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Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon – An Anthology review

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Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon – An Anthology review

 

Dark BitesLinks to order Dark Bites:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository


Description:
For years, eager fans have been clamoring for an all-in-one collection of #1 bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s novellas. At their enthusiastic behest, we have delivered this brand-new short story collection, including stories previously exclusive to Sherrilyn’s website, as well as an all-new, never-before seen story!

Sherrilyn Kenyon takes readers from the Dark-Hunters to the demigods, from Dream-Hunters to demons, and everything in between.  Dangerous and exciting, each story is one thrill ride after the next, proving time and again how Sherrilyn has captivated millions of readers worldwide.  Now, readers are invited to go deep into Kenyon’s rich and imaginative world and experience the heart-racing moments that never stop coming!

Included novellas:
From the World of the Dark-Hunters:
 Phantom Lover (V’Aiden),  Winter Born(Dante),  A Dark-Hunter Christmas (Gallagher)  Until Death We Do Part (Velkan),  A Hard Day’s Night Searcher (Rafael),  Shadow of the Moon (Fury),  Where Angels Fear to Tread (Zeke),  Fear the Darkness (First Time in Print),  House of the Rising Son (First Time in Print)

Unrelated Stories:  Love Bytes, and Santa Wears Spurs


Review:
As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of anything Kenyon, especially when it comes to her Dark Hunter series, and The League series.  So when I heard she was putting together this anthology I was stoked.  Let me just say, this is a perfect anthology to add to your Kenyon collection.  I thoroughly enjoyed having all my Kenyon novella’s at my fingertips in one collection.  No need to go scrounging around anymore to find them all to add to my ever growing Kenyon collection.  This was a wonderful treat for me to read and re-visit some of my favourite characters who aren’t focused on much in the other main stories.  For any Kenyon Menyon(nickname she calls her fans) this anthology is a must buy.  I promise, you won’t be disappointed. 

Now to keep this review at a decent length, I decided to review the two first time in print novella’s along with one other novella that was originally written as a thank you to fans. The other novella’s have all been published in other anthologies over the years, but all can be found in this long awaited edition. 

Here’s a brief commentary/review those three novella’s;
House of the Rising Son(1st time in print)
Since this is a new novella in this anthology here’s a little description from Kenyon’s website on the hero and heroine;

Aricles-Hero
The eldest son in a family of three boys, Aricles had no desire to be a soldier, even though his fighting skills were among the best in the world. He was more than content on his small Atlantean farm, living a quiet, uneventful life. But when his brother is determined to don a soldier’s uniform, Aricles joins him with a promise to their father to bring his brother home in one piece. What he never counts on is how much their new lives will forever change them, or what the risk of a forbidden love will ultimately cost him.

Bathymaas-Heroine
The first and original goddess of justice, Bathymaas was created to keep Set grounded and on the side he’s supposed to be on. Due to her justice duties, she believes herself incapable of feeling. Something that causes her to run afoul of several gods, including Leto who can’t forgive her for not punishing Hera for Hera’s curse against her and her children. But when a bitter, ruthless betrayal costs her everything, Bathymaas becomes humanity’s and the gods’ worst nightmare.

This novella about Aricles and Bathymaas is basically a prequel to Styxx.  Ms. Kenyon gives us the chance to see just where Styxx and Bethany’s lives began and then how they came to be in Styxx.  We get to see how Aricles and Bathymaas meet, fall in love and then are torn apart through treachery at the hands of that bastard Apollo.  Man that god never changes, I hate him as much as I hate his twin the heifer goddess as Simi calls her(Artemis).  Kenyon does a superb job of creating and writing her villians.  I really enjoyed this one, as there were so many parallels to Styxx’s story, and I was making certain connections from the past to the present.  Kenyon does a great job once again weaving her tale and carrying us along a fast paced story, that flows seamlessly from page to page.  When I got to the last sentence, I was very tempted to pick up my copy of Styxx and start all over again.  This is a lovely addition to the Dark Hunter series. 

A Dark Hunter Christmas
This is the special Christmas story that features the gangster Gallagher and Simi when Gallagher is temporarily relocated to New Orleans to help battle Daimons. Written as a gift for DH fans, it originally appeared in the back of the first edition of Dance with the Devil.

In Gallagher’s story, we learn of his past(being a gangster) and happily married to the love of his life.  However, one fateful night everything changes for him. While rushing to his wife’s side as she’s delivering their son, the cops show up to arrest him, and kill him on the spot.  Thus, he becomes a Dark Hunter, but is not able to have any contact with his wife and son.  It’s hard for him being a Dark Hunter knowing his family is still alive, but thanks to the Squire’s Council his wife and child are well taken care of.  Now it’s 70 yrs later, in New Orleans, and Gallagher rescues a female being attacked by Daimons, brings her to the hospital and meets his great granddaughter and isn’t allowed to let her know who or what he is now.  With this meeting all his memories of his wife and past life resurface.    Poor Gallagher is having a hard time dealing with everything, especially since his wife had just passed a way a year ago, and Ash went to tell him the news.  Feeling like he has nothing and no one Gallagher refuses to stay and celebrate Christmas with the Were’s and other Dark Hunters at Sanctuary. However, thanks to Simi, Gallagher develops a different outlook on life and families, and winds up celebrating Christmas with everyone at Sanctuary. This is a sad but sweet story.  Sherrilyn shows us just how hard it can be for a DH, and what they deal with every day regarding their emotions and existence.  The scenes with Simi and Gallagher are just so sweet and loving, and actually brought a few tears to my eyes.  I only wish the story were longer and that Gallagher would’ve found a new love at the Sanctuary Christmas party.  Who knows, maybe we’ll run across him in a future novel, here’s hoping. 

Fear the Darkness(First time in print)
This was originally done as a special thank you to readers for all the great years and was available only as a digital download. It’s a small story about Nick’s homecoming to New Orleans after his mother’s death and after Katrina.  I knew from the beginning what was going to happen to Nick. I wanted the reader to see the birth of a Dark-Hunter, only to have it with a twist. And even though I knew what was going to happen, I still cried when I wrote the scene.

When Nick finally returns to New Orleans after becoming a Dark Hunter, it’s a year after Hurricane Katrina.  Kenyon not only shows the fans how Nick is dealing with not only his ‘death’, but his mom’s death, and also the destruction done to his beloved city.  Nick is very angry and pretty much wants to lash out at anyone and everyone, especially Ash.  His emotions are so strong they just pour off the page and make your heart break for him and everything that he’s lost in his young life.  This is a heart breaking yet touching novella.  The scene with Nick at his mom’s grave, running into Menyara and chatting with her just tore me apart.  It also helps to set the stage for future events regarding Nick in the DH series, as we see that he’s made a pact with Stryker and the Daimons to go against Ash, and we also get a little insight into the fact that Nick is more then just a DH. A little hint dropping at his powers of the Malachai.  This was a very nice thank you to all her fans, and I can see why Ms. Kenyon cried while writing it.  She had me tearing up a few times in this short, yet touching story of Nick.  I can’t wait to read his full length DH story when it finally comes out in the future. 

To sum up my review, I enjoyed this anthology, and being able to going back and read about characters I don’t get to revisit with in her full length novels.  The other two short stories are fun and totally Kenyon, with your alpha males and quirky fun heroine’s.  Oh and let’s not forget that classic Kenyon humour.  Even though some of these short stories are more dark and serious, she still manages to strategically place that humour of hers in each story to lighten the mood at just the right spot.  If you are a Kenyon fan like I am, I’m telling you now, don’t wait, go out and get this anthology, it’s a must to have in your collection. 

Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie

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So Fell The Sparrow by Katie Jennings – a Review

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So Fell The Sparrow by Katie Jennings – a Review

So Fell The SparrowLinks to order So Fell The Sparrow:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble /The Book Depository

Description:
A skeptic, a ghost hunter, a tech genius, and a medium. Will the spirits win?

After the tragic death of her parents, Dr. Grace Sullivan inherits more than she bargained for. An empty house she’s never heard of, a nosy neighbor, and the restless spirits of a violent, century old murder.

A hard-nosed skeptic, Grace refuses to believe in ghosts despite hearing sounds and seeing things that can’t be explained.

When she unearths antique furniture from the basement, the spirits become agitated and dangerous. Ian Black and Alex Gallagher, a team of ghost hunters, come in to investigate.

Still denying the paranormal events in her home, Grace can’t bring herself to take the ghost hunters or the psychic medium who teams up with them seriously. As Grace struggles with her grief and the feelings she’s developing for headstrong Ian, the disturbing mystery of the house deepens. Now she’ll have to face the unbelievable before the spirits claim her for their own.

Review:

     As Jackie headed northeast toward the rising sun, a doctor five hundred miles away was receiving a late night phone call that would change her life forever.

     And in Seattle, a ghost hunter awoke from a strange dream, the name of a woman he’d never met on his lips.  Grace.  He fell back asleep and forgot the dream, but fate had done its job.  Soon he and his partner would hit the road on the hunt for the paranormal.

     Four strangers were unknowingly en route to each other, bound for a tiny, seaboard town in Massachusetts.

     To a house that had claimed the life of a sparrow.

This was an unusual beginning, as there are four central characters, but the female leads, Jackie and Grace, take center stage immediately; rich details of their backgrounds setting the mood for empathy.  Their male counterparts, our dynamic ghost hunters, Ian and Alex, are introduced and explored, but our knowledge of them is limited to present-day interactions with the women.  They’re so swoon-worthy, you won’t feel cheated, trust me.  Honestly, I came to expect the unexpected with So Fell the Sparrow and was genuinely happy for having put my faith in author, Katie Jennings.  Be warned:  This is not a campfire tale to elicit quick thrills.  This book’s effects linger…*yikes…I’m scaring myself all over again!*

Jackie is a nomadic medium whose ability of “sight” earned her father’s castigation and reproach for communicating with demons.  Having the wherewithal to run away from a poisonous environment, Jackie embraces her gift, drifting from town to town, availing herself to the afterlife.  A spirit encounter guides her to her next destination. 

Grace, the rigid doctor who recently lost her parents in a car crash only to discover her fiancé in bed with her BFF (following her parents’ services!), has just arrived at the Sparrow House, a property inherited through her father’s will…but kept a secret.  After a week of adjusting to the small town, fervent to keep interaction with the locals to a minimum, Grace experiences her first disturbance:  the cries of a child.  Mourning the loss of her parents, but rationalizing the grief with an excess of bitterness, Grace has now inherited unwanted attention.

“I need to know if there’s something about you that brought these spirits out.  Nellie says she experienced nothing in the house until you arrived.  Ergo, you are in some way, shape, or form, the crucial piece of the puzzle…The cloud that hangs over you may be what’s attracting these spirits.  They’re drawn to you because you’re in a weakened emotional state.”

While honest, probably not the best pick-up line, Ian.  Let me be direct:  Grace was not an easy woman to love.  She was quite nasty in fact.  When she wasn’t lambasting Ian and Alex for their chosen profession (whose services were acquired by a good-intentioned neighbor), Grace was repeatedly insulting and kicking people out of the Sparrow House (don’t you dare call it her home).  At some point during Grace’s introspection (she did consider she might be a wee abrupt), I was feeling a bit underwhelmed by the story and turned off my Kindle.  When a particularly grueling stomach pain woke me up in the middle of the night, and I grew restless, I resumed reading.  Big mistake!  Ms. Jennings hit her stride when addressing the heart of the story:  a ghost haunting.  Praying the sound of “soft crying” so eerily described in the book was just in my head, since the cats were curled up on my bed completely exonerating them, I was thankful to live in a one-story home.  For all intents and purposes, however, I immersed and traversed the creepy hall with Grace, assaulted by all the images it provoked.  Well done!

When further proof of hostility invades the Sparrow House, and convinces Grace she needs Ian, Alex and Jackie’s expertise, a full investigation is set up for Halloween, when the veil between the living and dead is transparent.  The suspense was deftly maintained by Ms. Jennings as we’d gleaned apparitions and witnessed a death scene in the harbor adjacent to the home.  I was plagued by a myriad of hypotheticals; dying to go through the search and discovery!  Kill me with the last line at the conclusion of Chapter 8…CHILLS!!  Chapter 9 holds its own; keeping me riveted and mesmerized in absolute fear.  WOW.  And Ms. Jennings doesn’t let up!  While the mysteries start to unfurl and piece together, the menace escalates, threatens, and manifests during a séance (amongst other “scare the shit out of you” moments).  Wow is a paltry interjection.  This is one scary mofo of a book!

Subtly interwoven are unique love stories (to dilute the terror, lol).  While Grace and Ian are tempestuous personalities who survive off of sarcasm and red wine, their repeated clashes dare the other to take closer notice.  They coalesce into a fiery harmony.  Jackie’s childhood torment tethers her anger, but she resurrects like the Phoenix herself when Alex accepts her unconditionally.  Fates, and a family tree, align this group to uncover evil and restore peace within the home and themselves.  Freaking.loved.this.book!!!      

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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Compromising Willa by Diana Quincy – a Review

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Compromising Willa by Diana Quincy – a Review

Compromising WillaLinks to order Compromising Willa:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
England, 1805

Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope is ruined and everyone knows it. Back in Town for the first season since her downfall, Willa plans to remain firmly on the shelf, assuming only fortune hunters will want her now. Instead she focuses on her unique tea blends, secretly supporting a coffee house which employs poor women and children. If her clandestine involvement in trade is discovered, she’ll be ruined. Again.

No one is more shocked by Willa’s lack of quality suitors than the newly minted Duke of Hartwell. Having just returned from India, the dark duke is instantly attracted to the mysterious wallflower. His pursuit is hampered by the ruthless Earl of Bellingham, who once jilted Willa and is now determined to reclaim her.

Caught between the clash of two powerful men, a furious Willa refuses to concede her independence to save her reputation. But will she compromise her heart?

 

Review;

This is my first time reading anything by Diana Quincy and let me just say it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed this historical romance and loved Ms. Quincy’s writing style, story telling ability and her character development.  Compromising Willa is a fast paced read that will get you hooked from the very beginning.  It’s a story filled with romance, suspense, treachery, and some well written witty banter between our hero and heroine. 

Our heroine of the story is Willa and I quite enjoyed her. She isn’t your typical female from that era.  She’s very independent, strong willed, witty, and loyal. Even though everyone believes she’s a ruined woman thanks to her evil ex fiancé, she doesn’t care what other’s think. She’s a woman who doesn’t back down and is quite capable of making her own way in a world where women should play second fiddle to their husbands. I really enjoyed Willa’s character and everything she stood for, plus she’s a perfect match for our dashing hero Hartwell. 

Hartwell is recently returned from India where he’s been doing business abroad and amassing quite the fortune, as well as moving into the title of Duke of Hartwell after his brother passed away.  Since he’s been away he has no idea about the rumours and stories that surround the woman who’s captivated him from their first meeting.  This is one of the reason’s I really liked Hartwell as our hero.  He didn’t care what was in Willa’s past, he only cared about the here and now and wanting to prove to Willa what an amazing woman she is, and that she would make a wonderful Duchess of Hartwell to his Duke.  There were moments when he would make me want to swoon with his treatments of Willa, being everything she needs, even her dashing hero who charges in to save the day.  There’s nothing quite like a man who stands up for his woman and is willing to fight a duel to the death to protect her and her virtues.  Just where are those types of men today…’looks around for her own dashing hero on a white horse’, nope nowhere to be found right now, LOL!!  Oops sorry I digress, back to my review. 

If there was one character in this story that made me want to just haul off and beat him, it was Willa’s ex fiancé, the Earl of Bellingham.  He is a bastard of a character and I could not stand him.  He actually gave me the creeps a few times in how he conducts himself, especially around women. He has no regard for them at all and doesn’t see them as anything other then an adornment on his arm and their usefulness in the bedroom.  Ms. Quincy wrote an outstanding villain in this one.  When a character can make me hate them to the point that I hated the Earl of Bellingham, then to me the author has done here job well. 

Compromising Willa is a fun read, that keeps the reader interested with every turn of the page. You will cheer for Willa as she stand up for herself and makes a life for herself in a male dominated society, and swoon along with her as Hartwell courts and surpises her at every turn, all the while calling for the Earl of Belligham’s demise as I was.  I very much enjoyed the way Ms. Quincy set up her story, spun her tale and kept me interested every step of the way.  I particularly enjoyed the witty banter between our hero and heroine.  It was refreshing and surprising at times, for back in that era, woman were suppose to be meek and mild, but Willa is anything but that and I feel that was one of the main reasons I liked this book. I enjoyed Willa’s character from beginning to end and kept turning the pages to see what scenario would befall our heroine next.  All in all, if you are a fan of historical romances then Compromising Willa is just what you are looking for.

Until next time,

Happy Reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Sharon Biggs Waller – A Mad Wicked Folly – Review and Interview

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Sharon Biggs Waller – A Mad Wicked Folly – Review and Interview

 

A Mad Wicked FollyLinks to order A Mad Wicked Folly: 
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
           
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

Review:

I am still in AWE after reading A MAD, WICKED FOLLY by Sharon Biggs Waller.  I love England and its rich history.  I was so impressed with the amount of research that went into writing this rich and unique novel concerning the Suffragette Movement in England that afforded us modern day women with so many opportunities. 

Our main character, Vicky is strong willed and vibrant.  She wants to be an artist more than anything in the world.  After posing nude at her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French Finishing School and shipped home to England in disgrace.  She was only taking her turn during class and what’s the big deal?  In Edwardian England, it was enough to ruin her chances for a proper marriage and her rights in society.  Her father made his fortune in toilets and her parents don’t want their position in society threatened!   Ironic, isn’t it?  They quickly find a “younger son” to marry Vicky and they work hard to repair her reputation.  Vicky doesn’t care about any of this and she only wants to go to the Royal College of Art.  She works hard on her portfolio and finds herself involved in the Suffragette Movement. 

The events captured this time in England splendidly.  I felt like I was with the women as they sang and marched to Parliament demanding equal rights.  Time after time, Vicky is saved by a police constable named Will Fletcher.  She is drawn to him and uses him as her art muse.  You know that Vicky’s world is going to come crashing down!  Society was very strict and her chances of becoming an accomplished artist are slim.  Will Vicky marry a man that she doesn’t love to please her family or will she work hard at achieving her dreams?  The women in the Suffragette Movement and a certain police constable are on her side! 

This is a brilliantly written novel, I felt like I was part of this great moment in history.  The world was changing, but it came at a high price for some women.  As a fan of a certain television program based on this time period, I have to say the details in A Mad, Wicked Folly are more accurate.  I know that my great, great grandmothers worked in America on getting equal rights for women.  Knowing the hardships that these women had to endure made me teary eyed in some parts of this novel.  Well done Sister Suffragettes!  I highly recommend this novel to all women and the men who love them! 

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by publisher

Interview

Hi Sharon.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Sharon:  Thank you!  It’s so nice to be here.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Sharon:  Sure! I’m a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers and I’ve written three non-fiction books about horses.  My latest is called THE ORIGINAL HORSE BIBLE.  I’m a dressage trainer and rider and I live on a ten-acre hobby farm on the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana, just outside of Chicago.  I have two horses, five dairy goats, five geese, 35 chickens, a beehive, two dogs and four cats!  My husband is British, a former Metropolitan mounted police officer, and I met him when I interviewed him for an article. I lived in England with him for six years before we moved home to build our farm.  A MAD, WICKED FOLLY is my debut novel.

TRC: Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Sharon: I’ve loved writing ever since the first grade when I wrote a story about a little witch and her cat.  My teacher told my mother about it during a parent teacher’s conference and she came home and told me how much she loved the story.  I remember thinking how neat it was that I could make my mom smile like that.  I was an extremely bookish child and I hated not having a book with me. I was always happy when it was free reading period.  I never thought about writing books of my own until I had shoulder surgery in my 20s and my surgeon suggested another occupation besides training horses.  I’d written when I was a park ranger, so I started writing young adult and middle grade novels.  In the meantime I thought it would be great to get some publishing experience so I started querying magazines.  I’ve been writing for 17 years now.

TRC: Your first novel, A Mad Wicked Folly, was released in January.  How did you come up with the idea of this book?

Sharon: When I lived in England I used to walk past Emmeline Pankhurst’s statue in Victoria Gardens near Parliament.  It made me think about what it took to fight for rights when women were so restricted.  And then I thought about being a teen during that time.  What would it take to break free? FOLLY was originally a short story in a bigger novel that wasn’t working.  I loved the protagonist so much that I decided to spin her off into a story of her own.  It took me three years to research and write Vicky’s story.

TRC: Can you please give us a brief description of A Mad Wicked Folly?

Sharon: The story is about upper class Victoria Darling, an Edwardian teen who longs to become a fine artist but is restricted by society.  When she’s caught posing nude for an illicit art class, she’s expelled from her French finishing school and sent home in disgrace.  Her humiliated parents try to tame her by taking away her art and arranging a marriage to a wealthy young man.  Unwilling to give up her dream, Vicky tries to get into the Royal College of Art, despite the obstacles.  When she falls in with a group of suffragettes and meets a handsome young police constable who becomes her muse, and maybe the love of her life, Vicky has to decide whether to remain in a world where she feels safe or to step out into an unknown world where her voice is heard and her opinions matter.

TRC: This is considered a Young Adult genre. Can you please tell us what made you decide to do a Y.A. novel?

Sharon: I love this age group; it’s such an amazing time of life.  It’s when you’re discovering who you are and trying new things and really forming your own opinions.  I love writing for young women in particular because they have so much to say and so much to give.  They are important and wonderful, and I want them to know they should never dismiss themselves.  Who they are is so important.

TRC: Can you please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2014?

Sharon: I’m revising an 18th century/contemporary mash-up, and researching a mid-Victorian.

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Sharon: I have a writing studio in the back of my house that my brother just restored for me.  We brought it over from England with us and it needed some work, so he finished that in the fall.  Otherwise I write in my library in front of a window that looks out onto my farm fields.  I have to have a window when I work because half the time I’m staring out into space!  I try to write in the morning for two hours (I set a timer) at least. But I’m constantly living with the story in my head, mulling plot lines over and thinking about my characters.  After I work I head out into the woods near my house to walk.  I live on the border of a national park and there’s a four-mile walking trail that hardly anyone uses apart from me.  So I take the dogs and put in my iPod (usually set to the story soundtrack I’ve made) and start walking.  It’s such a great way to sort through ideas and issues I’m having.  I also daydream and imagine scenes, which is really fun.

As far as outlining goes, I do outline a bit, nothing formal, but there are “signpost” scenes that I know will be in, and it helps me think about how I’m going to reach the scenes.  I also have a pretty good idea about the story before I start. I have to know where I’m going, and what my characters want.  I also keep a notebook where I jot down plot ideas, maps, characters, brainstorms, etc.  It helps to hand-write things.  After I write the first draft I make a scene tracker and a plot planner and hang those on the wall.  I use stickies and I can move scenes around and see where the fit.  This is a Martha Alderson thing, and I highly recommend it.  It stops you getting lost in your book.

TRC: Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Sharon: Great question.  I have some friends in New Jersey, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, Lisa Reiss, and Melissa Azarian, who are fabulous critiquers.  They are amazing writers (Jen has published two YA novels) and I know I can trust them to push me when I need it!  I also have a nice group of SCBWI writers here in Indiana that I meet with a few times a year who are very supportive.  But I also work with Martha Alderson, the plot whisperer.  She wrote several books on plot and she does phone consultations.  She is simply amazing.  I worked with her a lot with FOLLY and she really helped me deepen the story.  She’s a writer’s oracle, she really is.  And of course there’s my awesome agent, John M. Cusick.

TRC: On your website you talk about your love of horses, and that you do horse training, and specialize in dressage.  You write magazine articles and have written non-fiction books pertaining to this. Are you still active in training, and what does dressage involve?

Sharon: Dressage is a French word meaning “training,” and it elevates the communication between rider and horse to an art form.  The highest example of dressage is the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.  It’s also one of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines (eventing and showjumping are the other two). I train very rarely now, only the occasional student.  Before I moved to England in 2000 I used to ride around eight horses a day and work with a trainer every week. Dressage is a discipline much like ballet where you have to work at it daily, and right now my writing and my farm take up a lot of my time. But I know I’ll get back to it again someday.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Sharon:  I’d love to hear from readers, so if anyone has a question or comment please feel free to drop me a line.  There’s a contact me form on my blog www.sharonbiggswaller.com. Also there are lots of background and behind the scenes stuff about FOLLY on my Friday blog post called Folly Friday.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Gotta love pizza!

Favorite Dessert: Cake—especially red velvet.

Favorite TV Show: Anything on Masterpiece Classic and the Big Bang Theory.

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies):  Carey Mulligan & Colin Firth

Last Book You Read:
Fiction: FAULT LINE by Christa Desir
Nonfiction: CAT SENSE by John Bradshaw

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own):  Gosh, this is a tough one. For adult books I love Jamie Fraser from the OUTLANDER series by Diana Gabaldon.  For juvenile fiction I’ll choose Sara Crewe from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Little Princess.

Milk or Dark Chocolate:  Both, but I tend to lean toward milk.

Dog or Cat:  Both, but if I could have only one animal (perish the thought) I’d choose cat. But it would be a really hard choice.

TRC: Thank you Sharon, for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with A Mad Wicked Folly.  Please keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again.

Sharon: You’re welcome!  Thanks for having me.

 

about the author

FOR JACKET - Sharon Biggs Waller author photo - credit Edda Taylor
Sharon Biggs Waller grew up around artists and developed a passion for Edwardian history and the Pre-Raphaelites when she moved to England in 2000. She did extensive research on the British suffragettes for her novel, A MAD, WICKED FOLLY when she wasn’t working as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace and as a freelance magazine writer. She also writes non-fiction books about horses under her maiden name, Sharon Biggs. She is a dressage rider and trainer and lives on a 10-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana with her British husband, Mark.

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River of Dreams by Lynn Kurland

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River of Dreams by Lynn Kurland

 

River of Dreams
Nine Kingdoms – Book #8
By Lynn Kurland
Release Date: January 7, 2014

River of Dreams
Links to order River of Dreams:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Aisling of Bruadair is frantic to find both the truth about her future and a mercenary to save her country. When an offer of aid comes from an unexpected direction, she is relieved her quest is almost complete. But she soon realizes her task is far from over . . . and will include perils she never dreamed she would ever face.

Rùnach of Ceangail has offered to help Aisling with her quest, then he fully intends to take up his life as a simple swordsman far from magic and evil mages. Unfortunately, a chance finding of a book of indecipherable spells tells him that an ordinary life is never going to be his–especially when he realizes that the book he has in his hands belongs to a black mage who will stop at nothing to have it back.

With time running out, Rùnach and Aisling must solve what seem to be unrelated mysteries before others find those answers first and plunge the Nine Kingdoms into a darkness it will never recover from . .

 

Review:

River of Dreams, written by Lynn Kurland, is the highly anticipated 8th installment into the fantastic Nine Kingdom’s series.  It is Book # 2 of the third trilogy; following the quest of Runach of Ceingail and Aisling of Bruadair.  If I could describe this caliber of writing in only one sentence, I would state that these books are like music…a rhapsody not for the ears, but for the eyes.  Lynn Kurland is perhaps the only author I have ever contemplated buying the audio version, over the written–simply so I can listen to her phonetic style of pen being read aloud.  I have never come across such lyricism before, and therefore cannot accurately describe.   It is a signature stamp of authenticity, if you will, for the old world feeling one receives upon visiting a series such as this, and something a reader must personally experience, in order to fully understand.

For anyone who has ever wondered at what the “romantic” side of the Fantasy genre has to offer, I urge you to pick up these books.  And furthermore, I dare you not to love every second you spend reading them.  As a long time patron of Fantasy…I cannot get enough of this series, and would recommend them to any, and all types of readers.   Although it could be said, that this novel differed from the non-stop action level found in some of the other work of this series, Ms. Kurland maintains a superb balance with intriguing mystery, heart rending emotion, and tenderness.  While I found myself laughing more so with the previous installment Dreamspinner, than with any other novel of the series…in contrast, this book took me in the complete opposite direction.

While River of Dreams held an abundance of humor filled banter between main, and secondary characters–it wouldn’t be a novel of the Nine Kingdoms without such moments after all–this newest addition tugged continuously, and mercilessly at my heartstrings.  It showcases what I find to be the most profoundly emotional scene since the second installment; Mage’s Daughter.  And may I just say, if books were to be nominated for categories like we see on the big screen…the award for first kiss, goes to Runach and Aisling–hands down.  Such a raw, endearing, beautifully romantic moment.  My toes curled a little, not gonna lie.  I have always been a reader that feels drawn to the emotion contained within a story, more so than with any other element.  The Nine Kingdom’s series is teeming with sentiment…one of the many, many reasons this particular series is amongst my most treasured. 

With each release, there is something new brought to the table, and River of Dreams was no exception.  It can best be defined as a journey to self awareness.  Our hero Runach–is a character readers have come to know since the first trilogy of this series.  Yet in this installment, we see a transformation, that not even he, himself thought was possible.  I must say…I suspected way back upon our first meeting with Runach, and yet this author cleverly derailed my theories at every turn.  How ironic to find my suspicions were correct all these books later…and yet the delivery of such, was done in a way I NEVER saw coming.   Like our Runach, there is nothing I love more than a good mystery.  Kudos for keeping me guessing Ms. Kurland–when I consider myself a veteran at following clues. *laughing* 

Which leads me to our female lead, Aisling–who is fast becoming my most favorite heroine of the series.  Admittedly, Morgan (from the first trilogy) is a tough character to overthrow.  However, Aisling is unique in a way I have come across very rarely in literature.  Our first impression of Aisling can be compared to the location with which we first meet her.  Like Buel, our heroine is bereft of color, light, and emotion…bereft of life.  She is essentially a blank canvas, with which Ms. Kurland gradually adds lines, shading, and contours.  Once her character begins to take shape, we glimpse subtle changes here, and there.  At first, seeing only minute sprinkles of color, until it morphs into bold, glittering splashes of paint.  With each page we turn, Aisling simply….comes to life before our very eyes. 

In closing, River of Dreams finally provides a culmination of answers, to many long running questions.  How will our hero protect himself, and the woman he has come to love, now that he lacks the magic that once ran within his veins?   Who was responsible for our heroine’s dire escape from a life of slavery…and why she was enslaved in the first place? What profound knowledge do Runach’s villainous half-brother’s believe they can filch from within his mind? Many more questions come upon the wake of these answers.  What roll could a simple weaver from Bruadair, and a self exiled, elven Prince–possibly play within the nefarious game of darkness that has begun in the Nine Kingdoms?  Perhaps most importantly, who…or what is Aisling herself?  Together, our hero’s will work towards unearthing the secrets of who they once were, and will define who they have presently become.  Both struggle to come to terms with what their places will be in the future.  And readers will bear witness…as the fresh bloom of their love is tested against such a cacophony.

Time after time, book after book, Lynn Kurland crafts a tale vividly alive with imagination.  Like the power with which her character’s wield, she weaves stories with a magic that could only be conjured from dreams.  I look forward to learning where the third and final installment of Aisling, and Runach’s harrowing journey will take us.  Thank you Ms. Kurland for sharing your phenomenal gift of story telling with the world, and I am emphatically grateful to the Reading Cafe, for allowing me to read, and review an ARC from one of my most favorite series in literature…twice now. 🙂

Reviewed by Miranda

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Sweetest Seduction by Crista McHugh – a Review

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The Sweetest Seduction by Crista McHugh – a Review

 

The Sweetest Seduction
The Kelley Brothers – Book #1
by Crista McHugh
Release Date: December 26, 2013

The Sweetest SeductionLinks to order The Sweetest Seduction:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Lia Mantovani has created one of the hottest restaurants on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, but all that could disappear if she loses her lease with Kelly Properties. Having had her dreams ripped away from her before, she’ll do everything in her power to keep her restaurant. Her fate hangs on the whims of the frustratingly handsome Adam Kelly.

Adam has spent years trying to convince world famous chef Amadeus Schlittler to open a restaurant in Chicago, but he wants the prime location held by Lia. Business has always come first… until sparks fly when Adam meets her. When things get hot outside the kitchen, though, they’re both in danger of getting burned.

 

Review:

At the start of The Sweetest Seduction by Crista McHugh, we meet Lia, who is an up and coming chef, and a good one.  She also has a meddling mother.  When they arrive at the Kelly’s home for Lia to prepare a dinner for the Kelly family, which Mother Kelly bought at a charity auction, Lia has no idea what she’s in for, or how much her life is about to change.

Once they arrive at the picturesque Kelly home on the lake, she can’t help but wonder what her mom is up to.  And once she sees all of the hunky Kelly brothers, she sighs in resignation.  Seems her mom and Mrs. Kelly have an ulterior motive.  Lia heads to the kitchen to start her preparations.  Enter Adam Kelly.  Sparks?  No.  More like spontaneous combustion.  Both try to ignore the other, but what’s the worst that can happen to just indulge…………a little?

But, once Lia realizes that Adam is the one who owns her restaurant space and wants to lease the space to the pompous Amadeus Schittler, will she be able to change his mind? Will Adam be able to satisfy both his and Lia’s needs?  Both, professionally and personally?  Well, my friends, you will just have to read to find out.  And, what a read it is!

Crista has ONCE AGAIN written a story that grabs you from the very first and leaves you wanting more!  The chemistry between Lia and Adam is off the charts and the steam factor will leave you panting.  Crista’s writing style is second to none.  You are completely engrossed in these two characters from the beginning and do not want it to end.  If you are looking for a new author, or just looking for a quick, sexy read, this book will not disappoint.  I have touted Crista McHugh as one of my must-read authors since the first time I read one of her stories.  She writes in several different genres and they are all spectacular.  Well done, Crista McHugh!!  Very, very well done!!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Author

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If You Dare by Jessica Lemmon – a Review

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If You Dare by Jessica Lemmon – a Review

If You DareLink to order If You Dare: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
SHE’LL MAKE HIM A BET… Lily McIntire is sick of losing every office wager to her overly cocky—and yeah, devilishly handsome—coworker, Marcus Black. After a few too many tequila shots, and a taunt from Marcus that she’s a wuss, Lily lays down a bet he can’t refuse: One night in the abandoned and spooky Willow Mansion alone for his recent office win, a trip to Hawaii.

HE CAN’T REFUSE… There’s only one thing Marcus wants more than his upcoming vacation to Hawaii; it’s to take his sexy coworker on a real date. Every time he’s tried to get close to Lily, she’s shut him down cold. Too bad the sexual tension has hit the boiling point. Now, he’ll have to scare her out of the mansion if he has a prayer of taking her out any time soon.

UNTIL ALL BETS ARE OFF… But in between trying to scare Lily out of her pants and get his hands into them, Marcus realizes there’s more to the mansion than either of them counted on. Suddenly, it’s not just he and Lily that are going “bump in the night”.  If they manage to survive the night and escape the mansion unscathed, can they survive each other in the light of day? Or will what happens at Willow Mansion stay at Willow Mansion?

Review:

IF YOU DARE by Jessica Lemmon is a quirky new read concerning a bet between two coworkers!  Marcus Black is the office “bad boy” who has always had his eye on coworker, Lily McIntire.  She has shut him down repeatedly and Marcus Black sees the chance to win her over.  Over tequila shots and a pool game, he dares Lily to spend the night at an abandoned and “haunted” Willow Mansion.  If she makes it through one night, she wins his trip to Hawaii. If he wins, she has to go on a date with him!  The bet is made and the fun begins.

Lily is settling down for her night in this abandoned mansion and Marcus is going to try to scare her out of the mansion, so that he can win!  What he doesn’t realize is that there are actual things that go “bump in the night”!  In between their attraction and sexual tension, scary things start to happen.  Her car keys disappear, the lantern goes out and their phone batteries are dead.  What is happening?  Will they survive the night? Willow Mansion seems to have a life force of its own.  There is some hot action, but the question remains, who will win the bet?   Let’s hope that they can survive the night!

Reviewed by Jules

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Time Smugglers by Rosie Morgan – a Review

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The Time Smugglers by Rosie Morgan – a Review

 

The Time Smugglers
The Camelot Inheritance series – Book # 2
by Rosie Morgan
Release Date: October 30, 2013
The Time Smugglers

Link to order The Time Smugglers: Amazon

Description:
It’s been a year since Arthur Penhaligon swapped his skateboard for a sword and became a reluctant, teenage hero – and a Guardian of Cornwall.
Twelve months since he and his friends found themselves among time-travellers and ancient knights.
Fifty-two weeks of wondering what would happen next. The waiting is almost over.
On Cornwall’s shores, old and new enemies are gathering, more deadly and more powerful than the four Guardians could ever imagine.
Memories will live and the Time Keeper will be named. There will be bloody battles, death will finally claim its prize and a tiny green dragon will make its mark
…
Nick still jokes (all the time), and Gawain’s Uncle Kitto is just as mysterious. Tamar is even more feisty and Arthur discovers that some old enemies will not die – well not quite.
…
‘A long-limbed figure scrambles over the rocks accompanied by a midnight-feathered bird. On the cliff path, a Watcher observes the man and the bird, before disappearing with a crackle and a ‘woomph’ into another century.
Meanwhile Arthur, Nick and Tamar sit together on the hillside above the beach, three of the four Guardians, unaware that the peace of the last year is about to be shattered in the cruelest way possible

 

Review: 
In less than a complete first chapter, author Rosie Morgan thrust me back into the scenic, coastal town of Cornwall, England and guess what?  I missed this wonderful cast of characters and was delighted to accompany them on their next quest in The Time Smugglers (The Camelot Inheritance).  It’s a year later, but it’s been strangely quiet.  Everybody’s thinking it, after the upheaval of last summer (read review of The Golden Sword here), but impulsive Guardian, Nick, voices the sentiment.  Oh, oh…that’s an open invitation if I ever heard one!

“But it’s been a whole year since we saw him and everything’s been so…normal.  I’m beginning to wonder if anything’s ever going to happen!”

The adversarial Crow Man has located Arthur at his aunt’s home (whom is also a valuable piece of the roundtable, if you will) and his vengeance is as fresh as the summer day.  Before long, the Crow Man resumes his menacing role and the “four musketeers” (tagged by Nick) scramble to elude him lest they engage in his vendetta for the death of Matearnas a year ago.  Oh, the battle comes, rest assured, but timing is everything as you’ll discover in this sequel. 

Ms. Morgan introduces time travel, instantaneous and mind-jarring, as a central theme.  Watchers are summoned from individual posts throughout the world across time (Joseph in Egypt, a young Leonardo Da Vinci in Italy), but they’re of the animal variety as well!  The cats are back, hooray, but we are treated to helpful aviary and aquatic friends as well.  Arthur and his Guardians are surrounded by protectors (bless their hearts), though it seems wholly unfair to supervise/observe their charges, but not be able to defend them when threatened. 

“The Rule states that we must never intervene, but at times it is a hard command to follow.”  They were quiet as they contemplated their commission:  to Watch those assigned to them – but never to interfere.

A scene was particularly brutal and I was furious that harm came to one of our beloved characters!  Mental communication, or “deep listening”, lends a hand to speedy exchanges of information (fortuitously preventative on occasion), but they’re also costly to Arthur’s well being (the dark forces inflict agony upon his senses).

That’s when Arthur happens upon a book that unfolds as necessary (difficult to decipher in its current state).  Each Guardian, chosen for their unique traits, is being approached and assigned a duty regarding the safety of Arthur and his momentous undertaking.  Tamar, the sole female, has been designated the Time Keeper and she gets involved in plenty of “hairy” situations (remember this key word).  Unfortunately, as Arthur is evading their clutches, Arthur’s Guardians/friends have become nearly as valuable; they know his honor would never allow those he loved to be sacrificed.

“There are some who refuse to recognize your birth-right Art, an’ Tamar is also a Guardian; they believe that you will be weakened without her.”

A series of developments/revelations at their proper time lead to the inevitable, climactic showdown between light and darkness.  So many interesting events!  A sea of boiling water, Watchers come to life (trust me, they’re so cool), animals rallying to assist and thwart threats…it’s a magical book.  We even join the legend and interact with King Arthur, Lancelot and Excalibur!  My tiny criticisms involve character development and too many confusing exchanges.  The description of the Watchers, emphasis on the plural, because there are many, forced me to re-read several lines of dialogue.  It was at times difficult to keep up with who was talking during dialogue (Walker, Fisherman, Writer?), and I wasn’t always certain who was friend or foe.  While we had a good idea of Matearnas’ intentions in the debut novel, the new villain, the Lady of Darkness, or as “she calls ‘erself the True Queen of Kernow”, her role came on a bit late.  The dark forces, led by this self-proclaimed queen, are opposed to young Arthur assuming the ultimate power, but this woman, evil incarnate as she may be, is not fleshed out enough to understand her purpose.  Perhaps I’m missing something from the legend of King Arthur? 

Ms. Morgan is writing/editing book 3 and I am ready to read it in its earliest stages.  I love the camaraderie, the contemporary influence on a historic legend, the involvement of secondary characters, and the magic that is woven throughout its pages. 

“And in a dusty corner of a bedroom, a book flips wide open.  Its pages turn, a blur of ink, until they slow and stop.  A picture of a magical island, crowned by a castle and encircled by ice, illuminate the empty room.

The book – and the island – wait.”    

As will I…as patiently as possible.  🙂

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Author

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