! But part of me is still back at the Heroes/Alphas mashup thing. That’s my kind of concept.

Thanks so much for answering all my questions. I can’t wait to find out what the next chapter is in your superhero saga. Who is wounded and who is their protector? Write fast, pretty please?