JenB’s the lucky one to read Kathryn Smith’s latest, the second book in her Nightmare Chronicles series.  But the rest of us are not totally left out! Take a gander at this exclusive excerpt of Dark Side of Dawn and then tell me you won’t be running down to your local bookstore. I dare you!

Life can be a Nightmare – literally…

Dawn Riley saved herself and her boyfriend Noah from a Night Terror bent on crossing over into the real world. You’d think she would be safe now, but now there’s a price to be paid. The Nightmare Council claims she’s broken their laws and is threatening to have her ‘unmade’ And as if that’s not bad enough, there’s a real world villain whom Dawn needs to find before he finds her. At this point the best Dawn can hope for is not to die in her sleep.

The Warden had cold green eyes, complete with black rims, but instead of being spidery, the line was thick and bold, as though someone had drawn it there with a magic marker. Weird. Her hair was bright copper, and hung down the back of her violet robe like a ripple of flame.

She was scary, and she knew it. I lifted my chin as she joined us at the table and fixed me with a cold gaze. I held her attention, and though I wanted to look away, I refused to give in.

“So you are the one named after Eos,” she half asked, half accused in a tone that was as scorching as her hair. “The daughter of Morpheus and a human.” She said human like it was some kind of disease.

“Yes,” I answered with a slight incline of my head – all the acknowledgment she would get from me. I’d be damned if I’d be ashamed if what I was.

The Warden’s peach lips thinned. She could have been a beautiful woman were it not for the bitterness etched in every feature, every aspect of her being. “You have been brought before this council on charges of willful endangerment of the realm, wanton disrespect for our rules and reckless disregard for the safety of our kind.”

I scowled. Hell, I glared. “I haven’t done any such things!” The only way I could have sounded more indignant would have been if I’d had an English accent.

Clearly the Warden didn’t like being talked back to. She drew up to her full height – which was a little taller than my own – and shot daggers at me with her eyes. Thankfully, she didn’t try to conjure real daggers. “You endangered this realm by bringing a human into it. A human who was fully aware of this world and totally cognizant of his time in it.”

That was Noah. I had brought him through a portal into the Dreaming when we’d realized Karatos had stolen his ability to dream. “I didn’t know it was wrong,” I replied. “I only wanted to help him.”

She was unmoved. “Your ignorance only proves your disrespect for our customs and rules. Had you taken the time to learn these things, you would have known better, but apparently twenty plus years of knowing what you are hasn’t provided you with adequate motivation.”

She was such a bitch. I managed to keep my mouth shut, even though I wanted to defend myself – and tear a strip off of her. Nothing I could say could change the fact that she was right. I should have learned more about this world. If I hadn’t turned my back on what I was and what it meant, I would have known that it was wrong to bring Noah into this realm.

I would have known that I shouldn’t be able to bring Noah into this realm, which was really what this was all about. I scared them. Well bully for them. They scared me too.

“And your involvement with that same human put him directly in harm’s way,” the Warden continued. “Something every Nightmare has sworn not to do.”

I knew that harming humans was against what the Nightmares stood for. We were protectors. “I haven’t sworn anything,” I retorted, ignoring my father’s shaking head. “I never asked to be half of this world and half human. I never asked to be a freak. I may have broken your rules, but it wasn’t my involvement with Noah that got him hurt, it was the fact that a Night Terror, working for people in this realm, decided it wanted to cross over into the human world and chose Noah to be his body. If I hadn’t stopped that Terror, you’d have bigger problems right now than me.”

I was mad – nostril flaring mad – and the Warden looked at me like I was a bug on her shoe. “You claim that the Terror called Karatos acted on the orders of another?”

I took a deep breath, forcing my temper down. “I don’t claim it. Karatos told me him…itself.” I had to remind myself that the thing that had tried to kill me and Noah wasn’t human.

The Warden lifted her chin defiantly. “Did the Terror reveal the name of his benefactor?”

That was an odd way to put it, since there had been nothing good about what Karatos had done. “No.”

She looked far too pleased. “Then you have no proof.”

I lifted my chin as well. “You don’t have any proof that I acted out of disregard for this realm either.”

I had her there, and from the dislike shining in her creepy eyes, she knew it.

“Indeed,” she replied frostily. “And so we have this inquiry into your actions. The council plans to watch you closely, Lady Dawn, and discuss your past behavior. If you are found to have acted out of good intent, without lasting effect on this realm, then you will be found innocent and no further action will be taken against you.”

Okay, so this didn’t sound so bad. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so there shouldn’t be any ramifications. So why did I have this sinking feeling in my gut?

“However,” the red-headed witch continued, “if it is determined that you acted willfully, with the intention of harming this realm and what it stands for, then I will have no choice but to pass judgment upon you and see that punishment is carried out.”

“P…punishment?”  I sputtered like a stuttering kid on a bad sitcom. “What kind of punishment?” And why did Morpheus look so pale? He was king here, damn it, and I was his daughter! I don’t care how spoiled I sounded, but I was this realm’s Paris Hilton, and the worst punishment I should get was a few days without cable.

The Warden actually smiled at me, but there was no warmth in it, just the opposite. “To disregard the rules of this world is akin to treason.  And the penalty for treason is unmaking.”

Thank God Verek chose that moment to take my arm again, because I might have fallen flat on my ass at that moment. Oh shit. I was in such trouble.

The equivalent to unmaking in the human realm was death.

JenB’s review of Dark Side of Dawn by Kathryn Smith
Paranormal Romance released by Avon 24 Nov 09

I loved Before I Wake, the first book in Kathryn Smith’s Nightmare Chronicles, so much that I placed it in my top 5 books for 2008. I bought copies for friends and practically forced them to read it, and I’m pretty sure I frightened the author with my fangirl squeeing.

In Before I Wake, Dr. Dawn Riley had to face her past and come to terms with the fact that she couldn’t escape who–and what–she was. She met a man who needed her–and several creatures who wanted her dead, she was reacquainted with her absentee father (who just happened to be Morpheus, the god of dreams), and she was forced to use newly discovered powers in a world she hadn’t visited much since childhood. No pressure, right?

Dark Side of Dawn is a direct continuation of Before I Wake, taking place only a few weeks after the close of the first book. For this reason, I highly recommend reading BIW before DSOD (you won’t be sorry!). As DSOD opens, Dawn is interrupted from training with her sexy dream-world mentor Verek when her new boyfriend Noah tells her a terrible thing has happened to someone from his past. As this person is important to Noah, Dawn reluctantly agrees to help, despite her own conflicting feelings.

In the midst of training in the dream world with Verek, searching out the bad guy, learning to reconcile her dream-warrior side with her human side, and feeling out her growing romance with Noah, Dawn also learns her acts from the previous book have made even more enemies for her in the Dreaming. Prominent members of the governing body want her unmade, which basically amounts to death. And did I mention Dawn has some family drama to deal with in the human world as well?

We learn a lot about Dawn, Noah, and Morpheus in this second installment of the Nightmare Chronicles. Dawn’s powers are constantly growing and developing and surprising everyone around her. Noah has some interesting powers of his own. And Morpheus has a past that he hasn’t shared with his half-human daughter.

Ms. Smith really outdid herself with this book. Any complaints I had about the first book are completely cleared up in Dark Side of Dawn. Most importantly, the name-brand dropping is nearly nonexistent this time, which makes Dawn much more likable and real. Noah has hidden depths, and I’m really hoping they’re developed some more in the third installment. I also want to know more about sexy Verek. I found myself completely surprised at the resolution of nearly every plot thread in this book. I consider myself a pretty cynical reader, so I really admire the author’s ability to pull one over on me without resorting to cliches or bringing out the good ol’ deus ex machina.

Without a doubt, Dark Side of Dawn is the most captivating book I’ve read all year. In fact, so far, it’s my favorite book of 2009. I’ve already read my ARC twice, and I still plan to buy a copy of the paperback on November 24 for my keeper shelf. Yes, it’s that good.

Grade: A

Life can be a nightmare. Literally.

On the surface, it might seem like I, Dawn Riley, have it all. I’ve got a great job, a boyfriend who loves me . . . but my family life is a different story.

As the mortal daughter of the King of Dreams, I have an ability to exist between both worlds . . . which is terrifying to some. Now the Nightmare Council claims I’ve broken their laws and is threatening to have me “unmade.” And if that’s not bad enough, I need to track down a vicious criminal responsible for several savage attacks—before he finds me.

I’m lucky enough to have Noah by my side, and he’ll do whatever it takes so that we can have a future together. In the end, though, this is my battle. The fate of a world rests upon my shoulders, and it seems the best that I can hope for is not to die in my sleep . . .

Read an Excerpt

Devon’s review of Before I Wake (Nightmare Chronicles #1) by Kathryn Smith
Urban Fantasy released by Avon 29 Jul 08

What is it about Urban Fantasy that lends itself to first person point of view? Something to ponder. Before I Wake joins the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost and the Aisling Grey series by Katie MacAlister (among others), as part of a new trend: books which straddle the line between urban fantasy and romance, told in the first person from the heroine’s point of view and following the same group of characters. Although some readers may be frustrated by the lack of a traditional HEA, I have rather enjoyed this new trend, and Before I Wake is no exception. Despite having some issues, I found this to be an entertaining and compelling read.

Dawn Ryder is a 28 year old New York City psychologist who also happens to be the daughter of the God of Dreams, Morpheus, born of his illicit relationship with a human. When one of her patients at the sleep clinic is threatened with danger, Dawn has to re-enter the Dream Realm, to face her estranged parents and accept her abilities as a Nightmare.

I have never read anything by Smith before, but I’m pretty sure this is her first book with a present day setting. She has a very good contemporary voice. Dawn emerges as a fully fleshed out, sometimes sympathetic, sometimes annoying character, in that way that all people are. The problem with first person point of view is that you don’t get a break from their inner monologue, so they start to seem too much after awhile—too snarky, too angry, too whatever. That does happen sometimes here. Also the head to toe descriptions of Dawn’s make-up, hair, and fashion choices got too be a bit much. But overall, the pop culture references were spot-on, and Dawn felt like a twenty something urbanite, trying to overcome a difficult past and make a normal life for herself.

She has really good reason to be a bit angry and snarky. I found the relationship between Dawn and her parents to be very compelling. As a child Dawn was close to both her parents, but the relationship with her father grew strained as she realized how different her abilities made her. Then her mother went to join Morpheus in the Dream Realm while her body remains in this world in a comatose state. Dawn has to watch her half-siblings and the man who raised her mourn and fret over her mother, while suffering the guilt of being the only one who knows what really happened to her mother, and being able to communicate with her when the others can’t. She loves her parents, but can’t forgive their selfishness.

I was ambivalent about Noah, Dawn’s love interest. The fact that he started out as her patient is a little weird for me. And Noah, an artist and powerful lucid dreamer, is mysterious, in kind of a sketchy way. He’s very reserved, and some of his secrets are hinted at, but there’s gonna be more to that story, methinks. There was also a charming side to him, and he genuinely seems to respect and appreciate Dawn. There was some good chemistry between them, but I’m not sold. I’ll have to reserve judgment.

Things started off a bit slowly for me, but once it got going, I was hooked. The world of dreams and what they mean to people was very interesting. The villain was disturbing, and very threatening. The ending felt a bit abrupt to me, given all the build-up. Wasn’t sure why she just didn’t do that sooner. But the story of Dawn coming to terms with her parentage, her powers, and who she is, really kept me hooked. The romance felt a bit secondary, but I’m looking forward to seeing what develops.

Grade: B

The Summary:

You may call it a dream job…

And in some ways, you’d be right. I actually get paid to study people’s dreams. It comes much easier than my employers at the Sleep Center suspect; after all, I, Dawn, am the daughter of the king of the dream world, and I can roam the dreams of others, battling the nightmares that plague them.

I call it a nightmare…

Honestly, I could use a good night’s sleep. But ever since I met Noah Clarke, I’m even more torn between the two worlds: smart, sexy, and able to control his own dreams, Noah could be my perfect man, except he’s being stalked in his sleep by an unearthly evil, hell-bent on destroying him … and the entire world.

Read an excerpt.

We’re on a roll here, and here’s another contest of which a winner is needed. And how exciting that Kathryn Smith is giving away two copies of this book to two lucky winners? This series sounds very interesting and it’s not her only book coming out this summer. Go here to read an excerpt.

The winners for the Nightmarish contest are:

Wendy

Ing

So I was a little vague on the time frame for the entry deadline, but that’s ok, since we’ve got these two lucky winners anyway. Totally my fault and I do apologize for any confusion. Congratulations to the winners who need to email their physical address to Sybil at redwyne @ gmail .com to get their prize sent to them.  Be sure to put ‘IT’S NOT A NIGHTMARE” in the subject line.

For whatever reason we’ve been sitting on this for far too long. This is definitely raw, and something that should have been posted long ago, but at least everyone is getting it now! Don’t forget there is a Nightmarish Contest and you do still have time to enter. This excerpt comes from Before I Wake, the first in the new series called The Nightmare Chronicles.

Kathryn Smith… Raw and Unedited…

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

The Nightmare Chronicles

“You’re a Nightmare.”

Diet Dr. Pepper half way to my lips I paused, staring at the old man standing beside me at the Duane Reade checkout. My heart nudged hard against my ribs. “Excuse me?”

His face was the color and texture of a worn piece of leather and his hair was a mass of tight, frizzy gray curls. But his eyes were as sharp as a child’s. “You’re a Nightmare, girl. What’re you doin’ here?”

I glanced around to see if anyone else in the drugstore had heard the old fella’s surprising — and very vocal — accusations. If anyone had, they were pretending they hadn’t.

He was just a crazy old man. No need to panic. No need to do anything. “Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You are not of this plane,” he insisted, doing this weird little stomp with his foot that made me wonder if he had to pee. “You shouldn’t be here.”

I took a step away just in case his bladder gave out. It was instinct, driven by pure self-preservation. One thing living in a city the size of New York teaches you is that some people just don’t have the same boundaries as the rest of us.

Also, he creeped me out.

“Uh, okay. I shouldn’t be here.” I twisted the cap back on to my Dr. Pepper as the cashier started scanning my items. Just a few more moments and I’d be out of there. I should have gone straight home after work, but I needed tampons.

“You do know, don’t you?”

I had hoped that agreeing with him would end the conversation. Apparently, I was wrong. “Know what?”

“What you are.” He was staring at me now with a look of wonder. “Shee–oot. I bet you don’t even know how you got here.”

“I walked.” I would not, however, be walking home. God, I hoped I’d be able to hail a cab pronto once I left the pharmacy. I never wanted to be somewhere else quite so badly in all my life.

He did that foot thing again, only this time his face twisted in annoyance. I took another step away. “I don’t mean here. I mean here. On this earth.”

I swallowed. My throat felt like I’d just swallowed a piece of carpet. “Sir, I was born here. Same as you.” Maybe it was all the years of psychology classes, or maybe it was a little fear, but I needed to bring him back to the real world. This one.

He peered at me — a little too closely for my liking. “You may have been born here, girlie, but you don’t belong. I wonder how you managed to slip through.”

I wanted to get the heck out of there. What the hell was he talking about? “Just luck, I guess.”

He stared at me with eyes that were slightly rheumy, but keen. “Luck, nothing. How old are you?”

“Sir, I’m not going to tell you that.” Next he was going to ask my weight and I’d have to kill him.

“Twenty-eight.”

His voice rang in my head like a gong. He was right. If I was creeped out before, I was ten times that now. It could have been a lucky guess, but I doubted it.

“You’re mature,” he informed me. “At your full potential. No tellin’ what havoc you might wreak.”

That was it. I threw some money at the clerk. I hadn’t heard the total, so I could only hope it was enough. I grabbed my bag and started for the door, grateful for once that most of my five feet ten inches was leg. The clerk didn’t yell after me, so I assumed I had given her enough to cover my bill.

I miraculously hailed a cab right outside and jumped in. As we drove off, I looked out the window to see the old man standing on the sidewalk near the door, watching me. He was drinking a bottle of Brisk — bought with my change I bet. He waved as the cab pulled away, and he yelled something. I couldn’t quite hear the words, but to my paranoid ears it sounded as though he yelled, “YOU. DON’T. BELONG.”
I knew I didn’t. The question was, how the hell did he?

Kathryn Smith has not one, but two books coming out this summer and is part of an anthology. The Duckies are very lucky to offer a great contest to two lucky winners who will win an ARC from her new series called the Nightmare Chronicles, the first book is called Before I Wake. So what do you have to do to win one of these wonderful prizes? I’m glad you asked…

Book info:

         You may call it a dream job . . .

     And in some ways, you’d be right. I actually get paid to study people’s dreams. It comes much easier than my employers at the Sleep Center suspect; after all, I, Dawn, am the daughter of the king of the dream world, and I can roam the dreams of others, battling the nightmares that plague them.

     I call it a nightmare . . .

     Honestly, I could use a good night’s sleep. But ever since I met Noah Clarke, I’m even more torn between the two worlds: smart, sexy, and able to control his own dreams, Noah could be my perfect man—except he’s being stalked in his sleep by an unearthly evil, hell-bent on destroying him . . . and the entire world.

What the Duckies would like to know is what do you dream about?  What is the scariest? Most realistic? Your recurring dream or nightmare? Most emotional? A dream that inspired something in real life?

Or if you really want to be daring tell us your weirdest dream and then analyze it for us. It’s okay, channel your inner Sigmund Freud and see what it means.

Be sure you comment on this post before 12 noon CDT Tuesday May 21, 2008. The two winners will be chosen from the comments on this post only and be sure to be honest, elaborate, and even be dramatic, for the most interesting dream sequence could just get you the prize.

So have a nice relaxing lie down on the couch and tell the duckies your dreams.