*BLOG TOUR* ~ AQUILA; FROM THE DARKNESS ~ by T. L. Searle ~ Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

A BIG WELCOME to T. L. Searle’s AQUILA; FROM THE DARKNESS, a powerful and original Urban Fantasy. Scroll on down to read the book synopsis and an excerpt, find out about the author and enter the giveaway for a chance to win  a gift card and an e-book of Aquila!

Aquilabanner

TITLE – Aquila; From The Darkness #1
SERIES – Aquila
AUTHOR – T. L. Searle
GENRE – Urban Fantasy
PUBLICATION DATE – 2013
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – #110,500
PUBLISHER – T. L. Searle
COVER ARTIST – S. A. Hunt

TOUR-ABOUTBOOK

AFD

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Seventeen year old Aqua Vickers lives a secluded life in the English countryside. She keeps herself that way, hiding in plain sight, out of fear. She has no idea where she came from or what she is, she just knows she isn’t human. Her mother is convinced she’s an angel, but does having wings make you an angel? Sharp, angular and intimidating black wings?

The only other person Aqua has let into her life is Aaron, her best friend. They’ve grown up together, shared every milestone and Aqua’s feelings for him have developed into something more. In a moment of impulse, Aqua reveals her true nature. Aaron freaks, hurting Aqua so badly that she flees into the night.

Lucas has been watching and waiting. As an Angeli Tail it is his job to be a spy; and he’s been ordered to watch Aqua. Lost and vulnerable above the clouds, Aqua is reaching exhaustion. When Lucas offers her the answers she seeks, she follows him impulsively.

In a city, carved into the rock of a mountain, Aqua discovers she’s not as alone as she thought; and her life has been rooted on a bed of lies and deception. In her absence, her home is attacked and her mother taken. With this new enemy intent on her capture and new family who aren’t all welcoming, Aqua must integrate and train with the Angeli Guard if she has any hope of rescuing her mother from the hands of the Dragone.

The Angeli Guard Master is unforgiving and ruthless, allowing Aqua little rest from his relentless and painful training exercises. Aqua can barely stand to look at him, but can’t seem to exterminate the butterflies she feels when he’s around.

War is coming but Aqua’s battles may need to be fought closer to home.

TOUR-BUYTBRLINK

Barnes & Nobles Nook / Smashwords / iTunes – GB / iTunes – US / Amazon Kindle – UK / Amazon Kindle – US

90ff6-addtogoodreads

TOUR-EXCERPT

 

I run for the car. The mass of people is dense and I keep bumping into dancers, drunkards and idiots – slowing my escape. A pair of hands grab my waist, and I think it’s Aaron.
“Where’d you think you’re going?” a slimy voice slurs.
It’s not Aaron. It’s the perverted creep from earlier with the taking what I’m offering comment. I spin to face him.
“Let go of me,” I seethe.
He sneers. “Oh come on gorgeous. I just want to see what you’re hiding under there.”
Without warning his grubby hands land slap bang on my cleavage. Jerk! I react instinctively, without thinking I pull my arm back and let my fist fly. It lands with a crunch on the moron’s jaw. There’s a sickening crack but that’s not the worst part. He takes off. His feet literally leave the floor as he shoots backwards and lands on his butt ten feet away.
The kids around us fall silent and stare. The guy’s sprawled out, he’s not moving but I know he’s not dead because he’s making a kind of gurgling noise. Someone rolls him onto his side but no one else tries to help him. They’re all too busy gawking at me; standing with my feet apart and my hands in fists by my side, my shoulders rising with my heavy breathing.
Aaron comes rushing out of the mass then and takes in the scene. I hate to do it to him twice in one night but I turn and run again. This time he follows.
“Aqua! Wait. Stop, please!” I hear his voice but keep running. Tears are falling now. I’m actually crying. How humiliating.
I have to control my pace. I can run inhumanly fast, it would draw even more attention. I misjudge it, maybe deliberately, and Aaron catches me by the wrist before I get to my car.
I glance behind. We’ve run a long way. There’s no one else here; the party’s in the distance, illuminated by the glowing bonfire.
I stop, still facing away from him. He keeps hold of my wrist. “What happened?” he asks, concern evident in his voice.
I swipe at the tears marring my cheek. “He groped me. I punched him.” I’m still sobbing but trying my hardest to hide it. “Maybe I hit him a bit hard.”
“A bit hard? He looked comatose!” He almost sounds proud. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, not hurt.”
I turn then.
He takes me in, in all my tear-streaked glory. I bet I look hideous.
“Aqua… why did you run?” He asks it softly, watching me with veiled eyes.
I know we’re not talking about the punch now. I don’t want this conversation though. “Did you see the guy? I could get eight to ten.” I mean it to sound light-hearted but it comes out sombre.
He flashes his dimple. “No. Before, after I kissed you. Why did you run?”

TOUR-MEETAUTHOR

Author Photo

 

I am a mother of two from Somerset, England as well as a full-time student at the University of the West of England, Bristol. I write for enjoyment and I love to read novels of various genres but my passion is fantasy. I enjoy letting my imagination free as my stories develop. My childhood was rural, full of mud and tractors, of climbing trees and going on explorations of the countryside. My local area formed part of the inspiration for my first novel Aquila; from the darkness. I am currently working on the upcoming sequel Aquila; into the light.

TOUR-FOLLOWLINKS

 Website / Facebook / Twitter / Google+ / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page / LinkedIn

TOUR-GIVEAWAY

 

1 x $10 Amazon giftcard
10 x ebooks Aquila; from the darkness

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

 

Tour Organized By:
myfamilyheartbutton

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

blog tour banner

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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

*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

http://www.Facebook.com/symphonyoflightandwinter

http://www.Pinterest.com/ReneaMason

http://www.goodreads.com/ReneaMason

http://reneamason.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/ReneaMason1

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~*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.

full_size

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

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

LinkenIn

Amazon

WordPress

Krista1

Blog Tour Giveaway

Click on the link below to enter the super giveaway!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ODhiNjQ0OTQ5MjM0N2NlMzg1NGY4NDc5ODFlYTlkOjY=/

Purchase Links

Amazon US      Amazon UK     BN

Taking Back Sunday, The Incarnate Series # 1, by Cristy Moran

 ~ REVIEW TIME ~

 Witches, Werewolves and Wild Passion!

TBS Banner FB (1)

We are thrilled to be participating in the Blog Tour featuring a talented new author Cristy Moran, who has recently published, Taking Back Sunday, book one of The Incarnate Series, an exciting urban fantasy/paranormal romance. Scroll down to read the book blurb, check out our review and find out about the author.

Book Blurb

After five years on the run, Sunday has finally settled into a seemingly normal life in Columbia, South Carolina. What her two best friends don’t know is that Sunday has a secret past. She is the Incarnate, a conduit of mystical energy transcendent of the mundane and the divine. For most of her life, she served under Bernadette, the most powerful witch in the Northwest. Her power is terrifying, and what she remembers of her past—and what she doesn’t—haunts her. In the year that she’s been attempting to be anything but the Incarnate, Sunday has fought her abilities tooth and nail, but it’s been worth it. When Sunday joins her friends’ coven for an innocent gathering, Sunday discovers a darkness hidden beneath the blanket of the coven’s magic and she is determined to find out who is behind it and what she has planned. For the last four years, Cyrus has been the point man on the contract to recapture the Incarnate and deliver her to the Pastophori of Iset. A gifted tracker and a fearless werewolf, he harbors a wild, inexplicable passion for the Incarnate that has driven him to hunt her. He was one of the original captors that brought her to Bernadette when his obsession with her began. Having found her, Cyrus and his pack find themselves torn between two objectives: take her by force and deliver her to yet another group of fanatics, or help her uncover the traitor among her coven.

TBS Cover (1)

My Review

Witches, Werewolves and Wild Passion!

I found this to be a fast-paced, suspenseful and romantic read that will appeal to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance alike. The plot contains a thrilling combination of powerful magic, passion, obsession and hidden agendas!

Sunday wants no part of being the Incarnate. She only has fractured memories of the past, but knows that it was full of violence at the hands of the witch Bernadette, who harnessed Sunday’s powers for her own ends, giving Sunday a heartless reputation. I enjoyed the pivotal scene where Sunday encounters the werewolf Cyus and the moment their instant mutual attraction rocks their respective worlds. Something about Cyrus compels Sunday’s memories to resurface and she realises that Cyrus has been deceiving her and cannot be trusted. I really felt for Sunday when it dawns on her that the ordinary life she has been living with her two friends this past year is over. Her identity as the Incarnate has been compromised and the powers she possesses, made even more unstable by the trauma of her memories resurfacing, threaten to explode and harm those around her.

I admired Sunday’s determination to keep her friends safe and destroy the evil that endangers them, whilst avoiding capture from Cyrus and his band of werewolves. This sets the scene for a thrilling tale not only involving Sunday, the Incarnate, with god-like powers, but werewolves, witches and other supernatural entities who struggle for power and dominance. Sunday puts herself at risk as she exposes her hidden talents and is eventually compelled to work with Cyrus and his band of werewolves who may betray her at any moment.

I loved the tortured characters of Sunday and Cyrus. The connection between them is instant and undeniable and the passion intense in some hot scenes. Cyrus is troubled by the role he played in Sunday’s capture as a teenager and his conflicted feelings towards her. He is torn between his desire to protect Sunday and loyalty to his pack who has tasked him to once again capture her and deliver her to those who would use Sunday for their own ends. Sunday is a powerful and tortured heroine. Her use and abuse by the witch Bernadette brought tears to my eyes and are a constant source of torment, as is the guilt that Sunday harbours over the tasks that Bernadette used Sunday and her powers to carry out. Sunday’s magic is strong and can reach earth shattering proportions and she assumes an almost mystical quality when the Incarnate within her rises to the surface. Even Cyrus, a powerful werewolf, is in awe of her at such moments.

The descriptions of magic performed by Sunday and other characters are powerful and intense and the author’s depictions of the rituals, spells and mystical paraphernalia make for an entertaining read. I recommend the book to readers of both urban fantasy and paranormal romance, who like tales of strong and passionate tortured heroes and heroines, with lots of conflict, suspense and adventure.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was provided for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Cover design by Okay Creations

Photography by K Keeton Designs

Editing and Formatting by Indie Express

About the Author

Profile 2 (1)

Cristy Moran lives in Miami, FL. She is a college librarian some of the time, a reader and writer most of the time, and a knitter much less of the time than she was six months before she took up writing again. She’s also a nerd and a geek, and proud to be.

Cristy writes the books that she likes to read. Her women are strong and out-spoken and her men run the gamut. Love stories abound in Cristy’s work because, really, aren’t love stories the best? There’s always a killer soundtrack running in the background of her novels – all you need to do is turn to the playlist to know what’s up.

 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cristywrites

Website http://www.cristyrey.com/

Goodreads http://bit.ly/1iD1Ujy

Amazon http://amzn.to/1g0t4kf

Smashwords http://bit.ly/OBKwRb

EM Logo (1)

*COVER REVEAL* Plus Blurb and Excerpt for Ever Mine, by Eden Ashe

Such a BEAUTIFUL cover for this fairy tale romance! Scroll down for the blurb, an excerpt and links. Tina  🙂

Ever mine Eden AsheEver Mine, by Eden Ashe

Genre: urban fantasy romance

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc

Date of Publication: June 2, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61650-532-5, ASIN:

Word Count: 33000

Cover Artist: Renee Rocco

 

Book Description:

Can a kidnapped fairy and a human find love despite all odds?

Nathan Alexander’s batty aunt has done it again. This time she’s sent him a rare plant he doesn’t want. Imagine his surprise when he finds a kidnapped fairy hidden within its leaves. As a man who heads a non-profit organization for abused women and children, Nathan makes it his mission to help her find her way home.

All her life Katenia was warned about the evilness of humans. Never was that proved more true than when she was kidnapped from her quiet valley home. Thrust into the human world, Katenia must fight her very instincts to trust Nathan if she ever hopes to return to her rightful place…and to her normal thumb-sized fairy form.

But with their lives in danger, finding home…and love…will be a journey worthy of a fairy tale.

Excerpt:

“Nathan? Are you alright? You look like you’re contemplating ways to kill me.”

He opened his eyes and glared at her, even as he let out a shuddering laugh. “No, Katenia,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “Killing you is not what is on my mind. I thought you said we would be a bad idea?”

“I did,” she said, her beautiful face screwing up in confusion. “Pair-bonding between us would never work. Sex, however…sex is a very good idea.”

Nathan nodded once, finally understanding. Ignoring the honking of the line of cars behind him, he rolled up one shirtsleeve and pinched his arm.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice worried.

He barked out a laugh when the pain did nothing to wake him from whatever dream he’d landed in. “Testing myself.”

“Oh.” She sighed. “I don’t know what that means.”

“I don’t, either, but considering I am not certifiable enough to have sex with a fairy, the only other logical conclusion is I’m dreaming.”

“Oh,” she repeated, still sounding confused. “Are you dreaming?”

He sighed and shook his head, accepting the facts laid out before him. “No. My whole world view has just been altered, but unfortunately, I am not dreaming.”

About the Author:

Convinced dragons have gotten a bad rep throughout time, and more than a little addicted to fairy tales and romance novels, Eden Ashe has decided to re-write history. In her version, the dragons are ancient warriors in tarnished armor, who not only deserve the girl in the end, but will fight forever for her.

www.edenashe.com

www.twitter.com/EdenAshe

www.facebook.com/eden.ashe.author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7262875.Eden_Ashe

 

 

The Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Lore #1, by Eden Ashe

Cover-FINAL-200x300Hot, Sexy and Addictive!

Urban Fantasy Romance

Forget other shifter types, the dragons have it in spades in Eden Ashe’s first instalment of The Dragon Lore Series, The Dragon’s Heart! If I had to sum up this book in three words they would be HOT, SEXY and ADDICTIVE! Readers who love urban fantasy or paranormal romance are well advised to check out this novel.

Book Blurb

The dragon-shifter king will do anything to keep his mate alive…even if it means war.

“We’re dragons. We don’t do the mushy friend thing.” – Daniel

After millennia as king of the dragon-shifters, Daniel Ashborne wants a little peace and quiet, especially from the beautiful Hollywood starlet who haunts his memories. His escape tactics end abruptly when he is called to the ER to save the one woman he wants to forget, but who now bears his mark.

Shelby Kincade’s life and movie career were nearly destroyed when Daniel vanished a year ago. Now he’s back, claiming they have been accidentally mated. Getting over him once was hard enough, but she must choose either the life of her dreams or the man she can’t live without.

With peace finally on the horizon between the dragon-shifters and the Hunters, an assassination attempt on the dragon king and his mate shatters everything. Tensions rebuild as Daniel and his loyal team of shifters try to discover who put out the hit. Enemy and ally lines are crossed, but in the end–after the battle ash has settled–no one could have foreseen who has plotted for their own gain.

CONTENT WARNING: Graphic fight scenes, lots of great sex, and hot, hot, hot dragon men.

My Review

The Dragon’s Heart is a fast paced read which is full of emotion, action and suspense. I liked how the author brought the hero and the heroine together early on in the novel and how she portrayed the conflict arising from their past and the misunderstandings between them. Daniel is clearly a hero torn between his attraction to Shelby, whom he accidently mated (and I loved how this ‘accident’ happened!!!), and the events which prompted him to vanish from her life and his duties as Dragon King. Daniel is one sexy dragon-shifter whom I fell for straightaway. Without giving too much away this tortured alpha has a reputation for being ‘difficult’ and with good reason based on experiences throughout his long life.

Shelby is not your usual kick-ass urban fantasy heroine, which I found refreshing. Instead, she is petite and has an air of vulnerability beneath her professional façade. I found her to be the perfect mate for Daniel however, as she does not shy away from putting him in his place and facing up to the shock of realising that the world of Dragon shifters exists. I loved how Daniel falls for her despite his best intentions and how Shelby adjusts to her new reality. There are many scorching scenes between the couple which I lapped up – Eden Ashe has a very active imagination when it comes to the ‘what, where and how’ and I now want my very own dragon shifter to fly with! Aside from the romantic tension in the tale, the main conflict is whether or not Daniel and his warriors can discover who is behind the assassination attempt on Shelby and who wants them both dead, as they are not giving up. There are some surprises in store and I enjoyed the action and suspense.

As this is the first book in the series the author spends some time describing the creation of the guardian race of shape-shifter dragons and also the Hunters, an elite team of immortal humans set up to keep rogue dragons under control. Aside from Daniel and Shelby, whose romance is central to this novel, we are also introduced to a number of other characters, one of them  a Hunter, and a swoon worthy collection of dragon warriors allied to Daniel.  I am hoping that Eden Ashe will pen another tale in The Dragon Lore Series very soon, so I can get up close and personal with these warriors again!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

I won a copy of this novel in an author giveaway which did not in any way stipulate the requirement for a review. The opinions given in my review are my honest opinion after reading the book.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Connect with Eden Ashe

http://edenashe.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Eden.Ashe.Author

Dark Indiscretions, by Shakuita Johnson

Dark Indiscretions Book cover

Fun and Fast Paced Urban Fantasy!

Adult content

Dark Indiscretions 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 scenes, the book is an adult read.

Book Blurb (summary)

What happens when your family is scarier than any nightmare and you don’t want to follow in their footsteps? Do you stay or rebel and have them turn on you? Jennifer Johnston experiences first hand why whispers are spoken in the dark about her species’ being evil when she was just a century old. What should have been another family argument over why she didn’t want to keep the bloodlines “pure” by marrying her brother turned into a nightmare and left her with more than tortured memories.

Jackson Dawls and Taylor Durham have been pack mates, best friends, and the other’s mate for as long as they could remember. A deadly species all their own but even they feared Mystics and their cruel and barbaric ways, but unforeseen circumstances bring them face to face with not one but a few. Will their lives be in danger or is something great and unexpected awaiting them?   They also have to stay under the radar of the human society that is set out to destroy those they believe to be a danger to mankind.

When the three meet long ago secrets are brought to the light. Not only do they Jackson, Taylor and Jenny have to learn to get along with each other because they are fated mates, but someone is stalking Jennifer and performing sinister acts.  Jennifer must seek guidance from old acquaintances and form unexpected alliances. She is met with riddles and startling revelations that she never would have imagined possible.

My Review

In Dark Indiscretions supernatural beings co-exist with human kind. Jennifer Johnston, the heroine, is a Mystic (a Vampyra Shapeshifting Witch). Jennifer is not typical of her race, who take pleasure in sadistic behaviour and who are regarded as evil by other supernatural beings. Instead, she has a conscience and does her utmost to resist the pull of the evil that nevertheless resides within her. Despite this, she is capable of great evil if the need arises.

Jennifer’s battle to go against the wishes of her family and not engage in an incestuous relationship sets the scene for the events in this novel. Even when she believes that she has escaped the evil that is her family she finds herself being stalked unrelentlessly by an unknown enemy. This happens at the same time that she discovers that instead of one fated mate she is ‘blessed’ with two, who happen to be Dylias, werewolves. Not only that but her mates, Jackson and Taylor, have themselves been mated for a long time and are deeply committed to each other. Who is staking Jennifer and how can she escape from her past, which still haunts her? Also will Jackson and Taylor find room for Jennifer and how will they cope with being mated to a Mystic, a race they despise?

There is much violence, danger and suspense in the novel, as Jennifer discovers the identity of her stalker and with the aid of Jackson, Taylor and others seek to destroy him before he destroys someone very dear to her. However, he is not going down without a fight. Jennifer and her mates must seek the help of others to succeed and we are introduced to a number of other characters as the tale plays out. There is also plenty of snarky humour and a number of smoking hot lovemaking scenes, notably between Jackson and Taylor, which I loved.

I enjoyed the character of Jennifer, the heroine. Although strong, she does struggle with the potential for evil that resides within her and also experiences trauma from past events. Krista, the other Mystic we are introduced to his novel, finds it far more difficult to curb her race’s natural instincts and it will be interesting to see how the author takes her story forward. It is Jackson and Taylor who stole the show for me however, as they are just so yummy! I enjoyed their reaction when they found out that Jennifer was their mate and I hope the author will explore the dynamics of how their existing relationship accommodates Jennifer a little more in the next instalment.

I found Dark Indiscretions to be a promising start to a new series. I liked how the author had taken the vampire myth and put her own spin on it and I am looking forward to reading Monsters Unleashed, the forthcoming novel.  I recommend this series 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.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Indiscretions-Shakuita-Johnson-ebook/dp/B00H5DODE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386381480&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+indiscretions

Connect with the Author:

Blog: http://www.dark-indiscretions.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/b3arcat26/

Facebook Book Series page: http://www.facebook.com/darkindiscretions

Hallows End, A Sarah Chase Novel, Part One of the Prophecy Trilogy, by Leo Craven

Thrilling and Addictive Dark Urban Fantasy! 

417db9JIn2L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_

Leo Craven has a talent for original writing, which enters the realms of dark fantasy, horror, sci-fi and the paranormal. His eclectic works can be sampled on his website (scroll down to the section entitled ‘Connect with the Author’ for the link). Hallows End is his first novel, published in January. It is not only a Dark Urban Fantasy, with a kick -ass heroine and a fantastic cast of magical and paranormal creatures, but also contains a great deal of mystery and suspense, which links past events on Earth to the present in what I found to be an addictive and thrilling read!

Book Blurb

In the mysterious town of Hallows End, a vigilante police detective, Sarah Chase, finds herself immersed in a world where myth and legend are reality. As Sarah discovers the secrets of the town and its residents, she also learns of her family’s ties to an ancient prophecy that could soon determine the fate of all humans and ‘immortals’. A suspenseful thrill-ride that builds toward a shocking climax, the first book of the “Prophecy Trilogy” will leave the reader eagerly anticipating Sarah Chase’s next adventure.

My Review

Hallows End is a fabulous first instalment to Leo Craven’s Prophecy Trilogy. The heroine, Sarah Chase, a police detective, is aware of the existence of creatures such as werewolves and vampires and hunts these monsters down to prevent their wanton destruction of human life. Whilst in hot pursuit of a werewolf suspect, she is compelled to enter the mysterious town of Hallows End, where she finds that werewolves and vampires are just the tip of the iceberg. Sarah meets the enigmatic Dr Nemitz and makes the acquaintance of many other mysterious characters and she very soon realises that it is no accident that she was drawn to Hallows End.

An ancient prophecy is revealed to her and she learns that a great evil strives to enslave the human race. Sarah makes a number of startling discoveries, not least about her past and will have to decide where her loyalties lie. I will not reveal any more about the plot – suffice to say that it sucked me in completely!

Sarah is a strong heroine who can hold her own in a fight. She is physically and mentally fit and willing to face danger to achieve her goals. She is also  a modern, sexually liberated woman who knows how to satisfy her needs! It will be interesting to see how she will fare in subsequent instalments when faced with creatures imbued with great magic and evil. I am intrigued by her past and although we are given snippets of it throughout the novel, I am interested in learning more about what makes her tick in future instalments. We are introduced to a number of other characters as the plot progresses, some of them on the side of good, some who are allied with evil and others who have their own agendas. All of these characters are more than what they appear to be and play a key role in the tale. The novel becomes darker and more mysterious as it progresses as Sarah’s choices and the actions of others bear fruit and the extent of the evil that exists is revealed.

Although the focus of the tale is in the present day world, I loved how the author devoted whole chapters here and there to key events and characters in the past, notably those dealing with lord Artair, his part in the prophecy and his battles and those of his men, with evil. I also liked how the author referenced ancient myths, magic and legends in creating the world. The novel is a dark fantasy and there are bloody and violent scenes throughout. The scenes are vivid and well described and I could easily imagine them playing out in my head.

All in all Hallows End is a thrilling and entertaining read, which I found difficult to put down and I recommend it to lovers of Urban Fantasy and paranormal reads. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Connect with the Author

http://leocraven.com/

https://www.facebook.com/leo.craven

Purchase Links – book now available in e-book and paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hallows-End-Sarah-Chase-Craven-ebook/dp/B00HDIR29O

http://www.amazon.com/Hallows-End-Sarah-Chase-Craven-ebook/dp/B00HDIR29O

Where Secrets Lie, #1 in The Where Secrets Lie Series, by Ebony Kent

19292862[1]Promising Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Debut

Where Secrets Lie  is the debut novel of author Ebony Kent. I found it an appealing, fast paced read, containing an intriguing take on the vampire myth.

Kara, a police detective, takes a break from her job to ensure the safety of her sister Alyssa, after she discovers that she has become the servant of a vampire Logan – Kara has become aware of the existence of vampires, which most humans are unaware of, due to her work for the police. Kara not only fears for Alyssa’s life but is also afraid that she may be persuaded to want to become one of them, a creature which Kara considers a monster.

To protect Alyssa, Kara infiltrates the vampire clan  led by the brooding and enigmatic Michael. Michael only allows her entry to his mansion once she agrees to be his own personal servant, willing to do anything and everything her asks of her…. Michael is intrigued by Kara as she is a strong and independent woman and she is also immune to vampire enthrallment. At first he is determined to break her and make her beg him to kill her before he is done with her. Michael has two other personal servants, Amy and Kate, the latter who is eager to please him on all levels, especially in the bedroom!

Whilst in the mansion, Kara fights a losing battle to protect Alyssa from falling in love with the suave and attractive Logan. She also seeks to protect her own sanity and fight a growing attraction to Michael, who demands that she spends more and more time in his company, whilst jealous rivals for Michael’s attention seek her destruction. The plot thickens when another clan of vampires, headed by Michael’s uncle Elijah, seeks a formal merger with Michael’s clan. This represents a further threat to Kara and her sister. Will Kara and Alyssa escape unhurt from the vampire word that they have become so immersed in? And what of Michael’s plans for Kara and her own feelings for him?

Overall I enjoyed the characters and the story. I liked the immediate chemistry and sardonic humour  between Michael and Kara and welcomed their growing relationship. Michael has a bad boy reputation but the more I found out about him the more I became attracted to him as did Kara. I also liked Logan, who is a sympathetic character, who appears to have Michael’s, Kara’s, and Alyssa’s best interests at heart. Some of the other vampires, who view humans as little more than servants and pets to meet their needs and provide blood, are suitably evil. The sex scenes were not explicit and were generally sweet between the hero and heroine. There is some violence in the novel.

I found that the novel had an intriguing plot and set of characters. It was very fast paced and there was always something happening to Kara or one of the other main characters. I did however feel that it could have benefited from some contrast in pace here and there and perhaps fewer new characters introduced near the end, which I found a little confusing. However, I do appreciate that the novel is the first in a series and as such the plot and the characters are designed to set the scene for future instalments. The ending of the novel set up the next book, Where Secrets Lie: The Return, very nicely. I would be interested in reading future novels.

I recommend it to readers who enjoy urban fantasy or paranormal romance containing vampires and other supernatural creatures.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

I received this book for free from Story Cartel in exchange for my unbiased review.

 http://storycartel.com/

Contact Ebony Kent:

https://www.facebook.com/ekent89

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEbonyKent