Thank you so much to Smart Girls Love Sci-Fi and Paranormal Romance, for the wonderful review!
Go check it out and look around their page. It's awesome!!!
Review of Hearts of Ishira
I've got about 5 new book reviews I'm working on, so stay tuned. But I wanted to share their site and hopefully get them some new followers as well. LOVE the conversations that happen on their posts!
Sunday, April 14
Wednesday, April 10
Review of Captured, 3 hearts
Captured, by Erica Stevens, is a YA dystopian/vampire story.
The war is over, and the humans lost. Now they live in caves and forests, hiding from the vampires and hoping they don't end up as blood slaves. Dying is preferable.
Aria is captured and sold...but there's a twist.
There's not much more I can say about this without giving away a LOT of the story.
Suffice to say that the vampires are NOT fluffy, happy, redeemed souls. That's refreshing, actually. For someone who was raised on the vampire legends of old, it's nice to see one where only a few of them have redeeming qualities.
The tension in this story is well-done. The relationship moves at a pace that makes sense, considering the differences in their worlds and species.
While this is a YA, it is definitely dark. There is very little sex, but a decent amount of sexual tension. And the romance is... complicated, as it should be between a human and a vamp. :)
All in all, I will be reading the next book, mainly because this one ends so abruptly, and on a down-note. I like HEA, or at least the promise of it, so the ending was kind of abrupt for me. If you like cliff-hangers, though, it's not a problem! This is one! :)
Since I can't give it any battery ratings, I'll give it 3 hearts out of five. The story was fairly predictable, there are definite signs of other books that have influenced the writing, but it was a good read and I did finish it. :) I actually stayed up past bedtime to do so. :D
The war is over, and the humans lost. Now they live in caves and forests, hiding from the vampires and hoping they don't end up as blood slaves. Dying is preferable.
Aria is captured and sold...but there's a twist.
There's not much more I can say about this without giving away a LOT of the story.
Suffice to say that the vampires are NOT fluffy, happy, redeemed souls. That's refreshing, actually. For someone who was raised on the vampire legends of old, it's nice to see one where only a few of them have redeeming qualities.
The tension in this story is well-done. The relationship moves at a pace that makes sense, considering the differences in their worlds and species.
While this is a YA, it is definitely dark. There is very little sex, but a decent amount of sexual tension. And the romance is... complicated, as it should be between a human and a vamp. :)
All in all, I will be reading the next book, mainly because this one ends so abruptly, and on a down-note. I like HEA, or at least the promise of it, so the ending was kind of abrupt for me. If you like cliff-hangers, though, it's not a problem! This is one! :)
Since I can't give it any battery ratings, I'll give it 3 hearts out of five. The story was fairly predictable, there are definite signs of other books that have influenced the writing, but it was a good read and I did finish it. :) I actually stayed up past bedtime to do so. :D
Monday, April 8
Book Review: Gift of the Goddess, 5 AAs
I might just start doing more reviews, as I read stuff. Just for fun. :)
Today, I wanted to do a review on a book I got during a free download from Amazon... Gift of the Goddess, by Denise Rossetti.
I'm giving this one Five Batteries. (yes, that's my new rating system for erotica/romance books AAs for batteries. *grin*)
I thought about giving it four, for one reason only: there is m/m and m/m/f involved. I'm all for the gay movement... anyone who knows me knows that. But it's not a turn on for me in my reading material. So take that as you will.
However, as that was on the amazon page when I downloaded it, it's only fair to give the story it's due.
All that being said, the way Rossetti presented the m/m relationship made it valid and believable. It wasn't just a case of spur of the moment sexual attraction, but the physical side of a strong friendship and complex relationship between master and pupil.
The heroine, Anje, is a Scout, on a mission from her people to find out where groups of raiders are hiding out, their movements, etc. She is tracking one of these groups when she spots two men camping near a lake. When one of the men stretches out on a rock and 'enjoys' the sunshine and himself, she can't help but watch. He's beautiful and she hasn't been laid in a long time.
Anje is found out, though, when the rock-man's partner sneaks up on her, thinking she's trying to ambush them.
But when Brin carries her back to their camp and sees her, he believes that she is a Gift of the Goddess, Lufra, Goddess of pleasure. Determined that she is the one they have been seeking, the only one that can help save their dying race, Trey and Brin wage a war of seduction. Normally, I'd say any woman would kick them in the balls and be done with it, but when faced with the High Priest of Lufra and his pupil, Anje finds that they are a powerful combination. What Brin promises, he delivers:
"You'll surrender, scout, and you'll glory in it. You'll abandon yourself and adore it. Because you trust—trust absolutely."
And you can't argue too much with a faith with laws like 'no man shall enter any part of a woman's body unless she has climaxed at least once. Every time'. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea. It's not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, but a feast of the senses, and by the time the first seduction is done, you will have used a bit more battery power, if you get my meaning.
And lest you think Anje the victim... she does get some of her own back, I promise. :D
The fantasy story is a good one, and the justification for the characters' motivations are sound. With proper suspension of disbelief, I was able to accept this world at face value. That's a pet peeve of mine, so I wanted to mention it. :) (There are some books I've read where I was like, "Really? Have you ever even HELD a science book???)
The world-building is rich, and the sex is phenomenal. I have new bookmarks in my e-reader for this one!
If you like menage and don't mind some guy on guy, this is probably the book for you. For me... m/m is usually a flip-through-the-pages jump, but I didn't need to do that with this book, because the sex was secondary to the relationship. That is key. The intimacy of that was only enhanced by the sexual aspect, and that only made the entire 3-way more interesting and deep.
It was good enough for a second read-through. I went back for an afternoon quickie and stayed for the story, even though I already knew what was going to happen. Since that was last week and I'm still thinking about it, I'm guessing that's a really good sign. :) It's a keeper.
So yeah... 5 AAs for this one. I really enjoyed it, and I will be looking for more of Ms. Rossetti's books in the near future. If this one is her usual fair, I'm a fan already!
Today, I wanted to do a review on a book I got during a free download from Amazon... Gift of the Goddess, by Denise Rossetti.
I'm giving this one Five Batteries. (yes, that's my new rating system for erotica/romance books AAs for batteries. *grin*)
I thought about giving it four, for one reason only: there is m/m and m/m/f involved. I'm all for the gay movement... anyone who knows me knows that. But it's not a turn on for me in my reading material. So take that as you will.
However, as that was on the amazon page when I downloaded it, it's only fair to give the story it's due.
All that being said, the way Rossetti presented the m/m relationship made it valid and believable. It wasn't just a case of spur of the moment sexual attraction, but the physical side of a strong friendship and complex relationship between master and pupil.
The heroine, Anje, is a Scout, on a mission from her people to find out where groups of raiders are hiding out, their movements, etc. She is tracking one of these groups when she spots two men camping near a lake. When one of the men stretches out on a rock and 'enjoys' the sunshine and himself, she can't help but watch. He's beautiful and she hasn't been laid in a long time.
Anje is found out, though, when the rock-man's partner sneaks up on her, thinking she's trying to ambush them.
But when Brin carries her back to their camp and sees her, he believes that she is a Gift of the Goddess, Lufra, Goddess of pleasure. Determined that she is the one they have been seeking, the only one that can help save their dying race, Trey and Brin wage a war of seduction. Normally, I'd say any woman would kick them in the balls and be done with it, but when faced with the High Priest of Lufra and his pupil, Anje finds that they are a powerful combination. What Brin promises, he delivers:
"You'll surrender, scout, and you'll glory in it. You'll abandon yourself and adore it. Because you trust—trust absolutely."
And you can't argue too much with a faith with laws like 'no man shall enter any part of a woman's body unless she has climaxed at least once. Every time'. I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea. It's not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, but a feast of the senses, and by the time the first seduction is done, you will have used a bit more battery power, if you get my meaning.
And lest you think Anje the victim... she does get some of her own back, I promise. :D
The fantasy story is a good one, and the justification for the characters' motivations are sound. With proper suspension of disbelief, I was able to accept this world at face value. That's a pet peeve of mine, so I wanted to mention it. :) (There are some books I've read where I was like, "Really? Have you ever even HELD a science book???)
The world-building is rich, and the sex is phenomenal. I have new bookmarks in my e-reader for this one!
If you like menage and don't mind some guy on guy, this is probably the book for you. For me... m/m is usually a flip-through-the-pages jump, but I didn't need to do that with this book, because the sex was secondary to the relationship. That is key. The intimacy of that was only enhanced by the sexual aspect, and that only made the entire 3-way more interesting and deep.
It was good enough for a second read-through. I went back for an afternoon quickie and stayed for the story, even though I already knew what was going to happen. Since that was last week and I'm still thinking about it, I'm guessing that's a really good sign. :) It's a keeper.
So yeah... 5 AAs for this one. I really enjoyed it, and I will be looking for more of Ms. Rossetti's books in the near future. If this one is her usual fair, I'm a fan already!
Friday, March 29
Easter weekend and a special price!
My creative juices have been flowing the last
few days, which is only to be expected, since I had stuff other than
writing that I needed to focus on! :P
So I've been doing an 'inspiration dump', getting ideas for future stories down in their own files, with all the details I can and a few scenes that came to mind.
Out of town for Easter, then back to hit the keyboard hard and see if I can't wrangle 'Storms of Ishira' (new working title for book two) into some semblance of order. :) I've got the story mostly done... it's figuring out how to make the timeline work that's got me pulling out my hair! LOL
For those traveling, safe journey. For those staying home, enjoy! And for all who are celebrating one holiday or another (or just enjoying having a long weekend), may your holiday be bright, blessed, and filled with love and happiness. :)
BTW... The Natural is on sale for $.99 for another few days! If you haven't read it yet, now's the time. It'll be going back up to regular price next week. :)
The Natural
So I've been doing an 'inspiration dump', getting ideas for future stories down in their own files, with all the details I can and a few scenes that came to mind.
Out of town for Easter, then back to hit the keyboard hard and see if I can't wrangle 'Storms of Ishira' (new working title for book two) into some semblance of order. :) I've got the story mostly done... it's figuring out how to make the timeline work that's got me pulling out my hair! LOL
For those traveling, safe journey. For those staying home, enjoy! And for all who are celebrating one holiday or another (or just enjoying having a long weekend), may your holiday be bright, blessed, and filled with love and happiness. :)
BTW... The Natural is on sale for $.99 for another few days! If you haven't read it yet, now's the time. It'll be going back up to regular price next week. :)
The Natural
Tuesday, March 26
mental vacation...
Hi folks!
I hope today finds you warm and cozy, wherever you may be. Here in the southern mountains of North Carolina, it's flurrying off and on, and school has been cancelled for the day, so the HoBA (husband of Bethany Aan) is home from student teaching.
Which means less writing and more time watching shows, playing video games (Yes, I still do that at 42!), and getting my butt handed to me in Scrabble. I'm the wonderful speller in the family, but he's a much better strategist than I am, and often goes for points where I tend to play the more interesting/impressive words, even if it means letting go of points. :D
The writing has been going, but very slowly. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with book two of the Ishira series. I think it's because I want to tell the entire story NOW, but I can't. I've also heard that some folks are turned off by a cliff-hanger and books that must be read in a series, but this IS a series. You CAN read book two before book one, but you're going to miss some important stuff and be halfway into the story. That can't be helped.
Well, it probably could, but this story is unfolding as it will, and my main goal is to tell the story, not appease the masses. :) Hopefully, the story will make up for the cliffhangers. :)
Anyhoo... I've been taking a mental vacation and knitting, instead, working on some birthday presents that will be delivered this weekend when we go home to visit our families for Easter. :)
I also have an urge to write some dirtier stuff, some not-nearly-as-sweet stuff, and I might just do that under another name... see what happens with that. :D Why not, right??
Ah well... I'm off to knit. It has become my form of meditation, since my hands need to stay busy at all times. And since I read an article about crafting releasing the same endorphins and hormones as meditation, it has become a daily 'zen' moment for me. :)
okay, done rambling for now. Hope you have a great afternoon! :)
I hope today finds you warm and cozy, wherever you may be. Here in the southern mountains of North Carolina, it's flurrying off and on, and school has been cancelled for the day, so the HoBA (husband of Bethany Aan) is home from student teaching.
Which means less writing and more time watching shows, playing video games (Yes, I still do that at 42!), and getting my butt handed to me in Scrabble. I'm the wonderful speller in the family, but he's a much better strategist than I am, and often goes for points where I tend to play the more interesting/impressive words, even if it means letting go of points. :D
The writing has been going, but very slowly. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with book two of the Ishira series. I think it's because I want to tell the entire story NOW, but I can't. I've also heard that some folks are turned off by a cliff-hanger and books that must be read in a series, but this IS a series. You CAN read book two before book one, but you're going to miss some important stuff and be halfway into the story. That can't be helped.
Well, it probably could, but this story is unfolding as it will, and my main goal is to tell the story, not appease the masses. :) Hopefully, the story will make up for the cliffhangers. :)
Anyhoo... I've been taking a mental vacation and knitting, instead, working on some birthday presents that will be delivered this weekend when we go home to visit our families for Easter. :)
I also have an urge to write some dirtier stuff, some not-nearly-as-sweet stuff, and I might just do that under another name... see what happens with that. :D Why not, right??
Ah well... I'm off to knit. It has become my form of meditation, since my hands need to stay busy at all times. And since I read an article about crafting releasing the same endorphins and hormones as meditation, it has become a daily 'zen' moment for me. :)
okay, done rambling for now. Hope you have a great afternoon! :)
Friday, March 8
blog tour stops...
Here's the list of blogs that will be hosting my tour, either with promos or reviews. Two have already posted, one promo, one review, but the review was a great one, which makes me squee. :D
Here are the blogs and their links for the tour.
And Then I'll be on the 10th www.cblreviews.com
So check them out, share the links with friends who might enjoy Ishira, and have fun! There are giveaways on each stop, so enter to win digital copies of both my books! :D
Here are the blogs and their links for the tour.
| The Book Diaries | http://the-book-diaries. |
10-Mar | |||
| Wicked Wolves & Dreaming Dragons | http:// |
10-Mar | |||
| Butterfly on a Broomstick | http://www.linzebrandon. |
9-Mar | |||
| Simply Sensational Book Fanatics | http://ssbookfanatics. |
10-Mar | |||
| Romance is in the Air | http://lindabolton.blogspot. |
10-Mar | |||
| Share My Destiny | http://ShareMyDestiny.com | 9 March, | |||
| Italian Brat's Obsessions | itlnbrt.com | 10-Mar | |||
| Crazy Four Books | http://crazyfourbooks. |
10-Mar | |||
| deal sharing aunt | www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot. |
9-Mar | |||
| Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After | http:// |
9-Mar | |||
| Faerie Tale Books | www.faerietalebooks.org | 10-Mar |
And Then I'll be on the 10th www.cblreviews.com
So check them out, share the links with friends who might enjoy Ishira, and have fun! There are giveaways on each stop, so enter to win digital copies of both my books! :D
Blog tour starts tomorrow!!
If you haven't already read Hearts of Ishira, maybe this weekend will help you figure out if it's right for you!
I'm having a blog tour! I'll post details tonight or tomorrow morning, so you know where to go. There should be a chance to win the Hearts of Ishira/The Natural bundle (e-book) on each blog stop, so visit them all! You might find a new favorite review site while you're at it. :D
In other news, I have a project in the works that will hopefully be a neat little diversion for you and me. I'll post more on that once I've worked on it a bit longer. Wouldn't want to leave you hanging to begin with, so I'll get at least the first few posts up, then we'll see how it goes. :)
I have been working on Ishira, book two. The new name is tentative, so I'm not posting that yet, but so far, I'm really liking where it's going. :) I hope you will, too! I'm determined that the 'second book syndrome' won't happen with Ishira, and that hopefully they get better as the series continues... not worse, like in so many others. I'm trusting my fans and my beta readers to make that happen. :)
Okay... time to get back to writing! Maybe if this weekend goes well, I'll post a teaser on Monday. So be sure to spread the word, once I get you the links!
I'm having a blog tour! I'll post details tonight or tomorrow morning, so you know where to go. There should be a chance to win the Hearts of Ishira/The Natural bundle (e-book) on each blog stop, so visit them all! You might find a new favorite review site while you're at it. :D
In other news, I have a project in the works that will hopefully be a neat little diversion for you and me. I'll post more on that once I've worked on it a bit longer. Wouldn't want to leave you hanging to begin with, so I'll get at least the first few posts up, then we'll see how it goes. :)
I have been working on Ishira, book two. The new name is tentative, so I'm not posting that yet, but so far, I'm really liking where it's going. :) I hope you will, too! I'm determined that the 'second book syndrome' won't happen with Ishira, and that hopefully they get better as the series continues... not worse, like in so many others. I'm trusting my fans and my beta readers to make that happen. :)
Okay... time to get back to writing! Maybe if this weekend goes well, I'll post a teaser on Monday. So be sure to spread the word, once I get you the links!
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