Comic Review: This Damned Band #4 from Dark Horse Comics

THIS DAMNED BAND #4
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Cover Artist: Tony Parker
Genre: Horror, Humor

Dark Horse Comics

November 04, 2015
Format:FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price:$3.99
UPC:7 61568 25799 1 00411
Bassist Alex Lodge owes a lot of money to his . . . “pharmaceutical representatives,” and now they’ve come to collect. With something satanic already afoot in their recording chateau, can the band make it out alive? The Mephistophelean misadventures of Motherfather continue, from Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation)!

* A hilarious documentary-style thrill ride of black magic and rock music!

“He writes kick-ass comic books.”—George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones)
Picking up right where issue 3 left off, we find the members of Motherfather mid-confrontation with masked, gun-toting mysterious dudes who are bent on getting money from Alex. Still at the chateau and still reeling from the death of their producer and sound engineer, the band and their followers have a lot thrown at them, from the obvious gun-toting threat to the suspicion that their pragmatic manager may have more to do with the occult than he’s let on. The results can be intriguing…and weird. Really, really weird.

You know that album that you buy because you’re in love with certain songs (Do we all even remember albums), but end up forwarding through some tracks because they just don’t strike you one way or another? You know that group who you love certain songs but you have to really think if you’d be willing to pay to see them live? That’s what this title is becoming for me, and this issue is a prime example. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really strong points. There’s great tension in parts, there are some really creepy images that make certain story points pop, and there are some genuinely funny bits. My problem is that it feels like the overall story momentum is being put on the backburner for the horror comedy tone.

Here’s my thing. Spinal tap works because yes, there are some ridiculous plot points, but it’s grounded in the reality of touring and rock music and performance arts as a whole – a truth that makes the ridiculous funnier and cringe-inducing for those who have been there. The problem with adding a paranormal plot to the mix is that at some point you have to get to the punchline, answer the mystery, especially if it’s foreshadowing is pretty obvious. It’s a little too obvious comedy to really give me chills, and the serious stuff grounds it too much to be wacky comedy. On their own, those sections have definite strengths, but fused together and it gets a little disjointed.

Maybe there’s a massive twist coming and I’ll eat my words. I really hope so, because if all of this is building to “there’s dark forces at work after all!” I’m not finding enough individual moments to fully enjoy the journey. Plus, there were so many occult-rocker stories from the mid-seventies era, part of me keeps waiting to see if more of that is going to be added in. Maybe that’s my problem – I’m too much of a geek for the time period that it’s getting in the way.

There are certain characters I still love – Justin and Summerflower are probably the most intriguing, but the typical rocker tropes are overused in other cases. Poor Kev, doomed to be the dumb one for long-term comedic effect with a mushroom McGuffin. His hallucinogenic sequence is funny at first, takes care of the obvious threat, and hints that maybe there’s more going on, but for me it just went on a bit long. Clive, Bob, and Alex aren’t really fleshed out enough to matter until something they do suddenly shoves things along.

There’s also the quirk of art styles changing when the docu crew splits away from the band. While I get it and it makes sense, I don’t necessarily like looking at it, and find that the weaker plot elements occur when this transition is made. It’s like those groups that come on all ROCK N ROLL YO and just try way too hard when they actually would be brilliant if they scale it back a notch.

The thing is, I want to believe in this title and I wouldn’t be continuing it if I didn’t like it. However, I want to love it, because the overall idea is just so amazing and there is a distinct haunted house vibe that makes it fun when it’s on. I want to pull for it like the local band that you just know can break through if given a real chance. There are genuinely brilliant sequences and ideas, but there’s also a whole lot of other stuff that slows things down and a ton of unanswered questions. Do the mushrooms summon something or is it all just a drug trip? Is it all an elaborate con by Justin and management to get control of the band? What happened to Gold? Where did the gun come from, what’s up with the creepy room change? While it all keeps me somewhat intrigued, it’s also still offshoots of the question I’ve been chomping at the bit to have answered the whole time:

When. Do. We. Get. To. The. Demons!?

3.5 sheep

Selah Janel

Comic Review: this damned Band issue #2 from Dark Horse Comics

THIS DAMNED BAND #2
Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Tony Parker

Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

Cover Artist: Tony Parker
Genre: Humor, Horror
Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: October 07, 2015

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 25799 1 00311

Preview

The band Motherfather is starting to wonder if maybe the whole “pretending to worship Satan” thing wasn’t such a good idea—especially after Satan himself comes around for a visit!

The wickedly funny romp that mixes classic rock with black magic continues from Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation)!

“[Paul] Cornell does not disappoint.”—Comic Book Resources

The second issue picks up a short amount of time after the mysterious visitation the band Motherfather had mid-trip at the end of the first issue. It’s interesting that most of them want to dismiss that it didn’t really happen, and that’s kind of the running question I had through this issue: Are any paranormal elements in this title completely in the band’s heads or are we going to see what’s really going on at some point? To be fair, on my second read the pacing in this issue played out better. We get each band member’s opinions of what happened the night before, as well as a look into the tensions in the band dynamic overall as they continue their tour. Summerflower and Alice, the head groupie and Kev’s wife, respectively, stand out with lead singer Justin as being the three more interesting and sympathetic characters in the cast, with Bob the drummer probably up there as one of the more reliable characters to follow. 

There’s division on what cover is going to be used on the next album and who has say over what, throwing Clive into a tantrum. We see more of Alex’s interaction with Gold and learn of his problems paying his dealer. The subplot about a hierarchy of drug dealers/pushers for bands who also have creative say over the music is an interesting one, though the primary concern is about people getting their money. Summerflower expresses worries on film about deviations from the band’s rider (playing off of the old Van Halen candy story), which brings things back to the maybe-paranormal-maybe-not leanings. The ending sequence is by far the most chilling, and though we don’t see who’s primarily involved, we’re led to believe it’s more real-world antagonists.

This is where I feel a little confused – I really, really wanted a rocker & demon title. There’s a huge amount of mythos and stories to be played with, and I’m assuming we’re going to go back to that, but I’m hoping the ‘is it/isn’t it’ line isn’t going to be walked for too much longer. I’m also finding that although there are obvious horror-comedy leanings, the comedy isn’t overly amusing once you get past the Spinal Tap homage. It’s hard for me to get into a lot of this issue’s actual story because the memories of the acid trips and all of Clive’s tantrums look so cartoony and make it hard for me to take a big part of the cast seriously. It’s interesting, because while the art choices served the first issue well, to me it got in the way of some characters here. And while I love the rock themes and I love the era it’s set in, I really want to see the story and characters take precedence instead of more clichés. There’s a band timeline in the back that’s nice, but a little more story development would’ve made me happier.

Three and a half sheep

Guest Reviewer: Selah Janel

Comic Review: This Damned Band issue #1 from Dark Horse Comics

THIS DAMNED BAND #1
Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Tony Parker

Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

Cover Artist: Tony Parker
Genre: Humor, Horror
Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: October 07, 2015

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 25799 1 00311

Preview

Spinal Tap Meets Ghostbusters

1974: the world’s most famous rock band thought they were “worshiping Satan,” only to find they were actually . . . worshiping Satan.

From Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation) comes a darkly hilarious adventure of black magic and classic rock!

* A hilarious documentary-style thrill ride of black magic and rock music!

“Paul Cornell’s ability to introduce us to a character at the beginning of an episode and have us crying for them at the end—for whatever reason—is, in my opinion, unmatched.”—Doctor Who TV

Let it be said: I love classic rock in a way that is probably unhealthy and I flung myself at this title like a 1970s groupie at a tour bus. Or something. From the get-go I loved the psychedelic colors of the cover, loved the tour-poster look of the interior, and when it was obvious right from the start that there would be Spinal Tap-esque docu-leanings? Hells yes. We’re immediately introduced to the band Motherfather: Justin on vocals, Bob on drums, Kev on lead guitar, Alex on Bass, and Clive on second guitar (as well as band founder).

A lot of this issue plays with the mythos and game of rock n’ roll – Justin is telling us what we want to believe from the start, and when the camera falls away, of course it’s a different story. There’s plenty of references here to keep rock fans amused, and the whole thing reads like a healthy blend of Spinal Tap, Almost Famous, and Led Zeppelin’s mythos. Motherfather works hard to be its own entity, though, and you slowly see the characters break away from the resemblances and archetypes it’d be extremely easy to lump them into. There seems to be a tug of war at times as characters come into their own then fall back into clichés that we’ve seen before, but for a first issue, it works well. The use of the documentary viewpoint via the comic panels is a genius idea, and it keeps the story moving along at a good pace. We also get a bit of foreshadowing with a tea leaves reading gone wrong…or maybe it’s just coincidence.

That’s the other interesting thing – there’s a good amount of alluding to something’s gonna happen, a good amount of tension building, a good amount of “oh yeah we’re into the occult, ha, not really,” but it isn’t until the last few pages that things get out from under the rock stereotype and we actually are dropped off the side of the cliff with the punchline. The art makes great use of the drug-trip angle, but what’s really awesome is the other shoe isn’t really dropped until the very last image.

The end of the book keeps the theme going with Motherfather’s discography, which is a nice touch. All in all, a strong first issue that has me really intrigued with where it’s going.

Four and a half rockin’ sheep

Guest Reviewer: Selah Janel

Comic Review: This Damned Band issue #3 from Dark Horse Comics

THIS DAMNED BAND #3
Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Tony Parker

Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

Cover Artist: Tony Parker
Genre: Humor, Horror
Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: October 07, 2015

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 25799 1 00311

Preview

Relationships crumbling, groupies gone missing, owing money to drug dealers, meeting the devil himself—you might say the band Motherfather has problems. So what’s the perfect place to record their latest album? A haunted house, of course! More hellish high jinks from Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation)!

“A writer with a wicked sense of humor, a razor sharp ear for dialogue, and plenty of crazy ideas.”—IGN

Set three weeks after the events in issue two, we find Motherfather in the Chateau Recording Studio, in France. This is a great location choice, for me, because not only is the looming house reminiscent of haunted houses, but artists from Led Zeppelin to Bowie were recording in similar places throughout the seventies. Not only does it work from both those angles, but it forces the cast to ground themselves, unlike the back and forth of touring and location changes that took place in the last issue. There are once again tensions that come with recording a new album between legs of their tour, more posturing for the camera, though this issue is more reminiscent of the first where there’s a definite change in vibe when the characters are “on” vs. when they’re themselves, which is nice.

Beyond recording session tensions, Alice and Summerflower are dealing with the loss of Gold, a loss that Alex noticeably blows off (though he’s still dealing with those who want money from him). Alice and Kev are also suffering from distance in their relationship, and those scenes gave a nice human insight to the characters and a nice counterpoint to the rock shenanigans. There’s a creepy scene with one of Alice’s kids, and I was happy to see more hints at the paranormal angle in the middle of the issue instead of waiting for the end for another tease or cliffhanger. The on-camera posturing of the rockers and the cleaning staff’s reactions are pretty hilarious, and provide levity to all of the developing issues and resentments, plus a possible explanation for other mysterious happenings. There’s a great sequence of Bob in the wine cellar, which leads to he and Justin reminding each other that they just pretended to see things the night of their memorable mushroom trip, which provides some needed contrast as to who they are vs. who they are for the cameras and fans.

Alex and Clive remain characters I’m the least drawn to because of their single-mindedness (and they’ve yet to step out of their rocker clichés for me), but they serve their roles well in the context of the story.

Once again there are moments that happen that could be due to something unnatural…or maybe not. The line is played a little better this issue now that everyone’s in one main location and there are more physical happenings that keep the reader guessing. The overall environment of a big house helps with this, too, and gives some weight. Overall, things seem less cartoony to me this issue, and the rocker clichés are less over the top and provide plot momentum. The ending is a double-whammy of tense events, but it’s a much more satisfying ending that comes off of things building instead of waiting for something to happen. Overall, I found myself really liking this title again, and the is it/isn’t it line wasn’t annoying me this time, but has drawn me back into the story.

Four sheep

Guest Reviewer: Selah Janel

Book Review: Courted by her Cougar (Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 3) by Felicity Heaton

Courted by her Cougar (Cougar Creek Mates Shifter Romance Series Book 3)
by Felicity Heaton

September 8, 2018
163 pages
Madness is sweeping through 22Cougar Creek, and Flint wants no part of it. The fever has two of his brothers in love already, and Flint is damned if he’s giving up the bachelor life to tie himself to one female, but when a perimeter sweep has him running into an exotic and enthralling beauty who rouses his instincts as a cougar shifter and a male, the hunt is on. 

All Yasmin is interested in is making sure her friend, Ivy, is safe, but the alluring black-haired man with a wicked smile she meets on the path to the creek has her thinking about other things. When an incident at Cougar Creek leads to her revealing a secret, and Flint’s persistence pushes her to a rash decision, her entire world is in danger of being turned upside down.

With the gathering in full swing, and males determined to prove their worth to Yasmin, Flint discovers he’s not immune to the madness sweeping through the creek, because he’ll do whatever it takes to claim victory and win Yasmin’s heart… no matter how dangerous it is.

Books in the series

Book 1: Claimed by her Cougar (7-28-18)

Book 2: Captured by her Cougar (8-18-18)

Book 3: Courted by her Cougar (coming 9-8-18)

Book 4: Craved by her Cougar (coming 9-29-18)

Read it with your Kindle Unlimited Subscription or buy now from… 

Amazon.com-Amazon.co.uk-Amazon.ca-Amazon.com.au

Burgeoning love at Cougar Creek continues with the third installment of Felicity Heaton’s new paranormal romance series. Yasmin arrives at the remote creek settlement to connect with her friend Ivy, the creek’s newest human resident. Yasmin’s arrival at the creek is intercepted by Flint, another of the cougar shifted brothers charged with maintaining the security of the shifters’ hidden property. Not to be deterred, Yasmin charges ahead intrigued, but not intimidated, by the tall, dark, and handsome man protecting the area. Flint admires Yasmin’s confidence and intelligence, but refuses to initially embrace the idea that he, like his brothers, could be completely consumed by one woman.

I liked the tale of Yasmin and Flint. It has some action and intrigue, but is firmly rooted in romance. I liked that Dr. Yasmin Dubois has a secret of her own. Instead of needing the cougars’ protection, she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself and everyone else. Pack politics prevent Yasmin and Flint from realizing their connection and this provides additional and angst and anticipation to the story, adding to reader engagement.

The stories in this shifter romance series have been quick, entertaining reads. Each installment in the series has been released in an incredibly timely fashion. A fourth and final installment, Craved by Her Cougar, is expected soon.

Four Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

Yasmin huffed as she pushed her ebony waves out of her face, feeling the dampness at the back of her neck that irritated the hell out of her as her hair stuck to it, clung in a way that made her want to do something. Scream probably.

She stopped near a towering pine that looked like every other damned tree in the forest and turned in a circle, trying to spot the path. There had to be a path. She was sure she had been following one from the trailhead where she had left her car parked next to Ivy’s Jeep, and several other vehicles that had told her she was in the right area.

Maybe it had been an animal track.

A cool breeze blew up the gentle slope to her right, carrying the scent of water. She could hear the river in that direction. Maybe it would be wise to head downhill until she found it and then track it towards the area that her friend had called ‘the creek’ more than once. There had been a river in Ivy’s photographs. It stood to reason that she would find her friend near the one she could hear.

Yasmin shrugged out of her heavy pack, set it down on the rough earth between the tangled roots of the pines and rifled through the side pockets, her mood taking a nosedive as she struggled to find what she was looking for.

“A-ha.” She grinned as she opened the fifth pocket—seriously, why so many pockets on these stupid backpacks—and found her elastics and other beauty items.

She straightened, lifted her hair away from her neck, scrunched it together and tied it in place with the band. Parts of it instantly fell down again, framing her face, but it would do for now. All she cared about was keeping her neck clear. It was bliss as the breeze caressed it, had a soft sigh leaving her lips as she savoured it.

When the wind died down again, she stripped off her black jacket, because a winter coat combined with her royal purple sweater and the long-sleeved cream t-shirt she wore beneath that had probably been a bit much. She had been expecting the weather to be cooler than it was. There had been snow on the mountains in Ivy’s photographs after all.

She peered through the dense trees to catch a sliver of the mountain that loomed closest to her. There was still snow on it. Apparently, snow on the peaks didn’t mean it was cold in the valley. It was rare she learned something new, novel in fact. What else was she going to learn on this adventure?

Yasmin hefted the pack back onto her shoulders. The weight of it pressed down on her and she twisted and grimaced, trying to get comfortable again. Maybe the sunny day wasn’t solely responsible for her working up a sweat. The heaviness of her pack combined with the exertion of the hike probably would have been enough to have her running a little hot even if it had been a chilly day.

She threaded her coat over the bottom of the right strap of her pack, so it pressed against her back and hip and wouldn’t fall into the dirt, and kicked off again, picking her way through the trees as she headed downhill towards the river.

A man with wild black hair and golden eyes stepped into her path, emerging from the trees like some sort of predator to stare her down.

She casually drew to a halt four meters from him.

Raked her gaze over him, taking in a navy shirt that stretched tight over his athletic build, long legs encased in very practical black trousers, and scuffed boots that looked as if he had trekked hundreds of miles in them and needed a new pair. Too cheap to purchase them? Or sentimental and attached to these ones for some reason?

She lifted her head back up to meet his golden eyes.

He didn’t look the sentimental type.

His straight jaw set hard, his lips compressing, causing the scar that streaked across the left side of his mouth to pull on his cheek.

He looked as if he wanted to growl at her.

Yasmin concluded there was a high probability he could help her. “I’m lost, can you tell me the way—”

“Private property. Turn your ass around and march it back the way you came,” he interjected, voice a gravelly snarl that had more bite than the local bears.

That was rude.

She narrowed her dark eyes on him. “No. If you would let me finish.”

He shook his head. “Not going to happen. This is no place for camping. Private property.”

“Yes, you’ve said that twice now, and if you would let me finish.”

He took a hard step towards her, his eyes glowing brighter. Oh, if he wanted to do angry, she could show him angry.

“Listen,” she snapped. “I know my friend is somewhere around here, and I am going to see her. Something tells me you know her. Ivy Wentworth?”

The barest flicker of surprise lit his stormy gold eyes before he schooled his features, hardening them again. “Don’t know her. Off you go now. Try the other direction.”

Liar.

“The other direction is my car.” And his, she was guessing.

It was probably the battered ancient pick-up she had seen that had more rust than paint on it.

“Good.” He folded his arms across his chest and glowered at her.

“So I’m not going back that way. I’m going this way.” She started left, because he had obviously come from nearby and that meant she was close to the creek.

He was in front of her in a flash, blocking her way. “I can’t allow that. Turn your ass around and march it back to your car.”

That was it.

Yasmin mimicked him, crossing her arms over her breasts, and the bastard had the audacity to glance at them as her actions pressed them together and upwards in her purple sweater.

“Try to make me leave,” she growled as she glared at him. “I dare you. We’ll see who comes off worse.”

His golden eyes leaped up to hers, and this time he didn’t hide his surprise.

Not used to strong females?

He was taller than she was, his build slim but clearly powerful. His shirt was tight enough that she could see it was hiding a muscled torso, and he had rolled up the sleeves to reveal tightly corded forearms that flexed as she stared at them.

Yasmin lifted her eyes back to his. “I’m going to see my friend whether you like it or not. You can’t stop me.”

He tried anyway, moving left and right to block her path as she tried to get past him.

Exasperating man!

She was close to hitting him to get him to stop.

He blocked her again when she made another attempt to pass him rather than giving in to the urge to clobber him. “How do you know this friend of yours is at the creek?”

She almost smiled. The creek. So he had come from the place where Ivy was staying with her new man. Which meant he was going to take her there, whether he liked it or not.

She feinted going left, and when he moved to block her, she went right and slipped past him. He growled in frustration and grabbed her wrist, and she turned on a pinhead, slammed her palm against his chest and shoved him back into a tree. He went easily, wasn’t a challenge at all.

Mostly because he was holding back.

Thought her feeble? Thought he might hurt her by accident if he exerted a little strength? She wanted to laugh at that.

Yasmin huffed and splayed her hand out against the centre of his chest, and yes, it was firm beneath her palm, muscles rigid and tensed, and there was that strength he was hiding from her.

“Are you going to take me to Ivy now?” She inched closer to him and pressed her hand harder against his chest to keep his spine pinned to the tree, just in case he thought about moving.

But he didn’t seem inclined to break free of her hold.

He regarded her with gold eyes that held a spark of heat, his silence stretching out for a moment that was so long she began to feel a little uncomfortable as she stood with her hand on his chest, his heart pounding against it, steady and strong.

She also started to wonder whether she had done some sort of permanent damage to him. She was on the verge of asking him whether he needed medical assistance when he finally responded.

He dipped his chin in a nod, his eyes remaining locked with hers as he spoke. “What’s your name?”

Not quite the response she had anticipated, but she would give it to him, because unlike him, she wasn’t rude. “Yasmin.”

He glanced down. “I’ve heard of you.”

She followed his gaze, tensed and removed her hand from his chest as she realised she was still touching him. His eyes lifted to her, banked heat in them, a flicker of interest that had her wanting to look away from him as a fire tried to lick over her cheeks. She resisted the need that raced through her and the blush, quelling both of them.

“I don’t doubt that.” She kept her voice even and emotionless, so he got the message that she didn’t feel the attraction that zinged between them. She really didn’t. “Ivy emailed me telling me she met a guy, fell in love of all things and that she wouldn’t be home for a while. She assured me that she was fine, but I’m here to see that for myself.”

“Commendable.” He knew big words. Trying to impress her?

She nodded. “I like to think so.”

He pushed away from the tree, coming to tower over her, easily eight inches taller than she was, and looked down at her.

His handsome face softened, that heat in his golden gaze lingering. “I’m Flint, Rath’s brother. Ivy is fine. She’s in love with Rath and nothing bad is happening here.”

He could attempt to appease her all he wanted. It wasn’t going to make her leave.

“Good.” She adjusted the bag on her back. “Because I prefer to heal injuries rather than cause them.”

A hint of a smile, enough that she could see that he would be devastating if he cracked a full blown grin. “Came here prepared for war?”

Yasmin nodded again. “If necessary. Ivy is my friend. My only friend.”

That had him turning serious, the dark slashes of his eyebrows knitting hard as the corners of his lips turned downwards. “I get that. You’re protective. I have a protective streak of my own… one I’ll introduce you to if you try to do anything to hurt my brother, including attempting to take Ivy from him.”

She arched an eyebrow at that. Protective of his brother’s happiness? That was commendable, as he would say.

“You think you can take me? Good luck with that.” She strode past him.

His eyes landed on her back and raked down her spine, a hot shiver following in their wake, and he purred, “I know I can take you.”

About the Author:

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Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of a $75, $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Card at the Captured by her Cougar book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on September 2nd. Enter now: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/captured-by-her-cougar-shifter-romance-book.php

Book Review: Craved by a Wolf (Eternal Mates Book 20) by Felicity Heaton + giveaway

Craved by a Wolf (Eternal Mates Paranormal Romance Series Book 20)
by Felicity Heaton

April 19, 2022
Hella is one witch who is done with relationships. Having rid herself of a clingy nymph, she’s determined to stay single and savour everything her fae town in Geneva has to offer—with no strings attached. The trouble is, it turns out breaking up with a king isn’t as easy as she’d thought. Her ex just sent a legion to kidnap her and take her to the faerie realm of Lucia.

And he wants to make her his queen.

Grant MacKinnon is one wolf shifter who prefers a quiet life. His home in a glen in Scotland, his small wolf pack, and fine whisky is all he needs. The trouble is, a witch in the fae town in Fort William just cursed him to die if he doesn’t find his fated mate and bring her to her. Now he craves a female he’s never met, one he was convinced didn’t exist, and he refuses to believe she’s really his one true mate… until he sets eyes on the beautiful blue-haired lass.

And his wolf instincts howl that she was made for him.

And when he realises she’s in danger and another male wants her as his queen, MacKinnon will stop at nothing to protect her and claim her as his mate.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon.com-Amazon.co.uk-Amazon.ca-Amazon.com.au-Apple Books USA-Apple Books UK-Apple Books Canada-Apple Books Australia-Apple Books NZ-Barnes and Noble-Kobo Books-Google Play

Craved by a Wolf is the latest edition in the Eternal Mates series by author Felicity Heaton. I was a smidge worried that being the 20th story in an ongoing saga, I might feel lost in the pages. Burred under oodles of characters. Alas, that did not happen and quite the opposite. This one left me wanting more from the series and if every book can end so seeming, well this might just be my new fav series.

I love a snarky worded leading lady, maybe I feel a kinship or that it could be in some way myself on the pages. Love some darker romance and men that can stand side by side with their leading lady. If there was a paranormal world that could come to life, this might be one we could all enjoy. I got lost in the pages, became the characters, and dreamed about them when I slept at night. LOVED this story, the colors and layers of a world that came to life in my mind and grew from there.

Action, of course, that's the only thing I wanted even more of. Only because it's written so well, very thoughtful situations and against the odds moments. Overall, this is a steamy one with that happily ever after to give it a beautiful ending. Wanting more and looking forward to the next story!

Getting 4 and 1/2 Sheep

KD

EXCERPT
Life was pretty sweet.

Hella ambled along the lakeshore, the heels of her black knee-high boots clicking on the pale golden flagstones that formed the broad promenade and her gaze on the stunningly blue water to her right as it twinkled in the artificial sunlight. She sipped her iced coffee, a bounce in her step, her whole body feeling lighter—brighter—for finally having swept off the oh-so-clingy nymph.

Ethyrian had been fun for a while. Charming. Rich. Handsome—no—beautiful. Hella wasn’t sure a man should be beautiful, but that was nymphs for you. They weren’t gorgeous like incubi, who all looked as if they had just stepped out of Hollywood and easily gave Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds a run for their money. No. Nymphs crossed the line into beautiful, every single one of them looking for all the world as if they had just stepped out of the wood elf kingdom in Lord of the Rings.

Man, she could really go for some Legolas right now.

She scowled, pushed that thought aside, and stopped her roaming gaze before she could single out any eligible males in the crowded promenade. She wasn’t going to backslide. This was going to be her year. One devoted to exploring everything the fae town she lived in had to offer.

Which was a lot.

The damned nymph popped back into her head.

Hella booted him back out of it.

She had a policy when it came to her bedfellows. She didn’t do commitment. She didn’t do clingy. She most definitely didn’t do men who cried like babies and begged her to take them back.

Hella had flatly told him no and goodbye and had kicked him to the curb.

For a man who had been desperate to stay with her, he certainly hadn’t been calling all hours of the day or making wild attempts to change her mind. Which was strange.

It might have been a bit disappointing if it hadn’t allowed her the space and freedom to expand her horizons.

Hella flashed a saucy wink at a pair of panther shifters loitering outside one of the taverns to her left that lined the broad pavement, facing the huge lake. The younger of the two took the bait, his smile nothing short of salacious as he gave her a sexy, slow once-over, raking his golden eyes from her hair to her boots and back again. Currently, she was working her way through all the eligible males in the fae town.

She glanced at the buildings that encircled the lake, crammed into the cavern that sat beneath a mountain, and realised that was a lot of men. Fenix, her incubus best-bud, was going to be kept in tonics and pills for a long time thanks to her current foray into sexually exploring every possible species—bar those classified as demon breeds like incubi—to see what suited her tastes best.

She hadn’t tried panther yet.

She twirled a strand of her wavy blue hair around her fingers and sipped on her drink, making sure he got a good eyeful of the way she wrapped her glossy lips around the straw.

His low growl sent a thrill down her spine as he stepped towards her. His friend put a halt to everything by grabbing his arm and tugging him back, and saying something that had the handsome shifter frowning at him. Maybe they were going to fight over her. Two females stepped out of the tavern holding four tankards and made a beeline for the males. Hella shrugged. Or maybe not.

She turned her cheek to them, no longer interested in what either male had to offer. She also didn’t do cheats. Anyone who warmed her bed for a night or two needed to be unattached.

The last thing she needed was angry females banging down her door or spreading malicious talk about her. It was bad for business.

No one wanted potions, ointments or spells from witches liable to screw others over. People tended not to separate a witch’s personal life from their business practice. If she was known to cheat when it came to pursuing pleasure, she couldn’t be trusted to not cheat when it came to the wares she sold. Plenty of witches had fallen foul of that and had been driven out of business, or worse, out of the fae town in which they lived.

Hella took in the elegant pastel pink, cream and dove-grey four-storey buildings that lined the promenade, their lead roofs absorbing the bright sunlight that bathed their façades. They resembled the buildings in Geneva, the nearest mortal town, a classic European air about them. The ones that acted as hotels for visiting immortals had French doors and balconies for each room rather than windows, offering a view of the lake to everyone who stayed there. Others were taverns with apartments above them, and some were shops and other businesses.

She drifted towards the large windows that lined the lowest floors of a row of stores, admiring the colourful glass bottles in the perfume emporium and the latest fashions displayed in the next building. Her gaze dropped to her black dress. Witches had to wear black dresses. It was tradition. No one wanted to buy magical goods from a woman in a pink dress or linen slacks and a camisole. A witch had to look the part.

Hella had pushed the limits of what was acceptable, testing out several dresses in her years to see how far she could go without turning off her clients and driving them elsewhere. Rather than the drab ankle-length dress many witches wore—mainly those fresh from the coven—she chose to wear knee-length empire-line dresses or summer dresses that cinched in at the waist and were stitched with faint violet stars. She even wore corseted dresses that showed a little more of her wares than was appropriate according to most circles in witch society.

Today, she had picked her favourite strapless empire-line dress, one that had a sheer black layer over the silky underlayer. That top layer was folded into pleats around her breasts, and beneath them there was a delicate band of ribbon embroidered with silver swirls and dots.

She always felt good in this dress. It drew the eye to her best assets.

She also didn’t do ankle boots. She pushed the boundaries there too, choosing knee-high leather boots that laced up the front and had a comfortable three-inch block heel.

She eyed a pretty amethyst brooch on one of the dresses in the window display and drifted towards it, her gaze transfixed on it as the polished stone and gold filigree that surrounded it glittered in the warm light. If she couldn’t wear colours other than black, maybe she could accessorise. She had never tried wearing jewellery before. Surely that wouldn’t turn her clients off?

“Want it?” A male voice rolled over her and she tensed, her head whipping to her right. Disappointment flooded her when she found herself face to face with a squat, ageing man who was wearing half a tankard of ale down the front of his leather jerkin. He slurred, “I’ll buy it for you.”

In exchange for what?

Hella really didn’t want to know the answer to that question, so she politely smiled and moved away, heading at speed for the lake and not slowing until she was sure she was alone again.

She dumped her empty drink in the nearest bin and surveyed the lake, losing herself in it as the water sparkled and its beauty hit her all over again. She was sure she would never grow tired of this view. The elegant buildings hugged the shore as far as the eye could see, ending only at the far side of the manmade lake where a slice of bright green replaced them. A dense forest rose up beyond the park, clinging to the rugged slope. Above the trees, the rocky roof of the cavern curled towards her.

Hella had helped with the spell that turned the ceiling of the cavern into a sky for the most part. Originally, it had channelled whatever weather was happening above the mountain they were under. The town hadn’t particularly been happy when they had discovered that weather included snow and rain too, so on days when it was inclement topside, the spell defaulted to a fake blue sky and sunshine.

Which had led to the town demanding they do a new spell that made the days always sunny and warm, and the nights always clear and moonlit and blanketed with stars.

She tipped her head back and bathed in the warmth of the sunlight, and was humming to herself before she realised what she was doing. What could she put on the menu tonight? Maybe she could find some eligible bachelor panthers and convince them to warm her bed. If she wandered south, into the network of alleyways that connected the broader avenues in the town, she would eventually end up in the area of the cavern where the townhouses and apartment buildings gave way to sprawling walled compounds. The shifters liked their space and had established themselves quickly in the town, grabbing a lot of the vacant land for themselves. One of the compounds belonged to panthers. The one next to it belonged to tigers.

The two breeds were always fighting like cats and… cats.

Still, if she couldn’t find a panther to sample, she could always bag herself a tiger. They were excellent lovers, incredibly acrobatic. She had learned a few things from the tigers she had bedded over the years.

She turned towards the next alley, feeling more positive about the evening ahead of her as she recalled her past exploits.

Her step slowed as she experienced a sudden sensation that something had shifted. Her mood? The air? She wasn’t sure.

Whatever it was, it felt off.

Wrong.

She slowly took in her surroundings, that feeling growing at an alarming rate. The promenade was busy, with a lot of groups hanging out in front of stores or beside the lake. Other groups were moving, chatting animatedly to each other, and there were some solo people like her too. Some of those males and females meandered as she was, enjoying the warm sunshine, while others moved with purpose through the crowd, heading somewhere. She scanned them all, seeking the source of the sensation building inside her, and her fingertips tingled as her magic rose to the fore.

Hella looked over her shoulder in the direction she had come.

And spotted them.

A dozen burly, drop-dead-gorgeous men heading her way.

Hella hitched her skirts with her left hand, aware this was going to come down to a chase, and possibly a fight.

Because apparently, nymph kings didn’t take no for an answer after all.

She summoned a protective spell and a speed spell in her mind, chanting the incantations as quickly as she could manage, and twisted back in the direction she had been heading.

And slammed straight into a broad, impressively cut bare chest.

Hella tilted her head back, her gaze roaming up the thick slabs of his pectorals to a strong but elegant neck, the spells forgotten as her stomach dropped.

The beautiful blond’s lips quirked into a satisfied half-smile, the pointed tips of his ears showing as the breeze caught his long hair and shifted it across his shoulders, and his blue eyes piercing her.

Hello, Legolas.

She might have purred if it wasn’t for one small fact.

He was a nymph.

His stunning eyes narrowed and his hand shot forwards, his grip bruising and unyielding as it closed around her arm, fingers pressing deep enough that pain shot up to her shoulder and down to her hand.

Life suddenly didn’t look as sweet.

Panic seized her as firmly as his large hand as she heard the other nymphs closing in and the air hummed with familiar power. He was preparing to teleport. She swiftly raised her left knee, aiming for the sweet spot between his green leather clad legs as she quickly worked through the incantations.

He released her and blocked her leg.

And slammed a cold metal cuff around her right wrist with the other.

The power that had been surging through her disappeared, the incantation in her head nothing but empty words as the bespelled shackles did their work, severing the connection between her and her magic.

Hella grunted as two more nymphs grabbed her from behind, slamming her forwards into the larger male. She elbowed one in his stomach, hard enough that he loosed a very satisfying grunt and stumbled back a step. She was quick to seize the small amount of space she had gained, leaning away from the one who was trying to shackle her and cocking her fist. Another of the nymph’s stopped her before she could punch him, tightly gripping her arm and holding her back.

The male with the shackles pulled her arm free of his grip and yanked it towards him, hard enough that pain shot through her shoulder as she fell against him. He shoved her back a few inches and she could only glare at him as he fastened the other cuff around her free wrist, his satisfied smirk growing wider, and teleported with her.

But in the breath between the fae town and an unfamiliar room, a sound rang in her ears, one that sent a chill skittering down her spine and spread strange warmth through her veins.

A beast howled in rage.

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince (99c right now!)

Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King

Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince

Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar

Book 5: Craved by an Alpha

Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat

Book 7: Taken by a Dragon

Book 8: Marked by an Assassin

Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior

Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness

Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death

Book 12: Turned by a Tiger

Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger

Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger

Book 15: Unchained by a Forbidden Love

Book 16: Avenged by an Angel

Book 17: Seduced by a Demon King

Book 18: Scorched by Darkness

Book 19: Inflamed by an Incubus

Book 20: Craved by a Wolf

Book 21: Bewitched by a Vampire (Coming 14th June 2022)

About the Author:

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Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! All of them alpha as you would expect in paranormal romance, and every book with a guaranteed HAPPILY FOREVER AFTER!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole, Donna Grant and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling London Vampires series. Seven sexy and sinful Greek god brothers can be your new addiction in the Guardians of Hades series. Or how about four hot alpha shifter brothers in her Cougar Creek Mates series? Or if you prefer huge, detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the Eternal Mates series.

GRAND GIVEAWAY

Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of five signed paperbacks and swag packs at the Inflamed by an Incubus book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on May 2nd. Enter now: 

https://www.felicityheaton.com/craved-by-a-wolf-shifter-romance-novel.php

Book Review: Transference by B.T. Keaton

Transference

by B.T. Keaton
January 13, 2020
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction
Pages: 381
CW: Cannibalism (one chapter), Violence
Rebellion. Revenge. Revelation.

Barrabas Madzimure is banished to the desert planet Eridania for his many crimes. Slaves to the Church and to the will of its prophet Jovian, a charismatic figurehead who rules everything on Earth, Madzimure and his cohorts toil underground digging endlessly for the substance eridanium—the source of Jovian’s alien power.

But Madzimure can no longer hide from his past. Facing execution, he claims to have once been Thaniel Kilraven, transferred decades earlier into the body of Madzimure against his will. Under interrogation the stories of both men are brought to light, and the terrible fate of the lost Kilraven bloodline is revealed.

Madzimure escapes, knowing the only way to salvage what’s left of the Kilraven name and confront his destiny—and Jovian—is by facing them head on. But the horrific truths he finds on Earth might be the undoing of all mankind. What if everything humanity believed about civilization was a lie? Will anything or anyone be left from the fallout?

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Only $.99

What I Liked
The concept of transference, its consequences, and how it helped play people right into the hands of the religious governing body. All good morsels in any post-apocalyptic/dystopic world.

Obviously, all the characters on the prison planet. One of the inmates, I forget his name reminded me of Ray Gilette from Archer-- a character I love watching!

Balancing the humor with darkness so that the oppressive prison planet environment didn't seem well too oppressive. I loved the gallows humor and the way inmates dealt with almost certainty of death, lol

The delusional bubble the prophet lived in. I mean, he genuinely got hurt when people whose lives he had ruined objected to him. Perfect for the megalomaniac he was.

What I Didn't Like

All that rambling. I mean, why do I need to know every tiny thought a character is having during any given scene? It got old pretty quickly! I didn't mind the multiple POVs because, unlike in many others, this book required them.

The ending. What even was that? Why did we need the whole rod thing? Wasn't taking over the world enough for the prophet? Couldn't the author have left the question of the race that had created transference technology unanswered? It made things needlessly confusing.

And even though I guessed the interrogator's identity and didn't like the ending, I found this book to be a fun read.

3 sheep

Reviewer: Midu Reads
Most of my go-to series are 3 starrers
*No rating - wasn't my genre/dnf'd so rating it would be unfair
1 sheep - won't be picking up another book in a series again
2 sheep - average read with overused tropes and cliches. Will give the author another try/only continuing because of OCD, so must finish a series
2.5 sheep - liked the book but was put off because it was overly long/illtreatment of a character the author had me invest in and so on.
3 sheep - enjoyed the book but have reservations because I expected to be wowed and wasn't
4 sheep - was unputdownable
5 sheep - formed an emotional connection, will read the heck outta this series

Chapter 14
Elisabeth
I’VE TRIED TO die so many times that I’m not even afraid of it anymore. The trick is not to be afraid. It doesn’t even hurt. Not like people think that it would. Coming back, though... Coming back is the scary part.

In my fourth body, I didn’t eat a single thing for over three weeks. When the transference technicians dragged me from my room, I overheard one of those damned doctors say, “Elisabeth, you’ve lost nearly thirty pounds.” That made me smile like I’d not smiled in years, even though I couldn’t walk any longer and my physical strength was nearly spent. But just when I thought it was over, what did they go and do? The devils transferred me into a fresh set of skin and began feeding me intravenously.

I don’t even know why I was shocked. These men control everything... when I bathe, when I sleep, and even how I go to the bathroom. There is no longer anything left to me in this world that is truly my own, except for my wedding band. If the men in power know about the ring, they have afforded me it for reasons that I can’t foresee... but none of them for pity, I can tell you that. These same men who also rule the nations took my husband from me decades ago, only I can never be sure how many years it’s actually been. Ever so much more than twenty, if my last count was remotely right.

But I am not alone.

Like so many other dear souls in this tower, I’ve been imprisoned here against my will. This place of supposed peace, they say, wherein only by making a payment of your very spirit are you finally rewarded with absolution. Every last one of us within these barren rooms has forgotten the sound of leaves among the swaying trees, the falling of spring waters, and the laughter of children. And though I could just say a few simple words and it would all be over, in my heart I know the forgiveness that comes from these holy men breeds only damnation.

Death is the only way out. And if death were to come to me, or to any of us, it would be the greatest of mercies. I suffer all in silence, as I’ve become accustomed to hiding any emotion and the fighting back of tears. I simply have to, or these men will find some level of mastery over me.

This morning, before I woke and the technicians came to remove me from my bed, I had the dream again. It’s always the same one—the walls of my personal hell explode around me—and when the smoke clears, I see my love having returned beyond all odds to save me. Together we leap from the windows of this tower of terror and fly away, riding on the wind like great birds over the city. But the moment is short-lived, and in the instant when our eyes meet, I always know that the dream isn’t real. After I wake, my heart breaks for what must be the ten-thousandth time.

It was then in my bed that I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. And nothing about this morning seemed out of the ordinary—that is, until the sun rose. The red glow coming from a high window, which I can never look out from, drew attention to something strange around the steel grating twenty feet above my head. The air flowing out of it took shape, looking almost wavy, like an intense summer heat rising up from barren asphalt. That’s when I smelled it—the reagent. They call it narkos. They’ve never actually pumped gas through the ventilation system prior to today.

Shivering, I quickly removed my wedding ring, then placed it in the hollowed-out leather-bound copy of The Prophet’s Tome at my bedside. Before I blacked out my heart told me that there is but one hope left now. All pathways before my feet are dark, save for one. This path I have not spoken about with anyone except the god in my head, and those other select few who are now living only there. I tell them that if I trusted a savior might come and split asunder the atmosphere in my lifetime, I would rest in that sweet promise.

But I cannot wait on a god any longer.

About the Author:
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Brandon Keaton is a citizen of Aotearoa, and has called its beautiful capital city of Wellington home for over ten years. Some of his career highlights include slaving joyfully in big-box retail, making coffee for advertising execs, and duty-managing a craft beer brewery. He is also passionate about animals and has an undying affinity for gummy bears. Brandon is a member of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Association of New Zealand and The Libertarian Futurist Society. He is currently penning the sequel to TRANSFERENCE, his debut indie novel.