Book Tours: Starter Day Party Girl Within Girl: Unraveling

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I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for erotic thriller “Girl Within Girl: Unraveling”. The tour runs from September 25 to November 25.  Stay tuned for my review on October 11.

Tour Schedule

September 25th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

September 27th: Promo Post @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

September 30th: Promo Post @ Books, Dreams, Life

October 3rd: Book Excerpt @ Bookaholic Ramblings

October 5th: Author Interview @ Bedazzled Reading

October 7th: Book Excerpt @ Love in a Time of Feminism

October 9th: Promo Post @ Bookish Madness

October 11th: Book Review @ I Heart Reading

October 13th: Book Excerpt @ The Book Daily

October 15th: Promo Post @ Maari Loves Her Indies

October 17th: Author Interview @ Books are Forever

October 18th: Book Review @ Books are Forever

October 19th: Promo Post @ Mello and June, It’s A Book Thing

October 21st: Book Excerpt @ Vampyre Lady’s Book Stuff

October 23rd: Promo Post @ Hollow Readers

October 25th: Author Interview @ The Single Librarian

October 26th: Book Review @ The Single Librarian

October 27th: Book Excerpt @ The Book Sirens

November 1st:  Promo Post @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

November 3rd: Book Review @ Que Sara Sera Book Blog

November 5th: Author Interview @ Quiet Fury Books

November 7th: Author Interview @ Bright Street Books

November 11th: Promo Post @ The Reading Guru

November 15th: Book Review and Book Excerpt @ Silver Dagger Scriptorium

November 18th: Book Review @ Fangirls Read It First

November 23rd: Author Interview @ Editor Charlene’s Blog

November 25th: Book Review @ Live, Laugh & Love Books

About the Book

girl-cover finalTitle: Girl Within Girl

Author: S.P. Aruna

Genre: Erotic Thriller

Katrina is never alone. She is bound to others inside her, tighter than any Siamese twins could ever be: Cherry, the freewheeling photojournalist, Anisa, the covert spy-assassin, and others as yet unknown, all sharing her body and mind as she goes about her work in a psychiatric hospital. But she is starting to unravel, and her sole hope is the handsome Dr. Sean Paisley, the only one who can make her whole again.

Girl Within Girl is a dark erotic thriller that wanders through a sensual maze of mind control and torture.

 

Author Bio

ML-Roberts-2Half French, half Khmer (Cambodian), I’m a woman whose head is filled with fantasies and intriguing stories, and who wants to share them with others.

Links

Facebook Page

Book Tours: Starter Day Party for Once Upon A Scandal

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I’m hosting a starter day party for the tour for regency era romance “Once Upon A Scandall”. The tour runs from June 22 to July 6.

You can win an eBook copy of the book! Scroll down to participate.

Tour Schedule

June 22nd: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

June 23rd: Book Excerpt @ Nat’s Book Nook

June 23rd: Book Excerpt @ European Geeks

June 25th: Book Excerpt @ Indy Book Fairy

June 26th: Book Review @ Lil Miss Vixx Reads

June 28th: Author Interview @ The Single Librarian

June 29th: Book Excerpt @ Underneath the Covers Blog

July 1st: Book Excerpt @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

July 2nd: Book Review @ Book About

July 4th: Book Review @ Books, Books and More Books

July 6th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

About the Book

25532367Title: Once Upon A Scandal

Author: Julie LeMense

Genre: Regency Era Romance

Caught up in a scandal of her father’s making, Lady Jane Fitzsimmons is now an outcast in the society that once prized her. So when Lord Benjamin Marworth offers to help redeem her good name, she leaps at the chance.

Too bad his plan requires her very public demise.

Marworth, society’s darling, is actually a spy for crown, and important war communiques have been stolen. If Jane can carry off her disguise as the mysterious Madame Lillianne Fauchon, with close ties to Napoleon, she just might tempt the thief out of hiding.

And tempt Marworth into something he has always studiously avoided … at chance at love.

Author Bio

A Georgetown University graduate with a degree in English Literature, I’ve loved the Regency romance genre since my first deliciously bad Barbara Cartland novel. These days, I prefer the complex characterizations and plotting of Julie Anne Long, Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, Courtney Milan, and Sarah MacLean. A member of the Romance Writers Association of America, I am currently working on my next novel, as the ghosts who live in my haunted, gilded-age home try to sneak their way into my stories.

Links

Email: julielemense@yahoo.com

www.julielemense.com

Twitter @julielemense

Facebook: www.facebook.com/julielemense

Amazon Author Page

Once UPon A Scandal on Amazon

Giveaway

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Book Review: Birthday Experience by Simone Freier

Cover Birthday SMALL 140928Title: Birthday Experience
Author: Simone Freier
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond 50 Shades … Way Beyond!
BIRTHDAY EXPERIENCE is an intimate exploration of kinks and fetishes by an unlikely couple, with thoughtful and philosophical discussion by the characters, and graphic descriptions of their erotic adventures.
Kelly’s birthday party promises to be an epic event for Sam, Kelly and a few of Kelly’s closest friends.  An atmosphere of openness and adventure leads to new sensual experiences for everyone.  Sam has planned some games that will push the limits of the guests, and a special role-play performance will take Kelly beyond her dreams and to the edge of her courage.  Fantasy and reality meld into a surreal experience, as Kelly opens her friends’ eyes to new possibilities.  And they surprise her with their openness.  Kelly’s birthday is a celebration of intimacy, trust and love among friends.
The Experiences series is an epic love story of erotic relationships and sexual desires.  Written in a ‘literary realism’ style, the series introduces Sam in the prequel, and the blossoming of his intimate relationship with Kelly as the series progresses.  Fantasies and real-world adventures coalesce to mold a unique bond between unlikely lovers.  Where needs are mutually satisfied in an open, creative and trusting environment.  Where physical and mental boundaries are pushed.  Where the concepts of love and sex are never confused, but sometimes confusing.  Where openness is required and intimacy is expected.  And where fair-is-fair, regarding the punishment of transgressions.
Contemporary erotic romance: Suitable for mature readers, aged 18+ years.
Experiences:  Book 4 is 104,000 words, 19 chapters, 345 print pages.

Birthday Experience is the third book (fourth if you count the prequel novella) in the “Experiences” series. I previously read and reviewed the first book, First Experience, and the second book, Weekend Experience. I enjoyed both of the previous books, so I was curious about the next book.

In this installment, Kelly’s twenty-fifth birthday is coming up. Sam invites a few of her friends and hosts a party for her birthday, complete with a theme, games, and the atmopshere the reader is used to in this books: one of openness, adventure, and exploring sexual experiences. Sam has planned most of it, including some games that will push the boundaries of the other guests, and in particular Kelly’s boundaries and courage.

To any reader, it’ll be obvious how different Kelly and Sam are. Kelly is a young woman, Sam is an older widower, old enough to be her father in fact. And whereas the series starts out with a mutual attraction between the two of them, and them deciding to take things further and have some fun, it’s now clear that there’s something more between Kelly and Sam than just being attracted to one another. They share a deeper connection, a more intimate relationship. They’re on a journey together, to find themselves, to learn more about the other, to explore the edge of their own desires. It’s not just Kelly learning from Sam anymore – Sam learns a great deal from her as well. And it’s this relationship, this bond, that forms the core of this book, and that makes it unique and different from other books in the same genre.

Of course there’s also fun, BDSM, role-playing, fantasies, and all that, and while there’s definitely an erotic element, the focus is on intimacy, trust, openness.

Writing is, as usual, quite good. The plot is imaginative and creative, and even the secondary characters come across as real people. This is an enjoyable and entertaining read, but more than anything, it’ll make the reader think about boundaries, about intimacy, about the meaning of love, of bonds, of the unique relationship people can have with one another.

Book Review: Weekend Experience by Simone Freier

49abee_b9add4d56f2945828a42ebba1ebc7f1a.jpg_srz_p_231_323_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srzTitle: Weekend Experience
Author: Simone Freier
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond 50 Shades … Way Beyond!

WEEKEND EXPERIENCE is an intimate exploration of kinks and fetishes by an unlikely couple, with thoughtful and philosophical discussion by the characters, and graphic descriptions of their erotic adventures.

Sam and Kelly have role-played some of their most intimate fantasies in an atmosphere of openness and trust.  Now, Sam wants to share with Kelly new kinks, fetishes and sensual pleasures.  Kelly is more than a willing participant:  She is the mirror by which Sam sees that his openness and submission is as important as Kelly’s.  A visit by her friends leads to new fantasies for both of them.

The Experiences series is an epic love story of erotic relationships and sexual desires. Written in a ‘literary realism’ style, the series introduces Sam in the prequel, and the blossoming of his intimate relationship with Kelly as the series progresses. Fantasies and real-world adventures coalesce to mold a unique bond between unlikely lovers. Where needs are mutually satisfied in an open, creative and trusting environment. Where physical and mental boundaries are pushed. Where the concepts of love and sex are never confused, but sometimes confusing. Where openness is required and intimacy is expected. And where fair-is-fair, regarding the punishment of transgressions.

Contemporary erotic romance: Suitable for mature readers, aged 18+ years.

Experiences:  Book 3 is 101,000 words, 17 chapters, 336 print pages

Acclaim from reviewers:

“Erotic, sexy, imaginative, and descriptive”

“The dialog in this book is top notch”

“Origins of a Fetish is well written, fast paced, and a true page turner”

“After reading Origins of a Fetish, I truly wanted more”

“An extremely sexy novel that is filled with substance”

“Will leave you questioning your own beliefs on sex”

WARNING!

This work contains mature content, including graphic sexual descriptions and scenes, and is provided for adults only. The Experiences series contains scenes of psychological and physical submission, discipline, and medical fetish.  The characters explore various fetishes, which evolve throughout the series.  ALL CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK ARE 21 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, and all activities are consensual.

In Weekend Experience we meet with Sam and Kelly again. They’ve already role-played once, during First Experience, and now they’re back for more. Their relationship is still based on openness and honesty, and here they explore their fantasies even further. More than about the fetishes, the book also talks about the psychology behind the fetishes and why Sam is so focused on what happened during his childhood.

I would definitely recommend reading First Experiences before diving into this one. Then the characters will make more sense, especially how they develop during the book. The writing is clear and to the point, and the author manages to clarify both characters’ intent and their ideas quite clearly.

If you read the first book and enjoyed it, then you will love this own. It had me question a lot of things, and in a good way. I kept on turning the pages, and wanted to read to the end. The dialog is great, and the characters are amazing. A great read, and recommended to all fans of erotic romance.

Release Day Party for Weekend Experience

releasedayweekend

We’re celebrating the release for erotic romance “Weekend Experience” today!

Buy Weekend Experience on:

Amazon Kindle | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords | Createspace

The Experience series on Kindle.

Weekend Experience

Cover Weekend FRONT 140812Beyond 50 Shades … Way Beyond!

WEEKEND EXPERIENCE is an intimate exploration of kinks and fetishes by an unlikely couple, with thoughtful and philosophical discussion by the characters, and graphic descriptions of their erotic adventures.

Sam and Kelly have role-played some of their most intimate fantasies in an atmosphere of openness and trust.  Now, Sam wants to share with Kelly new kinks, fetishes and sensual pleasures.  Kelly is more than a willing participant:  She is the mirror by which Sam sees that his openness and submission is as important as Kelly’s.  A visit by her friends leads to new fantasies for both of them.

The Experiences series is an epic love story of erotic relationships and sexual desires. Written in a ‘literary realism’ style, the series introduces Sam in the prequel, and the blossoming of his intimate relationship with Kelly as the series progresses. Fantasies and real-world adventures coalesce to mold a unique bond between unlikely lovers. Where needs are mutually satisfied in an open, creative and trusting environment. Where physical and mental boundaries are pushed. Where the concepts of love and sex are never confused, but sometimes confusing. Where openness is required and intimacy is expected. And where fair-is-fair, regarding the punishment of transgressions.

Contemporary erotic romance: Suitable for mature readers, aged 18+ years.

Experiences:  Book 3 is 101,000 words, 17 chapters, 336 print pages

Acclaim from reviewers:

“Erotic, sexy, imaginative, and descriptive”

“The dialog in this book is top notch”

“Origins of a Fetish is well written, fast paced, and a true page turner”

“After reading Origins of a Fetish, I truly wanted more”

“An extremely sexy novel that is filled with substance”

“Will leave you questioning your own beliefs on sex”

WARNING!

This work contains mature content, including graphic sexual descriptions and scenes, and is provided for adults only. The Experiences series contains scenes of psychological and physical submission, discipline, and medical fetish.  The characters explore various fetishes, which evolve throughout the series.  ALL CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK ARE 21 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, and all activities are consensual.

 

About The Author

SimoneFace Small 140811An adventuress and traveler, Simone is a sensual being who loves to read stories that excite her.  She takes exception to authors who promote their works as ‘dirty’, ‘filthy’, or ‘smutty’:  She believes that sex is wonderful in all of its incarnations, and doesn’t shy away from graphic descriptions of realistic sexual experiences, no matter how messy.  Her writing is mainly in the ‘literary realism’ style – i.e., it is wild (even outrageous) … but could really happen to you!  She values openness in relationships, and demonstrates this through her characters.

Prior to becoming an author, Simone was a nurse.  One of her pet peeves is reading erotica that gets simple anatomy wrong!  She is continually bewildered by women who haven’t explored their own bodies.  Another pet peeve is the mostly hung-up Victorian society prevalent in the U.S. and U.K., and she tries to do her part to change that by introducing people to new sexual and sensual experiences through her erotic writing.  The activities in Simone’s books are quite realistic, as she has participated in most of these in ‘real life’, as surreal as it may seem.

Simone is currently completing the Experiences series, which will run an estimated 1,000,000 words!  That is why she refers to it as an ‘epic’ romance, although each volume is intended to stand on its own, with a ‘happy for now’ ending.  Experiences combines literary style and philosophical discussion by the characters with graphic portrayal of sex in all of its kinks and fetishes.  You may not like all of the things Simone’s characters do … but neither do they.  Their exploration of new experiences will hopefully motivate some readers to explore their own sexuality to a greater extent.

Simone loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her.   In fact, she hopes you will feel ‘free’ sexually and spiritually, as well.  Please follow her on social media and her blog.  On her website, you may interact directly with the main characters in her books, including asking them questions in order to understand their perspectives in more depth.

You can sign up to her mailing list to learn about new releases, and take advantage of promotions.  All readers on the mailing list will be sent an excerpt from each of her next novels, prior to publication.

You can contact Simone at sf@simonefreier.com

Visit Simone’s website:  http://simonefreier.com

Friend Simone on her Facebook page:  http://facebook.com/SimoneFreierAuthor

Or, tweet Simone at:  http://twitter.com/simonefreier

Links

Buy Weekend Experience on:

Amazon Kindle | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords | Createspace

The Experience series on Kindle.

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Running Away to Home

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I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for contemporary romance “Running Away to Home”. I hope you enjoy the tour, and feel free to visit all the participants.

Tour Schedule

October 3rd: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

October 5th: Book Review @ Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock

October 6th: Book Excerpt @ Christy Gissendaner’s Blog

October 7th: Promo Post @ Romantic Chanteuse

October 9th: Book Excerpt @ Obsessed by Books

October 10th: Author Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

Running Away to Home

rath-rw-450-675Title: Running Away to Home

Author: Rosemary Willhide

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

If home is where the heart is, Nia Kelly is screwed.

The twenty-four year old fitness instructor nearly faints when Hollywood heartthrob Derek Pierce comes to her spin class at an exclusive Las Vegas sports club.

There is an instant spark, an undeniable heat between them. But falling in love is not in her plan. Nia is a girl who sticks to the plan.

She moved to Las Vegas to escape her past, a past with secrets that still haunt her. A romantic entanglement with a celebrity like Derek will put both of them in danger.  She doesn’t know if she will ever be safe, ever be free.

Then he looks at her with those gorgeous blue eyes, and is impossible to resist. Her world flips upside down.

Reader Advisory: Please be advised, the devastatingly handsome hero awakens our feisty heroine, she’s super horny, all the time!

Author Bio

rosemary-headshotRosemary grew up in Pennsylvania, one of six children. Her parents, Charles and Dorothy, always supported all her creative endeavors, from acting to singing to Erotic Novelist. Yes, they are super cool.

She’s been living in Las Vegas for over eighteen years with her husband Bill Johnson and rescued pooch Harley.

In addition to writing she also teaches ten fitness classes a week. Her limited spare time is usually spent at home with her hubby enjoying a home cooked, healthy meal and all things HBO and Netflix. When she ventures out to a restaurant she normally splurges on her favorite dish, Mac and Cheese. It’s just like Nia says in “Running Away to Home,” sometimes it’s good to be bad!

 

Links

http://rosemarywillhide.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rosemary.willhide

https://twitter.com/RWillhide

Get your copy of the book!
 

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will get a paperback or eBook copy of “Running Away to Home”.

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Cover Reveal Party The Witch Hunter

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We’re hosting a cover reveal for The Witch Hunter today. The Witch Hunter is the first book in a new paranormal romance series by author Nicole R. Taylor.
Take a look at this gorgeous cover…

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000040_00005]

I was born into the world covered in blood, and that’s exactly the way I left it.
 
Ever since, I have been damned to walk the boundary between life and death alone. Unwillingly turned and left to my nightmare, I have seen men commit countless horrors and committed many of my own.
 
My origins shall remain unknown, my true self hidden. I have been called by many names, but in this life I am known as the Witch Hunter. I have been asleep these past 150 years, until I was awoken by a haunting call.
 
 
Zachary Degaud was twenty three when he died. The problem was, he didn’t stay that way.
Present day, he’s just another vampire with another unremarkable story. That is, until he manages to provoke a two thousand year old witch named Katrin, who wants to make him pay in the most horrible way imagined.
Along with his brother Sam, newly made vampire Liz and their only witch ally, Gabby, his only chance for survival is to summon the ancient and unpredictable vampire known as the Witch Hunter.
Zac is just looking for a way out of his psychopathic witch problems, but instead will find himself falling head first into a blood feud that has stretched thousands of years.
 
Aya has been asleep for the past 150 years, until she was awoken by a haunting call. The witch she has been hunting for thousands of years, Katrin, has resurfaced and marked a young, annoyingly arrogant vampire by the name of Zachary Degaud. Unless she does something, he will die a slow and painful death. He has given her an opportunity to end the witch, but does she want to help him or leave him to his fate?
Zac will get under her skin like no one else has and she just might find herself making the ultimate sacrifice before he is gone forever.
 
They will both have to choose sides and look deep within themselves before the end. But, what Zac learns about himself, will surprise him most of all.
 
Read an Excerpt
Gabby had found her grimore, her families’ book of spells and incantations, amongst some of her Grams’ things in the attic. It was only then she began to better understand her affinity with magic.
She began visiting the cemetery near the old Degaud Manor, conducting her ‘experiments’ as she called them, trying different spells and rituals that were written in the grimore. Silly things, like lighting candles, making things levitate and communing with the earth. The last was her favourite; every witch had an earth sense of varying strengths. She didn’t quite understand what it meant, but when she concentrated, she could feel living things around her. Plants, trees, insects.
That was why she was surprised at first when she met the brothers. She was sitting cross-legged in the old cemetery early last winter, feeling the shift of the seasons in the plants about her, when she began to feel uneasy. She understood later that it was her latent power warning her that she was being watched. She was startled when upon opening her eyes, she saw a man standing in front of her.
It was as if he was a statue, until he grinned lopsidedly at her. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Gabby panicked a little. She hadn’t sensed the man at all and she could always feel people when she had her earth sense focused. That would mean that the man was… dead? That couldn’t be right. She scrambled to her feet and took a few steps back.
“Leave her alone, Zac.” Another man had appeared beside the first out of thin air.
The first man, Zac, rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t going to eat her, brother, if that’s what you’re thinking. She’s a witch and I don’t want her to cast any witchy juju spell on me.”
“You’re both dead,” she stammered.
“As a door nail,” Zac grinned.
“Forgive my brother,” the other man said, stepping forward. “I think you know what we are. We can’t hide from you, but we mean you no harm.”
“Vampires,” Gabby said, finally realizing. The only undead creature that she was aware existed.
“Ten points to Glinda,” clapped Zac.
“Ignore him,” said the man. “I’m Sam, the moron is my brother Zac.”
It took her a while to trust the vampire brothers, being their mortal enemy and all. She quickly came to realize that they were different, despite all their faults. Zac was always an asshole and Sam was always kind hearted, but they never hurt or compelled anyone. They’d ingrained themselves into the town as normal young men. Sam had even got a job as a gardener with help from her childhood friend, Alex.
So, when Gabby walked into Max’s, the bar they frequented after work, she smiled when she saw them sitting in a booth along the far wall. “Happy birthday you musty old man,” she elbowed Zac as she sat down.
“Please, don’t remind me,” his eyes rolled in exasperation.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“Go for it Tabitha.” They watched her retreating form. “I’ve been looking for you all afternoon,” Zac hissed, once Gabby was out of earshot.
“I was out with Liz,” Sam fidgeted.
Zac didn’t notice the gesture, he was too busy eyeballing Alistair, who had just walked in. “Uh oh,” he gritted his teeth.
Sam frowned. He knew all too well from his tone that Zac had gotten himself in trouble again. “What did you do, Zac?”
“I didn’t start it, just so you know.”
“Start what?” Sam groaned, like they needed more trouble.
“Big bad, super creepy vampire over yonder is out to get us,” he gestured towards Alistair, who was now over at the bar. “He’s looking for some black haired, blue eyed woman who’s pissed him off and he seems to think we know something about it.”
“Obviously, we don’t,” said Sam, trying to keep his voice even.
“I told him as much, but I don’t think it matters anymore,” he grimaced.
Sam sighed, “You couldn’t help but talk back, could you?”
Zac raised his hands in defence, “Hey, he came in talking like he was out of Lord of the Rings, even you couldn’t pass on the opportunity.” Looking over to Alistair, he noticed Gabby standing next to him. They were talking, and he was buying her a drink! Bloody hell, did she know he was a vampire? What kind of witch was she?
Sam snorted his disagreement, and before he could speak Zac interrupted, “Yeah, yeah. Don’t say it, bro. I get it. We can’t afford to be exposed as blood sucking parasites. Believe me. I get it.”
His brother sighed, “We have another issue to deal with.” Zac raised his eyebrows expectantly. Like they needed more issues with a vampire bent on making their life hell.  “Liz and I had a run in with the werewolves,” Sam said, not looking at his brother.
“Oh, so you want to have a go at me when you’ve been out pissing off the puppy dogs?” Zac scowled. “Did you piss in their territory?”
Sam nodded, reluctantly agreeing with his brother, “Seems like they want to claim the land bordering the manor.”
“Sounds like they already have,” Zac sneered.
“They warned us off, but given any opportunity they will attack us anyway,” he said through gritted teeth. “They’re getting bolder.”
Zac felt the anger rising within him. The dogs had threatened his brother and Liz. She was his brother’s girl, but he had fallen for her just as hard. The only thing that had stopped the wolves from attacking was the fact that the moon wasn’t even half full yet. He was thinking about the many ways to kill the werewolf pack, when Gabby sat back down at the table.
“I see Sam told you about the pack,” she said, when she noticed the scowl etched on his face.
“Wait until you hear who Zac pissed off today,” Sam changed the subject.
“Your boyfriend over at the bar,” Zac inclined his head towards Alistair.
“He’s a…” Gabby stammered, suddenly feeling foolish.
“Yeah,” Zac rolled his eyes. “What kind of witch are you that your witchy compass doesn’t work?”
“It’s serious Gabby. He could expose us all, or kill us. So stay away from him, okay?” Sam warned.
Gabby fidgeted nervously and pushed away her glass, as if she was suddenly wary of drinking it.
Zac snorted, “What, do you think he put a vampire roofie in there?”
“Shut up,” she hissed.
 
 
Author Bio
Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.
She currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing (of course!), traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky dive, but has to work up the courage first.
 
The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in e-edition and print from March 20th 2013
 
Learn more about her writing at:
www.nicolertaylorwrites.com
 
She may be contacted by email at:
nicole.this.is@gmail.com
 

Visit her online: www.nicolertaylorwrites.com
twitter.com/nicole_noir
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-R-Taylor/452118154855116
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907729.Nicole_R_Taylor

 

Book Review: Catching an Evil Tail by Mary Abshire

10546083Title: Catching an Evil Tail (The Soul Catcher #2)
Author: Mary Abshire
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons
Rating: 4 stars
Review copy provided by Bewitching Book Tours.
Goodreads | Author Website

Half-demon Jessie Garrett wants to live a normal life among her friends and keep her soul catching ability a secret, but supernatural creatures keep popping up in her world. Adding to her struggles, her vampire lover remains out of the country, and when he offers no valuable explanation as to why he hasn’t returned, she wonders if she should move on without him.
As if Jessie doesn’t have enough worries on her mind, the demon yearning to seduce her shows up at her home. She longs to liberate herself from the debt she owes him, and when he asks for her help, she jumps at the chance to make a new deal with him—one that will guarantee her freedom. The only catch? She has to send the soul of a werewolf to hell.
Love, trust, and loyalty are on the line. Torn between her feelings for her vampire boyfriend, a hot Alpha wolf, and a demon vowing to protect her, Jessie must figure out her heart’s true desires.

Previously to reading Catching an Evil Tail, I already read and reviewed the first novel in The Soul Catcher Series, Claiming the Evil Dead. I have to admit that I liked Catching an Evil Tail better than the previous book. Probably because I’m more a fan of Jeremy/Jessie than of Drake/Jessie. Or maybe because I knew the characters better, understood their thoughts and actions (whereas in Claiming the Evil Dead, I often felt puzzled and confused) or maybe because the storyline seemed more appealing to me. I guess it’s a mix of all of these components.

After the events in Claiming the Evil Dead, Jessie’s vampire-boyfriend Drake goes to Europe to take care of some urgent business. Although he promised Jessie he’d only be gone for two weeks top, six weeks eventually pass with barely a sign of life (notice the irony? an undead vampire giving a sign of life…alright well, I thought it was funny!) from Drake, and Jessie is seriously worried about their relationship. Like that isn’t enough trouble, her roommate Dani keeps blurting out things about Jessie’s private life, like her ability to sense ghosts. And on top of that, the demon Jeremy, is back in town. Although he helped Jessie defeat the evil vampire Alexander about a month prior, Jessie still isn’t sure whether or not he is a trustworthy ally. But this time, Jeremy asks Jessie’s help to claim the soul of a malicious werewolf who challenged the Alpha werewolf of a nearby tribe. Reluctant to agree at first, Jessie gives in eventually, and travels half-way across the country with none other than Jeremy. And obsessed as the demon is with the girl who he thinks is his soulmate, he will stop at nothing to seduce Jessie and get her in his bed. But he’s not the only one who is interested, as the Alpha werewolf seems to have an eye on Jessie as well.

I liked the storyline of this novel, the fact that it’s now Jeremy tugging Jessie along rather than good ol’ Drake, and I loved the addition of werewolves, witches and another warlock. Go diversity. I also loved most of the men playing a part in this book, especially Jeremy (talk about determination) and Alan (great leader figure), and the brief appearances from Drake were a nice touch as well. The combination between romance, action and suspense is spot-on as well, and I cannot recall feeling bored while reading for one single moment. Catching an Evil Tail is a well-written, relaxing and entertaining book, and I’m very glad to have read it.

Now, let’s continue to the things I didn’t like all that much. Jessie, our protagonist, isn’t exactly the most likeable character on the entire planet. She claims it takes a lot to earn her trust (for instance, she still doesn’t trust Drake completely, she doesn’t trust Jeremy at all, etc.) but then again, she has no trouble doing things that aren’t exactly trustworthy, like cheating on her so-called boyfriend. The one moment, she whines about being totally and completely in love with Drake, but then she lets herself get kissed by Jeremy roughly five minutes later. Then she bitches about how he continues to try and seduce her – while in fact, she is constantly leading him on, and playing the tease. Another major problem of the main character, is that she comes across as being rather egocentric, selfish and stuck up. In Jessie’s world, there’s hardly room for anyone but Jessie. And in this novel, it became all the more clear that for a half-demon with considerable powers, and a grown-up woman, Jessie is actually quite childish, immature and irresponsible. In this novel, it’s clearly the guys saving the day, because they do make up for a lot of Jessie’s flaws, up to the point that I’m wondering what any of them actually sees in her. But oh well, fantasy heroines have a tendency of not being all-that-likeable.

Now I think about it, this may have something to do with the fact that this novel is written in first person. It takes a lot of skill to pull this off, and although I think Mary Abshire did a marvellous job portraying the feelings of the other characters, even though writing in first person’s perspective, Jessie’s feelings may seem oversized, or over the top, simply because of the fact that it’s her talking. I don’t know if I’m explaining this well, or if I’m even getting my point across at all, but when writing in first person, the character talking will often seem more self-absorbed and emotional simply because we constantly see what’s going on in their mind. It’s a psychological thing, I guess.

If you like erotic paranormal romance, then Catching an Evil Tail is definitely one of the best books in the genre. If you like strong female characters, then Jessie will not dissapoint. If you like action, suspense and romance nicely tied together, then Mary Abshire’s series is exactly what you’re looking for. If you like a cast of interesting, diverse characters, then you will be in for a treat. You might agree with me that Jessie isn’t exactly the person you’d want to be friends with, but her adventures are exciting and thrilling enough to get past that. Mary Abshire’s writing is very promising, and I have high hopes – since I did like this book more than the previous one – that the next book, Fighting Evil, will be even more delightful to read.