~ RELEASE DAY BLITZ ~ **DARK SECRETS** ~ by Madeline Pryce

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Whoo Hoo! Madeline Pryce’s eagerly awaited Dark Secrets, the second book in her fabulously sexy Dark Series is released today! For the blurb, a sizzling 18+ excerpt and buy links read on.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to enter Madeline’s super giveaway where she is giving away her entire back list to the lucky winners! That is three full-length novels: Dark Cravings – Dark #1, Dark Secrets – Dark #2, and Crimson Sins – BiD #1 & three novellas: Dark Innocence – Dark #1.5, Claiming Ecstasy and Wicked Magic. The giveaway closes at midnight PST on 7/18 – to enter please use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post!

If you favour erotic paranormal reads with uber sexy alpha heroes, then I’d urge you to check this author out! I was completely enthralled by Claiming Ecstasy and Crimson Sins, which are amongst the best paranormal romance reads I have ever experienced! Tina ❤

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Dark Secrets (Dark #2)

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave

ISBN: 9781419991370

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Theme: Vampire/Demon (a few shape shifters thrown in there…)

Length: 85,000 words

Book Blurb

The worst moment of Micah’s life was when Ella nearly died in his arms. Her miraculous recovery should have been the start of their future. Unfortunately, a new demonic heritage, the Shadow Agency’s corruption and Julian, the vampire who turned Ella, are testing their relationship. Despite hotter-than-ever sex and a variety of new places and positions to explore, Micah begins to wonder if a relationship based on lust can survive for more than a few scorching-hot months.

Ella has forgiven, but not forgotten, the fact that Micah once plunged a dagger through her heart. Everything with Micah is passion, excitement and an uncontrollable desire to explore his body in a variety of very satisfying ways. But as buried secrets, ongoing lies and murderous deceptions pile up, Ella is reminded that she and Micah’s relationship was based on a curse. In order to forge a future together, Ella and Micah will have to face down their personal demons—and prove that love and trust are more than just words.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

BUY LINKS

| AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | ARe | EC | GOODREADS |

Excerpt

I popped the button on his pants and trailed my tongue over the curve of his jaw. “Does it matter? Julian can wait.”

Micah growled and spun me to the dresser, lifting to set me on top. He slapped a palm against the wall above my head, caging me in. Escape, although I didn’t want it, would have been near impossible.

“Don’t even say his name. One day, I’m going to rip out his spinal cord.” The coarse golden hair dusting his jaw rasped against my cheek as he took my mouth in a kiss that sent us both spiraling.

The aggression lurking inside him coalesced. Demanding. Rough. He moved his hands over my body, exploring me as if we’d not already memorized every inch of each other earlier that day at the Vault. Mindless to anything except the male body in front of me, I was lost to all reason.

I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him against me. I stroked my tongue against his, addicted to the taste of him. When I tilted my head to the side, our teeth clanked. Our embrace deepened as he dug his hands into the soft flesh at my hips and slid me close. He ground his body against mine and devoured me.

The demon lurking under the surface made me yearn for it to claim me. Never breaking the kiss, Micah moved the material covering my breast aside and cupped the tender weight. A sharp spike of need ran straight to my core. His hands were callused, the perfect texture moving across my sensitive nipple. The sudden need pulsing through me was going to tear me in half.

When he released my mouth, I gasped for breath. The sensations he caused had me clutching the corded muscles at his back. Featherlight, such a contrast to the frenzied need to mate surging between us, his lips moved across my cheek to my neck.

“I want your hair down.”

He tugged at a few things and within seconds, my painstakingly created up-do fell apart. He ran his hand through my curls. The gentle touch turned forceful. Forming a fist, he tugged, eliciting another needy moan when my head snapped to the side allowing the access he desired.

He nipped the scar on the side of my throat, the imprint of his teeth. I trembled from head to toe.

“Julian may get you tonight, but it’s me who you’ll smell like. My come inside your body. My marks on your flesh. I’ll make sure you remember the feel of my cock with every single step you take.”

Haven’t read the Dark series yet?

Start with Dark Cravings (over 50 five star reviews on Amazon), it’s the first full length novel in the series… 

darkravings_msrDark Cravings Blurb

Ella Grey’s life sucks. A half-breed vampire, she does her best to pass the time killing demons and secretly admiring her Shadow Hunter partner, Micah. He’s hot, dangerous and knows it. He’d be just Ella’s type if he weren’t likely to kill her the moment she put a toe out of line.

A chance encounter with a succubus changes everything. From the second the succubus’ spell washes over them, Ella and Micah are helpless to keep their hands off one another. The sex, when it’s not leaving them on the verge of death, is earth shattering and for the first time in ages Ella is connected with someone on a level she’d feared lost forever. But a dangerous prophecy has been set into motion, and if Ella’s not careful it’ll pull her straight from Micah’s arms and into the deepest bowels of the underworld.

A Romantica® Paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published under the title Blood Lust Rising. It has been revised and expanded for EC.

Amazon US   Amazon Ca   Amazon UK   Amazon AU

BN (Nookie!)   Kobo   Goodreads

Series Reading Order

Dark Cravings (#1 Ella/Micah – 85k)

Dark Innocence (#1.5 Hannah – 45k)

Dark Secrets (#2 Ella/Micah – 85k)

Dark Vengeance (#2.5 Castro – 45k) – release date coming soon!

Dark Promises (#3 Ella/Micah) – Spring 2015  

About Madeline Pryce

Author Image

Madeline Pryce wrote her first novel when she was ten, penned with neon-pink ink in a loose-leaf binder. Captivated by romantic literature, yet intrigued by the paranormal, she continues to develop her own voice, writing the kinds of stories that inspired her as a teen.

Author Links

Blog   Facebook Page   Facebook (I welcome friends!)    Facebook Fan Group    Twitter

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RELEASE DAY PARTY GOING ON FROM 7/11 – 7/12

24 hours | 24 authors | Prizes galore

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Vampire Flappers (Samantha Carter #1.5) novella by Tim O’Rourke *REVIEW*

Vampire Flappers (Samantha Carter #1.5)

Blurb: What happens in Paris . . .

Since returning home, Sammy’s been struggling desperately to remember her friends and her adventures back in the Wild West. Were they real? Could the vampires, the werewolves, even Harry be just figments of her imagination? Desperate for answers, Sammy has returned to the Underground, where it all began, and finds herself snatched back in time once again.

Plunged into the middle of a desperate battle, Sammy’s soon fighting for her life, for her memories . . . and for her man!

Short, sharp and sexy, this is the perfect remedy for O’Rourke addicts needing a quick hit, and for new readers looking for something new and exciting!

REVIEW

After the action and thrills from Samantha’s adventures in the Wild West (Vampire Seeker – Samantha Carter #1) Samantha is back in the present day wondering if it was all real or just a dream. She keeps returning to the Underground regularly in the hope that she could go back in time again. Despite the danger, fear or mystery she simply can’t let go of the idea of seeing her friends from Vampire Seeker, in particular Harry, again!

From the first few pages I could feel my muscles tense and my heart pace quicken, with the sense of excitement and thrills becoming more and more. Tim’s novella writing style is absolutely spot on in Vampire Flappers. The first few pages offer the reader an understanding of where the plot and characters are and then we jump straight into the action, adventure, mystery, violence and thrill!

The Samantha Carter series already has to be my favourite of Tim O’Rourke’s books. If I could be any character of any book it would be Sammy – partly because of Harry and also because she has everything I would be interested in, with her studying of criminology, her interest in vampires, her time travel experiences, her sense of adventure and keeping herself from living an average life in the hope that she could one day pursue her experience of time travel and the paranormal again.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for the reader, along with Sammy, to be sucked back into the 1920’s, France,, where all is a little confusing and mysterious for Sammy initially. However, it doesn’t take too long before O’Rourke plunges into the action and the reader is swept off their feet with chases, fight scenes, blood and gore, only to be led into a highly tense, powerful and intimate scene which will never leave your mind!!

The character Harry is the HOTTEST damn thing on the planet, and by far my favourite male character of any book I have ever read! He is demanding, aggressive, powerful and completely spellbinding. He can certainly handle himself well, not to mention Sammy. Tim O’Rourke certainly knows how to write a sexy, passionate scene!!

The reader is left curious when it comes to Sammy’s character in Harry’s life. Harry hints that she cannot remember what has been said to her or certain events, meaning that some part of Sammy must be/have been with Harry at certain times and yet she has no idea what he is talking about. For Sammy, she has only travelled back in time twice, and after the first time, she feels like she is forgetting moments already. The whole time travel aspect adds a great deal of mystery to Sammy, the reader and the story.

I could not lose the exhilarating feeling I had even many hours after I had read Vampire Flappers!!! I cannot wait to find out more in Vampire Watchmen (Samantha Carter #2), due out in September 2014.

A copy of Vampire Flappers (Samantha Carter #1.5) was received for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

Vampire Flappers (Samantha Carter #1.5) by Tim O’Rourke is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.


Reviewed by Caroline Barker

 

*BLOG TOUR, REVIEW, GIVEAWAY AND AUTHOR POST* for Double Alchemy: Climax (Double Alchemy Book #2), by Susan Mac Nicol

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WHOO HOO! Today we welcome back author Susan Mac Nicol as we take part in the Blog Tour for DOUBLE ALCHEMY: CLIMAX. I reviewed the first book in the series, DOUBLE ALCHEMY earlier this year and have reblogged my review, which you can find by scrolling down after this post. In this series Susan Mac Nicol has created a truly rich and inventive world, which exists alongside the human one, populated with Warlocks, Witches, Fey and other magical creatures.

Susan is not only sharing the book blurb and trailer with us, but she has penned a post on the joys and challenges of writing in the paranormal genre. Don’t forget to read my review of DOUBLE ALCHEMY: CLIMAX below. You can also enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an e-copy of Double Alchemy and an e-copy of The Gift of Magic!

 Double Alchemy: Climax (Double Alchemy Book #2) 

DA Climax-2Title: Double Alchemy: Climax (Double Alchemy Book #2)
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: 22nd May, 2014
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance

Powerful modern warlock Quinn Fairmont found ecstasy with the silver-eyed and not-quite-human Cade Mairston, but to know true happiness the pair must best both the shadow of a long-ago lover and an ancient enemy who seeks to destroy love, light and all they hold dear.

A BLINDING LIGHT
It begins with a Book of Shadows discovered by a London coven. The grimoire is as dangerous as it is rare, which is why it evokes modern-day warlock Quinn Fairmont’s desire. He collects objects of great power and beauty—like his lover, Cade Mairston.

Against all odds he and Cade found each other, but their perils have just begun. First is the ex-lover who once held Quinn in thrall. And, someone has been killing warlocks. Could it be one of his own kind? There are those too who would challenge Quinn’s power in their quest to overthrow him as Grand Master. Or is the danger something darker, something invoked inadvertently, rising from the shadows, building from the very inside of a man until it brings an end with a quick flash of light? Of the truth, the surface has only been scratched. Now Quinn and Cade must go deeper and find both answers and an end. They must learn what lurks in the hearts of men…and whether it seeks to love or destroy.

My Review

Another Stonking Hot and Suspenseful Read!

Erotic m/m Paranormal Romance for readers aged 18+

Susan Mac Nicol has once again produced another stonking hot and suspenseful paranormal read, laced with humour and action! Double Alchemy: Climax continues the tale of the uber- sexy warlock Quinn and his passionate Water Sprite lover Cade, who grapple with those who threaten their lives and love.

Quinn and Cade are by far one of my favourite romantic couples this year! Their love is SO tangible throughout the narrative. There is never any doubt that they are soul mates and in this instalment they reach a deeper emotional understanding than ever before, their love eclipsing the the danger and obstacles that are put in their way. The lovemaking scenes between them are SMOKING HOT and inventive and sometimes tender. There is also a great deal of humorous repartee between the couple as there is between many of the characters, which I enjoyed immensely.

Quinn in particular has many trials in this book, some of them truly heartbreaking as his emotions are tested to the limit. He does battle with inner demons from his past as well as present day enemies. Cade grows in confidence as he embraces his Sprite side, a side which Quinn needs to give him free reign to explore, despite any misgivings he may have.

There is a great supporting cast of characters, first and foremost of which is Taliesin, Quinn’s Withinner, the ancient sorcerer who shares his body. Taliesin has a number of key scenes and I loved the interplay between him and Quinn. We also find out more about Daniel, Quinn’s uncle, and of course Valensia, Quinn’s ex-lover, Queen of the Witches, who adds a great deal of tension, humour and drama to the plot.

There are a number of interweaving plot lines in this book – the evil Book of Shadows, which guards a dangerous secret, the continuation of the plot to find and destroy the Witchfinder General, the character from the previous book, and the actions of Valensia. There are also challenges to Quinn’s role and power as the Grand Master and threats to Cade.The HEA in the book ties up many loose ends, but I feel also leaves the way open if the author wants to revisit the world of Quinn and Cade and the other characters whose stories could be told.

I wholeheartedly recommend Double Alchemy: Climax to readers of the paranormal. Readers will gain more enjoyment from this super novel if they read Double Alchemy, the previous book, beforehand.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

This book was given to me for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

 Purchase links for DOUBLE ALCHEMY: CLIMAX (Book #2)

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Amazon:

B&N: 

Boroughs Publishing Group: 

All Romance: 

Purchase links for DOUBLE ALCHEMY (Book #1)s

Double_AlchemyAmazon US   Amazon UK

Boroughs Publishing Group  

All Romance Ebooks  

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Praise for Double Alchemy (Book #1)

“I love Paranormal stories & I’m a huge fan of Susan Mac Nicol’s M/M books. In this book, she brings both genres together & gives us this amazing story. With her master storytelling, she takes us into the mystical & magical world of Witches, Warlocks, Withinners & Feys. A world where danger lurks in the shadows.” – Maria Recchia

“I stayed up all night reading this story. Susan has a way of writing that is different than anyone else. She’s uniquely brilliant at weaving a tale that brings out my emotions. I have laughed in every one of her stories. That’s incredible for me. Not just a smile, but a laugh. I love that. This book needs to be read. You won’t be disappointed.” – Author Kindle Alexander

“Susan Mac Nicol has created a complex and fully realized fantasy world…. Quinn is the star of this novel, taking out the bad guy and learning how to trust in Cade’s love enough to share his unsavory past.” Library Journal

“I completely loved this beautifully and highly detailed written Paranormal story! This wasn’t a predictable story by any means. How Susan Mac Nicol takes us on a ride through this very creative and engrossing world that you will not forget, anytime soon and will be wanting more and more of it. I am a huge fan of this author and Double Alchemy, doesn’t disappoint by any means at all. I highly recommend this hot, steamy, love, paranormal and so beautifully written story!” Paul Berry

“Susan Mac Nicol brings us another sexilicious m/m romance but also takes us into a magyckal world of Warlocks, Withinners, Fae, Witchfinders and Witches… I loved the combination of the magyck and the m/m romance storyline. I am so glad Ms Mac Nicol is not keeping us waiting as the second book in the series will be released 22nd May 2014. I highly recommended this book to read and is an absolute five star rating from me.” Foxylutely Book Reviews

Praise for Susan Mac Nicol
We have to re-iterate that this Author will always be an automatic one-click for us. Her writing is flawless and her flawed characters are completely lovable. There’s always something quirky and fun in her stories as well as drama, angst and heaps of passion! We can highly recommend!!” – Gitte & Jenny – Totally Booked Blog

“Susan has been hailed as a genius writer of male/male literature. Her Saving Alexander has been nominated for several awards and has been reviewed widely. Congrats on all your success, Susan. You have earned it.” – Gay Lit Authors

About Susan Mac Nicol

Sue

Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel Cassandra by Starlight, the first in a trilogy, was published last year by Boroughs Publishing Group in the US. Sue’s latest story, Double Alchemy: Climax is her sixth m/m romance.

 Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself becoming a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.

 Sue is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK.

Susan Mac Nicol is also author of The Magick of ChristmasConfounding Cupid, Cassandra by StarlightTogether in StarlightStripped BareSaving AlexanderWorth Keeping, Waiting for Rain and Double Alchemy.

Social Links:Website | Blog|Twitter | Facebook|Goodreads|Pinterest

Official Tour Page: http://authoressentials.virtualwritersinc.com/2014/04/double-alchemy-climax-by-susan-mac-nicol/

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1496356080577818/

Book Trailer:

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Click on the link below to win an e-copy of Double Alchemy and an e-copy of The Gift of Magic!

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Author Post by Susan Mac Nicol

The Joys and Challenges of Writing in the Paranormal Genre

I’ve been asked to write about my thoughts on the joys and challenges of writing in the paranormal genre. I guess the joy is being able to create worlds and fantasies that really only exist in legend, fairy tales and people’s imagination. It’s in drawing people into a world that is outside of their comfort zone and showing them this ‘alternate reality’ which actually exists in the real one.

The joy is watching your characters come to life with abilities that don’t exist in the real world and allowing them to manifest themselves in a way that makes us want to know them, to be friends with them and love them without reserve.

The challenges are keeping it realistic and within the realms of possibility. This is my opinion at least. I think there’s a fine line between giving reign to a story that perhaps is a little over the top and still keeping readers engaged in something that they can identify with. Perhaps I am too couched in the real world and this is what I like, the thin veneer that separates us as the true human beings from that of the world in which extraordinary beings exist.

I watched a film recently called R.I.P.D starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds, two actors whose talents I really enjoy. Five minutes into this movie I already had suspended belief in the story. The premise of the film I thought was quite entertaining. ‘A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.’

The minute I saw the really gross and to me, highly unbelievable villains and monsters, like the film M.I.B gone wrong (and that film had its share of weirdoes who I thought were overdone) the film lost its appeal. When will filmmakers understand that the true villain and monster is not the one with the disgusting slobber, green jowls, fat jelly bellies, huge teeth, monstrous hands and shape shifting limbs, but rather one that is sinister, low key, frightening in its intensity and something that you wouldn’t want to meet in the dark. Totally overdone. And as authors, I imagine we can run the same risk. Keeping things within the realms of possibility works for me for more than not.

 

*BOOK LAUNCH BLOG TOUR ~ THE QUEEN OF SWORDS: A PARANORMAL TALE OF UNDYING LOVE, by Nina Mason*

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We are SUPER excited to be participating in the Blog Tour launching Nina Mason’s SIZZLING paranormal release The Queen of Swords! This post is jam packed full of information on the book and includes the book blurb, my personal review, excerpt and trailer, author interview and a fantastic giveaway!

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS: A PARANORMAL TALE OF UNDYING LOVE

Queen of Swords Cover_finalAuthor: Nina Mason
Publisher: Vamptasy Publishing
Heat level: sizzling
Formats: Kindle and paperback
Where to buy:
Kindle: http://smarturl.it/queenofswords (or http://smarturl.it/queenofswordsUK)
Paperback: http://smarturl.it/queenofswordspb

 

Blurb:

When Graham Logan, a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life. For the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life…or making her what he is. Neither of which his morals will permit him to do. Graham, who believes he lost his soul to the curse, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?

Cat Fingal, the third incarnation of Graham’s twin flame, won’t let him escape so easily. As soon as they meet, she feels she knows him and begins having past-life flashbacks. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon him, wanting answers and to fill the void she’s felt all her life.
Graham has other problems, too. Like the seductress who wants him for herself and the dark wizard who cursed him and killed his beloved the first two times.

Will he find a way to save her this time around? Or will she save him?

My Review

Simply Spellbinding!

This book is such a deliciously dark and sexy read! If you love Paranormal Romances and Urban Fantasies I strongly suspect that you will feel this way too. The Queen of Swords draws on elements of vampire lore, Fae and Celtic mythology, Witchcraft and Tarot in a spellbinding tale full of action, suspense and lovemaking scenes which sizzle off the page!

The hero Graham, a vampire, is a real hottie and I wished I knew the summoning spell to bring him to my side as the heroine does! Turned against his will, he mourns the loss of his humanity and also the loss of his love, whom his maker has cruelly taken away from him on two occasions already. He has a fascinating tale to tell of his life which we learn of through a series of flashbacks. I liked how once Graham realises that Cat is his soul mate he seeks to protect her by putting as much distance between them as possible. The fact that he is unwilling to turn her into a vampire so that they can be together makes this book very different to many other vampire romances.

I LOVED how Cat goes against his wishes and uses her own substantial powers as a Witch to summon him to her for answers! The attraction between them is undeniable and she realises that he is her destined other half and without him she will be incomplete. Cat, a trifle bookish, is essentially a strong woman and I enjoyed how her character grows as she seeks to save Graham’s soul, which he believes is beyond redemption. However, what future do the couple have when Graham is hell bent on maintaining distance, a jealous lover is on the loose and Graham’s nemesis has returned, putting their future and lives in jeopardy?

The sexual tension and lovemaking scenes between the couple are passionate and intense and leave little to the imagination. There is also plenty of emotion and humour. I found the couple’s relationship very believable and realistic and enjoyed the moments of conflict between them as they seek to resolve the dilemmas thrust in their way and the tension they experience in rediscovering each other, for after all Cat is a modern woman and Graham a man first alive in Regency times!

It is clear that the author has carried out a substantial amount of research into vampire lore, Celtic mythology and history and the Tarot. The scenes describing the various spells carried out by Cat and the magic carried out by others is also very authentic, all of which added to my enjoyment of the book. A number of scenes pay homage to Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The secondary characters in the novel are also well drawn and portrayed and I sincerely hope that the author decides to share Avery and Benedict’s tale with us in the future. Scenes of a homoerotic nature occur in the book as do those involving torture, however, these do not dominate the plot and form an important element to the storyline.

I recommend The  Queen of Swords to lovers of Paranormal romance and Urban fantasy who enjoy a hotter read than normal, with an entertaining and well researched plot and strong and engaging characters.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Excerpt

the promise

12th May. Visited Caitriona tonight for the first time since becoming a monster. She slept, unaware of my presence, & for a time, I was content simply to observe. As the hours passed, I began to wonder what might happen if she awoke to find me in her room. Would she think me a wraith? Would she think it a dream? Desiring to know, & to get closer, I sat down on the corner of the bed, alert for any stirrings. Seeing none, I crawled up the bed until I reached her side. Still she did not stir. Ever so carefully, I set my head upon the pillow next to hers. She slept on. Drinking in her scent, I felt contentment for the first time since fate & Fitzgerald tore us apart. I closed my eyes & must have drifted off, because next I knew, her arm fell across my chest. Startled awake, I found her blinking at me in disbelief.

I lay there, still as death, waiting for her to react. Her hand moved up my chest to my face. She dragged her fingers across my jaw, pressed them against my lips, touched the end of my nose, my eyebrows, my forehead. As she combed back my hair, she whispered: “This must be a dream. But you feel so real, so alive. I don’t ken how such a thing is possible; nor do I care. I only pray I shall never awaken.”

I kept still. I could hear her heartbeat, smell her blood, but her blood was not what I craved. She set her head on my chest & started to sob.

“Am I dreaming?” she asked, soft & low.

“Aye.”

She raised herself up, came over me & pressed her mouth against mine.

“Can we make love in my dream?”

“Aye.”

When it was over, I collapsed beside her, feeling so elated, so profoundly moved, I very nearly wept.

She set her head against my chest. “Will you promise me something?”

“Anything, m’aingael.”

“Always come to me like this in my dreams.”

Trailer embed code:

 Giveaway

Click on the link below and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win AN AUTOGRAPHED PAPERBACK OF THE QUEEN OF SWORDS!

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ABOUT NINA MASON, AUTHOR

Nina Mason, authorNina Mason is a hopeful romantic with strong affinities for history, mythology, and the metaphysical. She strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. Three of her books will be published in 2014: The Queen of Swords, an urban fantasy/paranormal romance; The Knight of Wands, book one in the Knights of Avalon Series; and The Tin Man, a political thriller about the dangers posed by media monopolies. She is currently at work on Book Two of the Knights of Avalon series and is itching to get back to a book she started a while back about a merman who falls for an oil company spokeswoman after a phantom tanker capsizes on the coast of the Hebrides islands. When not writing, Nina works as a communications consultant, doll maker, and home stager. Born and raised in Southern California, she now lives in Woodstock, Georgia, with her husband, teenage daughter, two rescue cats, and a Westie named Robert.

Social-Media Links:

Website: http://ninamasonauthor.com
Blog: http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ninamasonromance
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ninamasonauthor (@ninamasonauthor)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/ninamasonauthor
Google+: https://plus.google.com/105622637668245901733/posts

Interview with the author:

Q. Tell us about your book.
A. The Queen of Swords tells the story of a bookish white witch who returns every century to reunite with her earthbound soul mate. He’s a Scottish earl turned vampire by a dark wizard’s curse back in the Regency era on the eve of their wedding. She came back once before in the Edwardian era only to be killed by his maker in the same manner as before. He believes he has no soul, so can’t understand why she keeps coming back. She believes he does have a soul and that she comes back to free him from the curse. The story follows their journey as they try to work out who’s right and how they can stop history from repeating.

Q. After this, what’s your next project?
A. My current work-in-progress is book two in The Knights of Avalon series. After that, I haven’t decided. Probably another paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I’ve got a stalled manuscript about an oil company spokeswoman who gets involved with a merman during an oil spill in the Hebrides. Might get back to that one, or write one featuring Benedict and Avery, the secondary couple in The Queen of Swords. I’d also like to maybe write a sequel to The Tin Man, my political thriller releasing in August. It tells of two journalists thrown together to solve a series of murders tied to a global conspiracy to take over the media.

Q. What inspires you to write what you do?
A. All of my paranormal stories are inspired by my love of the history and mythology of Scotland, my interest in the unknowable, and my belief in the redemptive power of love.

Q. When did you start writing?
A. About as soon as I could write the alphabet. When I was a kid, I won an essay contest sponsored by the local library (I was an avid reader and always did the summer reading challenge). Back in the days of typewriters, I wrote a romance novel about a couple of ballet dancers, but never did anything with it. Didn’t try my hand at fiction again until five or six years ago, when I started what is now The Queen of Swords.

Q. What inspired you to write the book?
A. I started the first draft after reading Twilight. While I liked the saga, I also found myself frustrated by the lack of sex and Edward’s lack of history. In literature, vampires originally personified uncaged sexuality, so a chaste vampire seemed counter-intuitive to me. Plus, I felt writing an immortal creature provided fantastic opportunities to build an interesting backstory. What had he/she seen and experienced over the centuries? How was he/she affected by it? My immortal characters all have a history tied to the world and what they’ve seen and experienced has colored them in some way.

Q. Are you a careful planner or do you let the story guide you?
A. I do a bit of both. I work out the characters and their motivations, setting, and where I want the story to go. I also tend to do index cards for each scene or major plot point from start to finish. Once I begin to write, it can go completely off the rails, depending on where the characters want to take it. As long as they’re reaching the touchstones, I let them do what they want. If they go too far off track, I either re-plot the novel or rein them in, depending on which direction seems better at the time.

Q. Who is your favorite among your characters?
A. I love them all, of course. Graham, the hero in The Queen of Swords, is both noble and funny. Callum, the hero in The Knight of Wands, is a good-hearted romantic. Leith, the hero of my WIP, is a bit on the dark side, but still well-intentioned. If pressed to pick just one, I’d have to go with Alex Buchanan, the journalist hero in The Tin Man. He’s very complex and has lots of demons to overcome, but also is a really good guy.

*BOOK BLAST* ~ TO DREAM OF A HIGHLANDER (Highland Fae Chronicles), by Samantha Holt ~ Book Blurb and Personal Review

1010856_689421744447989_5886160877122772037_nA Passionate and Magical Highland Romance!

Book Blurb

Scotland, 1230 Sent on a rescue mission, Finn Mac Chaluim is prepared to do his duty, hand over the lass and return home. But fate has other ideas.

In the midst of a Norse invasion, Catriona barely escapes with her life. Masquerading as her sister, she finds herself in the hands of Finn who intends to hand her over to her sister’s betrothed, Laird Gillean. In the interests of bringing peace to her home, Catriona is determined to continue the ruse—even if it means going along with the marriage and denying her growing attraction to a man who keeps his hurts hidden behind a quick grin. If the green faery, Tèile, has anything to do with it, Catriona and Finn will come together—but only at the right time. Thanks to her last attempt at matchmaking, many paths were changed and now it’s up to her to put it right. Can she help Finn— who learned the hard way that sharing your life with someone only leads to heartache—get past his doubts? And will the battle-scarred Catriona even accept him into her heart? When Laird Gillean’s attentions toward Catriona become dangerous, both Finn and Tèile will find they have an uphill battle on their hands.

My Review

Passion combines with danger, faery magic and subterfuge in To Dream of a Highlander, another sensual Highland romance from Samantha Holt. I found it to be another super read from an author who never fails to deliver in whatever genre she is writing in.

Finn, who appears in the previous novel, To Steal A Highlander’s Heart, is a hero whom I very quickly fell in love with. Despite his jovial manner, this handsome warrior is still mourning the loss of his first love, his wife who died in childbirth. When Finn first casts eyes on Catriona, he feels that she is familiar to him somehow, and comes to realise that she is the very woman who has been haunting his dreams…..

Finn believes that Catriona, who unbeknown to him, is masquerading as her twin Katelyn, is destined for another. He is constantly at war with himself over his wild attraction to her and his fear that he cannot let himself love again, being convinced that he failed his first love. However, when he realises that Catriona is in danger he will do his utmost to protect her, laying his life on the line. I just loved how the author portrayed Finn’s inner struggle and really felt for him throughout.

Catriona is both a strong yet vulnerable heroine and I immediately admired her bravery in coping with the bloody and brutal Viking attack on her father’s keep. Although in the initial confusion she at first fears that Finn is  another Viking, she is drawn to him, due to his thoughtful behaviour, easy humour and the care he takes of her. Once she realises that he is her saviour she finds it difficult not to succumb to her attraction. It is Finn she turns to for support as she strives to cope with the memories of the attack on her childhood home and person, a traumatic experience that plagues her.

The scenes between the couple are both tender and passionate as they both struggle with their own inner demons, but neither can deny their mutual attraction for too long! Sexual tension is high and passion refuses to be denied between them, and they come together in a number of scorching swoonworthy scenes which I LOVED!

Catriona is determined to put the safety of the people of Bute first and continues to masquerade as her sister, even as she places herself in danger, for it seems she cannot escape the impending marriage to Laird Guillem. Will Finn put his fears aside and realise Catriona is destined for him alone or will she belong to another who may not have her best interests at heart? Also how will he and her prospective bridegroom react to Catriona’s deceit?

The antics and magic of the faerie Tiele, tasked by the Sidhe Council to bring Finn and Catriona together, are pivotal to the plot and are often amusing in the effect that they have on the couple, particularly Finn! Once again Tiele finds that the hearts of humans are far from easy to control. The supporting characters were well portrayed, in particular the widow Lorna, Finn’s sister, and her brother-in-law, Lord Guilleam who is her overlord and Catriona’s betrothed.

To Dream of A Highlander is another awesome read from this author and I recommend it to lovers of sensual  historical romances, especially those who love tales featuring hot Highland warriors and feisty heroines!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Buy on Amazon UK  Amazon US

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http://www.samanthaholt.org.uk/

http://www.samanthaholtauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

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*SPOTLIGHT* on Renea Mason’s ~Symphony of Light Series~

Paranormal Erotic Romance Series

Includes a MUST READ Excerpt from the New Release Between the Waters!

18+ Read

Renea Mason seres banner

If you love Paranormal Romance that is shall we say a little on the HOT side then Renea Mason’s Symphony of Light Series checks all the right boxes! Described as Fifty Shades meets The Black Dagger Brotherhood and Twilight. While others say it reminds them of the Night Huntress or Dark Hunter series’. But most agree it’s unlike any paranormal or erotic romance they’ve ever read……..

So far the series comprises three unique and sizzling reads: Symphony of Light and Winter, #1; Impostors’ Kiss # 0.5 and  Between the Waters #2, published on 15th May. Scroll down for the blurb on each of these books, find out about the author and read a SCORCHING  excerpt from Between the Waters. Please note that this excerpt is only suitable for mature readers aged 18+. 

Symphony of Light and Winter: Symphony of Light #1

He’s back from the dead. She has a lot of explaining to do. Can they quench the passion long enough to survive the truth?

51H5FvVUE0LBlurb

One woman. Seven men. All bound by one man’s undying devotion.

Fundraiser Linden Hill has a knack for reading people. She always knows which conversations will put a prospect at ease, which drink will loosen a patron’s lips—or his wallet, and how cleavage will make a donor sweeten the deal. She’s even foreseen her dateless weekends four hundred and sixty-four times in a row.

But ten years after watching life drain from her former mentor’s and first love’s eyes, her skills for divining the predictable are lost. When Cyril returns, he’s still gorgeous, but this time he’s beyond human, far less dead, and pissed. His lack of memory drives him to desperate acts, and his turbulent re-acquaintance with Linden pulls her into his war with a creature hell-bent on his destruction. His group of six supernatural men share a tantalizing secret, but despite the hunger, it’s love that leads her to sacrifice everything to save him…

Published by Etopia Press

Length: Novel Word Count: 88,375 Page Count: 389 Price: 5.99 ISBN: 978-1-940223-10-0 Heat Level: 4 Release Date: 06/21/2013

Best Paranormal Badge

Best New series

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Place – Best Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice

2nd Place – Best New Paranormal Series, Paranormal Cravings Battle of the Books

Reviews

“Renea Mason’s book has everything you could want—a unique world, a panty dropping alpha male, a gripping plot and seamless writing that would never let on this was her first novel.” lbookbliss.com

“If you love Alexandra Ivy, Lara Adrian, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lynsay Sands, Laura Wright, and all those other amazing paranormal authors that I absolutely love with all my heart…then you will LOVE Renea Mason and her brand new “Symphony of Light” Series.” BookReadsandReviews.com

Buy the book

Amazon.com (available at most international Amazon sites – Italy, Germany, Japan, Canada, UK etc.)  BarnesandNoble.com

AllRomanceeBooks.com   Kobo.com   Bookstrand.com

*Print edition available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Imposters’ Kiss: Symphony of Light Book 0.5

One night of sexual pleasure could teach a lesson in love.

51aAqPrD6DLBlurb

Cyril is weary from weeks of traveling the Scottish moors, but his luck takes a turn when he rescues a battered and broken child. To express his gratitude, the boy’s father offers Cyril a night of carnal indulgence with his eldest daughter. Cyril graciously accepts, looking forward to a night of sexual release to ease the loneliness of his travels.

But what the supernatural sex god and deliverer of souls doesn’t expect is to be taught a lesson in love from the young and beautiful Celestine.

In a night of passion, two lost spirits find solace in an impostor’s kiss: one longing for a love that doesn’t yet exist, the other drowning in pain and guilt over love lost. Neither is what they seem…but what they learn will change them forever…

Etopia Press

Length: Short Word Count: 7601 Page Count: 42 Price: 0.99 ISBN: 978-1-940223-62-9 Release Date: 11-15-2013

Reviews

“I loved this short story.  It gave us a glimpse into who Cyril is as a man.  His compassion, his sex appeal and his prowess.” BookReadsandReviews,com 

Buy the book

Amazon.com (available at other international Amazon sites – Canada, UK etc.)    BarnesandNoble.com

Kobo  Bookstrand  All Romance eBooks

Between the Waters: Symphony of Light #2

Magic is no match for love…

51BrPXYbG7LBlurb

Trapped somewhere between life and death, demigod Cyril has lost the ability to communicate with his love. But not before giving her valuable lessons in magic, as well as his blessing to move on without him.

Coming to terms with Cyril’s absence isn’t easy, but Linden is doing her best to honor his wishes. Until she receives an unusual request from Moreaux, an estranged member of Cyril’s family. Bizarre things are going on with Mary, the former housekeeper, and Linden can’t let them go. But when her investigation leads to a mistake that nearly costs her life, Cyril’s best friend, Overton, steps in and violates a promise he made centuries before to bring her back from the dead.

Gratitude turns to comfort, comfort turns to desire, and desire leads Linden to a shocking revelation. In her charge to uncover the truth behind Mary and Moreaux, she discovers a spell she can’t undo without leaving wounds on her heart, wounds she knows will never heal…

Etopia Press

Novel Word Count: 63434 Page Count: 42 ISBN: 978-1-94169-20-66 Release Date: 05-15-14

Buy the book

Amazon.com (available at other international Amazon sites – Canada, UK etc.)   BarnesandNoble.com   All Romance eBooks

18+ Excerpt from Between the Waters – in reading further you guarantee that you are age 18 years or over.

Chapter One

Lessons

“Linden…take your clothes off.” Cyril’s voice, low and commanding, laced tendrils of seduction through my mind. Even without his six feet five inches of supernatural perfection looming, he had control.

“Absolutely not. You’re not talking me into that again.” A world away, he still commanded my body. My stomach filled with warmth, and hairs raised on my arms with the cadence and tone in my mind. Damn it.

“How was I to know the man would be walking his dog so late? If your inferior senses had detected his presence, you could have hidden instead of running naked through the streets.” He snickered. “Look at it this way…you were lighter without clothes, and Michael’s power infusion gave you the ability to outrun the beast. Important knowledge, even if your hearing sucks.”

Ever since the accident, which left Cyril in another plane of existence, tormenting me remained his main form of entertainment. He took great pleasure in my uncertainty. Being separated from his body left him with metaphorical idle hands, and my brain the only thing within reach. He blamed his actions on not knowing which abilities I inherited when I destroyed Michael—my short-lived husband and all-around supernatural nuisance. The moment I plunged the knife into Michael’s back, something in me changed. Beyond the branching pattern of raised skin covering my back, the experience also altered my soul, but how was unclear. With Cyril as my guide, I never knew if I’d end up the victor or the prey.

“My hearing is fine. Besides, I couldn’t hear around all the bullshit you were spewing in my head.” I crossed my arms, still not quite comfortable speaking to him out loud. A delay occurred between my thoughts and his access to them. His interpretation of them was accurate about sixty percent of the time. Verbal communication allowed for instant understanding, when it worked.

“You’re not questioning me, are you? Do you want to learn or not?” The huskiness surrounding his words accented power and his centuries of experience. Since he was at my mercy until he once again inhabited his body, desperation for control led him to push boundaries.

As much as I hated to admit it, I needed him too, but letting him know was not an option. He was cocky enough. Another ounce of ego would make him unbearable.

“Mr. Aristin, do not think for one moment you are going to manipulate me. There needs to be trust.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Had you trusted me, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” He sighed and in a soft tone wrapped with demand said, “Now take your clothes off.”

“Can’t I just stick to releasing souls? That was easy, and I could leave my pants on.”

“No. You have much to learn.”

Cyril had let me know that he was not sure why, but the mixture of his blood in my veins and my proximity to Michael’s destruction gave me the ability to release souls. He had said that mankind should be damn thankful I was there to take his place as the gateway to the afterlife. Freeing their souls for the journey to heaven or hell saved them from an eternity in purgatory. But apparently that was only part of it.

“As long as you don’t start calling me Grim.” Maybe it wasn’t fair to forbid the nickname I bestowed upon him for his role as the soul deliverer, but I was beyond worrying about his sensitivities.

“I have far better names for you. Would you like to hear how you inspired them?”

“No. Let’s get this over with. It’s freezing.”

“Magic is more than an ability. It’s a skill. Surely our previous lessons have taught you that. Channeling the energy takes practice.”

“But you say it’s equal parts will and magic. Some situations require an influence and focus—spell component and chant. Like how you told me you created your family with the souls of three men, your blood, magic, and focused will. What does any of that have to do with getting naked?”

He growled. “Stop talking and do it. Trust me.” His use of trust as a trump card to win arguments was getting old.

I inhaled the crisp night air as the moon shone bright in the night sky, outlining everything in a strange, opaque aura. Its shadows appeared astral. It was almost midnight, and the night was cold. I looked behind me to make sure I was alone. Cyril’s lessons had brought us back to the cemetery where we originally met. The energy resulting from the intersection of two powerful ley lines would make it easier for me to learn. I moved my hands to the zipper on my coat.

“They are magical; the moon shadows, I mean.”

It sucked having him in my mind. A few seconds after a thought crossed he had full access to it as a memory. I was never alone except when he grew too weary to maintain the connection or when it dropped like bad cell phone reception. His presence was always a surprise. During rare merciful times, he’d let an embarrassing stray notion vanish without comment, but that was a rarity most days. The constant focus on controlling my thoughts wore on me. It was impossible to stop them from forming without thinking of why they shouldn’t be formed in the first place. Either way, I was screwed.

He must have sensed my turmoil because he changed tactics. “If you’d be so kind as to oblige my request…” But his attempt at manners was undermined by the growl reverberating between my ears. I couldn’t even roll my eyes in peace.

“Request, my ass. Besides, it’s cold.” No matter how much I wanted to resist, the guilt that gripped me for trapping him outside his body softened my response to his bullshit every time.

“You won’t be for long. Now get on with it; we haven’t got all night. I’m growing tired.”

Another quick look around revealed row after row of headstones. The crisp nip of winter air and the moon-bathed landscape awaited me. I shrugged off my coat, removed my shoes and socks, shimmied the jeans over my hips, and pulled the sweater over my head. Standing next to a pile of clothes in only panties and bra, I wrapped my arms across my chest. With the temperature near the low thirties, I shivered and looked up to the sky. Closing my eyes, I grumbled, “Now what?”

He laughed. “Oh, my dearest Linden, open your eyes and look down.”

Busted. I looked, but focused several feet away, avoiding my body. I focused on the grass trimmed in tiny white crystals of frost. So fucking cold.

“You naughty girl. When I told you to take your clothes off, I meant all of them. Do it. Then let me see.”

I huffed and reached around to unfasten my bra. The task proved difficult as my hands shook from the temperature, anger, and anxiety. Working the panties down my legs, I complained, “I’m going to die from hypothermia.”

Standing on a hill overlooking the Laurel Mountain range, in a cemetery, at midnight, talking to nothing but the night air while taking orders from a voice in my head was all the evidence I needed. I had finally gone insane.

“Show me.” The menace gone, seduction in its place.

I sighed and complied. My nipples were so puckered and hard they could have chiseled ice. My skin reddened from windburn.

A sound in my head like air being sucked through teeth echoed between my ears. “You are so beautiful. When I’m back, I’m going to dedicate a week to savoring each part of your body. I’m going to wrap my lips around each of those rosy buds. Without touching any other part of your body, I’ll make you writhe, pant, and moan for me.”

Damn him. The breeze blew, but I was immune. The heat that grew from within, negating its effects. “Cyril, please…” I intended a warning, but he interpreted my words as a plea.

“I feel your need. If I was there, I’d bend you over the bench, watch your red hair drape over your back, and fuck you until you screamed my name. When the echoes of your passion stopped filling my ears, I’d sit you atop me and bury myself inside you and lathe the milky white skin of your breasts with my tongue. When those beautiful green eyes told me you surrendered, I’d bite and consume you as you consumed me.”

“Stop. Cyril, please. I am on edge. I’m ready to ignite. You can feel it. Please don’t make it worse.” He held a switch to my body’s thermostat. The only thing chilled was the place between my legs where moisture pooled. What other woman could say that she bedded a god made for sex? The goddess who created him, to see to her every physical need, perfected every detail. The man was a Titan in bed, and damn my luck, the universe gave me a taste before taking him, just so I’d know what I was missing. Fucking fates.

“When you bring me back to you, where I belong, I’ll make it up to you. You have my word. Are you still cold?”

“No.” In fact, I was surprised I didn’t combust.

“See, you should trust me more often.”

I scoffed.

“Now your lesson…Light, close your eyes.”

Lowering my lids, I did as he asked.

“Can you feel the pulse?”

I focused, blocking out the whistle caused by the breeze blowing across my ears. The cold numbed my skin once my Cyril-induced inferno extinguished. It shook the hairs on my arms, tickling.

“Walk to it.”

I did. As I got closer, it thundered in my brain. Cyril’s identity, my anxiety, and the strange sensation caused something akin to a headache to take hold. “It’s making my head hurt.”

“That’s expected. The pulse has increased. Now, find the place where it’s so fast, it’s sustained. The pain will subside when you are in the precise spot. You’ll learn how to pace out the pinnacle, and you won’t need to focus on the feeling.”

“Is that what you were doing the first time I saw you here? You were counting.”

“Yes. The lines shift with the season, and winter is two paces to the left of summer. It’s easier to count since I’ve been here before. Better than getting naked and risk you attacking.”

“I never would have attacked you!”

“You may have been young, but the hunger in your eyes for me, even then, was unmistakable.”

“You are impossible. Hurry, I’m getting cold.”

“Do you need me to heat you up again? Should I tell you about how, if I was there, I’d drop to my knees, spread your legs and run my tongue up the inside of your thigh, savoring the essence. I’d lick—”

“Stop it. You can’t keep talking about sex.”

“Yes, I can. I’m made for sex. I am inseparable from sex.”

“But you’re not here, and it’s torture.”

“Seems a fitting price for not trusting me with our future.”

“I was only trying to help.”

“By giving yourself to a psychopath in a ridiculous effort to save me? I’m the closest thing to a god that exists here, and you thought to save me? My only vulnerability is you. You will be my destruction. Now that I have you, I won’t be without you. It’s your stubbornness that risks us both.”

“Well, sorry I told you I loved you. I should have left with Michael and kept you in the dark, wondering.”

“I would have found you. Besides, it was your careless disregard of magic that lead to my imprisonment.”

“Imprisonment? Really? Could you be more dramatic? I was trying to protect you.”

A sound that reminded me of a snort resonated. “Yes, and a ridiculous notion it was. Keep moving toward the source.”

“Whatever.” I cracked my lids the slightest bit to look for obstacles in my path. The pulsing stabilized at the center of the large circle of gravestones. The Nester family, I remembered. “Now what am I supposed to do? The frequency is sustained, and the headache is gone.”

“Still cold?”

“Fuck you.” He knew I wasn’t. Another one of his games was to ask questions he already knew the answer to just to prove his point.

“That’s my girl.” He laughed. “Clear your mind.”

“Easier said than done with the current infestation.” Removing all thoughts of Cyril and his tongue proved difficult. I focused on the grass, taking in the uneven blades.

“Now visualize. Look through the surface of the Earth and picture the energy. Picture pulling it through your body. As I said before, magic is little more than focused will, woven with the forces that sustain this world.”

It took a while to clear my head, and thankfully, he remained silent. Allowing numbness to fill my limbs and seep into my mind, I penetrated layers of earth, reaching the electric white lights branching under the surface. Each juncture enhanced the brightness. I focused on the nearest point and pictured drawing it toward me.

Soon a surge started in my feet, pins and needles followed, as the energy crept through my nervous system. I closed my eyes. The current continued until I was enveloped in the light, feeling invincible, but only for a moment. The energy started to recede.

“Linden, don’t let go. Use the chant. Remember how I told you to use the words to focus. Say them slowly. Nium parnum omsti narum.”

Mentally I grasped at the light as my lips formed the words. Even though not magical, each syllable helped channel the essence. I regained control and was once again overcome.

His next command caught me off guard. “Do not speak. Think of Clarence.”

Clarence? Why? I thought it odd but didn’t comment. Clarence, my friend and colleague, was the furthest thing from my mind. We spoke the night before. He was still vacillating between being pissed at me for bringing him into all this supernatural bullshit and appreciating me for adding excitement to his life.

Another set of instructions. “Think of how he looks. What he sounds like.”

Clarence. His smooth, coffee-colored complexion, baldhead, swimmer’s build, and slight Southern drawl.

My skin rippled like water and blended with the tingling caused by the energy. A straining from within—stretching muscle, shifting bone—caught me by surprise. It was not wholly painful, as the pulse served as an excellent analgesic.

“Keep thinking of him, concentrate.”

Entranced by the light and Cyril’s words, Clarence’s mannerisms came to mind. The way he fiddled with his collar, the strange way he cleared his throat when we passed a sexy man and how he held my elbow each time we crossed the street. I was all- things Clarence. I held the image, unmoving.

“That’s it. Feel him, know him, become him.”

Another focused thought on Clarence’s wide, mischievous smile and the corners of my lips lifted, mirroring my thoughts of his actions.

“That’s it, become Clarence.”

Deep breaths helped my concentration. I embodied his six plus feet of height. His toes, his large hands, his… “What the hell?” My eyes flew open.

Cyril screamed in my mind, “No, gain focus. Gain focus! Use the chant!”

Oh, dear God. I was a six-foot-tall…African- American…man. Holy shit. I was Clarence. What. The. Fuck!

“Linden, you have to calm down. Don’t let the magic snap back. If you do, it will be much worse. It’s going to be bad enough already.”

I turned my hands over and over again, taking in their size, color, and masculinity. Another glance revealed I no longer had breasts and a little lower… I was going to need more therapy.

The hands I scrutinized shook, and the sight disoriented. Rippling started in my skin, and the light began to recede.

“Damn it. Too late. Linden, I’m so sorry.”

was he sorry? For turning me into Clarence? But my knees buckled, and I fell to the ground. The energy sucked the last bit of warmth with it as it receded into the earth. My bones gave and muscles cramped in places I didn’t know I had. The pain crippled as I lay writhing on the ground.

“So sorry. Breathe through the pain.”

“Ahhhh…” The scream escaped from between my teeth. My eyes closed from contractions that raked my body. Some kind of grunting pushed through my throat. I was going to die.

“You’ll be OK. I wish I could help you.”

“Fuck you! What did you do?” Another violent spasm and sweat broke out across my skin. So cold.

“It should end soon. Just a little longer.”

Another groan I couldn’t control. I gritted my teeth from pain and the chill. More perspiration. I wanted to cry, but it would’ve hurt too much.

The jerking muscles quieted, and with that came the ability to move my limbs. I forced my eyes to open. Thank God! I had never been so happy to see my breasts.

“Light, I didn’t do anything. It’s all you.” Because Light was his pet name for me, I both loved and loathed him in that moment.

I formed my mouth into an O, and I steadied my breathing. Something wet slid down my forehead. What on earth? I opened my eyes to find my entire body covered in a thick, clear, mucous substance. It wasn’t sweat after all. I collected some and flung it from my fingertips. “What the fuck is this?”

“That, my dear, is shifting residue. It’s the by- product your cells produce when you take the form of another. You used to be quite found of it. It’s what your dearly departed Michael used to craft those little animal figurines he gifted you. Isn’t it romantic?”

“I would so punch you if I could.” I wiped the sticky disgusting liquid from my cheek.

“Do you have any idea what this means?” Elation sounded in his voice. My body felt like I fell from a thirty-story building, and he sounded like it was his fucking birthday.

“It means I’m bare-ass naked, lying on the ground after midnight, in a cemetery covered in goo.

Oh…and a minute ago I hallucinated that I had a penis.”

“That was no hallucination, Light. Isn’t this wonderful?” He was excited. Cyril didn’t get excited. Even when we first met and he discovered my immunity to his curse, he never let his enthusiasm show.

Another sweep of goo from my arm, I breathed heavy, rising on all fours. The slime dripped from my body, leaving tiny pools. “You’ll excuse me if I don’t see the wonder in all of this.”

“Linden, you mimicked Clarence. You changed shapes. You became him. I can’t even do that. I always envied Michael. Think of the possibilities.”

“Became Clarence? I feel like I gave birth to him.” The substance coating my skin started to harden. My clothes lay in a pile about ten feet away, but it felt more like ten miles.

“The process is a bit messier than I expected, but do you know what else this means?”

Right hand, left knee, then left hand, right knee. Each movement required thought, conviction. I needed to get to my sweater before the stuff hardened. “I.” Breath. “Don’t.” Huff. “Know.” Grunt. “What. Does. It.” Hyperventilate. “Fucking.” Growl. “Mean?” I fisted the sweater and rubbed at the small crystals forming on my skin.

“It means you are much stronger than I thought. Of course, you’ll need practice.”

I shrugged on my coat. Screw the underwear. Wiping down my legs, the residue splintered and flaked to the ground like small snowflakes. “Great. I can be Clarence. You know, one Clarence is more than enough.”

“You can do something I cannot. I wonder what else you can do.”

“Hell. No. We are done with your experiments.” I leaned back, wiggled my bottom into my jeans and eyed my car. Another ten feet. Fuck!

“You are strong enough to bring me back after all.”

On my hands and knees, I came to a halt. Why I looked up when he pissed me off was beyond me. It wasn’t as if he could hear me any better. “What? There was a possibility I wouldn’t be able to do it? When were you planning to tell me you might be stuck forever?” Five more feet. Never gonna make it.

“Everything is equally possible and impossible, Light. I hadn’t planned to tell you.”

“Oh, save your philosophical bullshit. I’m not in the mood.” My hand slapped hard against the door of my black Pontiac Solstice, and I pulled myself up, leaning against the car, still trying to catch my breath.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but I love you even more.”

“Funny, I didn’t think…that I’d want to strangle you any more than the night I ran naked through the street while being chased by that beast of a dog. But again, you’ve outdone yourself, my love.”

“Light, necessity is the mother of invention.”

I groaned at the pain and his words and opened the car door, falling into the seat. I grabbed each leg and pulled them inside one at a time. The smell of the leather soothed, familiar. I took a deep breath. “Nice quote. Who said it?”

“I did.”

I slumped against the steering wheel, trying to muster the strength to drive. “No, I mean originally.”

“That’s what I meant. Many attribute it to an old English proverb, but it was in a speech I gave in Greece, around 400 BC.”

Immortals. Bah! “Is there anything you haven’t done? I mean you’re essentially a vampire with your fangs, you’re immortal, you can summon wings, use magic like a wizard, and escort the dead. How does anyone compete with that?”

“They don’t.”

My groan of frustration surprised even me. I turned the key. The engine roared to life. “Why Clarence?” I cranked up the heat and rubbed my hands together, trying to generate warmth from friction. Finally, I slumped back in the seat and rested my hand on the gearshift.

“Why not?”

I had no energy for his games. Enigmatic pain the ass.

“I heard that.”

“Good. Now shut up and let me drive.” My teeth chattered.

“Would you like me to warm you up? I could—”

“God help you…” I grabbed the rearview mirror and stared into it. Glaring at myself, knowing he’d see my reflection, I focused my anger. Goo had crystallized in my hair, and faint bruises formed under my skin. “If you say one more word, I will pull over and hack my own head off just to stop your incessant bullshit. Then who will you annoy? Huh?”

I reached up and moved a strand of hair, and they all moved. My hair was so hard an eighties girl would’ve been envious. “And Cyril, if I have to shave my head because of this, I’m not bringing you back. Do you hear me? Never. Coming. Back.”

He laughed. “Did I ever tell you that your feistiness makes me hard? If I were there I’d—”

“Don’t push me.”

************************************************

 About the Author

Renea MasonRenea Mason writes steamy romances to help even out the estrogen to testosterone imbalance caused by living in a house full of men.

When she isn’t putting pen to paper crafting sensual stories filled with supernatural lovers, she spends time with her beyond-supportive husband, two wonderful sons and three loving but needy cats.

Her debut novel, Symphony of Light and Winter, finished second for Best New Paranormal Series of 2013 in Paranormal Cravings’ Battle of the Books and received a third place award for Best New Paranormal Romance of 2013 in The Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewers Choice Awards.

Renea is a member of Romance Writers of AmericaThe Paranormal Romance Guild and The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal subchapter of the Romance Writers of America.

She is also a founding member of Coffee Talk Writers and the Coffee Talk website–a site designed to support established writers and foster new talent.

Follow Renea Mason

http://www.ReneaMason.com

http://www.Facebook.com/ReneaMasonAuthor

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S.ReneaMason@gmail.com

http://www.amazon.com/Renea-Mason/e/B00DIMOX2S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Coming Soon in 2014 – Curing Doctor Vincent – An Erotic Novella Trilogy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~REVIEW BLITZ~ for *Claiming Ecstasy* by Madeline Pryce~

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Today we are participating in Madeline Pryce’s Review Blitz to celebrate the release of Claiming Ecstasy, the author’s sizzling erotic paranormal romance with attitude! Read on for the blurb, my review, the purchase links and to connect with Madeline! Tina ❤

Blurb

Jolie Dupree is prophesied to bring an end to the deadly war waging between the vampires and the Seelie court. Groomed from birth by a vicious mother, Jolie knows her future can only end in blood–and the murder of the one man she can’t resist. Consumed with guilt, Jolie can’t fight the lure of Nicolas Larkin, the vampire king. She returns to him over and over, every caress of pain and every stroke of pleasure drawing her deeper into the darkness. She must decide between the concrete and the chaos, the light and the dark, for her choice will tip the scales between good and evil, and quite possibly cost Jolie her soul.

My Review

ClaimingEcstasy_MSR (2) A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Release Date: May 14th, 2014

Price: $1.99 (1.49 @ Ellora’s Cave)

Genre: Erotic, Paranormal (Vampire)

Length: Quickie (10,000 words – meant to be devoured in one sinfully delicious sitting)

 

Gothic Inspired Erotic Love Fest Par Excellence

Oh my giddy aunt! If Claiming Ecstasy is a taster for what this author is capable of in the hot stakes then bring on the main course and serve it now! I should explain that I am a little late in joining the Madeline Pryce Party, but I’m sure that a few late nights reading, with a glass of wine or two, will see me catching up with the author’s back list in no time!

Well back to what I thought of Claiming Ecstasy. I COULD say that it is a short, but scorching erotic paranormal romance and it certainly is, BUT this would be doing it a disservice. Instead, I would describe this intense and delicious read as a Gothic inspired love fest par excellence! It emphasizes not just the physical but the psychological link between the two protagonists/lovers, who, as magical beings, together represent the perfect balance between darkness and light. It is decadent, explicit and mind blowing!

I loved the settings, the emotion, the passion and the heat between this couple who seriously rocked my world! The read gave me enough insight into their backstories to give both them and the plot sufficient depth, painting a picture of two souls that are destined to be together but who political intrigue, guilt and past promises may doom. Never has a sexual surrender been so hard fought for and so deeply resisted and so deliciously portrayed. I strongly recommend it is read in one sitting (although reclining on my bed or a half dozen satin cushions are often my preferred positions). An ideal erotic read to indulge in if spending the night alone or in anticipation of a significant other. 😉

Reviewed by Tina Williams 

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of an honest review. 

Buy Links

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Amazon       Amazon UK        Amazon CA         Amazon AU

BN         Kobo        Ellora’s Cave

Goodreads

About Madeline Pryce

Madeline Pryce wrote her first novel when she was ten, penned with neon-pink ink in a loose-leaf binder. Captivated by romantic literature, yet intrigued by the paranormal, she continues to develop her own voice, writing the kinds of stories that inspired her as a teen.

Author Links

Blog – http://madelinepryce.blogspot.com

Group Blog – http://sevensinfulscribes.com

Facebook Page – http://facebook.com/madelinepryceauthor

Facebook (I welcome friends!) – http://facebook.com/madeline.pryce

Facebook Fan Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/madelineprycefanclub/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/madelinepryce

Back list/Coming soon

Ellora’s Cave

Dark Cravings (Dark #1)

Dark Innocence (Dark #1.5)

Claiming Ecstasy – May 14th

Wicked Magic – June 11th

Dark Secrets (Dark #2) – July 2014

Loose Id

Crimson Sins (Born in Death #1) – May 21st

~*~ BLOG TOUR ~*~ Nights Embrace (Others of Seattle: Book 1), by Brandy L. Rivers

Adult Paranormal Romance

 Today we are featuring Brandy L. River’s super new release, NIGHTS EMBRACE, the first book in the OTHERS OF SEATTLE series, an exciting Adult Paranormal Romance. Read on for a synopsis, excerpt and trailer, find out about the author and enter her giveaway to win some great swag packs and gift cards. Tina 🙂

Nights Embrace - Tour Banner

 Title – Nights Embrace
Series – Others of Seattle: Book 1
Author – Brandy L Rivers
Genre – Adult Paranormal Romance
Publication Date – April 2nd 2014
Length (Pages/# Words) – about 95k
Publisher – Brandy L Rivers
Cover Artist – Brandy L Rivers

Book Cover

BOOK SYNOPSIS 

It all started with a song.
Roxana Nights was late to another gig, thanks to her first love, and drummer. It’s been years since she left Jordan, but he won’t let her go. Then she hears a voice that pulls her under a spell and changes her whole world.
Trevor Malone just moved to Seattle with his band. Music is his only passion, until he lays eyes on Roxana. He’s never felt anything as strong as the pull to her. Now he needs to find a way to introduce her to his world.
There’s only one problem. A rival clan won’t rest until they’ve taken Trevor’s down. Unwilling to let old grudges die, they target Roxy. Trevor will do anything to keep her safe.
Roxy will find that the world she writes is closer to reality than she ever imagined. She’ll also learn that not all monsters are evil, though some are ruthless.
Will love stay strong when the past comes out? Can they survive the centuries old vendetta?

Full Wrap

 

TOUR-BUYTBRLINK

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ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST

TOUR-EXCERPTShe slipped past him, and onto the wings of the stage. Her gaze fell on Mr. Voice who was tall, dark and smokin’ hot.
Holy shit, I want to lick him.
Scuffed combat boots were laced up over black leather pants that clung to muscular thighs, and his black shirt molded to the most impressive set of abs she had ever seen. Roxy wanted to trace the ridges with her fingertips.
He turned, his voice dropping low as his eyes locked on hers. His words enveloped her. “… you’re the only one.”
Her heart paused a beat before slamming into her chest at a rapid pace. His full mouth lifted into a grin that spoke of confidence as he held her full attention. Entranced, she fell deep into his eyes and the world stopped.
Until a drumstick hit him in the head. He looked over his shoulder and shrugged sheepishly at his drummer before turning back to launch into the next verse.
Mikey gently shook her shoulder. “Hey, Rox, come on. We have to warm up.”
Her head bobbed in a nod at her brother, but she didn’t look over. She muttered, “Yeah, give me a minute,” or longer.
As if he heard, Mr. Voice glanced over and winked at her before the next song started. “Blinded by beauty, falling at first sight, head over heels…” There was raw passion in his voice, and she couldn’t help wishing he was singing about her.

TOUR-MEETAUTHOR

 Author Photo

AUTHOR BIO
My name is Brandy L Rivers. I’m a wife and mother of three with an overactive imagination. I’ve been obsessed with monsters and magic for pretty much ever. I decided to write the stories that keep me awake at night.

FOLLOW THE AUTHOR HERE
Amazon Author Page | Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr | Networked Blogs | Bloglovin | Goodreads | Shelfari

Giveaway

2 – signed copies of Nights Embrace with swag packs (US Only)

2 – $10 dollar Amazon Giftcards (International)

5 – eBook copies of Nights Embrace with Swag Packs (International)

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE

Tour Organized By:
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~*BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY* ~Double Alchemy, by Susan Mac Nicol ~

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Sizzling and Original Paranormal Romance

Today we are celebrating Susan Mac Nicol’s new release, Double Alchemy, an erotic m/m paranormal romance which contains the HOTTEST Warlock I have ever had the pleasure to read about! Scroll on down for the blurb, my review and read a post by the author. Don’t forget to register for the super Rafflecopter Giveaway too, in which you can win some great prizes! Tina 🙂

DoubleAlchemy_FINALBook Blurb 

Powerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.

THE WORLD IN SHADOW

In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.

In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await. More awaits in book two…

My Review

Sizzling and Original Paranormal Romance

Contains many smoking hot m/m scenes! An erotic read, for ages 18+

This sizzling m/m paranormal romance by Susan McNichol is a real page turner, being full of raging desire, humour and suspense and pulls no punches in terms of passion or plot! In Double Alchemy Susan Mac Nicol deftly introduces the reader to a paranormal world encompassing magic, warlocks and witches, fey, witchfinders, immortals and more. The romance bewteen Cade and Quinn, although central to the novel, is well balanced with the complex plot which brims with danger, violence and suspense: a new Witchfinder General is on the loose intent on destroying all warlocks and witches and an individual from Quinn’s past seeks to augment his own powers through the destruction of Quinn and all he holds dear.

I ADORED how the author portrays the initial meeting between Cade and Quinn and the mutual raw animalistic passion that they unleash that must be sated. There is something very special about Cade which calls to Quinn and meeting Quinn has not only unlocked unbridled passion for Quinn within Cade, but also a heritage that he is only now beginning to tentatively explore. Indeed, the romance between Quinn and Cade is full of raging desire and scenes which can only be described as SCORCHING and leave little to the imagination!

I loved the characters of both men. Quinn is a powerful warlock, with a tortured past. He takes his role as the Grand Master of Warlocks very seriously and can be ruthless in protecting his kind and will also do anything to shield Cade. his soul mate, from harm. Quinn is sexy, intelligent, mysterious, arrogant and secretive. Meeting Quinn literally rocks Cade’s world, not just on account of the passionate lovemaking between them, but also due to his introduction to a hitherto unknown paranormal world that he is destined to become part of. Although Quinn is in many ways the dominant one, Cade is no submissive and tends to dictate the pace of their relationship.

I loved how Taliesin, Quinn’s Withinner, an ancient sorcerer who shares Quinn’s body also covets Cade as his own. Without giving too much away this makes for some interesting  scenes and adds depth and humour as Taliesin pursues his own agenda. He is very much a key character in his own right and I enjoyed how he not only added tension to Cade and Quinn’s relationship but also the importance he has to the overall plot. The remaining cast of characters, which include friends as well as foes, are very well drawn and believable.

Double Alchemy is the first book that I have read by the author and I have fallen in love with the characters, the paranormal world that she has created and her writing style. I am eagerly awaiting Double Alchemy-Climax, which continues the tale, and seeing how Cade and Quinn’s relationship progresses as Cade finds out more about his heritage and how the battle between the warlocks and their allies on the one side and their enemies on the other develops. I recommend this book to all loves of erotic paranormal romance.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

This book was given to me for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Double_AlchemyAmazon US   Amazon UK   Boroughs Publishing Group   All Romance Ebooks   Smashwords

 

Click on this link to Susan’s tour page and the blog tour schedule and find out more!

Book Trailer

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win an e-book of Stripped Bare and Cassandra by Starlight, by clicking on the link below:

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About the Author Susan MacNichol

Sue

Hmmm. I like lots of things. The smell of grass when the lawn has just been mowed. The rich aroma of coffee as it bubbles in the percolator. The smell of frying bacon and of course, onions. I love the sunset, and seeing the light hit the horizon at dawn. I enjoy seeing someone laughing at a private joke when I’m at a supermarket, and I enjoy the feel of the breeze on my face when I’m at the coast. I think we are all sentient beings in love with our five senses and that taste, smell, hearing, sight and touch are among the joys of being alive.

And I think that reading a good book brings all of these senses into awareness, floods our beings with emotions and sensations and makes us feel, for one small moment, that we are all powerful and that only the moment of feeling that specific emotion exists.

I am a HUGE reader as I’m sure are all of you. So books are very special to me. Whether they are actual printed versions or digital, I think we can still feel every emotion each time we pick one up. How many times have you read something that makes you remember a scent from the past, recall a smell that brings a memory? When you pick up a physical book, and smooth your fingers over the cover, that fleeting moment of tactile sensation brings pleasure. And to suit our hearing sense, we have audio books, which enable us to enjoy a book in a way that perhaps can give us even more of a thrill, hearing the written words. As for taste, the number of times I’ve been reading a book where one of the characters is having a bacon sarnie, or eating a piece of richly buttered toast, and my saliva glands go into overdrive , making me go down to the kitchen and make good on what said saliva gland requires.

And of course, reading words that miraculously take you on a journey in your head and fulfil a desire you have to escape the real world for a while, this is the most rewarding of all. Writers do incredible things. They make us laugh, cry, feel angry, horrified, stimulated, aroused, and sad just by the power of the written word. They make us remember things, good and bad, and show us some things that perhaps we hadn’t ever thought of before. They can make us decide to go sign up for the local children’s shelter, donate to good causes, buy something we’d never in a million years have considered buying before, because we saw it mentioned in a book.

This is one of my favourite quotes from Ayn Rand’s ‘The Fountainhead’.

“The pressure disappeared with the first word he put on paper. He thought–while his hand moved rapidly–what a power there was in words; later, for those who heard them, but first for the one who found them; a healing power, a solution, like the breaking of a barrier. He thought, perhaps the basic secret the scientists have not discovered, the first fount of life, is that which happens when a thought takes shape in words.” 

I think that sums it up pretty well.

Author’s blog          Facebook page    Author’s website

~*BLOG TOUR, REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY*~ Monster Unleashed: Dark Indiscretions, #2, by Shakuita Johnson

 Dark, Sexy, Irreverent and FUN!

Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Today we are participating in a super duper blog tour for Shakuita  Johnson’s awesome read MONSTER UNLEASHED, book #2 of the DARK INDISCRETIONS series, featuring some VERY, VERY bad supernaturals indeed!

If you enjoy paranormal and urban fantasy reads that focus on the dark side of immortals’ psyches and which also  feature smoking hot sex scenes amidst the inevitable violence and mayhem, then maybe this is the series for you.  Scroll down to immerse yourself in the blurb for this instalment, check out an excerpt and my review. This tour post also includes teasers, a video, details of how to connect with the author and a SUPER GIVEAWAY!  

Due to the inclusion of some m/m and m/f/m scenes, the book is very much AN ADULT READ. Only continue reading further if you are over 18 and wish to read about such themes.

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Blurb

What would you do if the one fate chose for you vanished into thin air? What would you give up? Who would you become to stay with that person?

Krista Bell finally knows what it’s like to be free. The torture she endured at the hands of her psychotic father have unleashed the monster her mother tried so hard to help her suppress. The only thing she wants to do is be the shadow in the night that everyone is afraid of.

Taser is barely holding it together. He lost Kris once to her father and now he’s losing her to the monster she is becoming. He’s also barely containing his own monster since Krista decided she didn’t need her mates anymore. Nathan is still near but he may not be enough.

Nathan is on the verge of losing not one but both of his mates. One vanished without a trace. The other is avoiding him. He has run out of patience with them both.

But when the monster that Krista has become comes to them with a proposal will they take her up on it and possibly lose themselves or will they try to talk her down and get the beast to put back on her chain?

couple-under-covers

Goodreads

My Review

Dark, Sexy, Irreverent and FUN!

This series is a fun read, containing a fresh take on the world of supernatural beings. Although it contains some dark themes, it is also full of humour, feisty females, alpha males and characters whom the reader grows to love despite their many flaws. Due to the inclusion of some hot love making, including m/m and m/f/m scenes, the book is very much AN ADULT READ. Only continue reading further if you are over 18 and wish to read about such themes.

MONSTER UNLEASHED continues where the previous book finished. Krista, a vampyra shapeshifting witch, has succumbed to her true nature as a sadistic killer, after the torture she received at the hands of James, her father. There is nothing her mother Jennifer can do to either stop her killing spree, centuries of having taught her daughter to reign in her natural tendencies amounting to naught. An ancient prophecy, at which Krista appears to be at the heart, is also invoked and propels the plot towards what threatens to be a devastating conclusion.

I liked how the author depicts Krista as a truly a terrifying monster, as she descends ever deeper into megalomania and sadism. Woe betide anyone who gets in her way and that includes her pregnant mother and her own mates Taser and Nathan. Whilst her mates and her mother struggle to adapt to her move to the dark side, I  began to feel sympathy for Krista as she does not seem in control of her own fate. After initially rejecting her mates, Krista strives to include them in her plans. Taser seems easier to manipulate than Nathan, but both are torn between acknowledging that Krista is an evil that needs to be destroyed and protecting what is theirs. There is once again some scorching sex in this novel, where the mates get it together, in some graphic m/m and m/f/m scenes. The emphasis is very much on the strength of the mate bond rather than romantic attachment between the trio.

Jennifer, Krista’s mother, is faced with yet another blast from her past in this novel, which I found to be an intiquing and pivotal twist. Other characters whom we have encountered in the previous novel also play their part in the ensuing mayhem. These include the other Mystics and shapeshifters, including Jennifer’s mates Jackson and Taylor, the Oracle and the Mooyers. I was intrigued by the characters of the Mooyer Alexander and his human partner Isobelle in the first novel and I am pleased to say that we find out more about their role in this instalment. There is also much violence, danger, suspense and scenes of spell casting and magic. As the book reaches it’s conclusion we are left with some startling revelations, which I did not see coming and which leaves the door open for another thrilling instalment.

MONSTER UNLEASHED is above all a fun and sexy read, which immersed me into the minds of the monsters! I recommend it, and the previous novel, DARK INDISCRETIONS to readers of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Excerpt

1625

It had been two months. Two months since she killed her whole family. Two months since she ran and never looked back. Two months of looking over her shoulder. Something was wrong with her. Jennifer Johnston just knew it. She was craving things she had never wanted before, never ever had needed. It was getting harder and harder to resist the silent call, the cravings that started to crawl up her throat to the point of choking her with their mounting intensity. She didn’t know how much longer she could run, how much longer she could say no to these sudden scary and violent urges.

She needed to find someone to talk to, another Mystic perhaps, but she didn’t know who she could trust. She had done something no other Mystic had done before. She wasn’t like the rest of them. She was different. Some may even say defective. She didn’t want to become an inbred freak like the rest of them, but she feared it had been done. The things her uncle had succeeded in doing before she could get away from him, before she had the strength to kill him, may be coming back to haunt her.

She needed to rest for just a little while. That old barn looked like as good a place as any. She would only rest for a second more. As she quickly and quietly made her way to her destination, she heard noises in the distance. What sounded like a tiny cavalry was coming up fast behind her. She tried to duck before she was spotted, but it seemed her luck was still running thin. She braced herself for a possible fight.

“Halt! What business do you have on this land?” a male voice called out.

“I’m just a bit lost. Could you point me in the direction of an inn?” Jenny asked, trying to appear disoriented.

“Lying Mystic scum! We can smell your trickery and deceit from here. Where are the rest of you? What trap is this?” the male demanded.

Shit. Humans she could have easily dealt with, other paranormals not so much. This would be tricky. She counted eight soldiers. They should have brought more.

“I don’t want any trouble. Leave me be and I’ll be on my way,” Jenny tried to reason with the creatures.

“Grab her!” the male demanded.

Awesome! They were going to play try to capture the Mystic. Jenny did something she had never done before. She used her Mystic powers. She called upon all the energy she could muster, which was a whole hell of a lot, and let loose. Damn, something was defiantly changing with her right now, but she didn’t have time to explore it. She heard screams from all eight men. She had overloaded their nervous systems. She could see blood start to seep from any and everywhere possible. It was disgusting.

Not wanting them to suffer more than they were already, Jenny sent a final blast and everything stopped. Not a single heart beat anymore. She had killed them, every last one of them. She didn’t have time to feel bad for the lives she had taken. They left her no choice. The worst part of it all, she thought to herself, was that she should have drained at least one of them dry. She was so fucking hungry! She performed a quick spell to turn the bodies to ash and continued on her way to that damn barn.

 

About The Author

IMG_0556Shakuita Johnson is a 29-year-old Psychology major. When she isn’t going to school or working, she is doing what she loves most. Writing. She started writing in middle school. Starting with poetry. Then short stories in a creative writing course her senior year. Her love for paranormal and supernatural started with R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and TV show, Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles, and Christopher Pike books. She is an avid reader with over 100 books on her bookshelf and 1000 plus on her iPad. This is her second novel. Visit her online and read her poems and one attempt at songwriting on her blog.

Connect with the Author

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Twitter

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Amazon

WordPress

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Blog Tour Giveaway

Click on the link below to enter the super giveaway!

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Purchase Links

Amazon US      Amazon UK     BN