Review, Shadow Cursed - Naomi Clark

Title: Shadow Curssed
Author: Naomi Clark
Published: 2012 Evernight Publishing
Format: ebook provided by author for review

Released from Ottevar Asylum after eight hard years, Lady Emmeline returns to Nachtholm Manor to reclaim her birthright. But she has a battle on her hands—Rainart Eckhard refuses to give up his position as lord of manor, and whilst his cold attitude enrages Emmeline, his smouldering kisses leave her weak at the knees.


Who is this dangerous, enticing stranger, and what secrets does he hide? Caught in a web of desire, curses, and self-doubt, Emmeline is not only fighting Rainart for Nachtholm Manor, but for her own heart as well.

Lady Emmeline of Nachtholm left home as a young girl - certainly not of her own volition.  Her parents put her in Ottevar Asylum so they could “cure” her of what they viewed as an affliction.  The story begins with her on her way home after her parents’ death after 8 years being away.   When she returns home she finds a man, Rainart Eckhard, who claims he has been running the manor in the interim.  However he is quite adamant that he is not leaving, and that he is the lord of the manor, and she is not. 

Emmeline has an instant heated attraction to Rainart, though she tries to deny it.  He also does, but this story is completely from Emmeline’s point of view.  There’s some stolen kisses that leave them both wanting more.   But this is as much a  story about Emmeline realizing her true inner strength and sense of self as anything else.  

                “She’d never been so close to a man before and she’d never even seen a man like Rainart, a man brimming with a power and authority that made her want to fall to her knees again.”

Emmeline becomes obsessed with Rainart, and I can see why.   The man is a mystery.  Sure, he’s handsome as can be and the attraction is undeniable, but where in the heck did he come from?  She seeks out answers from the local gypsies, thinking maybe they know.   Then she finds a book in the manor’s library that gives her a clue about previous owners, and perhaps Rainart’s lineage….but it couldn’t be.  Could it?  The final answer to his arrival is quite intriguing!

All in all, I really enjoyed the mystery of this story.   There was a touch of paranormal, although it was something of the past.  Rainart is a character shrouded in mystery.   You just want to know more and more about him.  Emmeline is quite young and naïve, although she claims to be anything but that.  I think that in her future she is going to be quite the force to be reckoned with.  She does have that inner strength that I do enjoy seeing in female characters.  And her time in the asylum is certainly something I would like to see more of.  Being quite familiar with Naomi Clark’s writing, I think this is definitely a storyline she should explore more!  I’m betting she can flesh that story out and make it something horrifyingly creepy and wonderful! 

As for the romance and erotic parts of this story… they were good.  I love the instant connection part to these two characters.  This author really has a talent for creating that troubled attraction, the one you shouldn’t have but do anyway because the heart wants what it wants, regardless of what the brain says.  The erotic portions weren’t quite as heated as I normally see, but I think there is definite future potential.  In any effect, the moment that Rainart and Emmeline put their battle of wills aside to see how much they want each other is fantastic.  If you are looking for high heat, I don’t think this is the story for you.  But if you are looking for a terrific mystery with a touch of paranormal, and hey there’s some romance too, then I think you will love this story.  As usual, I am a huge fan of Naomi Clark’s, and this story is just another hit to add to the arsenal.

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BONUS!  If you like this story and want to read more, there is a free short story set in the same world, available from Evernight Publishing - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/bound-by-night-by-naomi-clark/ 

Find Naomi Online!

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Naomi Clark lives in Cambridge and is a mild-mannered office worker by day, but a slightly crazed writer by night. She has a perfectly healthy obsession with giant sea creatures and a preference for vodka-based cocktails. When she's not writing, Naomi is probably either reading or watching 80s cartoon shows, and sometimes she manages to do all three at once. 



Previous Posts:
Interview
Review - The Necromancer's Apprentice
Review - Demonized
Review - Ungrateful Dead
Review - Afterlife

Shadow Cursed by Naomi Clark, Interview/Giveaway

Shadow Cursed

Naomi Clark

Released from Ottevar Asylum after eight hard years, Lady Emmeline returns to Nachtholm Manor to reclaim her birthright. But she has a battle on her hands—Rainart Eckhard refuses to give up his position as lord of manor, and whilst his cold attitude enrages Emmeline, his smouldering kisses leave her weak at the knees.


Who is this dangerous, enticing stranger, and what secrets does he hide? Caught in a web of desire, curses, and self-doubt, Emmeline is not only fighting Rainart for Nachtholm Manor, but for her own heart as well.

Today I am super lucky enough to bring to you an interview I did recently with author Naomi Clark!  Naomi normally writes in paranormal, urban fantasy and even a bit of horror, but Shadow Cursed is a new writing venture for her, and I think you are going to love it!  So check out our interview, then enter the giveaway to win a copy of your own!  And then go tell your friends, cause hey, why should you have all the fun?  Thanks!

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INTERVIEW

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Hi Naomi!  So nice to talk to you again!  Thanks for coming out for an interview!

Thanks, Liz! Always nice to be on Fictional Candy :)

Ok, so you have a new book out – Shadow Cursed – and its quite different from the books you normally write.  Can you tell us a bit about it?

Shadow Cursed is probably my first serious foray into paranormal romance. Most of my stories have romantic subplots, but this is the first one where the romance has been front and centre. It was born out of my love of paranormal romance and gothic literature - I took the bits of both I liked best and mixed them! So you've got romance and sex, curses and mystery, and creepy old houses!

So is there any particular reason for the genre change?  And how do you like getting into erotic romance?

I'm a big fan of paranormal romance - I love Gena Showalter and Anna Windsor especially, and I'm discovering new authors all the time via ebooks. I wanted to stretch my writing muscles a little, so this seemed the obvious genre to try. I could keep all the things I love about urban fantasy - magic, myth, and the paranormal - but shift the focus to the relationship and sexual aspects, and give myself a mental workout :) I was nervous about submitting erotic romance to publishers, as I was pretty sure I was rubbish at writing sex scenes, but so far the response seems positive!

Let’s jump back to some of your other books.  There’s a lot of paranormal and spooky stuff.  Is that going to stay in your repertoire?

Definitely! I'm a hardcore supernatural fan and there's so much you can explore, I think I could spend the rest of my life writing stories about monsters, magic, and the occult, and never get bored. As I write this, I'm watching a documentary on the sixth sense, which is sparking all kinds of ideas.

Naomi, I’m sure asking to pick a favorite book is probably like trying to pick a favorite child.  But I’m asking anyway!  Do you have a favorite book, and why? 

Oooh...Yeah, that's hard! If pressed, I'd go with my HP Lovecraft omnibus, The Necronomicon. It's a massive doorstop of a book, leatherbound, and one I can read through again and again. It has pride of place in my bathroom (we really don't have enough bookcases in our house).

  

Let’s get to know you a bit!  What can you tell us about Naomi Clark? 

Well, by day I'm a PA to a professor. By night I write and edit. In between those, I make perfume, keep snakes, and laugh at my cat. I love punk music and eat too much chocolate. I collect tarot cards and books (of course!), and probably spend too much time at my laptop.

  

I see on your website you are doing some things with homemade perfumes!  That sounds like a lot of fun!  How did you get into that, and do you sell those online anywhere?

Yes, this is a very new hobby! I love perfume - I have a pretty large collection, and I'm fascinated by science behind blending scents. I've wanted to make my own for years, but only recently stumbled across a recipe for solid perfumes that caught my eye. Right now my weekends are split between writing, editing, and mixing essential oils. I'm not planning to sell any right now, although it's a lovely idea for the future!

Social Media… the evil beast that we all love and hate.  Do you have a favorite place to go?

I'm a Twitter addict. I've become one of those people who needs to Tweet everything they do! It's a great way to meet new people and interact. I don't mind Facebook, but I'm not as big a fan. I've recently discovered Pinterest too, and am having lots of fun making inspiration boards for my books.

So whats coming up in the future for you Naomi?  Are there any exciting releases we can look forward to?

Next up is the next gothic/erotic romance - The Wolf Witch. I've just finished the edits for that one, and it's due out in May. Very exciting! I'm also working on a sequel to Demonised, and am hoping to have that ready to submit in the next few weeks. I'm really, really excited about this one - it's a return to Ethan Banning, and a full-length novel this time, rather than a novella, so yay!

Now, possibly the hardest question of all… If you were a paranormal being, which one would you be?  And why??

Oh, okay, this is easy for me. I'm a werewolf girl all the way. I love wolves and I love shapeshifter folklore. No contest!

Recently I read The Necromancer’s Apprentice, and I fell in love with it.  Do you think there might be a sequel to it in the future?  I could easily see how you could segue it into the erotic romance genre! (I’m totally crossing my fingers for that one!!)

Heh, yes, I've got one more story in mind for Evanthe and Morrow! It's just a matter of finding the time. And totally, they would take their romance to the next level ;)

Ok, I think I’ve pestered you a bit for now.  Just one last question.  What is it about books, writing and reading them, that is so awesome??

Writing them - sharing my ideas, exploring new worlds, and the sheer escapism of it. And actually, that goes for reading them too. I love immersing myself in someone else's imagination. There's nothing else I'd rather do!

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Find Naomi Online!
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Naomi Clark lives in Cambridge and is a mild-mannered office worker by day, but a slightly crazed writer by night. She has a perfectly healthy obsession with giant sea creatures and a preference for vodka-based cocktails. When she's not writing, Naomi is probably either reading or watching 80s cartoon shows, and sometimes she manages to do all three at once.