Tag Archives: New Release Reviews 2016

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Posted on by
30

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Snap I, Vampire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2016

Maxie Gwenoch, LA-based media star, VP for International Planning for the multi-national gossip conglomerate, SNAP, has finally agreed to marry Jean-Louis Kandesky, a 500-year-old Hungarian vampire a leader of the family that owns SNAP.

Is marriage a big change? Not as big as the fact that Maxie is now a vampire, as well. When munitions from the Kandesky Enterprises weapons plant in Slovakia turn up at the bombing of a Royal’s house in England, Jean-Louis and his “brother,” Nik, are hot on the trail of shadowy terrorist groups dealing in international weapons sales. Are the Kandesky arms being sold to terrorists groups? Should Maxie use her new-found vampire strengths to ferret out the scum?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: I Vampire, is book nine of the SNAP series by Michele Drier. This is Maxie’s story of being the newest member of the Kandesky vampire family.

We begin this tale on Maxie and Jean-Louis’s “honeymoon” in an exclusive and private chalet in the Alps. After days of mind-blowing sex, snow-filled views, peace and quiet out couple is ready to head back to reality and their very busy, albeit luxurious, lives. Maxi only a little unsure of herself, due to sometimes forgetting that her life has changed so drastically.

Jazz and Nik greet them at their Kiev home and we’re off on adventure. Author Drier uses recent headlines around the world and current issues to build an adventurous and exciting storyline. Terrorists have bombed the home of a British noble (a bit removed from the throne line…but royal none the less).

The casings found at the scene have implications for Kandesky Munitions, a huge problem for the family. This begins a story of intrigue, danger, and Kandesky style shopping for our girls, Maxi and Jazz.

With her usual and talented flair, we’re taken through plots, subplots, and things unseen. An exciting run through many exotic places as they draw out and eliminate the threats to the family. Along with all this adventure is a slow thread of romantic interest for Jazz and Nik; Maxi remembering her and Jean-Louis’s road to bliss.

If you haven’t started this series, you have some catching up to do…get started! If you’re a fan of this series, it’s another thrilling and imaginative exploit into this world. A great read, I had to stop what I was doing until I finished it! Enjoy everyone, I love this series!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Guest post-White and Red

Staying interested

Writing a series is both fun and nerve-wracking.

Fun because you get to spend time with people you love and know well.

Nerve-wracking because those people have to be growing, changing, finding themselves in new situations with new challenges.

When I sat down to write SNAP: I, Vampire, I knew the main theme of the book was Maxie’s first few weeks or months as a vampire. She’d given up all she ever craved in the regular world—sun, days at the beach, food—to be with Jean-Louis in everlasting life and love.

In the world of the Kandeskys, things change. Not the Kandeskys themselves, they’re 500-or-so- year-old Hungarian vampires. For them, their days…and nights…have a continuity and sameness, safe and predictable. But because they chose centuries ago to live in the world of regulars, they face challenges they must adapt to or lose their family.

They’ve overcome their ancient enemies, the Huszar vampire family; threats from Chechen thugs who want to take over SNAP, the family’s cornerstone property, and outwitted forays from Bulgarians, Russian oligarchs and Azerbaijanis.

Now, one of their other properties, Kandesky Munitions, the Czech factories that Nik is responsible for, have been implicated in a bomb explosion at the house of one of the British Royals. Torn from their idyllic, and sex-saturated, honeymoon on the top of an Alp, Jean-Louis and Maxie must unravel the threats from a group of terrorists. ISIS? Al Qaeda? A wholly new unnamed group? Who knows.

In tracking down the thugs and arms dealers, Jean-Louis and Nik fill the cells in the basement of Jean-Louis’ Kiev house with low-level scum and fun and mayhem ensue.

I’m a news junkie, and all interesting and weird bits of trivia from around the world are grist.

I have a file (a pile?) of small pieces of paper, sticky-notes, print-outs I’m intrigued with. Every so often some of them make it into a book. This time, it was terrorist threats, from articles on the international arms trade.

The Kandeskys live in the rarified atmosphere of the world’s superrich. The possibilities of kidnapping, secret trade agreements and working with shady arms merchants are always their cost of doing business.

And terrorist groups from the Middle East and Eastern Europe are just the latest news.

Stay tuned. There will be more.

About The Author

 

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

Michele DrierMichele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was named one of the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by reviewers of the Paranormal Romance Guild. SNAP: All That Jazz, Book Eight of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was awarded second place for best book of 2014.

The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles include SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights and SNAP: All That Jazz. SNAP: I, Vampire, Book Nine in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles is scheduled for publication in 2015.

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 of SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Share

Dawn of Forever (Jack and Jill #3) by Jewel E. Ann-Review & Book Tour

Posted on by
8

DAWN OF FOREVER (Jack and Jill #3) by Jewel E Ann-Review & Book Tour

 

Dawn of Forever
Jack and Jill #3
by Jewel E Ann
Genre: adult, contemporary romantic, suspense
Release Date: February 18, 2016

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / ibooks

About the book: Release date February 18, 2016

**The conclusion to the Jack & Jill series. This is not a standalone novel.

’til death do us part.

Aric James Monaghan promised Jillian Knight Portland. With a heavy heart and a light bag, she travels to the West Coast for the man she loved. In a blink her worlds collide, holding her hostage to a past filled with lies, deceit, and revenge.

Four Caskets
Two Bodies
It all started with a boy and a girl—their tragic love story is shared through the eyes of the enemy.

Every word fades dreams and shatters memories as life slips away. Jillian needs a Knight, Jessica needs a miracle, and together they need a savior.

*WARNING : This book contains explicit language, sexual content, and abusive scenarios that could be a trigger for certain individuals.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: DAWN OF FOREVER is the third and final installment in Jewel E Ann’s contemporary, adult JACK AND JILL romantic, suspense series focusing on twins Jillian and Jackson Knight (aka Jessica and Jude Day). Their continuing story, in witness protection, alternates between the past and the present using reflection, memories, flashbacks and stories that change power dynamics in too many ways. DAWN OF FOREVER is not a standalone novel and should be read in series order.

NOTE: DAWN OF FOREVER contains scenes of graphic violence and abuse, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person points of view DAWN OF FOREVER is an imaginative, intelligent and psychotic thrill ride of betrayal, revenge, and an all-consuming love that will never die. Throughout the series we have been up front and center in the lives of twin siblings Jillian and Jackson Knight-in witness protection-following the death of their parents to an unknown assailant. Jessica and Jude Day prepared for the day they would have to run, and leaving behind everyone they knew meant giving up on a happily ever after including a happily ever after for now. Jessica left behind a grieving fiancé who was all but destroyed by the knowledge that he was never enough. Fast forward one year and Jillian’s identity is blown, and the ensuing battle finds our heroine struggling to survive, and her brother on the hunt for a final show down.

DAWN OF FOREVER looks at a love that has survived beyond death; that was never truly buried along with one’s heart or one’s soul; a love that never diminished even when the reality of everything that went down was revealed in a raw, ugly torment of black and white. The battle of one man tortured by his past; his need for revenge; and his unwavering determination to enact punishment where it rightfully belongs. We are privy to the stolen moments between lovers whose future is like the seeds of a dandelion-too fragile to withstand what nature has in store; and the rise of two siblings who have fought for their right to survive and take back what is rightfully their own.

Jewel E Ann’s JACK AND JILL series is a passionate series of romance and love; betrayal and revenge; victimization and surviving against the odds. The imagery is graphic and violent; the torment and humiliation are heartbreaking and real. DAWN OF FOREVER is an impassioned story from a truly remarkable author. Jewel E Ann’s soul depth analogy of emotional and physical heartbreak is a remarkable testament to her writing talent. An amazing and intimate storyline that will evoke a myriad of emotions and feelings from anyone who has the chance to read Jewel E Ann’s JACK AND JILL series.

Reading Order and previous reviews
End of Day
Middle of Knight
Dawn of Forever

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Excerpt

 

 

Tugging off her shirt, she smiled. Gone were the compression bras; she didn’t burn them, but they were hauled off with the trash shortly after the infamous refrigerator sex. Lace, satin, and underwire took their place.
“What you’re doing right now feels more intimate than anything you’ve ever done to me with your mouth.”
“We’ll see about that.” He wet his lips, eyeing her white lace bra. Approval glimmered in his eyes.
She removed the rest of her clothes, eager to be in his arms. He took a step back as she moved toward him.
“Stop.”
She froze. Her hands searched for a place to be: hanging idle at her sides, covering her breasts, shielding her neatly-shaven pussy?
“Repeat after me.”
“What?” Her voice squeaked with disbelief.
He grinned as his ego gobbled up her confidence. “I’m beautiful.”
Ryn squinted.
“Say it.”
She sighed. “I’m beautiful.”
“I’m taking back every bit of confidence that bastard took from me.”
It would never happen like that, but someone who hadn’t been in her shoes could never understand. However, she loved the naked man standing before her for saying it.
“I’m taking back every bit of confidence that bastard took from me.”
“I’m worthy of happiness.”
That one hit harder than it should have. She’d never given happiness much thought.
“Say it.”
“I’m … I’m worthy of happiness.”
“I’m going to marry Jackson Knight and love him in spite of his multiple fucked-up personalities.”
“Jackson—”
“Say it.” His voice carried a rare pain and vulnerability.
“I’m going to marry Jackson Knight…” she stepped closer and rested her hands on his chest “…and I’m going to love Every. Single. One. Of his fucked-up personalities.”
“I’ve had a shit day,” he whispered, brushing his thumb along her cheek. “Until now.”
She nodded slowly, then looked up at him. “I’ve had a shit life … until now.”
“Touch me,” he said.
“Where?”
“Everywhere. Make me feel human again.”

 

About the author

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Share

Power Play (Pilots Hockey #2) by Sophia Henry-a review

Posted on by
7

POWER PLAY (Pilots Hockey #2) by Sophia Henry-a review

Power Play

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 16, 2016

Beneath her innocent facade, Gabriella Bertucci has her reasons to be standoffish with guys. Especially guys like Landon Taylor, a star defenseman on the minor-league Detroit Pilots and the object of a serious crush since he first walked into her family’s market. But when Landon comes through for her in a moment of crisis, Gaby starts to wonder if there might be more to Landon than hard muscles and fast skates.

Landon isn’t afraid of telling Gaby that he’s got it for her bad. The problem is, she seems unwilling to believe it. And though Landon enjoys his reputation as a cool-headed athlete, he hates losing—both on the rink and off. It’s his competitiveness that makes him so damn good at what he does . . . but it also makes him just a little bit complicated.

One minute Gaby’s tempted to give in; the next, she’s getting cold feet. How can she trust a guy who’s destined for bigger and better things to stick around? Then again, when Landon pulls her close with those powerful arms, the only thing that matters is right now.

••••••

REVIEW: POWER PLAY is the second installment in Sophia Henry’s new adult, contemporary PILOTS HOCKEY romance series focusing on the members of the AHL Hockey team the Detroit Pilots. This is Pilots player Landon Taylor, and Gabriella Bertucci’s story line. POWER PLAY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from first person point of view (Gabriella) POWER PLAY follows the building relationship from friends to lovers of Landon Taylor and Gabriella Bertucci. Landon is a semi-pro hockey player whose star is about to rise; Gabriella is the only daughter of an Italian-American businessman who appears to have misplaced his faith in the wrong member of the family. What ensues is Landon’s attempts to woo the young woman he has loved for most of his life, and Gaby’s attempts get the recognition she deserves from the family she believes doesn’t know she exists.

POWER PLAY looks behind the scenes of a successful business family, and their attempts to protect the daughter they believe may be broken beyond repair. Gabriella has worked beside her father since she was a little girl but three years earlier our heroine faced the fight of her life. But to be honest, hockey and any ice time are secondary to the story line.

Landon Taylor comes from a well respected, and well to do family but believes he has been pushed aside to make way for the younger heirs. Landon has worked hard to achieve his success in hockey, and is hoping to one day make it to the NHL While his other teams members are called up to the big leagues, Landon bides his time playing one game at a time.

POWER PLAY is a sweet story but reads more like a young adult (YA) story line than a new adult romance. Most of the $ex scenes are implied or skim the surface. There are no graphic $ex scenes, or graphic sexual language. The leading characters, although 19 and 21+, act more like younger teens when it comes to their emotions and family interactions; for two people who have loved one another for years, I did not feel the emotional need or connection. The use of ‘hoes’ and ‘buck bunnies’ is reflective of the YA nature of the story-many adults would walk away without a backwards glance. And the heroines continued need to deny her friendship with the leading hero pushed one too many of my buttons. If it were not for the ages of the leading characters ( and one slightly sexual love scene) I would think this series would be more successful in the YA category.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Wild Game / Wild Love (Wilding Pack Wolves 1-2) by Alisa Woods-Reviews & Interview

Posted on by
8

Wild Game / Wild Love (Wilding Pack Wolves 1-2) by Alisa Woods-Reviews & Interview

Wilding Pack Series

••••••••••••••

Wild GameWILD GAME
(Wilding Pack Wolves #1)
by Alisa Woods
Genre: adult, contemporary,paranormal, romance, wolf shifters

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 152016

Her pack is being hunted. He’s a bodyguard with a secret. The Wolf Hunter is targeting them both.
GAME ON.

Owen Harding hasn’t shifted since he was in Agent Smith’s experimental cages—the only thing this ex-Army Texas boy is afraid of is what kind of beast he’s become. But with a hate group issuing more threats against the Wilding pack than you can shake a stick at, Owen’s doing what he can as a personal bodyguard. If only the Wilding girl he’s tasked with keeping alive wasn’t so damn sexy… and completely off limits.

Nova Wilding’s father was assassinated, leaving her a gaming company to run, a new game to release, and a pack full of wolves who want her for a mate… including a beta who’s determined to have Nova and her company. Choosing someone outside the pack will tear it apart, but Nova can’t stop watching the hot shifter who’s keeping watch over her.

When Nova barely escapes an attempt on her life, she finds herself in Owen’s arms… but her sexy new bodyguard is absolutely the wrong man at the wrong time. While Nova fights to keep her father’s business afloat, and Owen fights to keep her alive, the Wolf Hunter is playing a dangerous new game that might destroy them both.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW : WILD GAME is the first installment in Alisa Woods’s adult, contemporary WILDING PACK WOLVES paranormal romance series-a spin off from her River Pack Wolves Series. This is former soldier and shifter Owen Harding, and computer game developer /wolf shifter Nova Wilding’s story line. WILD GAME can be read as a stand alone with out any difficulty although it is recommended to read the River Pack Wolves Series first for some background and history into the characters and their stories. Some of the characters cross over between the two series.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Owen and Nova) WILD GAME focuses on the threats against Nova Wilding by the ‘Wolf Hunter’ who has chosen to destroy and out all of the shifters starting with the Wilding Wolf Pack using Nova’s latest release into the video gaming world. Enter Owen Harding- a former US soldier who months earlier found himself a prisoner of his own kind and used for experimental purposes to create a team of the world’s greatest super soldiers (River Wolves Series). What ensues is the hunt for the people responsible for the threats against Nova and her Pack, and the building but forbidden relationship between Nova and the man who guards her body and her heart.

The romance between Nova and Owen begins as a professional business arrangement. Owen is hired as Nova’s personal body guard, and his inner wolf is drawn to his latest assignment from the very start. When Nova is forced to pledge submission to another wolf in order to saver her company, Owen believes he has lost the woman he loves not only to another male but from the unknown possibility of what he now has become. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense. Owen is a bit of a ‘beast’ in the bedroom.

Many of the secondary and supporting characters have crossed over from Alisa Woods’s RIVER PACK WOLVES series. We are introduced to Owen’s competition and adversary, in the form of wolf shifter and alpha Brad Hoffman whose attempts to woo Nova are not necessarily with the purest of intents; and Wilding Pack wolf Noah Wilding whose own story continues in WILD LOVE (book #2).

WILD GAME is a fast paced, entertaining and suspense filled romantic story line. There are moments of heartbreak and betrayal; romance and love; intrigue and magic. The premise is addicting; the characters are inspiring; the romance is spirited and seductive. WILD GAME is an intoxicating look at the supernatural world of the shifters.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

__________________________

Wild LoveWILD LOVE
(Wilding Pack Wolves #2)
by Alisa Woods
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal, romance, wolf shifters

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

About the book: Release Date January 2, 2016

SWIPE RIGHT FOR WILDLOVE!

She programs a dating app for shifters.

He’s an ex-Army shifter with a dark secret.

The human and shifter worlds are about to collide…

Noah Wilding’s family is being targeted by an anti-shifter hate group—so he took a medical leave from the Army to return home and help out. At least, that’s the story he’s told everyone… and he hopes his dark secret will stay buried in Afghanistan.

Emily Jones is the lead programmer for WildLove, the new app that hooks up shifters and humans for a night of hot sex and no commitments. Only she hasn’t had a date herself in years… ever since that dark day when her family didn’t protect her when she needed them most. She figures one magical night with a hot wolf will help her finally move on with her life.

When Noah swipes right for Emily, she thinks her dream one-night-stand is about to come true. But with a hate group planting car bombs during WildLove hookups, Noah and Emily are on the front lines of love. They have to hunt down a killer before he strikes again… and before they do more than heat up the sheets. Because humans and shifters might get “Wild for a Night”… but they’re not supposed to fall in love.

WILD LOVE is a complete novel with HEA, the second in the Wilding Pack Wolves series. All stories are standalone, but for maximum reader enjoyment, they’re best read in order. Contains scorching hot shifters, alpha military heroes, and sexy female programmers. Only readers over 18 should dive into the dangerously hot world of the Wilding Pack Wolves.

•••••••••

REVIEW: WILD LOVE is the second installment in Alisa Woods’s contemporary WILDING PACK WOLVES paranormal, romance series. This is wolf shifter Noah Wilding, and human computer programmer Emily Jones’s story line. WILD LOVE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and back story I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Noah and Emily) WILD LOVE follows the investigation into that attack against shifters during WildLove hookups coordinated through the new Seattle Shifters Dating Agency. Emily Jones is a programmer for the new dating app WildLove, and one of their potential clients. Emily is a bit of a shifter fan; a woman who is determined to forget about her past and hook up with a shifter from the Seattle area. But a number of recent hookups through the new app have resulted in serious injuries and car bombs intent on taking down any and all shifters. Enter Noah Wilding, a US army soldier on leave, who places himself in harms way to take down the person(s) responsible for the attacks against the Seattle shifters.

Noah is a shifter with secrets from the war. Along with his fellow soldier Owen Harding (Wild Game) Noah was held in captivity in Afghanistan by Noah’s father who experimented upon his own son, and Noah’s comrades in the US army. Noah is no longer the same shifter he was born to be, but something more magical with power from an unknown source.

The relationship between Noah and Emily is one of insta-lust that quickly turns to fated mates. Although Emily is human, and Noah has been warned off of mating with a human female, our hero cannot deny the attraction and pull towards Emily Jones. The $ex scenes are erotic, romantic and seductive.

Several of the previous story line characters play secondary and supporting roles included Owen Harding and Nova Wilding, and several members of the River Pack Wolves who were first introduced in the RIVER PACK WOLVES series. The requisite evil is an unknown player from the anti-shifter hate group who is determined to destroy the shifters-once and for all.

WILD LOVE is an intimate, captivating and impassioned story line about shifters and the discrimination they face in the world of man. The premise is intense; the characters are exotic and charismatic; the romance is a quick build to a happily ever after-sometimes love is magical. Alisa Woods invites you into a world of passion and intrigue; determination and hope; romance and love.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview white:black

TRC: Hi Alisa and welcome to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the release of WILD LOVE and WILD GAME.

Alisa: Thank you!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Alisa: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter /

Alisa: I’m a married woman with children who writes sexy romances from the corner of my livingroom in the Midwest. Alisa is actually a penname, so I’m not super open about my personal-life details, but suffice to say, I *adore* writing these sexy romances, and I’m so glad I started almost a year and a half ago with this genre. It really lets me unleash a side of my writerly self that I don’t get to use in my “other” writing.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Alisa: All the brave authors who put their writing out there and GO FOR IT with their stories.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your stories?

Alisa: My biggest challenge is balancing life and writing – I’ve got so many stories I want to tell, it’s really hard to get them all written while still having a life with my kids! But I’m getting better at it. 🙂

TRC: Would you please tell us something about :

Wilding Pack Series

Alisa: Wild Game: I had so much fun with this story – not only is it steeped in Gamer Culture, but it’s also got a sexy Texas accent in our hunky shifter Owen. I had great fun playing with that!

Alisa: Wild Love: This is another one that brought in some fun technology stuff – WildLove is a dating app for humans and shifters to “hook up”. The story revolves around the app developer and the sexy shifter who’s investigating an anti-shifter bomber, but I keep thinking I’d love to bring the WildLove app back for another story. So many possibilities there! I’ve had readers say they wished that WildLove was a real-life app!! I have to say, I agree. 🙂

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

Alisa: Originally, five. I’m writing the fourth one now, and I’m debating whether we might need a sixth book in the series. There’s a certain character that might need his own story… I’ll decide once I get this one written. 🙂

Wild HeatTRC: Do you have a release date for Wild Heat-book three in the series?

Alisa: I’ve uploaded it! WILD HEAT should be live by the time this interview goes to press! In general, I’m shooting for a new release on the first Monday of every month. This month was delayed a bit because I had a big sale on Jaxson, the first book in the River Pack Wolves series.

TRC: How do you keep the plot(s) unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Alisa: I always have an outline so I know where the story is going, but I also explore as I write – sometimes the story surprises me! I think that helps keep it surprising for the reader as well.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic, and erotica in many of today’s popular contemporary fiction. What do you believe accounts for the differences between the sub-genres in today’s romantic stories?

Alisa: I think of my stories as sexy romance – they’re doors-wide-open with the sex scenes, but those scenes are always integral to the evolution of the romance. In fact, that’s often how my characters discover their true feelings and become willing to open up to their partner – intimacy has a way of doing that, opening our hearts as we share our bodies with another person. So my “erotic romance” is really very sweet in a way. I think that’s the main difference between my sexy shifter romances and some of the harder-edged erotica that’s out there – erotica is more about the character’s sexual awakening/exploration. Romance, even the ones with open-door, explicit sex, have the emotional part of human relationships at its core.

TRC: Who or what was your inspiration to write paranormal romantic suspense?

Alisa: Funny, I don’t think of it as suspense! But of course it is – I have almost thriller-like elements in my paranormal romances. These are just the stories I like to write, but I also think that people/characters are revealed by the situations and choices they have to make. I like high-stakes plots that force people to make hard choices… and that reveal who they really are in that crucible. And when that series of life events brings a romantic pair together… all the better.

And it’s just fun. 🙂

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Alisa: Absolutely. Cover always conveys genre (or at least it should). My covers are always sexy (because my stories are), plus it helps draw in the type of readers who will enjoy them.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Alisa: I’m always in charge, but sometimes they still surprise me!

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Alisa: The challenge is to have the reader bond with the character – and given that readers come in all flavors, it’s almost impossible to have a character that everyone will love! But that being said, I think creating characters with depth that feel like real human beings is key. We are all empathetic creatures – if the character feels real to us, we’ll want them to succeed… and find love!

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Alisa: No – I need silence! Even the cats annoy me. 🙂

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Alisa: I’m pretty much my own idea generator, but sometimes I “research” among friends and family. My kid is big into gaming, so I asked him some questions about the field when I was writing Wild Game. But mostly I’m on my own.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Alisa: That we’re glamorous! Um… no. Really, really no. I’m doing good to get out of my PJs most days.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Alisa: That Alisa is a penname? Yup, that’s probably it.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Alisa: Wild One (Wilding Pack 4)! Just started. SO EXCITED – we’ll be looking at shifter gangs in this one.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Alisa: Thanks so much for sharing my books with your readers!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – baked potato; weird, I know.

Favorite Dessert – chocolate cake!

Favorite TV Show – I pretty much don’t watch TV.

Last Movie You Saw – Star Wars!

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk

Secret Celebrity Crush – I pretty much don’t crush on celebrities either. But if
pressed… Joseph Gorden Levitt. Because YUM.

Last Vacation Destination – I don’t vacation either (man, I am Booorrringgg!!).

Do you have any pets? Two demons in the form of cats.

Last book you read
I’m reading Hard To Let Go by Laura Kaye – soooo good!

TRC: Thank you Alisa for taking the time to answer our questions, Congratulations on the
release of WILD LOVE and WILD GAME.

Alisa: Thank you!!

Share

Adore (Spiral of Bliss #4) by Nina Lane-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

Posted on by
8

Adore (Spiral of Bliss #4) by Nina Lane-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

adore-blogtour

ADORE
Spiral of Bliss #4
by Nina Lane
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: February 9, 2016

Adore

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / ibooks / KOBO /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 9, 2016

Liv and Dean West have always fallen together, but this time they might fall apart…

Liv and Dean have everything…almost. With a rambunctious toddler, crazy work schedules, and too many responsibilities, they’ve lost sight of their passionate, intimate marriage. And Professor West is none too happy about that.

Determined to lure his wife into hot new adventures, Dean struggles with his need to have Liv all to himself and the reality of sharing her with the world.

Then he gets an opportunity that could change their lives…and Liv is faced with the prospect of her white knight going places where she can’t follow.

•••••

REVIEW: ADORE is the fourth full length installment in Nina Lane’s contemporary, adult SPIRAL OF BLISS erotic romance series focusing on Professor Dean West and the love of his life-his Beauty- Liv West. Their continuing story advances the series approximately two years following the birth of their son Nicholas (Arrive 3.5). ADORE can be read as a stand alone but for backstory and history I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Dean and Liv) ADORE looks at the fall out of a relationship that has been put on hold while life and everything it has to offer continues to move forward. Liv’s life in the small community of Mirror Lake finds our heroine stretched between home, work and all of the volunteer positions to which she cannot say no. Meanwhile, Dean is offered a prestigious position on the other side of the world, and Liv is unable to see past the disruption to their lives. But when her relationship with her husband is threatened Liv knows that sacrifices will have to be made before everything spirals out of control-and the spiraling has begun.

The relationship between Liv and Dean is sensual, erotic, intense and arousing. Dean is a man who is determined to bring back the sexy into their marriage, and in doing so discovers that Liv has been missing her husband as well. There is no question that Dean is in love with his wife; his actions, and professions of love are the ultimate in romantic fantasy. But things go from bad to worse when promises are broken, and Liv finds herself on the outside looking in when all h*ll breaks loose for Liv’s business and partnership enterprise. The $ex scenes are provocative and sensual-Dean adds a little bit of rejuvenation to their bedroom love making.

We revisit with Dean’s brother Archer,  -> click  BREAK THE SKY<- and the woman he loves (Dean’s best friend) Kelsey. Archer is looking for something more permanent in his life, but Kelsey is afraid that to change the status quo means a change in the wrong direction. Let’s hope Nina has something more in mind for Kelsey and Archer.

ADORE is a story line steeped in the reality of every day life: the struggles, the issues, the compromises; and the promises we keep but find ourselves flailing in the absoluteness of what is or was meant to be. Liv and Dean’s love for one another is tested by determination and the essence of what is being offered, and the possibility that a new future is about to unfold. ADORE is heartbreakingly dramatic; emotionally enthralling; and transcends the romantic heart in all of us.

SPIRAL OF BLISS series
1. Arouse
2. Allure
3. Awaken
3.5 Arrive
Adore

Copy supplied by the tour promoter

Reviewed by Sandy

 

about the author

Connect with Nina: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.

Did you know newsletter subscribers have access to ARRIVE, a free novella written by Nina Lane? Find out more and subscribe to   NEWSLETTER  on her website!

 

Rafflecopter giveaway

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ink Slinger

Share

Healing Love (Love to the Extreme #4) by Abby Niles-a review

Posted on by
10

HEALING LOVE (Love to the Extreme #4) by Abby Niles-a review

Healing Love

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 15, 2016

Doctor Ella Watts wants her old life back. Desperately. But the past has returned for its rematch, and going back home—even telling anyone her real name—isn’t an option until she’s confident in her MMA abilities. Personal trainer Lance Black is the man to help her reach her goals. Not only is he toned, muscular, and gorgeous, he’s patient, a great teacher, and willing to treat her like a worthy opponent. Except his size makes her freeze whenever he gets too close. If Ella can’t learn how to overcome her fear of being attacked, she’ll never be able to move on with her life.

Underground fighter Lance Black knows there’s more to the mysterious blonde ninja than a beautiful woman determined to improve her fighting skills. She can best anyone close to her size – man or woman – but insists on working out with him, even though he’s got a good 70 pounds and several inches on her. Despite her reticence, he’s determined to get her to open up so he can help her get over her mental block. And if that means he can get to know her outside the gym, all the better.

As long as she never learns his secrets.

••••••

REVIEW: HEALING LOVE is the fourth installment in Abby Niles’s contemporary, adult LOVE TO THE EXTREME romance series focusing on the men and women of the MMA. This is underground MMA fighter Lance Black, and Dr. Ella (Kelsey) Watts’s story line. HEALING LOVE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ella and Lance) HEALING LOVE focuses on secrets, revenge, and taking back control. Ella is on the run and is hoping to remain hidden in plain sight. She is a strong woman who is hoping for some training time to improve her skills in the event that her past come looking for revenge. Enter Lance Black, a personal trainer and underground MMA fighter who takes on our heroine in the fight of their lives. What ensues is a building relationship between two people based upon a series of lies, omissions, and dark and dangerous pasts. Lance is a man caught between right and wrong; Ella is a woman caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The relationship between Lance and Ella begins accidentally when Ella steps in to save a man she knows nothing about. Three against one found Lance in trouble but rescued by a woman-a total stranger-did nothing to improve his attitude about everything that had gone wrong. Lance found himself spiraling out of control, and now Ella had been caught in the whirlwind of destruction. The $ex scenes are erotic, intimate and hot.

HEALING LOVE is a story about impulsive actions; impassioned need; and startling awareness about heartbreak and need. Our hero is a man whose past sins have caught up with his present; our heroine is a woman trying to survive one day at a time. The premise is encouraging but oft-times tragic; the characters are dynamic but it would have been nice to learn a little more detail about our leading hero; the romance is a struggle to a happily ever after-no one comes away unscathed or unharmed.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Beyond the Stars by Stacy Wise-a review

Posted on by
7

BEYOND THE STARS by Stacy Wise-a review

Beyond the Stars

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 8, 2016

Falling for him wasn’t in the plans…

Most girls would kill for the opportunity to work for Jack McAlister, Hollywood’s hottest actor, but twenty-one-year-old Jessica Beckett is ready to kick him out of her red Ford Fiesta and never look back. She should be spending her junior year in France, eating pastries and sharpening her foreign language skills. Instead she’s reluctantly working as Jack’s personal assistant, thanks to her powerhouse talent agent aunt.

Jack is private, prickly, and downright condescending. Jessica pushes his buttons—she’s not the type of girl to swoon over celebrity heartthrobs, precisely why her aunt thought she’d be perfect for the job—and Jack pushes right back.

But as she begins to peel away his layers, Jessica is shocked to find she craves her boss’s easy smile and sexy blue eyes. The problem is, so does the entire female population. And what started out as the job from hell soon has Jess wondering if a guy like Jack could ever find love with a regular girl like her.

•••••••

REVIEW: BEYOND THE STARS by Stacy Wise is a stand-alone, contemporary, new adult story line focusing on Hollywood actor Jack McAlister, and his personal assistant twenty one year old Jessica Beckett.

Told from first person point of view (Jessica Beckett) BEYOND THE STARS follows Jessica as she is thrown into the world of Hollywood movie stars, paparazzi, and the jealousy that comes with success, and the friendships made along the way. Jessica’s aunt Marnie is a Hollywood agent, and her biggest client is a man whose personal life and schedule are a mess. Enter Jessica, who is on leave of absence from college, and in desperate need of a job. What ensues is a building relationship between Jess and Jack, and Jack’s need to protect himself and Jess from the media hell.

BEYOND THE STARS is a sweet story line that focuses on the not so private life of a big time Hollywood star, and the woman with whom he will fall in love. The relationship between Jessica and Jack begins as professional, leading to friendship then love. The $ex scenes are implied and fade to black.

As to the tone of the story line BEYOND THE STARS reads more like a young adult (YA) story: there is no $ex and the slow build to love is more anticipatory due to the lack of physical fireworks; the requisite evil is a jealous friend who tries to make Jessica’s life miserable; and the story line conflict is easily over come leading to a happily ever after.

If you like your romance story lines ‘clean’ and far removed from sexually graphic, then BEYOND THE STARS is the perfect read. I would have no problem recommending the novel to young teens or adult readers.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Pierre by Primula Bond-a review

Posted on by
7

PIERRE by Primula Bond-a review

Pierre

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 28, 2016

Pierre Levi fears that the hit and run which nearly killed him was the only thing capable of stopping his destructive behaviour. Now he’s torn between his desire for reconciliation with his brother, Gustav, and his attraction to Serena, Gustav’s girlfriend.

When Rosa Cavalieri, a nurse at the exclusive Aura Clinic, meets the traumatised Pierre Levi in room 202 she is determined to get him back on his feet.
She is rehabilitating her own broken heart too while he is distrustful of himself and everyone around him. When their playful teasing moves into fantasy, game-playing and genuine attraction, Rosa realises she is falling for Pierre.

But the recovery that Rosa has worked so hard to achieve for Pierre is also beginning to pull them apart. And if Pierre cannot see that Rosa’s talents make her the perfect match for him, he’ll lose her for good.

••••

REVIEW: PIERRE is the sequel story line to Primula Bond’s contemporary, adult THE SILVER CHAIN erotic, romance trilogy. Leading man Pierre Levi is the younger and much troubled brother of Gustav Levi-the dark and dangerous hero from The Silver Chain trilogy, and Pierre is recovering from an horrific accident that has left him in a continuing care facility dependent upon others for all of his needs. Enter nursing aide/carer Rosa Cavalieri-the woman who will nurse Pierre back to health, and break down the barriers he has erected around his heart. PIERRE can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion, backstory, and the heartbreaking history between Gustav and Pierre, I recommend reading The Silver Chain trilogy before attempting Pierre.

Told from first person point of view (Rosa) PIERRE focuses on the rehabilitation of Pierre’s mind, body and soul following a near fatal accident that wasn’t an accident-at all. Pierre’s reputation in the world of entertainment, and his rocky relationship with his brother precedes his introduction to our leading heroine (and the clinic staff) but Rosa sees something behind the beautiful façade of the broken man, and she is willing to risk everything to help in become the man –he should have been.

PIERRE is a passionate and seductive story of romance with sexually graphic text and language, as well as some flirtation with F/F sexual scenarios. Gustav and Serena (The Silver Chain Series) play a small cameo role, as well as Serena’s best friend Polly who has a history with the younger Levi brother. The premise is a sensual and emotional tale about a man who believes he will never be good enough. The characters are exquisite, intense and consuming; the romance is impassioned- full of anguish, and full of hope. The sexual tension is palpable and energetic. Primula Bond turns a tragic character into a beloved man.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

Share