Archive for Paranormal Romance
All Month Long!
Ashlyn Chase is here on the blog today to talk about her new book, Flirting Under a Full Moon. I swear, this month is good for werewolf fans. Ashlyn’s topic for today is a delightful one–10 things not to do to keep your paranormal identity secret. I’m sure we can all come up with lots of these! And don’t worry–you’ll have a chance to share yours during the giveaway!
A multi-published, award winning author Ashlyn Chase specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse, and for the Red Cross, and has a degree in behavioral sciences. She lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire. The next book in the Flirting with Fangs Series, How to Date a Dragon, will be in stores in September 2013.
Hi, Ruby. Thank you for asking me to blog with you. Your suggestion to write a top 10 list was great and I had fun doing it! So, here we go!
10 Things NOT To Do to Keep Your Paranormal Identity a Secret
(Inspired by my latest book, Flirting Under a Full Moon)
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Tell your best friend and swear her to secrecy
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Punch a hole through a 3 inch thick solid oak door
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Disappear like a magician. Now you see him…Now WTF?
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Have a loud argument on Boston Common
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Knock out 3 armed men with your unarmed fists
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Be a human going into a garden shed and a wolf coming out
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Leap over everyone’s heads
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Run so fast you blur
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Communicate telepathically
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Grab your rival with talons and fly away
I hope you and your readers will also consider checking out the first series Strange Neighbors. Even though Flirting with Fangs is a brand new series, it’s a spin-off of the other one. I just couldn’t say goodbye to some of my favorite characters!
The Strange Neighbors series is a trilogy of light paranormal romances complete and available now. It’s about an apartment building that attracts paranormal misfits. This old brownstone is not known for quiet living. First the shapeshifter meets his nurse…then the werewolf falls for his curvy lawyer…and finally the vampire looks for love with a witch who’s afraid of the dark. And you thought your neighbors had issues! See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1tt5rqxVco
Happily, my publisher offered me a contract for a the Flirting with Fangs series. See the new video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-cQ28uIYoU&feature=youtu.be
For readers: Name one thing not to do to keep your paranormal identity a secret.
For more information on Ashlyn Chase and Flirting Under a Full Moon:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
If Brandee Hanson ever wants to go from waitress to photographer, she’ll have to take some once-in-a-lifetime shots. But when she catches the gorgeous private investigator, Nick Wolfensen, on camera— transforming into a werewolf—she is thrown into a world of vampires, shapeshifters, and other paranormal misfits.
In order to keep his secret and stay clear of the supernatural council, Nick will have to convince Brandee not to release the photo. Fortunately, he was looking for an excuse to spend more time with the beautiful waitress anyway.
Wicked Cravings is available now!
/ To enter to win a copy, answer the question in the comment section and fill out the Rafflecopter form below!
- One entry per person.
- International!
- Winner has 48 hours to respond. After such a time, a new winner will be chosen.
All Month Long!
Today, Suzanne Wright is visiting the blog to discuss her favorite kind of heroine. In case you’re not familiar with Suzanne’s work, she’s the author of The Phoenix Pack series, a hot new set of werewolf books. I, for one, can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on Wicked Cravings and I’m so jealous that, today, you’ll have the chance to win a copy! Welcome, Suzanne!
Suzanne Wright lives in England with her husband, two children, and her bulldog. When she’s not spending time with her family, she’s writing, reading, or doing her version of housework – sweeping the house with a look.
What Makes A Good Heroine?
I think one of the reasons this is a tricky subject is that different people are drawn to different types of heroine. I know a lot of people like the quiet, mousy, innocent type who melts to mush and turns clumsy when the hero comes near, and I can even see why, but…Nah. Don’t get me wrong, it takes a lot of skill to trip over your own feet and we’ve all pulled a ‘push’ door or vice versa at some point. But the sweeter and more perfect the heroine is, the more she has the potential to bore me. She doesn’t always bore me, but there’s a delicate balance for me when it comes to Bella Swan-type characters.
Heroines who will – each and every time – bore me are those who sit around moaning about the cards life has dealt them and waiting for the world to begin revolving around them. That borders on depressing for me. And then there’s the heroine who seem to lose common sense near the end of the book and goes off alone to save the entire universe rather than let her support network help her. Ballsy and admirable to an extent, and sometimes I even enjoy it, but…Nah.
Me…I like a heroine who has a backbone; someone who’s sassy, smart, out-spoken, has integrity and inner strength, and who thinks for herself. I like her to be strong enough to stand up to her hero and deal with him – even when he’s at his worst – and all the snarky relatives that should have come with a government health warning. I also like her to have a kind heart beneath her tough surface. But I like a heroine who has a few flaws too, and for her to acknowledge those flaws and not be afraid to show vulnerability. Yeah, I’m fussy, aren’t I?
In short, I like a strong – whether it is outer strength, inner strength, or both – yet still vulnerable heroine. That’s someone I can root for and relate to and read about again and again.
For readers: Are you fussy about your heroines?
For more information on Suzanne Wright and Wicked Cravings:
Website / Twitter/ Goodreads
Despite having been besotted with Dante Garcea since she was a child, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow figures that it’s time to move past the crush. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have ignored her flirtatious behavior, right? Hiding her intense attraction to him isn’t easy – especially now that they’re part of the same pack again – but with bigger issues to worry about and with the submissive wolf act to maintain, Jaime is resolute on moving forward. Now if only the workaholic control-freak would let her…
As the pack Beta, Dante doesn’t have the space or time in his life for a relationship. As such, he ignores his intense hunger for the willful – and sometimes crazy – Jaime. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante finds that he doesn’t like losing her attention. He finds something else too – Jaime’s hiding something. Determined to uncover her secret, he sets out to break through her defenses, even though being around her intensifies his cravings for her. What he finds is a problem that Jaime is convinced not even a powerful Beta can solve.
Wicked Cravings is available now!
To enter to win a copy, answer the question in the comment section and fill out the Rafflecopter form below!
- One entry per person.
- International!
- Winner has 48 hours to respond. After such a time, a new winner will be chosen.
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Format: ARC
Source: Received from the publisher for review.
Status: First in the Game of Shadow series by Thea Harrison.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Reincarnation
Other Info: Harrison is also the author of the Elder Races books, which are completely wonderful. Also, tomorrow, I interview Thea–there’ll be a giveaway!
Description and link from Goodreads):
In the hospital ER where she works, Mary is used to chaos. But lately, every aspect of her life seems adrift. She’s feeling disconnected from herself. Voices appear in her head. And the vivid, disturbing dreams she’s had all her life are becoming more intense. Then she meets Michael. He’s handsome, enigmatic and knows more than he can say. In his company, she slowly remembers the truth about herself…
Thousands of years ago, there were eight of them. The one called the Deceiver came to destroy the world, and the other seven followed to stop him. Reincarnated over and over, they carry on—and Mary finds herself drawn into the battle once again. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that Michael will go to any lengths to destroy the Deceiver.
Then she remembers who killed her during her last life, nine hundred years ago…Michael.
Thea Harrison is awesome. I mean–seriously–let’s just get that out of the way. That said, and while I know comparisons are odious, you need to know that Rising Darkness is no Dragon Bound. I enjoyed it, it’s an engrossing story, and I’d recommend it to any Nalini Singh fan (especially those who enjoyed the Guild Hunter series). However, it lacked the entrancing magic of the Elder Races series. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series, though, and I sincerely hope that Thea writes more in this universe. In particular, I hope we get to see something of the other couples–what an inadequate word!–like Mary and Michael.
Rising Darkness is a road romance. At the beginning of the story the heroine, Mary, is living a somewhat normal life. She’s a doctor, which keeps her busy, but not too busy to keep in touch with her ex-husband. The two of them are friends; their marriage was something of a failed experiment. Mary wasn’t really that into the sex and her husband hadn’t been ready to admit that he was gay. Now that the marriage is over, they’re much better friends. Good enough for Justin to pester Mary into seeing his doctor boyfriend when he thinks she isn’t feeling well.
Mary, wanting to avoid this, leaves her apartment. This turns out to be the best decision she ever made (and not, sadly, her ex-husband’s). It turns out that the dreams that have haunted Mary since childhood aren’t just dreams. She’s part of a half, and it’s a man named Michael who will hep her create the whole. Unfortunately, meeting each other (in this life) won’t fix everything. The Deceiver is after Mary, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her on his side. Mary and Michael meet just in the nick of time–and hit the road together. It’s a journey into their past lives together as much as it’s a trip in search of a safe haven.
This brings me to my favorite part of the novel. I liked Mary and Michael a lot (and their chemistry is phenomenal), but the villain of this piece was the one I turned pages in order to see again. He’s diabolical, methodical, cunning and funny. Even when he was doing despicable things, I was making excuses for him. Think Damon from The Vampire Diaries. Think Reseph from Larissa Ione’s Lord of Deliverance series. Except possibly less redeemable. Luckily there’s a book two. Villains can’t change in a day!
My last thought on Rising Darkness–the delightful read that it was–has to do with a personal preference. This is a duology, meaning the story will arc over two books. The way I like series books best is when each volume is a contained story in itself, and together the entire set tells a larger story. While Rising Darkness does tell a contained story–Mary and Michael’s finding each other again–it relies a bit too much on there being a future second novel. I’m fine with not having all the answers, but certain areas of the mythology could have been explored in this volume. Of course, I’m presuming more will be revealed in book two.
None of this stops me from suggesting that you read this book ASAP. Rising Darkness is a book no Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy fan should pass up!
4 Matryoshkas: I would make dinner for this book.
Don’t miss my interview with Thea Harrison! It’ll be posted tomorrow–along with a Rising Darkness giveaway!
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publication Date: March 5, 2013
Format: Mass Market
Source: Received from the publisher for review.
Status: In the order they appear in the collection, these novellas are: O.5, 3.5, 9.5, 10.5 of the Psy-Changeling series.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Other Info: I love the Psy-Changeling books. This is a fact that has been well-established on this blog.
Description and link from Goodreads):
In Beat of Temptation , innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?
In Stroke of Enticement , a wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.
Plus 2 NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED NOVELLAS
In Declaration of Courtship , Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”
In Texture of Intimacy , SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.
What with book twelve in the Psy-Changeling series being marketed as so epic that they can’t even give us a real description (read: NAMES), I was sorely in need of something to take the edge off. What better than a nice little collection of novellas? As a Nalini Singh fan, I’d already read the second novella, so I was super excited about the first story and the last two. As it turned out, I probably enjoyed Stroke of Enticement and Declaration of Courtship the most, even if one of these was a reread. But, really, I enjoyed all of them because I like the way that each story gives us a little more insight on the nature of the mating bond, which is a big part of the series’ world-building.
Beat of Temptation, as the blurb tells us, is Nathan and Tamsin’s story. It takes us into the past, before the events of Slave to Sensation. This is fun because it allows us a peek at Lucas before he became the DarkRiver alpha. It also explores what happens when the mating bond ignites between a grown man and a teenage girl. Don’t worry, though. By the time the story begins, Tamsin is an adult, and frustrated that Nathan is still making all the decisions about their relationship. Namely, that she’s not ready to be intimate with him (when she totally is). It’s a light, sweet story, but not my favorite.
Stroke of Enticement was a better read. The hero is one of Nalini Singh’s signature alpha Changelings and the heroine is a–gasp!–human. We don’t meet too many of those in this series. I loved this one because I adore it when Nalini writes children into her stories. I can just picture their little faces in the scenes she writes. Stroke packs a fair amount into its small package. None of the stories in this collection satisfied me the way a Psy-Changeling novel does, but this one came the closest.
Declaration of Courtship stood out because of its exploration of the submissive wolf. Though submissive wolves are occasionally mentioned in the Psy-Changeling books, this is the first time we’ve had one as a main character and narrator. In a way, Declaration was the most important book in this collection. If Nalini was going to create dominant heroes, it was inevitable that the dominant/submissive pairing would come up. And if you don’t know that dominant heroes are wasted on submissive heroes, well, email me and we can talk about it. However, just because the heroine in this story is a submissive does not mean she is weak-willed. In fact, I think the fact that she has to struggle against her submissive nature in order to stand up to the hero (and figure out how to be in a relationship with him without losing herself) makes her incredibly strong.
Texture of Intimacy was my least favorite story in this collection, and here’s why: I didn’t particularly enjoy Walker and Lara’s story in Kiss of Snow. I was very much: “Get back to Hawke and Sienna!” And I was completely irritated by the fact that there wasn’t a single ounce of them in this story. Sure, there’s a reference or two, but we never get to see them together. Call me a bitter grudge-holder, but if they were going to take up so much of Hawke and Sienna’s story, shouldn’t they return the favor? Okay, you caught me. I wanted this to be Kiss of Snow: The Extended Epilogue and it wasn’t. Completely my own fault, but there you have it.
Down and dirty rundown:
- Beat of Temptation: 3 Matryoshkas: I would have coffee with this novella.
- Stroke of Enticement: 4 Matryoshkas: I would make dinner for this novella.
- Declaration of Courtship: 4 Matryoshkas: I would make dinner for this novella.
- Texture of Intimacy: 2 1/2 Matryoshkas: I would glance at this novella through a store window.
Coming Soon!
• Tags: Collection•
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Status: Stand-alone
Source: Purchased with my own monies.
Genre: Teen Thriller (retelling?)
Description (from Goodreads):
Don’t spread the word!
Three-day weekend. House party.
White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?
A little gem of a book,Ten was a thriller that zipped by at a furious pace. It tells the story of Meg, average teen, and the trip she takes to an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest. What Meg’s best friend Minnie thought would be her re-entry into the popular circle turns out to be a plot for revenge.
As I mentioned, Ten was a quick read. I enjoyed most of the minutes I spent reading it, and my main complaint would be that I’d have liked the book to be longer. I love teen thrillers, and I wish that there were more of them (without supernatural elements), so I think I was predisposed to enjoy this one. Still, McNeil created an absorbing mystery, complete with a romance and a complex best-friendship. The writing is good without being great. Characterization of each of the ten teens suffers a bit because of the abbreviated length of the book, but Meg, Minnie and even TJ are sufficiently fleshed out.
4 1/2 Matryoshkas: I’d go on a second date with this book.
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Status: Fever #6, Dani O’Malley #1
Source: Purchased with my own monies.
Genre: Straddles the line between PNR and UF. In a sucky sort of way.
Description (from Goodreads):
The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.
Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.
Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.
When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.
Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.
Let’s just get right down to it: This was a DNF for me. I was on the fence about reading it in the first place because I found Dani’s narrative in the earlier Fever books so incredibly irritating. If you, too, were worried about that, let me reassure you! Dani’s voice in Iced is sufficiently removed from that earlier obnoxious tone. It’s still the perspective of a fourteen-year-old, though, so beware. KMM captures it fairly well. It’s just that fourteen-year-old girls are not my favorite demographic.
So why did I DNF it? Due to extreme frustration. Dani is powerless in this novel, despite all of her supposed kick-assness. I remember having issues with this where Mac was concerned, but withIced, my cup runneth over. She’s surrounded by alpha-males who all kind of suck. I was initially pro-Ryodan, but Dani’s only 14 and won’t be much older by the time the series finishes. Here’s the thing, though (and I realize that I’m focusing on the romantic aspect, but come on! Whose blog did you think you were reading?!) I don’t think I’d be happy if Dani ended up with Ryodan…but I also wouldn’t be happy if she ended up with anyone else. So I think I’m going to wait for the last book to come out, spoil myself with Dani’s HEA (if she’s going to have one) and then decide whether or not to read the trilogy.
DNF
