GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ I Smell Sheep: January 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Book Review: Silverlight by S. L. Jesberger

Silverlight
by S. L. Jesberger

January 30, 2016
Publisher: S. .L. Jesberger
ASIN: B01AGW3P26

ISBN: 9781517412890
Friend. Lover. Warrior.

Magnus Tyrix is on his way home for the first time in eight years when he finds her purely by accident—Kymber Oryx, fighting off a band of vigilante thieves.

He’d been told she was dead, killed on the battlefield of Marilian ten years ago, her body buried in a mass grave.

Stepping in to save her from the thieves, he soon discovers she is a fragile shadow of the woman he once loved.

Magnus attempts to help her get on her feet, but Kymber is struggling with a brutal past. Try as she might, she can’t seem to find the heart that once beat inside her. The heart of a warrior. The one Magnus remembers.

The one he truly wants.

If lies and treachery tore them apart, a mutual purpose will reunite them. Silverlight, Kymber’s beloved sword, still hangs upon the enemy’s wall.

Will they sacrifice the future to retrieve a piece of the past?


Magnus Tyrix was riding to visit his sister, Karis, who he has not seen for nine years. Riding through the area brings back memories of his long dead love, Kymber Oryx, whom he fought beside and lost. He hears something coming from some caves south of Jalartha, a group of men are terrorizing a homeless woman. When she snatches his knife from the leader’s belt and executes maneuvers someone trained to do them, even with one mangled hand, he recognizes her as his long dead love Kymber. Except she is very much alive, though horribly thin, with a ragged haircut and dirty. Instead of visiting his sister, he takes her to a place where he can get her help. He discovers she thought he had been behind what happened to her, because of his brother Tariq and the barbarian, Garai. Eventually he takes her to his home to keep watch over her and train her back to the warrior she had been. He even promises to help her get his brother, plus retrieve her sword, Silverlight, from behind the throne of the barbarian Garai. For it was Garai who held her all those years, using her and making her fear. Magnus loves her enough to do anything for her. Even if it means sacrificing their future.

Silverlight is the romantic sword and sorcery we’ve been missing. It’s a mixture of Lord of the Rings and George RR Martin’s gritty, realistic saga, but Silverlight is still its own fantasy. One I am glad to add to my bookshelves.

I give Silverlight 5 sheep





Pamela Kinney

About the Author:
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S.L. Jesberger lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband Gordon. They are the parents of three daughters. By day, she is a mild-mannered administrative assistant for an educational organization. She enjoys gardening, reading, hybridizing and genealogy. She’s been known to do things the hard way just to see what happens.

Sherry loves romantic fantasy, but she also writes contemporary/ New Adult under the name Shari Copell. Wild Angel, the third book written under the Copell pen name, was awarded 4.5 stars and the Crowned Heart from InD’tale Magazine, making it a contender for a 2015 RONE Award in New Adult.

Silverlight is her seventh book. Aislin of Arianrhod, the first book in her romantic fantasy Àlainnshire series, was a semi-finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Book Awards. Aislin of Arianrhod also won honorable mention in the 2015 Writer’s Digest Best Ebook Awards.

Sheep Book Review: Storm Damaged by Kerry Adrienne

Storm Damaged
By: Kerry Adrienne
January 22, 2016
Print Length: 217 pages
Publisher: Loose Id LLC

In a world where humans don’t know mermaids exist, Mari leaves her home in the ocean to escape her mother, her betrothed, and her tribe’s expectations in order to make a go of independence on land. Chase, former Navy diver and self-appointed curmudgeon-who-isn’t-worthy-of-love, lost his brother in a freak diving accident and now fears the ocean he once loved.

When a hurricane threatens, they have to work together to save everything they've worked so hard to build. With Mari's betrothed on the rampage over a centuries-old vendetta, the storm isn't the worst thing they'll have to face.



Something that's sorely missing in the PNR reading department are tales with mermaids (and mermen). Maybe it's my eight year old self who's still obsessed with Ariel from Little Mermaid or maybe this is just a section of untapped potential. No matter which way the sea-witch swims, I was very happy to give this story a ready!

Storm Damaged was certainly worthy of reading, however, had our main gal Mari been a tad less brazen in the face of danger I might have been able to dig in a little deeper. I mean she's got an ex cray-cray man after them, a big ass storm coming and her new man's fear of the ocean and emotional baggage. There's a lot going on here and that turned out to be both a good and bad thing. Thankfully the good does out way the bad.

I personally prefer a main man with less emotional drama but that's my own issues. Chase was well enough written that you can buy into his backstory and find a connection. There was romance for all us smut lovers; when things get heated you may want to throw some salt water on these two!
Some plot twists keep you turning the pages. Overall, this is a very entertaining read for those that love PNR and if you happen to be a mermaid fan, that will only add to experience!


 Getting 4 'I want to be where the people are' Sheep




KD


About the Author:
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Kerry loves history and spends large amounts of time wondering about people who lived and walked on Earth in the past. She’s a mom to three daughters, six cats, and various small animals. Her husband says she’s a marketer’s dream, as she often believes everything she hears—at least initially. Her shoe horde will attest to her fine shopping skills.

In addition to writing, Kerry loves to sew (costumes and cosplay, especially), draw, paint, make chainmail, and play guitar.

Her new love is her Mini Cooper Convertible, Sheldon, and they have already gone on many adventures. They travel to as many concerts as they can–especially Green Day and Marilyn Manson.

You can visit her much-neglected costuming blog here: http://cloakandcostume.blogspot.com/ Maybe she’ll have time to update it soon.
Repped by the fabulous Marisa Corvisiero with the Corvisiero Literary Agency. http://www.corvisieroagency.com/

Winning the Internet this week...Christopher Walken awesomeness and Safe Assembly!


Christopher Walken dancing to Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice.


Avengers giving out good advice!

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Book Review: On a Clear Winter Night: (An Irin Chronicles Short Story) by Elizabeth Hunter

On a Clear Winter Night: (An Irin Chronicles Short Story)
by Elizabeth Hunter
Pages: 52
A very special holiday short story for readers of the Irin Chronicles

Join Ava, Malachi, and their friends for Midwinter holidays in Prague. The Irin might not celebrate Christmas, but that doesn’t mean Ava has to give up on the holidays. With her children on the way, nothing will stop the newest Irina from celebrating with her growing family. But will lingering doubts and worries about fatherhood let Malachi celebrate the way he wants?

On a Clear Winter Night is a short story set after the first three books of the Irin Chronicles.

A nice little short story that detailed the joys of Christmas for a group of people who have never celebrated Christmas. Ava was raised in the human world, thus she celebrated Christmas. As she waits for the birth of her twins she is sad that the Irin do not celebrate Christmas. To cheer her up, her mate, Malachi decides to give her Christmas. All the Irin find how much they enjoy having the Christmas Tree and the joys of Christmas as they all wait impatiently for their new bundles of joy.

Getting 4.5 sheep





Denise B
About the Author:
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Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance writer. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth-graders everywhere rejoice.

She currently lives in Central California with her son, two dogs, many plants, and a sadly dwindling fish tank. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries and Elemental World series, the Cambio Springs series, the Irin Chronicles, and other works of fiction.

Series Spotlight + Excerpt: Bedeviled & Beyond by Sam Cheever

Bedeviled & Beguiled (Futuristic Paranormal Romance with a Devilish Flavor) (Bedeviled & Beyond Book 1)
by Sam Cheever
August 18, 2015
Print Length: 270 pages
Publisher: Electric Prose
A roller coaster ride of fun and sexy sci fi paranormal romance with a devilish flavor! 

Astra Q Phelps is on the side of the good guys in the war between good and evil. Unfortunately for her, the bad guys have been making inroads on her soul. And when a particularly dark and sexy dark worlder fixes his heated gaze on Astra, the lighter side of her nature quickly finds itself kicked to the curb by her slut-monkey side. But Astra doesn’t have time to deal with her love life. She’s in the middle of a war between two dark factions…a war that just might mean the end of the human population…and it seems the fate of the world rests uneasily on her shoulders. It’s a lot of pressure to put on one feisty halfling…but Astra Q Phelps is definitely…erm…certainly…ahh…possibly up to the challenge.



Excerpt:

The icy tentacles of water pounded against my skin, almost sizzling against the heat of it. I suddenly realized that what I was experiencing was more than simple lust and imagination. It was devil-induced mischief making. Even as I had the thought a dark shape shimmered into view on the other side of my glass shower wall.

Proud of myself for not shrieking, I very calmly reached over to push the Off button on the shower, not trusting myself to speak to use voice de-activation.

As I emerged he raised one silky, black eyebrow and let his gaze slide down my dripping flesh. “Very lovely. I shall enjoy this very much.”

My pulse exploded in my chest and, for a very brief moment, I thought I would die. But, another point for me, I simply let my gaze slide to the towel he was holding for me, just out of reach of course. “You know, I’ve learned a lot about the Royal Court recently, but I didn’t know you were delusional as a general rule.”

His yummy lips parted in a wide smile, showing just the very tips of his teeth. “Did you know that we can smell lust, little halfling?”

Okay, I’ll admit it, that one got to me. “Give me the damn towel!”

He took one more look-see and then held the coveted piece of cloth out, taking care to hold it just far enough away that I would have to take a step closer to grab it. I looked longingly at the drying tube but quickly realized I would have to turn my back on him and leave him to his own devices for the length of time it would take the tube to dry me off. I wasn’t willing to do that at the moment.

Seeing no other choice, I moved that one step closer and pulled on the towel. Without my even realizing that he’d moved, he suddenly had me smashed full length against his body, with one arm wrapped around my waist like a steel band. His gaze burned into me as he spoke. “I will have just one taste now, as a preview of things to come.”

I tried to jerk away but found that my legs and arms had turned to air. As his incredibly soft lips lowered to mine I felt myself floating, completely boneless in his arms. His breath smelled of lust and sensual things and the sweet heat of it moved like molten pleasure through my body as we kissed. I knew he was playing with my mind again and I wanted to cry with frustration that I was so helpless against it. There I was, a big, bad, demon and devil conqueror and I was putty in the beautiful creature’s hands. I wanted to scream. I wanted to knee him in the balls. Instead I moaned and ground myself against him. Damned traitorous flesh.

His hands moved down my wet body to cup my buttocks and pull me more tightly against him. Putting me into delicious contact with the long, hard ridge of flesh beneath his oh-so-delightfully tight pants, the more intimate contact certainly didn’t make me want to pull away.

However, from somewhere in my misty brain came a single, unbidden but soul saving picture that moved between us, metaphorically speaking of course, like a gust of arctic air. My mind formed a picture of Timmon, spread across a cold, stone floor like so much green blood pudding. On the heels of that vision my anger spiked. Rage produced a tingly feeling that felt like power. It was a power I’d never experienced before. It was one I didn’t know I had. But somehow I recognized it with the primitive instinct that had served my ancestors and my kind well.

For an interminable moment, my mind tried to fight against the wonderful sensations he was producing in my body. I had to create some mental space between us so I could recover my equilibrium enough to kick his ass. His lips had left my mouth and were scorching a trail down my throat, licking away the last of the moisture there and moving inexorably toward more vulnerable destinations. One hot hand already covered my breast, the nimble fingers pulling gently on a rigid pink nipple. Each tug sent an answering flare of need spiking through me…tightening in a coil of lust low in my belly.

In desperation I began gathering the fledgling power around me, using only the barest of instincts to pull it into some kind of focus.

My body vibrated under the building power. His lips left mine abruptly and his eyes narrowed on my face. My flesh began to tingle and jump where he touched me and, with widening eyes, he looked down at the arm he still had wrapped around me. As he did, sparks erupted from the juncture of our flesh and he released me with a surprised laugh. As soon as his flesh left mine, the power exploded. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus all of it into a single stream that centered in my right arm. The air around me buzzed with electricity and began to pulse against my skin, pushing insistently, though I wasn’t at all sure what it wanted me to do. I was acting strictly on instinct, on pure blind intuition, as I raised my arm toward him and opened my eyes.

The power shot out of the fingers of my hand, taking my breath with it and almost pulling me off my feet. My arm jerked under the force of the explosion and, rather than blasting him, I shattered a hologram of my parents that had been hanging on the wall behind him. I gritted my teeth and refocused, leaving a scorch mark on the wall as I guided it toward him.

He could have gotten out of the way. He knew it was coming. But he stood his ground and surprisingly, he had a vague smile on his face as it hit him. Rather than exploding him as I’d hoped, I merely succeeded in raising him up off the floor a couple of inches and pushing him back a couple of feet, until he met up with the wall. He hung there, the smile sitting on his face and his arms crossed against his chest, bringing a memory, sharp and disturbing, of him as he’d been in my apparently prophetic dream. Above the smile, those strange, black eyes, which were now filled with revelation and something that looked like surprised recognition, were locked on me unwaveringly.

All too quickly the power started to drain away. It had pulled every available bit of energy from my cells and had no more fuel to draw on. A final, harmless spurt of power shot from my throbbing fingers and Dialle sank slowly back to the floor, still smiling.

My knees buckled and I collapsed. My whole body felt like just so much stiff rubber. I had no energy left to hold me upright. As I hit the floor, the world faded to charcoal gray around me and I knew I was going to pass out.

I landed on the cold floor and lay shivering uncontrollably, though I somehow knew that the air was suffocatingly warm all around me. As I floated away, my mind just barely registered the sound of his voice speaking in Hades over me, in a surprisingly gentle tone. Then I felt him pick me up and my world faded completely to black. Leaving me to whatever fate I had stumbled against.

Bedeviled & Bedazzled (Futuristic Paranormal Romance with a Devilish Flavor) (Bedeviled & Beyond Book 2)
by Sam Cheever

August 26, 2015
Print Length: 327 pages
Publisher: Electric Prose
With sexy devil Prince Dialle at her side, Astra Q Phelps finds herself embroiled in yet more danger and intrigue at the royal devil court. As Astra discovers her family tree might be growing right in the middle of the current mess, her career as a demon slayer is put at risk, her dignity is seriously damaged, and there might be a pair of giant granny panties in her future. Fortunately for her she doesn’t have much need for dignity. It's a whole mess of trouble for one determined halfling to sort through, but Astra Q Phelps is…hopefully…up to the challenge.

Excerpt:

Sometimes, if events keep you from visiting the devil, he finds a way to visit you. That sad reality also occasionally applies to mothers. I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup the next morning when the door monitor announced that Danika Phelps was standing outside my door.

I was sooooo tempted to just leave her standing there. If I’m being honest, I was actually tempted to find a snug corner and assume the fetal position. But in the end I decided to be a man about it and let her in.

I opened the door and recoiled. She was smiling. Terrifying. “Hello, Mother.”

Danika Phelps barely deserved the moniker but still she insisted that I treat her as if she did. “Is that any way to greet your mother?”

She gathered my stiff body up into a hug that I knew was pure show. She’d never had the maternal feelings one would expect when one carries a life within one’s perfect body for six full months—halflings don’t need to cook for quite as long as humans do—and then spews it out through an impossibly small hole at great risk and pain.

Releasing me from the fake hug, she cocked her head and her beautiful oval face crinkled prettily in mock disapproval. “Where are your manners, Astra. Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

The word “No” shot up my throat from my roiling stomach and pounded on the back of my lips, trying to escape. But I clenched my teeth on the thing and opened the door wider, stepping back to let her pass. “What are you doing here, Mother?”

She ignored my question and walked around my small living space, touching everything with long elegant fingers. I gritted my teeth, sure she was passing judgment on each and every item.

Following her into the living area, I perched on the very edge of a padded arm of the divan, ready to explode into action if necessary. I waited silently for her to tell me why she’d come. It didn’t take long.

“I’ve come to make you an offer.”

My eyebrows peaked in silent question but I didn’t open my mouth for fear all the bad words clanging against my teeth might escape.

She examined the cushions on my divan as if expecting to see poop on them and gave them a swipe with her hand before she lowered her tight ass carefully onto them. Then she looked at me and smiled again. “I’m sure you know by now that I’m part of the local coven?”

I nodded.

She stared at me for a long beat as if she expected me to make some comment but I was still clamping down on my errant opinions lest they befoul the air between us and get me eaten.

Finally she gave a delicate little laugh and went on. “I’m sure that came as some surprise to you but, as you know, we have witches in our family and the powers and inclination have been passed down through the generations. I felt my calling when I was very young, recognizing the signs of my…um…talents in black magic even as a child in the Royal Court. In those days it was unheard of to practice witchcraft. It was considered a lesser art than royal magic and its practice was discouraged at Court.”

My lips stayed firmly closed.

Smiling a little less fake happily as the result of my silence, she stood up and walked to the single window in the room. Staring out at the sky, which had finally cleared and was a bright blue, she continued. “I see the same inclinations in you, Astra.”

She turned back in time to see my eyes widen. Damn! I slammed my facial expression back to neutral and sat on silently.

“I want to bring you into the coven with me and teach you. From what I’ve seen and heard your powers have already grown beyond all expectation and continue to change and stretch. You’ll need help learning how to manage and use them.”

“For black magic?” My voice told her clearly what I thought of that idea.

The fake emotion of the moment was sadness. “Witchcraft embraces both dark and light magic, Astra. You can practice any way you wish. I only want to help you.”

“Mmm-hmmm.”

Pretending my response hadn’t been dripping with sarcasm, she gave me a fake bright smile. “We’ll have so much fun together, darling. I’ve missed you over the last few months…”

“Try years.” I tapped my lips with a fingertip. “It might even be decades.”

She shrugged. Months, years, a lifetime…what was the difference?

I had absolutely no inclination to join my mother’s coven but I decided it made more sense at that moment to leave the option open until I could try to wrangle some intelligence out of her.

“Before I would consider joining you I would need some information.”

She opened her arms and smiled at me as if she were an open book.

Right.

I transferred my butt to the divan in an attempt to seem more relaxed, figuring she’d be more willing to spill if she thought she was succeeding in drawing me in. “First I want to know what you’re up to with the king.”

She gave me fake shock on that one. “The king? Astra I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t?”

She shook her head. “Of course not.”

“I felt your magic signature in the room he disappeared from. As well as father’s. Prince Dialle almost killed me because he thought I was working with you.” Okay that was a slight exaggeration but it served my purposes for the moment.

That little tidbit brought on fake thoughtfulness as she turned away to stare out my streaky window again, as well as a little bit of faux reluctance. Finally she looked at me and said, “Okay, it’s true, we kidnapped the king. I just wanted to try to talk some sense into him. The witches are an important component of the council and he refuses to give us our due.”

“So you’re working to turn the demons against him?”

I thought the surprise at my accusation might have been real but who the hell knew?

“I needed a bargaining chip.”

“So what’s next? What are you going to do with him? Kill him?”

She laughed her tinkle-toned fake laugh that meant I’d struck a nerve and pissed her off.

I liked that laugh.

About the Author:
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USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.


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Friday, January 29, 2016

Book Review: Daughter of Blood: The Wall of Night Book Three by Helen Lowe + giveaway


Daughter of Blood: The Wall of Night Book Three
by Helen Lowe
January 26, 2016
A Gemmell Award-Winning Series
Malian of Night and Kalan, her trusted ally, are returning to the Wall of Night—but already it may be too late. The Wall is dangerously weakened, the Nine Houses of the Derai fractured by rivalry and hate. And now, the Darkswarm is rising...

Among Grayharbor backstreets, an orphan boy falls foul of dark forces. On the Wall, a Daughter of Blood must be married off to the Earl of Night, a pawn in the web of her family's ambition. On the Field of Blood, Kalan fights for a place in the bride's honor guard, while Malian dodges deadly pursuers in a hunt against time for the fabled Shield of Heaven. But the Darkswarm is gaining strength, and time is running out—for Malian, for Kalan, and for all of Haarth...


I don't read a lot of epic fantasy...okay I don't read any cause...have you seen the size of those books? <G>. Years ago Helen Lowe published Heir of Night, the first book in a four book epic fantasy series. It was only 458 pages long and I wanted to help an author out...well, I got hook hard and fast. I wasn't the only one, cause it won some awards, most notably, the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer 2012. She was the first woman to ever win a Gemmell Award (there are three).

Here we are at book three, Daughter of Blood. It might have been 750 pages, but it didn't feel like it. There is constant action and I was absorbed in the complexity of the story and watching as all the pieces Lowe has been putting into place since book one start to fall into place. At the end of book one, Malian and Kalan had to take separate paths. It has been six years and both have been changed by their journeys. In Daughter of Blood, they finally meet again. Many mysteries have been uncovered and I was surprised by the turn of events for Kalan and Malian. Can't give any details, cause...spoilers, but it is a sword and sorcery party!


The writing is amazing and I'm captivated by the world Lowe created. This
 is a very involved story with an incredible number of character and names to remember. You need to give it all your attention. Definitely start from book one.


5 "Blood" Sheep




SharonS


GIVEAWAY
you can win a copy of book one, Heir of Night by going to Helen's I Smell Sheep interview



About the Author:
Helen Lowe, is a novelist, poet, interviewer and blogger whose first novel,Thornspell (Knopf), was published to critical praise in 2008. Her second, The Heir of Night (The Wall Of Night Series, Book One) won the Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012. The sequel, The Gathering Of The Lost, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Legend Award in 2013 and Daughter Of Blood, (The Wall Of Night Series, Book Three) is forthcoming in January 2016. Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog.

Book Review: Extreme Honor (True Heroes Book One) by Piper J. Drake + giveaway

By: Piper J. Drake
Series: True Heroes #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever
David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier’s toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope’s Crossing kennel can break through the animal’s grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas’s heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde’s mesmerizing effect isn’t limited to canines. But when Lyn’s work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.

Lyn realizes that David’s own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he’s gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else—and he’s willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn’t want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both.



It's no secret that I am, for sure, a cover whore. I admit it. Live it. LOVE it. That's just me. This cover sold me flat-out. It's got just about everything I love. Sexy man, check. Badass looking doggie, check. Handgun, check. The only things it's missing is some vampire fangs! But canine fangs will do just fine this time. 

Extreme Honor is a very entertaining read, it's predictable at times but overall many romance elements I like to read about are touched on. A nicely written tone and overall feel for the characters and story are easily laid out for the reader. This is a very good thing for me, I love feeling a story and making a connection. 

The added bonus of the pooch and his emotional trauma was touching and heartbreaking at times. Yet, another layer to add in the book as a whole. Our leading characters also have a well hashed out and believable back story to them, this helped keep me in the moment for many portions. Sadly a tad lacking in the romance department left me wishing for more from their sexual dynamic at times.

But overall there's really a lot to enjoy with this one, even if it is fang-free. If you like an entertaining and touching read then I absolutely recommend this for you! 


Getting 4 Sheep  
KD





Excerpt
Her heart rate had picked up, fluttering at the pulse point under his touch.

“Yeah?” The urge to slide has hands over more delicate areas grew and he couldn’t help running his thumb along the inside of her arm.

Awareness grew in her gaze and she bit her lip as she nodded.

He leaned toward her, focused on her plump lip caught under her teeth.

“What else do you like?”

She opened her mouth to answer but he didn’t plan to let her get a word out. Maybe later. He bent his head to capture her lips.

And seventy five pounds of fur jumped up on his side.

“The hell?”

Lyn gasped. “Atlas!”

“Af.” Mindful of the dog’s injury, Cruz gave Atlas a gentle shove.

The dog dropped back to all fours, his tongue lolling. Looking from him to Lyn and back again, Atlas lay back down on his belly.

Jealous. Damn dog was jealous.

Be real. Every dog recognizes a fake. And good men can see through it too.

“I’d really like to help.” Honest. Simple. All the other reasons paled in comparison to this.

“Whatever is going on, you know more about it than I do.” She licked her lips, her mouth gone dry.

His gaze dipped, focusing on her mouth. “I might. I know something. I’m not sure it’s related. But this next question is important.”

Can I kiss you?

Doubtful that was the question he was going to ask. But the moment was drawing out and she very much wanted for him to ask it. “Okay.”

“Do you think I would hurt you?”

“No!” It popped out before she had time to think about it. Anger burned up from her chest and spread outward. She scowled. “Of course n—”

He kissed her.

Ultimate Courage (True Heroes Book Two)
Available July 26, 2016

Grand Central
Elisa Hall is good at starting from scratch. Leaving an abusive relationship in her rearview, she packs everything she owns into the trunk of her car and heads for refuge with her friend in Hope’s Crossing, Pennsylvania.

Alex Rojas returned from his second deployment as a Navy SEAL to find his condo empty and divorce papers on the breakfast table. Now he’s building a life for himself and his daughter at Hope’s Crossing kennels training younger dogs and handlers to search and rescue, struggling to adjust to life back in the States and as a single father.

When Elisa shows up at the kennels, it’s obvious she’s running from something. Luckily, the dogs and trainers at Hope’s Crossing are more than capable of warding off trouble. And with every minute he spends with Elisa, Alex becomes even more and more determined to protect the woman he’s certain he won’t be able to live without…



About the Author:
Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award. 
Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.


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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Spoiler-free Book Review: Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson Book 9) by Darynda Jones

Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson Book 9)
by Darynda Jones
January 12, 2016
St. Martin's Press

Pages: 337
In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.


Way to keep it fresh! Darynda Jones did an excellent job of creating a new story without recycling the same old same old. This story takes place in Sleepy Hollow where Janey Doerr wakes up and has no idea who she is or where she came from. Little by little she figures out she isn’t like everyone else. She can see dead people! It appears that many of the people around her know more than they are letting on about who she is but no matter what she tries to do, she can’t get them to spill.

Loved this book! I find sometimes when a book series goes on for a while the author is unable to come up with new and fresh stories. Not the case for Jones. She couldn’t have done a better job of giving her fans something new and setting us up for the next book that she should be even better than this one.

Getting 5 sheep






Denise B

About the Author:
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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.


Patrick Rutigliano guest post: The Eldritch Lush in my Left Hemisphere (Wind Chill book tour)

The Eldritch Lush in my Left Hemisphere

All creatives have their muses. For some, they whisper gently in the ears of their creative host organisms, easing them into their work. Not mine. But that’s probably because she’s a Cthulhoid entity that usually resides in my gray matter. Oh, and she drinks. A lot.

I think she moved in while I was in college. Perhaps she was lured by the combination of campus bacchanals and the Lovecraftian fiction stored in my dorm room. Honestly, I’ve never thought to ask her. She was probably too drunk to remember, anyway. God knows she was when she first started talking to me.

Well, “talking” might be the wrong word for it. I thought it was tinnitus at first. Maybe the effects of a loud concert on my eardrums. Turns out she was just doing her impression of the old Emergency Broadcast System tone. It went on for a month. Then, she belched and I noticed the snoring.

Needless to say, I was concerned. Nobody except a deranged cultist would want an elder spawn living in his brain. She assured me it would be okay when she woke up, of course. Told me I “had a nice place here” and that she would “pay her rent on time every month.” That’s when the first story came, interrupted by periodic manifestations where she would puke in my bathroom (she has yet to find the toilet).

Alas, sloppy drunk that she is, I found I had to write everything down. She repeats herself, you see, and the only way to get her to switch gears is to offer proof that she’s echoing herself. Or to pour enough strong drink in my ear to put her under, but the whiskey burns something awful on the way in.

The only quiet I have anymore is when she goes out. But even then, I can sense her presence at work in the world. She gave a wedgie to the high priest of Thoth while on an absinthe kick once. Another time, she placed a “kick me” sign on Kim Jong-Un’s back just to watch the ensuing massacre. And always she comes back to me, bragging about it all before slurring into another story I have to translate through the hiccups, retching, and random bouts of giddiness. Or else suffer it again... and again... and again...

All of this was trying enough. Then, she realized I’d been published.

The only thing worse than a blasted elder thing with a motor mouth is one that’s had encouragement. She talks even more now, ever eager to see her ideas in print. No mind is given to the layers of blisters on my fingertips or the red lines threading my eyes.

Perhaps the only way to stop her is through an act of will. To give up the keyboard cold turkey and refuse to type one more word of what she wants transcribed no matter how much she rambles on.

Ah, screw it. At least she pays the rent.


Wind Chill
by Patrick Rutigliano
January 29th, 2016
Crystal Lake Publishing
Emma Rawlins has spent the last year a prisoner. The months following her mother's death dragged her father into a paranoid spiral of conspiracy theories and doomsday premonitions.

Emma finds herself drugged and dragged to a secluded cabin, the last refuge from a society supposedly due to collapse. Their cabin a snowbound fortress, her every move controlled, but even that isn't enough to weather the end of the world.

There is no choice but to play her father's game while she plans her escape.

But there is a force far colder than the freezing drifts. Ancient, ravenous, it knows no mercy. And it's already had a taste...

will post buy link once released

About the Author:
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Patrick Rutigliano made his way as a fry cook, cart monkey, and feral cat tamer before going into business for himself. Working as an editor and proofreader in addition to writing, his first independent release, The Untimely Deaths of Daryl Handy, hit Amazon in 2013. His first novel, Surviving the Crash, was released by Retro Rocket Press in 2014. Crystal Lake Publishing is publishing his newest work, Wind Chill, in January 2015.

During his off time, Patrick can usually be found attempting to recreate foreign cuisine, performing the solemn duty of feline waterbed, and having spirited debates with his wife over the failings of Disney villains.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Spoiler-free Book Review: Feverborn: A Fever Novel Book 8 by: Karen Marie Moning

Feverborn: A Fever Novel Book 8
by Karen Marie Moning

January 19th 2016

Hardcover, 436 pages
In Karen Marie Moning’s latest installment of the epic #1 New York Times bestselling Fever series, Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada are back—and the stakes have never been higher or the chemistry hotter. Hurtling us into a realm of labyrinthine intrigue and consummate seduction, Feverborn is a riveting tale of ancient evil, lust, betrayal, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love.

When the immortal Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged, and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of life itself—can save the planet.

But those who seek the mythic song must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: the Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.

Once a normal city possessing a touch of ancient magic, Dublin is now a treacherously magical city with only a touch of normal. And on those war-torn streets, Mac will come face-to-face with her most savage enemy yet: herself.


All our favorite characters are back in Karen Marie Moning’s newest release in the fever series. Jada, aka Dani is cold and calculating and not the same girl everyone wants her to be. After 5 ½ years stuck in the mirrors, but only a few weeks on earth; Mac, Ryodan and most of the others are having trouble accepting her for who she now is, everyone except Dancer of course.

I really love this series but felt this one was too short. There were many different elements to this book and a few were barely touched on. Some of these elements were major surprises and I was really disappointed that they were just left on the page with no explanation. I can only hope more books are to follow and that these items will be resolved. Out of all of her books I really felt this one had the least amount of story. Still worth the read, especially if you are a die-hard fever fan but you’ve been warned that you may be disappointed with this book.

Giving this 4 sheep





Denise B

About the author:
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Karen Marie Moning is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the sizzling Urban Fantasy FEVER Novels set in Dublin, featuring MacKayla Lane and Jericho Barrons, and the paranormal romance HIGHLANDER Series, with fifteen books in print in thirty-six countries.

She is a winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award, and multiple RITA nominee. She graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Society & Law.

*Sign up for Karen's email newsletter to receive the latest book release updates, as well as info about contests & giveaways ( www.karenmoning.com/kmm/press/newsletter-signup.html )