I'm not dead, I've just been reading...

Hello, hello!

Every time I come here, I find myself having to clarify that I'm still alive and kicking.  Mmmm....  One needs to work on one's time management.  Or, stop working.  I know which I'd prefer.

I know which one Sparky would prefer....

It's been a little nuts here, what with Christmas coming, Anarchy slamming his thumb in a door and requiring plastic surgery, Faith going on camp, and getting gastro, and Love turning nine.

Mental, I tells ya!  I'm at peak performance when only one thing at a time is happening in my life.

BUT, I do love Christmas.  The fun, the food, the joy, the wine, the ... balls.

http://www.mhfa.com.au/cms/latest-news/christmas-balls-final-2/

Christmas seemed to come late to Casa Lock this year, so I've been watching this over and over, to get in the swing of things.  So much fabulous.  My data bill is through the wazoo, but totes worth it.

And because I've been buying myself eBooks for Christmas (I know it's not Christmas yet.  Hush yo' mouth), There've been NEW BOOKS!

I've been rounding up our SARA reads at www.romancesa.blogspot.com, and here's my offering for that column, x-posted.

Emmeline Lock

I also picked up Rough Diamond, and just finished it last night.  Phew-ee! Somebody say, "Adventurous ROLLER COASTER with GOOD LAUGHS and HOT LERV"?  Couldn't put it down.  Yes, Ms Ledson.  I am a little weary today.  But I don't regret a moment!

I agree, Carla, it's a funny, quippy read that doesn't belabour the relationship between Erica and Jack, even though life throws all kinds of rotten tomatoes their way.   Check out Sandra O'Grady's thoughts on this book here.  

The ending did leave me a bit wanting, until I rationalised the whole "Um, Emmeline, dude, there's another book," thing.  Then, I felt that the ending was very well done, and felt that Jack was some kind of GOD.  Oh, yum.

Looking forward to Monkey Business, the next book.  And not just because I want more Jack.  Well, maybe not only because I want more Jack... 


Speaking of awesome Aussie writers...  Here's a few I've been mowing through like Christmas chocolates...

The Kissing Season - Rachel Johns.

I do love to read Ms Johns, and this 100-page book does nothing to tarnish my girl-crush.  

A gorgeous hero (with an accent!), a feisty heroine, a small-town feel and and Aussie Christmas!  What more could a reader want?!

Rubies and Black Velvet - Denise Rossetti

I'm a big fan of Rossetti's Four-Sided Pentacle series (Loved The Flame and the Shadow!), and this novella, which falls at #1.5,  brings us all the mystique and sultry heat of those books.

Once again, the hero, John, was a work of art.  He was perfect.  Completely sigh-worthy.  

A curse, a delectable hero, a strong heroine, well-woven fantasy and a number of beautifully-done erotic scenes.  Win!  

Originally published in Unlaced in 2008, it stands alone well, and is a well-worth a holiday read.  

Bravo, Ms Rossetti!


Speaking of gorgeous novellas, I've also had a few more crackers that I've taken off of the top of the TBR and devoured...


Starstruck in Seattle - Juliet Madison

An adorable, funny, quick read that left me wanting more Juliet Madison!

Which led me to...

I Dream of Johnny!

I would have bought this for the title and cover alone, but on the back of a surge of Juliet love, this one was awesome.  A very cute, uplifting read.  





Finally, allow me to share with you one final book that I have recently read and loved...

Catch of the Day - Carla Caruso

Isn't that just THE prettiest cover you have seen for eons?  Our summer (ha!) has started off very cold, and made me kinda depressed.  But fear not, one look at this cover and I was cured!  The colours, the water, the floppy hat and the little heart ... isn't it just perfect!?
  
Now, Ms Caruso is fully aware of my girl-crush on her (I may or may not have done some gushing over CITYGLITTER here.) and it's only marginally embarrassing for us both.   

I would happily wear a lifetime of  weird silences and cleared throats, if I could read gems such as this.  

Set in Kingston SE, this is a wonderful coming-home story (I do love those, especially when high-flying women pack up their stilettos...).  It has a number of my favourite things--a mysterious hero, a heroine who knows what she wants and doesn't dally about decision making, crystal-blue waters, small-town heart ... and crayfish!  Heaven!

Do yourself a favour, hit the beach with this great book.  NOW!

And what is really cool is that every author featured today is AUSTRALIAN!  I KNOW!  Awesome, RIGHT?  

Oi, oi, oi!


Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you on the flipside!

Em xx

Things I love...

I've had one of those days where I spend a lot of time saying, "Gee, I LIKED that!"  Wanna hear what has made me happy today?

Regardless, I'll tell you.  :)

1)  Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series.  Oh, woo.  

I finished reading KISS OF SNOW at 2am just this morning,  which is book ten in the series.  I have definite faves, but I can GUARANTEE I will be reading the whole lot again.  I like the Angel's Consort series.  BUT I LERV the Psy/Changeling lot.  The world-building is awesome, the characterisation is marvellous, the conflicts are real, the heroes are smokin' hot and the heroines are kick-ass.

I spent much time thinking, "How the heck is Ms Singh going to get X out of this one?" and I just adore that!  The first book, SLAVE TO SENSATION is excellent, and I thought it couldn't get much better.  Then I read CARESSED BY ICE, and KISS OF SNOW.  *Happy sigh*

If you like Gena Showalter, JR Ward & Kresley Cole, you're going to love the Psy/Changelings.

Speaking of which, I've just caught up on Gena Showalter's ALIEN HUNTRESS series.  Also, chock-full-of-rocking-awesome.   I'm totally nailing my yearly Goodreads target with these rip-snorters.

Which brings me to...


2)  My Kindle app on the iDevices.
I can read new books (well, as soon as they are available in Australia, thank you very much GEOGRAPHIC RESTRICTIONS!) immediately.  Yay.  Like KISS OF SNOW.  As soon as it comes out.  All kinds of awesome.


3)  Opera for Mac
Opera is a browser, like Safari, but its quicker.  And aside from saving images (I'm discovering as I construct this post), it's better.  Get it at the desktop app store for Mac.


4)  Moourl.  
It's a very cute URL shortener.  Easy and cute.  What more could you ask?


5) Red vegetable curry.
What?  It was lunch.  It had CASHEWS in it.  Nom nom.


6) SARA news - check!  
I did a mammother SARA News  (kudos to me for not throwing stuff when I was NEARLY DONE and something had a shitefit and I LOST THE LOT, requiring me to start AGAIN!  The upside of which is, I now know where the 'save draft' button is).  Go and have a look - new releases, preorders, a flashfic link and my wardrobe suggestions for Contest Queen, Bec Sampson!

7) Twitter love.  
Still feeling valued, even as I sit in my cold, empty (ish, there are some kids here) house.   Even if I only tweet about my cashew-infested lunch of curry.  Or maybe because of.

8) My scales love me.
I hit a weight loss goal this morning.  Or, rather, re-hit.  Nuance.  Whatevs.

9) Tangled, The Movie
SOOO cute!  Not even slightly massively annoying.

10)  My new boots.
They're black, spiked, fabric with a turnover cuff at the ankle.  They have BUTTONS.  They're goth meets steampunk and I heart them.  When I master walking in them, I'll wear them in public.

11) Tonight there will be time...
to WRITE!  I'm way behind on my target for the week (and last!).  Sorry Rach & Anna!  Buut, I'm so UP today, it'll be FINE!

Wishing you much happy!  E x

Stoopidness and Mountains.

Life has been zipping past at warp speed lately--the most noticeable thing is that since we hit winter (seven days ago) it's sodding freezing here.  I am currently wrapped in a doona.

I downloaded some eBooks this week.  The May Nocturne Bites, Michele Hauf's HALO HUNTER and Mel Teshco's ICE-COLD LOVER, which is the second book in the Winged and Dangerous series.  I reviewed Mel's Bites HER DARK LORD a while back, and am really looking forward to this new release.  If I can stop looking at the cover.  How pretty is it?

I'm currently fiddling with MkIV edits of DARK SIREN.  I swear, I get dafter with each pass, but I am pushing through.  It's times like this I feel like a just started this writing caper last week, not nine years ago.  So much to learn!

Anna and Rach have been absolute GEMS when it comes to critiquing for me, if I've gotten any better as a writer over the last year, the credit has to be mostly theirs.  

I love having two CP's--lots of the time, they pick up on the same things, which are must-fixes.  But every now and then, and especially now that we're into small niggles with the WIP, they disagree, which I find fascinating.  It's a reminder that you don't have to please everybody (and really, it's an unrealistic expectation), but if you just happen to appeal to the editor you're targeting, you're in your way. 

I've been looking over motivational writing stuff this last week during a particularly bad "I'm sooo STOOPID!" stretch, looking for something, and I re-visited Chiron O'Keefe's motivational/inspirational blog.  Anna had pointed Rach and me to this last time we had a dull spot *hehe*, and I think Chiron is quite wonderful.  I thought this bit was about me at the moment:

Here's the thing. Published writers don't have a special key to unlock the doorway to success. They simply knocked longer and harder until someone opened the gosh-darn door and let them in.

Another thing to consider… The journey is damn important. I know the thought of being published is the dangling carrot that keeps our mulish self plodding forward, one page at a time. But I believe writing is more than a means to an end. I believe writing is an act of self-discovery. Each page you write is a testament to your strength, your courage and your perseverance.

"Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance." –Samuel Johnson

While much credence is given to those who can do everything from Dance With The Stars to Surviving on Creepy, Crawly Bugs in this Reality-Show driven decade, few of those characters could ever accomplish what we do. We Write Books. This is our mountain. Every time we complete another novel, we are planting a flag. Visualize those flags fluttering in the breeze and feel a tingle of pride because We Are Writers. Damn, but we're lucky.

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." ~Sir Edmund Hillary 

Thus, I pick up Captain Pink and I keep going.  I feel lucky because I KNOW I'm learning and getting better.  I can see that myself.  It keeps me going, because at some point, I am going to have learned enough to write something that an editor wants to publish.

I PROMISE MYSELF THAT.  

And I promise Rach and Anna, because they've done the hard yards with me.  It's funny, but in ways, I keep going because I don't want to let them down after they've ploughed through at least three of my WIPs.  And ploughed is the word.  Or trudged.  Hacked with razor-sharp machetes?  

So, how's the mountain-conquering going for you?

If you write, what do you do when you get stuck/morbid?  What works to keep you scaling that mountain?  

Take care, Em x

A Review - "Wind Kissed, Fire Bound" - Anna Hackett, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, September 2009

It's no secret that I'm an Anna Hackett fan. I know, she's my writing buddy, but that don't mean I don't think she rocks.
Her stories are consistently well-written, the premises great and the tension between the characters is beautifully portrayed. In EVERY BOOK she has published, or slated therefore.
She's just the goods.
WIND KISSED, FIRE BOUND is no different.

THE BLURB:

As Keeper of the Winds, Livia Cavalli needed to focus her power on keeping the evil Tempest Winds trapped in their island prison. What she doesn't need is to be distracted by sexy horse trainer Rafe Donovan. Three hundred years ago, Livia became an immortal Keeper to numb her emotions, but Rafe arouses her in a way she hasn't felt for centuries. For Rafe, Livia is a challenge he longs to solveand take to bed. Once she's in his arms, their desire is overwhelming. But when his own powers reveal Livia's secret pain, he realizes taking her body isn't enough - he wants to heal her soul, too...

Emmeline's TAKE:

This is, I think, my favourite Hackett hero. Rafe is a sexy horse trainer (in my head, he was dressed in a well-stressed pair of long-legged Levis, but I don't think that was actually mentioned...). If you can see the cover from here - he looks EXACTLY like that! Bless you, cover gods.
Livia Cavalli is a strong, centered woman who takes her job very seriously - that being a Keeper of the malevolent Tempest Winds (I KNOW, cool storyline!). If she gets distracted, they bust out, wreaking their havoc on four corners of the earth. She is in control, a career woman if you will, without being the slightest bit sexless.
Of course, they sooo want to jump each other, but really shouldn't. For a few reasons, the least of which being that she's got a job to do.
With extra conflicts woven in, Hackett's story is a tight, compelling quick read. You WILL want more.
This is also the first book in the WindKeepers Series. Book 2, TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND is coming out in October from Silhouette Nocturne.
Although these are quite comfortable reads alone, reading this one first would set the stage.

Keep an eye out for more Anna Hackett...

REVIEW: "Wild, Tethered, Bound" Stephanie Draven, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, August 2009.

I really enjoyed Stephanie Draven's first Bites MIDNIGHT MEDUSA. So much so, that I made a comment (at the Silhouette Authors Blog) about Renata in that story being one of my favourite Nocturne heroines. Stephanie then asked me what I thought of her newest release, WILD, TETHERED, BOUND.



A lot of the comments that stand for this current story would also stick for MEDUSA, which is a testament to Draven's consistency.

From Stephanie's Goodreads Profile:

Lieutenant NICK LEANDROS is a battle-hardened American soldier who thinks he’s seen everything. But nothing prepared him for the horrors he encounters when he’s separated from his patrol in a dark Afghani forest. What he sees there fractures him–body and soul. Split into three separate men with three savage wills, he struggles to tame the cunning creatures and hold them inside. His only hope of salvation is DESSA, an ancient dryad who lost her Heart Tree on that war-ravaged day. Without a forest to guard, Dessa is bound to Nick by mystic forces and she alone understands the nature of the chimera that he’s become. She also knows that Nick is the only man who can give her the child she’s longed for and the only man who can ensure the future of her country. But the cruelest, most lustful, part of him demands her submission as the price for his help and with her powers waning every day, time is running out for Dessa to save the last forests of Afghanistan…and to heal the man she’s come to love.

This is the offical blurb:

While most dryads had abandoned their woods to live amongst mortals, Dessa continued to guard her forest in Afghanistan and waited for a man to eat the fruit of her heart-tree and become her mate. But when her tree is destroyed, Dessa tries to live in the mortal world--where she is reunited with Lt. Nick Leandros, the soldier who once ate the nuts from her tree and now struggles with the trauma that turned him into a Chimera with the ability to split into three different bodies.
Dessa longs to help Nick and save her lands--but to do so, she will need Nick to giver her a dryad child....

Emmeline's TAKE:

I enjoyed this book a lot. As with Draven's first Bites, MIDNIGHT MEDUSA, this is an intelligent and well-written story. It is refreshing to read Bites that stray from the norm of weres or vamps, and this one links current affairs that people are (or should be!) aware about with a challenging love story. I just love Draven's application of mythical creatures to things that are happenign in our time.
The conflicts and emotions were real and believable, the premise was clever and well-thought out. I enjoyed the characters, particularly the hero, Nick, although the heroine (Dessa) was also very appealing, earthy and deep.
I felt that the relationship between the tortured, resolute hero and the mythical, strong heroine could have been explored a little more, but I understand that these Bites don't allow much room for movement.
I'd love to see a full-length from this author, where the relationships could be more detailed and the build-up of sexual tension more developed, because the rest of her story rocked. :)

Thanks for the chance to read it, Stephanie!

REVIEW: "Aequitas I: Betrayal" by acMason, Lyrical Press 2009 and where the hell have I been?

You might ask of me. I've been limiting my computer time, or spending it more wisely (or not).
It's going oookay...

WORKING ON: Desire Deep Blue, paranormal short.
READING: The Devil Wears Prada, on audio, ever. so. slowly. Just finished AEQUITAS I: Betrayal, by ac Mason. See below for the REVIEW.
FEELING: Torched, man. I worked yesterday (I know, most of you work EVERY day! Well, I'm crap at that...)
LAST SONG: Don't know what it's called - The Letter, mebbe? Hoobastank and Amorosi.
WALK COUNT: Last week was great, this week is um..., 1 of 4. Um. EDIT: Caught up quick, now 4/4. Yay me...



I read ac Mason's, AEQUITAS I: Betrayal. I won this, and promised I'd review it. It is planned as part of a trilogy, and currently Mason is working on part 2 - Punishment.

Here's Mason on Mason:
Facts about me Born: Dec 15 Where: New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada About me: I can’t live without hats, boots and coats.
At the age of nine, a.c.Mason made up a zombie story at summer camp. It scared the other kids so much that the camp counselor called her parents asking them to ensure she never did such a dreadful thing again. From this, she learned the power of storytelling, and the seed of the author was planted.
A youth filled with dichotomies and moving from place to place produced a young French brown woman with a curiosity to explore through writing the seedy side of our nature and desires. Add to that her fascination with theology, horror, and erotica and her love for politics and history and her unique voice surfaced.
She wrote off and on since her early teens as a hobby and for friends. Her work has always converged with other worldly ideas and creatures; ghosts, vampires, witches, warlocks and mystics of all kinds. She enjoys delving into the realms of the unknown and blurring the caution lines.
a.c.Mason is fluent in French and English. She’s an avid traveler, including most of Canada, both of the United States seaboards, England and Europe. Her studies were in the computer field. She advocates the preservation of our natural and cultural riches for future generations.
Take a journey with her characters and come face to face with what lays beneath their illusions. Emerge…on the other side changed.

AEQUITAS 1: Betrayal is Mason's debut, it came out with Lyrical Press in June. Mason calls it a paranormal thriller.

Here's the blurb:

The Aequitas, part angel and demon, have kept the balance between the forces of good and evil -- until now. When Etienne Grant is kidnapped and transformed into an Aequitas, marriage to Auria is the only thing that will save his soul. Auria is a beautiful but efficient Aequitas, a General who wants nothing to do with love. A former lover has plans to prevent any hope of happiness with her new husband, and after murdering his own best friend and forcing Auria to join his rebellion, the balance between good and evil spirals out of control. Can Etienne's tenderness melt Auria's cold heart and heal the pain of their secret pasts? Their very survival depends on it.


Emmeline's TAKE:

I must admit to a bit of trepidation as a write this. I am conscious that I have promised Mason a look! Being aware though, that everyone has a right to their opinions and authors know this, and that I need to write what is right for me, I plow on...

I thought that Mason's world building was great (if you've read here before, I'm a fan of a good world), the premise and concept behind the Aequitas - the angel/demons - was interesting and challenging. I enjoyed the opening, not dissimilar to your every day urban Nocturne setting. Then the hero takes the heroine's hand and it's bye-bye to things you know.

The sexual tension between Etienne and Auria (pretty names...), was excellent, if drawn out beyond my preference. It was complex, tightly written and I found few, if any I recall, errors or typos (being an anal type, they whisk me out of the story and make me remember my washing...).

I originally asked Mason if I could have the book in .pdf file, in order to read it on my laptop, but found I just wasn't picking it up. So, I transferred it to a pdf reader on the phone, which handles big files, but is clunky to use. I definitely think that this has also coloured my reading experience. I actually got a little lost. It got too complex for my wee brain. I find this if I read some of the Sherrilyn Kenyon's or a Mercedes Lackey tome, so maybe it's really a good thing for Mason's book. Heh.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the change (not saying no more than that!) in Etienne threw me. I couldn't pick up the thread again. It is a good book, and worth a read if you come across it, particularly if you like them cross-threaded and multi-faceted.

Having given that slightly-warmer-than-luke-warm-review, here's one that I came across. As I say, different person, different values, different opinion. It might work stunningly for you:

http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-aequitas-1-betrayal-by-ac-mason.html

It's also worth a look at Mason's webbie, and her recent comments on RWA.

Until next time.

Oooh, and check my Ecstasy Unveiled countdown doodad. Noice.

A Review - "Savage Dragon" Anna Hackett - Silhouette Nocturne Bites 2009

The wait is over.

Anna Hackett's debut novella is SELLING NOW.

I think I was the second person, like, IN THE WORLD to buy this eBook presale. *Famous*

I read it and I loved it. And not just because Anna is my writing friend. The idea of a critique partner/group is to let you know if your work is sucky. It's our job. We will also tell you which parts of your work, well...work.

This latter part applies to all of SAVAGE DRAGON. I didn't read it before buying it - I have read Anna's work since. She submitted this one before we 'met'.

Here's the blurb:

Description
They call him the Savage Dragon: Rordan Sarkany, knight of the Order of the Dragon, charged with tracking and destroying those who let their dragon blood turn them into beasts. In the wilds of Hungary, Rordan hunts one such creature—along with fellow warrior Kira Bethlen.
Both Rordan and his inner dragon desire Kira...and she can't resist Rordan's dangerous allure. But even if she succumbs to their attraction, can she ever forgive him for slaying her beloved brother?

They say this at eHQN:

If you like this book, then you'll love...
The Vision by Heather Graham
Raintree by Linda Howard
Enchantment & Bridge of Dreams by Christina Skye

Not a bad list, eh? I know that Howard is one of Anna's faves. Must be a great feeling to be compared to one of your must-reads.

My take:

Rordan and Kira are tracking the same wild - a person with dragon blood who has turned, and lost most of their humanity. They are both Knights of the Order of the Dragon , and have a history, but ever since Rordan killed Kira's wild brother, she won't forgive him. So - the fight's on. And not only the fight to take down this new wild - but they're both fighting their rekindled attraction...

She'd thought her brother could be saved - Rordan knows he was too far gone. They agree to find the wild together - so long as they stay out of each other's way.

When they are trapped by the rogue dragon inside it's rockface lair, they both come to realise that they might have been wrong. Rordan starts to wonder if perhaps wilds can be saved, and Kira, hurt in the fight, realises that the wilds are not going to return to their original form.

Rordan is crushed under a rockfall, and... I'm stopping there!

Suffice it to say, there is some VHS (Very Hot Sex), while they are trapped alone in a cave.

Anna has a beautifully consistent writing style and voice - the temperate, even flow of her stories makes for strong, kick-ass heroines and equally appealing, self-aware men. There are no low-points, she carries the movement of the piece right through to the end.

Her world building is complex and well-researched, and she thinks of everything. Conflict, background, emotion - it's all there. Not once are we left wondering about character motivation.

So. You need to go out and get yourself this book.

Start a collection, because there WILL be more Hackett to come...

The first novella (one I have read... yay, me! I loved her hero in it) of her WindKeepers Series - WIND KISSED, FIRE BOUND, comes out in September for Nocturne Bites. The second WindKeeper story will be released in October and is called TAKEN BY THE SOUTH WIND, (Again, great hero, and excellent story) has recently been given the go-ahead. And the winds come from the four corners of the earth, so you'd imagine there's windy weather ahead.... :)

Here are the links you'll need to start your Hackett online shrine (like mine - hee):

Anna's website
Anna's Blog, Midnight Confessions
The link to eHarlequin, where you can buy SAVAGE DRAGON

Go on, get at the forefront of the wave for this exciting new paranormal romance author. If I run my hands over my crystal ball - I can see great things in the future of Anna Hackett...

E x

A Review - PLEASURE UNBOUND Demonica, Book 1 - Larissa Ione (Hachette Forever 2008) Read and then go buy SAVAGE DRAGON. Thanks.

Larissa Ione can come sit at my place on my *I Love* shelf beside my effigies of Michele Hauf, Christine Feehan, and my shiny new one of Anna Hackett. :)

I love her stuff.

The Demonica Series is a Very Big Thing.

Check some of the comments I've found...

“Very dark, very sexy, and very creative. Ione’s Demonica series will have the most jaded paranormal fans perking up!” –Emma Holly, USA Today bestselling author of DEMON’S FIRE
“What a ride! Dark, sexy and very intriguing, this book gripped me from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!” –Nalini Singh, NYT bestselling author of MINE TO POSSESS
“A heroine with attitude and a hot-blooded demon make for a dangerously erotic, wonderfully satisfying read. Ione knows how to make your blood boil and your heart race as you devour each and every page.” —Cheyenne McCray, New York Times bestselling author of DARK MAGIC

Yep, I reckon so, too... Not too shabby, eh?

I was thinking about what makes a memorable, appealing hero in paranormal stories. One of the unpubbed pieces I judged recently had a yummy hero - but he was just too, ah..., nice.

I like bad boys, but I do like them to have some kind of conscience. Enter Eidolon, hero of PLEASURE UNBOUND. He's bad (check - he's a scorching hot Seminus demon, ), he's responsible (check - he runs Underworld General, demon hospital), but he's okay to break the rules (check - falling in love with the woman who wants to kill him and all of his demonic buddies).

Check this, from FB:

Emily just took the "Which Demonica Brother Is Yours?" quiz and the result is Eidolon.
Eidolon is logical, loyal, and highly intelligent. He's extremely patient, with a dry sense of humor and a cool, calm manner that is hard to ruffle. Once he's ruffled, however, he's lethal, with few regrets once he takes action. As a doctor, his work ethic borders on obsessive, and if he were an RPG character, he'd be Lawful Neutral. He loves rules, but is willing to bend them for those he loves. Once he has given his loyalty, it is for life. Don't cross him.

Eidolon's mine? Deal.

But I will share with Tayla Mancuso, Aegis demon-slayer. Mainly because she could kick my spongy a$$ from here to the outer reaches of space. Another excellent, strong Ione heroine.

I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again... Ione's world building is just fantastic. Her characters are complex, sexy and confronting and her storytelling is mesmerising.

There's a very titillating (always wanted to use that word...) hospital bed scene. You'll know it when you get to it :)

My writing buddy, Anna Hackett (whom one must mention because her Nocturne Silhouette Bites SAVAGE DRAGON is out in a matter of hours! Yippeedoo!), read this book, after hearing us talk about it at Embrace the Shadows (a great blog/yahoo group for PR readers/authors), and then promptly had to go and get the next two on her Kindle and read those. Put her 50K in 30 days in some jeopardy! But of course, because she has a will of steel, she will do it. :)

I'm yet to read Book 3, PASSION UNLEASHED, Wraith's story. He's an interesting character. More bad than good. I am dying to read it. Might follow Anna's example and get it eBook... This is how much I can't wait.

So here's the blurb for PLEASURE UNBOUND Demonica Series Book 1, by Larissa Ione:
Someone is killing demons–someone other than the Aegis demon slayers, anyway. Now Eidolon, a doctor at Underworld General as well as a demon whose instincts to mate are growing stronger, must pair up with a sexy Aegis Guardian named Tayla Mancuso to learn the truth behind the killings. But Tayla has her own agenda. Her assignment is to find a way to destroy Underworld General. When she falls for Eidolon, who has shown her erotic pleasures she’d never dreamed of, she must face the horrors of her past and choose between becoming one of the very creatures she’s hunted–or death.

Finished reading? Great. Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed. Now, hit the link up there and go get yourself some Anna Hackett...

PS - Went to the post office today and found a package of books that the gorgeous Michele Hauf had sent me. We did a trade - one Aussie KISS ME DEADLY for one of her choice. And she sent me three of her US releases. Three. All signed and cool stuff like that! *Bliss*. I <3 Michele Hauf. Will review after Anna's. And acMason's. Phew.

A Review - 'Desire Unchained' Demonica Book 2 (Hatchette Livre, 2009) - Larissa Ione

I have to thank Nocturne Bites Author, Barbara J Hancock, for bringing this fabulous author to my attention. I would have got to her eventually, but I'm grateful to Barbara for hastening the process! I won this book off Barbara's blog when she first started it. And she mailed it all the way to Oz. Awww!

Loved it. Super premise, fabulous characters, complex plot, wonderful worldbuilding.
And my fave: Hot, Hot, HOT! They have to have sex, like, all the time... It's very nicely done heat, too. Demon love should probably rate fairly high in ick factor, but it soooo didn't.
This is actually Book 2, but it's okay, I read Book 1 later (yay, again!) and I'll review that soon-ish. If you're up for hot paranormal with smokin' hot men (aka demons) and some very tight conflict and worlds, get these books, asap.

Others in the series include: Pleasure Unbound (Book 1) and Passion Unleashed (Book 3).
The cover blurb:

Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .
Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.
A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever.
As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts-or succumb to a madman's evil plans.

A Review - "Midnight Cravings" - The first Bites Anthology

AUTHOR/S: Michele Hauf, Karen Whiddon, Lori Devoti, Anna Leonard (Laura Anne Gilman), Vivi Anna, Bonnie Vanak
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Books – Silhouette Nocturne
YEAR: 2009
Pp:297
A COLLECTION OF SIX SEXY BITES
Michele Hauf – RACING THE MOON
Karen Whiddon – MATE OF THE WOLF
Lori Devoti – CAPTURED
Anna Leonard – DREAMCATCHER
Vivi Anna – MAHINA’S STORM
Bonnie Vanak – BROKEN SOULS

Even though I’ve read all of these novellas as ebooks – I’ve made it my mission to buy every Nocturne Bites released thus far – I was delighted to read them again as the first ever Silhouette Nocturne Bites six-pack anthology. The ebook wave is something I’ve embraced with enthusiasm. I mean, what’s not to like? But I still think there’s something homey about holding a print book.

This collection of authors, I understand, are all published and well-known in the Silhouette Nocturne (full-length) books.

RACING THE MOON – Michele Hauf
Sunday, a tomboy motor mechanic and feline familiar, chances upon Dean Maverick and his broken-down truck just before a storm. The sexual attraction is immediate and rampant, on her part and his.

Dean, a werewolf, is keen to get home before the midnight and the full moon. But he’s also chuffed that fate has landed him with such a hot piece – at exactly the right time. He needs sex to keep the wolf at bay.
Sunday quite likes sex. Usually, so do her partners. It’s the thing that happens after that makes them run. Being a familiar, she forms a bridge for demons to enter the mortal realm. Ah, when she climaxes. Sometimes, the demons are just confused and want to go home. More often, they are malevolent and go on a killing spree.

So, while she is sorely tempted to take what Dean is offering, she can’t control what happens after – not having had enough sex to practice her skills.

I’ll try to not to spoil too much.

I adored Dean – I love most of Hauf’s characters – he’s fun, sexy, caring and solid. Sunday was cool – hot and self-assured.

I first read Hauf’s work when I bought Seraphim (LUNA), years ago. Nothing I have read of Hauf’s since has done anything to dull my girl-crush.

It’s a great read; fluid, consistent, seamless, real and fun

MATE OF THE WOLF – Karen Whiddon.
I haven’t read many full Nocturnes – something I intend to remedy – thus, I don’t know much about Whiddon’s Pack books.

Allison Berg, a werewolf, approached the hottest man she has ever seen, hoping to ‘dog’, that he is her blind date. She slips on a beer glass and wakes later in hospital.

Kane Webster, Englishman and vampire, wants the woman who has fallen at his feet more than he has wanted anyone for centuries.

Their mutual attraction is going well, until she works out he’s a vamp.

When Kane is pursued by a long-time bounty-hunter, will she turn him in or save him?

I liked this book. Liked it, sure. It was a fun story, about a party girl and a dependable, sexy vamp. I think I need to read the rest of them.

CAPTURED – Lori Devoti
This one was deep and emotional. I enjoyed it much more on the second read-through.

Gray Barsk, hellhound (forandre & shifter), wakes to find himself in a cell with a very irate female hound.

Leve will not lose another child to the market. So when the new male arrives – his job to impregnate her – she will kill him first.

But she underestimates this hound.

The Svartalfar (dark elves) who captured him, fill the cell with synthetic pheromones, in order to throw the pair together and precipitate the act that will provide the dark elves with the hound baby to sell.

Impressed by and attracted to each other, they form a plan to escape and take the other prisoners with them.

This one started with a very dark topic – the theft of babies – and initially I found it tough to jump from that to the consensual sex that follows soon after.

I did like the characters, though. Cool names…

A great premise that would have been better devoted to a longer novel, but it was still a good read. IMHO! I will look for more Devoti.

DREAM CATCHER – Anna Leonard (Laura Anne Gilman)

Speaking of deep, this one escaped me completely first time around.

I suspect I read too quickly.

Emma has convinced herself she has CFS. In truth, something is killing her from the inside.

A virtual invalid, her family hires her a nurse. Matthew. A very sexy, compassionate male nurse.

He seems to be healing her, but then also seems to be hurting her. She’s tired of people expecting things from her she can’t always give - will she find a way to save both herself and Matthew?

Will Emma give in, or will she fight? If she does fight, is she fighting him, or something else?

Anchored in Native American legend, this story had an ephemeral quality to it. I did enjoy it, but it lacks the pace of the other novellas. The sex is also toned down.

I did enjoy the twist in the conclusion, although it did make, for me, Matthew seem less manly.

It was well written, though.


MAHINA’S STORM – Vivi Anna

Lycan Mahina Garner is a captain of the Necropolis Police Department. Ren Calder is the detective she has worked with a number of times, and shared one drunken, but scorching kiss with.

Ren, also lycan, has wanted Mahina for years, but she’s never given him any indication that she hungers for anything but catching the bad guys.

This story is one of a number set in Anna’s world of Necropolis.

I liked the characterisation, but felt that the move from rock-hard police captain to smokin’ hot love machine was a bit of a jump. And it was hot.

I enjoyed Ren, though he had the capacity to be a bit love-lorn. I wondered why he held back from telling Mahina how he felt. Because she hadn’t given him any signals? I would like to think that the men I read about have enough gumption to overcome that.

I would read more Vivi Anna, because I did enjoy the story, it was well-written and engrossing.


BROKEN SOULS – Bonnie Vanak

This final story, again is one of many, I think. Vanak has created The Draicon, a race of werewolves. Their enemies are the Morphs, former Draicon who have gone bad.

Vanak says she once wondered about what happens to those Draicon whose lifemates have been murdered by the Morphs. So she wrote the story of Katia and Baylor, both of whom have suffered the loss of their destined lifemates . They are Broken Souls.

Baylor would like them to commit to each other, but Katia is unwilling until she knows the fate of her father, who disappeared after a Morph attack on their family home.

If her father is alive, she should return to his pack, not commit to another.

So, she weaves a blood/candle spell in order to find her father. A spell she is forbidden to cast. When her father arrives for her, Baylor is convinced he has turned Morph. Katia thinks that Baylor is just saying that so that she won’t go home to her father’s pack.

I felt like I jumped in the middle of this one – there were a lot of people living in the house where Katia and Baylor were, and they were all paired, or pairing off. There was history, and I missed it!

Katia was, for me, slightly annoying. If I was presented with a red-hot male – whom I loved by the way - saying, mate me now, I love you, I need you, I would not be answering with “Where’s my daddy?”. Na-uh. Give me smokin’ male over family dinners around the table any old day!

When Baylor is injured fighting her father – not that Katia believes it was daddy – Katia knows she needs to make a decision about her life.

While these were all great, short reads, Hauf was definitely my favourite, but I am pleased to have discovered more good authors. I intend to read more of these ladies’ full-length work.

All in all, me likey. I will absolutely be buying the next collection that comes out in October this year, with Bites from Lisa Renee Jones, Olivia Gates, Linda O Johnston, Barbara J Hancock (yay, Barbara!), Caridad Pineiro and Lydia Parks.