Ok, so some of these are old announcements, but some of these are new. Still, thank you for your patience! A lot has been going on, but never fear, contests DO end at the Pond, and prizes ARE always awarded.

Winners, you have one week to contact me about your prize.

The winner from Anya Bast’s Original Guest Post… for the last time… Shelley – you’re up! You’ve won a copy of Witch Heart!

Lauren Dane’s Giveaway winner … is Stacy!!! Congratulations You’ve won a copy of Taking Care of Business. Enjoy!

And… the lucky winners of What Happens in Vegas… After Dark are Christine, Little Lamb Lost, and Ann Marie. Congratulations, ladies!

All of you have been chosen by randomizer.org, or an unbiased third party. Again, you have ONE WEEK, so make sure you check the posting date and don’t miss the cutoff.  Please email your information to limecello@tgtbtu.com

And stay tuned for more exciting giveaways and fun. Especially all those fabulous Duck Chats.

More contesty goodness – because I promised you it was coming! Read on, gentle readers, and try your luck! After all, it is an anthology set in Vegas!

 WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS…AFTER DARK anthology

 Release Date: May 1, 2009

 Anya Bast’s story in this anthology is called THE PROMISE. It’s a prequel to THE DEAL, (WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS… the first anthology, released in 2008), and tells Damian’s story and how/why he came to jilt Cassidy at the altar on their wedding day.

Here’s the whole blurb for the book:

Las Vegas… it’s the town that lives up to the promise of its nickname, Sin City. A gamblers’ paradise for innocent tourists, it conceals a darker, sexual world where the ethereal and wraithlike meet to play a different game….

If there’s one thing succubus Deitre understands it’s revenge. That, and enticing men into arousing, exciting and, okay, perilous sex (for him).
Beautiful on the outside, demon on the inside, she’s going to get back at the naughty firefighter in Darkness…unless he plays his cards right…

Bounty hunter Nell is a hell of a tracker. Now she’s in Vegas on the tail of the witch who dared to steal from her clan. She’s going to get to the unsavory harlot through the woman’s ex-fiancé, and nothing about their charged encounters will be shallow, quick or friendly.

When the half-blood fae male comes to club Darkness, Elena can’t resist acting on the mind-blowing heat coursing between them. She might be betrothed to another, but fae culture says sex with other men until marriage is most definitely foretold.

Tattoo artist Devi is the latent vampire the warlocks need to heal all wounds. But taking her power is a sexually exhausting and dangerous task requiring dark deception…and gambling on her life.

*******

In Anya’s story, The Promise, the heroine, Elena, has known her entire life she would have to marry someone she didn’t love. Family duty binds her and resigns her to her fate, though there’s a part of her that wishes to be free. To enter to win a copy of What Happens in Vegas…After Dark, name a time in your life when you felt duty bound to do something you didn’t want to do.

Three winners will be selected.  

Gwen’s review of Witch Heart (Elemental Witches, Book 3) by Anya Bast
Contemporary paranormal romance released byBerkley 6 Jan 09

There is one thing I have come to depend on with these Elemental Witches novels from Bast: I will always be entertained.  There is always something unique, something that is more than meets the eye, and something that is just plain fun to read.  Total escapist entertainment. Love that when it happens. 

Our heroine, Claire, was introduced to us in the second novel – she’s the human who helped Thomas free himself when he was held captive by demons in their plane of existence (a.k.a. Eudae).  Claire is very powerful in all four elemental magics: earth, air, fire, and water.  She’s forced to Earth because of some internal uprising in Eudae, but not before her “captor” forces a ball of demon magic into her genetically manipulated body.  A magic that can be used as an ultimate weapon on Eudae by any of the demon castes – if they can catch her, that is.

Our hero, Adam, is a fire-witch bad boy with a wickedly irreverant sense of humor and a wickedly well-earned reputation with the ladies. All covering for a heartbreaking loss before he joined the Coven. Adam is sent to retrieve Claire when she finds herself locked up in a mental hospital once she’s forced to Earth.  Adam is attracted to the heroine, Claire, despite himself – she’s totally not his normal type.  But she is brave, honest, and unvarnished – all qualities he has come to miss in people.

Bast does a good job developing the emotional side of this relationship. There’s some paranormal attraction going on, but these two characters also seem to really like each other.   The love scenes, when they finally do happen, are smokin’ hot.  I sincerely believed in the relationship and was very glad to see things evolve the way they did.   I really liked these characters by the end of the book and that isn’t something I can always say, sadly.

There is some really terrific action in this book.  It’s a pursuit novel – when Claire was forced to Earth, two of the really bad warrior caste demons managed to follow her.  These two bad guys, Kai and Tevan, are some seriously bad bad guys and chase our hero and heroine all over the upper Midwest US – mayhem and murder following them like a bad diaper rash.  Handsome, huge, and evil.  Too much fun, really.  And I actually found myself sympathizing with them there at the end – just a li’l bit.

Through Claire, her pursuers, and her captor/father (a.k.a. Rue), we learn quite a bit about demon culture on Eudae.  I expect this to take us to even more interesting places in future books.  It’s KILLIN’ me that we have to wait about a year in between these books, but I can wait if the storytelling remains as good as we have had in the first three books in the series.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good pursuit novel, paranormal romance, or folks that are simply fans of Anya Bast.  It’s another winner.
Grade: B

Read more reviews and information of this and other books in the series by following the series’ tag.

Summary:

With the immense powers of an earth witch, Claire isn’t destined to be a demon’s handmaiden. Yet this has been her fate since she was six, when her warlock mother brought her to Eudae. Now as an adult, she’s about to discover her true power-and how far others are willing to go to take it away…

As part of a mission with the Coven, Adam Tyrell rescues Claire from her enslavement-and finds himself immediately taken with the beautiful witch. But this charming playboy soon learns that it’s easier to steal Claire from demons than win her heart, for her life as a servant has ravaged her spirit. But with Adam determined to protect her from the warlocks who want to harness her magick for evil, Claire’s resistance starts to give way-and they find themselves in the heat of danger, surrendering to the lure of their deepest desires…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sunday Afternoon at the B&N Café

Almost every Sunday afternoon I flee my house of chaos for the Barnes & Noble Café. It’s a long drive for me, so usually I go to a local coffee shop to get a little uninterrupted writing time. However, I prefer the B&N Café because you have to pay for Internet access (at my little local coffee shop, it’s free), which means I don’t buy it and I actually write instead of procrastinate by checking my email, playing on Livejournal or Twitter or hunting down eBook pirates (my own private and pointless obsession).

The chairs are fairly comfortable, the staff is friendly (I’m in the B&N Café as I write this, in fact), and once I plug myself into my iPod, the auditory environment is conducive to writing. I like to try and get a table that backs up to a wall so no one can read over my shoulder, especially if I’m about to write a sex scene…which I intend to do right after I finish writing this post. Today I snagged a wall table, so today is a good B&N Café day.

Muted conversation fills my ears, since I don’t have my ear buds in yet. So does the gurgling sound of the café staff making coffee. The scent of that coffee fills my nose, along with the faint aroma of the woman’s perfume beside me. I can also hear the clinking of change at the register, the beeping of machinery, the sound of a child crying in another part of the store.

Today I’m wearing a comfy black sweater with black running pants and fuzzy red socks. On a totally different topic, Limecello gave me a list of possible subjects to write on and one of them was about my favorite kind of socks. You’re probably all just dying to know that I prefer slipper socks and wear them most of the time in the winter. As a full time writer, I can get away with that. Comfort is my first priority. A fashionista, I am not.

Back to the topic at hand, I get a lot of writing done at the cafe. I write for a while, then stop and think, staring out over the top of my laptop with my eyes unfocused. I’m not really seeing anything because I’m deep in thought, thinking about the scene I’m writing or how I need the next part of this particular chapter to show something significant about a certain character, set up for an upcoming battle or black moment, or show how the relationship between my hero and heroine is evolving. I do a lot of staring and thinking when I write.

That doesn’t mean I’m not aware of my surroundings. On the contrary, I’m hyper-aware of everyone around me. I think most writers are. Writers observe. They take in all people and events around them and consider them. For a writer everything and everyone around them is potential inspiration or story fodder. . Today there’s a woman next to me who is dressed in a stylish fawn colored sweater dress and expensive looking thigh-high boots (her perfume smells expensive too). She’s reading a stack of books on divorce. I can’t help but wonder about her, who she married and why they’re divorcing. I can’t help but make up stories to fill in the gaps about what I don’t know about her. . What about that man in his mid twenties in the corner who is pounding away on his laptop like me? Writer? Or grad student?

And there’s clutch of women in the corner that’s obviously a book club since they all have the same mass market paperback on the table beside them-with the title I can’t quite make out – and who are clearly having a wonderful time and not talking about books.

The man at two o’clock is flipping through a book by Mike Huckabee and has Sean Hannity sitting jowl-to-jowl with Michael Savage (books by those men, I mean, not the actual men). He keeps furtively checking out the well-heeled women who is reading the books on divorce.

The chess players are here again. They’re here every single week-the same people scowling down at the boards, scratching their heads and trying to figure out their next move. Another group of women are in the corner. It’s a study group for library science, unless I miss my guess. I can tell their relationship is tentative and new (probably the first time they’ve studied together) because of the nervous chatter and the self-conscious laughter. It’s the kind of communication one engages in when one is not totally sure. . It strikes me every week how many people come here to do things other than drink coffee and consider their purchases. People come to study, write novels or dissertations. They use it as a library, pulling books up next to themselves along with a pad of paper and pen to take notes. The woman on my other side is angry that so many people are making noise (the noise culprits are the library science group and the two tables in front of us who have struck up a conversation about football) and is hissing into her cell phone about how people should be quieter here. of one’s audience.

Except, of course, this isn’t a library…it’s a bookstore. Me? I just put my ear buds in and turn to my sex scene….

*P.S.-  Anya, because she is awesome, has very kindly offered to give away an autographed copy of her recent release Witch Heart to one lucky commenter. Not that you wouldn’t have stopped by to chat with her anyway, right?

Sorry about that, I don’t do tables well and lime is used to doing ponderings that don’t need a ‘cut’.

To make up for the long delay, here is Lisa Kleypas new author picture.

It was taken by her husband Greg in their back yard.

It is tres cute yes?  You should be able to click on it to make it larger, if not maybe gwen will come along and do the thing gwen does best and fix it *g*.

read on for the winzors

WOOT! Smooth Talking Strangers is fabulous.  And we will post more info when we it regarding when Lisa will be here to chat about the book.  And of course I am already trying to rope a Raw look at her next historical cuz well I am like that *eg*.

Well, a number of you, anyway. Remember a long time ago when we had the contest for Lisa Kleypas’s books? One for A Wallflower Christmas and another for an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Smooth Talking Stranger? . And remember how I said I’d begin a monthly contest? I also said that  for January, I’d pick it from one specific post, and I did- though that won’t normally be the case. So without further ado, here is a list of all the winners. . The one I think we all want to know most….

1) The winner of an ARC of Smooth Talking Stranger is Kate Niswander! . And as chosen by randomizer.org, the following winners are:2) The three winners of A Wallflower Christmas are Kim, CrystalGB, and Carolyn Jean! . and last but not least, the winner of . 3) Happy New Year!!! is … Sherry Thomas! . Congratulations, winners! Please use the “quack at us” link (which I also provided). And stay tuned for future contests and events! For example, Anya Bast visits with us this Friday, the 6th, for our next “Author Makes a Splash” post.

This just in…

Mark your calendars now for Lori Foster’s and Dianne Castell’s 2009 Reader and Author Get Together. This is the fifth year for the event that not only allows readers to mingle with authors, but also for aspiring writers to meet with editors and hopefully sell their ideas.

~ This year’s event will be held June 5th through 7th at the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester, Ohio. Currently there are 61 authors signed up for the event, but there may be many more by the time of the get-together.  Last year’s event had more than 200 authors (both print and ebook published) and readers.

~ The cost to register for this year’s event is $50 and includes two dinners and a lunch.   Registration is open until May 19, 2009.  Be sure to register early and get your hotel reservation made now.  Last year a second hotel had to be added to accommodate all the attendees.

~ As in the past, there will be lots of baskets being raffled to raise money for a charity.  This year all the money raised from the raffle will go to One Way Farm Children’s Home of Fairfield Ohio.  Also the anthology, Tails of Love, which features not only Lori but Stella Cameron, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Kate Angell, Sarah McCarty, Donna MacMeans, Dianne Castell, Patricia Sargeant, Ann Christopher, and Marcia James, will be for sale. Author and agent proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Animal Adoption Foundation, which is a no-kill shelter.

~ I went last year and must say if you get the chance to go…GO! It is fun weekend. I got to meet so many wonderful people. I had my books signed by my favorite authors, had breakfast with Anya Bast, Lauren Dane, and Megan Hart and discussed books with Anne Rainey and Kelley Nyrae.

Consider yourself flashed.

Devon’s review of Strands of Sunlight by Anya Bast
Fantasy Erotic Romance dBook released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Sep 08

Welcome back to the hills and dales of Erotic Romance land, where the cream flows freely, the hammers are hard and it’s all about fulfilling her sexual needs. And his. And the other guy’s too. It’s a fun place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. The formula can be predictable and cheesy and inspire groans rather than arousal. But when they are done right, wowza! And this, ladies, was a hot one. Very hot, and it also had enough of a plot and a romance to keep me interested.

Strands of Sunlight takes place in a fantasy land which strongly resembles Medieval Europe. There is enough detail to the setting to give it a real fantasy flavor, rather than wallpaper for sexual shenanigans. It is the story of Rhiannon, an abused indentured servant. She fears that her magical powers will result in her death, as it did for her mother. Then one day she is whisked away by the intimidating Prince Gareth to his castle to reclaim her birthright. Rhiannon will find many secrets, and perhaps, love (great sex, for sure).

The characters really made this book. Rhiannon was intelligent and feisty, in a good way. She does have one TSTL moment at the end, but I forgave it because I liked her otherwise. Every once in awhile, a brutish, almost sociopathic hero really hits the spot. Some writers just know how to write them with just enough…something to keep them sympathetic. Tristan was way overboard with the “I can’t…No, I won’t…No, I don’t love her” thing, and the “she deserves better than me” thing. He pushed Rhiannon away one too many times, but still I liked him lots, and the two had great chemistry and believable emotion between them.

Gareth, Tristan’s best friend and Rhiannon’s champion, was not quite as interesting, but quite likeable as well. Bast created interesting relationships between all three, and the chemistry among the characters translated into some awesome sex scenes. There was one early one that normally would’ve seemed inappropriate (even creepy) to me, but I liked it. I’m also not a big fan of the (almost obligatory) ménage scene. The scenes can be very erotic, but there’s often some trumped up justification for them to make me laugh (Saving the planet! Stopping War! Ordained by fate!). These ones worked for me, because it was just two men who loved one woman and couldn’t quite give her up. Despite the slight overuse of the C-word, I really enjoyed the author’s earthy, straightforward love scenes.

My only other quibble is that the pacing felt a bit off to me. Certain declarations of love came so soon that the conflict after felt forced and manufactured. Overall, it did the trick. If you want something spicy, and you enjoy a bit of fantasy with your romance, it’s definitely worth a try. I’d try Anya Bast again in the future.

Grade: B

The Summary:
Rhiannon always thought she was just a lowborn peasant. When a mysterious lord buys her contract of servitude and brings her back to his keep, she finds out she’s actually the bastard daughter of a great lady. She also discovers she’s prophesied to kill the man responsible for her mother’s undoing.

And prophesied to die while doing it.

At the keep, Rhiannon is caught between two men. Tristan is the severe and sometimes brutal lord who introduces her to erotic bliss and binds her there, helplessly addicted to his every whim. And Gareth is the shining, handsome knight who treats her like the lady she never knew she was. In competition, Tristan and Gareth tempt her with physical pleasure beyond her imagination. Both of them stake a claim on her body, but only one of them will win her heart.

Read an excerpt

This just in…

Anya Bast is having one sinful celebration for the October release of her latest book, The Chosen Sin. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one!

~ Up for grabs: Grand prize: $100 gift card to Borders; First runner up: $50 GC from Amazon.com; Second runner up: $25 GC from Barnes & Noble; Third runner up: $25 GC from Barnes & Noble

~ Plus a chance to win a book six days a week for through her October 7 release date.

~ Everything blows wide open September 11 on Anya’s blog.

~ Be sure to read an excerpt of The Chosen Sin and preorder your copy because the book sounds as good as the contest!

Consider yourself flashed.

I’m sitting here in my living room typing this up and trying to recover from my fabulous weekend spent in West Manchester, Ohio at the Lori Foster and Dianne Castell Reader/Writer Get Together. This was the 4th year for the event, my first and it brought together over 250 authors (published and epub), readers, future writers, editors and publishers. The event also raised money for the Conductive School of Learning, the Animal Adoption Foundation and our troops serving overseas.

The event started Friday evening. It was a chance to get to mingle, eat pizza, get books signed by the authors and just hang out. We also were able to check out and start dropping our tickets into the drawings for all the fabulous (and I do mean fabulous) gift baskets that were donated by authors, publishers, and even a couple of readers. I actually was able to win two baskets (YAY me!!) and I got to say it was like Christmas morning going through them. A couple of the raffle baskets contained eReaders and they of course were very popular. Also about 20 of the authors got together and had a drawing for a Kindle eReader that everyone got to participate in just by being there. We also had a pirate quiz for some prizes and a few door prizes were given away. Thanks to some very generous donations from publishers and authors we all received at least 3 books and Samhain Publishing gave all the attendees very nice bags for the event (Thank You Samhain!!!).

After dinner, a trivia event was held hosted by J.C. Wilder, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Anya Bast. We divided up into teams (well kinda people came and went as the event progressed) and had 4 categories to choose from, sort of a mini version of Jeopardy (but more fun). Pop Culture category was surprisingly the favorite of the evening. We also had General Trivia, Hero and Heroines and Books and Authors. Prizes were hands out throughout the night. After that everyone kind of scattered and did their own things.

Saturday was a big day for everyone. Breakfast was served and we spent some more time mingling with everyone. There was a small panel discussion and question session with a Border’s buyer, 3 epublishers, Michelle Buonfiglio of Romance By the Book and Barbara Vey of Publisher’s Weekly. Then we got down to the serious stuff–raffle basket giveaways, lunch and then more raffle basket giveaways. That afternoon there was a session open to the public and some of the authors sat up tables to meet and sell their books. Barnes & Noble also had a room set up to sell books of many of the authors in attendance. There was also a book exchange. Attendees were encouraged to bring books to trade. It was a bit of a madhouse, but I was still able to clear out some of my old books and pick up a few older titles that I missed. That evening several different group outings were scheduled from shopping at malls and bookstores to line-dancing (which unfortunately didn’t get to happen, but hopefully we will get to next year).

Sunday morning several choices for breakfast with the authors were set up. My friend and I went with Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Anya Bast and had so much fun. (Sidenote to Lauren, Megan, Anya and Laura B.–I am so sorry for getting us a little lost going to Half Price Books. But, really it was my GPS’s fault *g*). Then it was time to say goodbye until next year.

I will be going next year. This was such an awesome event that was laid back, relaxed and just gave everyone a chance to hang out and have fun as well as raise money for some very deserving organizations. I got to see and catch up with some authors that I have met before and even met a few that I have wanting to meet (SQUEE–Lucy Monroe!!) and I met some of my online book friends (it really is great to have a face to go with a name now). The money raised for the organizations was amazing. $525 plus supplies to send to the troops, $1064 for the animal shelter plus supplies and $4,552.50 for the Conductive School of Learning and that doesn’t include what B&N is donating from the book sales.

Lori and Dianne have already begun planning for next year’s event, which will be held June 5th-7th, 2009. I’m sure Lori will be posting information about the 2009 event as soon as she recovers from 2008′s event and gets more information on 2009′s.

Lookie! This anthology released last month and you don’t want to miss it. Magical Seduction by Cathryn Fox, Mandy Roth, and Anya Bast, released in paperback from Pocket/EC on 15 April 2008. Here’s a peek at Anya’s story, Tempted by Two…

Witches, werewolves, things that bump in the night…And three arousing tales of sexual delight.

CATHRYN FOX, Web of Desire – Good witch Ally gets naughty when she discovers her long-lost high school sweetheart caught — literally — in a web of lust and seduction.

MANDY M. ROTH, Solo Tu – When Francy shows up after five years of separation to tell her beloved Dante, a werewolf, that she’s engaged to a vampire, he seduces her with a steamy surprise of his own.

ANYA BAST, Tempted by Two – Not only did Miranda just learn that she’s a half-blood fae, but she’s also got two — two! — deliciously muscular mates. She’d better adjust to all the sexy attention before a vengeful goblin tries to get in on the threesome….

E-X-C-E-R-P-T

from Temped by Two by Anya Bast

Theo walked into his dark apartment and set his keys down in the multi-colored ceramic bowl near his answering machine. He had no messages. It had been three days and he’d heard nothing from Miranda.

Damn.

The hair prickled along his arms and at the back of his neck, letting him know he wasn’t alone. His head jerked up and his gaze centered on the dark form sitting in a chair in the living room.

“You fucking slept with her,” came Marco’s low, angry voice.

“Marco—”

Marco was out of the chair and on him before he could utter his next word. Theo slammed back against the phone table under Marco’s weight.

Marco grabbed Theo’s shirt and dragged him up against his chest. “You fucking slept with her, you bastard,” Marco growled and slammed his fist into Theo’s face. Blinding white-hot pain blossomed across his cheekbone and over his temple. He tasted coppery blood on his tongue.

Rage erupted in Theo. In a burst of strength, he pushed Marco back and snarled, “Hie beaucahm!” Stop now! There was no sense in fighting. They were evenly matched in most every way, magickally and physically. It would be a draw. There was no point. Anyway, he didn’t want to fight his best friend.

Marco stilled at the use of the old language. He backed away warily, a violent expression on his face. “I can feel the residual emotion in here. I know you did.”

Theo put a hand to his aching face. “Yes,” he said calmly. “I slept with her. I’m sorry, but I don’t regret it.”

He watched Marco uneasily. He’d never seen his partner this way. Marco seemed to seethe with rage and frustration. “You need to back the fuck off for a while, my friend,” he growled. “You are getting entirely too possessive.”

Theo shook his head, gingerly touching his cheek where he was sure a bruise was already showing itself. “She’s not ready for us, Marco. Not for either us, certainly not both of us together.”

“Fuck you!”

Theo looked up, half amused, half pissed off. “Excuse me?”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll ease off you and give you more time alone with her.”

Theo sighed. “Look, Marco. I told her about the bonding and she fled my apartment like I’d just told her she was going to die of cancer or something.”

“You told her after you slept with her.”

“Focus, Marco! You’re missing the point. Yes, I told her after I slept with her. My tale of OtherKin bonding scared her. The whole of it frightened her to bits, especially the part where I said she was bonded to both of us and likely love and commitment would follow.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Fuck. She hasn’t called me in three days.”

Marco walked over and slumped down onto the couch. “So now what?”

Theo flicked the lights on with his mind, bathing his cream and blue living room in a soft glow. “Now, you go to see her. Maybe your charms will be more persuasive than mine were.”

Marco shot him a dirty look.

“I’m serious, Marco. I’m backing off, giving you room to woo.” He waved his hand. “So, go…woo.” The thought of Marco with Miranda set his teeth on edge, made jealousy rise, but he needed to tamp it down. They couldn’t do this. He sighed and touched his face. “That’s what you want, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Go see her tomorrow at work. She’s got to be feeling the bond a little. I know she’s attracted to both of us. I don’t think she’ll reject you.”

Marco grinned arrogantly. “She won’t reject me.”

Theo smiled in spite of himself. “Well, if you’re so sure, go find out. Just don’t push too hard, all right?”

Marco got up and started walking toward the door. He turned before he left. “Sorry about punching you.”

“Hey, believe me, sleeping with Miranda was worth it.”

Rage passed over Marco’s face briefly, then he turned and left.

Theo sat for a while in this living room nursing his swelling face and trying not to think about Marco’s hands on Miranda, her sighs, her moans all for him…and failing.

What Happens In Vegas

by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast

UPDATED: Lauren Dane has picked a winner for the copy she is giving away of What Happens in Vegas! Yes this is just how lazy sybil really is . Congrats Liviania!

Contests are fun. Especially when a random commenter on this post with the excerpt from Anya Bast’s part on the anthology, gets a signed copy of the book (signed by Anya Bast)! Makes me want to go to Vegas. . .even though I haven’t read it yet. . .

Our lucky winner is Dina!!

Be sure you email Syb at redwyne@gmail.com with your physical address so you can get your signed copy (signed by Anya Bast) of What Happens in Vegas!

Book Summary:

Winning it big.

That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high

Limecello’s review of What Happens In Vegas by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast
Erotic Romance anthology released by Harlequin Spice 1 May 08

Drum roll, please, for LC’s first evah review for TGTBTU…

Hot For You by Jodi Lynn Copeland

I hate to say it, but I didn’t really like this story. I actually read this book out of order, and am glad I didn’t start with this novella. Something didn’t click, and Hot For You simply didn’t work for me. [I know, that’s a lot of “didn’t”s – but nothing else works.] I love the premise of it, but too many things just don’t come together. I felt that the author tried too hard with her character. Carinna is supposed to be a badass bad girl, who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em – queen of the one night stand. However, the uncertainties and indecisiveness within her character just don’t fit her personality.

This story is written in the first person. I’m not sure if that explains some of my dislike, but it’s much too wordy, and the obvious is often stated. Rhetorical questions are answered, and there are some writing issues. I found myself noticing editing mistakes, such as the word “mew” being used when it should have been “moue.” I was distracted by things I shouldn’t have been.

Hot For You is hot, but the emotional connection between Carinna and Jack came too late for me. When they open up, the story comes together. There’s a scene near the end I probably would not have liked otherwise, but turns into my favorite part due to the Carinna and Jack’s relationship truly emerging. I didn’t enjoy this novella, but this is an author I would try again and if you like 1st person point of view, it might work for you.

Grade: D

Stripped by Lauren Dane

I really enjoyed this novella. It starts out with Dahlia performing her number at the Dollhouse, the burlesque lounge where she works. Stripped draws you in from the start, and you can almost see Dahlia’s dance. There are a few minor kinks in the novella, but they’re easily forgiven.

Dahlia Baker is a graduate student at UNLV, and lives like one. Nash Emery is a business man, who comes from money. A lot of it. He propositions her after seeing her dance, and she shoots him down fantastically.

The reader follows Nash pursuing Dahlia, and her capitulation. Both characters have a lot to work on. Dahlia has hang ups about the class differences between them. She doesn’t want everyone to think she’s a gold digger, or that she’s easy because of her looks. Nash has to understand that Dahlia’s concerns are real to her, and that he has to be sensitive to her needs and emotions.

I loved how genuine this story was. The characters are very well written. Nash and Dahlia are very human, and had flaws that they work through. I liked how each could admit they were being silly or unreasonable, suck it up, and move on. I felt that I had a true grasp as to what made Dahlia and Nash tick, and could really believe that they were a couple who would make it work.

I’ve read a few of Ms. Dane’s books, and I would say that Stripped is my favorite by far. I’m looking forward to her upcoming books.

Grade: B+

Red Handed by Kit Tunstall

Red Handed was ok, but certain parts rubbed me the wrong way. It starts with Roan interrogating Amy, and punching her out – he thinks she’s a man. It bothered me a little that this incident was just passed over.

Then, Amy Gerard agrees to become Roan’s love slave. She makes the offer to prevent him from going to the Gaming Commission and reporting her cheating. Red Handed includes some naughty scenes and a foray into the world of BDSM, but it doesn’t show the development of a relationship, and I have a hard time believing Amy and Roan really do start falling for each other. Their situation began to make me feel a bit squicky, but it’s addressed after a scene where Amy is attacked. (Not by Roan.)

I liked the ending and the storyline; I just had a hard time believing that such a relationship did develop between Amy and Roan. They spent too much of the novella isolating their emotions, and the ending was disjointed. I know that was the “point” – but it felt too contrived for me.

Grade: C

The Deal by Anya Bast

Cassidy and James are two very fun characters that I enjoyed reading about. Cassidy has decided she’s going after James, and that’s that. She took an emotional hit after her fiancé stood her up at the altar, so to protect herself, but still “take care” of herself, she’s going to address her attraction to James with a “friends with benefits” proposition.

For his part, James has been hot for Cassidy since the first time he met her. Unfortunately, she was taken by his friend. In fact, he was supposed to be their best man. He held off because he doesn’t poach, and later, because he’s a good guy and doesn’t want to rush Cassidy into something she’s not ready for.

I love “friends to lovers” stories, and The Deal is a great example of one. Not only is it hot, but you can feel the connection between James and Cassidy. They’re three dimensional characters that you find yourself rooting for, and sympathizing with.

A great contribution to the anthology, with a very cute ending.

Grade: B+

Overall, I enjoyed What Happens in Vegas and am being won over to the Spice Line. This is a fun anthology and a nice intro into the line and a great way to dip your toes into the erotic romance seas if you haven’t taken a dip yet.

Overall Grade: B-

Summary:

Winning it big.

That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

Check out an excerpt here and here.

What Happens In Vegas by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast

The Deal is the only story I have read in WHIV (so far I am going to get to Dane’s soon as I have an excerpt for it too and, oh yes, need to review this *g*).

Anya has long been one of my favorite eBook to print authors and this will be my first read of the other two (not Dane, read her before ). Great book to pick up for those two alone. And hey you get a chance here to not only get a sneak look at Anya Bast THE DEAL but to win a copy.

Woot!

Book Summary:

     Winning it big.

     That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

     Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

     Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

     Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

     Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high

Excerpt from The Deal by Anya Bast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We could be more than friends.”

She glanced away. He glimpsed shadows in her eyes before she turned her head. Bad. Shadows were very, very bad. She licked her lips nervously.

“We could be friends with benefits,” he amended, backpedaling. Judging by her body language, he needed to take this slow. He was losing her fast. James had always suspected another relationship might make her scared, even something as casual as the one he was proposing. Guess he’d been right.

All he knew was that he wanted her, in whatever capacity she would allow. James would always want more of her, whatever amount she was willing to give. For the time being, friendship with benefits sounded damn good to him.

“Cassidy?” he murmured, sliding his hand to her waist. She felt so warm, so perfect. “Listen to me.”

She looked back at him and her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes were dark, heavily-lidded, and her lips were parted a little. She looked interested…turned on.

Good. That was very, very good. He’d always wondered if she was attracted to him. Guess she was.

“I’ve been attracted to you since you were with Damian,” he continued. “I’ve wanted you in a bad way for a long time, Cassidy girl. I don’t want to be just friends with you; I want you in my bed.” He paused. “I want to have a very skin-on-skin kind of relationship with you.”

Cassidy looked stunned. His heart pounding, fearing he was about to crash and burn and lose a friend in the process, he let his face drift closer to hers. She didn’t move away.

“I’ve been attracted to you too, James. I always thought it was against the rules, you know?” she murmured practically against his lips. “Since we’re friends.”

“Let’s make new rules.”

Their breath mingled, lips brushed, and then he kissed her.

Her lips felt wooden beneath his for a moment, and then she melted and kissed him back. Every nerve in his body shot to life with hunger.

She twisted, leaning into him so he could feel her breasts against his chest, and eased her hands slowly up his arms and over his shoulders.

James let his hands find her waist, then slanted his mouth over hers and flicked his tongue against her lips. Damn it. He wanted to pull her over onto his lap. He wanted to undress her, set her up on this bar and fuck her senseless.

She opened for him and he slipped his tongue inside. He could taste whiskey in the hot, soft interior of her mouth, but that wasn’t what made him feel drunk.

They broke the kiss, both breathing heavy. “Cassidy, come home with me,” he murmured against her lips.

“But…” She bit her lower lip for a moment. “How do I know you’re any good in bed?” she asked with a little teasing grin playing around her lips.

He groaned and eased a hand between her knees. “What, you want a demonstration?” he murmured. He didn’t wait for her answer; he just eased his hand up her inner thigh, underneath the hem of her skirt. His actions were hidden from anyone’s view by the overhanging ledge of the bar and the dim light.

His fingers found the edge of her thigh high stockings. Oh, hell. His brain was going to melt. Thigh high stockings. This was the outer limits of heaven itself.

His cock was rock hard now. James raised an eyebrow in question at her as he rubbed his index finger over the bare skin at the top of her stocking.

“They’re more comfortable than the other kind,” she answered breathlessly in explanation, a blush faintly tingeing her cheeks.

“Lucky for me you think so,” he purred into her ear. He hooked her hair behind her ear with his free hand and whispered, “Spread your legs for me, baby. I need to touch you.”

She shifted on the stool, giving him room to move. He traveled up further and soon felt the heat of her pussy against his hand. Yes, he’d reached the gates of heaven. She’d spread her thighs as much as her skirt would allow. It was enough. He eased his fingers over her sweet, plump little clit through the cotton of her panties. He wanted to feel it against his tongue.

Cassidy inhaled sharp and fast as he stroked her, teasing her clit into a swollen, needy thing. He brushed his lips against hers, then kissed her again, sliding his tongue in between her lips, while he pushed the panel of her panties to the side and touched her bare pussy.

Around them people talked and laughed, and ignored them. That was good because he had every intention of making Cassidy orgasm right here and now.

© Anya Bast Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Anya is giving away one copy of What Happens In Vegas to a random commenter. Good Luck .

Gwen’s review of Witch Blood (Elemental Witches, Book 2) by Anya Bast
Contemporary paranormal romance published by Berkley 4 Mar 08

This second book in Bast’s Elemental Witches series was quite good.  I found myself staying up far too late to finish (5am! I’m too old for that).  It centers around a community of witches called the Coven (the good guys) and warlocks called the Duskoff Cabal (the bad guys) and the demons they summon (bad guys summon, that is).  Several facts about the origin of these witches is revealed in this book and it leads to some fun scenes in an alternate plane (plain?) of reality.

I grew to love the heroine, Isabelle, by the end of the book.  She is feisty, sarcastic, and rational enough to acknowledge how she feels and act on it.  I like the hero, Thomas (head of the Coven), though I never really warmed to him like I did Isabelle.  Perhaps that was Bast’s intention – to keep Thomas somewhat aloof and cool – and I can say she succeeded to an extent.  (The hero from Book 1, Jack, was the opposite.  LOVED him and all his fire (snort).)  The romance between Thomas and Isabelle developed thru the course of the book and it was fun to watch – Thomas’s declaration of love was really beautiful and made me very wistful.  (Hint to the guys out there – take tips from the way Thomas did it – it was downright beautiful and romantic and the right way to do it.)

This world is becoming increasingly complex and interesting.  The introduction of the alternate reality was an interesting twist toward the end of the book.  I didn’t like the re-introduction of a key character back into the normal plane of reality, though.  It seemed rushed.  The story and drama is interesting and resolves relatively satisfactorily, though it is left hanging somewhat because of the nature of a series.  (See my Ponderings post for my thoughts on that.)  The secondary characters, with the exception of the villain(s), don’t play as important a role in this book as in the first.  The HEA is very nice, if a bit rushed at the end.

I would recommend this book to fans of Bast and paranormal romance.  It’s enough of a love story that perhaps some mainstream romance fans may even like it – not too much ’woo woo’ in it.  Witch Blood can stand on its own, though I recommend reading the first book because it was so much fun and will make this book that much more enjoyable.

Grade: B  (would have been higher if the ending hadn’t been so rushed)

Blurb: A water witch, Isabelle Novak has always led a chaotic, nomadic existence. But her life spins out of control when her sister—her only friend and emotional anchor—is killed by a demon. Driven by grief and a desire for revenge, she turns her back on the Coven and the rede they hold sacred: Harm thee none…

When Isabelle first encounters Thomas Monahan, she’s running on pure rage and sorrow, channeling her pain into power—and trying to freeze the life out of a warlock she holds responsible for her sister’s death. Together, they form an uneasy alliance to hunt and destroy a demon of tremendous power. As head of the Coven, earth witch Thomas must thwart Isabelle’s dark impulses, but his very presence stirs deeper desires she never knew she had…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:
 Read my review here.

Gwen Reviews some truly bad, or truly so-so, books
Various types of romances from three different publishers

As most of you bloggers know, writing a review post is a labor of love.  It’s time-consuming and requires no small effort.  It’s a true pleasure to write a review post for a book you love, or a book you think others may love (but perhaps you only liked).  Sometimes it’s also a pleasure to write a review post for a book you hate – you want to warn others and, hey, if we’re honest with ourselves, being snarky can be fun in small doses.

So this post has short reviews for six books that fit somewhere in between “love” and “snark.”  Six books that don’t deserve a whole post of their own, but also don’t deserve to be completely ignored – for good or, heh heh, bad.

Here goes nuthin’…

Review 1:  Taboo – Taking on the Law by Cheyenne McCray
Erotica eBook published 27 Apr 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This novella is about a woman who, after a laughably bad day, is pulled over by the town sheriff – a sheriff who is a former boyfriend, is supposedly into BDSM (along with his roommates), and who has a serious hard-on for our heroine.  Go here for the book blurb and excerpt.

This book is terrible on several levels: the characterizations are awful, the sex scenes are laughable, and the premise is so flawed I think I saw the San Andreas in there somewhere.  I mean, the sheriff having sex on the side of the road may not be that unusual, but in broad daylight, outside, and right on the side of the road?  Nuh uh.  As hot as that scene may be in my fantasies, it was just stupid in this book and I was never able to suspend my disbelief long enough to enjoy the eroticism.

Nevertheless, ignoring for a moment the truly silly relationship between the hero and heroine, let’s look McCray’s superficial and, to be honest, insulting treatment of the Dom/sub lifestyle.  While it’s not my cuppa tea, the reasons behind a Dom/sub choice are often profound and, from what I gather, have more to do with emotions than simple sexual titillation.  Ms McCray fails to see that and abuses the premise beyond all rationale.  (For what I think is a more honest view into this lifestyle, check out the third story in Jaci Burton’s “Wild, Wicked, & Wanton“.)

This novella was simply porn that really wasn’t worth the effort to read.

Grade: F

Review 2: Spin Devil by Red Garnier
Erotica eBook published 1 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This book is about friends who meet again at a class reunion and rekindle relationships.  The title refers to a “spin the bottle” game where they use a stuffed devil instead of a bottle.  Read the book blurb and excerpt here.

This story, a.k.a. piece of offal, uses gang rape as an acceptable means of seduction.  ‘Nuff said, I think.  Don’t bother with this one.

Grade: F-

Review 3: Naughty Nuptials – Tentacles of Love by Margaret Carter
Paranormal erotic romance eBook published 30 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



This short story is about a young couple celebrating their engagement by visiting the groom-to-be’s brother.  This brother lives in the attic of a remote house that has the appearance of being abandoned.  The groom-to-be also has a secret to reveal to his proposed bride.  Read the blurb and excerpt here.

This book wasn’t as bad as the others I’m reviewing here, but all it got from me was a “meh” so I didn’t feel like bothering with a full review.  It’s a cute story with some rather silly, bizarre elements.  If you like a little fantasy/sci-fi with your erotic romance, this is the story for you.  Just don’t expect much.

Grade: C-

Review 4: Whisper of the Blade by Anya Bast
Paranormal erotic romance published 16 May 07 by Ellora’s Cave



I dislike when someone qualifies their opinion before they give it.  I think everyone should stand by what they say – good or bad.  Even so.  Let me start this opinion piece by saying that I really like Anya Bast’s work.  I’ve never before been disappointed by it.  But, then I read this short novel and that changed.  It left me wanting.  Oh, and I hate the cover.

The book’s premise is an alternate plane of existence where extrasensory Talents can be found.   Emmia, our heroine, is an empath and a Justice Mercenary – a kind of judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.  She is hired by one of our heroes, Quinn, to find out if the other hero, Magnus (another empath), is guilty of murder.  There’s some nice emotional development and hot sensuality, all wrapped up with an interesting story.  Good so far.

There some seriously steamy scenes between Quinn and Emmia, Emmia and Magnus, Quinn and Magnus, and then between Quinn, Emmia, and Magnus.  That’s all fine and good, but somewhere among all the hot, hot sex scenes, we lose the story.  Emmia seems to forget why she’s there – to judge Magnus.  The resolution to the murder mystery literally falls on top of the sex-crazed trio. There’s no Nancy Drew moment.  How disappointing.

Grade: C-

Review 5: A Much Younger Man by Veronica Wilde
Erotic romance eBook published 1 Feb 07 by Liquid Silver Books



This book’s pemise is, wait for it, an older woman who meets a younger man.  They supposedly fall in love and have an HEA.  Read the blurb and excerpt here.  Sybil reviewed it here.

This book just skeeved me out.  It wasn’t the younger man and older woman thing.  I kind of dig that.  I mean, who doesn’t want a young hunk warming their sheets.  What skeeved me out was how emotionally immature both the man and woman were.  I mean, what half-way smart 33 year old woman would let a 22 year old guy (who still lives with his parents) take erotic photos of her with a camera-phone?!  DUH!  How stupid can you get?  And she’s a 4th grade TEACHER!!  Ewww.

Couldn’t the author have picked a more appropriate couple?  The story would have been so much better with just ten more years on both characters.

Grade: D-

Review 6: The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane
Historical romance to be published 1 Jul 07 by Harlequin Historicals



Sybil will probably hate me for including this book in this dump post, but I can’t help it.  I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.

This book’s premise is a “stranger” arrives on a widow’s ranch and helps her do repairs for food and a dry place to sleep.  They come to depend on each other, love each other, all while managing to overcome some common traumatic events.  She doesn’t know he’s one of the drifters who, 5 years earlier, was involved in her husband’s murder.  Read the book blurb and excerpt here.

This wasn’t a horrible book, but it wasn’t a terribly good one either.  Several of the plot elements were driven home again and again and again and again.  And again.  I got sick of reading about how she would hate him once she found out who he really was – enough already.  I also felt that Caleb’s characterization was inconsistent and he was portrayed as a bit of a coward on more than one occasion – very unattractive.  Too many trite plot devices were used (kid gets sick and is nursed back, hero gets sick and is nursed back, flood, wanted man, rich rancher wants the heroine, etc.)  I yawned big and wide a couple of times while reading this book.

Grade: C-

That’s all folks. For now…

Gwen’s review of Witch Fire (Elemental Witches, Book 1) by Anya Bast
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Sensation 5 Jun 07

Witch Fire is the first of a new series by Anya about witches, warlocks, demons, and presumably other things that go bump in the night.  Oh, and romance, of course.  This outing is set in present day Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York.  The main characters are an air witch, Mira Hoskins, and a fire witch, Jack McAllister.  There’s a large cast of secondary characters – Anya is setting us up for more books in this series and for lots of conflict that will be juicy to resolve.

The “long lost orphan who doesn’t know her own powers” chestnut notwithstanding, this was a very fun book.  Anya has created a very credible alternate reality.  The witches are powerful and fallible (always an interesting combination); the premise and details are unique, the story pacing and arcs are satisfying; and the erotic scenes are hot but don’t overwhelm the romance or the story.  All in all, a class A effort (and I’m pretty picky).

I really liked Jack and Mira by the end of the book and wanted more.  I love a good series – gives me a chance to get to know a world and its characters.

I recommend that my fellow paranormal romance fans buy this when it comes out next week.  Here’s hoping it’s the start of something wonderful.

Grade: B+ (it was too short)

Summary:
.
Mira Hoskins doesn’t know she’s a natural born witch who possesses the rare–and powerful–element of air. She also never expected to find herself tied to a mahogany bed frame, captive to a man who aches to fulfill her every desire and let loose the magick that dwells inside her.
.
Heat emanates from elemental fire witch Jack McAllister. The Coven, a governing authority of witches, has sent him to protect Mira from a band of warlocks who drain witches of power and life. Long ago, he saw Mira’s parents murdered by this same dark magick. He’d like to quell his guilt and offer her everything she deserves. But she’s the long-lost cousin of his boss–making seduction off-limits.
.
With Jack’s strong guidance, Mira is luring forth her inner magick. But his sense of duty is quickly swelling into insatiable hunger. They warned him about the natural attraction between air and fire. Now he risks being consumed by the woman he shouldn’t want–but can’t stay away from.
.
Read an excerpt.

Adrianna Dane book information and blog

Devon Andromeda, a Nanus-altered Argadian Enforcer of the First Level, is assigned the mission to hunt down and eliminate Eluria Zydon, a rebel leader, who also happens to be the daughter of an Elite Tribunal Commander. Enforcers are altered and trained as assassins who retain no memories, or humanoid emotions that would hamper their purpose. Aggression is the only emotion unblocked in an Enforcer; the Tribunal directs their existence.

Eluria Zydon’s life is filled with more than enough memories and emotions for both Devon and her. She lives with the guilt of past injustice and her life has been dedicated to finding the cure to set Devon and those like him free. It is a payment she prays will also free her soul once and for all from her tormenting past.

Confrontation on the lifeless planet, Serdion, will change them both forever. An explosion delivers Devon into Eluria’s hands. An experimental drug opens the floodgates to Devon’s emotions…and his memory. The first emotion he faces, and must learn to control, is desire. Eluria has been trained as a Twilight Companion and has the knowledge to help him harness his passions. Will he accept her help? Or is his only intent to complete his mission—her termination?

Ebuzz bought to you today by the letter M and the number 3.

Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Anya Bast aka Maverick Authors can be found causing trouble together OR on their own

Scissors, Sparkles and Piston EBuzz
( Key: Lauren Dane=Scissors, Megan Hart=Sparkles, Anya Bast=Piston)

Piston- I really love how Adrianna Dane created a unique world in her novel, Eluria’s Enforcer, complete with its own laws, customs and religion. I loved it so much that I wanted more of it. I wish this book had been about twice as long and had really delved into this planet and its peoples.

Scissors – I did really like the worldbuilding here. I love sci fi and futuristics and I don’t see nearly enough of them in the romance world so I was thrilled to see that (the other) Dane had done it. I also felt like I wanted more. I looked her up though and she’s got a second installment that comes after this one. I’d love to have seen her fleshed this out to at least twice the length it was! But she left me wanting more and that made me go to look and see if she had it, all very good signs.

Sparkles: One of the great things about a good SF story is the world building and use of different languages, history and cultures. I found a lot to enjoy in Eluria’s Enforcer. Adrianna Dane obviously put a lot of thought into her world, including religion, politics and society. I had a little problem with the vocabulary sometimes, keeping all the new words straight, but overall really liked what she did with the story and weaving background in without overloading it all at once. And alien sex! Woo! Let me say that reading alien sex is ALWAYS interesting, but the physical make up of Eluria and Devon surely did leave an impression on me. It was familiar and yet different enough to keep me reading.

Piston – The story is set mostly in a cave and the plot focuses on the resumption of a former romance between Devon and Eluria. After reading Eluria’s Enforcer, I feel confident that Ms. Dane is completely capable of writing a substantial science fiction plot and wish there had been more of that. However, as an author I know you can’t please everyone, and every reader brings different expectations to a book.

Scissors – I quite liked that she narrowed the focus to that cave. I thought it gave a depth and intensity to the storyline that it wouldn’t have necessarily had if they’d been all over the place throughout, especially at this length.

Sparkles: I both agree and disagree. I think narrowing it to the cave worked for this story, but I’d have loved to read more about what was going on in the rest of the world. Sequel?

Piston – Perhaps this world will be more thoroughly explored in a sequel or two? I definitely scented a couple spin off characters in there. Perhaps Devon’s brother Alekos and maybe even Kierra, Devon’s sister. On a final note, the only quibble I had with the worldbuilding were the foreign words Dane uses for sexual organs and sexual slang. I find these distance the reader from the eroticism. So, in my opinion, the book could have been a little hotter.

Scissors – this is the kind of thing that bugs me in all sci fi/fantasy books. I understand that it’s a different world and they’d use different words and all, but at some points it got to be too much and I had to stop to look back or remember what it is she was referring to. A little of this convention goes a long way, IMO.

Sparkles: I didn’t mind the vocabulary referring to body parts. Those I kept straight. LOL! The ones I had problems with were the names of the rocks and minerals, and stuff in the cave though to be honest, had they been the “real” words I wouldn’t have done any better keeping them straight.

Piston – The writing was clear and the plot was well structured, I just wanted more of it. That said, I found this to be an engaging and enjoyable story and I’d definitely read any sequels that Dane releases.

Scissors – While I wouldn’t call Eluria’s Enforcer an “erotic” romance, it was a very readable and enjoyable romance. I did like the chemistry between the H/H and I thought both were likeable and three dimensional characters. I truly enjoyed Eluria’s Enforcer and I’ll be checking out the sequel to continue on in this world Adrianna Dane had created.

Sparkles: I liked the sex. It was well thought out and in keeping with the world. I must admit to a personal “squick” about all things anal, but hey, everyone’s got their own thing. I thought how she created a new reproductive system was well thought out and worked in the story. As for it being erotic, I will say I found myself fascinated by the actual goings on more than turned on by them, but that’s coming from a writer’s viewpoint and not a reader’s. I was saying things like “cool!” and “ooh, how neat!” I really liked the effort she put into the s/f aspect of the story. It left me satisfied on many levels. Great job!

Thanks for the buzz guys! Always nice to hear of a new author to try. Eluria’s Enforcer can be purchase here.

And the fearsome threesome have a nice size back list, well if size matters I think Hart is the biggest. I highly recommend Playing the Game by Megan Hart, Triad by Lauren Dane and Winter Pleasures: The Training by Anya Bast.