Book Review: The Werewolf Wears Prada (San Francisco Wolf Pack Book 1) by Kristin Miller

The Werewolf Wears Prada (San Francisco Wolf Pack #1)
by Kristin Miller

Kindle Edition, 230 pages
April 28th 2015 by Entangled Covet

Melina Rosenthal worships at the altar of all things fashion. Her dream is to work for the crème de la crème fashion magazine, Eclipse, and she'll do much anything to get there. Even fixing up the image of a gorgeous, sexy public figure who's all playboy, all the time. Even if he's the guy who broke her heart a year ago...

Even if Hayden Dean is a werewolf.

Since his father's death, Hayden's the heir apparent to the San Francisco Wolf Pack—well, once he settles down. Hayden isn't interested in giving up his partying ways, except he's pretty sure he's found his fated mate, and the fact that she's a non-shifter is bad news. Now he must find a compromise between the traditions of his wolf world and his certainty that Melina is his...before fate (or another werewolf) bites them both in the butt.

Available at Amazon -BN- iBooks- Kobo

Fashion collides with the paranormal in The Werewolf Wears Prada by Kristin Miller!

Self proclaimed fashion fan, Melina Rosenthal longs to work for Eclipse, the fashion magazine of the ages. When a chance opens up for her to realize her dream, she’s eager to do anything. Even if it means spending time cleaning up the public image of the man who stood her up a year ago.

Werewolf Hayden Dean had his reasons for standing up Melina and none of them have to do with his reputation as a playboy. He’s the heir apparent to the San Francisco wolf pack and must prove his worthiness. That includes finding a suitable shifter mate. Unfortunately for him, all signs point to Melina being his fated mate. With a civil war in his world brewing, Hayden has to make difficult decisions that can make or break his position as Alpha.

The Werewolf Wears Prada is exactly what the title suggests, a light hearted paranormal romance set in the world of fashion. For me there was a pretty good balance of everything: Silliness, danger, suspense and of course romance. The author knew how to keep things interesting with her take on the born shifters versus the bitten shifters. That’s a plot I’m interested in seeing develop in future books.

While I enjoyed the story of The Werewolf Wears Prada, I was on the fence about its main characters. It’s not that I didn’t like them, but they had their moments of not reaching their full potential or being slightly annoying.

I appreciated that Hayden wasn’t a typical a-hole billionaire, he had his insecurities and his doubts and that made him a likable billionaire, which doesn’t happen to me very often. He seemed so human. But he wasn’t just human, he was also a wolf and as the story progressed I wanted to see him become more wolf like, meaning, he should have become more of a leader. Hayden is supposed to be the heir apparent for the San Francisco pack and he had his reasons for being unsure and doubting his ability to lead in his father’s place but by then end he should have shown much more confidence and “alpha-ness” than he did. He still seemed like a lost little boy in a big, bad, dangerous world. Not to say that he doesn’t deserve to be Alpha but I thought that the events that took place at the end should have given him a stronger air of leadership about him and I didn’t get that vibe from him. I’m hoping in future books; we’ll see a stronger, more confident Hayden take control.

Then there was Melina. She was snarky, witty and courageous. As a woman she was bold enough to take on a project that while professionally would elevate her to the status she wanted, it would bring her personal turmoil. Having to work closely with the Hayden who was supposed to take her to an important public function then didn’t show up to pick her up was one thing, having to watch him on tv arrive with two other women was another. Yet, Melina didn’t whine or let herself be intimidated by Hayden. She was a professional for the most part and I loved that about her. What I didn’t love was her obsession with fashion that never really took a back seat even when her life was in danger and especially once it changed drastically. I get that she was a big fan of fashion but sweetie straighten your priorities out! Who cares if it was a designer whatever that got ripped up? You’ve got bigger, wolfier problems!

As a couple though, Hayden and Melina complimented each other very well. Hayden encouraged Melina and never tried to hold her back from what she wanted to do and Melina challenged Hayden to step out of his comfort zone and deal with the real issues he had rather than hide behind a playboy image.

Overall, The Werewolf Wears Prada was an interesting and strong start to a series by a new to me author and I’m curious to see how the major plot that connects each book is going to play out.

Review: So I Married a Werewolf

 

Sheep Review: 4 Sheep

Adria

About the Author:
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New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristin Miller writes sweet and sassy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance of all varieties. Kristin has degrees in psychology, English, and education, and taught high school and middle school English before crossing over to a career in writing. She lives in Northern California with her alpha male husband and their two children. She loves chocolate way more than she should and the gym less. You can usually find her in the corner of a coffee shop, laptop in front of her and mocha in hand, using the guests around her as fuel for her next book.

Guest post: Guidelines for Being a Steampunk Heroine- Brooke Johnson (The Brass Giant)

Guidelines for Being a Steampunk Heroine

Living in a steampunk dystopia isn’t easy, especially when you’re a girl. Here are ten guidelines that will help our feisty steampunk heroine survive the trials of living in this mechanical, male-dominated world.

1. Disguise yourself as a boy at every possible opportunity. No one takes you seriously as a girl anyway, and trousers are much more comfortable than corsets and petticoats—and more practical for the aspiring clockwork engineer.

2. Unfair rules are meant to be broken. So what if the establishment of elite engineers only allows men to join their ranks? You’re a damn fine engineer and you deserve a chance to take your skills to the next level! Another reason why point #1 is necessary. How else will you easily navigate the male-dominated institution?

3. Be wary of dashing young men who offer you everything you’ve ever wanted. That handsome, wealthy young man who is offering you a chance to live your dream as a Guild engineer is probably hiding something from you.

4. Also, it’s probably not a good idea to fall in love right now. Love is messy and complicates things and it will most certainly cause problems for you in the future. So you should probably keep your feelings in check around that handsome young man who asked for your help with that top-secret project.

5. There is definitely a conspiracy going on. It is well known that all political establishments govern the populace by the mandates of a longstanding conspiracy. It’s probably best you steer clear of anything to do with the government at this point, but most likely, you’ll somehow find yourself involved anyway. Probably because of points #3 and #4.

6. Never go anywhere without a screwdriver. It’s common knowledge that you will most certainly need to escape prison at some point, and what better tool than a screwdriver? And in your down time, you can use it to repair that broken music box or tinker with your favorite pocket watch.

7. Make friends with good-hearted scoundrels. Sure, they’re uncouth and make inappropriate remarks whenever you show up at their house soaked through with rainwater, but they’ll be the only person you can trust to keep you hidden from the police after you’ve escaped prison. Absolute necessity.

8. It’s probably a bad idea to wander the streets as a wanted fugitive. I mean, this should be a given, but even following point #1 and disguising yourself as a boy is hardly going to keep your identity a secret, especially when you were wearing boy’s clothes when you were arrested.

9. Getting involved in a plot to take down the government conspiracy is not going to end well. At this point, you have little choice in the matter—what with the arrest for treason and espionage over your head and the escape from prison and the fact that the boy you’re in love with is hell-bent on seeing this through—but if you succeed, you’ll save the world as you know it. So that’s a plus, right?

10. Pick your battles. It’s probably better to live to fight the conspiracy another day than stick to your ideals and get sent to the gallows. Just saying.

The Brass Giant (Chroniker City #1)
by Brooke Johnson
ebook
Expected publication: May 5th 2015

by Harper Voyager Impulse
Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world

Seventeen-year-old Petra Wade, self-taught clockwork engineer, wants nothing more than to become a certified member of the Guild, an impossible dream for a lowly shop girl. Still, she refuses to give up, tinkering with any machine she can get her hands on, in between working and babysitting her foster siblings.

When Emmerich Goss—handsome, privileged, and newly recruited into the Guild—needs help designing a new clockwork system for a top-secret automaton, it seems Petra has finally found the opportunity she’s been waiting for. But if her involvement on the project is discovered, Emmerich will be marked for treason, and a far more dire fate would await Petra.

Working together in secret, they build the clockwork giant, but as the deadline for its completion nears, Petra discovers a sinister conspiracy from within the Guild council … and their automaton is just the beginning.

$1.99 on amazon

About the Author:

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Brooke is a stay-at-home mom, amateur seamstress, RPG enthusiast, and art hobbyist, in addition to all that book writing. As the jack-of-all-trades bard of the family, she adventures through life with her fiercely-bearded paladin of a husband, their daughter the sticky-fingered rogue, and their cowardly wizard of a dog, with only a sleep spell in his spellbook.

They currently reside in Northwest Arkansas, but once they earn enough loot and experience, they'll build a proper castle somewhere and defend against all manner of dragons and goblins, and whatever else dares take them on.

Book Review: Straight to Hell - A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Novella By John G. Hartness

Straight to Hell - A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Novella
by John G. Hartness
April 28, 2015

Quincy Harker is back, and the stakes are higher than ever. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a swearing, drinking, misanthropic half-vampire with a bad attitude and an itchy trigger finger. Harker and his team of misfits have just a few days to prevent the actual end of the world, as a group of fanatics have kidnapped a young man thought to possess the power to open the Seven Seals.

The thrilling sequel to Raising Hell brings even more action, more explosions, and more Renfield to readers.

Quincy Harker is still kicking-ass and taking…well, honestly he doesn’t care what your name is, if you’re a bad guy you’re going down. Usually with a lot of blood and screaming. In this second installment of the Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series we learn a bit more about Quincy and Detective Rebecca Gail Flynn’s backgrounds. The first chapter is the two of them trading barbs and “bonding” which kind of felt weird for this series, but at the end of the chapter they were off to guard a stoner college student who also happens to be The Lion of Judah—the one that can open the seven seals from Revelations.

Quincy, Flynn, Detective Smith, and the mysterious Renfield end up having to fight ninjas, a dragon (not really a dragon because “There is no such thing as a mother***** dragon!” and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The story is fast paced with a ton of action squeezed into this novella, which makes for a quick and fun read. I really enjoy the voice the author gives Quincy Harker. Like I mentioned in my review of book 1, it has an action/ horror comic book feel to the story.

Review: Raising Hell (A Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter Novella #1)

4 “Plan B” Sheep

SharonS

About the Author:

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Literate Liquors video blog

This is me, and this is where I write. I’m John “Falstaff” Hartness and I’ve been writing for years, for myself and for other people. Once upon a time I did a little gig for Turner Broadcasting as part of their My South ad campaign and that got me interested in writing fiction and poetry again. After writing a poker blog for several years, I’ve transitioned into writing fiction, and launched this site to be my internet home. This is where I try out new stories, new essays and poems, and post photos of some of the shows I’ve designed.

I grew up in Bullock Creek, South Carolina, the youngest of four kids. I’m a graduate of Winthrop Universty with a BA in Theatre Performance, and I live in Charlotte with my lovely wife Suzy. We’ve been active in the theatre community around Charlotte for years, and between us we’ve worked for almost every theatre group in town at some point. My work has primarily been as a lighting designer, but I've also directed quite a bit, done sound and set design, and even acted once in a while. But I’ve always wanted to write, and this site is where I do it. So welcome, thanks for stopping by.

Character Confessions:Dora (One for Sorrow: The Cunning Prophet Series #1 by Jane Godman + giveaway

Today’s Character Confessions features author Jane Godman introducing the female lead from her erotic romantic suspense books, The Cunning Prophet Series. 

Jane: It’s great to be here at I Smell Sheep! I’m a huge fan. Let me get straight on with the introductions. This is Dora Balniel—
Dora: Why not tell them my full name? After all, you chose it.

Jane: Okay. This is Isadora Electra Freedom Balniel. Dora for short.
Dora (rolls her eyes): See what I have to put up with?

Jane: You know there’s a good reason for the name. It comes out later in the series. Now, a bit of background to the first book, One for Sorrow. Dora here is from Dublin. She’s a freelance biomedical scientist, but she is also a psychic investigator who works with the police—
Dora: Rewind a bit. Dora here doesn’t want to be psychic. Dora here would rather poke her own eyes out with sticks if she had a choice.

Jane: Dora is a reluctant psychic investigator. Does that sound better?
Dora: A bit.

Jane: When five girls have been raped and murdered within the space of eighteen months on the Isle of Man—
Dora (snorts): Yeah, right. The Isle of Man. Not the Maldives or Bermuda. That would have been too exotic. You had to send me to the Isle of Man.

Jane: We’ve been through this. You know why I chose the Isle of Man. Firstly, it has sentimental reasons for me. My grandfather was from a village called Ballasalla on the island. Secondly, it is set right in the middle of the other British Isles so it is a mix of them all in miniature. Thirdly, it is steeped in ancient history which was important to the story. Finally, I needed a setting that had very little experience of serial killers. Plus, you know very well, Dora, that you grew quite fond of the island in the end. Until—
Dora: Whoa. We said we wouldn’t talk about that.

Jane: Agreed. Anyway, you can’t argue that I gave you some very interesting experiences on that island. Don’t forget this is an erotic romantic suspense and you had three hot men competing for you in this book.
Dora (smiles reminiscently): Okay, that part was fun. But you tortured me as well! You let that killer get inside my head. He was controlling my mind, showing me what he was doing to those girls, taunting me. Anyway, why is this called Character Confessions? What am I supposed to have done that I need to confess to?

Jane: Oh, Dora, where shall we start? Don’t you want to come clean about what happened in the shower? Or are you going to try and quickstep around the interesting matter of what went on in that dark corner of the dance floor?
Dora: Seriously? You brought me here to talk about my sex life? I thought you’d found out it was me who wrote those messages on your car.

A scuffle breaks out…

One for Sorrow (The Cunning Prophet Series, Book One)
Five girls have been murdered on the Isle of Man in the last eighteen months. When DI Harry Grimshaw is told he must work with a psychic investigator, he is hostile and sceptical, in spite of the fact that tattooed, foul-mouthed biker Dora Balniel is not a stereotypical clairvoyant.

In spite of their animosity, they work together to sift through Celtic legend and magpie folklore to probe the mind of an obsessive serial killer known as The Daaney One. It becomes clear that Dora has been deliberately lured to the Isle of Man by the killer and that he has the ability to probe her mind. With the murderer controlling what Dora sees, Harry struggles to maintain control over the situation and keep Dora safe. As the sizzling attraction between them builds, it will require all of Harry’s ingenuity as well as her own psychic ability to ensure Dora is not the next victim. 

Amazon-Secret Cravings Publishing

About the Author:
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Jane Godman writes in a variety of genre. Many of her stories are heavily tinged with the supernatural and elements of horror, with haunted characters tormented by dark secrets.

The Jago Legacy Series, her gothic romances, are love stories with a dash of horror and a creepily ever after. Her dark erotic romantic suspense books, The Cunning Prophet Series feature supernatural elements and a charismatic, obsessive villain. Jane also writes steamy historical romance for Samhain Publishing and is working on a three book series for Harlequin in their Nocturne (paranormal) line.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Young Adult horror novella she has coming out later in the year with MuseItUp Publishing!

Jane loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at:

GIVEAWAY

Amazon gift copy of One for Sorrow

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Sunday Swag: Tracy Tappan

Sunday Swag Team!
Riverina Romantics 
 I Smell Sheep 

Featured Author: Tracy Tappan

About the Author:

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I’ve always been fascinated by men who are especially skilled with weapons, from every type of ancient warrior to modern day soldiers. I suppose that’s why I married a man who used to saddle up in an H-60 Seahawk helicopter strapped with Hellfire missiles to spend his days fighting bad guys. Now I put my imagination to work writing about tough, but sensitive, heroes who wield swords, knives, guns, and their bare fists…and, of course, the women who tame them!

After earning a Master’s degree in MFCC, Tracy Tappan did clinical work before devoting herself full time to writing. She was born with a fertile imagination that has compelled her to write in several genres. During nearly a quarter of a century spent as a military wife, she lived all over the United States and in Europe, enjoying seven years overseas, first in Rome then in Madrid. She’s now settled back in sunny San Diego with her husband, a menagerie of pets, and two children who seem to think they can come and go as they please.

postcard, two bookmarks, Military romance booklet, sachet (it smells so good!)

Head over to Riverina Romantics and win more Swag!

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