**** I have not updated links since switching from fictionalcandy.com to fictionalcandy.blogspot.com The best way to review old posts at this time in in Desktop View (link at bottom of this page) and then using the post archive located on the right-hand sidebar of the page***
Title: Ice
Series: Regulators MC #1
Authors: Chelsea Camaron & Jessie Lane
Published: December 5, 2014 - Whiskey Girls Publishing
Format: Ebook received for review
She's an investment banker. He's an outlaw biker. A little bit of heaven is about to meet a whole lot of hell. Morgan Powell was raised to be perfect, to set an example for her sisters to follow. Her life has been dedicated to making something of her career, so she wouldn’t know what to do with a man even if you gave her an instruction manual. Brett 'Ice' Grady spends his days trying to keep up with his teenage daughter, his nights consumed in Regulators’ MC business. He has no time for anything more than a casual hookup. Two worlds collide when the dangers of his life crash into the calm of hers. Can she go beyond her own boundaries and chip her way through to the man known to be as cold as ice? Loosely attached to Chelsea Camaron's Hellions series and Jessie Lane's Ex Ops series.
This week I read Ice by Chelsea Camaron and Jessie Lane - two authors I've read before and loved separately. The question in my mind was "Would they work well together?" The answer is definitely yes. Ice was an exciting read, and I definitely feel this collaboration worked well for them.
Title: Big Bad Bite
Series: Big Bad Bite #1
Author: Jessie Lane
Published: January 2013, Jessie Lane
Format: Ebook received for review
What would it be like to live in a world where you are considered abnormal to those who are above the norm? Jenna O’ Conner has been taught her whole life to hide from everyone. Never to let anyone to close enough to know that she would prefer a shotgun for her birthday over of a bouquet of roses. She’s been smothered by her over protective family so that no one learns what she truly is. Which is not human. Nor, is she considered the norm for the supernatural Other community that is benevolent enough to share this world with the humans. In a desperate attempt to live her own life away from the small town she was raised in, Jenna obtains her dream job as the newest member on the Wilmington Police Department’s SWAT Team. What she didn’t predict was that she would run into trouble her first day on the job, in the form of a deadly, mouthwatering man named Adam McPhee. Who is also not human, but more like a wolf walking around in human skin. He’s determined to figure out exactly what Jenna is, which unbeknownst to him, could very well put her life in danger. He’s also determined to have her all to himself.
As if that wasn’t enough for Jenna to deal with, bad news blows into town. A group of extremist Shifters who think humans are cattle and factions of Others worldwide should stay within their own species - never to intermingle. Chaos ensues. Jenna has to find a way to shut them down, but in the process of trying to do that, discovers things about herself that even she never thought was possible.
Who said the wolf was what you had to worry about?
Welcome to the real world
I make no secret of the fact that I love Jessie Lane. Big Bad Bite is a good example why. This is a book about a wolf-demon hybrid woman; she is badass in every sense of the word. She’s paranormal, she’s not some whiney “oh save me you big strong man” type of girl, and she’s on SWAT. Yeah, I have a girl-crush on Jenna.
Title: Believe
Series: True Believers #3
Author: Erin McCarthy
Published: January 21, 2014 - Penguin
Format: Galley from NetGalley - Thank you Penguin!
Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad… Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist. But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…
So I recently read Believe by Erin McCarthy, and I loved it. I mean, how could I not? This series seriously kicks ass. Believe has a completely different feel, and I was hooked and read the book as fast as I could.
Title: Chance On Love
Series: No
Author: Vristen Pierce
Published: January 2014
Format: Ebook received for review
Foul-mouthed curmudgeon Stephanie Love has one bright spot in her life and it definitely has nothing to do with romance. Being cheated on by her wealthy louse of a boyfriend, and making a (mostly unintentional) attempt at homicide, are the least of her worries. She's on the fast track to becoming News Director--until a corporation buys out the station she works for, that is. Charming, gorgeous, and arrogant, Chance Valentine has little patience for Stephanie's smart mouth and her crass, overly outspoken personality. Nothing overshadows the immediate dislike they take to one another--except the intense sexual chemistry they share. When he not only refuses to give Stephanie her promotion, but gives the gig to her adversary, Stephanie's had enough. While she's busy making plans to use him to get what she wants, he has a strategy of his own. He'll make the grumpy temptress fall in love, and then he'll break her heart. It doesn't take him long, however, to realize he's met his match. Through a series of steamy encounters, they quickly discover that even the best revenge schemes can go off course...and lead straight to love.
Ha! Chance On Love
was an awesome read. This was my first
by author Vristen Pierce, but I will definitely be looking for more of her
books. I found this book to be funny,
sexy, rough, intelligent, and just hot.
Thirty-two and finally setting up her veterinary practice in the town she once called home, Emma Burnett is on her own and loving it. Independent and driven, she's not letting any man get in the way of her dreams. Not again. That's fine with Luke McCormack. Divorced and hardly lacking in female company when he needs it, he's devoted to the only faithful companion in his life--his police dog. Still, there's something about Emma he can't shake. When a series of local break-ins leaves Emma vulnerable, she seeks help from the first man to spark her desire in years. And now they're giving each other something they thought they'd lost forever...hope
This was my first book by Jaci Burton, and I enjoyed it. I didn’t quite love it though. Overall, though, it felt a bit predictable and it just felt like déjà vu. I liked the characters, and the storyline…but it just didn’t excite me as much as I had hoped it would.
Title: Blue Lines
Series: Assassins #4
Author: Toni Aleo
Published: December 9, 2013 - Loveswept RandomHouse
Format: Egalley - Thank you Loveswept!
Opposites do more than just attract in Toni Aleo’s latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can’t resist. The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him—wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lies behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she’s lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test. Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he’s been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it’s not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn’t take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it’s supposed to be all for show, the second they say “I do,” the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam.
Well, this book was not only the first I’ve read in the Assassins series, and it was also my first from author Toni Aleo. I had sort of an odd experience with this book. I mostly hated the hero, Erik, for about 99% of the story, but I really enjoyed the story itself. That’s a kind of a weird experience for me. Let me explain.
Title: Come To Me Quietly
Series: Closer To You, #1
Author: AL Jackson
Published: January 7, 2013 NAL Trade
Format: EGalley, Penguin, Berkley, NAL - Thank you!
Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside. Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain. Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own. Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate. Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.
Come To Me Quietly by AL Jackson blew me the hell away. I read this book in one day, I couldn’t – no, I wouldn’t put it down. This story was high impact, and every minute of it had me sitting with rapt attention.
Title: 100 Days In Deadland
Series: Deadland #1
Author: Rachel Aukes
Published: August 1st 2013 by Surprisingly Adequate Publishing
Format: ebook provided for review
A Journey Through Dante's Inferno with a Shambling Twist... The world ended on a Thursday. In one day, the world succumbed to a pestilence that decimated the living. In its place rose a new species: vicious, gruesome, wandering monsters with an insatiable hunger for the living. There is no government, no shelter. Still in her twenties, Cash has watched her friends die, only to walk again. An office worker with few survival skills, she joins up with Clutch, a grizzled Army veteran with PTSD. Together, they flee the city and struggle through the nine circles of hell, with nothing but Clutch’s military experience and Cash’s determination to live. As they fight to survive in the zombie inferno, they quickly discover that nowhere is safe from the undead… or the living. This is the beginning after the end. (100 Days in Deadland is a modern remake of Dante's Inferno, the classic tale on the horrors of hell... zombie apocalypse style!)
I’ve read a lot of zombie books. I love them. What continually surprises me is how they are all so different. You’d think they’d end up the same, but nope – there are countless ways for these stories to go. Rachel Aukes really ups the ante with 100 Days in Deadland.
Series: Part 3 - The Betrayal
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: October 29, 2013 - Berkley Intermix
Format: Egalley received for review
Shaken to the core by her latest discovery, Maggie seeks solace in the arms of an eager Andrew, and an evening of consoling turns into a night of reckless passion. Though Maggie’s investigation into Cassandra’s vanishing is meeting with little success, her love life finally seems to be going right. The more she learns about Andrew, the more Maggie begins to believe that she let the wrong guy get away. But as their relationship turns from a one night stand into a more serious fling, Maggie realizes that Andrew might be hiding secrets of his own—secrets that make her wonder if his seduction hides ulterior motives.
Title: The Inheritance
Series: Part 4 The Secret
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: November 5, 2013 - Berkley Intermix
Format: Egalley received for review
Unsure what side Andrew is on, Maggie decides to avoid him for a few days, continuing her investigation on her own. Unfortunately, talking with the private investigator that her family hired eight years ago doesn’t get her any closer to the truth. Maggie has a feeling that she’s missing something big, something about the party, but the pieces just aren’t falling into place.
To make matters worse, after Maggie catches Bethany and Robert in a compromising position, she’s even more determined to solve the case before the other contestants can. But when Andrew calls, asking to see Maggie one more time so he can come clean, he might be too hard to resist…
This series is really getting interesting – but it’s really hard to review just one installment at a time, so today I bring you parts three and four. It’s really starting to heat up – in all senses of the word.
Title: Full Throttle
Series: Fast Track #7
Author: Erin McCarthy
Published: December 3, 2013 - Berkley Publishing
Format: Print copy received from Berkley for review (Thank you!)
Easing into the turns… As one of only two girls on the tween racing circuit, Shawn Hamby has always run with a fast crowd. But now at thirty-two, she doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. And she definitely doesn’t need a man bossing her around off of the track… Putting the pedal to the metal… But after a silly girls’ night at a fetish club, Shawn can’t get Rhett Ford out of her mind. He’s younger than her, and he’s her best friend’s brother-in-law, which should be red flags. Rhett is looking for someone to lead in bed, but he can’t imagine that Shawn would ever submit to him. Boldly surrendering is more her style. And with Rhett behind the wheel, it’s going to be one wild ride…
If you’ve ever read an Erin McCarthy book, you are probably an Erin McCarthy fan. I’m sure of it. I’ve read a couple of her books now, and she’s one of those authors that I don’t even have to read the blurb, it’s just an automatic read. So when the opportunity to read Full Throttle came up, I was ready. Full Throttle is part of the Fast Track series. It’s a series about hot men, hot women, and something that I love – racing.
Title: How Zombies Stole Christmas
Series: No
Author: Sidney Bristol
Published: Dec 5, 2013 Taliesin Publishing
Format: Ebook provided for review
Every creature in Haven snuggled down in their beds, ready for another Christmas, they liked it a lot. But not everyone in this magical land shares their holiday cheer. . . Evelina Frost is a woman used to staying in the shadows, but this year Christmas needs a hero, and with Santa away, it’s up to her to save the holiday from ruin. A figure dressed in white cast a spell and from the frozen land, ghastly zombies appear. Kameron is a creature out-of-place in the frigid land, but he’s carved out a life, away from his Highland moors and pastures, happy to live alone. Until a woman barges into his life, and awakens urges he hasn’t known in centuries.
“I’ll take their Christmas, their cheer and their hope,” the figure says, as zombies descend on the Snow Palace, ripping the trees and presents from the hearth.
Together, Evelina and Kameron delve into the history of their land, fighting a magical blizzard, ice zombies and an all-consuming lust for each other as magic seeks to create another fairy tale from their lives. They must fight together against the odds and save Christmas, though they might lose their hearts in the bargain.
What a crazy and fun and interesting book this was! I suppose I should have gotten the review out a bit earlier, but as it goes with the holidays, time just went too fast. But once I got the chance to read this book I went through it like a blow torch through ice!
Title: The World Without A Future
Series: it looks like it could be one....
Author: Nazarea Andrews
Published: Dec 3, 2013 - A&A Literay
Format: Ebook provided for review
She was born the day the world ended… Nurrin has lived her entire life with zombies—trapped behind walls meant to keep them safe. She’s mostly happy there. But when a zombie horde breach the walls of her Haven, she has to trust her brother, Collin, and his best friend to keep her alive. He just wants his past to die… Finn O’Malley has given up on voicing warnings that are ignored. No one cares that the zombies are changing. Now all that matters is keeping Collin and Nurrin safe from what’s outside the walls of a Haven. But when Nurrin’s best friend picks up a contact infection, he agrees to get the medicine needed to save his life. Forced together, relying on each other in a strange Haven, zombies aren’t the most dangerous thing they’re facing.
In their world, only one thing remains true: everything ends in blood.
I don’t even know what category to put this book in; it would fit so well in several. Zombie, dystopia, new adult, romance… it’s got it all. The World Without A Future has raced onto my favorites list (which includes a five star rating) and has me clamoring for the next book (which I’ve heard there will be one, but that’s all I’m saying!)
Title: Kissed By A Dark Prince Series: Eternal Mates #1 Author: Felicity Heaton Published: Nov 30, 2013 Format: Ebook received for review
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…
Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood. One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is complete… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud. To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them. But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?
With so many of Felicity Heaton’s books, I’ve hopped in during the middle of the series. So when this series, Eternal Mates, came along, I jumped on board. And now, I am so glad I did. This book packed a lot in during a couple hundred pages, that’s for sure. We start with Olivia, the heroine. She’s a scientist for Archangel, a group that does a variety of things with the paranormal beings in the world. Olivia’s part is studying them. I really enjoyed Olivia’s character. I found her to be caring and sympathetic, generous and a person I would want to be my own friend. She’s had some issues in the past with demons and such, and that totally led her to her present. And when circumstances collide, she finds a super hot and sexy man on her table. This man turns out to be Loren.
Loren, we find out, is an elven prince, and he’s over 50 centuries old. I really loved Loren. Let me say this again, I really loved him! He’s got magical abilities, which include masking his true looks, transporting anything he owns from and to anywhere, and a myriad of other things. Pointy ears, fangs, and naked under his armor – this is not a man to be messed with. And then when he bites Olivia, and he realizes she is his ki’ara (true fated mate) all bets are off. Both of them pretend to themselves (and each other) that they are going to find a way to break the bond, but come on – you don’t mess with fate.
In this book we meet several other awesome characters too; Sable, who is a hunter at Archangel, Bleu, Loren’s right hand man and friend, Vail, Loren’s evil brother, and a few others. If you’ve read Felicity’s books before, you know she has a real talent for making the secondary characters all shine, and giving you a chance to get to know them. Personally, I am very interested in Bleu. I think there is a lot going on there, and I definitely want to get to the bottom of it.
Kissed By A Dark Prince has tons of action in it. We are talking bombs, fight scenes, bar brawls, kidnappings… oh, and some mega watt sex that made me want to reread a few pages just for pure fun! Everything is this book is hard hitting and qualifies it as a page turner.
Her feet tightened against his backside, a silent plea for more, and he clutched her hops, dragged her to the edge of the black-rubber-topped table and pumped her harder, thrusting as deep as he could go. She tipped her head back, causing the soft waves of her chestnut hair to spill around her shoulders, a beautifully wanton and wild look in her rich brown eyes. Loren growled and took her harder, driven by a need to claim all of her. He grunted with each thrust, each meeting of their hips, lost in how warm and wet she was, tightly gloving him and driving him crazy with a need for more.
Yeah, there’s some sex in this book. And yeah, it’s freaking fantastic. You know when you pick up a book of Felicity’s there will be some scorching heated scenes, and Kissed By A Dark Prince does not disappoint at all.
This book has a lot to offer. Demons, elves, shifters, humans, hunters, scientists, good guys, bad guys, and centuries worth of war among brothers. I definitely recommend this book to all of you!
About Felicity Heaton:
Felicity Heaton writes passionate paranormal romance books as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, Felicity Heaton’s best selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series she writes as F E Heaton or any of her stand alone vampire romance books she writes as Felicity Heaton. Or if you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try Felicity Heaton’s new Vampire Erotic Theatre series.In 2011, five of her six paranormal romance books received Top Pick awards from Night Owl Reviews, Forbidden Blood was nominated as Best PNR Vampire Romance 2011 at The Romance Reviews, and many of her releases received five star reviews from numerous websites.
If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:
Title: Kissed By A Dark Prince
Series: Eternal Mates #1
Author: Felicity Heaton
Published: Nov 30, 2013
Format: Ebook received for review
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…
Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood. One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is complete… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud. To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them. But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?
With so many of Felicity Heaton’s books, I’ve hopped in during the middle of the series. So when this series, Eternal Mates, came along, I jumped on board. And now, I am so glad I did. This book packed a lot in during a couple hundred pages, that’s for sure.
Title: Unrestained Series: no Author: Joey W Hill Published: December 3, 2013 - Berkley Trade Format: Print copy provided by Berkley (Thank you!!!!)
Athena is an accomplished businesswoman in control of every aspect of her life. But since the death of her husband, she’s had the desire to explore submissive cravings she’s had for some time. Unfortunately, Athena is known as a Mistress, because that’s the role she’s always played. Her type A personality was strong enough to serve her husband as a Domme because that’s what he needed. It’s not until she meets Dale, a retired Navy SEAL, that she attempts to discover what her own submissive desires are. But letting go of her control is not so easy. Fortunately, Dale is an accomplished Master who can help Athena live out her fantasies. And as she slowly surrenders to his touch, both of them will learn more about the nature of love between Dominant and submissive, and how it defies all expectations.
This week I had the awesome pleasure of reading an author I hadn’t yet read before. Joey W Hill wrote Unrestrained, and it was really a fabulous book. Athena is the heroine. She’s a widow in her forties, a business woman, and until her husband’s passing, a Domme. Lately she has had submissive feelings, and luckily she meets Dale, who she can explore those with. I liked Athena overall. I really loved having an older heroine to read about, rather than someone who is in their early twenties. There were times when I just had enough with Athena’s insecurities, but the overall picture of her wouldn’t be complete without those insecurities. It’s funny, Athena is such a strong name, it just evokes strength. Athena in the book was really stronger than she gave herself credit for. The woman lost her husband after twenty years, and was starting over with love. It is definitely not an easy road that she's got ahead. Dale is a Dom who is relatively new to the BDSM club that Athena and her husband attended. He’s a retired SEAL. He is also in his forties, and that was wildly appealing to me. Yes, I love them young men with their chiseled bodies and shit-eating grins, but there is definitely something very good to be said for an older man who has been around the block a time or two, and knows who he is beyond the shadow of a doubt. And that is just how Dale is. He is a magnificent Dom, sensing and knowing Athena’s needs well before she even realizes what those needs are. He’s a punisher when he needs to be, and when he needs to be loving, the man is all heart. I think any woman that reads this book will swoon for this man, and ultimately be insanely jealous (and happy for, at the same time) of Athena. This book was really fantastic, I’m not even sure where to start. Most of it takes place at either Athena’s house or Dale’s, with bits and pieces here and there. Everything about Athena and Dale is opposite from each other, but when they comes together it is perfection. This is an erotic BDSM romance, so of course there are sex scenes in this book that would peel the paint from the walls. It is really that sensual and hot! But there are so many other scenes that are just touching or heartbreaking, you feel like you aren’t just there with Athena and Dale, but rather, that you are Athena and Dale. Ms. Hill totally transports you into their life and definitely bares them open to you.
“I’m sorry. I know you think I’ve lost my mind. I’m not – “
“Shut up.”
She shut up, pressing her face into his shirt, her shoulders quicering against the strength of his arms around her.
“Shh. Easy girl. Shh.”
“I wasn’t trying to be adversarial. I – “
“The last thing you are is my enemy, girl. I’d cut out my tongue if I could take back anything I said that made you think that.” He muttered a curse, brought her closer. “Damn it. Fuck. Just… be quiet a moment. Let’s both breathe.”
Joey W Hill creates such a special relationship for Athena and Dale. It is a slow build to what feels like real true love, not lust disguised with a wedding band. They are there for each other in every sense of the word, and each milestone their relationship passes feels as good as conquering a mountain. Singularly these characters are pretty awesome, but when they are together they create this wonderful feeling that carries and resonates through the entire book. They have hurdles to overcome, but their love is based completely on emotion and honesty. The truthfulness in which they fall for each other is beautiful. So, like I said. This was my first book from Joey W Hill. It definitely isn’t my last. I am instantly a fan, and I think I need to scour through my kindle to see what else I have from her. I would love to hear suggestions from you, if you have a favorite book from her. But guess what, I have more to this post. Joey wrote a bit of a guest post to go with some excerpts she picked out. I read it, it’s pretty amazing. So I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get to read Unrestrained soon. I’d love to hear what you thought of it – and what you think of the parts I’m leaving out of it!
*******************************
The Hook Is Not Enough… Joey W Hill
Authors are always very conscious of those first few paragraphs of a story, what we like to call “the hook”. While every BDSM story I write draws in certain ways upon my own psychology as a submissive, I was able to put a personal experience into the hook that opens Dale and Athena’s story, Unrestrained. I’m going to give you the first little tidbit, and then explain, then give you more (because more is better, just like they say in the commercials – grin).
The first time Athena stepped into a BDSM club, it felt like home. Surprised wasn’t the right word for her reaction. Surprise was what one felt toward a party thrown in one’s honor, planned on the sly by someone else. When she stepped into that dim environment, inhaled the intangible layers of want and need intertwined with the surface scents of tears and sweat, perfume and leather, her unconscious revealed the secret it had kept for so long. This was where she belonged. It rose up into her chest, an unexpected comfort and validation. Ironic, given that she hadn’t been there for herself. Not essentially.
Royhad talked her into giving it a try. He wanted to take the play they did in the privacy of their home into a discreet but more populated world. It had mattered to him, so she’d prepared herself to accept it, no matter how sordid it might end up being.
Everyone knew New Orleans had a seedy side. No one bothered to call it an “underside,” since it was broadly displayed in the French Quarter at all hours of the day, and it had worsened since Katrina, when more of the city’s criminal element shifted into that section. But then she found there was an actual underworld, and the darkness there was heated, welcoming. Not seedy at all. The perspiration gleaming on marked skin, the cries of pleasure and pain, the glitter of eyes in the dim light, the energy that pulsed in Club Release like its own power source . . . it reminded her of what she’d felt in some of the old churches in the city.
I started writing BDSM erotic romance back in 2000—by accident. I had no knowledge of the BDSM world. I live in a small town and the Internet wasn’t a part of our lives yet. The unappealing caricatures they often use to mock BDSM on TV had never caught my attention. However, the signs were there if I’d known what to notice. For years I worked as a secretary because I was happiest when I was helping others shine. I loved my 80s bodice ripper novels and any movie or TV show with heroes who demonstrated thinly masked Dominant traits (in some of those bodice rippers, there was virtually no mask at all – lol). I devoured 9 ½ Weeks despite its regrettable quick retreat from portraying BDSM as a healthy sexual lifestyle. So when I started my first erotic romance, Make Her Dreams Come True, what was going to be a spicy romance turned into a Dominant/submissive relationship, complete with commands, restraints and spankings. I’d unlocked a submissive/service part of myself that had always been there, just waiting.
For the next ten plus years, I wrote D/s romance and loved exploring all permutations of it for both personal and professional interest. As I wrote books, I made contacts in the lifestyle and did more direct research on mechanics, but I’ve always relied on my innate understanding of the D/s psychology to guide my stories, with good results. Until 2010/2011, however, I’d never stepped foot in an actual BDSM club. Thanks to the wonderful Kallypso Masters who organized a field trip for interested authors at an author-reader conference in Chicago, I finally had the chance to do so.
So, long story short, when I wrote that opening paragraph above for Athena, I was pulling right from my own memory. It did feel like home.
Now, you can have a great hook, but the book has to move you pretty quickly into a compelling reason to stay past the opening. For me, the key to that is giving you characters with whom you want to spend time. Athena drew me in with her deep love for her late husband, Roy. This part picks up right after the above, continuing the thought about New Orleans’ churches…
That connection [between churches and club] had come much later, when Roy got sick. Occasionally there would be things at the company she had to handle in person, so she’d leave him with his nurse for the bare minimum time necessary. One day, on the way back home, she obeyed an impulse driven by simple weariness of spirit and allowed herself a fifteen-minute detour into a small Catholic church. It had a trio of archways beckoning the faithful, and the smell of stone and wood over a hundred years old. She’d sat in the sanctuary, stilling her mind, letting everything go for those precious few moments. She realized the ambiance that compelled hushed voices, a still soul, was like what she felt in the club. There was also euphoria, a contained joy, the best kind to feel. Things always felt more intense when restrained. She’d seen it in how Roy reacted to it, though she’d never experienced it firsthand.
Though she didn’t share why she’d stopped at the church, not wanting him to worry about her, she’d shared that comparison with Roy. He smiled at her, nodded, his eyes still bright in the gaunt face. They remained bright until the last few days, when he slipped into that pre-death, morphine coma so common to cancer patients. At the end, she’d whispered in his ear, commanded him to let go. She told him that she’d be all right, that his Mistress would always love him. He would like her putting it in those terms, she knew. So his Mistress let him go, even as his wife sat at his bedside, clutching his hand, the loneliness closing around her when his breath stopped and he obeyed her.
When I did a research trip to New Orleans, I sat in one of those churches. Again, that personal touch contributed to bringing Athena’s journey to life. I’ve always liked to explore the topics of loss and love, sex and healing, and Unrestrained has all of these features. As well as a really hot hero. You were wondering when I’d get to him, hmm? Dale Rousseau is a retired Navy SEAL and through-and-through Dominant. When Athena realizes she wants to explore submissive cravings she’s always had, Dale is the one who understands that Athena served her husband as a Mistress because that was what he needed. In short, she was and is a deeply service-oriented sub. One he wants to help embrace her sexual identity fully, even as he falls in love with her.
I know I’ve given you somewhat of a poignant excerpt, but if you’d like the sexier side of Dale and Athena (wink), you can read the blurb and entire first chapter here(or click the link in author info below). You’ll get to share Athena’s reaction when she sees Dale at the BDSM club they both frequent. Hope you enjoy their story!
Title: Unrestained Series: no Author: Joey W Hill Published: December 3, 2013 - Berkley Trade Format: Print copy provided by Berkley (Thank you!!!!)
Athena is an accomplished businesswoman in control of every aspect of her life. But since the death of her husband, she’s had the desire to explore submissive cravings she’s had for some time. Unfortunately, Athena is known as a Mistress, because that’s the role she’s always played. Her type A personality was strong enough to serve her husband as a Domme because that’s what he needed. It’s not until she meets Dale, a retired Navy SEAL, that she attempts to discover what her own submissive desires are. But letting go of her control is not so easy. Fortunately, Dale is an accomplished Master who can help Athena live out her fantasies. And as she slowly surrenders to his touch, both of them will learn more about the nature of love between Dominant and submissive, and how it defies all expectations.
This week I had the awesome pleasure of reading an author I hadn’t yet read before. Joey W Hill wrote Unrestrained, and it was really a fabulous book.
Title: For Real Series: Rules of Love, #1 Author: Chelsea Cameron Published: November 20, Createspace Format: Ebook received for review
Two people. One fake relationship. What could go wrong? When virgin Shannon Travers gets fed up with her friends demanding that she find a boyfriend, she enlists the help of tattooed, mohawk-rocking graphic design student Jett. He's more than happy to play along with their Fake Relationship, including the Ten Rules of Fake Dating that control-freak Shannon comes up with. Even if he likes to violate them. Repeatedly. But what happens when Fake Dating starts to feel... not fake anymore? Will Shannon be willing to let go and embrace the first thing in her life that's ever felt REAL?
Shannon Travers is a junior in college; a young woman with corporate dreams and living the good life. Also, Shannon is a…. VIRGIN!! *Collective Gasp* While still holding your V Card isn’t a bad thing, Shannon’s friends seem to think she needs to just get on with it already, and their good intentions kind of take on a jerk reaction, and that leads Shannon right into Jett’s arms. While Shannon is a bit of a bookworm that is sometimes a bit clumsy, she is a thoughtful and caring friend. I really liked her throughout this story, and I felt she was a relatable character. She has a wonderful smart ass inner monologue, to match a drifting though process, and the both of them together had me giggling to see what she was really thinking.
Jett… whew. He’s a wonderful guy. Jett is an Asian hottie, sporting massive dragon tattoos and a mohawk. I’m not sure why, but I think this might be the first romance I’ve read with an Asian male in the lead, and I loved it! It was definitely a treat to change up my view a bit, and Jett was definitely the perfect candidate for that. He is quiet and thoughtful, but at the same time he is extremely playful and caring. He has a protective side, especially when it comes to Shannon. He has an affinity for making origami cranes, is a wiz at graphic design and has a large heart - Yep, I definitely put Jett Nguyen on my “Super Hot” List (that I just made up…)
“And your hip?” he says, his voice low.
Is it possible to die from anticipation? Because I think I just did. Jett crouches down and I swear I’m going to have a seizure if he does what I think he’s going to do.
And then he very carefully places the lightest of kisses on my hipbone and OH MY GOD I SWEAR I CAN FEEL HIS LIPS THROUGH MY JEANS AND I’M GOING TO DIE NOW.
He looks up at me from his crouched position and his face is oh so serious.
“All better,” he says and his voice hitches a little and I realize that if I just turned my body, he would be face-to-face with my downstairs. Well, not like my downstairs has a face. It does have lips though…
Fake relationships in romances are awesome!! They always lead to real romances, but it’s the fun of getting there that really brings it home for most of us romance fanatics. In For Real, the fake relationship came with ground rules. It also came with two people who were obviously perfect for each other, and they had terrific chemistry. When it came time to start discussing how to end the fake relationship, I was tempted to just stop reading. I had this perfect vision of Jett and Shannon in my mind, and I didn’t want to mar it with something negative. However, the end result is something wonderful, so if you feel like quitting – don’t. (wink!)
The whole of this book wasn’t very dramatic, and not really sexual at all. For me, it is definitely on the younger side of NA. However, it was so much fun and really just enjoyable read, I found myself not caring about the lack of sex. There is a special treat in the form of Jett’s roommate, Javier. Javier isn’t really about first impressions in this book, but once you get to know him, you discover he really just has a wealth of love for Jett, and immediately that raised him, like, ten notches on my “Awesome Character” List (which I also just made up…)
Chelsea Cameron’s writing is really great, with an easy and light feel to it. I didn’t want to put this book down, and I will definitely be looking into reading other books of hers. I found For Real to be the perfect weekend read, and if you are looking for something to read I would definitely recommend it!
Hey, I also featured For Real in this week's Quote-Tastic, so if you want to see TWO more hilarious quotes, check it out! Just click HERE
Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.
Her New Adult Contemporary Romance titles include My Favorite Mistake, which has been bought by Harlequin along with a sequel, Deeper We Fall and Faster We Burn (April 20, 2013)
Her Young Adult books include Nocturnal, Nightmare and Neither, the first three books in The Noctalis Chronicles. The fourth and final book, Neverend will be out in 2013. Whisper, the first in The Whisper Trilogy is also available, with the second book in the series, Silence and the final book, Listen coming out in 2014.
Title: For Real
Series: Rules of Love, #1
Author: Chelsea Cameron
Published: November 20, Createspace
Format: Ebook received for review
Two people. One fake relationship. What could go wrong? When virgin Shannon Travers gets fed up with her friends demanding that she find a boyfriend, she enlists the help of tattooed, mohawk-rocking graphic design student Jett. He's more than happy to play along with their Fake Relationship, including the Ten Rules of Fake Dating that control-freak Shannon comes up with. Even if he likes to violate them. Repeatedly. But what happens when Fake Dating starts to feel... not fake anymore? Will Shannon be willing to let go and embrace the first thing in her life that's ever felt REAL?
Shannon Travers is a junior in college; a young woman with corporate dreams and living the good life. Also, Shannon is a…. VIRGIN!! *Collective Gasp* While still holding your V Card isn’t a bad thing, Shannon’s friends seem to think she needs to just get on with it already, and their good intentions kind of take on a jerk reaction, and that leads Shannon right into Jett’s arms.
Title: Layers Series: Stark #1 Author: Sigal Ehrlich Published: October 2013 Format: Ebook received for review
According to Hayley love is a subject of ridicule, a myth created by hopeless romantics. When Hayley makes a resolution to declare her loose lifestyle era R.I.P, it’s all good in theory… That is until she meets Daniel Stark, a well-respected, mid-thirties business man who is known for his short temper, lack of steady relationships as well as his strict preserve of his private life.
Opinionated, sharp tongued Hayley accidently steps into his office leaving Daniel resolved to put Hayley in her place and have her in his bed.
Both Hayley and Daniel can’t avoid the immediate instigation of the attraction between them.
In a unanimously agreed upon verdict by Hayley and her two best friends, Ian the gay self-absorb, aspiring model and Natasha the witty, borderline neurotic soul mate, Daniel Stark is to be Hayley’s pure physical attraction, emotions aside era closure.
Will it indeed be a closure, or a beginning to something neither Hayley nor Daniel ever bargained for…
This week I read Layers by Sigal Ehrlich. Layers really threw me for a great big loop, and by the end, I was so into this book and these characters, I hated to see the book end! Luckily, the next one, Inner Core, comes out in January, so I don’t have too long to wait. Let’s start with Hayley. This book is told from her POV, and it’s a doozy. She’s pretty young, around twenty three or twenty four. She’s a bit funky and a lot of fun; she isn’t out to impress anyone. Hayley, or Hales as her friends call her, knows who she is – and I loved that about her. She’s a straight shooter; she tells it like it is. I really found that as the story went on I felt like I was able to know her better, more deeply. We see her fears and hopes, and it really helped endear her to me. When she and Daniel spend more time together, I really love her ability to sort of “tame the beast” in him, make him see the light, the logic and proceed with an even temperament.
And then one day, Hayley meets Daniel Stark. The Daniel Stark. Daniel is a young entrepreneur in his thirties who is a self-made millionaire. He’s known for his hot temper, but he’s also known for his keen business sense and being a bit of a permanent bachelor. He’s a lot like Hayley, burnt by relationships in the past and would rather just have casual relationships without much depth. I absolutely loved Daniel. I found him to be witty and fun, protective and caring. He took some really gigantic leaps as far as his heart, and his leaps made me melt.
“No, Chris,” Daniel says in a clipped tone. I shift to look his way; his back is to the room as he stares out the window. He turns to face me slowly, his stare fixated on mine as he leans on the window frame. “Which part of no did you not understand?” he asks, annoyed. It amuses me. Could he be any less impatient?
He listens, looking exasperated, and then replies, “I am not letting anyone fuck me at their own will and appointed time.” Saying that, he points his index finger at me and mouths, “You,” then bobs his head in approval, mouthing “can.” A wicked smirk appears on his handsome face.
This book was chock full of smart ass, which along with tons o’ sex and hot Alpha males, is one of my favorite components in any book. Layers definitely had my holy trinity of a great book. In fact, not only Daniel, but I found all of the characters to be witty with flair. When you add in Hayley’s friends, Tasha and Ian, you really have some great relationships to build on. Those two often provided comic relief, but they were also there with a shoulder to cry on and a hug to comfort.
For a large portion of the book things are going really great, until they’re not. But through it all, I felt the angst I was thriving on was always right there at the surface. Hayley and Daniel have this connection that at times felt a bit codependent, but always felt real. I felt they gave each other the breath to breathe. I have no doubt in my mind of their feelings for each other, they run deep and true. When things were good between them, they were great. It was all red hot flames and enough sexual tension and chemistry to power a good sized city. When things got bad, my heart broke for each of them. I felt their anguish and found myself hoping things would work out for them.
In slow, sliding movements he makes me burn inside and out. I grab his face with unadulterated desire and consume his mouth. As I do, he returns my gesture, thrusting slowly yet forcefully. I moan, my body heated with electrifying sensations. I wrap my legs tighter and in response his movements become more intense. As they do, I feel myself explode into thousands of pieces of ecstasy; shortly afterwards, I hear him pant loudly as he joins me.
This book kept me up late. I read every spare minute I could until I was finished, even if it was only for five minutes at a time. The characters are all so enigmatic; I didn’t want to let them go! If you are looking for a contemporary romance that feels a bit different and is playful and heated at the same time, I definitely suggest Layers - it's a five star read for me!
Ok, so on December 20 I will be posting an interview that I did with author Sigal Ehrlich, so be sure to check back for that. But then She has a cover reveal (not here, but elsewhere!) for Inner Core, the second book, on January 11. Sometime after that, in January, Inner Core should be released. I am definitely anxious to find out what happens next!!
