Monthly Archives: November 2012

An Interview with Melissa Mayhue

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An Interview with Melissa Mayhue

The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome the wonderful Melissa Mayhue as our guest today.

Melissa just released Warrior Reborn, her newest book in her Warrior series.  We posted our review of Warrior Reborn yesterday. 

Let’s begin our interview with Melissa.

Hi Melissa. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book. We are big fans of your book, and it is a pleasure to have you here at The Reading Café.

TRC: Will you please tell us about yourself?

Melissa: This is always the hardest question I get! Truly, I am one of the most uninteresting people I know. Maybe that’s why I spend so much time in my own imaginary worlds!  I love writing – obviously! – and the research involved in the writing. In fact, I’m such a research nerd, I have to really be strict with myself not to get lost in that part of preparing for the stories. In addition to writing, I love to travel and hunt down my family genealogy [which feeds my joy for research]. I love spending time with my grandsons and, of course, reading has always been a passion. My favorite way to unwind is playing games on Facebook, which is why I maintain a personal page [for the games] and an Author Page where I can connect with the readers who don’t want to see all the game updates.  I live in Northern Colorado with my husband and two wonderful Boston Terriers who are so much like kids that my husband jokes if we’d bought them first, we might not have three sons! 🙂

TRC: When and how did you become interested in writing? Have you always liked to write?

Melissa: Because I’ve always been a reader, I think there has always been a part of me that wanted to be a writer. Especially when I’d read a book that didn’t end the way I wanted it to! I attempted my first book when I was around thirteen… and gave up after only a few pages because it was HARD!  But I’ve been inventing stories since I was really young and playing with my Barbie dolls!

TRC: How did you come up with the idea of Daughters of the Glen series? Was 30 Nights with a Highlander your first book?

Melissa: Thirty Nights was my first book. It had been percolating around in the back of my brain for years and when we went to Scotland on vacation, it just sort of forced its way out! I always loved reading fantasy and romance, so I knew whatever I wrote would have to include those elements. And it HAD to have my Happy Ever After! I loved time travel and historical and paranormal romances, so when I found myself sitting in a place called The Fairy Glen, well, it all just fell into place.

TRC: I love the time-traveling theme in DOTG. How did you come up with that idea?

Melissa: I had been reading a lot of time travel romance before I sat down to write that story. Flora Speer, Diana Gabaldon, Karen Marie Moning, Terri Brisbin and so, so many other wonderful authors shaped my love for the genre in the years before I began working on Thirty Nights. Time Travel just seemed the perfect fit for me to combine my love of historical and my love of fantasy.

TRC: Warrior Redemption was the first book in your new Warrior series. Why did you decide to spin this off from DOTG, rather then make it part of the same series?

Melissa: We were already eight books into the DOTG series and with Warrior’s Redemption we were adding a whole new dimension of magic into the stories. It seemed like a good thing to do. I didn’t want it to be an entirely NEW series [thus the “spin-off”] because there are still too many characters from the older books who are nagging to have their stories told! 🙂

TRC: On that same note, will we get to see our favorites again from Daughters of Glen? There are so many wonderful characters ( Dair, Sim, Dallyn) that still need their story told, not to mention the wonderful children, such as Rosie, to come in the future.

Melissa: As long as the readers keep buying the books, I’ll keep telling the stories of the characters who keep speaking to me!

TRC: Warrior Reborn, which was just recently released on October 30th, is the second book of the Warrior series. Can you tell us the premise of this story, and who are the heroine and hero?

Melissa: The hero in this story is a young man who was only mentioned in the DOTG series, Chase Noble. [Interestingly enough, I’ve gotten LOTS of emails from readers wanting to know more about him ever since he first showed up!]. Chase has basically spent his life on his own since his mother’s death, never giving up on believing in the promise his father [a full-blood Faerie] made to him. He’s spent the last decade searching, unsuccessfully, for the place he belongs. He just didn’t realize the place the Fae had chosen for him was seven hundred years in the past!

The heroine is Christiana MacDowylt, who readers met in Warrior’s Redemption. When she assured her brother that she’d already seen the man who would save her, it was Chase she was talking about. Her only problem is how to get him from his time to hers.

LINKS TO PRE-ORDER: Amazon / Barnes and Noble/ The Book Depository /

TRC: What are you working on now?

Melissa: I’m working on the third full book in the Warrior Series, which doesn’t really have a title yet. [I’m playing with Warrior Untamed, but I’m not sure it will stick]. It’s the story of two characters you’ll meet in Warrior Reborn, so I won’t go into a lot of detail right now. Don’t want to ruin any surprises!

TRC: What is your writing process? Do you have a favorite spot or time? Do you like to outline your stories or just go with the flow?

Melissa: I begin with a rough idea of who my characters are and what their major obstacles will be but, other than that, the stories come as they come. 🙂

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Melissa: I’d love to invite your readers to stop by my Website if they have time. www.MelissaMayhue.com. On there they’ll find family genealogy charts for the characters and information about my research and the stories/mythologies that inspired many bits and pieces of the books. They can also sign up for my newsletter which is where I conduct all contests when I have a new release.


LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: – Chicken Fried steak and French fries with white cream gravy [any wonder I have a weight problem???]

Favorite Dessert: – Chocolate Lava cake [ditto the above comment]

Favorite Author: – There are just too, too many whose work I love to even attempt to narrow this down! And it changes all the time, depending on whose book I just read!!  Though I will admit to having books by Mary Stewart, Douglas Adams, and Charlaine Harris on my Forever Keeper Shelf.

Favorite Movie: Varies depending on the mood I’m in. The American President and The 13th Warrior are two that are always on my Keeper List. [Unless it’s close to Christmas and then, bar none, it’s The Christmas Story].

Favorite TV Show: It’s a tie. The Newsroom [because the characters banter is quick and witty and you really have to pay attention] and Restaurant Impossible [because it usually makes me cry – in a good way].

Milk or Dark Chocolate: No hesitation here. Milk chocolate. Definitely milk chocolate

Favorite character (male & female) not written by you:
Female: Kate Schechter – in Douglas Adams’ Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul
Male: Thor – same book

Melissa: As a matter of fact, though this is supposed to be the lightening round, it was that book that ultimately made me decide to sit down and write my first book. I felt just one more chapter in that book and Adams could have given me the Happy Ever After I wanted. But, no matter how many times I read it [and I have read it MANY times] it never morphed into the romance is should have been. 🙂

TRC: Thank you, Melissa for answering our questions. We look forward to continuing to read your books, and to work with you in the future.

Melissa: Thank you so much for hosting me here today and allowing me to chat with your readers!!

If you would like to learn more about Melissa, you can find her at the following links:

Website: http://www.melissamayhue.com/
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:

Melissa has graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to win a copy of their choice of one book from her backlist (Daughters of the Glen or Warrior’s Redemption)

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say Hi to Melissa

4.  Giveaway open to U.S. & Canada Only

5.  Contest runs from November 14th – November 17th

 

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Melissa Mayhue – Biography-Bibliography

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Melissa Mayhue – Biography-Bibliography

Biography

Faced with telling you all about me, I realized…I’m not very interesting! So, rather than bore you with useless trivia about my life, [I was an only child, born and raised in Texas], I’ll share the story of how I came to be a writer.

First and foremost, I am a reader. Some of my best memories are of my mother taking me to the local library every week during the summer to check out armloads of books. I could hardly wait to get home, dive into the stories, and get lost in a whole new, wonderful world. My prized possession as a girl was an entire shelf of Nancy Drew Mysteries. I adored Nancy Drew.

My first experience with writing a book came at age 13. I developed a fascination with genealogy and, after spending time visiting older relatives to gather information, I found I had all sorts of wonderful family stories. What on earth could I do with all those [mostly false] tales? Why, I’d write a sweeping, 600+ page novel of course! A tale of life through several generations, spanning two centuries. It would be fantastic.

Armed with purpose and enthusiasm, I sat down at my big typewriter, [yes, I’m dating myself…typewriter, not keyboard], and began Page One. Hours later I had almost completed two whole pages. [double spaced, of course]. Hmmmmm… An entire day and I had barely two pages to show for it? [rather boring pages, at that].

Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be an author after all.

In spite of my writing setback, I retained my passion for books. I simply concentrated on reading other people’s books. Lots of books. All kinds of books. Until I discovered Romance. Finally, a world I could escape to where I knew I’d always find a happy ending! I devoured them, literally reading hundreds.

Years passed before the writing bug seriously bit again. I was working in downtown Denver and, as so many writers advised, every lunch hour I took my pad and pen [actually, I preferred a pencil] and headed for my favorite coffee shop to spend my 50 minutes writing.

Unfortunately, my favorite coffee shop was in a book store. Invariably, I’d end up writing nothing. There were too many fascinating people to watch, too many interesting conversations to hear and then, of course, there were all the books to distract me.

Still, I had these two characters living in my head, wanting their story told…

Then came the summer we took our second family vacation to Scotland. On the Black Isle [ which isn’t black or even an isle ], near the pretty little town of Rosemarkie, we parked our rented car and hiked back into a magically beautiful placed called Fairy Glen. Resting on a large rock at the edge of a waterfall and pool, lulled by the lush nature of the setting, I suddenly realized THIS was the place for Cate and Connor. For the remainder of that trip, I’d catch glimpses of them, in a castle, standing at the foot of a crumbling staircase, or riding through a highland meadow.

Once I finally sat down at my keyboard and decided the time had come to give those two life, I found, amazingly enough, they weren’t the only characters running around in my head. There were a bunch of them… all clamoring for their own turn!

My GOAL, as a writer, is to give each of those noisy characters a life in their own story.

My HOPE, as a writer, is that you’ll enjoy reading their stories as much as I enjoy writing them!

Bibliography

Daughters of the Glen Series
Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband – Book 1
Released – 6/2007
Connor & Caitlyn

Highland Guardian – Book 2
Released – 10/2007
Ian & Sarah

Soul of a Highlander –  Book 3
Released – 5/2008
Ramos & Mairi

A Highlander of Her Own –  Book 4
Released – 1/2009
Caden & Ellie

A Highlander’s Destiny –  Book 5
Released – 12/2009
Jesse & Destiny

A Highlander’s Homecoming –  Book 6
Released – January, 2010
Robbie & Isabella

Healing the Highlander – Book 7
Released – 2/2011
Drew & Leah

Highlander’s Curse – Book 8
Released – 3/2011
Colin & Abby

The Warrior’s Series
Warrior’s Redemption – Book 1
Released – 12/2011
Malcolm & Dani

Warrior’s Last Gift – Ebook Only
Released – 10/2012
Eric & Jeanne

Warrior Reborn – Book 2
Released – 10/2012
Chase & Christiana


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The Daughters of the Glen/The Warrior Series – A Poem

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THE DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN/THE WARRIOR SERIES- A Poem based on the novels by Melissa Mayhue

I wrote this poem about one year ago but have since added a few more stanzas as Melissa Mayhue has written her WARRIOR series.
 

THE DAUGHTERS OF THE GLEN and THE WARRIOR SERIES

Melissa Mayhue dreamed a book
The Fae had filled her thoughts.
Of scattered worlds, from then and now,
A world, she blessed with Scots.

Connor was the first to seek,
An otherworldly trek.
The maiden Cate, was his to meet,
A love he’d not forget.

Sarah loved the written word,
To Scotland she was bound.
But Ian captured Sarah’s heart,
Their love, at long last, found.

Ramos gathered thoughts of good,
But Reynard tempted fate.
Mairi knew she found a love,
With Ramos, as her mate.

Caden searched, his brother gone,
The laird was missing too.
The Fae had plans for Ellie now,
For Caden-love renewed.

Jesse knew, his one true love,
Was Fae, so clean and pure.
And Destiny was by his side,
With hope, to reassure.

Robert’s life was waning fast,
A cure he needed now.
His guilt did cause, a shattered sense,
Of time, a broken vow.

Isa grew, so brave and strong,
Her power was foretold.
And Robert feared, he’d lost his chance,
But love had taken hold.

Andrew saved a maiden Fae,
Her secrets, she did hide.
But Leah craved his gentle touch,
She travelled by his side.

Abby wished for just one thing,
A soul mate, she would love.
But Colin’s cursed, to never know,
His woman’s gentle touch.

The Highlander’s of Scotland yore,
The women and the men.
Have found their lives, their love, their souls,
In The Daughter’s of the Glen.

And now the stories build once more,
The heroes from the Glen.
Of Scottish lass, and passing times,
Of Warriors, Fae and men.

Malcolm had a brother whom,
Desired death, revenge.
But Dani aided Malcolm’s cause,
His life she would avenge.

Eric never knew the truth,
When he broke a woman’s heart.
But a life alone without her love,
Meant Jeanne would live apart.

Chase had dreamt of long ago,
A beauty caught his eye.
And Christiana thought she found,
The stars, the moon, the sky.

The Warriors will meet once more,
When Torquil fights for power.
The gathered group, defend their lives,
Their loves with truth and honor.

Melissa writes a tale of love
That spans the years and miles.
Of Scottish Glens, and Fairy dreams,
Of kisses, sighs and smiles.

by Sandy

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Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue – a Review

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Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue – a Review

Warrior Reborn is the second novel of Melissa Mayhue’s Warrior series, which was a spinoff from her glorious Daughters of the Glen series.  Warrior Reborn picks up immediately after Warrior Redemption ended. Below is the official description of the book, which is followed by my review.       

Description:
Award-winning author Melissa Mayhue delivers once more with her second enchanting novel of the MacDowylt clan, featuring a captive Scottish seer who awaits the man from her visions to rescue—and love—her. . . .

Former special ops agent CHASE NOBLE has been searching his whole life for the place where he belongs. As a descendant of Fae, he senses fate has more in store for him. And he will not rest until he discovers what his true purpose is. When he travels back in time to medieval Scotland, he discovers his mission is to save a beautiful woman—the same woman he is destined to be with.

CHRISTIANA MACDOWYLT possesses the gift of foresight. Prisoner of her evil half brother, Christiana has visions that show her that only one warrior can rescue her—a man she is mysteriously drawn to. The only problem is, he’s in the future. Now she must rely on the magic of a fairy to transport him to the past. And when Christiana finally meets Chase, the sparks between them set off a smoldering desire. But will the magic that brought them together also tear them apart? 

Review:

Warrior Reborn opens with our heroine, Christiana MacDowylt, who surveys the scene, where most of her brother’s warriors lie dead, enabling her other brothers Malcolm & Patrick to get away free, with Malcolm’s wife Dani and Elesyria, a faerie, who is living with the MacDowylts.   That is how the first book ended, now Christiana must find a way to fool her evil brother,Torquil that she had nothing to do with Malcolm’s escape. 

Torquil, is the evil villain in this series; he is very powerful and almost impossible to kill.  He lays unconscious, but Christiana knows soon he will fully recover. As more of Torquil’s warriors are on the way to rescue him, she puts herself deeply into one of her visions, allowing her become almost comatose, when Torquil regains consciousness. 

This does work, as Torquil will believe Christiana, and despite his concerns of her betrayal, he knows he needs her.  For she sees visions of the future, and he uses her visions to benefit himself.   When Warrior Redemption left off, as they were escaping, Christiana had asked Elesytria to bring her the warrior she dreams about in some of her visions.  Of course, Elesytria does this, and finds Christiana’s soulmate in the present time.

Chase Noble is our hero, and he is the brother of Leah and Destiny Noble, from the Daughters of the Glen series. Chase is unhappy, as he travels to search for his soulmate that he dreams about, as well as where he feels he should belong. When a storm comes, Chase is suddenly whipped away through time to medieval Scotland, in the year 1294. When Chase regains his faculties, he finds himself being beaten by others, and an Irish man comes to his rescue.  Hall will become Chase’s friend, or as he calls himself, his brother, to help protect him.  There is something about special about Hall, that makes him to be a powerful and loyal friend to Chase.   They both go to work for Torquil, who is gathering all the men available to eventually lead them to destroy Malcolm, and all his family.  Torquil is determined to get revenge, not to mention he wants all that Malcolm owns, including Dani. 

Both Chase and Hall become convinced that there is evil in Torquil’s castle.  Then Chase meets Christiana, and knows she is the woman he has been searching for all of his life.  Christiana herself, knows Chase is the man she asked the fae to summon, however she thought of him as the man who in her visions was going to save her and help her escape Torquil.  Both Chase and Christiana turned out to be a wonderful couple.  Chase was such a great guy, happy now that he felt he was where he belonged, and with whom he belonged with. He was a strong warrior, and protected Christiana with his life, and finally showed her his love.  Christiana, who started to become dependent on Chase, began to realize that he was her soulmate.  She too was protective of Chase, and worried that if Torquil would find out that they were soulmates, he would kill Chase.  Only Christiana knew how evil, powerful, and dangerous Torquil was, not to mention his instability. 

It was an exciting finish, with Chase, Christiana, and Hall fighting insurmountable odds to survive.  Will they survive?  Will Chase save Christiana and claim his soulmate?  Will they finally be able to destroy Torquil?   Melissa Mayhue does not disappoint in this wonderful continuation of this series, and she does not leave us hanging to my questions.    We get to spend a little time with some of the characters from the first book, and we know that even without cliffhangers, the story will continue with these wonderful characters.  Not sure who the next book is about, we do have some great characters that Melissa can use…Patrick MacDowalyt, Hall, and Bridget.  Warrior Reborn was an excellent addition to the Warrior series, and I can’t wait for the next book.  I also want desperately to return to our favorites that we came to love in Daughters of Glen. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by publisher

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Shadowhunters and Downworlders-The Mortal Instruments Reader

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Shadowhunters and Downworlders-The Mortal Instruments Reader

 

From GOODREADS:

Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, epic urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more, has captured the imaginations and loyalty of hundreds of thousands of YA readers. Originally a trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), the series has extended to six titles, plus a prequel trilogy, the Infernal Devices, and a planned sequel series, the Dark Artifices. A feature film is planned for 2013.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a collection of YA authors writing about the series and its world.

Authors Who Contributed:
Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

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Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking-a review

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Lullaby (Watersong#2) by Amanda Hocking-a review

LULLABY (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

LULLABY is the second instalment (November 27, 2012 release) in Amanda Hocking’s Watersong series. Amanda’s latest venture into the world of fantasy follows Gemma Fisher as she is forced into the role of a siren.

Some background: In Greek mythology, the sirens were 3 sea nymphs, who were part bird/part human/part mermaid. According to myth, Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility condemned the 3 sisters (daughters of the river god Achelous) when they failed to save Demeter’s daughter Persephone from Hades. With their beautiful voices, the sirens would lure sailors and men to their death.

LULLABY continues the storyline at exactly the same spot where WAKE ended. 16 year old Gemma is missing and presumably under the spell of the beautiful sirens. Her boyfriend Alex, along with her sister Harper, has been frantically searching through Greek mythology books looking for anyway to help break the siren’s spell over Gemma. And the deeper they look, the more it seems that freeing Gemma may be next to impossible. Along with Harper’s soon-to-be boyfriend Daniel, the trio pledge to find Gemma and return her home safely.

Meanwhile, Daniel’s feelings for Harper continue to grow but Harper isn’t sure if she is ready for a relationship. Since her mother’s accident, Harper has taken over as both mother and big sister, and she is reluctant to let her feelings for Daniel compromise her search for Gemma. It is only when Daniel points out that he has been the one to effectively save and locate Gemma on the prior occasions that Harper begins to realize that perhaps there is room for someone else in her life. I was able to connect with Harper and Daniel, and perhaps that made the storyline a little more enjoyable. I still wasn’t pleased with the push-me/pull-you affect of Harper’s feelings for Daniel, but like many storylines, there is always some friction between many of the couples.

Gemma is reluctant to return. She knows that the sirens will come looking for her, as they fear that a lengthy separation will mean death to all. With that in mind, Alex continues to profess his love for Gemma, which once again, goes against the mythology that a siren can never be truly loved. Hoping to prove the myth wrong, Gemma makes a bargain with the sirens and it is her fear for Alex that will force Gemma to make a heart breaking decision.

Amanda Hocking is not afraid to write storylines involving death, mutilation or violence. LULLABY (like WAKE) contains some violence and death as it pertains to the sirens need to feed, but there is also some (in my opinion) gratuitous violence. The sister’s callous regard for human life is frightening and when they kill it is without a second thought. Even someone close is never safe from the wrath of an angry siren.

There was more emphasis on Gemma’s family and Greek mythology in LULLABY. Most of the storyline focuses on the search and rescue, including the revelation of Gemma’s connection to mythical characters. Gemma’s fight against the compulsion to feed keeps her humanity intact, but even Gemma will slip up when hunger overcomes all rational thinking.

LULLABY is a quick and easy read, with an interesting look at the sirens and fabled stories from long ago. I enjoyed LULLABY more than WAKE but perhaps it was because there was more focus on the search and rescue, than that of the sirens who sat around looking for their next victim. If you are a fan of Amanda Hocking you will enjoy LULLABY and the Watersong series.

LINKS TO PRE ORDER: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Copy supplied by publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Release Me by J. Kenner-a review

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Release Me by J. Kenner – a review

 

RELEASE ME by J. Kenner

RELEASE ME is the first storyline (January 2013 release) in J. Kenner’s new erotic romance series featuring Damien Stark and Nichole (Nikki) Fairchild.  Like many of latest popular serial erotic romance storylines such as Fifty Shades of Grey and The Crossfire Trilogy by Sylvia Day, Nikki and Damien have secrets from their pasts, overcome insurmountable odds, and are pursued by the ghosts of painful childhood memories. But wait…before you say….”oh no, not another one.”..it will suck you in from the very start.


 
 A billionaire who knows what he wants- Damien Stark is our hero. Starting at four years of age Damien became the poster child for junior tennis but a manipulative father and a controlling coach destroyed Damien’s life leaving him with some issues of control.

 
Damien wants Nikki.  As the story progresses, we learn that Nikki and Damien had met six years previous and Nikki believes that Damien does not remember their meeting.  But like many of our stalkerish type heroes, Damien has kept up with Nikki’s life, so much so, that most of her adult life has been choreographed through Damien Stark. And with their latest ‘accidental’ meeting, Damien pursues Nikki to make her-his own. If you are a fan of Fifty Shades or Crossfire Trilogy you will like Release Me.

 
Damien likes his games of sex.  From phone sex to light BDSM, Damien is a man who gets what he wants, but he will not hurt Nikki knowing the horrific past she has had to endure.  But along with Nikki’s secrets Damien has a few of his own that he is reluctant to reveal.
 
Nikki Fairchild is our heroine.  Forced into the pageant circuit at a young age, Nikki and her sister became their mother’s ticket to fame and fortune. But pageant life and life at home were never easy for Nikki and her sister and in the end guilt will weighed heavily on Nikki Fairchild’s shoulders.

 
Release me follows a similar path as the other well-known and successful series written the same genre.  We have the requisite BFF, manipulative and vindictive boss and an ex-boyfriend who wants nothing more than to become something more.

 
I enjoyed RELEASE ME because there were some differences if only in the actual content and overall story outline. J. Kenner has written a sensually seductive storyline that catches your imagination and pulls you in because of its’ familiarity and recognizable premise.  Either way, a tortured and brooding hero is always high on my TBR list.

 

LINKS TO PRE ORDER: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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X Marks the Scot by Victoria Roberts-a review

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X Marks The Scot by Victoria Roberts- a review

X MARKS THE SCOT (Bad Boys of the Highlands #2) by Victoria Roberts

X MARKS THE SCOT is the second storyline (February 2013 release) in Victoria Roberts’s Bad Boys of the Highland series.

At the end of Temptation in a Kilt, the Laird MacGregor had killed the “Bloody Campbell” for abducting and threatening his wife, child and extended family. But the fact that Campbell’s half-sister is now without protection and a guardian, the MacGregor clan must make arrangements to escort the woman to King James’ court until the time comes when James decides what will be done with Lady Liadain Campbell. And it is Declan MacGregor who will volunteer to be the traveling companion and guardian to the beautiful Liadain. Until the King choses a suitor, Declan finds himself reluctantly attracted to the heir to the Campbell Castle, but that still does not stop his roguish ways.

Declan MacGregor has always been the family bad boy. Known as the third son, his prospects in life left little with regard to the MacGregor clan and its’ holdings. Bedding down any available female and partaking in heavy drinking and ‘wenching’ it was only a matter of time before Declan would find himself in trouble again. But Declan’s skill with a bow and arrow, would win him the King James’s archery competition and the prize was the Campbell Castle and wedded bliss with the Lady Liadain. Although a tepid friendship had slowly developed, a forced marriage was something neither one had considered. But to their surprise, someone from Liadain’s past would be the instigator behind the King’s declaration of marriage between the couple, and although on the surface it looks like betrayal and revenge, Declan will soon discover that Liadain is risking her life the longer she stays at King james’s court.

Meanwhile, King James’s enemies were devising a plan to remove the monarch ‘permanently’ from the throne and what better way to frame Declan MacGregor than to use his prowess with a bow to send King James to an early grave. But Liadain will discover a secret at Campbell Castle that could either win Declan his freedom or kill them all.

The relationship between Declan and Liadain is slow to build. At the end of Temptation in a Kilt, Declan had already attempted to slit Liadain’s throat when he was under the mistaken belief she was partly responsible for the abduction of his nephew and sisters in law. And Declan’s penchant for hurting Liadain continues, when in a drunken stupor he mistakes her for an intruder in his own bedroom. Declan’s lack of respect for his new wife becomes rather apparent when he all but calls her a whore because of her past and the local wenches continue to avail themselves to Declan for services of the sexual kind. Liadain is a strong woman who is not willing to go down without a fight and when her husband is imprisoned for treason, it will be Liadain who embarks on a mission to clear her husband’s name knowing that the man may never accord her the love and respect in reverse.

I like Victoria Roberts’s Bad Boys of the Highland series. I found myself emotionally drawn to the characters as well as their imperfections and personality quirks. Declan believes himself to be without the support of his family and clan, and will go about working towards a self-fulfilling prophecy of the useless son with his disruptive behavior and wenching ways. The women, each with their own failings and insecurities, are otherwise strong and supportive of the men who have promised to love and protect with their lives. In the end, it will be the women who have control of their men’s hearts and souls. Victoria writes an amazing story of love and revenge, betrayal and hurt.

READING ORDER
1. Temptation in a Kilt
2. X Marks the Scot
3. To Wed a Wicked Highlander (Sept 2013)

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Reviewed by Sandy

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