That's What I'm Talking About...: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Review: Demon Marked

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Demon Marked

Author: Meljean Brook

Release Date: September 6, 2011

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

The Guardians #7 (does not include novellas)

ISBN: #978-0425242698

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

Nicholas St. Croix is familiar with the evil of demons. After his father’s death, a demon took over his mother’s body and raised him. Six years ago, his “mother” was responsible for the disappearance of the woman he loved, and Nicholas swore he’d find her—even if he had to go to Hell and back. Except she finds him first—and with one tormented kiss, he knows she too is a demon. Now he is determined to take his revenge…

Ash is a half-demon with no memory of her past or how she got to Hell. All she knows is that Nicholas St. Croix holds the key to her identity. And though he’s clearly drawn to her, Nicholas makes no secret of his distrust of her. Yet one kiss at a time, he breaks down her defenses as they battle an array of demons and Guardians. But is Ash’s greatest enemy the man at her side?

What I’m talking about:

For those that don’t already know this... I adore the Guardian Series and Meljean Brook. I have been anxiously awaiting Demon Marked, not because of the primary characters, but rather because I know the series will be ending after the next book and I wanted to see where Meljean went with this one. Let me tell you, this book was better than I hoped!

Ash isn’t really sure who or what she is - she doesn’t remember Before, only After. Something unknown happened to Ash and now she only recalls that for three years she was locked in the Nightingale House, living each day without experiencing any emotions, never eating nor sleeping. After her escape, she begins to track down clues that might help her learn her history, the biggest clue being Nicholas St. Croix.

Nicholas has his own agenda - finding the demon, Madeline, that impersonated his mother and ruined his life. He lives for the sole purpose of revenge. Thinking he can use Ash as bait to bring in Madeline, Nicholas agrees to help Ash, even though he doesn’t trust her. Together they begin to piece the puzzle together, learning that there are exceptions to every rule.

I was immediately drawn into this story from the get go. Thanks to Meljean’s amazing ability to create engrossing, detailed worlds and plots, I became wrapped up with finding out about Ash’s past. Who is/was she and how did she become this way? The story unfolds at the perfect pace, mixing the mystery-solving with action and romance.

Ash is a great character. She is different from any of the other heroines in the series. Like Lilith, she is a half-demon, but unlike Lilith, Ash is an “infant” and has no idea what’s been done to her. She has none of the typical demon personality traits (lying, scheming, out to ruin humans). Ash’s development from an emotionally-void creature to the warm and loving demon is a delightful journey. I loved watching her discover feelings and try to logically process the world around her. She never gives up and has an innocent faith that things will work out.

We first met Nicholas St. Croix in Demon Blood (review HERE, purchase information: Demon Blood (The Guardian Series)) He didn’t have a huge roll in the book, and you don’t have to have read it to enjoy Demon Marked. Nicholas has lived his entire adult life trying to bring down his mother. It is no wonder that he cannot trust Ash when he realizes Madeline may be responsible for creating Ash. Yet, Ash continually challenges his perceptions, and he gradually learns to accept Ash for all that she is. He is flawed, but caring and I adore his love for Ash.

Although this book isn’t one of the more sex-filled romances in the series (and I like smut in my romances!), it really works for Demon Marked. The story moves at such a natural pace, I never felt cheated in the romance. Both Ash and Nicholas had hurdles to overcome to be able to give their heart to each other and they each do so without games or leaning too heavily on each other.

When I met Meljean at AADPhilly (more HERE), she mentioned that it was hard to write this book because she had to set up the next (Michael’s) book (have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to that book?!). I have to say that I as I read this book, I complete forgot about looking for clues for the next one. Michael became just a character that supported Ash and Nicholas’ story. Demon Marked stands on its own as being one of my favorite Guardian novels.

My Rating:

Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)

Labels: 4.5 stars, Berkley Sensation, Guardian Series, Meljean Brook, paranormal romance |

3 comments

Monday, August 29, 2011

Review: Master of Shadows

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Master of Shadows

Author: Angela Knight

Release Date: August 2, 2011

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Mageverse #12

ISBN: #978-0425243671

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Format(s): Paperback (#310 pgs), e-book

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

Court seducer La Belle Coeur has met her match in Tristan, a Knight of the Round Table unafraid of blood-or lust. Joining together to combat a werewolf wizard and sworn enemy of Arthur, they must put their lives on the line-while coming to grips with the rising heat between them.

The situation becomes even more explosive when a young werewolf is murdered – and the Direkind believe Arthur Pendragon is the killer…

What Una is talking about:

Master of Shadows is the twelfth installment in the Mageverse series by Angela Knight. This is a series that I started following because I really enjoyed a short story from this world in anthology I picked up on a whim. For me, this series qualifies as a guilty pleasure. Due to some personal reasons (I haven’t had a lot of time lately to read), it seems I missed the book prior to this one, Master of Smoke. However, I will say it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel, especially since I’m familiar with the world as it is.

If you wanted to jump into the series, I would recommend, if you do not wish to start from the beginning, start with Master of Wolves (book 5). It will nicely introduce the Direkind and give enough background to follow the next novels. However, if you don’t mind having to fill in a few blanks, feel free to start with Master of Smoke since it is the novel where the new “evil” starts. There are a few major plot points that I believe will be important in the next novel and I could tell I was missing some vital information which I know must be in that novel.

Master of Shadows is an enjoyable read. If I am honest with you, I will admit that I told myself when I started that I thought I wouldn’t like it. We are hitting the time when author’s typically in a long series start to repeat plot lines, the plot resolutions become far-fetched or they start to alter the foundations of the mythology in order to keep things fresh and new in the series. As much as I dreaded starting, once I begun, I was again hooked and I am going to go back and get Master of Smoke because I really want to know what I’m missing.

As I have mentioned, I see this as a guilty pleasure; the Mageverse is fun and exciting with lots of smexy moments and good humor. Master of Shadows follows that, dare I say formula, without being tired or repetitive. There are these little tidbits of humor that make it a little light-hearted read even with the threat of war brewing. In fact, even in the midst of loss (some characters do not make it) you are still left with a sense of hope.

Ms. Knight has again given us a great story in Tristan and Belle. I enjoyed their story, the obstacles they had to overcome and how they didn’t feel two-dimensional or stereotypical. The communication and momentary lack thereof felt realistic and I enjoyed their journey of discovery. Being that she is the Court Seducer, just added to the richness of the seductions which was enchanting. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Una’s Rating:

Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

Labels: 4 stars, Angela Knight, Berkley Sensation, Mageverse Series, paranormal romance |

7 comments

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday Snippet #73

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Primal Law

by J.D. Tyler

Signet Publishing

August 2, 2011

REVIEW HERE

…There, just beyond the covered patio, lying flat on her back on a quilt in the sunshine, was his woman.

And sprawled on her stomach, tiny furry legs hanging on each side of her like a cat sunning on a branch, was Chup-Chup. Unnoticed by either of them, he stopped and stared. Her little friend was making a sort of whirring, hiccup noise nobody could mistake as anything but sheer bliss. His round body, which almost resembled a baby koala bear’s, rose and fell with each breath as he dozed.

The pair was so fucking cute, he couldn’t really form the words to describe what the sight did to him. All he knew was it tightened his chest with an emotion he wasn’t ready to name. To see this creature, formerly scared and snapping at everyone, lying there so trusting and content, was a measure of her goodness. The bright light that no one was able to resist.

Including himself.

Turning her head, she spotted him standing on the porch and waved him over. “You can come closer. Just don’t make any sudden moves.”

That seemed to be true of the woman as well as Chup. Wisely, he didn’t say so. “Okay. Walking slowly.” He made his way over to where they lay and crouched. The creature hadn’t moved. “Now what?”

“Nothing. He’ll notice you soon enough and we’ll see what happens.”

“That’s reassuring.” He eyed Chup warily.

“Don’t tell me that the big bad werewolf is afraid of this little guy,” she teased.

“Shifter, not werewolf. A werewolf is that half-man thing from a B horror movie. And that ‘little guy’ can chew my face off. Have you seen those teeth?”

“Pardon me, shifter. And he won’t bite unless you startle him.” She looked entirely too amused by his trepidation.

“Then I’ll have to be sure not to startle him again, won’t I? Remember, he got me once before.” He frowned at her hands, which bore red scratches and a few bite marks. “You aren’t wearing your gloves.”

“I don’t need them anymore.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Trust me.”

Labels: Alpha Pack Series, JD Tyler, Signet, Sunday Snippets |

0 comments

Friday, August 26, 2011

I'm Talking About Reading Series...

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Today I'm over with Sue Grimshaw at Random House's ROMANCE AT RANDOM site. I'm talking about reading books series, for better or for worse!

Happy Reading!

Labels: blogging, guest post, Random House, reading |

0 comments

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Review: Darkness Descending

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Darkness Descending

Author: Devyn Quinn

Release Date: August 2011

Publisher: Signet Eclipse

Vampire Armageddon Book 1

ISBN: 978-0451234339

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Format(s): Paperback (353 pages)

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

The first seal has been broken, signaling the end of days. Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for Armageddon. Of the few who survive the infection, one stands alone above all others…

For one year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though it threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. At the same time, the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse into embracing the darkness inside her soul—a power play that will trap her in a deadly web of deception between the forces of good and evil…

Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hell hath no fury like a woman possessed…

What B is talking about:

Jesse Burke has been living on the streets for a year, grieving the murder of her twin and fighting the unwelcome evil within herself. Overwhelmed by her need for vengeance, she vows to destroy the vampires who’ve ruined her life. Unfortunately, all of her knowledge of the undead comes from literature and movies, she’s alone, and even a good meal to keep her strength up is hard to come by in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Maddox deValois is a Palindrome: a descendent of the angels themselves. They’ve been sent by the Enlightened One to help mankind survive the first plague of the apocalypse: vampires. Though there are two others like him to fight the demons in New Orleans, Maddox is a loner. Tired and battling his own grief, he harbors a dark secret, one that could get them all killed.

There’s so much to like about this story, it’s hard to know where to start. Darkness Descending is very much an urban fantasy novel, the battle to save humanity and the darkness that envelops the characters taking a huge share of the spotlight. Thoroughly a romance novel as well, however, the growing affection between Jesse and Maddox is given its due as well, giving the story a well-balanced feel.

Both main characters are flawed, but despite Jesse having been infected with a demon who wants her body and soul, Maddox is the one who has, in essence, embraced the darkness. She may be tainted, but he’s addicted. And they can’t stay away from each other.

Quinn also takes an interesting tack to both traditional vampire canon, as well as Christianity. Her vampires are lovely on the outside, and sexual, and compelling, but the monsters they really are makes that beauty seem all wrong. She embraces the ideas of faith and a higher being, easily interweaving the story of the fallen angels and creation into her tale, but adds a twist or two. In Darkness Descending, God is a woman. And she’s gearing up for battle with hell itself.

Being new to Ms. Quinn’s writing, I can’t compare it to any of her other works, but as the beginning of a new series, I think Darkness Descending is very good. Maddox makes a mistake that would normally put me off entirely in a romance novel, but it was the key to redeeming himself, and the realization of just how important Jesse had become to him. The ending doesn’t have me completely convinced, but the story as a whole was very well written and edgy enough for me to say that I will anxiously be awaiting the next novel.

B’s Rating:

Really enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

Labels: 4 stars, Devyn Quinn, paranormal romance, Signet, urban fantasy, Vampire Armageddon |

6 comments

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Review: Shadowflame

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Shadowflame

Author: Dianne Sylvan

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Publisher: Ace

Novel of the Shadow World #2

ISBN:978-0441020652

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format(s): Paperback (360 pgs), e-book

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

It’s been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren’t enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David’s past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair’s fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance…

What G & U are talking about:

Shadowflame is the second novel in the exciting new Shadow World series. It begins three months after the resolution of the first book Queen of the Shadows. Due to the nature of the story and character development, and since there is only one book prior to this one, we recommend you read this series from the beginning. Trust us, it is worth it.

The Shadow World is a world that exists within our own. This is where vampires (and possibly … other things) exist. Shadowflame is a gripping read as Miranda, the newly turned vampire and new Queen of the Southern Territory, tries to find her place and role within this world while still trying to hold on to some human ties. There is a strong, grounded feel to this series, which allows the reader to truly lose herself in the storytelling. The suspense of the action/mystery is expertly woven with the drama of the relationships. It was very difficult for us to put it down. The duality of the worlds and the interactions between them are fascinating and add to the richness of the story.

Some of the drama between Miranda and her Prime, David, is surprising. We found it somewhat interesting, knowing how much “older” David is than Miranda, that they don’t spend more time getting to know each other and asking those “early relationship building” questions. We understand that there are some secrets that people feel they must keep, but in some ways it felt as if they don’t talk about themselves or their pasts to each other.

However we should warn you…the author has absolutely no problem with killing characters. We were amazed at the body count of characters and we are only two books into the series. It has added to the grounded reality of the series but if it continues we fear it may make us leery of becoming attached to the minor characters within the series. It makes it difficult to become enraptured when, as a reader, you avoid connecting with a character because you fear their demise is coming. Their deaths, however, were essential for the overall story arc, which is why we feel we can’t see it as a negative issue.

Gikany and Una look forward to the next book in this intriguing new series and hope some of the characters that we have come to really enjoy do not meet an untimely end anytime soon. However, some of the foreshadowing in this book has us quite anxious for the next Novel of the Shadow World.

Their Rating:

Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

Labels: 4 stars, ACE, Dianne Sylvan, Shadow World, urban fantasy |

4 comments

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Review: Body of Sin

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Body of Sin

Author: Eve Silver

Release Date: Augustr 23, 2011

Publisher: HQN

Otherkin Series #4

ISBN: #978-0373775927

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Format(s): Paperback (384 pgs), e-book

Book Source: NetGalley

About the book:

Once the favorite son of the Lord of the Underworld, Lokan Krayl held enviable privileges and powers. Powers that led to a devastating betrayal—murder.

Resurrected by his immortal brothers, Lokan is still trapped in purgatory. He has no way to contact his family. He has no answers. In order to find the truth about his death and who killed him, he must escape his prison. And there’s only one way out: through the twelve gates of his eternal enemy, Osiris.

But Lokan has help. Bryn Carr, the woman who duped him once before, is his beautiful yet unwanted guide. She’s been sent by his brothers to aid him. She’s his last hope. Lokan must place his fate—and that of the mortal and immortal worlds—in the hands of the one woman he can never trust.

What I’m talking about:

I have been waiting for the release of Body of Sin since finishing the third book in Ms. Silver’s Otherkins series back in September 2010. That book, Sins of the Flesh (review HERE, purchase information, Sins of the Flesh (Hqn)) left readers with a bit of shocking news. The first three books of the Otherkin Series together tell the tale of three sons of the Egyptian underworld god, Sutekh and their quest to discover the identity of their youngest brother’s, Lokan, murder. If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, you may want to stop reading here, because this review contains SPOILERS from the first three books.

Okay, so, Body of Sin starts up immediately after the conclusion of the third book when we discovered that Lokan’s murder was none other than his own father, Sutekh. This left the underworld in a bit of an uproar. Lokan’s body and soul were separated, leaving him to wander the null zone, body-less. However, Lokan’s brothers were able to send his body back to him at the conclusion of the last book. In Body of Sin, Lokan continues to wander, trying to find a way back Topworld, to his daughter, Dana and the his baby’s mama, Bryn. Meanwhile, Bryn fears for Dana and her own life with rumors circulating that Sutekh will come for Dana next.

Body of Sin wrapped up Lokan’s murder and all of the associated outfall quite nicely. I enjoyed the story and felt Ms. Silver gave Lokan all he deserved.

I delighted in how the beginning of the story alternated POV from present day Lokan, present day Bryn, and past Lokan/Bryn. The flashback POVs gives the reader great insight into the development of Lokan and Bryn’s love over the course of seven years while caring for their daughter. Each present day section left on a mini-cliffhanger and kept me reading to the next section to find out what was going to happen.

Once Lokan and Bryn are united in the underworld, the story took on a different tone - no more flashbacks, just the need to survive the tests presented to the couple as the made their way out of the underworld. Their romance was sweet, but I felt that Bryn’s efforts to be honest with Lokan while still hiding the truth of her bargain was overplayed a bit too often.

However, when all was said and done, I was completely satisfied with the conclusion. Although there were hints throughout the book as the to outcome (and I guessed pretty much all of it), there were still some nice surprises. I hope that Ms. Silver isn’t finished with this series, because I think that Bryn’s three mysterious brothers, Boone, Jack and Cahn deserve stories of their own!

This is an enjoyable take on the Egyptian mythology, filled with adventure and romance. I highly recommend starting with the first book, Sins of the Heart (review HERE, purchase information: Sins of the Heart (Hqn)) so you can enjoy the entire exciting ride!

My Rating:

Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)

Labels: 3.5 stars, Eve Silver, HQN, Otherkin series, paranormal romance |

4 comments

Monday, August 22, 2011

Review: The Dragon's Bride

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Please welcome new, part-time reviewer, Nissan Mama, aka “Nima.” She brings you today’s review. For more info about Nima, click HERE.

The Dragon’s Bride

Author: Jo Beverley

Release Date: August 2, 2011 (re-release)

Publisher: NAL

The Company of Rogues #7

ISBN: #978-0451233400

Genre: Historical Romance

Format(s): Paperback (336 pgs), e-book

Book Source: Publisher

About the book:

Con Somerford, Viscount Amleigh, is not pleased to have inherited the Earldom of Wyvern and the monstrous house that goes with it. He's even less pleased when the first person he encounters there is Susan Kerslake with a pistol in her hands. Susan and he have a past, a bitter one. The years in between, however, have been years of war. That must, surely, have armed him so he can resist her, and deal with the smuggling with which she is clearly involved.

What Nima is talking about:

“The Company of Rogues” is a band of twelve friends who met at Harrow School in their youth and bestowed this title upon themselves. They came from different backgrounds and prided themselves as anti-bullies, “opposing oppression from all quarters.” As I understand it, each book in this series is the romance of one of the Rogues, except two who died while on active military duty. Other books in this series have been written as spin-offs utilizing the same Regency time period and background of established characters.

I preface my thoughts with the disclaimer that I have not read the previous six books in the series and this was the first work of Jo Beverley that I have ever read. My first impression was that The Dragon’s Bride wasn’t bad. It also wasn’t great. It’s been my experience that as an author gets to know her characters and the rules of the world she creates well, either her writing improves with each book because she can build what she’s already written OR the writing slacks off, taking the reader for granted. The Dragon’s Bride felt to me like the latter.

In fact, this particular book read like a “B” movie of Hollywood’s Golden-Age. I never mentally pictured a rich, layered countryside with a dark and brooding castle…I pictured Bing Crosby and Rhonda Flemming dressed up in modern fabrics and hairstyles, designed to look not historically accurate, but the way a modern audience would expect them to look, bowing to every stereotype. How do you have multi-generational smugglers and rogues, but still make everyone friendly and nice about it?? The only true “bad guys” in this story are rival gangs who are little more than mentioned in passing. I have to confess that I do like old B movies, but I can’t believe that’s what Beverly was setting out to accomplish.

Those of us discovering this series are coming late to the party. The Dragon’s Bride was originally released in 2001 as book seven in The Company of Rogues series, although Beverley’s own website lists it as book six while clearly placing it in the seventh slot of fourteen on her book list. This seems to be the kind of basic editing error that popped up throughout the book. Small errors were distracting and required re-reading because they disrupted the flow of the story. Signet Eclipse, under parent Penguin Company, has reissued The Dragon’s Bride this month, apparently without fixing the errors.

Another oddity was Beverley’s use of random vocabulary words, almost as if she had a Word of the Day calendar sitting on her desk and she was trying to work the day’s word into the manuscript. While technically accurate, it’s not often that you come across words like “chiaroscuro” and “concupiscent” in the narration of a romance. Bing would never use those words.

The one love scene tried to be explicit without being explicit. All romances certainly don’t need to be detailed, but in this case, it failed at both. The scene felt rushed, disjointed, and not especially romantic or passionate. If you’ll excuse the pun, it didn’t quite rise as one of the climaxes of the book.

Although this is a RITA finalist, I can’t get excited about it. The Dragon’s Bride took its readers for granted.

Nima’s Rating:

Finished it - take it or leave it (C)

Labels: 2.5 stars, historical romance, Jo Beverley, NAL, The Company of Rogues |

2 comments

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sunday Snippet #72

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Viper Moon

by Lee Roland

Signet Publishing

July 5, 2011

REVIEW HERE

If, as the Mother insisted, Flynn had to stay with me, he had to know some of my secrets – and accept them without slapping me in handcuffs and hauling me to jail. For him, I’d have to break the veil of obscurity that cloaked the Barrows. He’d be initiated into a new world. Unlike the general uptown populace, he wouldn’t be able to turn away and pretend he hadn’t seen the weird and bizarre. Bigger problem? I didn’t know how I’d conceal some of my more devious retrieval methods from him.

I pulled into the apartment house parking lot and switched off the car. “Are you a shoot first, ask questions later kind of cop?”

“No.” He sounded offended.

“Good. If you shoot my friends, I will be very unhappy.” Not to mention he’d have to shoot me because I’d stand in front of them. “Come upstairs and I’ll welcome you to my world.” When we entered the apartment, I told him to sit at the tab le. I sat in a chair across from him. “Pretend you’re dreaming. It might help. Nefertiti? Nirah?”

Horus dashed across the room and leaped onto the table. Nirah coiled around his neck with her head between his ears. Her tiny forked tongue flicked in and out at lightning speed.

Nefertiti lowered her slender body from a cheap and gaudy chandelier with burned-out bulbs hanging directly over my table until her head was eye level with Flynn. I don’t know how she made it up there. I hadn’t noticed her when we came in. Neither had Flynn.

Flynn sat with his eyes wide and his mouth open. His hand was halfway to his gun.

“No shooting!” My muscles tightened as I prepared to throw myself at him. “They won’t hurt you and you won’t hurt them.”

His hand moved away from the gun, but his eyes never left Nefertiti, Horus, and Nirah.

I reached out and stroked Nefertiti’s head with my finger. She let go and her body hit the table with a solid thump. She coiled herself into a ball.

“Nefertiti, let’s start with you.” I held out my hand and she laid her head on my palm. For her that signified trust. “This is Flynn. He’s going to be staying with us for a few days. I want you to learn his scent so you can recognize him. Now, he’s going to be nervous, so you be easy.”

Nefertiti slid toward Flynn. He had his hands on the table in front of him, both clenched into fists.

“I went to school, Cass.” His voice had an odd tone I didn’t understand. “That reptile has a brain the size of a pea. She could strike at any minute.”

“Maybe she isn’t a snake.”

He gave me a You’ve got to be kidding look.

Nefertiti’s head reached his hands. Her tongue flicked, identifying his scent and body temperature, memorizing him as I would memorize the photo of a child I was hunting.

With impressive courage, Flynn sat still, frozen as someone facing a fearful unknown, determined to hold his ground. Nefertiti inched her way forward until she reached his arm, then stopped.

“She wants to crawl on you.” I gave him a smile I hoped was reassuring. “Can you take that?”

Flynn nodded. A resilient man, facing an uncomfortable situation.

Nefertiti worked her way up his arm and shoulder, the only sound the faint rasp of her body across his shirt. For some reason, her brown markings had deepened to a near black. His jaw clenched when she slid across the bare skin of his neck. She didn’t wrap herself around him, but she laid her head on top of his, mimicking Horus and Nirah.

Flynn’s eyes were wide, but now more in shock than fear.

“Wait.” I held up a finger. “Horus, your turn.”

Horus marched up to Flynn with a cat’s graceful, arrogant dignity, deigning to introduce himself.

“Nirah is small,” I told Flynn. “You need to watch out for her.”

It wasn’t likely he would step on her – she is too fast for that – but unlike Nefertiti, Flynn would need to be aware of her at all times. Nirah isn’t particularly aggressive, but she doesn’t like strangers. Of the three of them, it was Horus’s shitty attitude that really worried me the most.

Horus reached out a paw and flexed his incredible claws.

Oops. Horus the badass tyrant wasn’t a team player. Nirah opened her mouth and hissed, flashing her fangs. Nefertiti darted forward across Flynn’s head to meet Nirah. Her fangs dripped venom and her head swayed back and forth like a clock pendulum, matching Nirah’s moves.

Flynn sat frozen. Formidable control. He might deal well with the Barrows, after all. An unbidden thought jumped forward in my mind. He might deal well with me, too. Did I want that?

Labels: Lee Roland, Novel of the Earth Witches, Signet, Sunday Snippets |

1 comments

Friday, August 19, 2011

Authors After Dark 2011 Wrap up

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Wow! What an amazing experience! That’s What I’m Talking About!

I cannot even begin to tell you all how special this trip was for me. It was my very first CON and I loved it. First - I got to finally meet so many of the wonderful women I have been friends with for almost two years. The highlight was finally getting a hug from my “twinnie,” Bells. She gives the BEST hugs and is so full of love (even when you may be drunk and singing Katy Perry’s FIREWORK). But also on my list of MUST HUG (or give the “Issac the Bartender” pointer fingers) were Marq, Kat (Tigris), Penny, Dren, Larissa, Mandi, Pam, Felicia (Ferishia), Jules (Minxy), Sarah, Jojo, Robin, April and Insane Hussein. I have been friends with these women since almost the very beginning of my twitter life and the creation of Twimom227. It was so wonderful to see them in person.

I also LOVED hanging out with so many bloggers that I had only “met” in passing on Twitter or at their blogs. I have to give a special call out to three such women: Felicia (the geeky blogger), KatieBabs and Danielle (Lush26), who helped make the trip extra special! I love making new friends.

I met so many other great bloggers, I would love to put down every single one here, but it would take up this entire post. The bloggers truly made this an event to remember! I have included some of their blog links below. (and if you wrote one and it’s not listed, please let me know so I can add it.)

Next... the authors. WOW! I cannot stop squeeing. (Is that even a word?) I will admit, I went to this CON because of 3 women: Larissa Ione, Meljean Brook and Lara Adrian. If you go back to the beginning of my blog (see post HERE) you will find that these three women were on my author “list,” ones that I really wanted to meet. I couldn’t believe that 3 of my FAVORITE authors were all going to be in one location. It was a bit of heaven for me because these women are not only fantastic authors, but genuinely lovely people.

Then once I got over the glee of knowing I’d meet those three ladies (or in the case of Lara, re-meet), I saw that I would also get to hang out with some of my other favorite authors like Stephanie Julian, Judi Fennell, Nancy Holzner and Anya Bast.

And what was just as much fun was meeting so many new-to-me authors, several of which I now have books from waiting to be read! Some of my favorites to meet were Monica Burns, Dakota Cassidy, Jessa Slade, Carolyn Crane, Jennifer Estep, Theresa Meyers, and Nicole Peeler.

Okay, I am sorry about all of the gushing, but it truly was amazing. Here are just a few of my favorite parts of the weekend:

Rooming with Mandi from Smexy Books. She is an wonderful person and I can’t wait to hang with her again.
Meeting Meljean. Going to lunch with her (and a group of great ladies). Sitting with her at the “Steampunk Ball” watching her eat potato chips while she watched the side-show-freak-show. I couldn’t watch things like a guy pounding a nail into his nose, but she watched while eating. It was hilarious. I think she said “I can watch it go in, just not go out.” I recall thinking that was a pretty funny thing to say!
Seeing Lara Adrian again. She is one of the nicest women out there. But she wasn’t going to give up ANYTHING about my man, Chase!
Meeting Larissa Ione. She is so cool and so easy going. On the way home, we both were at the airport early. So she and I sat with @Toriaimeegirl (another awesome blogger that I got to meet) and just chilled for a couple hours.
Celebrating Larissa Ione’s birthday in Bells, Kat and Marq’s room with Larissa and Lara A. What a special treat and I cannot wait to read about the were-fly!
Having 1/2 of the writing team that makes up Lydia Dare introduce herself and tell me how much she appreciates my reviews. I love their books and didn’t realize she was going to be there. I wish we had time to chat before she had to leave.
Meeting JA (Jaime) Saare. I’ve been tweeting with her forever and she is one of the coolest people out there. I totally love and respect her (and am dying for her next book!)
Having cheese fries with Danielle and Mandi at the GREAT FOOD bar at 1:00 AM (yes, that was the name of the bar!)

By now you probably have heard about some of the negative things that did occur at the conference. I will agree that there were some very unfortunate events, and I am very sad that some of these things happened to my friends. I am thankful that I was not directly impacted by the events, but was disappointed that they occurred at all. I was also sad about the “Steampunk Ball,” which was our final night in Philly. I was expecting a fun night of dancing with friends, but instead it was an event not catered to the majority of the crowd that was present at the CON. But even with these things, I am still planning on attending NOLA 2012.

To see all the photos I took, click the “Photos” section of my blog or HERE.

Love these ladies!

Other AAD posts and photos:

Livre D’Amour (Grace)

Insane Hussein Reviews

Tigris Eden (Kat)

Hanging With Bells (Bells)

Geeky Blogger (Felicia)

Ramblings From This Chick (Danielle)

Ava Riley Romance (Ava/April)

KatieBabs

Part One

Part Two

Stephanie Julian

Photos from JoAnna (@beckerjo)

The Jeep Diva (Vanessa)

Intense Whisper (Robin)

Meljean Brook

Larissa Ione

Truedeadman (Scott)
Love To Read For Fun (Marq)

Elise Hepner

Spaz at WLP (Pam)
Kris Cook
Penny Pimpin'
Dren's B-Spot 1
Dren's Pen

Labels: AADPhilly, authors, Authors After Dark, blogging, Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Meljean Brook, Stephanie Julian |

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About our reviews: The reviews posted here are the writer's own honest opinion of the book, not a judgement on the subject matter or author. We read for pleasure and at the request of authors and publishers. We do not receive compensation for our reviews, other than the copy of the book to read for the review.

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We try to keep posts on the blog PG-13, however the material reviewed and discussed is intended for adults (18 years and older). Please consider this if you choose to read and/or follow my blog. Thanks for stopping by!

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