Into the Dark

by Gena Showalter

HQN Books, 2010

Paranormal

Release date: April 27, 2010

THE DARKEST FIRE Geryon is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. Kadence is the goddess of Oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords—and discover a passion unlike any other.

THE AMAZON’S CURSE Zane, a fierce vampire warrior, has been enslaved by the Amazons. Nola, a lovely Amazon soldier, has been cursed with invisibility. Now, these two stubborn enemies must overcome the pasts that haunt them and embrace a love that can set them free…

THE DARKEST PRISON Once, Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, was the Greek goddess Nike’s slave. Now, he is her master. And these sworn rivals destined to destroy each other will be forced to risk everything for a chance at love…

This publication is the re-issue of three short stories previously published elsewhere.

THE DARKEST FIRE is essentially a precursor to the popular Showalter series, THE LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD. Kadence, as the goddess of Oppression, was once responsible for keeping the worst demons of the underworld (known as The Lords of the Underworld) within the walls of Hell. It’s a long and lonely responsibility, that ends up threatening her very existence, until she bargains with Lucifer for Geryon’s soul so that she can team up with the red skinned, furred and horned monster who is appointed the Guardian of the gates of Hell.

THE AMAZON’S CURSE is a short story from Showalter’s ATLANTIS series, and appears to be from somewhere in the middle of the series. This is the story of the vampire Zane and an Amazon named Nola, who once had been held as a sort of gladiator for the amusement of the gods. When the gods finally release them, it is to place Nola to the Amazon encampment where she is bound, invisible and unheard, and has to watch Zane be worked and starved, as he is imprisoned there. Both come from horribly abusive backgrounds that they struggle to overcome and eventually they find each other and find they share a kindred spirit.

THE DARKEST PRISON is another short story from THE LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD, belonging somewhere in the middle of the series. In this the two personifications of strength from the Titan and Olympus Greek myths. Atlas, as the Titan, has been imprisoned in Tartarus for thousands of years, overseen by his jailer, Nike. He seduces her, trying to affect an escape, but Nike discovers his deceit and, exacts her revenge by carving her name across his chest so he’s forced to remember her. When this story begins, however, the tide has turned and the Titans have escaped and imprisoned the Olympians in turn. Now, Atlas is the jailer and paybacks are hell –he begins by tattooing his name across her back, and the battle of strength and affection begins anew.

Of the three stories, I was surprised to find THE DARKEST PRISON was my favorite. At first I was more than a little appalled that these characters took such hateful, disfiguring revenge upon each other, but as I read their story I began to understand that as the ultimate representation of physical strength, each of these characters value the strength in the other, even when it reveals the weakness in themselves. Perhaps their affection even builds because they are truly physically vulnerable only to the other. They each take pride in the brand the other has given to them, as they work to overcome the loyalties that they owe to their fellow deities versus the affection they feel for each other.

These short stories are a great intro to two fantastic series.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

Inside Out

by Maria V. Snyder

Harlequin, April,  2010

Young Adult, Science Fiction

Release date: April 1, 2010

I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I’ve got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

I don’t typically read Young Adult (YA) fiction. At least, not since I was a YA–which was longer ago than I care to think about. The last YA books I read were the Harry Potter series, and I started those to see what all of the fuss was about. They were fun, but somewhere in the middle of the series the angst just exhausted me, and I had to slog through the remainder of the series so I could find out how it all wrapped up. I’ve carefully avoided the Twilight series because I fear the angst will just smother me.

So, I began INSIDE OUT with much caution, but quickly found myself sucked into a compelling science fiction, coming of age story.

Trella, at seventeen, is part of a self-contained world of ruthlessly regimented space and time. Citizens of this world are divided into two classes–Uppers and Lowers –and the classes never, ever mix. The Lowers are the worker bees of the world, referred to as ‘scrubs’ because of their role as cleaners.  The Lowers live in cramped conditions, sleeping in shifts in massive barracks and working when they aren’t sleeping or eating. There is no recreation, no diversion in this society. The Lowers aren’t encouraged to think and aren’t even allowed to have a family –children are removed from their parents as newborns, collected and raised together by a Care Mother.

Trella hates her life as a Lower, and does everything that she can to escape the cramped and overcrowded living conditions on the lower levels. As a scrub responsible for cleaning the various water and air pipes, Trella uses the isolation of her job to distance herself from the scrub population –she even sleeps in remote corners of the piping systems. Trella is commonly known as the Queen of the Pipes, because there’s no corner she hasn’t explored, and because she’s also seen as a loaner by all except her one friend that she was raised with, Cogan.

When a new Prophet stirs up a false hope about the existence of the Gateway that offers escape to the Outside, and Cog appears about to become a dup to the tale, Trella decides to prove the Prophet wrong –and ends up setting into motion the opposite. Her forray to the Upper levels sets the Pop Cops (Population Police) after Trella, Cog and the Prophet in order to stop them.

This story is a fascinating exploration of what happens to a society when history is lost, propaganda is used to control large groups of people, the needs of society outweigh the needs of the individual, and a minority gains ultimate control over the majority. It’s a true exploration of awakening –both from the heroine’s point of view, as Trella learns that the scrubs are real, caring people that she’s been hiding from, and from the society’s standpoint, as the Lowers prove they’re not the mindless population they have always been portrayed (sheep is used extensively as a symbol).

And, best of all, Truella grows and evolves throughout this plot-driven story, discovering more about herself and the world around her than she ever suspected. And all of it is handled with bravery and courage. Not an ounce of angst to be found. There is much for a reader to discover about this world and its characters.

INSIDE OUT is a delightful read and I look forward to returning to this world when Ms. Snyder’s next novel, OUTSIDE IN, is release in the future.

Assessment: Highly Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) for review purposes via NetGalley.

Naughty Bits 2

by various Spice Briefs authors

HQN Books, 2010

Contemporary

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Naughty Bits 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the successful debut volume from the editors of SPICE BRIEFS, delivers nine unapologetically raunchy and romantic tales that promise to spark the libido.

In this collection of first-rate short erotic literature, lusty selections by such provocative authors as Megan Hart, Lillian Feisty, Saskia Walker and Portia Da Costa will pique, tease and satisfy any appetite, and prove that good things do come in small packages.

A wonderful collection of short erotic stories, Naughty Bits 2 delivers scorchingly hawt reads. Nine stories in all, each is as unique as the author and explores historical settings to contemporary, traditional male/female encounters to steamy menage a trois. The stories included in this anthology are:

• CHANCE OF A LIFETIME by Portia da Costa
• THE PRIESTESS by Gregg Robinson
• TAKEN by Michelle Scheibe
• FAVOR ME by Janesi Ash
• MEDUSA’S FOLLY by Paige Cuccaro
• PRIMAL INSTINCTS by Cathryn Fox and Lisa Renee Jones
• THIS IS WHAT I WANT by Megan Hart
• IMPROPER PLEASURE by Charlotte Featherstone
• CAUGHT IN THE ACT by Saskia Walker

I won’t get into the details of each story, so as not to spoil the quick, fun reads that they are, however there does seem to be something for just about everyone. This is a great way to get a quick boost to libido, too.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

No, this site was a place to experiment with the internet and social networking, a place to comment periodically on my journey to become a published author. At the time, I was new to the online romance community, still trying to figure out what and who and where romance-fiction-minded folk participated, and how I –severe introvert that I am –could lurk. And maybe participate. But mostly I wanted to learn from you wonderful folk.

I found some very entertaining and educational sites here in RomanceLand. And, to my surprise, I discovered that I wasn’t so very usual after all. My family likely still thinks that I am, but that’s a blog for another day.

Then I went to my first RWA conference last summer in Washington, DC. And the publishers and authors there gave me some wonderful new books. A LOT of wonderful new books. Since I’d been submersed in the writing world, I learned first and foremost how very important the marketing aspect of this business is. A surprising amount is driven by word of mouth. And online review.

So, I wanted to do my part to help authors promote their books. I like to read –a lot. And I now had all of these shiny new books. And a blog I didn’t post to often. After thirty years (shhh! I began reading as an infant, of course!) of reading romance, I had an opinion about what I read.  I frequently use the reviews of others to try new authors, so why not pay in forward, so to speak?

OK, so I decided to begin reviewing.  What, exactly, was the best way to review a book?  I could write an opinion piece, sure (I better be able to, if I think I’m a writer!) but how does one go about scoring books from a reader’s perspective?  Some blogs use a 5-star scale, others use a 100-point scale, and still others use the ole’ A-B-C-etc grading scale I remember form school. I considered each of them, and struggled with how to objectively rate a book using these scales. They seem so very… subjective.  Yes, yes, I realize all reviews are subjective, but who am I to judge a book an ‘A’  or a ‘C+’.  What makes it a ‘+’ and not a straight ‘C’? What makes a book a 3-star instead of a 4-star?

Then it dawned on me that what I’m really doing is simply sharing a recommendation about a book. And I realized that I could treat a book review on this blog just the way I would treat a book recommendation to a friend. I either recommended it or I didn’t. Easy-peasy!

So, when you read reviews on this site, you’ll find a pretty simple system of ratings:

Highly Recommended = I think folks really need to read this book.

Recommended = I liked it pretty well and would loan it to a friend.

Not For Me = I would not recommend the book to others.

That’s it.  I hope other readers find the reviews helpful!

What Isabella Desires

by Anne Mallory

Avon Books, 2007

Historical Romance

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Lady Isabella Willoughby has always been patient and proper. But secretly, scandalously, she longs to be wild—to wear daring gowns while dancing the night away. Above all, she craves one thing:  to be more than merely a “friend” to Marcus, the dashing, sinfully handsome Lord Roth.

Marcus has everything—power, prestige, wealth . . . enemies. He thrives on danger and lives life to the fullest knowing each day might be his last, for he carries a dark family secret which precipitates one simple rule—never fall in love. Especially not with dear Bella, who has, of late, transformed herself into a siren, bewitching every male she encounters with her newly unfettered sensuality. Marcus must not allow himself to be tempted—but his resolve is weakening by the minute.

For what Isabella desires, she is determined to get . . .

Isabella Willoughby has been in love with Lord Roth for a decade or longer, but he has always treated her as a dear friend. Now, a widow, Isabella is determined to change her demure ways and make a play for Marcus. She’s determined to catch his eye and turn their relationship to something more than friends –friends with benefits, to be precise, since she knows that Marcus isn’t interested in marrying. It seems charming and daring that this woman is going to take charge of her life and go for what she really wants.

Then there’s the focus of her affection. For his part, Marcus is willing to play along, once he becomes aware of Isabella’s interest. Not because he’s got any deep, long-suppressed feelings for Isabella, beyond friendly fondness. Nor because he’s discovered new feelings for her. Nope.  He decides to accept her offer to deepen their relationship, at first because he wants to pacify her, seeing as she’s lonely and just looking for a lover or something. When she proves she’s serious about her interest in him and begins to get irritated that he’s simply humoring her with mild courtesy and an occasional dance, he thinks about stepping up his game, if only to keep her from just looking elsewhere to satisfy an itch. When the evhil villhin (who’s pretty easy to figure out, cardboard character that he is) targets poor Isabella to get back at Marcus, well, he’s finally spurred into action and takes her to the seaside where things get physical. Does he tell her why they have to leave town so abruptly? Of course not. Don’t want her knowing what’s really going on, when he can just play on her feelings.

Sadly, things never seem to develop more emotionally between them. Marcus breaks things off with Isabella for personal reasons, that are never really resolved. Instead, he just changes his mind at the end because…. well, he just decides to.

I really wanted to like this story. I did like Isabella and her motivations. She came across as a realistic and motivated. And I felt by the end of the story that she deserved someone better than Marcus, someone who actually would grow and care deeply for her. Marcus never really seems to feel anything unique or to even long for Isabella, at least no more at the end than he did at the beginning.

Assessment: Not for me.

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as a promotional giveaway at the 2009 RWA National Convention.

Bride of the Wolf

by Susan Krinard

HQN Books, 2010

Historical Paranormal

Release date: March 1, 2010

Rachel Lyndon yearns to escape her scandalous past, but her dreams for a better life seem ruined after she buries her fiancé on the Texas plains.

Heath Renier has been evading the law by the skin of his teeth for years. Now he’s found a new identity as Holden Renshaw, foreman of Dog Creek Ranch. But the arrival of his boss’s mail-order bride, now a widow, upsets his fragile peace and threatens to expose his deadly secrets.

Rachel knows that the mysterious and savagely handsome Holden is the last man she should trust–especially once she’s seen glimpses of his true nature. When he’s suspected of killing his employer, she has a terrible choice to make. But the heat of his gaze ignites something seductive and irresistible within her. No matter how dangerous the road ahead, she’s determined to give him the one thing he’s never truly believed he deserves: her undying love.

As a mail-order bride, Rachel Lyndon feels she can forge a new life with respectable, sincere Jed MacCarrick who’s looking for a helpmate. She travels from Ohio with nothing but determination, only to find her fiance missing and a stranger trying to buy her off. Rachel heads for the ranch to get some answers. What she finds are two contrary men –Sean MacCarrick and Holden Renshaw –who are not only at odds with each other, but also put out by her appearance on the rance. Unwilling to be run off easily, Rachel declares she’s already married, so she can wait for Jed’s return and explanation.

Holden Renshaw is a man without a home, even at Dog Creek Ranch, though his work as a foreman there is valued and impeccable. Jed certainly trusts him more than he does his no-account nephew, Sean, but he also knows the truth about Holden’s past, which means Holden’s time at Dog Creek Ranch is limited. After Holden discovers Jed’s dead body, he suspects foul play and keeps the knowledge to himself. Afterall, he’s got a newborn son with no mother, and he’s gotta figure out how he’s going to see the boy settled. Thankfully, Rachel, who he suspects is lying about the marriage, is willing to care for the baby till he figures out what to do next.

Sean McCarrick’s determined to get rid of both of them so he can claim his uncle’s ranch and become the big-shot he believes himself to be. And he’s willing to do whatever is necessary to have his way. When a bounty hunter comes to town, looking for Heath Renier, Sean discovers that the best way to handle Holden is to reveal his true identity and watch him hang.

This story is a classic western with a twist –Holden Renshaw is a werewolf, so this story is also a paranormal. At first, I was afraid that would prove to be a bit gimmicky, but I was quite surprised by how the author handled this dynamic. The central story isn’t about a werewolf. Rather, the story is about a man who’s struggled to come to terms with and find a place in the world for himself because he is so very different from everyone else.  Holden grew up knowing he was abandoned by his mother, and he was abused by the people who fostered him.  Somehow, he managed to survive by thieving, killing when necessary, and generally carving out a solitary life for himself. The wolf is just one aspect of who this tough man is.

Rachel isn’t a meek woman, either, though she’s determined to find a place at Dog Creek Ranch. She’s lived a rough life of her own, made real-world mistakes and overcome some serious adversity. And she’s a survivor, too, who keeps her focus on her goals. No silly nonsensical antics like so many historical heroines offer. Even the romance is a steady build and development.

This is a refreshing historical romance with a strong plot and realistic characters. The paranormal story aspect flavors the story without running away with it . It also looks like we may see some future Renier-family werewolf stories.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

by Rachel Vincent

Mira, 2010, ISBN #978-0778327608

Urban Fantasy

Release date: March 1, 2010

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of an old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option….

Faythe Saunders is a werecat and an enforcer who’s tasked with protecting a new young female tabby, Kaci, who has joined their Pride. That protection is put to the test when thunderbirds swoop out of no where and attempt to abscond with Kaci. What at first appears to be a simple abduction turns into a full out attack by thunderbirds upon the werecats. The thunderbirds are out for vengeance for the recent murder of a young thunderbird, and they are convinced that this Pride of werecats is responsible.

As it turns out, the evil Alpha of a neighboring Pride has deliberately misled the thunderbirds, using the Flight as an unsuspecting tool to wipe out the Saunders Pride –with the exception of the females, of course, who are rare and coveted.

When the thunderbirds manage to seize both Faythe and Kaci, Faythe is able to negotiate a temporary cease-fire. All she has to do it make it from New Mexico to Kentucky and back with compelling proof of who really did kill the young thunderbird, and the attacks will stop.

When I began to read Shift, I didn’t at first realize that this was a later book in a series. After several cryptic references to things that had recently happened, it became apparent that I had started somewhere in the middle. For about 40 pages or so, I floundered in what was/what did happen without as much backstory as I would have liked, coupled with a bazillion characters. Since the attacks take place right in the middle of a big meeting, there are some 30 or more characters stomping in and out of scenes to add to the confusion. Some of the characters had too similar names, adding to the fun (for example: Kaci and Kai, Jake and Jace, etc).

After that, though, things settled in to a strong pace, with the author ratcheting up the tension scene after scene. There are some interesting things the author has to deal with in this story, including the differing social mores between the werecats and the thunderbirds.

Throughout the story, there is also a romantic triangle sub-plot between Faythe, her boyfriend Marc and another enforcer named Jace. Apparently in the last book, Faythe and Jace slept together, but at the beginning of Shift, neither has told Marc about the infidelity. So, we get to watch Faythe twist on the guilt-pike of her own making, trying to decide what to do about her conflicted feelings and how to break the news to Marc. Of course, Marc finds out at the wrong possible time and not from the person who should have told him. Faythe’s betrayal and lack of character in this sub-plot really disappointed me, especially when I’m told repeatedly throughout the book that Faythe is supposed to become the next Alpha of the Pride.

Which leads me to wonder –why, precisely, is Faythe supposed to be the next Alpha? Why would Faythe, a young and clearly reckless young woman, be identified and trained to be the Pride’s next leader? This is never explained and, frankly, the only thing that would make sense is if it’s a hereditary role. But since we know Faythe has brothers, and women are apparently very scarce in this society (it’s not a matriarchal society by any stretch of the imagination), why would they be ‘training’ her to be the next Alpha? I’m still wondering. Hopefully, this is explained in earlier books of the series, but it would have been nice to understand why during this reading.

All in all, once I got past what felt like an insufficient amount of backstory and mild disappointment in the main character, this was an enjoyable read. The author is talented and imaginative, and she has crafted a well-paced, tension-filled story.  This is a classic ‘race against the clock’ storyline, with a mostly satisfactory ending and strong set up for the 6th and, presumably, final book in the series called Alpha.

Assessment: Recommended

Notice: To comply FTC Guidelines, please be aware that this book was provided by the publisher as an ARC (advance reader’s copy) via NetGalley.

Click images to go to Amazon page.

Happy reading!

One of the most horrifying things that can happen to a writer is the loss of their work. And with the advent of easy and inexpensive electronic technology, it’s all too common to experience a major electronic failure, be it a computer hard drive, flash drive, USB drive or backup drive, the writer’s work is vulnerable if they haven’t taken adequate steps to protect their work.

I was reminded in one of the writer’s forums about how devastating and irreversible this type of loss can be. And amazed when many of the responses were along the lines of ‘a good writer will back up their work eleventy-times, just in case’. It’s good advice, but it’s useless because all it takes is a single time to skip the backup or forget to do it, and tragedy can strike. Life can, and does, get in the way.

So, how’s a writer to protect their work? On hopes and a dream? Hardly. Save that for your WIP!

I came across a lovely computer backup program the other day that can offer the data file backup assurance, along with ease of use. It’s called Dropbox. And, best of all, it’s FREE.

Dropbox works by backing up your computer files into the cloud (that great, mysterious new computing term that basically means it’s being saved remotely, on someone else’s server). It creates a new folder called ‘My Dropbox’ on your computer (Windows, Linux, Mac and even iPhone compatible!) and everything that you place in My Dropbox is automatically saved as a copy in the cloud. Think that’s neat?  You can also access those files in the cloud, from any other computer, anywhere in the world. How cool is that?

If you work on your stories on multiple computers, you can also install the software, so that any update made to the file on one is automatically synched with the files on your other computer.

No more remembering to back it up! No more keeping up with USB drives! No more worrying about hard drive failure. It’s all in the cloud!

Stop worrying about remembering to think about backing up your files. Safeguard them and know they’ll always be there waiting for you. Give Dropbox a try –the first 2GB are completely FREE. That’s a whole lot of novel backups!

If you decide to give it a try, please use the referral link below. Every referral earns users an extra 250MB of space on their Dropbox account!

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTQ3MDQ5NzQ5

First drafts are such a bear… but still making progress on this Nano2009 manuscript!