We’ve seen some seismic changes recently, but basically the market is running to stay still. I realized recently that it doesn’t matter a lot to me, or it shouldn’t. Let me explain.

When I write, I write for me. I write the stories I want to read. It’s why I wrote my first story at seven years old, and it’s why I write now. Like many authors, I started with fan fiction, only it wasn’t called that then. I did Georgette Heyer fanfic, and that forced me to evaluate what I wanted to see in the stories, and I wrote my own versions, or did a continued story. I didn’t write sex then, not at thirteen, when I started scribbling in earnest, but I did write more intimacy. More cuddling, more togetherness, more kissing. That was how I finally realized I wrote romance. I wrote about what kept the couple apart and how they came to each other.

It took me a long time to realize that I didn’t write about external events principally, but about what’s going on inside—and I don’t just mean the sex. How the couple have to evolve to come to each other and to make a success of their lives together. That takes bravery and strength. That, in a nutshell, is why I write romance. And it’s why I won’t compromise that part and why I want to try to get better and better.

I revise and edit for the reader. Ultimately, the person I get my money from is the reader. The relationship with my readers is extremely important to me. That’s why, despite not being what you might call independently wealthy from my writing, I spend a big chunk of change flying across to the RT Booklover’s Convention every year. I meet readers there, and they let me know what they want. Oh yes, and it’s huge fun.

But I don’t sell to the reader, I sell to publishers. I don’t currently have an agent, having parted company with lovely Isabel a year or so ago, and I’ve been happy building my career in the sphere I know well, the digital-first scene. Recently that has changed almost beyond recognition. It’s become a viable market in its own right, and some companies have pulled ahead in the game. Most notably, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Carina, and Loose-Id. I’m proud to say that I write for all of those companies, so they have liked something about what I do.

Market is becoming more and more important to digital-first publishers.

If I may digress a little (bear with me, it’s relevant, honest!), a few years ago I wanted a pair of flat-front trousers. This was when pleated front trousers were fashionable. So fashionable that, outside jeans, it wasn’t possible to find them. When I asked, I was told “there’s no call for them.” Well yes, there was. Me. I’m too short to make that look work for me. Looking around, I saw other height-challenged women who also wanted flat-front trousers. A year later, the stranglehold disappeared, much to our relief. But I stopped wearing trousers then, except for jeans, and I’ve never really gone back.

Something similar happens in writing, too.

Something becomes popular and the publisher will look for more of the same. They had to gear themselves to what they could sell. Not what the reader wants, that’s something different, and always will be. But what the majority of the market would tolerate.

This has led to publishers flooding the market with a certain type of book until the market (that’s you and me) tires of it. That’s why most historicals currently tend to be the frothy variety – low on history, high on fun and sex. The lack of history has become so pronounced that ‘historical’ has to be put in inverted commas. I give the publisher enough nous to know they are not publishing historicals anymore. If they had wanted to, they could have ensured historical veracity, but that’s not what’s selling right now. I’m currently finding myself in the flat-front trouser situation. I want something the market isn’t currently providing. I see staleness growing in the market, the readers who last year would have grabbed all of them off the shelves becoming a little disillusioned. When that happens, the core of a strong subsector remains. So, say, when sales for the frothy ‘historicals’ declines, the publishers will be ready with something else.

That means the authors of the ‘frothy’ will decline. In brutal terms, that means that, although their books are just as good as they ever were, they’ll find themselves out in the cold, without a contract. Unless they can adapt and write to their editor’s new demands. Most can and will. But if their hearts remain in the frothy category, if that’s what they really love to write, they have just started “writing to the market.” Their fans might become disillusioned or just not enjoy the books as much as they used to. They might not know why, just that either their tastes have changed or they sense the lack of spark in books they used to love.

Which leaves the writer out in the cold, writing books she doesn’t really believe in for a dwindling readership.

That’s one reason why I won’t ever “write to the market,” although I will respect my reader and try to make sure that the brand of romance that I write is as satisfying as I can make it and shows the reader respect. She deserves her happy ending, and she deserves the best I can do.

I write angsty historical romances that deal with the inner dilemmas of the people involved, and I try to keep the stories as accurate as I can to historical reality. That isn’t what the market wants right now, but I won’t force myself into a mold that doesn’t fit me. I believe that if I try, writing won’t be fun anymore and will turn into ‘just another job.’ I won’t let that happen. So I’ll continue to write what I love to read. I don’t write light-hearted “Regency James Bond,” high-concept stories, and I don’t find much enjoyment reading them, although I have nothing against the people who do. In fact, it’s lovely to know that people get enjoyment from reading, when they could be playing “Angry Birds” or watching movies.

Similarly, with the paranormals, I write the angsty, dark kind which, luckily for me, are popular right now. I want to write about adults that have come part of the way but need an extra push to get there, to their personal nirvana.

Recently I came close to pulling a book that had been edited to be something I didn’t want it to be. Never sure about the quality of my writing (seeds of doubt niggle!), I’d let myself believe that my work was deteriorating in quality. I now know that not to be true, and I believe that my work no longer fits what that editor or publisher requires. A spiral of depression didn’t help, neither did a deteriorating hard drive that wasn’t saving my work properly. But that’s my problem, not something that should concern an editor or a reader, and something I’ve since dealt with.

Thankfully, I rescued it in the edits, although the drastic changes required made me lose faith in it for a time. But I restored some of what I wanted to achieve. It’s a salutory lesson, to write something you know is “good enough,” but to have it not find a home. But I’m still happy with the book, and I know it will belong somewhere one day. There might be other things going on, but I realized that they’re not something I can do anything about, or change, so I’m best just keeping to doing what I do and being upfront about it.

It happens to a lot of writers. A publisher or editor previously enthusiastic about an author can turn lukewarm, or even not welcome their work, and it’s not always down to the author or what she is producing. So the author has to have faith in herself but not to allow that faith to turn into arrogance, a belief that everything they do is perfect. It’s a difficult line to tread, and that’s where good author friends come in.

It was a new one for me and I didn’t cope with it particularly well at the time. I’ve always tried to get better and better, and what I write never matches up to the vision in my head, but these days I have the skills, technical and artistic, so I can get closer to realizing what I want to achieve. However, years of learning and refining leads to a lack of self-confidence. Most of the writers I have ever met feel that. It makes them vulnerable, especially to the publisher who wants a commercial product and urges the writer to write to that ideal. Or, these days, to reject the book without adequate reason. Publishers are far too busy these days to nurture and encourage established talent. If a writer puts in a query that hits the market square-on, it’s easier, in the short term, to take that book and go with the new writer, rather than continue to develop the career of a more established one. Doing that maximizes profits. And it’s a sad fact that for every published, accomplished writer, there are a hundred just as accomplished but unpublished ones. Also a sad fact that publisher’s margins have shrunk, so much that their savior is the digital section, so some publishers have decided to squeeze that sector until it squeaks. They give the author a derisory amount of royalties and jack the price right up.

The only thing a writer has going for her is loyal readership. Some have so much that they can set out on their own. Some have enough to ensure continued sales. Most are encouraged to believe that they have to survive book to book, and in many cases, that is now leading to authors leaving the market entirely. It happens quietly and steadily. It always has. Occasional calls for “whatever happened to…?” appear, but on the whole, the writer slips away unnoticed.

Here’s a test. If you’re a Harlequin reader, as I am, look at the writers you’ve read and see how many of them are still writing for that line, how many have moved on to different companies, and how many have simply disappeared. Very often it’s pressure to write something they don’t want to or can’t, a change in company policy, for instance, or direction they don’t want to follow.

Why should the reader care? Well, the answer is, of course, that she shouldn’t. There’s no need for her to, unless she’s finding that she can’t get the books she enjoys anymore or that her favorite writer has disappeared. Most keep a dignified silence, choosing to leave with grace, rather than to expose private hurts and slights in public. Most realize that it happens, has always happened, and most likely will continue to happen. Or they’ll start all over again, under another name. That’s something the reader isn’t always aware of, by the way. I know at least two writers who have done that recently, started with a new name and persona, as well as a new style and even genre, and not ‘fessed up to it publicly. Which leads to another question. Where does fiction actually end in those cases? That could be an interesting topic to explore another time.

So where is Judith Ivory, and why isn’t she writing anymore?

Sandy M’s review of Sinful Intentions by Amy Redwood
Paranormal Romance published by Ellora’s Cave 24 Feb 11

I always try new authors when they offer werewolves to read. Those alpha beasts just rev my motor.

But one thing that hangs me up when reading a shifter story is when there’s not a whole lot of shifting going on. If that happens, then everything else, characters, storyline, etc, has to be extraordinary. While I did like this book to a certain extent, there’s just not enough wolf for me, which is the main reason I requested to read and review it.

First, the characters. Katherine is on her honeymoon in New Zealand alone after discovering her fiance’s infidelity. While in this beautiful country where she’s originally from, she’s going to sell her grandmother’s house, the home where she grew up, and also take some time to regroup. But meeting a stranger at the airport and sharing the close confines of a taxi with him puts her on a different path than anticipated. Starting with a one-night stand with the handsome man. “Welcome sex,” he calls it. Welcome, indeed.

I like Trent for the most part. He knows he can’t really have anything with Katherine because of his “nature.” His life is planned out, even so far as who he’ll marry. But he can’t stay away from Katherine. When he’s with her, the scenes are intense and raw at times, including the love scenes, but when he realizes nothing long-lasting can be had, he becomes rude and walks out.  I know it’s because he’s trying to save hurt for all involved, but sometimes his actions even go beyond alphaness. That’s a very fine line and Trent does cross it a time or two, which makes him a bit less appealing, despite his wolfishness. But he’s still sexy and knows how to please a woman, so those issues do balance out for me, especially with what transpires near the end of the book.

Katherine doesn’t get a pass on attitude either. She takes the “it’s my house and I’ll do what I want” bit to the edge. As she does with the vacillation concerning her fiance. She hasn’t talked to him since she left him, thinks she should, even goes so far to think she should maybe stay with him. Sorry, that sucker doesn’t deserve a second thought from her, so that wishy-washy-ness did irritate me.

What makes up for those little tidbits, however, is the twist at the end. And Trent’s about-face. But it’s the lack of shifting that I really couldn’t get past. If you’re going to give me a wolf, give me a wolf. I like the thoughts and mannerisms and whatnot that show up in human form, but just give me the darned wolf to go along with the rest. Ms. Redwood does have a couple of other shifter books on her backlist and I’d like to give them a try. I’m ever hopeful.

Grade: C+

Summary:

A jilted bride, a wolfishly sexy stranger, one sinful attraction under New Zealand’s sun.

When Katherine finds out her fiancé cheated on her, her heart is bruised. With a mission to get her life back on track, she takes the first flight to Auckland, New Zealand. And bumps heads with a sexy stranger. Their attraction is instant, powerful and undeniable. Taking a vacation from being a good girl, she succumbs to this sinful stranger who pushes the limits of her sexual needs as he explores every inch of her body. No strings of course.

Trent seduces her…in a bed, at the beach, in a truck, against the wall…until the wolf within him lifts its head and pays attention. Suddenly, after a tiny bite, it’s everything but no-strings.

Read an excerpt.

I have Raelene Gorlinksy’s permission to pass on the following information. This was an internal memo, but it will affect all readers.

“In December, we will be rebranding (renaming) and relaunching the Cerridwen Press romance books under the Ellora’s Cave umbrella. They will become a new line on the EC website, clearly defined as sweet through sensual romances – not erotic. Most romance readers do not stick to just erotic romances, they read non-erotic also, so we need to make them more aware of our books. Plus, for authors who write both EC and CP under the same pen name, your author page will then list all your books in one place.

The site will include a gateway page explaining/defining the line, making it clear it is not erotic. And we will still provide a breakdown for readers by subgenre: contemporary, historical, paranormal, etc., including Cotillion (traditional sweet Regencies). The Cerridwen books to be moved to the new line are romances and the stories with romantic elements (for example, a mystery series with a continuing romantic subplot). For books we consider non-romances, we will return the rights to the authors effective December 31, 2010.

The www.cerridwenpress.com URL will continue to exist and will be a pointer to the www.ellorascave.com site. We will provide more information (line name, exact relaunch date, and so forth) as it becomes set.”

As a writer for Ellora’s Cave, I think this is a good move. My books sometimes verge on the non-erotic, because I let the characters dictate the heat, and it will give me more freedom to go where the story leads. I think it will give the publisher more cohesion.

I think it might be time to talk about ebooks. Yes, I know, overkill recently, much? But I’ve been in epublishing for 10 years now, and yes, it has been going that long. Longer, actually.

Recently, folks in the industry have been going nuts about ebooks. As if they’re a brand new thing, as if they invented them, for Heaven’s sake. In my legitimate job, one I haven’t done for years, I was a new market analyst, and they always, always follow the same pattern. What differs is the timing and the detail.

A market starts, and barriers to entry are low. That’s things like quality and consistency of product, so that the early products are often of poor quality and have limited distribution. And no, that’s not always. But the early entrants aren’t the companies who win through. Eventually someone comes along who sees that a quality product that is more easily available will sell more. So the NBI and Triskelions give way to the Ellora’s Cave and the Samhains, the Peaudouces to the Pampers (I did work intensively at the beginning of the disposable nappy market. Sorry and all that, but that’s the other new market I have close knowledge about). Then the big boys, the market leaders, whoever they are, get interested. There are always big boys. Because they have more of an understanding of the market, they have more staying power. And because they only provide the market with acceptable quality, they don’t over-specify, they’re more economically viable. They squeeze margins, and they make their regular suppliers take the new product by rewarding them with preferential rates on the existing ones. They have the money for the massive marketing budgets that new products and markets generally require, both directly in advertising and indirectly in news copy, magazine and TV items and the like. More importantly than initial sales, people come back for more. Depressingly these days it’s getting to be the same conglomerates – the Colgate Palmolives, the Penguins, and suchlike. They bland the product out, but they also provide consistency, a steady level of quality, and most importantly, the distribution the product needs to get the highest possible audience. Out of every 50 people who look at a product, who are exposed to it (ie who are told it exists) eventually buy. Along with this are the specialists, known to the trade as the niche markets. Sometimes these can become significant. Also the new market entrants can, if they play it canny, become part of the big game, either by partnering with a big name, or by becoming a predator and buying up the faltering marginal companies, the not-quite-there ones.

Look at any market you like and they follow those guidelines. I know, isn’t it depressing to be so predictable? But we are.

So what does it mean to me, as an author?

Very little. I got into the ebook market for very personal reasons, reasons that are so far from general that I don’t know anyone else who has followed the same pattern. I’m British, but I write American, apparently, and poor health drove me to give up working outside the home. Now I’m reasonably healthy again, the market I used to work in has moved on. But I couldn’t stay at home and do domestic stuff, so I moved from being a SAHM to a WAHM. Ebooks meant I was on a level playing field with my stable-mates. I’ve moved from NBI and the other smaller publishers to Ellora’s Cave, Samhain and Loose-Id, so I have a chance. They’re the most savvy epublishers around right now, and proud they picked me (I was always the last at school in sports lessons when they were picking teams! That kind of trauma lasts a long time, y’all). I’ve proved I’m good enough to get that far, and if the publishers keep their nerve and their identity, I have a chance of surviving. I’m already reconciled to seeing the big companies reinvent the wheel and push ebooks into a new, commercial market, one that will replace the loss of print sales. They’ll still be big boys. When smoking became socially unacceptable, the big tobacco companies changed their names and morphed into entertainment companies, with interests in casinos, holiday resorts and suchlike.

It’s been the making of Amazon. A few years ago, Amazon was making a loss on the book side and accounting for 4% of the market. With their aggressive promotion and bold introduction of the Kindle, they’ve claimed a big portion of the distribution market and increased their presence. How long they can hold on to that remains to be seen, but their key so far has been innovation and opportunity. They had an unparalleled distribution network, and apart from a few glitches, they’ve used it well.

But for me, a working author, it doesn’t mean a huge amount. I can do nothing to change how things go. I can just wave and feebly mention that I’m still here and as the market grows, my voice becomes feebler. All I can do is keep writing the stories I love and hope that someone else loves them, too. When I sit down at my computer every day to write, I don’t think “I’m writing an ebook” or “I’m writing a print book.” I just write books and hope that someone will like them. I keep writing and hope someone, somewhere gets as much pleasure out of reading them as I do writing them. Despite working in marketing for many years, I don’t seem to have the knack of selling myself. Which is why I’ve never thought about self-publishing. Frankly, I don’t have the nerve, or the money to throw at it. Or the time, come to that. I want to write.

It’s been brought strongly home to me that for the next few years at any rate, distribution will be the name of the game. The big publishers have some catching up to do, but they have lots of cash to throw at the problem, thanks in part to the pathetic royalty rate for ebook sales that many offer, or have offered in the past. Hopefully that’s about to change. It would be fantastic to see a publisher who honestly considers itself in partnership with the author do well, but that’s my dream. I can do nothing about it. Pushing myself forward, doing endless “buy my book” promos is self-defeating. Trying to be everywhere all the time is also a bit of a hiding to nothing. People don’t always want the author there all the time, intruding between them and their experience of a book. And if they can’t get hold of the book easily, if it’s not available at their choice of store, online or otherwise, they’ll pass. I can do nothing to affect that.

Yes, I’m pessimistic about my own success or otherwise in the long term, but it’s been a hell of a ride. I’ll keep writing, and I’m grateful for what I have. I’m grateful that people actually thought enough of my work to take me on and publish it. I’ll keep reading and sharing my opinions about what I write. I have learned that I have to be true to myself, and write what I love. Frankly, the money isn’t good enough for me to slog books out that I don’t believe in. But it’s good enough for me to worry about losing it. However, that is so not your problem. If you read my books and enjoy them, tell other people that you did. That would help a lot. Kthx. But not ‘bye.’ I’ll be around for a while, writing. “Scribble, scribble, scribble, eh Mr. Gibbon’? Just as well Gibbon kept on scribbling, or we wouldn’t have had “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”

Oh yes, and I should mention that I have a new book out. “Hareton Hall.” I absolutely loved writing it, my editor said it was the best Richard and Rose book so far, and I want to do more. You can get it at Samhain.  I’d love to talk about it, but I’m not sure how that will go down, so I wrote a short story to go with it. You can get “Barbara’s Wedding” for free at Smashwords, or for a dollar at Amazon (they wouldn’t let me put it out as a free read).

Sandy M’s review of Woman on the Run by Lisa Marie Rice
Contemporary Romance published by Ellora’s Cave 1 Oct 05

We haven’t had one of our A Duckie Looks Back reviews in quite some time. I’d been wanting to read this Lisa Marie Rice book for a while, so I’m killing two birds here. (I said birds, not ducks!) If I’d had more of this author’s books handy after devouring Pursuit, which she wrote under her pseudonym of Elizabeth Jennings, I would have been reading them too. This woman can write. She pulls you in immediately, gives you characters, especially heroes, you love (at least for me), and a storyline that won’t let go of you until the very last word is read.

Julia is in the proverbial wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing a mafia hit. She’s scheduled to testify against the mob boss who pulled the trigger, but in the meantime she’s been tossed in the Witness Protection Program. She’s now Sally Anderson, an elementary school teacher in Simpson, Idaho. She can’t get any further away from her life in Boston, all of it upscale.

Cooper is also sort of in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s looking for his best friend’s son’s teacher to talk about Rafael and the problems he’s having in school, because the boy’s father lately spends his time soused. However, it’s after school and Julia is in her room alone when she hears someone outside in the hallway. Arming herself with the only thing available — a Jack o’lantern the kids made just that afternoon — scared spitless, she wallops the intruder when he dares breach her sanctum. Needless to say, these two don’t hit off at first glance.

But there is a pull between them, and when Coop volunteers to shuttle Rafael from his ranch to Sally’s during the week for tutoring, they begin to learn about each other and their attraction can only grow. They have their moments in between, though, some contentious and some hilarious. But when they both finally give in to the feelings and lust, this is one explosive couple.

Of course, Coop is one of those dominant alpha males that I love to read about. He’s a former SEAL (which comes in handy later), and Julia makes him hard instantly and he stays hard for her no matter how often they have sex. Talk about explosive. He can’t control himself to go slow and easy when it comes to Julia. That’s what I love about Ms. Rice’s heroes. They don’t need a lot of words (and Cooper sure doesn’t) to let their heroines know how they feel about her and how she affects them.

While all of this excitement is going on, a professional assassin is very logically hacking away at the FBI’s computer system and figuring out where Julia is. He, and plenty of other wannabes, are out for the 2 mil on the pretty teacher’s head.

Cooper is determined to keep Julia safe when he discovers her secret and how inept the FBI has been at her protection. He takes over and when all hell breaks loose, thank goodness he’s around. But when relief settles on Julia in place of her fear, she can’t wait to get home, which causes Coop to say goodbye. But can he really walk away? Will Julia let him? Or will the killer get their job done after all?

Vintage Lisa Marie Rice. From sassy heroine to alpha hero to quirky secondary characters — who are all hoot — along with a twist at the end you don’t see coming, this hit the spot for my LMR fix. Now I want another.

Grade: A

Summary:

What’s a girl to do? Sophisticated urbanite Julia Devaux loves her life. What’s not to love? A fabulous job in publishing, wonderful friends, gorgeous apartment, the company of her beautiful though temperamental Siamese cat, Federico Fellini, she’s got it made. And then Julia has the bad taste to witness a Mob murder and her life goes straight down the toilet. Under the Witness Security program, Julia is relocated to the boondocks, a hundred miles from the nearest bookstore and Estee Lauder outlet, where the only fast food is deer and the only entertainment is sex with a laconic local rancher. Luckily, talking isn’t what Sam Cooper does best…

Former SEAL Sam Cooper can’t believe his luck when mystery woman Sally Anderson hits town. Simpson, Idaho, can’t even offer a decent cup of coffee let alone gorgeous new grade school teachers. The instant Cooper sees Sally, he stakes her out as his own. Granted, he’s not much good at talking, but he does his best to keep her happy. When he discovers her life is in danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe and with him. He’s not alone. The whole town of Simpson wants to keep her.

No excerpt found.

Sandy M‘s review of Time Storm by Samantha Winston
Erotic Romance ebook novella released by Ellora’s Cave 1 Nov 09 (reissue)

I’m a huge time travel fan, so that’s why I wanted to read this book for review. It’s a good thing there’s definitely some time traveling in this ebook because that’s about the only thing that worked.

Now, I know this is also an erotica and love scenes need to be more graphic, as well as the language than other genres.  But the way certain words are used over and over again, one right after the other with no variation page after page , and it’s not romantic, it’s not sexy, and it’s definitely not erotic. And the fact that we don’t get to know the hero and heroine that well from the beginning sets the tone for a story that never rises much beyond putting pornographic words on paper just for the sake of doing it . Giving a prologue about the heroine, in disguise, climbing through the hero’s window in the dead of night, blindfolding him, and then proceeding to screw his brains out because he’s leaving the next morning and she may never see him again for quite a while isn’t what a reader needs to get to know the lead characters. At least not this reader.

After that night Ian is lost at sea and for years Heather is lost herself, inconsolable after hearing the news of his death. Deciding it’s finally time to move on with her life, she makes the trip to the island where Ian died, hoping that being in that place will help her along. However, she ends up caught in a storm and when she awakens, she finds herself in another time being rescued by a shipful of pirates. It must be a tour ship and these crazy men are doing their job quite well. Or so Heather tries to tell herself.

But then she comes face to face with their captain and he’s the mirror image of her Ian. Come to find out, the captain’s name is also Ian and he can’t remember a thing before ten years ago when he was rescued pretty much as Heather just was.  It doesn’t take long for them to hit the sheets and that’s when his memories rush back to Ian, how he was lost at sea, his rescue, and of course he remembers Heather, both as the young girl who followed him everywhere and as the woman who came to him that last night, even despite her efforts to keep that from him.

The actual time travel part of this story isn’t all that bad. It’s a little see-through, you figure out quite early on what’s going to happen. But I never felt invested in these characters because I just never got to know them well. The twist at the end is pretty good and about the best thing in the book, but that’s simply not enough to pull this books from such depths of nothingness. I just wish the author would have taken less time with the so-called erotic part of the story and instead give us more about Ian and Heather. It would have made the whole thing so much better.

Grade: F

Summary:

Ian’s loss at sea left Heather shattered. Now she’s come to say goodbye. But her love defies time, and a sudden storm transports her to 1770…and Ian.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Warrior’s Release by Tea Trelawny
Paranormal Time Travel Romance ebook published by Ellora’s Cave 1 Jun 09

This is my first book by Tea Trelawny,and I have to say it’s not going to be my last. I know I requested to review this book because of the paranormal aspect, but there is so much more to it, several layers to the story that make it more interesting and intriguing characters that make it a darned good read.

First there’s the story of Kian and Alderette, a newly married 12th century Welsh couple who have yet to consummate their marriage. Kian was called to battle immediately after their vows were said, and now three days later he’s home to claim his wife. Before their final pleasure can be had, however, Kian’s enemy has breeched their home, killing Alderette in her marriage bed, leaving Kian to exact revenge. During this last battle as a storm rages, lightning strikes and his spirit is imprisoned in his sword for the next eight hundred years.

Present day finds Collin and Gwen coming together again when their work brings them to Caer Dyas castle in Wales. Four years previously they’d had a week-long affair before Collin shipped out to Iraq. But he left without saying goodbye, leaving Gwen alone with her love and in misery, something she can’t forget nor forgive. But seeing Collin again is more difficult than she thought it would be, the man still holds her heart. However, there’s just one thing that even her heart can’t get around.

Suffering injuries  in a suicide bombing during the war, Collin’s life has changed dramatically since he left Gwen years before. He is now impotent, the only reason he won’t try to pick up where they left off, and he can now see and communicate with spirits, a reason he knows Gwen will not want what they had before. If he can only prove to her that this new ability of his is real, perhaps they can have something after all.

During a storm when Collin picks up the Sword of Kian, which has called to him more than once, lightning once again strikes, this time throwing the medival warrior into Collin’s mind and body. Besides learning the exact truth of what happened to Kian and his wife centuries before, Collin’s body also benefits from being possessed by a man as virile as Kian. Loving Gwen is something Collin never thought to experience ever again.

Rediscovering each other amid all the paranormal activities afoot in the castle is nearly overshadowed with the discovery of another spirit in residence, this one malevolent in nature. Gwen is forced to finally believe when seeing such things for herself, and she and Collin must work together to bring peace to all of them, ghosts included.

I enjoyed this story mostly because it’s so different from anything I’ve read before. I don’t normally read ghost stories, romance or not, but this one with its many layers in the storyline may just change my mind on that score. I liked the characters, including Collin’s twin siblings who help in his ghostbusting.

Ms. Trelawny does a good job all around in this book, and I definitely would like to read more of her stories. She’s a new author to keep an eye on.

Grade: B+

Summary:

A medieval warrior returns from battle with one thought—to bed his bride. But on the brink of consummation, lightning strikes, imprisoning his lusty spirit in his own sword.

Eight centuries later, another lightning bolt releases him into modern-day war vet Collin Morgan. The warrior’s hot blood not only cures Collin’s war-induced impotence, it drives him to bed his former lover Gwen Gardner when they meet by chance at the medieval castle.

Collin broke Gwen’s heart years ago and she resists his spirited seductions—at first. But when electrical storms give the ghost command of his body, Collin becomes a tantalizing seducer whose new techniques stir Gwen’s desires beyond her control. She surrenders her body and her heart.

But the warrior’s spirit is not the only one haunting the castle, and when this new danger threatens, whose soul will survive?

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Vision Captured (Leopard Series, Book 5) by Lorie O’Clare
Paranormal Romance published by Ellora’s Cave 1 Jun 09

I’ve a read a few of Lorie O’Clare’s books before, mostly her wolf stories. This is my first of her Leopard series, and I think I’ve been missing some really good stuff. I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this series more than her wolves.

I liked everything about this book. The plot of a megalomaniac leopard rounding up those of his kind who have visions of the future to eventually utilize for his own purposes; the heroine a lone leopard living away from any pride, independent and kick-ass; the hero, who is to die for, is a hunter of rogue leopards when need be but a problem solver/peacemaker most of the time, finds a mate when he least expects it; and secondary characters both good and evil who add depth to an already great story.

Chantelle is a female on her own and she likes it that way. She’s carved out a good life for herself, even though it’s not with her pride. She’s just learned via the internet that a man everyone believes doesn’t exist is rounding up other leopards who are like her — they have visions of the future that most always come to fruition. Chan is determined not to be rounded up like a wild animal at the behest of a ghost.

But when hunter Josh Bard crashes into her life, purportedly to turn her over to a mad man, it’s either go along on her terms or his. She’d rather have control. However, she finds very quickly she has no control where Josh is concerned. The man is a force to be reckoned with in all areas of life, and she just can’t resist his sexy ass. As the truth about her and others like her comes out, they find themselves on the run, and Chan begins to trust the man who has vowed to protect her at all costs.

Never thinking he’d find his match in any female out there, Josh is totally taken with Chan, his instinct to protect her just as a mate would, something he’s not looking for but would gladly welcome into his life as long as it’s Chan. Josh is one of those totally sexy and yummy heroes that you just have to sigh over. Even without being a leopard, he’d be a man who would have to protect what’s his just because of who he is.

I also like the owl shifters in this book, something you don’t see when it comes to shapeshifters. Ms. O’Clare does a terrific job of portraying characteristics of each animal species in their respective characters and she does that with the owls especially well. There is plenty of action and plenty of lovin’ goin’ on. The characters are strong, and Josh and Chan complement each other very well.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book with a little bit of everything to satisfy whatever you’re craving to read. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Leopards are fast gaining on the wolves as my favorite shifters.

Grade: A

Summary:

A male leopard shifter runs alone,  wild and untamed, until a female decides he’s worth her time to train. Which is why Chantelle Drap sees no reason to settle down. She likes her males nasty and dirty, rough and wild…the rougher the better.

When rumors fly of an urban legend—gathering all leopards with visions, wanting to collar them, so he can create a stronger race, Chan’s world turns upside down. She doesn’t know who to trust, or when she will be attacked.

No matter where she turns though, Josh Bard is right there. His job is to bring Chan in. But Josh has his own agenda, is determined to keep her by his side, in his bed. She is his match in every way. Her scent thrills him, her aggressiveness spikes his wild side. Josh informs her that in truth it is the male who trains the female to submit and not the other way around. While Josh and Chan fight for control of seduction, they also find themselves fighting for their way of life.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Retreat From Love (Brothers in Arms, Book 5) by Samantha Kane
Historical Erotic Romance released by Ellora’s Cave 21 May 09

Samantha Kane is a new author for me, having read only one or two of her books so far. The only other book in this series I’ve read and reviewed is At Love’s Command, which I loved. Ms. Kane is one of very few authors who writes a great ménage that I end up liking. And while I enjoyed most of the love scenes in this book, there’s a couple that didn’t work for me, but mostly it’s the emotion that I got in ALC that this story lacked.

The three characters in this book are tied together by Bertie, former Duke of Ashland and former fiance of the heroine, Anne. Freddy is Bertie’s younger brother and the current Duke. Brett served in the war with Bertie and they were the best of friends. Anne and Freddy became friends when they were quite young, but because Freddy’s mother always whisked him off to England for some unknown reason, they didn’t spend a lot of time together and even less time as they grew older. Brett has loved Anne for years now, having fallen for her through her letters to Bertie during their military service. Freddy has been Brett’s constant companion during his convalescence since he returned from the war, loves him wholeheartedly, but Brett refuses to act such on emotion due to Freddy’s age.

I really liked all three of these characters. Anne’s reputation has been ruined — she likes sex and now goes for it when she can — she knows what she wants and doesn’t take guff from anyone. Freddy is the tender one of the three, he loves both Anne and Brett and wants to give them everything. Brett is the oldest and has a hard time accepting anything that would be good for himself, he carries around such guilt. He’s, of course, the longest holdout in this threesome until he finally works everything else out in his head to the ultimate conclusion that he does deserve happiness.

Since they want each other to be happy, Freddy and Brett have the idea they will fix Anne up with the other, so they work at cross purposes for a bit, but when Anne decides she wants them both, they don’t have a chance, though they keep trying to marry her off to the other man, which means then that the one left will have to move on. Before too long, however, they have come together and the love and sex is unbelievable and just so-so for me depending on where I was in the book.

There’s a daydream sequence that each of the characters go through, the next one picking up where the previous left off to continue the sexual fantasy they all have about each other. This just didn’t work for me. It went on way too long and I’d rather have had them all together actually doing these things to each other instead of them imagining it all.  There is another scene involving a piano that seemed rather silly to me, Freddy’s idea of making music with sex. The intensity that’s always in Ms. Kane’s love scenes was there, but I just kept thinking how uncomfortable that has to be, whether they’re all hot and bothered or not.

There are some terrific scenes between Freddy and Brett late in the book once Brett allows himself to love and have Freddy. And this is why I like Ms. Kane’s writing. The emotion in these scenes are simply wonderful. And that’s why I usually don’t like m/m scenes and/or storylines, the author just doesn’t give me enough emotion. This author, however, has a way with them. In fact, I felt more emotion in those particular scenes than most of the other scenes involving Anne. They’re that well done. And I was a little sad those other scenes didn’t quite measure up to Ms. Kane’s usual fare for me.

Each of these three people come into their own by the end of the book and that makes their relationship that much sweeter when all is said and done. There’s plenty of last-minute problems and issues that come up to perhaps eternally mar their happiness, but once they’ve discovered their love for one another, they let nothing stand in their way. A satisfying read with a couple of issues for me, but still a great job by Ms. Kane

Grade: B-

Summary:

Read Shannon C’s review here.

A man with everything except his heart’s desire.

Frederick Thorne, Duke of Ashland, has been in love with Brett Haversham for years. If the only way to have him is to give him what he wants Freddy will share him, in bed and out, with the woman Brett loves. The woman who was Freddy’s first love.

A man sacrificing everything for the past.

Brett Haversham is in love with two people he’s sworn never to touch. But his desires prove to be stronger than his resolve when they both set out to seduce him—together. The incredible sex they share overwhelms him.

A woman with nothing left to lose.

Anne Goode lost her fiancé Bertie in the war. Now his younger brother Freddy is back, all grown up into the handsome and powerful duke. And he’s brought Bertie’s best friend Brett with him. Lonely and already ruined, Anne can’t resist taking both of them as her lovers. Is the uncontrollable desire between the three enough to heal the wounds of the past and overcome the problems of the present? They must accept love rather than retreat from it.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

oops I should have already posted this but it got losted in pending reviews

lets blame Gwen

I’m putting on my author “Buy my Book” hat here. Just so you know.

The 29th July, 2009 sees the release of the second Red book set in my STORM universe, “Red Heat” and here’s an extract from it:

“Slowly, Jillian turned around, keeping her eyes averted until the last moment, working hard to keep her expression clear.

His eyes widened and he fixed her with a stare as blue as the ocean but much hotter. She couldn’t look away. He scanned her from the top of her head to her shoes and back again. “Jillian.” The sound barely passed his lips but it broke the tense hush.

She opened her mouth, tried to speak but found her lips too dry and she passed her tongue over the lower one before closing her mouth again.

His groan was a little louder but not much, more of a sigh, an exhalation that seemed to release something inside him. He took a step toward her but stopped when she instinctively shrank back and planted his feet wide apart instead, shoving his hands in his pockets. He seemed bigger in reality than in any of the photos she’d studied, more vital somehow.

“Where have you been?” His voice was level but she saw the effort it took him to keep it that way from the strained tendons in his neck and the taut lines around his mouth.

“Getting better.” She had her story pat but now she faced him, she found it far more difficult than she’d ever imagined. And she’d imagined it a lot, practiced it until she could do it in her sleep. Until now, when she faced him for the first time. “I couldn’t come back. Not before. I was too ill.”

“The car crash?”

She nodded, trying to remember the script or something resembling it. She’d been through this so many times in preparation for this moment. But it was too late. It had all gone, fled from her memory at the sight of this devastating male. From the top of his gleaming golden head to his highly polished Italian shoes, he exuded powerful masculinity and it took her breath away.

“You’re better? Recovered?”

She nodded again.

“That’s all I need to know for now.” He took the three strides separating them and swept her into his arms, his mouth crashing down on hers as she gasped in shock.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think as he devoured her like a man starving for her taste. His scent, hauntingly familiar, a cologne she knew but couldn’t place, mingled with the unmistakable aroma of hot, needy male. And it was her he wanted. Her or the person he thought she was.

At that moment, she wanted him. Whatever, whoever he was. When he flicked his tongue across her lips, shaping, tasting, then returned to the seam, she opened her mouth to him. And her body. She was lost. Anything he wanted, he could have.

When she imagined this scenario, tried to prepare for it, this part was the hardest of all to prepare for. Not that Chase Maynord wasn’t the most powerful, gorgeous man she’d ever met but he would want her and she thought that would make her feel cheap and degraded. They’d known the sight of his lost love would lead to this but never had she imagined how much she’d want him too. He’d refused to take part in vital experiments her bosses had proposed to him but she couldn’t hold that against him now. Not with what he was holding against her. She wanted his hard, long, hot cock with a ferocity that astonished her, but she couldn’t deny her need.

He tore his mouth from hers, only to search her face with a hunger she’d never experienced before. No one had ever wanted her with such intensity and it burned her shame and doubts away. She could do this. More than that, she wanted it.

“Tell me you’re okay now,” he whispered, the intimacy searing her heart.

“I’m okay now.” She felt far from okay, but she didn’t feel lost and alone anymore.

“Do you still feel the same about me?”

She choked. He was opening himself completely to her now and instead of feeling good about it, he made her feel cheap, because she was the liar here. She decided to lie as little as possible. “I don’t know.”

He touched her cheek with one finger, as tender now as he’d been passionate a moment before but she saw in his eyes that he’d only banked it down. “What happened to you, sweetheart? Where have you been?”

“I-I-”

With one impatient gesture, he waved it away and curved his hand around her waist. “That doesn’t matter. Not now. Only this does. Do you still want me?”
Still? “I want you.” That was no lie. She wanted this man, wanted him to take her and fuck her brains out so she wouldn’t have to think anymore. This man was gorgeous and right now he only had eyes for her.

“I never stopped wanting you. Even when I thought you were dead I never stopped. It’s been driving me insane.” The fires returned to his eyes and he bent his head, stealing another kiss before he lifted her into his arms and headed for the bed.

He laid her down and his hands went to his tie, ripping it off without looking away from her. His shirt lasted about ten seconds before it landed on the floor and she had an unimpeded view of his chest. Powerful, lightly sprinkled with hair a shade darker than the golden hair on his head, the expanse was marked with ridges that showed developed muscle. She wanted to touch it, know if it tasted as good as it looked.

She sat up but when she would have lifted her top over her head, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers in a fleeting kiss, leaving her starving for more. He urged her down and she lay on the soft bedcover while he climbed up and over her, straddling her yearning body, owning it. She lifted her hands and pressed them on his hard, beautiful chest. It felt so good, hot and smooth with the slight roughness of hair and when she moved her hands, his nipples pressed hard against her palms. She wanted that heat against her skin. The only recent touches she could remember were impersonal ones from the doctors or friendly pats from her mentors. Nothing like this. She arched up to him and felt him grasp her blouse. When she opened her eyes all she could see was him, drinking her in. She wanted this. Whatever came next, she’d have this.”
And here’s the short description:

Of all the hotels in New York, she has to walk into his.
Ever since Chase Maynord lost the love of his life in a car crash, he’s used her name as a password for STORM agents at his luxury hotel. So when someone registers as Jillian Miller, he assumes it’s business as usual.
But it’s not. Jillian returns to him and their lust burns up the sheets. Only she thinks she’s someone else, her memory destroyed by their mutual enemy. Chase wants her back and he’ll do anything to get her.
Jillian’s mission is to deliver Chase to the IRDC, enemy to Talents. But, stunned by her hunger for him, she doesn’t know whose side she’s on any more.
The old Jillian loved exhibiting herself to an appreciative audience so Chase takes her somewhere he can indulge her every desire. He prays that her old passion for making love in public will restore her to him.
She has to come back to him soon, or they’re both dead. And he won’t let her die alone.
For some reason this book was really hard to write. Part of it was writing a convincing Jillian, the heroine. At the start of the story, Jillian thinks her name is Caroline, and she’s been sent in by the organisation that paid for all her medical care after a near-fatal car crash three years before. Only she really is Jillian, and the IRDC has messed with her mind. The hero, Chase, knows her for who she is, and since Chase is a Sorcerer, and can see into the parts of people’s minds even they aren’t aware of, he’s sure. But she’s not.

I wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote the beginning of that book until I despaired, but I knew from the chemistry between Chase and Jillian that I was on to a good thing so I carried on. You see, you can create the characters, do oodles of preparation before you start, know them like you know your nearest and dearest, but when you bring them together in the story, sometimes it just fizzles. I’ve had that happen before, in the Chance series, when I crafted a heroine for Corin and he just didn’t care for her, nor she for him. If the love scenes are a slog to write, it’s not working.

Chase couldn’t keep his hands off Jillian, and they ended up in bed much earlier than I’d planned, but sometimes that happens, and I let it. Saw where it went, and I liked it.
Jillian has to learn to trust Chase, but more than that, she has to learn to trust herself. So much has happened to her that she is lost, at sea, and she needs to be sure of herself before she can be sure of anyone else. Being plunged into a life-or-death situation doesn’t help her very much. In fact, it’s a death-or-death situation, because of course, the IRDC has no intention of letting her life once she’s fulfilled her objective of bringing Chase over to the Dark Side.

Many people have written about paranormal worlds once they’ve become established, once people have realised and accepted that vampires, shape-shifters and other paranormal beings live among them. Some have written about a world where vampires and their brethren remain hidden, a society within society. In the STORM universe, I wanted to write about “tomorrow,” the days and years following the realization, and how society learns to cope – or doesn’t. If you saw a dragon in the sky tomorrow, knew it was real, not a kite or a barrage balloon or anything else, how would you feel? Terror, perhaps, excitement, maybe even horror. You might turn away from the knowledge, refuse to believe, despite all the proof that starts to pour out of the media. You might run to embrace it, become a groupie, follow them around, beg them to convert you, even if they swear they can’t. Or you might decide that this is a threat, that you need to fight it.

From the way society today behaves, it could be all three, and that’s the most likely outcome. Not the careful construction of a computer game, not obviously (insert your favourite game here) but another, simpler one. So I decided to write about that, and so far it’s been fascinating.
You can buy the book here: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7433-red-heat.aspx

If you want to win copies of both books released so far in this series, leave a comment. I want to know what kind of paranormal being you would like to meet, and what you would do with him or her? If you want to play in my paranormal world, the world of Talents, you can read all about them on my website. Or if you don’t want to do that, if you’d prefer to play in another world, go ahead! I’ll take all identifiers off the comments, and give them to my daughter, who is a big fantasy fan and under another name one of the movers and shakers in the fantasy world. She’ll pick the winner.

Sandy M’s review of Through Her Eyes by Beth Kery
Contemporary Paranormal Romance ebook released by Ellora’s Cave 29 Apr 09

This is Ms. Kery’s first published book and she’s reworked it a bit to have it republished by Ellora’s Cave. If she has any unpublished works sitting in the back of a closet or desk drawer or under her bed like a lot of authors do, she should get them out and rework them. If that’s all it takes to make a story better than before, she can get them published in no time at all.

The complexity of dreams and life in this book are terrific. Claire can see the future in her dreams and lately she’s seen a man sitting in the library of the home she just inherited from her late aunt. She’s able to interact with him, amazed that he can see her and knows who she is, and she ends up having the best sex of her life with his man who is so hungry for her, but it’s his sadness and guilt she feels emanating from him that haunt her, especially since she’s never met him.

Imagine her surprise, her incredulity when the next day she answers a knock on the front door and there stands that same man, alive, not a product of her dreams, and oh-so-handsome and sexy. He lives down the street and knew her aunt, but he knows more about Claire herself from his visits with her Aunt Isabelle and from the picture of her in a bikini that Isabelle proudly displayed on the piano in her music room. That picture had been the impetus for a lot of loss of control over the years for Des.

Des is an undercover FBI agent, but he has to hide that fact from Claire for the time being in order to keep her safe from the killer he’s pursuing. Taking her to his bed is the fastest way of doing that, since he’s been ordered off this particular case. But he has too much invested to just walk away, especially when his prime suspect is Claire’s own cousin.

The way Claire’s dreams are woven into the story, along with the reality of the past and the future for her to interpret and figure out is intriguing and it keeps you turning the pages. Of course, so does the sizzling sex between Des and Claire. Des is dominant in bed and demands Claire’s submission, which she freely gives, and the resulting scenes are some of Ms. Kery’s best.

The details from Claire’s dreams are interesting clues that the reader needs to figure out the connection between the events of the past and how they cause the events of the present and the future. You have to pay attention! Which is sometimes hard to do after reading one of those sex-with-Des scenes. The man is hot, hot, hot. I digress. But, damn, he’s one fine man and one fine lover.

For a first published book, even reworked, Through Her Eyes is one of Ms. Kery’s best, which is a long list, but it deserves to be right near the top.

Grade: A-

Summary:
.
Claire despises her ability to see into the future, but when her dreams include a heated encounter with a gorgeous, dominant, mysterious lover — and a spine-chilling foretelling of danger to her own life — she knows she has to make a choice between the safety of denial and the seductive passion that that seems to go hand-in-hand with her own death. Having had a taste of the wild hunger that flares between them, it’s not much of a choice at all.
.
He’s not psychic, but Des knows things Claire’s power can’t reveal. He knows about a psychopathic madman who’s set his sights on her, and the fact that her brainy, rational exterior hides a deeply sensual, uninhibited woman. Des also knows something else — that he will claim Claire as his.
.
If he can keep her alive, that is.
.
Read an excerpt.

Welcome once again to Duck Chat!

Today Lisa Renee Jones is here to give us the scoop on her latest releases in her Knights of White series and just to have some fun with y’all!  Lisa’s Silhouette Nocturne series started with The Beast Within back in 2007, followed by Beast of Desire and Beast of Darkness in 2008. May 1 saw the release of Captive of the Beast and Demon Seduction, which is a Nocturne Bite. And, of course, Lisa has a wonderful backlist of both print and ebooks published by Pocket, Berkley, Kensington, and Ellora’s Cave to choose for your reading pleasure. Lisa sold her staffing agency when she decided she wanted to follow her dream of becoming an author and she’s not looked back once. She currently lives in New York with her husband, who has had a big impact on her writing.

Be sure to ask Lisa a question or leave a meaningful comment – she’s going to be spending the day with us and she’s giving away five – FIVE! – copies of Captive of the Beast and one copy of Hard and Fast, a contemporary by Blaze.

Now without further adieu, let’s chat with Lisa!

DUCK CHAT: You have two releases in May, both part of your Knights of White series. Let’s talk about the series as a whole first. For our readers who aren’t familiar with the series, can you give us some background on it, where the idea came from and how it’s evolved since you started it?

LISA RENEE JONES: The entire Knights of White series is based upon the Texas Legend of Matamoros Monsters, aka Demons. You can find that legend at Knights of White website. I was taking a trip with my DH to Brownsville – he has a son in Mexico so we drove down to the border to pick him up. To get there we had to drive through King Ranch, which is miles and miles and miles long. This place is a small city. That ranch inspired the ranch that is the Knights’ home in the series. The legend, of course, is the Knights themselves. I’d already had a vague idea for the series but it was based on vampires. There were so many vampire stories out there, so when DH started telling me the story of the Matamoros Beasts/Monsters, I knew that was my series.

King Ranch is an amazing place with guided tours!

The main shift in this series since I began writing it has been in the growth of the heroes – they are gaining new powers and growing stronger. Which is a good thing because the main villain, Adrian, has decided rather than destroying humanity, he wants to take it over.

I won’t have any more Knight stories for quite some time because I’ve been writing the stories for my new Faith Winter pen name. But there will be more Knights!

DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

LRJ: I don’t really have a question I want to retire. Of course, as a writer every time someone hears you are an author, they tell you they have always wanted to write book or they have tried. My DH and I just share a little smile at that. I hate the reaction to romance, though. Many times, men mostly, sneer at that. It’s very frustrating. I had a close male business associate from my corporate days that did this to me. Sometimes I wonder why sex and love are sneered at but murder and bloody brutality are thumbs up to these people.

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

LRJ: All the time. I just wrote a synopsis for my second Grand Central book and it was long and detailed. I believe the beginning will be exactly as planned. About halfway through. though, the characters led me places that impact plot and things shift. I find I go to bed at night and have no idea what is next and wake up knowing exactly where I am going.

DC: Captive of the Beast is the next Nocturne in the series, featuring Rhinehart and his heroine. Has it been difficult coming up with stories as you go along in the series? Tell us about Rhinehart’s story.

You know, amazingly with the Knights, it has not been difficult to come up with storylines. I think the reason for that is they are all ultimately about good vs evil. There is a message of faith in each story. The ideas themselves come easily because they feel like life to me. Life is all about an internal struggle with that concept. What is right and what is wrong? That is what each story ultimately comes down to. Will we be judged to have lived a good life? Forgiven our mistakes? Plotting to make the story interesting but tight enough to fit the Nocturne shorter word count has been a challenge. I absolutely loved writing my first Grand Central and having that extra 25k to work with.

The great thing about Captive is that Wolverine is out this month. I couldn’t believe the storyline when I went to the movie. It is SO like Captive! The similarities are amazing! An island. Mad military leader. Young kids with powers! WOW! Blew me away! Rinehart is my Wolverine in the book. Great movie too! Loved it! I can’t wait for Star Trek.

Yay! An excerpt from Captive of the Beast:

Dr. Laura Johnson had a secret. She was different, able to manipulate objects with her mind, able to read people’s emotions, and sense danger and tragedy before they became reality.

Her parents had always thought that hiding her abilities was for the best. They’d warned her that there were people who would be greedy and power hungry, people who would be enticed to misuse the power behind her secret. And now, fifteen years later, both her parents having passed on, she still remembered their words, understood them, lived the truth they held.

Hiding those abilities had become second nature. In fact, her research exposed her to others like herself, people with similar gifts, and still she remained silent. She knew it was the right choice. Pretending to be no different than everyone else around her was as much a part of each day as brushing her teeth and having morning coffee with her favorite vanilla creamer. Sometimes she even convinced herself it was true, that she was like everyone else.

Staring out the window of the government lab off the Texas coast where she’d been working the past two years, she watched the ocean crash against the rocks of the secluded island facility. It was eight in the morning, and she’d been up well before sunrise, unable to sleep. Every nerve ending in her body was raw, frazzled, and she didn’t know why. Her instincts screamed with warnings, with a promise of danger. With the promise of her secret exposed.

She struggled with why she was feeling such a thing. She had felt unease for a while now, ever since Captain Walch had taken over the island’s operations six months before. The man wasn’t a good person. Not even close. He’d use her patients for the wrong things with a snap of the fingers; in fact, several times now he’d hinted at the power that duplicating their skills could wield. But Walch wasn’t the cause of this uneasiness. Her instincts tingled with a warning like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The word malice leapt into her mind as if part of some warning system that her instincts had set off. And considering her instincts were uniquely accurate, she trusted them.

Behind her, the lab door opened and closed, and Laura turned to find her favorite patient, a firestarter named Kresley, walking toward her. With red hair several shades lighter than Laura’s dark auburn coloring, Kresley drew fast attention whenever she walked into a room. Her striking blue eyes and waiflike figure reminded Laura of a sea nymph from a fairy tale.

Kresley was the only patient Laura had brought with her to the island. Now a woman of twenty, the young girl had become close to Laura’s heart. After Kresley’s parents had turned away from her, treating her as if she were a freak, Laura had taken her into her home.

“What in the world are you doing up so early?” Laura asked, knowing how fitfully Kresley slept most nights.

Kresley smiled. “I had a bad dream last night.”

In her present state of unease, Laura wouldn’t have thought she could laugh, but she did. “Most people don’t smile over a bad dream, you know, but since the alarms in your room didn’t go off, I assume that can mean only one thing.”

“Yep,” Kresley said, nodding. “I had a nightmare and didn’t start a fire. I’m controlling my power even in my sleep.”

“Wonderful!” Laura said. She moved forward and hugged Kresley, pleased she’d called her firestarting ability a power rather than a curse, as she often did. Maybe it was hypocritical, considering how she felt about her own abilities, but Laura had grown up with something that had given her the confidence these kids didn’ t have— parents who loved her, parents who made sure she knew she mattered and, although she had to be secretive about her powers, she was special to them.

While working for the University of Texas, Laura had discovered the genetic marker that created certain people’s gifts, or powers. Once that discovery had been published, she’d been invited to the island to help a group of people with problems similar to Kresley’s— they couldn’t control their powers. And now, two years later, Laura had finally found the missing piece of the puzzle and created a retrovirus correction. Thankfully, it appeared to be working.

Laura had inherited four other patients when she’d come to the island, all kept locked away like animals. They were prisoners because they lacked control over their gifts. She suspected they would all love a little trip off the island.

She was starting to tell Kresley this wish when the door opened, and Captain Walch appeared in the entryway. Tall, with a muscular build and dark hair, Walch wore stiffly pressed, army-green dress pants and a white button-down shirt sturdy enough to display medals. His dark hair was cut short, his cheekbones were high and sharp, his nose long and pointed. As usual, his face was emotionless, even militant. Except for his eyes—they raked over Laura with a lusty inspection.

His gaze narrowed on Kresley and then refocused on Laura. “We need to talk,” he said.

Obviously he wasn’t keen on small talk on Kresley’s behalf. Not that he ever was. “Alone,” he added.

Laura turned to Kresley. “I’ll meet you in the coffee shop in a few minutes.”

Kresley hesitated, protectiveness flashing in her blue eyes. The two of them were close, and Kresley knew how much Laura hated being alone with Walch. “It’s okay,” Laura assured her. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” Kresley nodded and headed for the door, never glancing at Walch again.

Laura crossed her arms in front of her body, wishing for her lab coat—anything to cover her black dress. Not that the simple shell of a dress was anything but conservative, but Walch had a way of making her feel naked.

The door shut behind Kresley before either of them spoke. “You seem edgy, Laura,” Walch commented. “Something on your mind?”

Laura felt more than edgy—she felt defensive for no good reason. “Actually, yes,” she said, forcing herself to seize the opportunity. She knew Walch: he’d make whatever point he had come there to make and then dart away. She needed to be aggressive. “I think it’s time to test the patients’ control. A trip off the island would allow me to see how they respond to real-world stimulations.”

His response came fast—too fast, in fact. “You’re feeling good about your progress, then?”

Why did this feel like a trick question? “It’s moving along well,” she agreed cautiously, “but they still need regular injections to maintain the corrections I’ve made.”

“There won’t be a trip right now. Not anytime soon, for that matter. I have a team of researchers joining you later this week. They’ve shown me enough documentation to convince me they can clone your patients’ gifts in others. As I’ve mentioned on several occasions, the military finds this concept intriguing. More than intriguing—it’s an absolute necessity. This will happen. We expect it to happen.”

She drew in a surprised breath. Visitors? A research team? No wonder she was on edge. “I didn’t sign up for this. That’s not what I’m here for.”

He seemed unaffected by her response, in fact, was prepared for it. “If you want to continue receiving the funding and resources to complete your work, you’ll make this happen.”

“Is that a threat?” she demanded.

“Call it what you want, but we both know this is the next logical step in your work. We need to do this before someone else does. Our men must be the most deadly, the most well equipped.”

“By creating weapons of war,” she said. “I won’t do it. I came to help these people, not to fight wars. That’s your job, not mine.”

“You came here because you wanted our money and resources. You have all the resources you could dream of here and a chance to be a part of changing the world. Fix them while you help us. Think about what the next step in your research can mean to the future. It’s not about creating war—it’s about eliminating it.” His expression turned intense, emotion actually evident for once—emotion laced with hunger and greed. “When one opponent is the strongest, the others don’t fight. They don’t dare. You will be creating peace.”

She stared at him, swallowing hard. He was different from before. Darker. Evil seemed to cling to him, a second skin. She could feel it, primal, potent.

She had to get off this island. She would come back for her patients, but if she didn’t leave they might all be stuck here. Despite her fears, her voice was low but firm. “I’ve overstayed my welcome here. I want to go home.” He took a step toward her. Instinctively, she backed up. Already close to the window, her heels hit the baseboard. Her hands went to her sides, pressing against the ceiling-to-floor glass panels behind her.

“You have a job to do, and I suggest you accept that,” he said. He stood so close to her that the toes of his shoes were almost touching her sandals. “You will welcome your new research team with open arms, and you will eagerly aid their efforts.” He paused, his eyes lowering to her lips, lingering there before lifting. “And you will do so because it’s in the best interests of both you and your patients.”

“What does that mean?” she asked, fear fluttering in her stomach. It was fear for her patients, and fear because there was more going on here than she understood and she wished she knew what.

“It means that you are being monitored, Laura. You always have been. Anything you do that might interfere with our goals will be penalized. If you value the safety of your patients, then I’d stay on task.” He leaned in, his body far too near, his mouth brushing her earlobe. “And remember…I’ll be close.” He eased back and looked into her eyes. “And I’ll be watching.”

For the first time since she was a teen, Laura fought the rise of her powers, fought the desire to use them against this man. No… Beast. The word came to her clearly. He was a power-hungry Beast. Her adrenaline raged, her nerve endings stood on end. With effort she reined in the rush of energy, drew in a discreet, calming breath.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll do it. I’ll help clone the marker.”

He smiled, evil. “That’s my girl.” His finger ran down her cheek, and she shivered with repulsion. A second later, he stepped away from her, and Laura felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Your new research team will be here Friday morning,” he said. “I trust you’ll be ready for them.”

She glared at him, not agreeing, not daring to disagree. She couldn’t say or do anything until she knew what her next step would be. But as he exited the room, giving her one more lust-filled look over his shoulder, she knew one thing for certain. She had no intention of doing what he demanded. Somehow, some way, she was going to get off this island, and she was taking her patients with her. Their own powers were resources they themselves could put to use for escape if it came down to it. But she’d need to stockpile their medication first and plan carefully.

Then, they were out of here. One way or another, they were getting off this island.

Rinehart stepped onto the sandy beach of his island destination, after a long night on a boat spent, in part, blindfolded. Behind him several military police officers followed, one of them informing him their ride would be there shortly.

Only these soldiers weren’t men. Not anymore. They were Beasts in human disguises. Beasts that reeked of evil. The hardest part of the trip had been not killing them. No. That wasn’t true. The hardest part was thinking about his past, about the time he’d spent in the military and then the FBI. About the night he’d led his men on a mission deep into Mexico, his mind distracted by personal matters, by a woman, to be exact—a matter that should have been left at home. His team had fallen that night, ambushed by Beasts. He’d failed his men and his country. Why Salvador had saved him, converted him to a Knight of White, he didn’t know. Still didn’t. But when he’d finally pulled himself out of the self-hatred that day had created, he’d vowed to both himself and Salvador he would never fail the Knights.

Max, Rock, Des and their newest Knight, Lucan, joined him on the beachfront, reminding him of that vow. He had a damn good team who had worked miracles to get them here today. “My skin is crawling from being so near those bastards,” Des murmured under his breath, touching the arrowhead necklace he wore around his neck as a reminder of his Native American mother. Something he did often in troubled times.

“I hear ya, man,” Rinehart said. “We can’t get this job done fast enough to suit me.”

Rock came up on the other side of Rinehart. Like the rest of them, he wore khakis and a collar shirt. Gone was his standard attire of jeans, T-shirt and cowboy hat. But the more conservative clothing did nothing to contain his impetuous youth. “Remind me why I can’t take their heads right now,” he said.

Rinehart shook his head; that statement spoke worlds about why Rinehart kept Rock attached to his hip. If anyone were going to beat Rock’s ass, it would be him. “You gotta learn some patience, kid,” Max said, joining them, egging on Rock with the kid reference. They all knew he hated it.

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

LRJ: No, but sometimes they seem to know more than me. I’ll hit a spot where they just won’t talk to me and I can’t make word count. I always know I am going the wrong direction and that is the hold up. It’s frustrating, but, once the words come again, I always understand why I was stalled.

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

LRJ: A new DVD of Brothers and Sisters. I am currently obsessed with that show. I love Rob Lowe. I try to stick to only watching while on my exercise bike, but it’s better to think about my story than watch the DVD.

DC: You also have a Nocturne Bite, Demon Seduction, that released the same day as Captive of the Beast. This is also a Knights of White book. Please tell us about Marcus and his story.

LRJ: Marcus is a long lost, dark Knight who was born with magic. Without his mate he is fast turning into a demon. But his magic is needed to destroy a dangerous Sorcerer joining forces with the demon world. Black magic will tempt him, though. One woman will save him.

Blurb for Demon Seduction:

As a human, he was bitten by a demon, his soul stripped. As a demon, he was saved by an Angel, his soul returned to join the elite demon fighters, The Knights of White. Born into the gift of magic, Marcus Alexander is a rare breed of Knight of White, centuries old, the stain of that demon bite like acid eating away the good in his soul, leaving nothing but evil—his only salvation the elusive perfect soul mate. He is deadly to the demon world, able to kill them with far more than a sword, his magic immense, his ability growing stronger—and darker. Fearful of the day he will turn on his fellow Knights, he long ago sought solitude, vowing to destroy as many demons as he could before seeking death to save his soul. Now he is ‘The Destroyer’—alone—evil hunting evil.

Cathy Baker is a member of the Knights of White, a rare human, who like Marcus, is gifted with magic, and enlisted in the fight against the underworld. Bravely, she will face a powerful sorcerer intent on merging his magic with that of the master of the demons. But she is no match for the black magic she is facing and soon finds herself near death, in the care of the legendary ‘Destroyer’. Cathy soon learns that Marcus has a rare grasp and control over black magic, but he is so near the darkness, is susceptible to the black magic the enemy is using against him. Now, Cathy must pull him back into the light, save his soul and her own in the process—before the enemy destroys humanity.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved over your career? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

LRJ: I started out writing straight contemporary with a light voice. I have a Blaze coming out in December – a fun, light story that is back to my roots. I LOVED writing that story and hope to do more like it VERY soon. The story is Santa Baby and my heroine gets into a lot of mishaps despite being a well pulled together career woman. She is funny and down to earth. Her hero is a rich Clooney kind of guy who is swept off his feet quite unexpectedly. No demon lurking beneath his surface. Just a real man who learns to love. I enjoyed the departure from the dark side. I love the chance to switch between genres. It keeps things fresh for me.

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

LRJ: I write across genres so no, not really. I do have an Urban Fantasy proposal (which is new to me) I am working on with a male lead that will be under a new pen name. I love this idea and can’t wait to get it ready to present. It’s been a time issue more than anything holding me back.

DC: Later this year you have a novella in the Wrapped in Seduction anthology that also features Cathryn Fox and Jodi Lynn Copeland. Can you give us a sneak peek in to your contribution to the book?

LRJ: This was such a fun story/book to write. It’s very Brothers and Sisters in tone. Yes, I’m obsessed with that show! The stories are linked by the family connection as everyone comes home for Christmas and craziness erupts, but there is a sexy romance for each novella as well. VERY SEXY. We also have a family story that starts with novella one, which is mine, and progresses with each novella. This family story impacts each character/story and ties each novella together. I think it’s very unique that way. I love my hero and his brothers in this story and my heroine is a lawyer turned best selling author with writer’s block.

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

LRJ: To follow my dreams. I let years go by where I lived 80-hour weeks and high stress was the norm. Success convinced me my dreams were about success not substance.

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

LRJ: I was a corporate executive. I owned a large staffing agency in three states. I am so much happier now.

DC: What’s your favorite book?

LRJ: Too many to list! I have so many I adore for so many different reasons and I read across genres. Loving the Moning Urban Fantasy series right now.

DC: What else is on the horizon for Lisa Renee Jones?

LRJ: I have a new pen name as Faith Winter for Grand Central – The series is the ‘RENEGADE’ series and the first two books are Sinful Pleasures and Sinful Desires. This is about a group of Super Soldiers created from Area 51 experiments and split between good and evil. The first book is May 2010. I will have a website up soon at faith-winter.com

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?  — Anything chocolate does me quite perfectly!
- smooth or chunky peanut butter?  –Chunky on a bagel
- heels or flats?   — I spent so many years in heels running through airports, so give me my flats!
- coffee or tea? — white mocha Starbucks – I’m addicted – I need intervention
- summer or winter?  — Having left Texas for New York, that is a debate I am still trying to work through. I love the beautiful snow but the cold is an adjustment. Still, I hated getting in my car in Texas and needing a towel to touch the steering wheel!
- mountains or beach? — Both! I love them both. And now I live by the beach. I laugh when I go to a store and there are seagulls in the parking lot. It reminds me I am minutes from the beach and need to get out of the house!
- mustard or mayonnaise? — Mustard – mayo is WAY too fattening. I save my calories for chocolate and white mochas. You know, stuff with substance.
- flowers or candy?  –  I can look out my window and see amazing flowers in Long Island—it’s beautiful. So I’ll take the chocolate.
- pockets or purse?   — Purse for sure! I’m very girly. I like purse and pink. I think I like pink because of my conservative work days where black was a staple.
- Pepsi or Coke?   — Green tea but I’d take Coke over Pepsi. I just don’t drink soda.
- ebook or print?  — Print or audio. Loving audio! So great for housework, jogging, driving!

Because we just like these questions:

1. What is your favorite word?   — Love
2. What is your least favorite word?    — Hate
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?   — My family
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?     — The internet distraction
5. What sound or noise do you love?    — Ocean waves
6. What sound or noise do you hate?     — The law people who always show up while I am in deep concentration like NOW!
7. What is your favorite curse word?    — You can’t live in New York without the word FOCK becoming familiar in a laughable way!
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?    — Been there, done that. Stick with where I am now.
9. What profession would you not like to do?    — What I already did – corporate executive
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?   — “Relax PLEASE!”

DC: Thank you, Lisa, for spending the day with us. It was a pleasure!

We’re talkin’ up a storm again.  Welcome back to Duck Chat.

Today Beth Kery, writer of some of the steamiest erotic romance out there, joins us to talk about her books and have some fun with us. I’ve read a number of Beth’s book over the last couple of years, I have to say I’m hooked. I have been since I read Exorcising Sean’s Ghost. That remains my favorite Beth Kery book to date, and she’s had some terrific stories released since then. If you’re not familiar with her books, do stop by her website and look around. I think you’ll find something that will call to you and you’ll just have to try it! Of course, Beth is going to give you a chance to win a couple of her books. Give us a meaningful comment and we’ll toss you into the running for an ARC of her upcoming release Daring Time, a print copy of Wicked Burn, and a download of her current release, Flirting in Traffic.

If you have any questions for Beth today, leave a comment, she’s going to stop in now and again to see what you’re all up to.  So now let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Beth, your writing has brought about a very quick rise for you in the industry. Wicked Burn was your debut with Berkley Sensation. What’s it been like for you in your dealings with Berkley compared to the epublishing process?

BETH KERY: Hi, Sandy. It hasn’t been all that different, really, as far as the mechanics. You usually need an agent to sell to the New York market, but not always. Otherwise–you make a sale, you do edits and you release your book.

A few differences: For my first three Berkley books, I did paper edits, which was quite an experience—one master copy being shipped across the country. However, Berkley is now going to electronic edits, so there goes that difference. I had to learn different promotional and sales markets for my print book. In general (depending on who you are, of course) you reach a wider market with your print book, so you hear from more people about the book.

DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

BK: Um…probably when did you decide to become a writer? My answer is always a little false, because it was sort of a jump and start, gradual thing for me, not a sudden “Ah ha!” I’m not so sure that I even considered myself a ‘writer’ in my head until a couple months ago, so yeah—kind of an innocent sounding question that’s pretty complicated for me to answer.

I seriously just realized the other day that I didn’t feel bad, slumming around when I went to the grocery store wearing sweatpants and glasses—because I’m a writer. That’s our uniform!

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

BK: Yes, most definitely. I typically ride the hump of the pantster/plotter bell curve. So I have a loose plot in mind, but the characters definitely improvise and grow on the stage I’ve set for them.

DC: Wicked Burn is one hot, sexy read. Tell our readers about Vic and Niall, please.

BK: Thanks, Sandy. Niall and Vic are two people who sort of come together in a sexual cataclysm one night. When things like that happen, it seems like impulse or chance, but in reality, because of their pasts and personal characteristics, there were good reasons that things were so explosive for them. I like to observe human nature and behavior, and it’s always fascinating to me the events and circumstances that lead up to something that seems like it ‘just happened.’ So, while someone might look at Niall and Vic and say they were using sex to get past their wounds or personal traumas, I wonder what it is about that point in time and those two particular people that made it possible for them to begin to heal through at first a physical relationship and then a much more profound one.

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

BK: Hmmm…that’s a good question. I’d love to say I have these down and dirty drag-outs with them, but I usually don’t. That’s not to say that all my characters are always likeable, because they’re not. I’ve just come to terms with where they are at that point in the development of the story.

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

BK: My other job, first and foremost. Beyond that, a sunny day, a certain look from my husband…. a growling stomach.

DC: Some authors eventually phase out of the epublishing world once their “bigger break” comes along. Any plans of doing that yourself?

BK: I don’t have any plans for that, but I’m admittedly a very freshman writer, so what do I know? I’d like to balance both venues. I was extremely busy last year writing books for Berkley, so I’m not sure at this point in time how things will work out. However, I would eventually like to find a comfortable balance.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved in your writing? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

BK: Hmmm, another good question. I’ve started to experiment more with my heroines. My typical heroine is often a contained intellectual whose emotional maturity helps the hero to grow. There are some recent exceptions. Hope Stillwater, the heroine for my erotic time travel Daring Time, which comes out this May, is a spirited, feisty, impulsive suffragette who might be called progressive in any time period. And Esa, my heroine in Flirting in Traffic, is also a departure for me. She’s devoted to her work, sharp-tongued, shaky in the romance and body-image arena, and possesses a loyal, devoted heart.

My heroes are all pretty much bigger than life. One thing I’m always trying to do is find new, exciting arenas for the alpha to show his stuff. I just finished a book called Release for Berkley Heat, and the hero is a private intelligence operative—a.k.a. a spy for hire. I’m so lucky, because I have a friend who is a military intelligence operative, so I got to have a lot of fun researching it. Ryan Daire, my hero in Daring Time, is a cop who is also a boxing champion, so I had a ball researching boxing terms, famous fights, and talking to my ‘fighter’ lady friends (Belinda and Fi). I just started a book where the hero is a neurologist. I realized I’d never done a hero in the medical field, which is weird because I work in the medical field. Fantasy alpha doctors are so yummy. Don’t know where they actually are, though…

DC: Your latest ebook is Flirting in Traffic with Cerridwin Press. I really enjoyed Finn and Esa’s story. Would you tell everyone about them?

Thank you, Sandy. Finn and Esa sort of both have the older sibling syndrome and have been identified as the dependable ones–the ‘rocks’ in the family. Esa is a smart, plucky physician (yeah, I do heroine docs!) who is constantly being told by her sexy, publisher sister and best friend that’s she’s lame and boring. Finn is a dead-sexy architect who’s been burned by a perfidious fiancé and wants some no-strings-attached-rebound sex to get him back in the swing of things. Of course, he mistakenly thinks stuffy Esa is that fun sex kitten, which makes for a bumpy, but very steamy, road to true love.

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

BK: I’d really like to try young adult. Some day.

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

BK: “You have so much going for you, why don’t you savor it…celebrate it?” It must be the curse of your thirties. I look at my nieces, who are stunning, smart, well-educated, and I’m blown away by all their gifts. I had many of those gifts, but, like them, I was saddled by the insecurities of youth. Why can’t we have the wisdom of age and the future (and the body) of a twenty-one year old all at once? Sigh.

DC: Next up for you is the release of Through Her Eyes in April. Can you give us a sneak peek?

BK: Through Her Eyes is actually a re-write of the very first book I ever had published at a small e-press called Aphrodite Unlaced. It may not be my most polished book, but it has characteristics in it that I value on reflection. Daring Time, Sweet Restraint, and Release all have crime and suspense elements, so I think of Through Her Eyes as my first dip into those genres. Or into anything, really.

I was thrilled that Ellora’s Cave said they’d like to publish it. It’s an erotic contemporary with suspense and paranormal elements. Let’s see, a quick (rather sloppy) highlight of the book—an old Hyde Park mansion, a ghost, a psychiatrist heroine who is also a very reluctant psychic, a serial killer, and an extremely sexy special agent hero who is bound and determined to both save the heroine and catch the killer—for very personal reasons.

Oh…and lots of really hot sex. Can’t forget that.

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

BK: My other job that I still do. I’m very lucky to have two such rewarding careers.

DC: We’ve mentioned your time travel that’s coming out in May, Daring Time. Is this your first time travel? Did you find that paranormal element any more difficult than others you’ve written to date? Or was it maybe easier to write?

BK: I do! I’m probably more excited about Daring Time coming out in May than I ever have been for a book. It is my first time travel, and I cann’t say I’ve ever had so much fun writing a book. I’ve lived in downtown Chicago for the past seventeen years of my life, and Daring Time became kind of a personal tribute to a city that I’ve grown to love to so much. This city has really entered the fabric of my life.

Daring Time is what my editor calls a ‘paranormal light.’ So, the Subtle Lovers series, for instance, has a much heavier paranormal element than Daring Time. Daring Time combines many genres, though, as I suppose many time travels do—contemporary, paranormal, historical, and even a suspense/crime drama.

DC: Would you tell us a little about Daring Time too?

BK: It’s the story of a young vice detective who unexpectedly—and strangely—inherits a Prairie Avenue mansion from an elderly friend. He begins to see an elusive, beautiful woman in the house. His research tells him it’s a woman who was murdered in the year 1906. Desire creates a conduit between them and through it, he travels back to the early nineteen hundreds to save her. There are many parallels between the two time periods—for instance, the man the hero and his partner are trying to bring in for a white slavery operation in the year 2008 is the very same soul responsible for the heroine’s abduction in the year 1906.

I had the opportunity to tour several Prairie Avenue mansions to prepare for this book. The historic district came vibrantly alive for me. I’d love to do a series of time travels associated with the Prairie Avenue district, which to me was as much as a beautiful ‘true’ fantasy as the Chicago World’s Fair and the White City.

Excerpt of Daring Time:

“This professor guy must have liked you a hell of a lot to leave you a mansion,” Ramiro muttered, a hint of envy flavoring his tone.

“I was knocked flat on my ass when Alistair told me what he planned, but there was nothing I could say to change his mind. He insisted I was doing him a favor by taking it. The value of the house is appreciating hugely because of the real estate development in this area. Alistair’s lawyers advised him to reduce his taxable estate with a gift.”

“Some gift. Better he’d left you some cash, though.”

Ryan stepped into a room and flipped on a light. He studied the large spacious bedroom suite, the plaster ceilings and intricately carved mantel. Alistair knew Ryan loved Chicago history. He must have guessed how much Ryan would appreciate the mansion.

“Cash’s got nothing on this place.”

Ramiro snorted. “They broke the mold when it comes to you, Daire. Six foot and four inches of pure pushover. At least to little kids and stray animals. Can’t say the same about you when it comes to assholes like Jim Donovan.”

“You wouldn’t want me any other way.”

“Who wants you? I’m shackled to you,” Ramiro grumbled.

They stepped into the bedroom. Ryan ran his hand admiringly over the carved mahogany mantel. Unlike the majority of the house, this room retained some furniture—stuff that looked to be the same vintage as the house, Ryan realized with a sense of amazement. The green and white floral wallpaper beneath the wainscoting had faded but still retained a fresh, feminine charm. Obviously the bedroom had once belonged to a woman.

The foot and headboard of a brass bedstead leaned against the wall between two antique mahogany tables. Ryan fingered the cool metal thoughtfully. The brass needed to be cleaned but the bed was perfectly intact. An image of himself polishing the brass and putting together the bed for his own mattress flashed vividly into his mind’s eye.

He’d be nuts to even consider moving into this place.

“Look at this. Looks like something you’d have your nose buried in.” Ramiro held up an old leather bound book that he’d found in one of the table drawers. The color of the once crimson leather had faded to a dull dark red.

“Shakespeare’s sonnets,” Ryan murmured. He owned a copy of his own, nearly as well read as this old tome. Ryan had cultivated a love of Shakespeare from his father that had been nourished by Alistair. The book parted to a well-worn gold-leafed page when he opened it. He immediately recognized the one hundred and sixteenth sonnet.

He raised the book toward his face and inhaled. His brow furrowed at the scent of gardenias mixing with the odor of leather and mildew.

“I’ll bet you can get a couple grand for this old chest, Daire. People pay out their asses for antiques. Holy shit, check it out.”

Ramiro moved aside from the opened door of the massive mahogany wardrobe so that Ryan could see the full-length mirror attached on the inner side of the door. The frame had been carved into a meticulous iris design beneath the gilt. Time had taken its toll on the mirror itself. Six or so inches all along the exterior had gone foggy with age. Only the center portion reflected true. Still, the mirror was so huge that Ryan didn’t have to stoop his tall frame to see his face in the reflection.
Only it wasn’t his face that he saw. He started in surprise.

“Jesus.”

He whipped around so fast that Ramiro jerked back in alarm.

“What?” Ramiro asked. The whites of his brown eyes showed as his gaze shifted warily around the room and then back to Ryan. “What’s wrong, man?”

Ryan turned back to the mirror, this time seeing his own bloodless face and greenish-blue eyes staring back at him.

“You didn’t see her?”

“See who?”

“That woman. She was just right here, standing in front of me. I saw her in the mirror.” He quickly inspected the empty wardrobe, scanned the bedroom and rushed to the door.
The hallway stood empty and silent, the dozens of closed doors along both walls reminding him of watchful eyes.

“There’s no one here but us, Daire,” Ramiro said from just behind him.

Ryan shook his head. He knew what he’d seen with his own two eyes: a stunning, lithesome-limbed beauty with pale, flawless skin and a long mane of soft, curling dark hair hanging loose down her shoulders and back.

The same woman he’d imagined briefly in the ballroom, he realized. But this had been different. In the ballroom it had just been like a super-vivid flash of his imagination. This had been real.

Realer than real.

Laughter had curved her lush, dark pink lips. She’d worn a sheer negligee, the bottom of which barely covered the dark nest of hair between her slender thighs. She might as well have been standing there naked for as much good as the nightgown did. The only other thing that adorned her flawless skin was a locket hanging around her neck. Ryan could still see perfectly with his mind’s eye the detail of the filigree carved into the silver and the throb of the woman’s pulse at her throat.

“No. I definitely saw her,” Ryan insisted firmly, but even as he said it, he began to question himself.

He’d seen the front of her in the mirror…as though she’d stood directly before him with her back to him.

His breath froze on an inhale.

There hadn’t been anyone standing in front of him. She’d just been in the mirror, staring out at him as if the space between the gilded frame had been a doorway not a pane of glass. He crossed the room and touched the surface of the mirror. Despite the bizarreness of what had just happened, he didn’t really believe he’d feel anything but the cool, smooth surface of the glass.

Shock jolted through him for the second time that evening when the molecules of his fingers seemed to meld with those of the mirror. He wondered if it hadn’t been his imagination when a second later he pressed his fingertips against a solid pane of glass.

“You really didn’t see anyone?” he asked Ramiro as he turned around.

Ramiro shook his head.

There was no way in hell Ryan wouldn’t have noticed the back of that woman if she stood in front of him. That flimsy excuse for a nightgown wouldn’t have completely covered her bare ass.
Uh uh—not a possibility. As a healthy, red-blooded male, Ryan knew for a fact he would have noticed that.

“Dios, Daire. I think you saw a ghost.”

Ryan shot Ramiro an annoyed look. “I didn’t see a ghost. She was perfectly solid.”

Perfectly gorgeous.

He recalled the startled expression in her velvety black eyes. “She looked as surprised to see me as I did her,” Ryan said.

“What’d she look like?”

A pair of full, shapely breasts and succulent, fat nipples pressing against transparent cloth that did nothing to hide their rosy hue flashed into Ryan’s mind’s eye. The potent eroticism of the recalled image made his cock jerk in his boxer briefs.

What’d she look like? Edible. Delicious. Like an angel on a mission of sin.

“Dark hair. Dark eyes,” he muttered. For some reason he felt hesitant about sharing even a basic description of the woman with Ramiro.

“You saw a ghost all right. This house is haunted,” Ramiro declared as he glanced around, his feet shifting nervously.

Ryan couldn’t help but grin. “I thought you were a big, bad vice detective. Since when are you scared of a little tiny female?”

Ramiro gave him an insulted look. “Ever since the ‘little tiny female’ is dead.”

“She’s not dead.”

Ramiro looked a little taken aback by Ryan’s hard tone. “Whatever, man.” Ramiro shivered and started toward the door. The image of his brawny partner shuddering reflexively struck Ryan as markedly odd, not to mention alarming for some reason.

“The only time I saw you get so pale was when you got shot,” Ramiro said. “Take my advice and sell this place quick as you can. I’ll take the likes of a slimy rat like Anton Chirnovsky any day versus a haunted house. Come on. Crenshaw will be waiting for us at Bureau Headquarters. We’re making sure Chirnovsky has his story straight and is in good voice before we strap the wires on him for Donahue’s downfall this weekend.”

Ryan closed the heavy wardrobe door with a brisk bang, perhaps hoping to shatter the fey spell wrought by the vision of the stunning woman. He didn’t believe in ghosts and he was every bit as eager to nail Jim Donahue for human trafficking as Ramiro was.

Still, he lingered in the doorway, casting his gaze around the empty bedroom warily before he shut out the light.

DC: You’ve quite a number of books published in the last couple of years. Have you found it difficult to come up with storylines, have a problem with writer’s block, or something equally scary? Or has the excitement of it all kept the creative juices flowing with no problem at all?

BK: You know, Sandy, I thank my lucky stars at this point in my life it’s the latter. I realize it likely won’t always be that way, but I’ll have to take my earlier advice and celebrate the moment while it’s here.

DC: What’s next on the horizon for Beth Kery?

BK: My next book is Through Her Eyes from Ellora’s Cave on April 29. I have several books coming out this year from Berkley: Daring Time on May 5; Sweet Restraint on July 7; Paradise Rules on October 6, followed by Release in February 2010. Beyond that, I’d be happy to have the opportunities to keep on writing, if anyone wants to give them to me.

Favorite paranormal author?
Mary Stewart

Contemp?
Sandra Brown

Historical?
Margaret Atwood (also a favorite for futuristic)

Favorite paranormal book?
Probably The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart. I’ve re-read it a million times.
If Time Travel is ‘paranormal,’ then Time and Again by Jack Finney.

Contemp?
Any old Loveswept or Bantam book by Sandra Brown, like Temperature’s Rising or A Whole New Light. I feel as if I learned romance and steam from Sandra. I like her new stuff, too, but her old stuff creates such a sense of nostalgia and longing in me. I told someone once in an interview, if you want to get most of my stuff in a nutshell, it’s Sandra Brown gone erotic. From my opinion of course, not anyone else’s–like her fans or Sandra herself.

Historical?
Oh, reverting from romance again, sorry. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

Lightning Round:

- dark or milk chocolate?
Milk.
- smooth or chunky peanut butter?
Smooth
- heels or flats?
Heels (although my nieces roll their eyes at me as they look darling in their flats.)
- coffee or tea?
Coffee with cream only.
- summer or winter?
Summer.
- mountains or beach?
Mountains.
- mustard or mayonnaise?
Mustard—spicy.
- flowers or candy?
Flowers.
- pockets or purse?
Purse.
- Pepsi or Coke?
Diet Pepsi

- ebook or print?
Doh! Print probably, until I get used to be my lovely Kindle anyway.

And because we like these:

1. What is your favorite word?
Lustrous.
2. What is your least favorite word?
Was (Yes, I still use it too much.)
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
People who are scared, but do it anyway…even if it’s not pretty.
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
People who act like they know everything.
5. What sound or noise do you love?
I live in the city. My white noise machine signals relaxation.
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Pounding nails, garbage trucks….anything cacophonous.
7. What is your favorite curse word?
Fuck.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
FBI agent.
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Teacher—not because I don’t appreciate them enormously. I just come from a family of teachers and professors and wanted to do something different.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you
arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“I’m so proud of you—you took a real chance to get here!”
DC: Beth, thank you for chatting with us today.  It’s been a pleasure!

Shannon C.’s review of Moonfire (Pure Wildfire Series, Book 3) by Lynne Connolly
Contemporary paranormal romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Nov 08

I like Lynne Connolly’s Pure Wildfire books. They’re probably my favorite series she’s got going at the moment, as each of the stories that I’ve read has been consistently readable. Moonfire is no exception, and while it isn’t my favorite entry in the series due to a villain who was so obvious he should have been wearing a neon sign proclaiming, “I AM THE VILLAIN!” it is still a nice addition to the canon. 

Like all of the Pure Wildfire books, this one stands out on its own very well. Up to this point, readers of the series didn’t know much about Jake Keys, the bass player for rock sensation Pure Wildfire, a band composed of talents — this world’s paranormal beings. But this is Jake’s story. He is called back to Springwater, Texas, a town he’d left over a hundred years ago, when his wife is murdered. He doesn’t know much about who killed Cheryl at first, but he does know her sexy yet vulnerable business partner, Teri, didn’t do it.

I usually like Ms. Connolly’s heroines, and Teri was no exception, although I did have a few problems with her. I liked that she is suitably overwhelmed with all the stuff that’s going on around her, and in particular her feelings for Jake. I also liked that she was determined not to be a notch on his bedpost. That seems like a very realistic romantic conflict, and it comes together surprisingly well. My problem, though, is that I thought she veered a bit too much into martyr heroine territory. I understood her reasons for not clarifying that she and Cheryl didn’t have a sexual relationship, but I still found the reasons a bit silly and I thought they added a needless layer of complication. Also, I kind of lost some respect for her due to her relationship with the villain, who, as mentioned above, is not subtle. At all.

Jake is much more likeable, but then, I like Ms. Connolly’s men. Jake is easygoing and a genuinely nice guy, and I loved that he fell head over heels for Teri very quickly, and allowed her her independence without crowding her. Also, the story of Jake as it relates to the town of Springwater was quite sad, and there were a few moments, like when he thinks he’s got to leave Teri forever, where I wanted to reach into the book and give him a hug. Also, I thought his arrangement with Cheryl was interesting, and I felt his grief at losing such a good friend.

The plots in the paranormals I’ve read by Ms. Connolly all tend to lead up to the same thing. The terrorist group out to destroy talents suspects someone, they move in and threaten the heroine, and the hero comes to the rescue. This was no exception, but for the most part I liked it in a comfort-read sort of way. I did, however, have issues with the villain, who is so creepy/obsessive that I couldn’t believe the heroine never once picked up on how obvious he was being about it. And the actual history of the villain made me roll my eyes. A lot.

This is one of the more original paranormal romance series I’ve heard about, and I am sad that there’s only going to be the one more book for me to enjoy. If you’re like me and enjoy a meatier ebook for your money, this is definitely one to try. And, having written this review, I just noticed that Thunderfire, the last book in the series, was recently released! I know exactly what my book budget is getting spent on!

Grade: B

Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on its tag.

Summary:
One look at Teri Gilpatrick and Jake Keys wants her so bad he can’t think straight. The trouble is, she’s in prison, accused of the murder of his wife, Cheryl. He has to get her free before the people who killed Cheryl come for her too.

But can a shape-shifting firebird, a member of the hottest rock band on the planet, persuade a sassy, independent woman to take a chance on him? Once, that is, she’s not under sentence of death. From the law and from the hidden group seeking to destroy Jake’s band, Pure Wildfire.

Teri’s only salvation is the incredibly sexy Jake Keys, but she wants far more from him than that. Maybe more than he wants to give. And she won’t settle for second best. She wants Jake, and everything he has to offer. Fiery passion and everlasting love. And the amazing Talent he holds.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Sandy M’s review of Tapestry of the Past by Alvania Scarborough
Contemporary paranormal erotic romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 24 Sep 08

I’ve had a rash of erotica books lately that just haven’t worked for me for one reason or another, mostly because there’s not really a storyline, let alone a good one, or the characters are very lackluster.  I’m happy to say this book is a very nice and pleasant surprise.  I liked the characters and the storyline is quite interesting with a paranormal twist to it all.  I just love it when I find a little pearl like this.

Kaleisa has had visions of murder for most of her life.  Of course, no one believes her when she tries to tell anyone about them, especially the police.  So she learned to keep these moments to herself.  Until her latest vision, however, in which it is her face she sees on a body by the lake she frequents for some quality downtime.  She braves taking her story to the police one more time, but once again she’s told there’s nothing they can do without evidence, and they don’t believe her, but she’s at least given the name and address of a man who maybe can help.

But Gabriel Steele covets his peace and solitude.  He has tortured secrets of his own and having a nut case interrupt his life is not what he needs.  He scares her off originally, but when he learns her home has been broken into, her situation takes on a whole new look.  He brings Kaleisa to his home where he can better protect her, calls in some favors from friends he trusts, and they begin to ferret out evidence to find the man responsible for not only terrorizing Kalesia but the one also responsible for several other deaths.

With her visions still occurring on a regular basis during the investigation and their feelings for one another becoming stronger day by day, Gabriel is learning to open up and trust Kalesia, something he hasn’t done in years.  But the villain they’re chasing is always one step ahead of them and causes Kalesia to doubt the man Gabriel is, which is something he should have expected.  His past is full of things he’s not proud of and having others find out about it closes him down faster than anything else.  He can’t even pull forth enough hope that Kalesia will see through the misinformation she’s seen to give them a chance at a life together.

From their first meeting there’s an instant attraction that sparks between Gabriel and Kalesia.  Though he wants nothing to do with her at their first meeting, we get a great look at how good it can be between them in the future.  And it definitely is good.  The love scenes are all well written and hot.  The storyline is very interesting and we’re kept in the dark as to the identity of the villain until near the very end, and it is a little bit of twist when he’s finally revealed.  I really enjoyed Gabriel’s friends who show up to help out.  They have a good camaraderie among them and they take to Kalesia early on.

I liked this book enough that I wanted to read more by this author, but unfortunately her website and blog have not been updated for several years.  That’s too bad.  I think she’d have a great following if folks could find out about her.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Visions of murder have always haunted Kalesia Brannigan’s nights. But this time it is her own face that stares back at her. Her only chance to stop a vicious killer before he makes her his next victim is to convince a sexy, cynical former CIA agent that what she sees are not just dreams.

Gabriel Steele is intimately acquainted with dreams that slide through the night like a sharp knife through flesh. Hell, he spent twenty years creating them…and losing a bit of his soul at the same time. When Kalesia turns up on his doorstep with her tale of murder yet to happen, she unleashes the past into the present. Gabriel is determined to protect the woman who’s brought warmth and light into his life, but can he keep her safe from a killer who stalks from the shadows? Because someone is watching…and waiting.

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Retreat by Mari Carr
Erotic romantic suspense eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 27 Nov 08

With smaller turnaround times between proposals and release dates, it’s possible for an e-published author to get a very good idea of what readers are buying and write books specifically to that market, whether that’s a market they’re any good at writing or have much interest in. It’s a logical thing to do, and if I were a published author, I’d definitely want to write books I knew would sell.  But the knowledge that a book will sell doesn’t guarantee the book will be good, and even if all the elements are there to be a bestseller, the book still has to engage the reader and bring something new to the table, which is not what happened with Mari Carr’s latest.

It feels like the kind of story that was written because both menage and BDSM stories are selling well at the moment. (I don’t know whether this is true, and I wouldn’t dare to presume to speak for the author.) Unfortunately, because this story does feel so much like something that was written for the guaranteed sale, it suffers. Devon has already reviewed this book, and if you are a fan of the author, you might want to read her thoughts instead of mine. Because this book, quite frankly, sucked.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it should have been a lot darker, and it should have been a lot less superficial. The author thankfully doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the BDSM training that our protagonists, Jon and Night, go through, and she doesn’t use the cult to titillate. But she doesn’t really explain why it was traumatic beyond a superficial explanation. I really wanted to understand exactly why it was that these men in particular felt that they couldn’t be fulfilled sexually unless they shared women, other than that that is an erotic romance trope.

The BDSM aspects that were present weren’t very heavy. They could have been left out entirely, and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the plot. Which is a shame, because I would have respected the author more if she’d pushed the envelope and actually written, y’know, a BDSM story, full-bore, with all the props and bells and whistles. Instead, she writes enough for it to be considered a little kinky, and even during the scene where the boys try to scare the heroine, Carly, away from getting involved with the federal agency’s attempts to infiltrate said cult by showing her what “hardcore BDSM” is really like, all they really do is manhandle her a little roughly and make her call them master. I at least wanted to see more definite bondage, maybe some whips and chains. Alas, no. I mean, at least if they’d gone for more of the BDSM thing, I’d have believed the heroine really was a submissive at heart. Instead, the men back off and decide they can’t use Carly in that way. So, yeah, how exactly is that going to help when she infiltrates the cult?

The plot itself, aside from the BDSM cult aspects, was not only boring but seriously paint-by-numbers. Every plot development might as well have been advertised in blinking neon lights. At one point, I was sending incredulous emails, to a very patient friend of mine, in which I predicted every exciting twist. I was never, ever wrong.

Plus, what’s not boring and paint-by-numbers is patently ridiculous. A federal agency doesn’t have enough manpower to bring down a cult without the help of the sons of its leaders? You have got to be kidding me. They don’t have enough trained professional female agents and have to resort to sekretly submissive school secretaries to infiltrate the cult when it starts up again? Please. Tell me another one. Furthermore, lots of nameless victims of domestic violence being willing to put their lives in the hands of an obvious psychopath like Cassandra and overlooking the fact that she practically has “I am fucking crazy!” tattooed on her forehead? My credulity is strained to the point of pain here.

As for the characters, well, we have Carly, who is a school secretary and sekret submissive. If a woman like her truly exists outside of Romancelandia, I think she should be taken to someone’s lab for reprogramming. Carly is wholesome, despite her sekret submissiveness, and yet, she describes herself as not being like other girls. I’m not sure what that means in this context, exactly, but considering that the other female characters in this book are a psychopathic nutjob trying to pass her evil organization off as a shelter for victims of domestic abuse and the nameless women who are stupid enough to fall for it, I can believe that. Given the other women we see, Carly really is a beacon of intelligence and bravery… except, you know, when she’s TSTL, which happens a lot. Oh, and Carly talks like a woman about four times her age. (I don’t know when I’ve ever heard a woman under 50 actually refer to a group of men as “fellas”. And Carly does. A lot. So much so that it got to be somewhat distracting, because every time she did, I kept thinking, ‘Nobody talks like that!’)

Carly is well-nuanced in comparison to Jon and Night, though. Jon and Night both have potential for being unique characters, but they don’t quite reach it. The only things that differentiated the two of them were their hair color and the different ways in which they expressed the terrible emo darkness in their soul. In fact, they both express the fact that each has half of the other’s soul. WTF does that even mean? To me, it reads like the kind of shortcut where the author doesn’t need to make her characters actual, you know, individual people, so in the end I get the impression that Carly has ended up with two manbots instead of two men. Here again, I would have liked a bit of audacity.  These boys are really, really good friends, but they are as close as brothers. If the author had made them actual brothers, I would have rolled my eyes, but she doesn’t. If she’d made them hot for each other, I’d have liked them a little more, but she doesn’t.  So, again, she treads the safe middle ground of not offending anyone’s sensibilities.  And because I didn’t like any of these people, I felt distanced from them during the sex scenes, and was mostly bored.

Also, the characters routinely refer to their relationship as a ménage. I know this is such a little thing to nitpick about, but I hate when people in contemporary erotic romance do that. I am not an expert on polyamory, but I have friends who are involved in multiple-partner relationships. None of them have ever referred to said relationship as a ménage. A threesome, yes. I’ve even heard triad. But ménage? No. Just. Fucking. No.

I know there are other Duckies on the site who love them some Mari Carr. But this book, with its overly silly plot, its underwhelming characters, and the paint-by-numbers feel has convinced me she is not for me. I can’t even recommend this book for fans of the author. It’s that awful.

Grade: F

Summary:

Jon Walker and Night Thomas lived their childhood in a cult. They embraced the lifestyle, and it was there that they were trained as BDSM Masters. Only when the cult was infiltrated by undercover agent Reilly did the boys learn of the cult’s seedy underside, and help to destroy it.

Nearly fifteen years later, Jon’s job as a high school teacher — and his lust for the school’s gorgeous secretary, Carly — bring him close to the normal life he’s always craved. Just when that life is within his grasp, Reilly returns. An incarnation of the cult has resurfaced with Jon’s evil mother at the helm, and Reilly wants Jon and Night to go undercover to stop Cassandra Walker once and for all.

Shocked by his mother’s return and his BDSM past come back to haunt him, Jon is terrified of Carly discovering his dark secrets. Including the darkest of all — his complex relationship with Night, and his unrelenting urge to share Carly with his best friend.

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Seduced by Magic (Magical Seduction, Book 1) by Stephanie Julian
Fantasy erotic romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 5 Mar 08

When Stephanie Julian e-mailed us requesting that someone review something of hers, I gladly agreed to do so, since her premise looked interesting. Unfortunately, while there were quite a lot of things I liked about the book I read, I’m not sure I can recommend it with the heartiness that Ms. Julian would no doubt prefer. 

Scarletta has reasons to be suspicious of Justin. She thinks he intends to capture fairies and study them scientifically, and she’s determined to kill him before he gets the chance. But when she sneaks into his home, she realizes he’s hot, and random sexoring commences. But there are some people far more dangerous to Scarletta and her people than Justin, so the two end up running from them and Justin learns far more than he bargained for about his own life.

One of the things I really liked about this story was that aside from the random sexoring that Scarletta indulges in, I found her a competent heroine. She knew exactly what she was doing most of the time, and I could believe that she was usually good at her job. She’s not excessively TSTL, which is nicely refreshing. I also loved that Justin was allowed to be something of a geek, because, well, I think that’s hot. I even liked the romance, though I think I would have liked it better if it hadn’t been so rushed.

What I didn’t like very much, and what brings the grade down considerably, was the world-building. There’s something to be said for having the fairies have their own unique names for each other and for humans, as it lends a certain verisimilitude to the story, but it was something I actually grew rather annoyed by. I never did figure all the Italian words out, and every time I encountered one, I was thrown out of the book.

The plot suffers quite a bit, too, as the characters easily circumvent any conflict that is thrown their way. I didn’t feel any tension from the plot, and when Justin has his big reveal of magical powers, I actually rolled my eyes, because of course it turns out he is way more powerful than Scarletta. I mean, he is the man after all.

I did like the hero and heroine, and the secondary characters were interesting enough that I could see some of them carrying their own stories quite well, but I’m not sure this is a series I’m going to follow. There isn’t enough here to let me recommend it particularly highly.

Grade: C-

Summary:
Justin Johannson knows there are mythical creatures living among us. After all, he has been trying to prove their existence for ten years. Research gets a whole lot more interesting when he finds a winged woman in his bed and his sexual fantasies come to life.

Etruscan folletta Scarlata is convinced Justin is in league with an evil businessman bent on capturing her for scientific study, which is so not going to happen. She decides that Justin needs to be taught a lesson to leave her and the rest of the mythical creatures in peace — but before, she might just have a little fun of her own.

The beautiful folletta never expected to fall for a human and Justin is about to discover that true magic really does exist in the world. And in him.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

 I’ve been involved in the epublishing market since close to its inception as a potentially profitable fiction market, ie around the late ‘90’s, early 2000’s. I slipped into it by accident – I write unabashed romance and I live in the UK, where if you write romance, it’s Mills and Boon or nothing. Sagas, which until recently filled the market, are more about a woman’s life than they are about romance and an American reader wouldn’t class them as romance.

Anyway, once M and B rejected my historical, because it’s in the first person, (“Yorkshire,”) I had nowhere to go, so someone suggested the USA. The big publishers seemed impossible, so I tried epublishing, figuring it would be a good stepping-stone. I’m still there.

But boy, has it changed! It’s no longer a stepping-stone, but an end in itself. Now what I have to say concerns certain comments I’ve seen recently by people who ought to know better, but maybe it’s because they can’t see the numbers. Any more than I can give them.

However, any study of any market will tell you that the top 20% of companies makes 80% of the profit. It’s called the Pareto rule, and although the numbers are obviously not exact, it’s true for almost every market you can think of. It’s true for New York publishing, it’s true for epublishing, too.

In New York, the big five (six?) make far more than all the other small publishers, and that’s not even thinking about the self-publishing outfits. It works the same way in epublishing, although detailed figures aren’t available and authors are constrained by their non-disclosure agreements with the publishers so they can’t give them, which is why I can’t tell you my sales and earnings in any detail. There must be a large audience of people who don’t participate on the message boards, the blogs or the loops who just buy books, because sales are now very healthy indeed.

I write for three of the biggest epublishers – Ellora’s Cave, Samhain and Loose-Id, and my income is – well it’s in five figures, which is what a midlist New York author can expect. This is not unusual for an author for the largest epub houses, and it’s no longer confined to the erotic only. My Samhain historicals are highly sensual, not erotic, and I’ve featured in the Samhain list of top ten sellers several times, as have other non-erotic authors.

I am fairly prolific, but a lot of that is reissues. My editors are as exacting as you’ll find anywhere, sometimes more so, and I have at least two for each book, and extra editing for print releases. I’m not showing off, I’m just tired of people saying that epubbed authors earn miniscule amounts, and then quoting someone from one of the smaller epubs. The majority of sales don’t lie there. Authors write for them for various reasons – to get into the market, because they’re friends with the owners, because they’re happy with the editing and cover art the house offers or because they expect the house to grow and want to grow with it.

It’s now very difficult to get a book accepted by the bigger epublishing houses. The bigger epublishers spend a great deal on cover art, the website and other incidentals, so it’s not true that it’s cheap to produce an ebook. And the author gets a bigger cut, too, than they can expect in New York. And barriers to entry are rising – art is more expensive, editors demand a proper salary, and promotion and website costs are rising, too.

However, asking a hardback price for an ebook is a marketing decision, not one of economics, and I’d be unhappy if anyone was asked to pay $12 or more for one of my ebooks, unless I’d written a book the length of “Lord of the Rings.”

Concentrate on where the majority of sales are and you’ll find an expanding, dynamic market which is changing to reflect the nature of the changing market. Ellora’s Cave now has a new website, Jasmine Jade, which encompasses all its imprints. Samhain has just acquired Linden Bay Romance, to increase its scope and its roster of authors. Harlequin has made major investments in putting its books out as ebooks, and the marketing team there is one of the sharpest you’ll find anywhere. They have good reason for doing so. I’m not even touching on the new readers like the Kindle and Sony. Suffice it to say that they’ve helped to boost sales, too.

While I’d love to write for New York or London, or both, it’s no longer my sole career path. Epublishing has been good to me, even considering the Wild West days, and I sincerely believe it’s the way of the future. Not least because last year I made the decision to get my new books in e-format whenever possible (I just ran out of space). And I no longer feel I have to defend the industry. I can afford to shrug and walk away. Just trying to put a few misconceptions right, that’s all.

Is everything hunky-dory in the epublishing world? Of course not. But it’s no longer something that can be swept under the carpet, although its position as the red-headed stepchild of the fiction market will probably stick with it for a while.

Shannon C.’s review of Retreat From Love (Brothers in Arms, Book 5) by Samantha Kane
Historical erotic romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 17 Dec 08

When I read that Samantha Kane was coming out with a new release in December, I literally “squeed!”. Normally, I like to think I’m far too dignified for squeeing, but that is pretty much what I did. And when I found out that the book featured Freddy and Brett, the playful and seemingly carefree Duke of Ashland and his constant companion, respectively, I was even more delighted to see what she’d do. And while Retreat from Love isn’t my favorite in the series, I still strongly recommend it.

As I mentioned in the above paragraph, Freddy is the Duke of Ashland. He was sort of thrust into the role when his two older brothers died. He is relatively young for a hero, and a lot of the growing up he’s had to do to get him to the point where we meet him has happened offscreen. His friend Brett Haversham has provided a steadying influence on him. Trouble is, Freddy is in love with Brett, but Brett feels that doing anything with Freddy would be a betrayal of Freddy’s older brother, whom Brett served with in the war that is a backdrop to all these stories. Complicating all of this, Brett is also in love with Anne Goode, Freddy’s brother’s former fiancee. And, of course, when Freddy meets Anne, he falls in love with her, too. But can they get past Brett’s feelings of betrayal and Anne’s stubborn pride to have a happily ever after?

I really liked Anne, who I think may be my favorite heroine Ms. Kane has written to date. She’s spunky, she knows her own mind, and she’s not about to take crap from anybody. Her reputation is already tarnished beyond repair, so she’s just going to enjoy her life. She’s decided that she wants both Brett and Freddy, and she goes for them. I really liked that about her, and I thought her refusal to marry Freddy and become the duchess was based on some legitimate fears and wasn’t just an excuse to draw out the conflict.

Brett was, quite honestly, the harder for me to like of the two heroes. While I could understand and sympathize with his feelings that he should stay away from Anne and Freddy because of Freddy’s brother, Bertie, his fits of emo got a little old. He was as much a martyr as those heroines in more traditional historicals that I hate. That being said, when he realized that he had been being kind of a shit to Freddy in some ways, I was cheering for him, because it can’t have been so easy to come to that decision.

Freddy totally made this book for me, which is maybe one of the reasons I’m so hard on Brett. I liked that he was significantly younger than both Anne and Brett, because that’s not something I see a lot of in my romances, where it seems that men are rakes until they’re at least 35. I loved that, though Freddy had been rather spoiled and cossetted as a child, he turned into such a loving, generous man. He really wants to do what’s right by the two most important people in his world, and I felt that he really needed Brett and Anne’s love in ways that the other two didn’t, because they loved him for who he was, and not his title.

The chemistry between the three is definitely high, and the sex scenes are scorching. What’s more, and as is usual for Ms. Kane I totally felt that none of the trio would be complete without the other two.

This would be an excellent book for anyone who has ever wondered about this series to start out reading. There are allusions to previous characters, but there are no reunions with past happy couples, which is OK with me. Ms. Kane obviously has a lot of other things up her sleeve with this series, and I continue to live in hope that one day Stephen Matthews, the vicar, will get his own story. We also got introduced to Gideon North, and, oh,but I love me some Beauty and the Beast stories, so I really hope she writes his book soon as well.

Oh, and one last thing that I loved. Each chapter of the book opens with a letter, usually written to Anne, but not always, from the people fighting in the war. I absolutely adored this particular touch, because the letters were so full of poignancy and helped to illustrate the characters and make them come alive more for me.

The only reason this book doesn’t quite hit A status for me is that I felt that the middle dragged on a bit. Brett and Anne were busy martyring themselves, and I just wanted them to get over themselves and make Freddy happy. That being said, I can’t complain too much, because Ms. Kane’s longer works are by far her best works, and this was definitely long enough to sink into.

Despite a bit of dragginess toward the middle, this book is definitely a great addition to the Brothers in Arms series. If you like your regencies hot, and you like your menage stories M/M/F, this is definitely worth the cash.

Grade: B+

Read other reviews of books in this series by clicking on the Brothers In Arms series tag.

Summary:
A man with everything except his heart’s desire.
Frederick Thorne, Duke of Ashland, has been in love with Brett Haversham for years. If the only way to have him is to give him what he wants Freddy will share him, in bed and out, with the woman Brett loves. The woman who was Freddy’s first love.

A man sacrificing everything for the past.
Brett Haversham is in love with two people he’s sworn never to touch. But his desires prove to be stronger than his resolve when they both set out to seduce him — together. The incredible sex they share overwhelms him.

A woman with nothing left to lose.
Anne Goode lost her fiancé Bertie in the war. Now his younger brother Freddy is back, all grown up into the handsome and powerful duke. And he’s brought Bertie’s best friend Brett with him. Lonely and already ruined, Anne can’t resist taking both of them as her lovers. Is the uncontrollable desire between the three enough to heal the wounds of the past and overcome the problems of the present? They must accept love rather than retreat from it.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Shannon C.’s review of Jewels of the Nile, Vol. II by Samantha Kane, Anna J. Evans, Natasha Moore, Rebecca Airies, Maxie Cooper, and KyAnn Waters
Erotic romance anthology released by Ellora’s Cave 20 Jun 08

I own several of Ellora’s Cave’s multi-author anthologies. I tend to not read many anthologies, because they’re so easy to just put down again. But I did buy this one specifically for the Samantha Kane story, and I was pleased to find that I liked quite a few of the other offerings as well. Read on for my thoughts.

After Dark by KyAnn Waters
Contemporary paranormal

Well, I liked the idea of native American vampires, but Ms. Waters tried to do too much and didn’t succeed. The essential story, that of a woman who meets a vampire at a nightclub and the consequences of her one-night stand with him could have been much more compelling, except Ms. Waters tried to throw in extraneous paranormal world-building. I also felt that the conflict resolution was weak. I wasn’t convinced that heroine Kayla would have been happy being with hero Alandro for eternity, since there were too many other things in her life that she was concerned about leaving behind. This story tried to be a lot of things and never quite succeeded.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Kayla March has never reached orgasm…not even with a vibrator. However, she has the feeling that could all change when she meets Alandro Blackwood at the club After Dark.

Few vampires can breed. Alandro carries the unique recessive gene. His blood match, believed to have been killed by a vampire slayer, has been found. Unless her dormant vampire gene had already been awakened by a breeder, why would she go to After Dark, the feeding grounds? He’d soon find out.

Read an excerpt.

From the Sea by Maxie Cooper
Contemporary Paranormal Romance

Kelly discovers her soulmate, but can she conquer her fear of the sea to be with him?

This was much better. I felt that Kelly’s motivations were well-realized, and Sean was hot. Ms. Cooper managed to convince me of their romance in a relatively short space of time, even if the story did involve fated mates, a plot device I am generally tired of reading. I particularly liked that Ms. Cooper tied up Kelly’s loose ends, leaving her with no excuse not to go be with Sean, something I found lacking in the last offering. This is an author I’m definitely interested in seeing more of.

Grade: B

Summary:

Kelli Rhodes is vacationing at a beachside cottage when a mysterious man emerges from the sea, offering erotic pleasures beyond her wildest fantasies. For the first time in her life, Kelli feels a connection with someone — and his unbelievable story might explain the mystery behind Kelli’s birth.

There’s no denying the sexual chemistry between them. But to claim this man, Kelli must overcome her greatest fear…and take a leap into an even greater unknown.

No excerpt available.

Lady’s Choice by Rebecca Airies
Futuristic Erotic Romance

This one suffered from many of the flaws of the Waters story. Set on a space station that has recently lost power, our heroes and heroine are trapped together until they can be rescued and power restored. The men, who naturally come from the kind of alien culture that encourages two men to share one woman for reasons that are never explained, have a few ideas as to what they can do with their time. But after the rescue, can Kyna, the heroine, accept the love they offer?

Because of the limited word count, I didn’t really understand why the men wanted Kyna as much as they did. They tell her later that they’ve been watching her for a while, but I’m not sure I bought it. I also felt that certain aspects of the world were given much more detail than necessary (we learn an alien term of endearment) while others were pretty much glossed over (The guys have tattoos on their chests, but of what, I have no idea. Also, I really wanted someone to mention how sticky constant sex in the position they were using would be after several days, unless alien sperm is self-cleaning?) The result is a story that is all over the place, and my least favorite in the anthology.

Grade: C-

Summary:
Kyna has fought long and hard to establish herself as a dedicated, capable soldier in the Laurati army. Now she is determined to let nothing about her past tarnish her reputation as she works to advance among the Calazi militia. She’d wanted to impress her commanders, but not like this.

In the midst of a power outage on their base, Finn and Drace make their intentions toward Kyna crystal clear. Kyna is intrigued and aroused but wary of sleeping with a superior, let alone both of them. As the heat between them rises, however, she quickly realizes she needs to make a choice — and not between the two men.

Read an excerpt.

Sunrise by Natasha Moore
Contemporary Romance

Here’s another story I really liked. Caroline has been taking walks alone on the beach and meeting up with Alan for anonymous sex. Alan wants to take things to the next level and have something more permanent and less anonymous, but Caroline is afraid to.

This is such a great slice of life story. The characters have already met and are established as a couple, but their story is moving. Caroline’s first-person narrative brings a surprising immediacy to the story that made me identify with her, despite the craziness of the premise. I was rooting for her to accept what she was offered, and I was glad she did. I was left feeling satisfied with the direction of the romance, and I moved on to the next story with a smile on my face. This is hands down the best story in the anthology, and completely worth the price of admission alone.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Caroline has been meeting Alan at sunset for months. The hot sex they’ve been enjoying started out mindless and anonymous, just the way she wanted it. Little by little, they’ve gotten to know and care for each other. Caroline fears the changes in their relationship she can’t seem to prevent.

Alan wants Caroline in his life. He sets out to seduce her with his voice, his hands, his body. He’s no longer satisfied with sex in the shadows and wants more. Can he make Caroline feel the same?

Read an excerpt.

Surrender Dorothy by Anna J. Evans
Contemporary Paranormal Romance

This was a cute paranormal with an interesting setup. Stephen must convince Gelsey to become handfasted to him and perform a midsummer rite in order to save her from the dark magic that has always taunted her.

“Let’s have sex to save the world” stories are fun. And this is no exception. Ms. Evans ratchets the tension up expertly, and even though the outcome is pretty obvious (this being a romance anthology) I was still on the edge of my seat wondering if they would or wouldn’t. And there is a nice grovel scene near the end. This isn’t my favorite, but it is a fun story.

Grade: B

Summary:
Sexy men, magic, and mayhem…oh my!

Gelsey is grateful to land a gig as costume mistress for a theatre. She simply wants to hide from the dark forces that pursue her. She never plans on falling for the sexy, surly Tin Man, the character every Wizard of Oz fan knows has no heart.

Stephen has finally found the woman destined to be his. Now only one night of danger, a little sex magic and Gelsey’s stubborn refusal to admit she’s his stand in his way. But Stephen won’t give up. He’ll have Gelsey, giving her such pleasure she’ll have no choice but to surrender.

No excerpt available.

The Debutante by Samantha Kane
Historical Erotic Romance

OK, let’s be honest. This story was the entire reason I bought this anthology, because I am a slavering Samantha Kane fangirl. Seriously, I would read her grocery lists as long as there was hot sexoring going on between the bread and the eggs. So I knew I’d like this story, and I did. Viscount Lethbridge meets debutante Clarissa at a house party, and, after seeing her from afar, decides he wants her. Naturally, he has a BFF/partner in sexual escapades and he’s determined that the lovely Clari will want them both.

Unlike other of Ms. Kane’s stories, there’s no M/M involvement between the two partners, and I don’t entirely know that I bought their habit of sharing women as a result. I did like that by the end of the story I never felt that the third member of their triad was simply being cast aside. That said, I do prefer Ms. Kane’s longer works, and so I’m not especially convinced of the romantic connection between the three characters. But the sex was hot, and the characterization well-done as always, and Ms. Kane manages to write the sorts of rescue fantasy type stories that hit me especially right, so I’d still recommend the story.

Grade: B

Summary:
Dominic, Viscount Lethbridge, is struck by debutante Clarissa Welliston’s voluptuous form and arresting, unusual features. In spite of her innocence, he wants her. But first he needs to discover if she can embrace his sexual appetites.

Clarissa wants a man between her thighs, desperately. When Viscount Lethbridge pursues her, she finds the love and passion she’s longed for in the dark, seductive pleasures he desires.

Read an excerpt.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad anthology. None of the stories failed to work for me, though I had my favorites. The Moore and the Kane stuck out, though at least in the latter case this isn’t one of her best stories. I’d recommend buying the anthology for those two stories in particular, then reading the Cooper and Evans stories.

Final Grade: C+

Shannon C.’s review of Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice
Contemporary erotic romantic suspense released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Nov 04

I know that lots of people are fans of Lisa Marie Rice, even on this particular blog (Hello, Sybil!) I also have her last release TBR at some point, but I know she got her start in eBooks, and so, since I’d been wanting to read her, I decided I’d start with Midnight Man because, of all things, I read an early sex scene first and thought it was hot. (Let it never be said I’m not a shallow person, too.) I wish I could say that the result is that I’ve joined the ranks of LMR fangirls, but alas, that is not the case.

John Huntington, our hero, has retired from the Navy SEALs because of a knee injury and is now a hotshot security guru who installs high-tech security systems for corporate bigwigs and the like. He’s moving up in the world, and needs new digs, so he ends up renting office space from Suzanne Barron and deciding that he is wildly attracted to her because of her… um… vaguely described good looks? I’m not really sure, because it’s not her sparkling personality. Anyway, Suzanne is all about John’s rugged alpha male, me-Tarzan-you-Jane qualities, and things might have gone on quite well except we can’t have a Navy SEAL without a suspense subplot, so one magically appears, causing John and Suzanne to go into hiding from some ruthless people that want Suzanne dead for what seems to be no particular reason.

To be clear, there were things I did like about this book. Ms. Rice’s writing is compelling, and I found myself really enjoying John and Suzanne once we got past their initial meeting. The sex scenes, while not full of novel positions and kinks, were scorching, and it is here that Ms. Rice was at her best, because she convinced me of the passion between the characters.

Unfortunately, the characters themselves aren’t all that interesting. John is the most uber alpha male that ever alpha male’d. To his credit, he actually is shown to be pretty kick-ass, but I found him fairly cartoonish. Suzanne is constantly commenting on his restrained violence, and after a while I just wanted some proof that the man was housebroken. I mean, to hear these characters talk, John could out-Chuck Norris Chuck Norris, and it seems plain that his group of friends are equally as bad-ass.

So how does the heroine compare? Well, sadly, she isn’t nearly as interesting as the hero. She’s the sort of vaguely feminine heroine archetype with a feminine sort of job who is meant to be a placeholder for the reader. I didn’t understand why John was attracted to her, because she was so very boring, and I felt that she largely got sucked into the forcefulness of John’s personality.

The suspense subplot was completely unnecessary and felt out of place in such a short novel. Surely there would have been easier ways to throw the two characters together for close, emotional bonding? I’m not sure. All I know is that I was as taken aback by the whole thing as poor Suzanne.

I suspect Lisa Marie Rice isn’t the author for me. I do have Dangerous Secrets in the TBR pile, and I will give it a go soon to see if perhaps the writing has improved significantly. But this one was too much–with a cartoonishly alpha hero, a suspense subplot I found less than credible, and a boring heroine.

Grade: C-

Summary:
Interior decorator Suzanne Barron’s new tenant is the most dangerously sexy man she’s ever met. Navy Commander John Huntington, a former SEAL (aka ‘Midnight Man’) works best under cover of darkness. Within hours of meeting him, Suzanne has wild, no-holds barred sex with John, then panics at the depth of her passionate response to such a powerful and dangerous warrior. Suzanne doesn’t do sex like that. John is definitely someone she needs to avoid for her own peace of mind. But when killers come for her, Suzanne knows she can turn to only one man. John will guard and protect her body. But who will guard and protect her body against John?

Midnight Man won the 2004 Sizzler Award for Best Romantic Suspense and was First Runner Up for Best Debut!

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Accustomed to His Fangs by December Quinn
Contemporary paranormal erotic romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 1 Sep 08

The one sub-genre of romance that I tend not to read often is comedy. I just don’t find most wacky hijinks particularly amusing, and I find “Oh, look what an idiot the heroine is” stories tedious. But I like December Quinn’s writing in general, and I also love the fish-out-of-water storyline, so I thought I’d give her latest EC release a try. And, sadly, I wasn’t laughing.

Rebecca is an image consultant to the stars. When she meets Sebastian, a vampire from a small Eastern European nation, she decides to make him over. The first thing she wants to do is get rid of his mullet. Then she’ll work on his use of contractions, and eventually, she hopes to pass him off as a sophisticated foreign gentleman. Plus, he’s good in bed, and she can enjoy a little sexoring on the side. So… everybody benefits.

I may have read a heroine in a book that I disliked more than I disliked Rebecca, but I can’t offhand remember when. I like my heroines to have character flaws, but being a shallow, selfish, manipulative, mercenary bitch brings the character from flawed straight into so obnoxious I really wanted to stab her in the eye. She spent so much time absorbed in her own little world that I really wanted Sebastian to just get rid of her and find someone else, because he certainly deserved it.

Sebastian, for his part, is wonderful and sweet and beta. I loved the glimpses we got of his homeland, and I loved his adorable cluelessness about the 21st century. I liked that he had the patience to put up with Rebecca, but I thought he should have left her way the hell sooner than he did, and she didn’t grovel enough to satisfy me. The sex between these two is certainly hot, but my actual hatred for Rebecca made it so I couldn’t appreciate it.

There were a few moments where I laughed out loud. The humor is quite sly in places, which is what I prefer anyway. I especially loved the little digs at popular vampire romance clichés.

I wish I’d have liked this book better. I enjoy Ms. Quinn’s writing voice, but I definitely think she’s got better heroines than the horrible bitch that is Rebecca. But if you do want to read this book, definitely read it for the sly humor and the wonderful hero.

Grade: C

Summary:
When image consultant Rebecca meets Sebastian, a vampire from a small Eastern European country, her first thought is how much better he’d look without that mullet. Her second thought is that no matter how silly his hairdo is, he’s incredibly hot — the perfect one-night stand.

And he is perfect, in more ways than one. Not only do they share the most amazing sex she’s ever had, Sebastian is rich and needs some serious help with his lame, old-fashioned image. It’s the perfect job for Becky, and she’s so confident she can make Sebastian cool she bets her ex-husband a weekend of hot sex that Sebastian will charm the snootiest social lions at the next charity ball.

But Sebastian wants to be more than just a client. He wants Becky to be his, forever, and he’ll do anything to win her. Getting into her bed was easy. Getting into her heart is the biggest challenge he’s ever faced.

Read an excerpt.

Devon’s review of Retreat by Mari Carr
Erotic romantic suspense eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 26 Nov 08

I knew there was a possibility this one would be ridiculous (check out the summary to see why). A BDSM cult? What would that be all about? But yet I was strangely intrigued. What kind of an effect would being raised in a BDSM cult have on one’s psyche? Although I suspected that this was a rather exploitative plot device to raise the kink factor, I had to give it a go.

If you’re looking for a deep exploration of the cult mentality, and the effects of being raised in one, you’ve got the wrong book. What the cult was all about, what role BDSM actually had in the cult—we don’t really know. There was a religious aspect, but it wasn’t really explained. I felt that the BDSM factor was there to up the creepy atmosphere and explain the heroes’ (Jon and Night’s) sexual predilections. To the author’s credit, the BDSM/cult aspect was not treated exploitatively, but rather as the form of child abuse it was. Although there is a bit of light D/s, this is not a BDSM story. Jon and Night enjoy what they enjoy, but do not want to live that lifestyle.

Retreat was plagued by a number of ridiculous plot elements. Jon and Night spent their formative years in this corrupt cult, with no formal schooling. As teenagers they are recruited by a super-secret government agency to bring down the cult. They will not be punished for their activities if they then join the agency. ??? Is the government so hard up for qualified people? Then, later in the story, the government agent is determined to recruit Carly, Jon’s love interest, to go undercover at the compound, where nefarious activities may have resumed. This only thing more preposterous than this is the fact that Carly, an insecure school secretary, is totally ready to go. Oh yeah, sign me up too. Please.

I found some of the romance ridiculousness much easier to swallow, because Ms. Carr writes some very nice characters. The initial romance between Jon and Carly was nice — tentative, based in friendship. But Jon has the uncontrollable compulsion to share the ladies with best friend Night. The previously insecure and inexperienced Carly is more than willing to fall into bed with them both, and to fall in love with Night in about a minute, to boot. It’s a bit hard to swallow [Ed.: heh], but I enjoyed all three characters and their interactions. Too bad the suspense plot was absurd.

Sometimes, after reading too many erotic romances, I start to look at people differently. Does that lady in Target live in a happy ménage with two men? Does the guy in Stop & Shop have the need to share his women with a best friend or brother? It’s just so prevalent in Erotic Romanceland, and I don’t know any in real life. Maybe just me. Mari Carr has been read, enjoyed and reviewed at TGTBTU before. I suspect I would enjoy her straight contemporaries better, as I did like the characters and romance. The suspense plot was just so silly, though.

Grade: C+

The Summary:
Jon Walker and Night Thomas lived their childhood in a cult. They embraced the lifestyle, and it was there that they were trained as BDSM Masters. Only when the cult was infiltrated by undercover agent Reilly did the boys learn of the cult’s seedy underside, and help to destroy it.

Nearly fifteen years later, Jon’s job as a high school teacher — and his lust for the school’s gorgeous secretary, Carly — bring him close to the normal life he’s always craved. Just when that life is within his grasp, Reilly returns. An incarnation of the cult has resurfaced with Jon’s evil mother at the helm, and Reilly wants Jon and Night to go undercover to stop Cassandra Walker once and for all.

Shocked by his mother’s return and his BDSM past come back to haunt him, Jon is terrified of Carly discovering his dark secrets. Including the darkest of all — his complex relationship with Night, and his unrelenting urge to share Carly with his best friend.

Read an excerpt

Sandy M’s review of Subtle Voyage (Subtle Lovers, Book 5) by Beth Kery
Paranormal Erotic Romance novella eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 10 Sep 08

I’m always bummed when I read a Beth Kery book that just doesn’t work for me as well as some of her previous books have. This is only the second one, but I hate the feeling. In this case, I’m wondering if it’s maybe because I’ve read only one other book in this series, Subtle Destiny, which I also reviewed. I enjoyed that book and with it being my introduction to the series, I was wowed by the characters and also the world that Ms. Kery has created. The writing in this book is still darned terrific, but it’s the storyline that fell just short of the mark for me.

Anthropologist Aileen Peck and Dr. Saya Lange, a Watcher, have been sexually attracted to one another during a week of working together.  On the Winter Solstice, they, along with four of Saya’s colleagues, are headed to the ancient astronomical observatory of Saint Madeleine, a Neolithic site they’d been excavating.

Saya, who is able to “see” Aileen has short recovery periods between orgasms, is setting it all up for them all to enjoy pleasures of flesh as they record the effects of Venus’ pass over the chamber.  For Watchers, a human woman’s orgasm gives them a rush of sustenance, a subtle energy which enables them to maintain a solid body, so Aileen’s ability for multiples is a boon for them.  And they also have the ability to do things with their minds, and that’s how Saya and his men have sex with Aileen while she sleeps.

Each man take his turn with Aileen and she’s along for the ride every single time.  Her orgasms coincide with Venus and other stars passing over their position, and she never realizes they are on a totally different plane, due to Saya’s mind control, and may not be able to return if things don’t go right.  But things do go right, they all have the sexual experience of their lives, and whether Saya’s hypothesis for this evening was confirmed, I have no idea.  That never stood out after all the sex was said and done.

That’s definitely a disappointment because that’s part of the storyline, but it got lost in that sex fest.  That’s my main issue with the entire story.  There just isn’t the meat of the story to go along with all the orgasms that I usually get in a Bety Kery book.  The sex is hot and sizzling from all angles, but there’s just not enough story.  The fact it’s a novella probably has something to do with that, more pages were just needed to really flesh it out. There’s just something missing for me.

But I’ll keep reading the series.  Maybe something down the road will cause a spark and things will become more clear.  Or maybe I just need to read it all from the beginning and that would help me recognize and understand all the little nuances of this world that perhaps I’m missing.   Either way, reading Ms. Kery is still a treat.

Grade: C

Summary:

Aileen wonders if she’s fallen into an X-rated version of Alice in Wonderland as she excavates a Neolithic chamber with sexy Dr. Saya Lange. She has the strangest feeling Saya can read all her secret desires like bold print…and what’s more, wants to make them come true.

Saya must wield a wickedly potent brand of sex magic because on the Venus-lit night of the Winter Solstice Aileen finds herself leading Saya and four other gorgeous men into the ancient chamber for a night of uninhibited sexual pleasure.

And maybe her imagination has gone as wild as her libido but she’s starting to suspect these males are too divine to be mere men.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Devon’s Review of Kristen’s Addiction by Evangeline Anderson
Contemporary Paranormal Erotic Romance eBook short story released by Ellora’s Cave 12 Sep 08

This one has a definite “bamp-chicka-wow-wow” factor. I freely admit that I wanted to read Kristen’s Addiction because of my prurient interest in the whole “girl doctor meets blue-collar mechanic vampire” thing. It sounds like a porno plot, no? But this was a fun story , and one in which the romance worked, despite some groan-worthy moments. And at only 96 pages (in PDF), it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

Our narrator and heroine, Kristen, is a hardworking pediatrician, who is attacked by a vampire after dropping off her car at the mechanic. When a vampire drinks from a human, he apparently leaves behind venom. The victim becomes addicted to the venom, and can’t go without it very long. Good girl Kristen finds herself getting sucked on by any willing vampire in order to keep herself under control. One night she arrives for an assignation, and the vampire who answers the door is her sexy and mysterious mechanic, Joe. He agrees to help her with her addiction, but can there be more than a fluid exchange between them?

The story is told from Kristen’s POV, and at first I found it very awkward. It was talky and too “I, I, I” (like one of my reviews, perhaps). However, as the story went on this became less noticeable. Joe is a well-developed character in his own right, and quite likeable. I did think that his blue collar guy way of talking was a bit overdone: lots of “baby”, “damn”, “shouldn’ta”, “oughta”, and dropped “g”s (i.e. tellin’, thinkin’). A nice little romance developed between them.

While some of the sex scenes were hot, there was some erotic romance silliness. Joe’s member is described as being as thick as Kristen’s wrist, which had me glancing at my own wrist for quite a while afterwards. I have pretty small wrists, and still…yikes. When they are searching for the rogue who bit Kristen, the duo goes undercover as Master and Servant at a D/s club. Of course. I guess vampires don’t hang out at Starbucks. Naturally, this leads to public sex and spanking. This also leads to a squicky moment wherein the reader discovers that the well-hung Joe can ejaculate like no one’s business, because Kristen is just chock full o’ sperm. Go take a shower, Kristen. Plus the cure for the vampire venom addiction requires anal sex. M/M no less. Of course. Again.

The sexual shenanigans had me smirking at times, but I enjoyed this story overall. Kristen thinks that Joe only wants her for blood and sex, while Joe fears that Kristen’s only with him for a venom fix. Plus, they acutely feel the disparity in their lifestyles. There was good chemistry between them and I wanted them to get their HEA.

If you are in the mood for a fix of campy, vampy erotic romance, this is a good one to try.

Grade: B-

The Summary:

Dr. Kristen Johansen is a respected pediatrician. With her sexy plus-sized figure and long blonde hair you’d think she’d have a man. But her demanding career has put her love life on hold, until she’s attacked late one night and becomes an addict — of vampire venom.

Now she has no choice but to go out after sundown, offering herself to anyone with fangs who wants a late-night snack. Which is how she runs into Joe, the last person she would have suspected of being a vampire. Blue-collar and hard-core, Joe works as a mechanic and hides his intellect behind his skill with a socket wrench. But what he really longs for is an extra-curvy woman with appetites to match his own.

After an explosive sexual encounter, Joe offers Kristen the chance at a cure. But as they work together to find the rogue vampire who attacked her, Kristen begins to wonder if her addiction is turning into love. And whether regaining her old life is worth losing the only man she has ever cared for.

Read an excerpt

Sandy M’s review of Guilty Needs by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Paranormal Romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 1 Sep 08

This is a book full of love, romance, friendship, pain, and a host of emotions.  We’ve heard the concept before — dying woman asks best friend to love and take care of her husband when she’s gone — but Ms. Walker definitely gives us a few twists to test that love and romance, throws a little of the paranormal in to complicate an already tenuous situation, and gives us pause to doubt a happily ever after is imminent.

She weaves guilt and need together into her hero, Colby, so well that I wasn’t sure for the longest time if he’d ever get his life back and if he’d ever be able to love again.  And just when he makes it that far, his actions take happiness right out his hands and tosses it to the wind.  Colby has known Alyssa and Bree for most of their lives.  Although one of those geeky boys in high school, he won the friendship of the two girls before they fell in love with him and it was Alyssa who eventually won his heart, who he married.  Now after eight years, she’s gone and buried just hours ago and he’s appalled that he’s thinking of his wife’s best friend in the most inappropriate ways.   Not knowing how to deal with such a situation, he leaves town for parts unknown to try to handle his grief on his own and to get Bree out of his head.

Bree has loved Colby every minute Alyssa has, but Alyssa spoke up first years ago and won his heart before Bree could.  She buried those feelings, though, during the eight years her friends were married, never once thinking about acting on them.  So when Alyssa, just hours before her death, asks Bree to take care of Colby, to love him like she always has, Bree only agrees at first to avoid causing her friend any extra undue stress and further heartache.  It’s later when Colby finally breaks down, when the grief overwhelms him and he needs her that she knows she can’t hide her love any longer.  But Colby isn’t able to handle such thoughts and actions, so when he returns home a year later, she’s determined to once again keep her feelings to herself and be the friend she’s always been.  Even though her best friend’s ghost wants her to do otherwise.

What I liked most about these characters is the love and friendship you felt between them all the time.  Both Bree and Colby are devastated, of course, when Alyssa finally succumbs to her cancer.  Bree was there for her friend every minute of her illness, as well as Colby.  He loves his wife with all his heart and he loves Bree for giving of herself so freely to both of them, something their other friends couldn’t do.

Even when Colby comes home after his soul-search sojourn, he tries his damnedest to keep feelings of friendship between himself and Bree, and as much as his need cries out for her, his guilt eats at him with the same desperation.  It’s when he finally lets go of the past that his friendship has a chance to turn into love, something he never thought to experience again after Alyssa.

Just when you think all is well and happily ever after is right around the corner, a little piece of the past rises up to throw Colby for a loop, so much so that his rage is totally out control and he does something that knocks the foundation of happiness for both he and Bree so off kilter it seems impossible for them to go on.  We then get to experience lasting friendship and how truly deep love can be despite their separate reactions to his uncharacteristic behavior.

The characters in this book will tug and pull at your heart just as much as they they’ll make you smile and laugh.  The emotion in the story packs a punch, whether from anguish and grief to full-out fury to crushing despair, lonely unhappiness and guilty needs.

Grade: B+

Summary:

The day his wife died, Colby knew his life was over. At least, that’s how he wanted it to be. He didn’t want to feel anything, not even when his wife’s best friend, Bree, offered him solace. He just took off. But he couldn’t outrun the pain and he couldn’t outrun the dreams. Hot, sweaty dreams that threaten to drive him mad. He can’t stop thinking about Bree.

A year later, he returns home, determined to close the book on his old life. But those dreams — those dark, guilty needs — haven’t gone away. They threaten to consume him. And it doesn’t help that his wife’s ghost is haunting him…encouraging him…

Read an excerpt.

Shannon C.’s review of Never Too Old by Carol Lynne
Contemporary romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 15 Aug 08

Well, now I can say that I’ve read a Carol Lynne book. That may be the nicest thing I have to say in this whole entire review. I’ve read it and I don’t wish to ever have the experience again.

As the title suggests, Never Too Old is about an older man and his much younger lover. The way the book carries on about Joe’s age, I half expect him to start reminiscing about his days hanging out with Fred and Barney at the slate quarry in Bedrock. Sadly, this did not happen. However, lest the reader forget about Joe’s age, we are reminded that he is 56. He has a 56-year-old cock. Having sex with 26-year-old Holly will probably cause a heart attack. Are you getting the idea that there’s an age difference that the characters have to deal with? Because I’m not sure I am, yet.

Holly is fairly blah. Since this is obviously part of a series, I suspect she got introduced in some other book you could not pay me to read, and so she comes across as very flat, a vessel for Joe’s sexual urges. There is some guy who’s been stalking her though, although his motivations for doing so don’t really carry enough weight, and the suspense subplot, instead of ratcheting up tension, just seems to bog things down even more.

The writing style in general also bugged me. I felt it was very superficial, with characters roughly sketched in instead of fully developed. The result was that I didn’t particularly care about any of these people or their issues, and the romance (and, consequently, the many, many sex scenes) was just boring.

I think this could have actually been a decent story, if written by a different author. Possibly one who thought more about character motivations and consistency, and one who knew how to write a suspenseful subplot. Since that is not the case here, the best that can be said for the book is that it is boring. At its worst, it is laughably bad.

Grade: F

Summary:
This book features characters from Necklace of Shame, though it can be read as a stand-alone.

A widower of ten years, fifty-six-year-old Joe is finally interested in a woman besides his late wife. The problem is, Holly is twenty-six years old. Joe knows Holly is attracted to him but the age difference seems too much to overcome.

To Holly, small-town doctor Joe has always seemed like the perfect man. She’s spent her life looking for someone who could measure up to him. Despite their age difference, Holly finds Joe to be the sexiest man in town, and Holly is ready to unleash her fantasies with him.

Joe has his own fantasies. Despite his misgivings, he’s ready to explore the sensual side of himself with Holly. He just hopes her heart is in it as much as his own.

Read an excerpt.

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

Limecello’s review of Dangerous Boys and Their Toys by Shayla Black
Erotic romance released by Ellora’s Cave on 28 May 08

I got this book because of the blurb, and because I wanted to read something written by Shayla Black. I’m not entirely sure that this was indicative of all of Ms. Black’s writing, but I’m definitely intrigued. The story wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but generally enjoyable all the same.

Brenna Sheridan is a character a number of readers will enjoy because they can easily put themselves in her place, which is a good one – at the pinnacle of a working love triangle. Based on the premise of the story, one might believe that she is the star witness – but not so. Ms. Black twists the plot, putting a character that would otherwise be in the periphery of the story into center stage. I found Brenna to be a rather static, but she did have a spine, which is nice. Brenna’s emotional and has a kind heart, and it’s easy to root for her and hope she gets her happy ending.

R.A. Thorn and Cameron Martinez really steal the show in Dangerous Boys and Their Toys. Cameron and Thorn know each other, but aren’t exactly friends. While they’ve worked together, what cements the relationship is Brenna.

Thorn is the crusty erstwhile lover who lives by the practice of hitting it, then quitting it. He’s a one time deal, and all the women he interacts with know that. He’s quickly enthralled with Brenna, and while the emotional ties are a bit shaky, Thorn pulls through. He’s probably my favorite character in the book, and seems to outshine the others. There’s just something about him that is extremely appealing. He’s intimidating and nearly scary at times, but also awkward and unsure emotionally. It’s touching.

Cameron is the empathetic, invested male, but also strong and alpha in his own right. Basically he’s the perfect guy – capable, a provider, hot, extremely male and virile, but responsive and someone who is not only willing to be active in, but also initiates discussions about feelings. Unfortunately, aside from all that I felt that there was something missing from Cameron to give him that ever elusive, well rounded depth.

I didn’t like how the book started out, and felt that the voyeuristic scenes were somewhat gratuitous. As well as the first encounter between Brenna and Cameron. I think it prevented me from immediately accepting their interaction and agreement. The actual plot and story were a bit lacking. There wasn’t a lot of detail and the way things played out weren’t all they could have been – the plot seemed a bit bland.

However, the story is marketed as an erotic romance, and in that, Ms. Black more than delivers. In fact, the heat and sex in Dangerous Boys are what saves the book. I was very impressed with Ms. Black’s writing for these scenes. The interplay between Brenna, Thorn and Cameron is natural, once they agree to work with each other. They do have a strong connection and are incredibly attuned physically. Rather than it seeming like a lot of unnecessary sex scenes strung together, the intercourse between the characters individually and collectively are what hold everything together. Ms. Black also includes a very hot male/male scene that is beautifully written and natural. And hot.

Overall I enjoyed Dangerous Boys and Their Toys but didn’t think it was incredibly memorable as a story. Certain scenes, however, did stand out and were quite enjoyable to read. It was there that emotions emerged and the characters showed personality. I definitely plan on reading more of Ms. Black’s writing. I’m intrigued, and have heard great things about her other books, which I hope to read soon.

Grade: C-

Trading orgasms for information isn’t their usual way of doing business, but when a missing criminal-turned-star-witness and fifty grand are on the line, bounty hunter R. A. Thorn and Detective Cameron Martinez are prepared to put their bodies to the task and give gorgeous Brenna Sheridan everything she needs.

An exchange they never anticipated becomes an experience none can forget—or walk away from. Sexual hunger sizzles the threesome, but the stakes and danger rise as a mafia bad-ass stalks Brenna.

Soon, their “deal” is no longer about information—or sex. Emotions bind Brenna, Cam and Thorn together more tightly than they ever imagined as the men protect—and serve—the beloved woman neither can live without.

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of Come to Me Freely by Beth Kery
Contemporary Erotic Romance eBook released by Ellora’s Cave 16 Jul 08

I think it’s Beth Kery’s contemporary books that speak to me more than any of her other I’ve read so far.  Not that her historicals and paranormals aren’t worth reading.  Far from it.  There’s just something to her contemps that pull every emotion to the forefront for me and that keeps me turning the pages to see what her characters are going to do next.  Come To Me Freely is definitely one of those, full of love and betrayal, full of romance and heartbreak.  And that is why I enjoy reading her books.

It’s been ten years since Tre and Leigh have seen each other.  Their last encounter, though it started out full of promise, ended badly.  They were attracted to one another from the moment the met, but one thing kept them apart.  Tre’s brother Jim.  A quadriplegic since the age of 16, Leigh stood by Jim throughout his trials and tribulations of being wheelchair bound until his death just a couple of years before Leigh has come home to attend Jim and Tre’s father’s funeral.

Now Leigh is back to where it all started, and she’s face to face with Tre once again. Right after his one-night stand takes her leave of him as Leigh stands at his front door, funeral casseroles in hand.  She thought their meeting would go easier after so many years, but Tre is now hard and cold toward her.  Thinking she can get through the next few days of emotional stress, however, doesn’t last long and Leigh know she wants Tre just as much as she did years ago before she married his brother.  But Tre is the one that left when something good was happening between them.  Can she forget that and the guilt she still harbors over her husband’s death?

Keeping himself under control had never been so difficult and Tre’s not sure he doesn’t want it to snap anyway.  Leigh always got to him and it’s no different now.  But getting to know her as a woman instead of a 16-year-old girl is food to his soul and agony to his body all at the same time.  When she falls ill and has to stay put for a while, Tre is the one who steps in to take care of her and suddenly he knows he wants a future with this woman.  But his guilt at the knowledge he was ready to betray his brother so many years ago still eats at him, what will she think of him once she knows his secrets.

The attraction between them can’t be denied and they decide to give a relationship a chance despite all their misgivings and despite the hurt that may end up crippling them both if they can’t get past all of the things that have come together and led them to this point in time.

So far, it’s the books of Ms. Kery’s that have such a tragic element to them that I’ve enjoyed the most.  She has an affinity for bringing all the emotion in and around that tragedy front and center and forcing her characters to work with it, yell at it, swear at it, wallow in it, do whatever it takes to succeed and triumph over it.  That’s the lynchpin for me in her writing.  I keep reading until I know how those characters are going to react to all that emotional upheaval.  That’s when you really get to know her characters.

Tre and Leigh have so much to overcome from their past and though it looks like in the beginning there’s no way they can do that.  It’s their reaction to their mutual attraction that drags them together and allows them learn of one another all over again, which leads to some wonderful love scenes between them, full of what could have been but ready to face whatever today brings.

Another huge success for Ms. Kery!

Grade: A-

Summary:

A passion that won’t be denied despite the circumstances.

Though Leigh cared deeply for Jim, it was his fiery older brother Tre who held the key to her heart. For the past ten years she’s lived with the daily pain of knowing that Tre’d turned his back on the passion that had flared hot and bright between them.

A second chance at a once in a life time love.

Tre knew from the moment that he first saw Leigh stroking his half-wild horse that her elegant, delicate appearance belied the depth and strength of her spirit. He’d dared to make Leigh his own, showing loyalty to nothing and no one beyond the laws of nature that clearly decreed that she was his. But when Leigh denied what should have been undeniable, he first knew the bitter taste of betrayal.

Now a family tragedy has forced Tre and Leigh together once again. Guilt, anger and betrayal rage between them, but so does a desire hot enough to incinerate all else in its wake

Read an excerpt.