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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Book Review: Mastered (The Enforcers #1) by Maya Banks

Mastered (The Enforcers #1)
by Maya Banks

December 29th 2015
Paperback, 368 pages
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Breathless Trilogy comes the first novel in the Enforcers series—a bold new direction in erotic romance that explores the games men and women play, and the price they’re willing to pay for pleasure.

What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.

She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.

What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.

The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.


Coming May 2016: The Enforcers Book II: Dominated

Evangeline knew she did not fit in. Her friends talked her into going to the hottest club around just to make her ex squirm a bit for dumping her and see what he is missing. Instead of feeling beautiful and sexy however, she felt like a complete outcast. The looks she received from the club goers even the workers told her she did not belong, she did not have what it takes. Everyone here was beautiful and she was just, well just Evangeline. Everything she came to do completely backfired and put her in the hands of the clubs owner, the most handsome intimidating man she ever met, Drake Donavan.

Drake Donavan, watched her walk into his club, annoyed at his bouncers for even letting her in. She did not belong, they would eat her alive. Her beauty and innocence was so alluring and she had no inclination at all of what she possessed and every man in the room knew it. He had to have her, summoning her to his private domain he will have her and there is no doubt about that.

If you like steamy romances with hot domineering sex, then this book is for you. Alpha male vs Innocent female, she did not know what hit her and by the time you finish this book you won’t know what hit you either. Putting it down just was not in the cards, I could not. Was it the steamy crazy sex, or the story itself that kept me so enthralled honestly it was all the above. It started off with a wow moment, did that just really happen and it did not stop until the end.

There is not a lot of drama the story's focus was the building of the relationships and not just between Drake and Evangeline but with the secondary characters as well. Characters that could have created a stir and added a depth of drama was introduced in the end but the story ended. Maya Banks did state that Drake’s and Evangeline’s story was supposed to be only one book but their story consumed her which I love because you can definitely feel that in her writing. Their story was so compelling.

I cannot wait to see how their story ends

4 Innocent Sheep




Tammy K

About the Author:
I live in Texas with my husband and three children and our assortment of pets. I’m more of a cat person, but my daughter became convinced she NEEDED a dog.

When I’m not writing, I love to hunt and fish with my family. We all love the outdoors and go on family hunting trips every year. We also love to travel.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of a writing career is getting to meet so many wonderful readers. There’s nothing better than dishing books with someone who loves the romance genre as much as I do. Romance readers are passionate and vocal. We love our books, love our happily ever afters, and we love to spend time talking to others about our favorites. THIS is why I love my job so much, and I’m so grateful to readers who gave ME a chance when I began my career. So thank you.

Sheep Book Review: Kiss of the Virgin Queen (Kiss of the Jinni Hunter Series) by Sharon Buchbinder + giveaway

Kiss of the Virgin Queen
Kiss of the Jinni Hunter Series Book Two 
by Sharon Buchbinder
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
October 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0392-5 Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0393-2 Digital
ASIN: B015ATFQTA
pages: 300
Word Count: 75K
Cover Artist: Rae Monet
Homeland Security Special Agent Eliana Solomon is on a mission to prevent terrorist attacks. Hard enough to do when the threats are human, almost impossible when it's an evil, shape shifting jinni. Eliana needs help so she calls the sexy and beguiling psychiatrist, Arta Shahani. However, no matter how good he is at his job, the man is on her blacklist. On their last case together, the guy left her for dead.

Arta is stunned when he receives Eliana’s call. Forced to abandon the woman he loves, he now fears she won’t accept his shape-shifting skills as a Persian Lion. Eliana, in the meantime discovers she is a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba with special powers of her own. But will her skill and Arta's be enough to defeat the jinni, or will they lose the love history decreed for them as well as their lives in this battle of good versus evil?


REVIEW:
KISS OF THE VIRGIN QUEEN was from start to finish a very satisfying read. With a very unique tale, taking the reader from the present day action to biblical years past. There is a big serving of present day tech-savvy female doused with political intrigue, including ancient kings and queens. I found many of the religious history in the story riveting. The author does a nice job of creating adventure, and steamy hot romance, all set to that paranormal beat! This one was vamp free, but I didn't care.

The only major drawback for me may well be the history pages of this tale, they drew me in more then the present portion. When the story went back to the present I was racing ahead to jump back in the timeline. I did enjoy the past more then the present. But that's just my taste! It may be too much movement for those that don't like, or enjoy, a story that goes back and forth. If you're not into time-travel types of tales, you may want to read other reviews first.

Overall, some strong writing, romance for us junkies and a very original plot make this an entertaining read! 






Excerpt: Chapter One
Summertown, West Virginia, U.S.A., Present Day

A picturesque flight over the Appalachian Mountains to Summertown, West Virginia gave Special Agent Eliana Solomon of the Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Anomaly Defense Division time to process the urgent report she’d received by email. Up until this week, the existence of werewolf packs had been concealed from the general population. Now reports of the secretive shape shifters exploded in her inbox. Where had this information been all this time? Had the government monitored them all along? If so, why had her boss, Bert Blackfeather, insisted on her obtaining proof of their existence, along with the jinnis? She’d pry an answer out of that closed mouth man—someday. Right now, she had a more pressing matter at hand.

Five days ago, three nine-year-old werewolf boys and their three eighteen-year-old sisters went on a birthday expedition in the heavily wooded state wildlife area and disappeared. By day, local human authorities, volunteers, and bloodhounds brought in from surrounding jurisdictions combed the forest, the hills, and caves. By night, pack members ran through the forest using their extraordinary senses—olfactory, visual, and auditory—to hunt for their missing kin. Divers also explored the waterways, all to no avail. No clues to the kids’ whereabouts had been found, not even a backpack—until two this morning.

A night security guard discovered the boys in the middle of the Adalwolf Winery parking lot. Slightly bruised and scratched up, but otherwise alive and well, in their human forms, the youngsters had no recollection of anything between arriving at the park and waking up in the parking lot with their back packs under their heads—their five-day-old lunches untouched.

Rushed to the ER and examined thoroughly, the boys displayed no evidence of physical abuse. The blank space in their minds where the memories should have been was inaccessible to parents and psychologists. If it weren’t for the fact that the three older girls were still missing, the local authorities wouldn’t continue to press the boys for information. Over time, their memories could return, but without ransom notes, calls or clues, the clock was running down for a successful search and rescue. The local police, state troopers, sheriff’s office, and the West Virginia Bureau of Investigation feared the operation would soon become a search and recovery.

The plane touched down, bounced along the runway, and Eliana’s cell began to vibrate.

“Solomon.”

The gruff voice of her boss boomed in her ear. “New development in the case.” Blackfeather paused. “A hiker found one of the missing girls in a culvert near an abandoned mine. Bites, claw marks. Throat ripped open. Damn thing nearly tore her head off.”

She shuddered. “Black bear?”

“Based on the paw prints around the body, the first responders are saying these weren’t bear bites. More like a dog—or wolf.”

“Boss, aside from zoos and wild animal preserves, there are no wolves in the eastern U.S.”

He sighed. “I stand corrected. Werewolf.”

Her stomach lurched, and she gripped the armrest so hard her knuckles turned white. Shit. Shit. Shit. A werewolf attacking one of its own? Why? What the hell was going on?

“West Virginia Division of Homeland Security has a car waiting for you, fully loaded with everything you’ll need for the investigation. Get to that scene.” Her boss clicked off.

Bossy desk jockey.

A flush of shame rushed over her. He’d taken on the orphan Anomaly Defense Division of the Science and Technology Directorate that no one else wanted, along with a mission no one else supported or believed in. As abrupt and abrasive as he could be, the Gulf War veteran deserved credit for giving her the opportunity to pursue what everyone else thought was something out of the tales of The Arabian Nights: jinnis. With the needed proof of werewolves and jinnis from Project Aladdin, support surged into the division. A stable funding source made her jinni hunting work possible So far, it seemed wherever there were werewolves, there was jinni activity.

This case was no different. According to the report, relationships between the local humans and werewolves were more than cordial. They were so intermarried, almost everyone was family. A large non-denominational wedding facility placed Summertown on an international list of destination weddings, like Hawaii and Las Vegas, but specifically for werewolves. A thriving bed and breakfast trade supported the wedding industry, along with other leisure activities, such as biking, hiking, white-water rafting, and winery and sightseeing tours. Murder of a werewolf girl wasn’t just bad for the family, it was bad for the town.

About the Author:
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Sharon Buchbinder has been writing fiction since middle school and has the rejection slips to prove it. An RN, she provided health care delivery, became a researcher, association executive, and obtained a PhD in Public Health. When not teaching or writing, she can be found fishing, walking her dogs, or breaking bread and laughing with family and friends in Baltimore, MD and Punta Gorda, FL.

***Tour Giveaway***
1 Kindle ebook copy of Kiss of the Silver Wolf, Book 1 (Novella)
1Kindle ebook copy Kiss of the Virgin Queen, Book 2, full length novel.
2 Luggage tags
5 sets Romance trading cards (1 for Kiss of the Silver Wolf, 1 for Kiss of the Virgin Queen in cellophane wrapper)
10 Book marks




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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Movie Review: Daddy's Home (2015)

Daddy's Home, review, movie, image
Daddy's Home 2015
Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements, crude and suggestive content, and for language)
Genre: Comedy
Directed By: Sean Anders
Written By: Etan Cohen, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Brian Burns, Sean Anders
Cast:  Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini 
Dec 25, 2015 Wide
Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.
Paramount Pictures - Official Site
Stepdad, Brad Whitaker, is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him Dad. But his plans turn upside down when the biological father, Dusty Mayron, returns.

This was pretty much what you expect. The trailer is pretty accurate. The story was predictable, but it was still a lot of fun. I went with my husband and 14 year old daughter and we all laughed. The ending is hilarious.

If you are looking for something to do on a cold or rainy day this is worth a matinee price. Seeing it on the big screen won't make it better so if you are a DVD kind of person then grab it if you like these kind of movies. Young adults will love it, but be careful with how young since there is some language and sexual humor.

3.75 "dancing" Sheep






SharonS

New Movie Releases for January 2016

There are a lot of releases for January 2016. Does anything look good to you? I'll be seeing The 5th Wave and possibly The Boy.
Jan 5

Jan 8
 

Jan 12

Jan 15
 

Jan 22
 
  

Jan 27
Jan 29

The Care and Feeding of The God of War- Guest Post by Lisa Beth Darling (Of War Series) + giveaway

The Care and Feeding of The God of War

Unless you're a patient strong willed person with a lot of space, owning Ares is probably not for you as he requires an unlimited supply of both.

Before you get your Ares home, make sure you have plenty of red meat on hand. While he doesn't require food in the traditional sense he loves it anyway. He prefers his roast beef and steak to be cooked rare and will occasionally eat chicken but not as a steady diet. He also likes lamb and has recently developed a taste for popcorn. Make sure to keep some in the cupboard. However, he is not a fan of sweets, please avoid attempting to feed him any type of dessert.
Ares is a messy eater. All food should be served to him on a silver platter while you're either naked or wearing a fur bikini as this will keep his attention focused on you and prevent him from knocking his food all over the place as you serve it. A pitcher of wine and a pitcher of Nectar should accompany every meal. Be sure to feed him at least four times a day, most especially in the morning and just before bedtime to keep him properly fueled up.

Ares needs a great deal of space in which to brood and move about as he loves to work out often either by lifting weights, swimming laps around your island, chopping wood, fencing/sparing with a skilled partner, and of course engaging in sexual activity. Ares is ravenously sexual and this need should be tended to at least three times per day although he tends to be most active at night in this regard. He also requires a bed at least seven feet in length to fit his long muscular frame.

Grooming and looking his best is very important to Ares, be sure to bathe him at least once a day, he prefers it if you get in the tub with him. Be sure to keep his beard well-trimmed this will help with feeding (above). Be mindful of his teeth, being part wolf, they are quite sharp, and although he's being playful, Ares does have a tendency to bite the sensitive area just below your ear. This may cause an unexpected and powerful orgasm even if you are fully dressed.

Always speak kindly to Ares as he can be quite hot tempered. If he accidentally throws a fireball in your direction setting your house on fire, reassure him that he's still a good boy as you dial 911 for the fire department. Never call the police department on Ares, as he is apt to wipe out any armed intruder with a wave of his brawny hand leaving a bloody mess behind that you will have to clean up after you dispose of the bodies.

If you follow the above rules, Ares will be your most loyal companion. He will stay with you through thick and thin, keeping you warm during the night, and protecting you from any and all persons seeking to do you harm.

Available at Amazon
Price Reduced 40% from $9.99 to $5.99 until January 7, 2016
OF WAR SERIES
An Epic Journey of Love, Lust, Betrayal,
Rage, and Redemption
by Lisa Beth Darling
The Complete no-box set.
ASIN: B00RI9I2CO
Fall in Love with Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. Together they Rock the World from the Heights of Olympus to the Celtic Moors.

In The Heart of War, Magdalena MacLeod has been on the run from Cernunnos, Great Horned God, for 200 years when she mysteriously washes ashore on secluded isle of the God of War. When the Olympians discover her presence on Ares' island, they send Apollo to the island to retrieve her while Ares is away. Diplomatically winding her way out of immediately going to Olympus and having nowhere to turn, Alena strikes a bargain with the God of War--her virginity for his protection.

Ares sees a sweeter deal; her in his bed and himself back in his rightful place on Olympus even if it means turning Alena over to Zeus. After Alena proves herself to Ares in battle and his bed, the God of War must choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family, his pride, and Alena.

Child of War-A God is Born Ares and Alena have settled on snowy Olympus to await the birth of their son, Raven. Before Raven is even born, Zeus outwardly despises him for his Fey blood. With only one to keep his family safe from his father, Zeus the God of Gods, Ares enters into a blood pact that could cost the God of War everything he holds dear.

After a harrowing birth wherein mother and son are nearly lost to Ares, it quickly becomes clear that Raven may be the most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born despite his muddled bloodline. Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite plot against the new family by carefully planting the seeds of rage and doubt in Ravens' mind, they turn son against mother. It appears as though Cernunnos' prophecy is coming to life as Raven grows to be a very angry young man.

As the true past between the Olympians and Celts is revealed, the battle for Ravens' mind and the ultimate control of Olympus begins. Before it's over, the white snows of Olympus will run red with blood.

Child of War-Rising Son sees Raven on the verge of manhood as his rampage continues and he begins the difficult path to Acceptance by his fellow Olympians. Out to prove he's as good, if not better than, any of them he bests the Trials set before him by Hades and Poseidon. This isn't enough for him, in his quest to prove to his Father, Ares, that he is an Olympian Raven preys upon the Mortals below Olympus in a time of great weakness. Enlisting the aid of his Uncle Apollo and settling for nothing less than utter Chaos, together they push the Mortals to pure anarchy. Ready to conquer the remainder of his Trials so he may take his place at the Counsel Table, and bring Ares the glory Cernunnos once prophesized, only one thing stands in his way; the night his Mother fell down the stairs.

Apollo, ever the Man Behind the Curtain, pulls Raven's strings like a true puppet master. It's far too late when Raven realizes all he's done in hopes of pleasing his Father actually makes Ares look guilty of destroying the Mortal World. A little Chaos and a little Anarchy aren't enough for the Golden God, in his on-going quest to destroy Ares, Apollo sets a plague loose upon the embroiled Earth. By the time the Olympians discover what's going on twenty million people are dead with the number multiplying exponentially every day.

Women of War gives us a brief reprieve from the death and darkness as we journey backward in time spanning four generations of women in Alena's family. From her great-grandmother, Shar Draiocht the last known Queen of the Dark Kingdom to her tortured daughter Morrowind, to Maven Alena's free-spirited mother and through the lonely life of Alena MacLeod ending where The Heart of War begins with the night Alena washes up on Ares' shore. With intensity, lust, fear, and strength these Women of War make their way in the world revealing the hidden truths of the past and Ares true connection to his beloved Wife, Alena.

Kingdoms of War, the OF WAR Series Finale, sees nearly four billion souls lost to the ravages of Anarchy and the dreaded disease Major Falls. Ares, Athena, and Raven journey the Mortal World vainly reaching for a sliver of what was only to discover what will be. From the fiery wreckage a new world is slowly arising one where the descendants of Olympians, Celts, Dark Fae, and all manner of Magickal Being will rule.

Ares and Athena wander the world, hoping to curtail further damage by obliterating weapons of mass destruction the Wolf inside the God of War slowly succumbs to Major Falls. A rabid God of War is not a pretty sight. Soon it becomes clear that Ares may not live to see the glory of Olympus restored.

By the time Ares' fevered body is brought to Olympus, Apollo's descent into madness is utterly complete. The Gold God is quite insane as he expertly kills off the members of his Divinely Dysfunctional Family. Yet, Alena's greatest nemesis holds the key to saving Ares' life. The price is high and, should she pay it, Alena can't be sure Ares would ever be able to forgive her.

About the Author:
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It was in the 4th grade when Lisa discovered she was a naturally gifted writer. The teacher asked the class to pen a story about a baby bird's first flight and read them to the class. Putting pencil to paper, Lisa was instantly whisked away by a force she couldn't explain. When they were finished, all of the children read their happy stories to the class.

Not Lisa. She got up and told of how the baby bird flew too high, hit a plane, crashed to the ground and died. She told of how the mama bird and daddy bird cried of how even God was upset sending the rains pouring from the sky. The class was speechless when she finished all they could do was stare at her. The teacher kept her after class told her the story was very good but it was different from the others. She asked Lisa if she'd ever heard of Icarus and did she base her story on him. Lisa had yet to encounter Greek Mythology or hear a whisper of Icarus. As Lisa left the classroom the teacher again told her how good the story was but suggested she might want to write something happier next time. When Lisa asked her teacher why she had no answer. Luckily for us, Lisa I never took her advice.

Lisa Beth Darling is 49 years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, CT with her husband of nearly 30 years, Roy. She is the author of more than fifteen novels along with several short stories and non-fiction books.

Tour giveaway 
1st prize $50.00 PayPal Cash or Amazon Gift Card 
2nd prize 3 e-book copies of OF WAR Complete (gifted to the winner through Kindle or Nook regular price value $9.99/each)

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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

New Book Releases in Speculative Fiction for December 29, 2015

Small release week, but there looks like something for everyone. Grab those new ereaders and amazon gift cards and let's go shopping!