Savage Storm/Lightning Strikes by Donya Lynne-Review & Excerpt Tour

Savage Storm/Lightning Strikes by Donya Lynne-Review & Excerpt Tour

SAVAGE STORM
(Savage Storm #1)
by Donya Lynne
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Genre: adult,contemporary, erotic, romance, menage

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Apple / Smashwords /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 12, 2019

She thought he was the perfect man. Then she met his best friend. One unbelievable weekend will change their lives forever.

It’s been eight months since the one-night stand that changed Rayna’s life, and she still thinks about Cain every day, making it hard to move on.

When her best friend plans a girls’ weekend in Vegas, Rayna is ready to take a leap of faith and get on with her life… until she finds herself stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire. Alone, afraid, and in the middle of nowhere, the last person she expects to stop and lend a hand is the one man she’s never been able to forget. Cain. But that’s exactly who shows up, and he’s even hotter now than he was on New Year’s Eve.

Cain can’t believe his good fortune. Rayna has haunted his memories for eight long months. Now he has a chance to finish what he started, and if Rayna is game, he’s prepared to blow her mind. Because this time his best friend Storm is with him, and the pair has a salaciously unique history with women. Maybe he and Storm are just what the overly sheltered Rayna needs to truly set herself free from her tragic past.

But hearts can be fickle lovers, and none of them can predict how one night of passionate exploration will alter the bonds of friendship, proving that sometimes three really can be a crowd.

••••••••••

REVIEW:SAVAGE STORM is the first full-length instalment in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult SAVAGE STORM erotic, romance series focusing on artist Rayna Bellamy, Cain Savage, and Mike ‘Storm’ . SAVAGE STORM picks up approximately 7 months after the events of the prequel novella LIGHTNING STRIKES. I recommend reading LIGHTNING STRIKES for back story and history between Rayna and Cain. LIGHTNING STRIKES is currently FREE at all ebook retailers

NOTE: SAVAGE STORM contains M/F/M sexual scenarios as well as some light spanking.

Told from three third person perspectives (Rayna, Cain and Mike) SAVAGE STORM follows in the aftermath of a New Year’s Eve one night stand in which Cain Savage woke to an empty bed. Seven months later Cain would come face to face with the woman he could never forget-Rayna Bellamy- a woman who stirred something deep within our story line hero. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Rayna and best friends Cain and Mike, and the potential fall-out as jealousy and life stand in the way.

Rayna Bellamy doesn’t do long-term commitments and instead decided to focus on a girl’s weekend in Vegas but a flat tire will bring Cain Savage up close and personal, the man with whom she spent a one-night stand. Cain and his best friend Mike aka Storm are currently living and working in Siberia, California, and are ready to add bring Rayna Bellamy into their lives, if only for a short time. Neither Cain nor Mike do romance and love but Mike begins to develop feelings for Rayna, feelings that leave Cain questioning the future, in more ways than one.

The relationship between Rayna, Cain and Mike is highly sexual; a ménage affair that threatens the life-long friendship between Cain and Mike, a friendship that is threatened by something else. Mike and Cain have shared several women in the past but something about Rayna pulls the friends in opposite directions. Rayna is willing to step out of her comfort zone but soon finds herself falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

We are introduced to Cain’s best friend Mike aka Storm, as well as the reintroduction of Rayna’s brother Kai, and her best friend Amy.

The world building continues to follow the events that destroyed Rayna’s life, and left her a shell of her former self but new information will come to light revealing what happened, and what will never be. In this, our heroine has a complete transformation in regards to her emotional stability, a transformation that is questionable in light of the fall-out from the events in her past. SAVAGE STORM reveals a little bit of the background history between Cain and Mike but skirts around the current situation, or how and why Mike and Cain are able to travel the world volunteering for one philanthropic adventure after another. I am hoping Donya reveals more of Cain and Mike’s back story.

SAVAGE STORM is a story of friendship, jealousy, secrets and love. The premise is intriguing, engaging and spicy; the characters are energetic and sassy; the romance is sensitive and spirited but quickly turns into a love triangle that could end tragically for one of our story line characters. SAVAGE STORM ends on a cliff-hanger, you have been warned.

Copied supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

___________

LIGHTNING STRIKES
(Savage Storm .5)
by Donya Lynne
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

ebook FREE: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Apple /Smashwords /

One extraordinary night. Two lives moving in opposite directions. A burning flame neither will forget.

Since her mom’s mysterious disappearance eleven years ago, Rayna has suffered from paralyzing fear, making her a prisoner in her own home. But when her best friend scores tickets to the hottest New Year’s Eve party in Los Angeles, Rayna is determined to overcome her phobia and go.

Cain isn’t looking for a serious relationship. He has too many secrets and is too much of a wanderer to settle down, so he’s not looking for anything more serious than a casual hookup. Then he meets Rayna, and he can’t deny the electrifying way she piques his interest. But is their connection enough to tame his nomadic heart? Or will one unforgettable night be all they share?

The last thing Rayna expects when her path crosses Cain’s is for the sexy stranger to quiet her anxiety, steal her sense of reason, and compel her to take the biggest risk of her life and spend the night with him. Crazy? Yes. Reckless? Absolutely. But she’s never felt more alive and refuses to let the night end without seeing how far her newfound courage will take her, even if it means breaking all the rules.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: LIGHTNING STRIKES is the prequel novella in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult SAVAGE STORM erotic, romance series. This is twenty-five year old Rayna and Cain’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rayna and Cain) LIGHTNING STRIKES focuses on a New Year’s Eve celebration, one in which Rayna will bury her fears, her struggles with agoraphobia, that see our heroine pushing beyond her issues, and into a night of unbridled passion. A one-night stand wherein Cain wakes alone with only his memories of the night before, and our heroine’s forgotten panties.

LIGHTNING STRIKES is a very quick read that introduces Cain and Rayna, and the potential for so much more.

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Reviewed by Sandy

How had the night come to this? Until Cain, she had never hooked up with a stranger. And, until Mike, she had never thought she would want to do something so reckless again. But now, here she was, torn, confused, and ready to throw caution to the wind.
“He likes you,” Cain said matter-of-factly.
“Oh?” She averted her eyes, not wanting him to see how much she liked Mike too.
“I told you he would.” He took a final drag on his cigar, then stamped it out in the ashtray. “And you like him.”
“No, I—”
“You don’t need to deny it.”
“I’m not denying—” She cut off cold when she looked up to find Cain wearing a mischievous grin, his gaze dark and heated, as if he found this development intensely arousing.
Her voice went into lockdown. Not only did it appear that Cain didn’t mind her interest in Mike, but he was actually turned on by it.
He shifted closer, leaning in. “It’s okay to be attracted to both of us, Rayna. There’s no law that says you have to choose.”
Her heart beat a wild rhythm as she replayed his words inside her head, not sure if she’d heard him right. There’s no law that says you have to choose?
Was Cain suggesting…? Was he insinuating that she could have them both? And even if he was, she had never done anything like that and wasn’t sure she could. A one-night stand was one thing, but what he was suggesting was something else entirely. Going home with two men was wrong.
Wasn’t it?
She looked up at Mike as he sank another shot, then lifted his steady, hopeful gaze to hers.
He knew. He knew what Cain was saying to her. They had planned this. They had come here prepared to take her home with them. With both of them.
Her mouth fell open as heat speared straight through her center. What would it feel like to be with both men at the same time? To have a… a… threesome—she almost couldn’t even think the word without whispering it inside her mind. Just the idea was perverted enough to make her blush from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Only bad girls did stuff like that. Dirty, slutty, smutty, bad girls.
And Rayna wasn’t a bad girl. Other than last New Year’s Eve, she was the epitome of the girl next door. The best, cleanest, most innocent girl you could ever meet. She had maintained her virginity until she was eighteen. She had never smoked, never experimented with drugs, and never drank to the point of excess. Textbook good girl.
Now here came Cain and Mike, suggesting she do something totally absurd. Something inconceivable, unheard-of, and foolish. Something that should have had her leaping from her seat as she slapped Cain across the cheek, appalled they would even propose such an idea. Instead, she was rethinking her life choices.
Maybe she had played her life a little too safely. And, sure, maybe her agoraphobia had something to do with that, but would it be so bad to get a little wild and crazy? Maybe she would even like it.
Her breathing deepened as Cain closed the space between them.
“Is that so hard to believe, Rayna?” he asked, playing his fingers through her long hair. “That you could have two men instead of one?”
“I…” She looked at him, then glanced back at Mike.
Was this really happening?
Cain’s index finger traced the shell of her ear as he leaned closer. “That two men find you desirable enough to want to share you?”
She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and shyly bowed her head, unable to look at either of them.
Cain brushed back her hair, lightly swept his lips up her cheek, then whispered against her ear, “If you think what I did to you on New Year’s Eve was good, it was nothing compared to what Storm and I can do to you together.”
She drew in her breath. God, he smelled good. Like vanilla, tobacco, and spicy deodorant. She dragged in another luscious inhale of his scent as every nerve ending in her body lit up.
He tipped his forehead to her temple. “In that lovely Dear John note you left me, you said I’d been just what you needed, right when you needed it. Can you imagine how liberated you’ll feel tomorrow morning if you let us show you how much more there is to see?”
“I… uh…” She tried not to tremble as his lips caressed her brow.
His scruffy cheek drifted lower, scraping hers.
Closing her eyes, she let her cheek rub provocatively against his. In her mind, she was already beneath him, her legs and arms already around him, his body already rocking hard against hers.
She was hardly breathing, overwhelmed by his closeness and the heat of his body burning into hers.
A soft, rumbling moan of approval rose in his throat, making her lips part on a sigh.
The chemistry between them was as she remembered. He barely had to touch her to excite her.
Would she be able to say the same of Mike?
Her gaze slid across the room to his. He stood to the side of the pool table, watching her with Cain, his chest rising and falling heavily as his opponent took a shot and missed.
How could a woman choose when faced with two such fine but distinctly different prospects? She didn’t want to choose, and if Cain really was suggesting what she thought he was, she wouldn’t have to.
“Tell me, Rayna…” She held her breath as he brushed his lips over her ear. “Have you ever been fucked by two men at the same time?”
There it was. He’d said it out loud. And the raw, primal way he said fucked made her grateful she was seated, or she would have collapsed from the explosive weakness that shot down her legs.
“N-no.” Her mouth was drier than a bowl of talcum powder.
His fingers inched up the skirt of her dress and teased the inside of her knee.
Mike finished his game, collected his winnings, and stuffed the wad of cash in his pocket without looking at it. Then he started for the table, his gaze locked to hers with enough fire to double down on the inferno Cain had already ignited.
Cain’s fingertips trailed higher, stopping midway up her inner thigh, setting off all kinds of delightful warning bells inside her body as the invisible link between her and Mike intensified.
She held her breath.
Just as Mike reached the table, Cain kissed the patch of skin behind her ear and whispered, “Do you want to?”

FOLLOW: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter | BookbubInstagramPinterest |

donya lynneDonya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award-winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.

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Raven’s Gift (All The King’s Men #10) by Donya Lynne-a review

RAVEN’S GIFT (All The King’s Men #10) by Donya Lynne-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 15, 2019

She’s a beauty. He’s a beast. Only her love can make him whole.

As a lycan, Barrett is physically superior, built like a god, with movie star good looks. But he’s hindered by one small defect. He was born mute, and for a lycan, being mute is the kiss of death. Terrified that he could pass on his inability to speak to his offspring, female lycans in search of a mate pass him over every mating season, leaving him desperately alone.

Orphaned as a baby, Raven has no idea she’s a lycan. Raised as a human, she ends up marrying her college sweetheart. But after years struggling to conceive, her marriage comes to a heartbreaking end. Hoping for a fresh start, she moves west. When she meets Barrett, there’s no denying her attraction to him, or the way the odd sensations she’s been battling for weeks intensify into an aroused, dizzying frenzy anytime he’s near.

In one passionate, turbulent night, Barrett finds what he’s waited a lifetime for, even as Raven’s life unravels into a frightening new reality. When the dust settles, will what they’ve found in each other be enough to keep them together? Or will the truth be too much to overcome?

Welcome to the next chapter of All the King’s Men. In Raven’s Gift, author Donya Lynne gives readers a more in-depth look at the lycans she introduced in the novel, BLACK. For a reference to the series timeline, Raven’s Gift takes place at the same time as Rise of the Fallen.

NOTE: Raven’s Gift was originally written as a novella for the Fangs Fur and Fa La La holiday anthology. This rerelease includes over 10,000 new words, making it a novel.

•••••••••

REVIEW: RAVEN’S GIFT is the tenth instalment (and novella) in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult ALL THE KING’S MEN paranormal, romance series. This is lycan shifter and home renovator Barrett Lowe, and twenty-five year old, occupational therapist Raven Di Marco’s story line. RAVEN’S GIFT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary. Raven’s Gift takes place at the same time as Rise of the Fallen (All the King’s Men #1).

NOTE: RAVEN’S GIFT was originally released in the December 2018, multi-authored anthology Fangs, Fur and Fa La La but the author has added an additional 10,000 words for the new release.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Barrett and Raven) RAVEN’S GIFT follows the building relationship between lycan shifter and home renovator Barrett Lowe, and twenty-five year old, occupational therapist Raven Di Marco. Barrett Lowe and his brother Julian had no idea that their new tenant, Raven DiMarco, was a lycan shifter, an unmated, female, lycan shifter entering into her most fertile period, the infloria. Unaware of her lycan heritage, Raven is a prime target for all unmated male lycans. After one failed attacked, hoping to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love, Barrett and his brother Julian are forced to take Raven to the lycan compound where our heroine will learn the true nature of the beast. What ensues is the building relationship between Raven and Barrett, and the potential fall-out as Raven struggles with the unreality of her new life.

Barrett Lowe is considered imperfect; damaged goods amongst the lycan population. Born mute, Barrett is an unacceptable mate for the female shifters, females who see Barrett as unworthy and unlikely to produce healthy offspring. Raven DiMarco’s first marriage was a failure, ending in divorce when she was unable to get pregnant, Raven moves to Tuscon Arizona in the hopes of starting anew, never dreaming that her life was about to dramatically change.

The relationship between Raven and Barrett is one of immediate attraction, an attraction not only predicated on lycan DNA but the sexual, palpable energy of want and need. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate, without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to a large number of the lycan population including mated couple Siron and Jupiter; Barrett’s brothers Julian and Chase Lowe; as well as Priest, Rameses and Wrex; Payne, Titus, Sinner, Klaw and Krul.

RAVEN’S GIFT introduces a number of the characters and Lycan’s in Donya Lynne’s world of All the King’s Men. For fans of the series, the lycans were first introduced in the BLACK (AKM #8) but you do not have to have read the previous instalment to follow or comprehend. The premise is spirited and imaginative; the characters are animated; the romance is fated and captivating.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Rise of the Fallen ebook is FREE at Amazon
Heart of the Warrior
Micah’s Calling
Rebel Obsession
Return of the Assassin
All the King’s Men-The Beginning
Bound Guardian Angel
Black
Micah’s Bride

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author beige

FOLLOW: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter | BookbubInstagramPinterest |

donya lynneDonya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award-winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.

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Choose Me (Banger Trilogy #1) by Donya Lynne-Review Tour & Giveaway

CHOOSE ME (Banger Trilogy #1) by Donya Lynne-Review Tour & Giveaway

CHOOSE ME
Banger Trilogy #1
by Donya Lynne
Release Date : January 1, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

FREE ebook: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /Smashwords  /  iBooks

About the book: RELEASE DATE January 1, 2018

She wants a sexy summer fling. He wants more. And he won’t stop until he gets it.

NOTE: This book was previously published as part of the 7-book Banger Serialized Novel. While the series has been rebranded as a trilogy, and the story slightly altered to accommodate the new format, it is the same story. Please do not buy this book thinking it is a different story or a continuation of the previous Banger books. Thank you.

Katherine Clayton, divorcée and single mother of two, just sent her kids to California to spend the summer with their father. During the ten months of the year when they’re in her custody, she gives all of herself to her children. She doesn’t even date. But the summers are hers, and she’s going to make the most of their absence with her annual summer fling.

Unfortunately, her past four summer romances have fallen flat. If she can’t find a man this summer who can fulfill her needs, this year’s fling will be her last. Katherine needs a man who won’t leave her unsatisfied. For her, bigger truly is better, and anything less than huge won’t do.

Greyson James is more man below the waist than most women can handle, and he’s beyond frustrated that he’s unable to enjoy the great sex other men take for granted. Since he finds no pleasure in causing women pain, traditional sex has become a novelty . . . until he meets Katherine. She’s exactly what he needs and vice versa. And the chemistry between them is undeniable.

But after one night of intense passion, neither is prepared for the wicked ride fate has in store for them. Katherine just inherited her retiring father’s company, and the last thing on her mind is selling. But that’s exactly what Greyson wants her to do, which she finds out in a shocking turn of events when she shows up to a meeting in her father’s place to find that the person she’s meeting with is none other than the captivating man she spent one gloriously erotic night with just days before.

Now Katherine must decide if she can trust Greyson with not only her heart, but her company.

As the Banger Trilogy unfolds, Greyson and Katherine will wrestle with their feelings for each other, long-held family secrets will be revealed, and scandals neither could have imagined will rock them to the core.

Will what they’ve found in each other be enough for happily ever after? Or will one passionate summer be all they share?

••••••••••

REVIEW: CHOOSE ME is the first instalment in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult BANGER erotic, romance, novella trilogy focusing on thirty-six year old Rugged Sportswear business owner Greyson James, and thirty-four year old newly appointed CEO of Freedom Cycle Katherine Clayton.

Originally released as the seven-part BANGER serial written by Dick Hertz (aka Donya Lynne), told from dual first person points of view (Katherine and Greyson) CHOOSE ME follows single mother/ divorcee Katherine Clayton as she is about to embark on her fifth summer fling after saying goodbye to her children for their extended vacation. Meeting Greyson James, and his plus-size manhood finds our heroine dreaming about the nights to come but business comes first, and with her father’s retirement on the horizon, our heroine has been named CEO of Freedom Cycle. When a potential buyer arranges a meeting our heroine is none too impressed with what’s about to transpire. Enter Greyson James, Katherine’s previous one-night stand, and the man with whom she will fall in love. What ensues is the realization that Greyson James plans a merger with Freedom Cycle, but is willing to embark on a personal merger, as well.

Greyson James is a man focused on the above –average size of his peen- a detriment to most women due to the sheer size and circumference of everything going on. Throughout the story line the reader is inundated with an inordinate number of references to the size of his junk, an ongoing reminder that becomes a bit too tedious to thoroughly enjoy the overall premise. As the first part of the trilogy begins to evolve, it is the clash between potential business partners, and the fall-out of their sexual relationship that is more interesting than the hero’s over-sized c*ck. As Greyson sets out to find a woman who is able to ‘accommodate’ his size, Katherine searches for her next summer conquest before her children return.

We are introduced to Katherine’s father Robert Clayton; her ex-husband Phil Kelley, and their two young children Christian and Rose; as well as Katherine’s friend Jessica; and Greyson’s friends and business partners CFO Ed and COO Mike; his brother and attorney Brent James.

The author has slipped in a number of ‘Easter Eggs’ into the story with reference to a best-selling popular trilogy that has recently been turned into a three-part movie, some of which I have mentioned throughout my review.

CHOOSE ME is a fast paced, erotic story about two people who find one another only to realize that what they have may all be for naught. The premise is provocative and spicy; the characters are impulsive and startling; the romance has only just begun. I am a big fan of Donya’s AKM series, and her other contemporary reads but CHOOSE ME has left me a little perplexed with my feelings and thoughts. Here’s hoping the next two instalments do not focus on the size of our hero but on the ongoing struggle between business and love.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Other books in the series

Covet Me:
Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

Cherish Me: 
Amazon | Nook | iBooks |Kobo  | Smashwords

FOLLOW: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter | BookbubInstagramPinterest |

donya lynneDonya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award-winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.

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Black (All the King’s Men #8) by Donya Lynne-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

BLACK (All the King’s Men #8) by Donya Lynne-review, excerpt and giveaway  tour

Black Banner

BLACK
All The King’s Men #8
by Donya Lynne
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, romance

Black

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo Smashwords / Apple

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 12, 2017

Micah Black thought he was the last of his bloodline. He was wrong. Dead wrong.
Micah just found out he has a brother. Ronan, the cat burglar who broke into his apartment and stole the ankh he’d been entrusted to protect, has turned out to be none other than his own flesh and blood. But that’s not the only revelation he uncovers about his family. After centuries of thinking his father was killed during the war, he learns that his father is alive. Still suffering the loss of Micah’s mother, his beloved mate, but alive.

The discoveries continue to pile up as more tightly held secrets and shocking surprises come to light, upending Micah’s world, sending him into a whirlwind of emotions and memories of war, love, and death. But it’s what King Bain reveals that throws Micah for the biggest loop. One that will chart a new path for Micah’s future and change the course of the coming war between the vampires and the drecks forever.

In the much-anticipated eighth book of the emotionally-wrenching, heart-stopping All the King’s Men Series, you see Micah as you’ve never seen him before. You will meet new characters pivotal to the survival–and hearts–of the characters you’ve come to love. Aliases will be revealed, alliances will be formed, and new enemies exposed as paranormal forces converge in a battle to decide who will ultimately rule humanity.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BLACK is the eighth installment in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult ALL THE KING’S MEN paranormal, romance series focusing on a group of vampire warriors, who work for AKM -a group of elite vampire warriors and mutant vampires brought together to save the humans and rid the world of the drecks- hybrid vampire shape shifters. This is Micah Black and the Black family’s continuing story, a story that changes the series arc shifting the focus on a new threat to the world of the vampire.

SOME BACKGROUND: The destructive and addictive nature of the vampire designer drug ‘cobalt’ has brought the drecks to the AKM’s front door. Each overdose pushes another vampire closer to the edge, and pulls the AKM vampire warriors further into a war that could potentially destroy everything and everyone they love.

Told from several third person points of view including Micah Black BLACK follows the latest in a series of revelations including the discovery that Micah’s father, Drake Black, a man Micah thought dead for close to a thousand years, was alive, and with it comes the introduction of a half-brother he never knew existed. As the war between the drecks and the vampires escalates with each cobalt overdose and vampire death, Ronan Black-Micah’s brother-goes rogue fighting a battle he has no hope of winning. A new species of werewolf will push one-time enemies together, and Micah’s true heritage will come full circle with King Bain’s latest revelations, offering Micah a new direction in his professional and personal life.

BLACK is a story line of family; of the fractured family dynamics between father and sons; the heartbreaking losses, and the potential ramifications of too many secrets and lies. With the introduction of the werewolves and lycans, Donya Lynne takes the AKM series in a new direction, with a more potent and serious threat to her beloved vampires. Ronan’s mate is but a dream away; and a lycan tracker discovers the who and what he has been looking (for). The premise is engaging, entertaining and revealing; the characters are spirited, edgy and energetic; the romance between Samantha and Micah is provocative and intense. BLACK introduces the reader to a newly, determined King , and with it the formation of a more aggressive team desperate not to go to war.

AKM 3

Reading Order and previous reviews
Rise of the Fallen is FREE at Amazon
Heart of the Warrior
Micah’s Calling
Rebel Obsession
Return of the Assassin
All the King’s Men-The Beginning
Bound Guardian Angel
Black

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt beige

Approximately 950 years ago

A steel-tipped arrow whizzed past Micah’s head as he and Malek battled their way through the rush of drecks pouring through the village from all directions. Metal on metal rang out as the village’s males took up their swords and engaged the enemy. It was their duty to defend the females and humans against this unprovoked, peacetime raid.
Who was Micah kidding? They weren’t in peacetime, anymore. This attack was enough proof that the drecks had risen up against them once more like some kind of fungus rot on their cultivated fields. No matter how many diseased plants you pulled, the shit just kept coming back.
Would the godforsaken war ever end? It had raged off and on for centuries before Micah’s birth, and, at this rate, would continue for centuries to come, even under the guise of peace.
Micah whistled to get Malek’s attention. When his friend and fellow warrior turned, Micah pointed to the top of a nearby ridge.
“High ground!” He had to shout over the roar of infernos consuming nearly half the cottages in the village, casting blazing heat that scorched his skin and singed his long, braided hair, coating him with soot and ash.
Malek nodded, pulled the strength from only God knew where, and hoofed it up the steep incline behind Micah.
Micah’s lungs pumped hard as his legs churned, propelling him higher as the burn and fatigue in his muscles grew so great that his thighs almost locked up in protest. But somehow, he pushed through the pain. The safety of his family depended on him. Katarina had fled to the forest at the first sign of attack, and thank God for that, but he refused to leave even one dreck standing who could pursue her and the other vampires and humans who had escaped.
But he didn’t know where his parents were. Surely, his father was engaged with the enemy, but he had yet to sense that his mother had found safety. On the contrary, what he felt vibrating in his soul was impending doom.
Another arrow flew past him, this one close enough to catch the side of his arm, nicking his flesh. Blood already spilled from multiple wounds all over his body, so this one merely added to the collection. None of his injuries were life threatening, but eventually, the loss of blood would weaken him. There was no time to spare.
He and Malek reached the top of the ridge and Micah turned, pulling an arrow from his fully stocked quiver as he brought his bow up in front of him. Malek did the same.
From here, the damage to their village robbed him of breath. It was a total loss. More than half the structures were consumed by flames or already falling into piles of smoldering rubble.
Beyond the steel tip of his arrow, Micah saw a dreck toss a torch on one of the remaining cottages. Calming his breath, he lined up the blue-tinted creature in his sights, held for a moment, and then released the arrow.
It impaled the dreck square between the eyes.
Malek took out another.
One by one, he and Malek sniped the enemy from their advantageous location, killing the drecks gradually but steadily as they worked their way along the ridge that surrounded the village, moving toward his parents’ cottage on the far end.
Behind him, he could feel the first sign of sunrise spreading light across the horizon. They needed to hurry so the vampires had enough time to seek shelter in the forest beyond the fields or in any of the remaining dwellings not taken by fire.
As Micah’s quiver neared empty, he caught sight of his uncle Rory, engaged with three drecks. Rory was a deadly male, fighting like a banshee unleashed by the devil himself. His skin and clothing were red with spilled blood, streaked with fresh, blue blood of the drecks, which quickly faded to red. No doubt Rory had killed half the invaders himself.
“I’m empty,” Malek said beside him.
Micah handed him one of his last two arrows. “Me, too.”
The good news was that the number of the fallen enemy was greater than that of the villagers. Drecks were no match for vampires, and their dead and dying bodies littered the cobbled paths and open spaces of their village, their blue blood running in rivers into the grass, where it pooled and gradually turned from blue to purple to red.
Just as he nocked his last arrow, Micah turned in the direction of his parents’ cottage. With the faint light of the pending sunrise granting him greater breadth of vision, he found his childhood home. His father was nowhere to be seen, but his mother stood in front of the open door, a sword in her hand, facing off against a pair of drecks.
Micah’s heart raced as a premonition of dread shocked his mind’s eye.
His mother was not a fighter. Not at the level needed for this kind of combat. Not against a trained enemy, and especially not against two of them.
As one attacked, she lifted the sword, blocking the dreck’s blade. But she wasn’t fast enough to counter the second dreck as he lunged forward, holding a pair of short swords, and sliced into her abdomen.
“NOOOOOO!” Ignoring the fatigue in his muscles, Micah took off at a sprint, traveling the top of the ridge like a streak of lightning.
“Micah!” Malek called as he gave chase.
His mother staggered backward, toward the open doorway as if she were trying to block the way inside, blindly swinging the sword at her attackers, unwilling to surrender even as her knees wobbled.
“No! Mother!”
Like a true warrior, she refused to give an inch, despite her rapidly weakening state. Mustering what must have been the last of her strength, she surged with determination, parrying her foe and driving her sword into his belly.
The next seconds flashed by in an instant, even though Micah saw the events unfold as if through a thick, slow-moving fog. The dreck she impaled fell, his body spasming in the throes of death. The second dreck moved in, blades flashing. His mother was left unprotected, alone, and without a weapon. Micah stopped and raised his bow, determined to save her.
Just as he released his arrow, the glint of cold steel dripping with vampire blood rose over her. Would the arrow find home before the dreck’s blade did? The firelight reflected off the sword’s edge as it fell in a swift descent.
Micah held his breath, his heart and soul flying alongside the arrow blazing a trail in the distance between them.
The sword sliced into his mother a split second sooner than his arrow lodged into the center of the dreck’s back.
“NO!” Micah burst into a run, barreling down the steep decline of the ridge, falling, tumbling, then regaining his footing as he reached the base.
With Malek hot on his heels, he vaulted the simple wooden fence and charged into the small square of land surrounding his parents’ cottage, leaped onto the dreck, who was still alive, and drove his dagger into the beast’s heart, releasing a savage war cry.
And he kept stabbing, long after the dreck was dead, turning the foul creature into nothing but tenderized meat.
“Micah, stop!” Malek remained a safe distance from his swinging dagger, but Micah could feel his desperation.
He couldn’t stop. He had to keep stabbing. Had to keep destroying that which had taken what he loved. His anger—his fury—required vengeance.
Malek pushed dangerously close, dodging Micah’s dagger as it plunged through the air and into the dreck’s chest, and grabbed him by the collar as he raised the blade again. “Micah! Your mother! She needs you!”
They were the only words that could have gotten through to him.
The bloody dagger in his hand halted in midair then dropped to his side as he swung his rage-hazed gaze around to where his mother lay in the flattened grass.
“Is she alive?” He abandoned the gore he’d created and lurched toward her.
“Barely.” Malek’s dismal tone said all Micah needed to know about his mother’s fate, and he froze, meeting his best friend’s eyes with a sense of foreboding. “She doesn’t have much longer, Micah.” Malek bobbed his head in her direction. “She asked for you.”
The breath caught in Micah’s raw throat, scorched by hot smoke and strained from shouting. Then he sprung to life and scurried to his mother’s side, falling to his knees. He took her hand. It already felt too cold. Too small. Too . . . lifeless.
“Mother . . .?”
Her eyes blinked open as if just that simple act took too much effort. “Mi . . . cah.”
Tears blurred his vision, but he forced down the sob that threatened to break through his throat. “I’m here. You’re going to be okay.” He squeezed her hand and brushed the bloody hair off her face.
She weakly shook her head as the corners of her lips turned up knowingly. She knew she was dying. This was her end, and nothing could stop it. Then she shifted her gaze to the open door of the cottage. “Your father . . . needs you . . .” Her breath rattled in her lungs like shackles being tugged by the Grim Reaper. “In . . . side.” She tried to lift her arm but couldn’t, instead pointing in the general direction of the doorway.
Micah glanced toward the cottage.
And that’s when he saw it.
His father’s booted foot lay on the floor, in the shadows, unmoving, just beyond the door.
“Go . . . to . . . him . . .” His mother’s voice was quickly fading, no louder than a whisper now. “Needs to . . . give . . . you . . .” Her hold on his hand weakened. Her body relaxed. Everything in her went slack.
“Mother . . .?” Micah turned back toward her, only to find the light that had been in her eyes moments ago was now gone. She was gone. Her soul claimed and taken to the other side. “Mom?” He shook her. But it was useless. She was dead.
Tears trailed down his cheeks as he bowed his head. “I will kill every last one of them, Mother,” he vowed on a whisper. “I promise not a single dreck will remain when I am finished avenging you.” He bent forward, placed his palm over her silent, unbeating heart, and kissed her dirty, abraded forehead. “I promise.”
There was no time for more. The remaining drecks were quickly closing in, and he had to save his father.
Pulling the strength from deep within, he leaped to his feet and rushed into the cottage. His father lay on his stomach in a pool of blood, his hand outstretched toward the large wooden chest against the wall. Its lid was open, the contents scattered as if his father had been searching through them before he fell.
There was so much blood. Too much.
“Father?” Micah crouched and rolled over the heroic male he had always admired and looked up to. No less than a dozen wounds seeped his life-giving blood.
“Son . . .” His father’s voice rasped from him as if from a ghost.
“Father . . . I’m getting you out of here.” He began to lift him, but his father protested.
“No . . . no time . . . I’m not . . . going to make it.” His skin was already so pale it was a wonder he had any blood left to sustain him. “Save yourself. Save your mother.”
Micah didn’t have the heart to tell him she was already gone. Hot tears stung his eyes once more. “I will.”
“Take . . . the chest”—his father let out an ugly cough that speckled his lips with blood—“with you.” He turned his head toward the large wooden structure only a few feet away.
There was no way he could take that with him.
“It’s too heavy.”
His father shook his head. “No. Inside. The chest . . . smaller one. The box . . .” He coughed again, and it sounded like his lungs were filling with what little blood he had left. “Take it. Protect it. The ankh . . . inside . . . keep it safe.”
Micah looked inside the large chest, and, there, to the side, was a smaller one. No wider than the length of his hand and as deep as three of the leather-bound books Kat enjoyed reading. It was ornately carved and secured by a disproportionately heavy lock. He lifted the chest and secured it under his arm as he returned to his father.
“I have it.”
“Take it . . . go . . .” His father held out a key fastened to a knotted length of leather. “Hurry . . .” His father’s midnight blue eyes glanced through the open door toward the east. “The sun . . . almost . . . here . . .” He winced and groaned then fell silent as his body went lax.
“Father?” Micah knelt closer. “Father?”
“Micah!” Malek’s frantic voice shot through the doorway. “Hurry!”
There was no time. The drecks were coming, and the sun was close behind. He had to leave.
He plucked the key from his father’s loose grip and tucked it into the pocket of his cloak, stashed the small chest in his father’s pack, which he slung over his shoulder, and then crossed his forearm over his chest as he faced his father’s lifeless form. “I will avenge you, Father.” He glanced out the door at his mother. “I will avenge you both.”
With one last sorrowful glance toward his father, he breathed in the last inhale of air he would ever take inside the home he grew up in. Never again would he set eyes on the male who had taught him how to hunt, how to track prey, how to kill, how to be a good mate, and how to lead an army. A male more powerful than a tidal wave, stronger than a gale-force wind, and more respected even than the king. A male who had been, was, and would always be his hero.
His father was dead.
Or so he thought.

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donya lynneDonya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award-winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.

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Bound Guardian Angel (AKM #7) by Donya Lynne-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL (All The King’s Men #7 ) by Donya Lynne-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway

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Bound Guardian Angel

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2016

For almost two hundred years, Trace has searched for his mate. Now he’s met Cordray. Brash, sassy, and covered in tattoos, Cordray isn’t at all the type of female he thought his mate would be, but he can’t deny the way his body reacts every time she’s near. She calms him and sparks his desire in a way no one ever has, which terrifies him, because if she has that kind of power over him, what else is she capable of?

Cordray thinks Trace is the most exciting male she’s ever met, but she refuses to drop her guard and let him in. She loved deeply once, only to be spurned when her lover mated another. The heartbreak was so severe, she lost her ability to feel. Trace has reawakened her sense of touch, but she’s scared that if she takes another chance on love only to be rejected again, this time she’ll lose her life.

With both committed to pushing the other away, every conversation escalates into a war of words. But for these two, the fights are all just foreplay. It’s only a matter of time before their desire grows stronger than their resistance, and when it does, God help anyone—or anything—that tries to keep them apart.

WARNING: This book contains strong adult content and explicit sexual material.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL is the seventh installment in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult ALL THE KING’S MEN erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on a group of vampire warriors, who work for AKM (AKM is a group of elite vampire warriors and mutant vampires brought together to save the humans and rid the world of the Dreks- hybrid vampire shape shifters), and their mates. This is half-breed vampires Trace and Cordray’s story line. BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL can be read as a stand alone but for history, back story and cohesion I recommend reading the series in order. BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL advances the series a few weeks in time.

NOTE: BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL contains graphic M/M, M/F and BDSM sexual situations.

Told from several third person perspectives BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL follows three paths that overlap and converge at several points in the story: Cordray and Trace’s relationship: Trace and Micah’s D/s relationship and Trace’s need to be dominate; and the search for the person responsible for the break, enter and theft at Micah’s apartment.

Trace is a warrior vampire with the AKM and believes himself to be a freak-a hybrid vampire despised for who and what he is. When life begins to unravel for Trace, our hero seeks out his best friend Micah – a Dominant vampire who knows how to control Trace’s inner beast. Trace’s desperate need to find a mate finds our hero falling for the woman who betrayed our hero to the King. BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL follows the developing relationship and romance between two vampires who want (and despise) one another with equal need and desire.

Cordray is a strong, alpha female who hides behind a mask of gothic jewelry and clothing. She is a vampire with a heartbreaking past, a secret connection to the King, and a woman with a softer side that focuses on the rescue of those without family and support. A few days in one another’s presence finds Cordray and Trace in the push and pull of attraction, their animosity and hatred for one another, and the call to mate.

BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL has a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the introduction of several newcomers that will play a significant role in the lives of some of the men at AKM. Trace’s brother Brak makes a cameo appearance, and Micah will come face to face with his past. Several of the AKM vampires and their mates are with child-I am looking forward to getting an update on their lives and loves. Donya ‘hints’ at another potential growing family.

The world building continues to focus on the destructive and addictive nature of the vampire designer drug ‘cobalt’, and its connections to Bishop, the Dreks, and a series of underground experiments on half-breed vampires.

BOUND GUARDIAN ANGEL is a fantastic story of friendship and love; heartbreak and betrayal; fated mates and falling in love. The premise is captivating and provocative; the characters are engaging, passionate and intense; the romance is inspiring and challenging-destiny and fate cannot be denied. Donya Lynne continues to expand our horizons with the vampires of the AKM.

Series

AKM 2

Reading Order and previous reviews
Rise of the Fallen is FREE at Amazon
Heart of the Warrior
Micah’s Calling
Rebel Obsession
Return of the Assassin
All the King’s Men-The Beginning
Bound Guardian Angel

Copy supplied by the tour promoter.

Reviewed by Sandy

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donya lynneDonya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award-winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.

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Full Circle (Strong Karma #3) by Donya Lynne-a review

FULL CIRCLE (Strong Karma #3) by Donya Lynne-a review

Full Circle

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 19, 2015

n the final installment of the Strong Karma Trilogy, Mark Strong has accepted his feelings for Karma Mason and has found his way back to her after a year apart. Now he’s ready to pop the question and make her his wife. There’s just one problem. Mark still hasn’t gotten over being jilted eight years ago. How can he give Karma the huge wedding she deserves when he can’t even set foot in a church without suffering a panic attack? Then there are the secrets that have resurfaced from his past. Secrets he fears will scare Karma away once she knows the truth. But Karma knows Mark has a past. She can accept that he’s not perfect and never was. What she can’t accept is how he drags his feet every time she tries to get him to set a date for their wedding. If he can’t figure out a way to let go of the past for good, he could lose his future with the woman who owns his heart.

••••••

REVIEW: FULL CIRCLE is the third installment in Donya Lynne’s contemporary, adult Strong Karma erotic romance series focusing on Mark Strong and Karma Mason. FULL CIRCLE should not be read as a stand alone as the premise is the culmination of the previous two storylines.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mark and Karma) FULL CIRCLE focuses on the continuing relationship and rebuilding of trust between our leading couple. Mark’s issues with his past continue to circumvent his present, and his avoidance of his emotional withdrawal and his handling of all things Karma Mason leads our hero on a journey of self deprecation and unrestrained hatred for the man he has become. Mark is a man deeply in love with the woman who holds his heart but ghosts from the past continue to haunt Mark’s ego and psyche. What ensues is the realization that Mark will never be able to move forward until he addresses his past-a past that could destroy any hope of a future with the woman that he loves.

Donya Lynne pulls the reader into an emotional storyline (and series) where two broken souls; two imperfect people traverse a winding path to love and a happily ever after. The premise is impassioned; the characters are heartbreaking and intense; the $ex scenes are erotic, explorative and intoxicating. FULL CIRCLE is a love story that will immerse you into an emotional roller coaster ride where your own heart will break for two people whose lives are controlled by the past.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Good Karma (Strong Karma #1) by Donya Lynne-a review

Good Karma (Strong Karma #1) by Donya Lynne-a review

Good Karma

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 25, 2014

Bashful Karma Mason has been too concerned with college—and now work—to embrace her sexuality. Bullied as a child, she hides behind an unremarkable wardrobe and relegates herself to the shadows. But when her best friend convinces her to attend a charity benefit in Chicago wearing a stunning red dress that catches the eye of every man in the room, she discovers a surprising side to her personality. One that adores the spotlight but has no idea how to handle the attention.

Mark Strong, a wealthy Chicago businessman, is brimming with confidence. He’s in total control. Nothing—and no one—escapes his notice. However, Mark carries a heavy, painful burden. After finding his fiancée with another man six years ago, he’s erected a fortress around his heart, unwilling to let himself fall in love again. But when enchanting Karma snares his gaze from across the room, he has no idea she will shatter his carefully ordered life.

What starts out as a casual flirtation takes a series of surprising turns as Mark and Karma embark on a sensual journey destined by fate. Mark is driven to know Karma, understand her…educate her, and Karma is his willing student, eager to experience the pleasure he promises. But when the student becomes the teacher, Mark has to make a choice between taking another chance on love or a future alone.

•••••••••••••••••••••

GOOD KARMA is the first instalment in Donya Lynne’s new, adult, contemporary Strong Karma erotic romance series focusing on Karma Mason and Mark Strong. Our couple first meet at a charity event where Karma was willing to step out of her comfort zone and into a sexy one night stand. What follows is a forbidden relationship between two people whose lives will intertwine between the boardroom and the bedroom.

The storyline focus is on the building relationship between Karma and Mark. Following their ‘almost’ one night stand, Karma discovers that Mark has been hired to streamline the company for which she works. Knowing that embarking on a sexual relationship could very well end their careers, Mark and Karma have a difficult time keeping their work and their private lives apart. Jealous and vindictive co-workers will set their sights on Karma hoping to take her down with the rest of the trash.

The relationship between Mark and Karma is sensual, seductive and educational. Mark is a complex man with more experience and he is willing to teach Karma a thing or two about what he wants and where the two shall go. Mark’s past all but controls his present, and Karma’s insecurities and fragile ego are fodder for those people who believe they have something to gain by destroying what little is left of Karma’s faith.

The secondary characters are colorful: from co-workers to family Karma must fight the barrage and personal attacks on both her personality, her appearance and her position at work. The ground rules have been set for a woman whose life has revolved around trying to make it in a world controlled by power and beauty.

The storyline line ends with a bit of a cliffhanger-one that will evoke a tear or two or ten. I reread the passage several times and each time I cried harder than the last.

Donya Lynne’s foray into the world of contemporary erotic romance is provocative, emotional and heartbreaking. There is startling truth and a staggering fall-out for two people who have fallen in love but for one the head doesn’t know what the heart has done. GOOD KARMA looks at two people whose relationship is built upon a temporary framework-one that will come crashing down when one man is afraid to take a chance.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Return of the Assassin by Donya Lynne-Review, Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

Return of the Assassin by Donya Lynne-Review, Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Return of the Assassin
All the King’s Men #5
by Donya Lynne
Release Date: October 29, 2013

Return of the Assassin

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Review

About the Book:

Malek and Gina are two vampires with big problems and pasts they can’t let go of. Malek has never dealt with and accepted the death of his first mate, Carmen, and Gina has never been able to let go of the pain she suffered at the hands of her first mate, an abusive half-Dacian named Arman. But now that Malek and Gina have met, they had better start getting over their pasts, and fast, because Gina is Malek’s new mate, and she’s on the run from a pair of Dacian hunter-assassins out for blood vengeance.

Neither Gina nor Malek are eager to see her fill the role of mate, but biology and Mother Nature don’t want to hear their excuses. The longer Malek and Gina fight the bond between them, the more they will suffer. Will they be able to get over their painful pasts and accept the healing they can give to each other before it’s too late, or will they wait too long and lose each other forever?

REVIEW: RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN is the fourth full length novel ( and 5th storyline)  in Donya Lynne’s paranormal vampire series focusing on the vampires who work for AKM and the women (and men) they love. This is Malek and Gina’s storyline and one with heartbreaking and painful pasts that each must accept and endure to get on with their lives.

Malek’s first mate was murdered and he has had a difficult time overcoming the painful memories and thoughts about retribution and death-something broke inside Malek and he was floundering in despair. And no amount of booze or sex brought any relief including the thoughts of Gina Carano and the ‘who and what’ she was about. Gina was an enigma and Malek’s thoughts continued to return to the woman who would one day be his mate-but the overriding guilt of losing his first mate had placed Malek in a position where he pushed everyone and everything away including Gina. When male vampires go into their needing nothing can stop the rush of aggression and the need for sex and nothing was stopping Malek and his possessive instincts to protect the woman he both needed and despised.

Gina’s painful past, history with the AKM and heartbreaking guilt fueled much of the character development and relationship between she and Malek. Malek’s character and personality bordered on sociopathic at times but in the end, he will realize that the only thing holding him back was the guilt and the memories of a life he could not save. The AKM needed Gina because without her, Malek would probably not survive.

Donya Lynne continues to build on the cobalt addictions and Drek premise as the relationship and intensions between Bishop and Apostle become dark and more dangerous. There is a new bad boy in town and he is out to make the lives of the vampires at AKM a living h*ll.

Donya also introduces the half-blood Dacians-a species that the AKM believed no longer existed-but to everyone’s surprise, the Dacians have returned just as powerful and aggressive as before. There is also a developing story with Kota and his history with both Sev and Gina makes for some interesting plot points.

Return of the Assassin is another eye opening and fascinating addition to Donya’s All The King’s Men paranormal series. The relationship between Malek and Gina was both difficult and aggressive but in the end, Malek will fall hard for the woman he would call his mate.

Donya has written a passionate storyline about two people who have loved and lost and who will one day love again.

1. Rise of the Fallen
2. Heart of the Warrior
3. Micah’s Calling
4. Rebel Obsession

5. Return of the Assassin

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview beige 2

TRC: Hi Donya and welcome back to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the success of All The King’s Men-your erotic, sexy vampire series.

Donya: Thank you. I’m enjoying writing these books.

TRC: For anyone who does not know Donya Lynne, would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

donya lynneDonya: I’ve been writing since before I was even in school. I started out writing poetry, won a short story contest in fourth grade, and then progressed to erotic romance short stories in junior high and high school. When I saw The Lost Boys, I became fascinated with vampires and started playing with paranormal ideas in my writing. But it wasn’t until 2012, after about ten years of studying the publishing industry and taking coursework in fiction writing, that I decided to take the plunge into self-publishing with Rise of the Fallen, book one of the All the King’s Men Series. With the release of Return of the Assassin on October 29, there are now five published books in the series. I have plans for at least twenty more books in the series, including those from the two sister series in development.

Return of the AssassinTRC: RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN is the October 2013 installment in your All The King’s Men vampire series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

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Donya: Return of the Assassin is about an assassin and an AKM enforcer (both full-blooded vampires) who have to overcome painful pasts before they can embrace love again. Malek is the enforcer, and he was mated many centuries ago, but his mate died, and he never fully accepted her death. Gina is the assassin who nearly killed Malek’s teammate in a previous book in the series, and she was mated once before, too, to an abusive Dacian vampire who beat her so severely she lost the ability to have children. Gina and Malek met in book two of the series, Heart of the Warrior, but she left town when Malek indicated he had mated her. Now Malek is in the midst of an emotional crisis as he struggles with both Gina’s absence and the reawakened sorrow of the death of his first mate. He has to deal with her death before he can fully embrace his new mating to Gina, and he’s still in denial and very resistant. But when Gina returns, the biological connection between them becomes undeniable. Still, there are forces at work to keep Malek and Gina apart, and as with every book in the AKM Series, where none of the relationships come easily, Malek and Gina will be mightily tested by the end of the book. I predict tears will be shed.

TRC: You have hinted at a spin-off series. Are you willing to part with any information regarding the spin-off? 😉

Donya: Yes. In Return of the Assassin, readers meet Trevor Knight, who is a friend of Gina’s who runs a security agency in Miami with his ex-boyfriend, Talon Justice. The agency is called Knights of Justice, or KOJU. By the end of Return of the Assassin, readers will learn that Trevor wants a mate. He has never taken a true mate, and deep down, he yearns for that to happen. Little does he know that his future mate is lying in a bed in the AKM’s trauma unit this very moment. That’s a little insider info for you right there. *wink* Anyway, the spin-off series will start with Trevor’s love story as he returns to Miami with his love interest tagging along. A couple of other AKM characters will join the sister series, as well, but I’ll keep who they are a secret right now. Here’s the kicker. Both AKM and KOJU will reunite later when I start work on the Progeny Series, which will focus primarily on the next generation of characters (aka the children of our beloved AKM characters). The first story for Progeny is already started, simply because Micah’s son, Neal, demanded I begin it. LOL. Micah and his kids are so damn bossy, but Neal is a sexy beast, so it’s all good. But I think it’s his sister Mikayla’s story that will shock readers. Her mate has already been identified, and I think heads will roll.

TRC: Will the two series overlap; run parallel to each other; or take place during different time periods?

Donya: Yes, I believe there will be significant series overlap between AKM and KOJU, especially in book one of Knights of Justice. Readers who haven’t read All the King’s Men probably won’t get as much out of it as those who have. Obviously, since Progeny will be a spin-off of both series, there will be overlap in that the characters readers have come to know from both will be present.

TRC: All the King’s Men series contains some BDSM, M/M and erotic situations. What would you like to tell readers who are reticent about reading such storylines?

All the Kings Men 1

Donya: First of all, BDSM isn’t necessarily about pain for pain’s sake, and Doms aren’t always controlling sadists. Doms have insecurities and emotions, too, and I think readers will see and understand that better in Trace’s book, when Micah takes over as his Dom. And as far as Trace being a submissive is concerned, for him it’s about necessity. He is an incredibly powerful mixed-blood vampire, and the only way he can keep his power under control so it doesn’t consume him is through submission, pain, and humiliation. For Trace, submitting is survival. And in the real world, you’ll find that the most powerful and controlling individuals make the most willing submissives. It’s a very interesting duality.

As far as M/M story lines go, I’ve noticed an incredible surge in interest for M/M romance, especially from women. And I’m a self-professed conflict junkie. What better way to give these readers what they’re craving while also delving into an incredibly controversial subject, which provides ample opportunity for conflict? Historically, good M/M romance has been hard to find. I’ve read reviews of M/M books where the reviewer prays for better-written M/M romance or simply comments about how better editors are needed for the M/M genre. I want to fulfill that need for those readers. On a personal note, I received so many heart-warming comments from readers who read Heart of the Warrior and had never read a M/M book before. They loved it. Heart of the Warrior made these traditionally-het readers notice M/M, and now many of them read it regularly. One reader said it’s all she’ll read now.

Lastly, erotic situations are a fact of life and a fantasy for many. Women love to imagine that these alpha men exist, and they like to fantasize about how they’d behave in the bedroom. So I like turning up the heat on some of my love scenes, while also showing that even a knife, a necklace, or even a foot can be erotic. For me, it’s about discovering how every person is different and how we all have unique fetishes, some more intimate than others.

TRC: Where do you believe some authors go wrong or err with their BDSM/Erotic content?

Donya: I recently read a book where the sex scenes were just that. Sex scenes. Not love scenes. The difference is that sex scenes are just physical. The reader is told all the physical components of the scene about where the body parts all go, but there’s no love. On the other hand, love scenes tap into the readers’ emotions and minds. For a scene to be truly erotic, it needs to hit the reader emotionally and mentally. The reader needs to be engaged sensually, not superficially. This is why a simple scene that holds no sex or physical intimacy at all can be highly erotic. The first draft of book one in my Mark Strong Series (forthcoming) is like that. The main characters don’t have sex until well into the second half of the book, but the erotic tension between them from the moment they meet until the moment they fall into bed was smoldering even as I wrote it. I think more authors needs to focus on capturing the romance and not just the physical mechanics of what goes where.

With regard to BDSM, I’ve read a lot of BDSM novels, and sometimes I feel like I’m reading a clinic instead of a story. Or where the BDSM feels more like shock value instead of part of a legitimate story. Or I feel that the BDSM elements are contrived or forced into the plot…that there is nothing else about the character other than his or her relationship with BDSM. The character(s) live, breathe, eat, sleep, and work BDSM 24/7, which isn’t realistic. I want a story with a plot, where BDSM is the icing, not the cake. This is what I strive for in my BDSM elements within the AKM Series.

I also think there’s a misconception that a Dom is a Dom whether in the playroom or not. That’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes Doms are very subservient in the “real world.” I think that’s a lot more interesting than a control freak in the real world and a Dom in the playroom, don’t you? BDSM is about more than just spanking and flogging. It’s about the bond, trust, and communication that go into a D/s relationship. It’s about the vulnerability of both participants to the other. It’s about a Dom’s responsibility to take care of his or her sub and not betray that trust. In D/s relationships, it’s the submissive who holds the control, not the Dom. The Dom is merely allowed by the submissive to control him/her. Without the submissive’s consent, the Dom can do nothing.

I just read two books by AJ Rose (Power Exchange and Safeword) that were wonderful representations of BDSM in fiction, for anyone interested in reading good BDSM.

TRC: You are currently working on a new series-a new adult, romance storyline. Would you please tell us something about the series?

Donya: The Mark Strong Chronicles is a series that I think will include four books: Good Karma, Bad Karma, Strong Karma, and Full Circle. I completed the rough draft of Good Karma a few months ago, and even though the majority of beta reader feedback was overwhelmingly positive (one beta reader said it was the best book she’d ever read, and others said it was my best book to date), there were elements I wasn’t happy with and which a couple of beta readers pointed out as problem areas. So I’m rewriting almost the entire beginning one-third of the book to eliminate those issues.

The overall story is about how my hero, Mark Strong, and my heroine, Karma Mason, are brought together through a series of coincidental—and somewhat comical—events. Karma suffers self-esteem issues as a victim of moderate childhood bullying, which has given her a stigma over her appearance. She’s also had horrible dating luck. After yet another nightmare date, her best friend decides to give her a makeover to lift her spirits.

Mark was engaged to be married six years ago, but his fiancé left him at the altar. Now he has commitment issues and refuses to allow himself to be in a relationship for longer than a few months. But the revolving door of girlfriends is tiring, and the emotional toll of breaking up and hurting the feelings of the women he dates is beginning to wear him out.

When Mark and Karma meet, there’s promise for them both that the other could be just what each needs, until they meet a second time when Mark shows up at her place of employment as the company’s new consultant. When Mark makes it clear he’s not interested in long-term commitments but would gladly show Karma that not all men are pigs with no clue how to treat a lady, Karma must decide whether or not a wild fling with sexy Mark could be hazardous to her job or worth the risk. When the time comes for Mark to leave, saying good-bye won’t be as easy as they thought.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Donya: Four books are planned for the Mark Strong Chronicles, and I have no idea how many more books are in store for All the King’s Men. Too many to count right now.

TRC: Will you tell us what is in store for Donya Lynne in 2014?

Donya: I have an affirmation taped to my computer monitor and my bathroom mirror that says, “2014 is the year of Donya Lynne!” LOL. Right now I plan to release the first two books in the Mark Strong Chronicles, as well as two more books in AKM, one of which is the much-anticipated Bound Guardian Angel, which is Trace’s book. Other than that, I have several more projects in development and would like for at least one to win an RWA contest. I am also beginning a search for an agent, because I would like to be a hybrid author and have bigger guns, so to speak, in the market for me. An agent could help me get TV or movie deals down the road, or assist in finding the right fit with a Big Five publisher to make my dreams of becoming a hybrid author come true.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Donya: Currently, I’m working on Good Karma rewrites, the Bad Karma draft, the draft for Bound Guardian Angel, a mini-prequel for AKM, and a stand-alone novel I think could be something very special. But waiting in the wings are a ton of books I’ve either started or that I’m about ready to start once Return of the Assassin is released.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Donya: Everyone have a great holiday season! And don’t forget to show your local vampire some love.

Rise of the Fallen

 

If you haven’t read Donya’s ALL THE KING’S MEN series why not start with a FREE copy of RISE OF THE FALLEN: book 1 in her All The King’s Men series.

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LIGHTNING ROUND

Cat or dog
Cat

Red or white wine
Neither. I’m not a big drinker.

Vampire or werewolf
Vampire! Micah, Micah, Micah!

Coke or Pepsi
Pepsi

Coffee or Tea
Tea

Summer or Winter Vacation
Summer

Favorite Fast Food
pizza

Last Movie you Saw
Star Trek II

TRC: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. It is always a pleasure catching up the with author and finding out what is in store for the reader.

Donya: Thank you for having me!

Giveaway beige

There are TWO ways to win with the RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN tour.

Donya will be giving away an ecopy of RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN to ONE lucky reader at each of her blog tour stops including The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not registered, please log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please comment and tell us to enter you into the draw

4. For additional entries:

  1. Tweet: ” #NewRelease #RWAFinalist RETURN OF THE ASSASSIN #RaveReviews #SexyVampires #AKM @DonyaLynne http://amzn.to/1aozesD
  2. Like my FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/DonyaLynne
  3. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonyaLynne

Share the Amazon buy link on Facebook: http://www.amazon.com/Return-Assassin-All-Kings-Men-ebook/dp/B00G7WGTDC/ref=cm_rdp_product

Then come back and paste the link to where you shared!

5. Giveaway runs from November 7 to November 15, 2013

6. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL.

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Two Grand Prizes will be given away at the end of the tour, drawing to be held on Christmas Day (Merry Christmas!).

Rafflecopter giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!!

The first name drawn will have their choice of the following two prizes, and the second name drawn will receive the other. The two prizes are valued at $210 each and include:

Grand Prize #1: Coach bag and a $50 Amazon gift card
Grand Prize #2: The newest version of the Kindle Paper White, leather cover (winner’s choice of color), and an AKM blanket.

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the author.

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blog tour schedule

DATE

BLOG

11/4/2013

GraveTells

11/4/2013

Talk Supe

11/5/2013

Pimpin’ Reads

11/5/2013

Obsession is a Book

11/6/2013

I Smell Sheep

11/7/2013

The Reading Cafe

11/8/2013

Reading Between the Wines Book Club

11/9/2013

The Jeep Diva

11/11/2013

Confessions of a Book Heaux

11/12/2013

Book Addict Mumma

11/13/2013

Mad Hatter Reads

11/14/2013

Read-Love-Blog

11/15/2013

Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

11/18/2013

Paranormal Book Club

11/19/2013

Romance Book Craze

11/20/2013

Love of Bookends

11/21/2013

Book Lovin’ Mamas

11/22/2013

Page Flipperz

11/25/2013

Ramblings from this Chick

11/26/2013

Books-n-Kisses

12/1/2013

The Pen Muse

12/2/2013

My Secret Romance Book Reviews

12/3/2013

Close Encounters with the Night Kind

12/3/2013

Cocktails and Books

12/4/2013

Smut Book Junkie

12/5/2013

Dark Desire’s Book Blog

12/6/2013

Satin Sheets Romance

12/9/2013

Lisa T Jung – Read Me

12/10/2013

Night Owl Reviews

12/11/2013

Smexy Books

12/12/2013

Lisa Bilbrey

12/13/2013

Feisty Girls Book Blog

12/15/2013

Morning After a Good Book

12/16/2013

Author’s Corner Blog

12/17/2013

Book Junky Girls

12/18/2013

Alexx Mom Cat’s Gateway Book Blog

12/19/2013

Author Connie Rhinehart

 

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