Excerpt: Fire of the Dragon by Lori Dillon

Fire of the Dragon
(Bestiary Series, #1)
By: Lori Dillon
Publisher: Amari Press
Published: April 21, 2013
Genre: Time Travel/Paranormal Romance

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A Maiden

Wrenched back in time through the magical power of an old dragon tapestry found in a vintage clothing store, Jill Donahue lands in an ancient medieval town where the villagers decide to sacrifice her to the local dragon. As if the threat of being eaten alive by a giant flying lizard isn't bad enough, she learns there’s a curse surrounding the tapestry and she has to break it in order to get back to her time. But she isn't the only one whose fate is tied to the ancient weaving...

A Dragon

Baelin of Gosforth is a valiant knight who has been cursed by a vindictive witch to live as a dragon for eleven months out of each year. Now he has thirty days to break the curse or he turns back into a fire-breathing beast and, as much as he hates to admit it, he needs Jill's help to do it.

And A Curse

Forced to face many challenges along the way—from the harsh world they travel through to the fiery passion they both try to deny—each is determined to break the curse so the other can get their happily-ever-after. And it just might work, if Jill can manage to overlook the fire-breathing, bat-winged remnants of Baelin's dragon half long enough to see the man beneath the beast and get the job done.

Relax. Just breathe and relax. If she concentrated, she might be able to untie the knots by feel. She closed her eyes, visualizing the rope binding her wrists, and wiggled her fingers until they touched a knot. Her arms and shoulders burned from that little bit of effort. How was she ever going to manage to get the knot loose?

Calm down, Jill. One thing at a time. Think positive. You can do this. 

She managed to wedge one fingertip under the knot, feeling her nail tear to the quick as she attempted to pry it loose. She concentrated harder, ignoring the pain in her arms and back. Yes! She felt some give in the rope. She was making progress. It was slow, but it was still progress. Unfortunately, at this rate it would be the middle of next week before she got herself loose.

Deep in concentration, at first she didn’t notice the drumming sound in the distance.
The wind. It had to be the wind.

Still, her heart rate sped up as her fingers began a frantic dance with the stubborn knot.

Concentrate on the rope. Don’t think about anything else but getting yourself untied. Struggling with the bindings, she tried to shut out the whoosh-whoosh drawing closer. Don’t look up. Whatever you do, do not look up. But she did, and the sight that met her eyes would have dropped her to her knees if she wasn’t still firmly tied to the stake.

Calm down. It’s just a bird. Some enormous bird making an awful lot of noise.

But as it drew nearer, she realized it was too big to be any kind of bird she’d ever seen.

Maybe it’s a plane. Yeah, that’s it. A plane…with big, flapping, bat-like wings.

Jill’s stomach plummeted as the thing soared closer, any hopes it might be Superman coming to her rescue dashed when she saw the long, reptilian tail trailing behind it. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. A giant, flying lizard swooped down through the clouds, heading straight for her.

Her mind screamed in silent denial as reality crashed in with a gut-churning jolt.

Holy shit! She really was being sacrificed to a dragon. 

 In a previous life, Lori worked as a graphic designer for fourteen years for the power company, occasionally venturing into nuclear power plants for her job (yes, nuclear plants need graphic designers, too). In her current existence, she weaves tales of the past, the present, and some places only magic can take you.

Lori lives in Virginia with her engineering geek/hero husband, two kids who test her sanity on a daily basis, a dog named Hokie (named after the Virginia Tech Hokies, of course), and various other critters of the furred and finned variety.

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Review: An Affair of Vengeance by Jamie Michele

An Affair of Vengeance
By: Jamie Michele
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Published: Nov. 6, 2012
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:


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Undercover CIA officer Evangeline Quill stalks Oliver McCrea for one reason: the handsome scoundrel can lead her to the untouchable shipping magnate who ordered her parents’ assassination. She doesn’t want to see the pain in his golden eyes. Compassion for an outlaw, however chivalrous he may be, won’t help her exact revenge on her nemesis.

But Evangeline is the first good thing that battle-weary McCrea has touched in five long years, and even though he knows he should evade her pursuit, he can’t bring himself to turn away from her. She reminds him of the man he used to be, a man he isn’t sure he can ever be again, not with the ugliness of the underworld slowly disintegrating his humanity.

The closer they get, the hotter their forbidden desire becomes, but they’ll need more than passion to escape a deadly trap set by the criminal mastermind who manipulates both their lives.

Evangeline has been undercover in France for over three years trying to track down the man who's responsible for killing her parents. While trying to gain access to the men who associate with Kral, she comes across a man who is looking to buy weapons for his boss through Kral's men. Evangeline decides to try and get close to McCrea in hopes of getting close to Kral. McCrea is instantly on alert around Evangeline and knows that she's up to something, but he doesn't know what. Neither person knows that the other is an undercover agent looking to take down the same boss.

I'm not going to lie, what really drew my attention with this story was the Scottish SOCA (British FBI) and the American CIA agent pairing in France. They are both not used to working with a partner and when they are forced to pair up, it takes some adjusting.

There was a bit of suspense when McCrea and Evangeline start to get close to Kral but there wasn't a lot of fighting or crazy James Bond stuff going on. But I was okay with that because there was a lot going on between the agencies, finding evidence and getting close to Kral while trying to keep their true identities a secret.

I did really enjoy the sexual tension in the story though. At first the two almost hook up but McCrea decides to call it off because he doesn't think it's fair to seduce a woman when she has no idea who he really is. Of course, Evangeline takes that as rejection and tries to keep her distance from him. But when the CIA and SOCA find out about the agents in the same location they decide to team up and have the two pretend to be a couple.

Like I said, there wasn't too much fighting taking place but that's okay because I still really enjoyed the story. I thought the characters were believable and likable. The storyline was interesting and Jamie doesn't fill it with a bunch of unrelated nonsense. She keeps the story on point and doesn't go off on too much inner dialogue (which drives me nuts). I am a fan of her writing style and I think she did a great job with her debut novel. I look forward to continuing the Affair sequence.

"What do you expect? I love Americans, but sometimes we make me cringe. Yesterday I saw a guy wearing a shirt that said, 'I shaved my balls for this?'"

Guest Post: Libby Mercer, author of The Karmic Connection

Born and raised in the Midwest, Libby Mercer’s adventurous spirit kicked in after graduating from high school, and she’s since lived in Boston, NYC and London. For several years, Libby worked in fashion – first as a journalist and then as a shopkeeper, and for a while she dabbled in design. Libby has been a writer for as long as she can remember. She penned her first book at age seven – a picture book entitled BIG and small. Countless numbers of stories later, her first book, Fashioning a Romance, was published in May 2012, followed by Unmasking Maya and The Karmic Connection. Libby lives in San Francisco.

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The Name Game

I have the most difficult time coming up with titles for my books. (In fact, I’m currently holding a contest on my blog, asking people to suggest a title for my next release, but more on that in a bit.) Naming my characters, however, has never been a problem.

When I first started thinking up the plot for The Karmic Connection, I had my heroine’s name in mind almost immediately. I knew I wanted to call her Lorraine. My dad had a hippie friend named Lorraine, and even though I haven’t seen her since I was probably eight years old, her name seemed perfect for this character – a yoga and Pilates instructor at a wellness center in the Vermont mountains.

My hero’s name didn’t come to me immediately. Although I often name my secondary characters after people I know in real life, I prefer to give my primary characters names that I don’t associate with any actual people – or not people I’ve been in contact with for a long time, anyway. In the end, I chose Adam Stowe. What’s significant about this is his last name. Stowe is a family name – my great-grandmother was Lucy Stowe.

The Karmic Connection is a little different from your standard romance in that I have a large cast of supporting characters, and I had fun with naming them all. There’s Celeste, the woman who runs the wellness center. As a New Age guru-type, I knew this was the one and only possible name for her. In addition to Adam, the guests at the wellness center are Naomi, Joel, Frank, Serena, David, Mandy and Jessica.

For Naomi, I wanted a somewhat unusual name. In high school, I had a lovely, soft-spoken friend called Naomi with whom I’ve since lost touch. In my mind, she shares certain traits with my character, and so that one fit right away. For Joel, it wasn’t quite so easy. I actually used an Internet name search site and looked at hundreds of options before it brought up Joel. Now, I had a friend in college called Joel, and he is nothing like the character in my book. The character is actually a bit more like my ex-boyfriend from back in the day, given that they both had blond dreadlocks. What can I say? I was young. And he had a bit of a Kurt Cobain look about him… But I digress. Even though the real Joel had nothing in common with my character, the name felt right, so I ran with it.

I know I’ve met Franks before, but none that jump out from my memories. And this is the reason I chose Frank for the name of this particular character. I wanted something serious and classic, but also something that could sort of fade into the background. He’s that type of character. As for David, well… when I named this character, it was a subtle shout-out to my dad. Although he’s not what you’d call a “crazy hippie weirdo”, my dad has always identified with the counter culture. It seemed only fitting that I named this particular character after him.

I’ve never known a Serena in real life, but her name came to me almost immediately. A gentle, elderly lady, she’s been into the New Age movement for decades, just like Celeste has. And so I wanted to give her a Celeste-like name. Serena was perfect for her. As for Mandy, don’t laugh but… I named her after one of my dolls from childhood. I don’t know what possessed me to do this, but it hit me and there was no turning back. And finally there’s Jessica. Naturally, I’ve met loads of Jessicas during my lifetime, and in a way this is the point. She’s sort of an everywoman (or an every young woman – she’s only eighteen).

I don’t know what the term is for secondary-secondary characters. What I mean are the characters whose parts are very, very small. In film, they’d be called walk-on roles. For whatever reason, I love assigning these characters names of people that I’m not so far removed with, but having a little fun with it. I’ll explain. In The Karmic Connection, for example, there are two characters called Jamie and Leroy. Provincial family men from rural Vermont (lumberjack types) they’re farmers by trade, as well as volunteer EMT workers. I specifically named them after my friends who I’m still in touch with – a fabulous young gay couple I know from London who are quite possibly Lady Gaga’s biggest fans.

In this way, I get to amuse myself by infusing my fiction with real life associations. And then there’s that little Hitchcockian thing I do. Libby Mercer is a pseudonym. My real name is Anna, and every Libby Mercer book has an extremely minor character called Anna in it. It’s just sort of my way of laying claim to my work, I think. In The Karmic Connection, Anna is Lorraine’s sister. And for the record, she’s nothing like me. She’s a bit of a mess. Not that I have it all together or anything, but I don’t have the fictional Anna’s problems, thank goodness.

So there you have it – a little glimpse at why I chose the names I did for my characters in this book. If you get a chance, I’d love it if you would pop over to my blog and offer any suggestions for titles. I’ve got a rather fun prize for the winner, I think. Thanks so much for having me here today, Kristin!

The Karmic Connection 
By: Libby Mercer
Genre: Chick Lit

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What is the universe up to?

Guilty of nothing more than working too much - or so they say - Adam Stowe is dumped at a "wellness center" in the middle of nowhere by a couple of concerned colleagues. When he meets Lorraine, the beautiful and bewitching yoga instructor, his spirits start to lift, but once he discovers what a flighty fruitcake she is, they drop back down to subterranean levels.

For Lorraine Jameson, Luna Wellness Center was a beacon of solace when her life was falling apart, and she can't stand the way Adam's toxic energy is poisoning the peace. He embodies everything negative about the life she discarded eighteen months ago. Despite being fiercely attracted to the arrogant man, she's determined not to let Adam Stowe anywhere near her heart.

Adam and Lorraine couldn't be more unsuitable as a potential couple... so why is the universe so dead set on uniting these two?

Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop (18+)

 

I've decided to join this years Sinful Sirens giveaway hop over at Under the Covers and Guilty Pleasures. This giveaway is going to be international and can be redeemed through allromanceebooks.com

ClubShadowlands
(Masters of the Shadowlands, #1)
By: Cherise Sinclair

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Her car disabled during a tropical storm, Jessica Randall discovers the isolated house where she's sheltering is a private bondage club. At first shocked, she soon becomes aroused watching the interactions between the Doms and their subs. But she's a professional woman--an accountant--and surely isn't a submissive...is she?

Master Z hasn't been so attracted to a woman in years. But the little sub who has wandered into his club intrigues him. She's intelligent. Reserved. Conservative. After he discovers her interest in BDSM, he can't resist tying her up and unleashing the passion she hides within.

The door opened. “Jessica, are you–” The manager. “No, you are obviously not all right.” He stepped inside, a dark figure wavering in her blurry vision.

“Permit me.” Without waiting for her answer, he stripped her out of her clothes as one would a two-year-old, even peeling off her sodden bra and panties. His hands were hot, almost burning, against her chilled skin.

She was naked. As the thought percolated through her numb brain, she jerked away and grabbed at the dry clothing. His hand intercepted hers.

“No, pet.” He plucked something from her hair, opening his hand to show muddy leaves. “First a shower.”

He wrapped a hard arm around her waist and moved her into one of the glass-fronted stalls behind where she’d been standing. With his free hand, he turned on the water, and heavenly warm steam billowed up. He adjusted the temperature.

“In you go,” he ordered. A hand on her bottom, he nudged her into the shower.

The water felt scalding hot against her frigid skin, and she gasped, then sighed as the heat began to penetrate. After a minute, she realized the door of the stall was open. Arms crossed, the man leaned against the door frame, watching her with a slight smile on his lean face.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, turning so her back was to him. “I can manage by myself.”

“No, you obviously cannot,” he said evenly. “Wash the mud out of your hair. The left dispenser has shampoo.”

Mud in her hair. She’d totally forgotten; maybe she did need a keeper. After using the vanilla-scented shampoo, she let the water sluice through her hair. Brown water and twigs swirled down the drain. The water finally ran clear.

“Very good.” The water shut off. Blocking the door, he rolled up his sleeves, displaying corded, muscular arms. She had the unhappy feeling he was going to keep helping her, and any protest would be ignored. He’d taken charge as easily as if she’d been one of the puppies at the shelter where she volunteered.

“Out with you now.” When her legs wobbled, he tucked a hand around her upper arm, holding her up with disconcerting ease. The cooler air hit her body, and her shivering started again.

After blotting her hair, he grasped her chin and tipped her face up to the light. She gazed up at his darkly tanned face, trying to summon up enough energy to pull her face away.

“No bruises. I think you were lucky.” Taking the towel, he dried off her arms and hands, rubbing briskly until he appeared satisfied with the pink color. Then he did her back and shoulders. When he reached her breasts, she pushed at his hand. “I can do that.”

He ignored her like she would a buzzing fly, his attentions gentle but thorough, even to lifting each breast and drying underneath.

When he toweled off her butt, she wanted to hide. If there was any part of her that should be covered, it was her hips. Overweight. Jiggly. He didn’t seem to notice.

Then he knelt and ordered, “Spread your legs.”

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Review: Midnight Exposure by Melinda Leigh

Midnight Exposure
(Midnight, #1)
By: Melinda Leigh
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Published: Aug. 21, 2012
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:


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Point, click, die.

When two hikers disappear, their hometown in Maine blames the blinding storms. But the truth is far more sinister. Unaware of the danger, tabloid photographer Jayne Sullivan follows an anonymous tip to find the most reclusive sculptor in the art world. Instead, she finds sexy handyman Reed Kimball—and a small town full of fatal secrets.

Five years ago, Reed buried his homicide detective career along with his wife. But when a hiker is found dead, the local police chief asks Reed for help. Why was a Celtic coin found under the body? And where is the second hiker? Avoiding the media, Reed doesn’t need a murder, a missing person, or a nosey photographer. Then Jayne is attacked, and her courage is his undoing.

Reed must risk everything to protect her - and find a cunning killer.

The story starts off with two buddies who are wandering around the woods lost during a camping trip. They end up stumbling across some weird Druid ritual which ends in a human sacrifice. The story then fast forwards a couple of months to Jayne arriving in a small town (where everybody knows your name) for work. She's a photographer for a tabloid and her current mission is to get a photograph and identity of the famous sculptor who's identity is unknown. While scoping out a potential home of residence, she runs into Reed. She makes up some story that she's lost, he gives her gas and directions, and sends her on her way. Only it's not the last time they bump into each other and pretty soon the Druid sets his sights on Jayne for his next sacrifice.

I will be honest that the only reason why I read this story was because I was given a copy of Midnight Sacrifice for review and I knew that I had to read this one first since it involves the same group of people. I'm actually glad that I stumbled across this series because it's really good. I normally don't go for suspense but this one really got my heart beat pumping. There were a couple of times in the story where the house could've been on fire and I wouldn't have been able to move because the story was that tense.

"Bad things happened when he disobeyed.
He turned and looked across the few feet of space to his matress. So far. Too far. His body curled into itself, wrapped in the fear of an unknown fate. As his eyelids drifted shut, he felt his humanity slip further away."

There was also that hint of romantic interest between the two main characters that added another layer to the story. Jayne was attacked a few years ago and was the victim of a serial raper/killer, only she was able to escape and survive. Since then she's not let anyone outside of her brothers get close to her. Reed on the other hand is a widower who's running from his past. Which is why he dropped off the face of the earth, changed his name and started over with his son in a small town. Neither of these characters were looking for a companion but Jayne brings out his protectiveness and Reed is the only person who's ever made her feel safe.

This is the first book by this author that I've read but I look forward to continuing with this series. Even though there were some parts that were a bit lengthy and could have been shortened, I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. 

"John's parents had thought he'd be safer attending college out here. Not. Didn't they know Stephen King was from Maine."