Tag Archives: Dragon Kings

Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2) by Donna Grant-a review

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Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2) by Donna Grant-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 12, 2021

I am hers, and she is mine…

Vaughn has spent eons searching for the woman who captured his heart, only to be disappointed time and again. Sure, he sees her in his dreams. May get to touch and hold her. But it’s not the same. As the emptiness inside him grows, he jumps at the chance for a distraction. Setting his eyes on the dragons again in Zora is a balm, but it can’t compare to once again coming face-to-face with the gorgeous beauty who holds a piece of his soul.

With responsibilities comes sacrifice…

Eurwen has never known anything but the burden and joy of ruling the dragons. But unlike her twin, she’s always been curious about Earth and the Kings and felt as if something were missing from her life. When her reunion with her parents brings an unexpected surprise, she can’t help but give in to the pleasure that Vaughn offers. Still, her loyalty lies with her realm, and the hurdles in their way to happiness seem insurmountable—especially with a new and unknown foe seeking to destroy them.

Trust doesn’t come easily, but love conquers all. And no amount of time or space can keep those who belong together apart.

••••••••

REVIEW:DRAGON MINE is the second instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult DRAGON KINGS erotic, paranormal, fantasy romance series-a spin off from the author’s DARK KINGS and the other numerous interconnected series. This is Teal Dragon King Vaughn, and half fae-half dragon hybrid Eurwen’s story line. DRAGON MINE can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading INFERNO (Dark Kings #18), and DRAGON REVEALED (Dragon Kings 1).

WARNING: If you have not read the DARK KINGS series or DRAGON REVEALED, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from several third person perspectives including Eurwen and Vaughn, DRAGON MINE follows Teal Dragon King Vaughn as he searches for a woman he met hundreds of years earlier, a woman he believes to be his fated mate. When King of Dragon Kings Con and his mate Light Fae Rhi cross the portal into Zora, in an effort to meet the children they never knew and reconnect with the dragons they have not seen in thousands of years, Vaughn asks to go along, believing his mate may be on the other side. Enter half fae/half dragon Eurwen. What ensues is the building relationship between Eurwen and Vaughn, and the potential fall-out as someone or something is targeting the dragons in Zora.

Eurwen and her brother Brandr have lived in Zora for all of their lives. Having never met their met their biological parents, and believing to have been abandoned, Eurwen and Brandr want nothing to do with the Dragon Kings until life in Zora begins to spiral out of control. Vaughn knew the woman he met years before was probably his fated mate but in all the years he has never been able to locate the woman, except in dreams, which were only too real to call fantasies. Eurwen and her brother made a pact never to cross the portal to Earth but Eurwen wanted something more, wanted to know about the dragons and Fae from whence she came. Meeting and falling for Dragon King Vaughn meant Eurwen had to remain in hiding, believing the Dragon Kings would take what didn’t belong.

The relationship between Eurwen and Vaughn began hundreds of years earlier but Vaughn could never find the woman with whom he would fall in love. Eurwen is part Fae, and therefore doesn’t believe in fated mates until she reconnects with our storyline hero, a man who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and familiar secondary and supporting characters including a number of Dragon Kings and their mates: Con and Rhi, V(lad) and Claire, Ulrik and Eilish, Varek and Jeyra. The Silvers will finally have a place to call home.

DRAGON MINE is a story of family, pain and heart break; acceptance and revelations; secrets, truths, love and understanding. The premise is emotional, engaging and captivating; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are dynamic, charismatic yet lost. DRAGON MINE is a revealing, tragic and character driven story line.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DRAGON REVEALED

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER SIGNUP / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GOODREADS

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Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings #1) by Donna Grant-Review Tour

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Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings #1) by Donna Grant-Review & Excerpt Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 12, 2021

The capture of a Dragon King is cause for celebration. Jeyra never dreamed she would actually face one of the creatures who destroyed her home. But the longer she’s around him, the more she finds herself gravitating to him. All it takes is one reckless kiss that unleashes desires and the truth that has been hidden from her to set them both on a course that could be the end of them.

Varek, King of Lichens, has known nothing but a life with magic. Until he finds himself on a different realm unable to call up his powers. Worse, he’s in shackles with no memory of how it happened. When he sees an enthralling woman who leaves him speechless, he believes he can charm her to free him. The more she rebuffs him, the more he craves her, igniting a dangerous passion between them. Can he protect the woman he’s fallen for while uncovering the truth – or will peril that neither see coming tear them apart?

••••••

REVIEW:DRAGON REVEALED is the first instalment in Donna Grant’s adult DRAGON KINGS erotic, paranormal, fantasy romance series-a spin off from the author’s DARK KINGS series. This is Lichen King Varek, and warrior Jeyra’s story line. DRAGON REVEALED links the Dark Kings with the Dragon Kings series, and can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading INFERNO (Dark Kings #18) for back story and cohesion.

Told from third person perspective DRAGON REVEALED follows Lichen King Varek, trapped in a world he knows nothing about. From a weekend in the Orkney Isles with fellow dragon Merrill, to waking a prisoner in an otherworldly cell, Varek struggles with his loss of magic,and a stranger who is determined to gather as much information about our hero as possible. Enter Jeyra, a woman of unknown origins but a woman determined to destroy any and all dragons who enter their realm. What ensues is the building relationship between Varek and Jeyra, and the potential fall out as Jeyra discovers that all is not as it seems in the city of Orgate.

Years earlier, Jeyra lost everything when a dragon destroyed her family and home. In an effort to take revenge, Jeyra goes in search of the elusive Dragon King, any Dragon King, and finds herself breaking the laws to secure a captive in her need for vengeance. What Jeyra never expected was the palpable sexual attraction to her sworn enemy, an enemy who knows nothing about what happened or why. Varek had no idea how he ended up in a world where his ability to shift is curtailed within the walls of the city of Orgate. Discovering his captor is his fated mate, forces Varek to straddle a line between need and revenge, and in doing so finds himself falling for a woman who has been duped into believing the dragons intend to destroy their world.

The relationship between Varek and Jeyra is one of immediate attraction but Jeyra struggles with her attraction to a creature she believes is her enemy. Only ever having seen one dragon up close, our heroine believes all dragons are evil, and deserve to die. Varek knows Jeyra is his intended mate but his first priority is to save his life, and the lives of the other dragons held captive in the dungeons underground. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Jeyra’s ‘mentor’ Rankin; the members of the Orgate Council; Reaper Cael and his mate Death aka Erith, as well as the introduction of dragon twins Brandr and Eurwen.

DRAGON REVEALED is a story of secrets and lies; betrayal and revenge; family and love. The premise is engaging, and revealing linking the author’s Dark Kings, Reapers and Dragon Kings series, introducing some of the characters who will play a significant role going forward. The characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is fated and captivating.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

She came to a sudden halt when her gaze landed on him. Varek had his back to her, and despite what little light was available from the torches, she saw he was naked from the waist up. There was a large bruise on his left side that extended onto his back. Her thoughts quieted when he dumped water over his head, and the sound of the chains rang loudly. She watched droplets run down his back and into the waist of his pants while more fell onto the packed ground and beaded there.
Even as she told herself not to look, her eyes moved to his head. His blond hair fell onto his forehead and cheeks as he bent at the waist. He splashed water on his face before dumping more over his head. Her eyes followed his right hand as it scrubbed at the back of his neck, then down his left arm. His left hand repeated the movements on the right side. He then tossed his head back, spraying her with water.
She barely noticed as her eyes ran over the thick sinew of his shoulders and arms. Varek twisted toward her and raked a hand through his wet locks before wiping a hand down his face to dispel the water.
“Good mornin’,” he said and sat back on a stool.
She frowned at the stool and the bucket of water. Neither had been there the day before. “I see you’ve already had company.”
“Aye,” he replied, not giving her any more.
Jeyra looked around, wondering if someone was in the shadows, watching.
“There isna anyone else here, lass.”
She snapped her head back to him. The retort she had died on her lips when she saw his chiseled abs. He didn’t have an ounce of fat anywhere on him. All the moisture left her mouth, making it impossible to swallow. Then her eyes saw something on his left arm.
Jeyra wanted a closer look. She moved forward before she realized what she was doing and found herself close enough to touch the bars of Varek’s prison. But she didn’t move away as she took in the artwork that covered his arm.
“Is this what has your attention?” he asked with a chuckle and turned so that she could see his arm.
“What is it?”
His brows snapped together. “Do your people no’ have tattoos?”
“Tattoos?” she repeated, testing out the word on her tongue. “No one decorates their body in such a way. Why do you have it?”
He shrugged and glanced down at the dragon. “When we shifted for the first time into this form, each Dragon King found one somewhere on his body. We might have always had them, but we didna see them in our true form. We honestly doona know.” 


 

 

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER SIGNUP / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GOODREADS

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Burning Desire (Dark Kings 3) Parts 1-4 by Donna Grant-a review

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Burning Desire (Dark Kings 3) Parts 1-4 by Donna Grant-a review

Burning Desire 1-4

BURNING DESIRE -the complete storyline- will be released September 30, 2014

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Reviewing a storyline in serial format is difficult without giving away too many spoilers or sounding repetitive with each instalment. As the storyline builds, each episode reveals a little bit more information as well as the continued growth of the hero and heroine-their relationship and their love. And because each portion, in and of itself, is not a complete storyline it is difficult at times to be selective with the information passed along.

Because BURNING DESIRE continues the Dragon Kings storylines, the series should be read in order. Most of the characters from the previous storylines, and the original series and spinoff play a secondary role throughout. The Dark Kings is a spinoff from Donna’s Dark Warrior series which in turn is a spin off from Donna’s Dark Sword series- all set in the Highlands of Scotland. Each novella is approximately 70-75 pages in length.

•••••••••••••••••••

BURNING DESIRE Part 1 by Donna Grant

Release Date: September 9, 2014

The Dark Kings have fought for centuries to preserve their dragon magic. But can one warrior resist the greatest temptation of all. . .?In Burning Desire: Part 1 by Donna Grant, Kiril is dark, dangerous and powerful and when he heads to Ireland to uncover Dark Fae secrets, he isn’t the least bit surprised that the Dark are using one of their own to spy on him in return.

But he is deeply intrigued by this sexy, alluring woman who is perilous in more ways than one…Shara needs to be get back into her family’s good graces after committing an near-unforgivable offense and if bringing a Dragon King to his knees is how she must do it, she will use every trick she has up her sleeve to snare him. But she is unprepared for the intense desire that he brings to life within her. A burning desire they both seem unable to escape…

REVIEW: BURNING DESIRE part 1 focuses on the introduction of  Dragon King Kiril to Shara-a Dark Fae whose family has no objections to killing one of their own. Following six hundred years imprisoned by her own family Shara has been ordered by her brother to seduce and bring home King Kiril and in doing so will live to see another day. The Dragon Kings have a secret and the Dark Fae are willing to destroy everything to ensure they are the ones who will hold the magic and power. As Shara begins her seduction of Kiril, Kiril soon realizes that there is more to Shara than a one night stand. As Kiril continues his search in Ireland for information about the whereabouts of the missing Light Fae Rhi, Rhi’s torture at the hands of the Dark Fae brings her closer to the other side.

Part 1 introduces the players in Donna Grant’s Burning Desire. We learn a little more about Shara’s family dynamics and what it means to be one of the Dark Fae. The tension and anxiety between Shara and her family shows that blood means nothing when the promise of greater power is at stake. There is also heartbreak for Rhi as her fate with the Dark Fae slowly tears away at the fabric of her Light and her soul.

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BURNING DESIRE Part 2 by Donna Grant

Release Date: September 16, 3014

Even though he knows he should keep his distance, Kiril is falling hard for Shara. But when Shara uncovers what Kiril has been looking for all along, she is faced with a choice—hide the information from him? Or tell him the truth, even if it means death should her family learn what she’s done? As overwhelming desire builds between them, Shara knows she cannot lie to the one who has captured her, body and soul. Kiril knows he shouldn’t trust this Dark Fae who is slowly learning all his secrets, but as they are drawn closer together, he is unable to resist her…

REVIEW: BURNING DESIRE part 2 finds Kiril still deep in Dark Fae territory. King of  Kings leader Con (Constantine) tries desperately to bring Kiril home but Kiril has made a promise to himself to find Rhi. There is also the matter of the Dark Fae female Shara who has been on his mind day and night. With a war on the horizon between the Dark Fae and the Dragon Kings, Kiril is hoping to gather information about who is behind the release of information regarding the Dragons but he finds himself focusing on Shara more than his task. Shara has found Rhi but it may cost her more than she is willing to give.

Part 2 uncovers a little more history about the Dark Fae and their possible connection to the Dragon’s demise. Donna Grant continues her fast paced storyline with a little suspense and mystery, and the possibility that two men are after Shara’s heart but only one will be the keeper of her soul.

__________________________________

BURNING DESIRE part 3 by Donna Grant

Release Date: September 23, 2014

A DESIRE THIS POWERFUL in his quest to destroy the Dark Fae—his nemesis—the Dragon King known as Kiril goes to Ireland as a spy. When a gorgeous, mysterious woman tries to seduce him, Kiril instantly sees through her glamour to the Dark Fae beneath. Shara isn’t just any Dark; she’s from one of the most powerful bloodlines—and despite the dangers, Kiril can’t stay away from her. He’s enthralled by her smile, enslaved by the undeniable passion…IS A WAR WORTH FIGHTING FOR Shara has one chance to make things right with her family—and to prove her worth. It seemed like such an easy mission…until she actually meets Kiril. His charm, his sexual magnetism is too much for her to ignore. Shara knows that falling into Kiril’s arms can bring her nothing but trouble. Yet she discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had…and an attraction that knows no bounds. But is her desire for Kiril worth the risk of eternal doom for them both?

REVIEW:  BURNING DESIRE Part 3 is another fast paced instalment that moves the story into the hidden Fae realm where Kiril and Phalen begin their search for Rhi. Not only do they encounter what is left of Rhi but Kiril knows that his time is limited as it pertains to Shara’s safety. Shara’s involvement has been discovered and she too is at risk for a tormented future but has she betrayed Kiril and set the Dragon Kings up for capture? As the Dragon Kings begin their search for Kiril, Kiril finds himself caught in the Fae realm with the possibility of no hope for escape.

Part 3 reveals a little more about the relationship between the King of Dragon Kings Constantine and his fellow Kings. Theirs is a relationship built out of respect but one that begins to question Con’s need for revenge against the King of the Silver Dragons.

__________________________________________

BURNING DESIRE Part 4 by Donna Grant

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Burning Desire: Part 4 by Donna Grant concludes. One epic battle and daring escape later, and Kiril is back safe with the Dragon Kings, but the ache he feels for Shara is overwhelming. He could never expect her to leave her family. But Shara was always a Fae full of surprises—and as their love burns brighter and hotter, Kiril knows she is destined to stand beside him through the ages.

REVIEW:  BURNING DESIRE part 4 see the culmination of Kiril’s search for Rhi and his desire for Shara. As the Dragon Kings risk their lives looking for Rhi, information about a Dragon King aligning the with Dark Fae has everyone on edge. Has Ulrick regained some of his power or is one of their own siding with the Dark?

__________________________________

Donna Grant’s BURNING DESIRE is a storyline of betrayal, adventure, romance and love. It is a story about destructive family dynamics, the healing nature of love, and the ongoing war between the Dragon Kings and one of their own. The Dragon Kings have something the Dark Fae want but only Constantine-the King of Kings-knows the truth about the who and what.

A little more about Rhi’s storyline is revealed. We know she has a deeper connection to the Dragon Kings- a love that was shattered thousands of years before-but we are still no closer to the identification the man who broke her heart although the storyline does dance around the possibility.

Copies supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

About the Author

donna_grant_new
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.

FOLLOW Donna Grant: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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Lindsey Piper’s BLOOD WARRIOR (Dragon Kings)-Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Lindsey Piper’s BLOOD WARRIOR (Dragon Kings) -Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway

BLOOD WARRIOR Tour Button

Dragon King Series
by Lindsey Piper

A fierce and sensual new paranormal romance series features demonic gladiators, ruthless mafia villains, and a proud race on the brink of extinction.

Interview

TRC: Hi Lindsey and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the success of the “Dragon Kings” series.

Lindsey: Thank you, and thanks for inviting me to stop by!

Lindsey Piper PicTRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Lindsey: Up until recently, when I was keeping my pseudonym all cloak-and-dagger sekrit, I would’ve been really vague. Now that CAGED WARRIOR and BLOOD WARRIOR are out, I can shout it loud! I’m Carrie Lofty, primarily known as a historical author but soon moving into New Adult contemporary, too. I also co-write erotic romance as Katie Porter. I live in the Chicago area, love Lake Michigan, and live for every possible day I can spend at Six Flags Great America. One day I’ll be one of those crazy people who base vacations on theme parks, just to try out newer, more extreme roller coasters!

TRC: You quickly released three successive novels in your new Dragon King series. Would you please tell us something about the premise of each of these novels.

Click HERE for our review of THE DRAGON KING series.

The Dragon Kings

Lindsey:
THE SILENT WARRIOR (April 2013)
A silent woman ashamed of her criminal background becomes a Cage warrior to seek redemption. An unrepentant fortune hunter will do anything to escape his mounting debts. Neither one suspects that love will begin when he becomes the first man in five years to hear her speak. (A $.99 digital prequel novella.)

CAGED WARRIOR (June 2013)
He fights for glory and for the privilege of continuing his bloodline, as the godlike Dragon Kings face extinction. She fights to rescue her son—the only natural-born Dragon King in a generation—from a sadistic scientist. As enemies, sparring partners, lovers, and eventual allies, they learn that in their violent underground world, love is the only prize worth winning.

BLOOD WARRIOR (July 2013)
A lone assassin is set on revenge against the woman who’s haunted his dreams and made him into his own personal assassin. But the woman known as the Sun is a peacemaker, trying to unite two halves of her fractured clan. These mortal enemies become fiery lovers on the run. From the Himalayan foothills to the Highlands of Scotland, they discover passion, trust, family, and how love can heal the most headed hearts.

TRC: How are all of these novels interconnected and will we see each of the previous storyline characters make an appearance in successive novels?

Lindsey: Yes, the characters recur throughout! Many people have said that you don’t need to have read the prequel novella “SILENT WARRIOR,” for example, to understand CAGED WARRIOR, but that it’s fun to see where that novella’s hero and heroine, Hark and Silence, wind up after the conclusion of their romance.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Lindsey: So far there’s the novella and three novels, with the last being HUNTED WARRIOR, due out in summer 2014. The entire trilogy culminates in HUNTED WARRIOR, while opening the whole world to new possibilities as their long-dead deity, the Great Dragon, returns…

TRC: What or who was the inspiration behind the Dragon King series?

Lindsey: I was busy watching shows like “Spartacus” and movies like Warrior, thoroughly enjoying the idea of arena fighting. (Notice that I said the idea of arena fighting. I wanted to keep it strictly fictional and within the romance trope, so I never go so far as to say I became a full-fledged UFC fan.) Following the RITA nomination I’d received for NIGHTFALL, which I’d co-written under the name Ellen Connor, I had been toying with the idea of writing a paranormal of my own. Thrown in a few decades’ obsession with the X-Men and poof!

But the real key that made me need to write it was a line from a song by the British band Bat for Lashes: “And when the battle was won, I was promised my son.” That was the thread that tied all those flashes of inspiration into one story, which eventually became CAGED WARRIOR, the first of the “Dragon Kings.”

TRC: If you could virtually cast the lead characters for the Dragon King series which models or actors best represents your ideal image?

Lindsey: I always cast my heroes and heroines, from Robert Downey Jr. to Australian hiphop dancers no one’s ever heard of (here, at least). But I never tell! I don’t want to ruin anyone’s expectations with vastly different images they’ve already imagined in their minds.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Lindsey: In paranormals, it’s all about worldbuilding and character. But then again, it’s probably that way for every genre! No matter the plot and needing to keep it unpredictable, an author has to work within the frame he or she has established regarding the worldbuilding—be it underground cage matches or Victorian Scotland or modern-day Vegas. (I’ve done all three and more!) Content and believability must come from characters who behave consistently and a world where the reader can sink in without being jerked out by inconsistencies.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Lindsey: I can’t direct the characters once they’re established in my mind, or I run the risk of moving them around like puppets. It needs to read organically. So I start with characters. If I get them right from the start, the plot makes sense because everything flows from the believability of the hero and heroine.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Lindsey: A writer needs to sink deeply into the emotions and perspectives of their characters, which isn’t always sunshine and roses—not in my books, at least! There needs to be resonance and dimensionality that convinces a reader to cheer for lovers to find their happy ending, even if those lovers are of another color, race, orientation, kink…or species. We romance readers thrive on emotion. If you fall short on that score, you fall short on telling the story.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Lindsey: Personally, writer’s block is when my expectations of perfection slam up against the realities of (initial, first draft) imperfection. I love revisions, as a book gets shinier and shinier. I’m a grit-my-teeth first draft writer. I also get distracted by new ideas, which can add to a block. “But…but…that new idea seems so much cooler! I want to work on that!” It’s just another form of procrastination.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story or series?

Lindsey: Worldbuilding! My editor ordered me to watch “Game of Thrones” and read Kresley Cole. Now I’m a huge fan of both! Then I sat with a legal pad in Starbucks and wrote fifty hand-written pages. It was a whole world in one notebook. Making it consistent was one goal. Making it my own was another.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Lindsey: I co-write as Katie Porter with a historical and contemporary writer named Lorelie Brown. She has been my best friend and critique partner for about seven years now, and we’ve been writing together for three. I can’t get through a book—and sometimes I can’t get through certain scenes—without picking her brain for ideas!

TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines while still having time to raise a family?

Lindsey: I have an incredible husband who’s supported me since I started my serious push toward publication in 2006, and my children learned very early that when I’m wearing my headphones, I’m working. They’re pretty decent (ten year old) cooks. Support from my parents has also been wonderful. Balance…that’s the tricky part. I always take on more than I should, and I micromanage to my own detriment. But that’s still part of the learning process as each new stage of my career adds new challenges. No matter the chaos, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Lindsey: Three things at once! As Lindsey Piper, I’m working on HUNTED WARRIOR, the third in the “Dragon Kings” series. Co-writing as Katie Porter, we’re wrapping up the third in our sexy “Club Devant” Series, set in a New York City burlesque club. That’s called WATCH AND WAIT, out in January. Lastly, as my “real” self, Carrie Lofty, I’m writing a New Adult romance titled BLUE NOTES. That’ll be out from Pocket in February!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Lindsey: Just to thank you again for inviting me to stop by. I appreciate it!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food Enchiladas

Favorite Dessert Chocolate cheesecake

Favorite TV Show Game of Thrones

Last Movie You Saw The Conjuring – OMG, so good!

Dark or Milk Chocolate Dark, preferably with sea salt.

Secret Celebrity Crush Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Last Vacation Destination Does Atlanta count, where RWA Nationals was held? Or London, where my husband family lives? As for an actual vacation…um…

Pet Peeve People who make snacks or meals and leave the kitchen a mess!

TRC: Thank you Lindsey for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best with the Dragon King series.

Lindsey: Thank you!

Series Spotlight

 

Silent Warrior

SILENT WARRIOR

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The Dragon Kings, Prequel Novella
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Star
ISBN: 978-1476713250

A silent woman ashamed of her criminal background becomes a Cage warrior to seek redemption. An unrepentant fortune hunter will do anything to escape his mounting debts. Although rivals on the streets of Hong Kong, they find common ground when seeking their clan’s stolen idol, but for vastly different reasons. Neither one suspects that love will begin when he becomes the first man in five years to hear her speak.

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Caged WarriorCAGED WARRIOR

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The Dragon Kings, Book 1
Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Star
Print ISBN: 978-1451695915

Ten years ago, Audrey MacLaren chose to marry her human lover, making her an exile from the Dragon Kings, an ancient race of demons once worshiped as earthly gods. Audrey and her husband managed to conceive, and their son is the first natural-born Dragon King in a generation–which makes him irresistible to the sadistic scientist whose mafia-funded technology allows demon procreation. In the year since her husband was murdered, Audrey and her little boy have endured hideous experiments.

Shackled with a collar and bound for life, Leto Garnis is a Cage warrior. Only through combat can Dragon Kings earn the privilege of conceiving children. Leto uses his superhuman speed and reflexes to secure the right for his two sisters to start families. After torture reveals Audrey’s astonishing pyrokenesis, she is sent to fight in the Cages. If she survives a year, she will be reunited with her son. Leto is charged with her training. Initially, he has no sympathy for her plight. But if natural conception is possible, what has he been fighting for? As enemies, sparring partners, lovers, and eventual allies, Leto and Audrey learn that in a violent underground world, love is the only prize worth winning.

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Blood WarriorBLOOD WARRIOR

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The Dragon Kings, Book 3
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Star
Print ISBN: 978-1451695922

As a young man, sarcastic, violent Tallis Pendray believed the Dragon Kings’ survival depended on a prophecy delivered in dreams by a woman named “the Sun.” His role has been to complete inexplicable, even reprehensible tasks. First, by murdering a priest, he united his fragmented clan in their hatred of him. Dubbed “the Heretic,” Tallis fled his family’s Highland estate. Now disillusioned, he seeks revenge on the woman he holds responsible for two decades of exile.

Telepath Kavya Indranan is a charismatic, seductive cult leader born to a prominent family. However, she grew up terrorized by the ominous threat of her powerful, insane twin brother. On the run and hiding among the poor, she witnessed the destruction wrought by her clan’s centuries-old civil war. Maturity nurtures Kavya’s determination to end the cycle of bloodshed. Those who follow her call for peace have nicknamed her “the Sun.”

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Rafflecopter Giveaway

Lindsey is giving away the following prizes when the tour ends:

GRAND PRIZE: $25.00 Gift card to Amazon, an eBook of SILENT WARRIOR and paperbacks of CAGED WARRIOR & BLOOD WARRIOR

2ND PLACE: 5 winners will each receive a paperback of CAGED WARRIOR or BLOOD WARRIOR (winners choice) and SWAG

3RD PLACE: 5 winners will receive an eBook of SILENT WARRIOR

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour promoter.

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Dragon Kings Series by Lindsey Piper-a review

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Dragon Kings Series by Lindsey Piper-a review

The Dragon Kings

 

A fierce and sensual new paranormal romance series features demonic gladiators, ruthless mafia villains, and a proud race on the brink of extinction.

SILENT WARRIOR (Dragon Kings 0.5) by Lindsey Piper

Silent Warrior

ABOUT THE BOOK: Released April 22, 2013

ORDER:  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

An exciting, emotionally charged prequel to “The Dragon Kings” trilogy, featuring warriors fighting for their lives in violent Cage matches to guarantee their clans’ survival.

A silent woman ashamed of her criminal background becomes a Cage warrior to seek redemption. An unrepentant fortune hunter chooses combat over death to appease a mafia family. Although rivals in battle, they find common ground when seeking their clan’s stolen idol, but for vastly different reasons. Neither one suspects that love will begin when he becomes the first man in five years to hear her speak

NOTE: The Dragon King series is NOT a series about dragon shifters or dragons. It is a series about the descendants of a race who believe themselves to have a connection to the dragon.

REVIEW: SILENT WARRIOR is the prequel novella and introductory storyline in Lindsey Piper’s dystopian/paranormal Dragon King series. Like most novellas, the storyline is limited with background information about the world of the Dragon King and left me with many unanswered questions due to the complex nature of this particular story. But because it is a prequel, Silent Warrior teases the reader about the dystopian world presumably somewhere in the future and leaves the reader wanting more.

Silent Warrior focuses on ‘Silence’ and Hark-two members of the Clan Sath who meet in, what can only be described as, an underground MMA caged arena for their kind. Barely escaping with their lives and their earnings, Silence and Hark must run from the rabble looking to take back the money for payment of debt.

The relationship between Silence and Hark is very quick to build. Their attraction to one another begins as sexual tension and aggression-being Dragon Kings, the pair soon encounter a connection they never thought possible. The sexual heat is fueled by their attraction to one another and the knowledge of what they are doing may be tempting fate and placing both of them in danger.

The storyline is fast paced but the actual writing and cohesion is jumpy. I can only describe it as things were ‘inferred’ into the storyline rather than explained which resulted in a restless feel to the novel. Also the structure of the telling of the story quickly jumped between the two perspectives on numerous occasions without a pause in the writing. At times I had to go back and see if there was something that I had missed. The story is told in third person but the combined perspectives were confusing at times.

Silence can best be described as a powerful warrior; an amazon and a woman with a past shrouded in mystery and pain, which she hides behind a quiet and silent persona. Hark, on the other hand, is a talkative, over the top personality with the arrogance of a male who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. But Hark also has a dark secret that haunts him every night.

SILENT WARRIOR is an interesting introduction to the Dragon Kings trilogy that has a little bit of everything for the paranormal-romance junkie in all of us: a little romance, a little sex, a little tension and a little of the paranormal but it also has a lot of unanswered questions which is to be expected in a short story that only touches on the premise of the series.

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CAGED WARRIOR (Dragon Kings #1) by Lindsey Piper

Caged WarriorABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 25, 2013

ORDER: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Ten years ago, Audrey MacLaren chose to marry her human lover, making her an exile from the Dragon Kings, an ancient race of demons once worshiped as earthly gods. Audrey and her husband managed to conceive, and their son is the first natural-born Dragon King in a generation—which makes him irresistible to the sadistic scientist whose mafia-funded technology allows demon procreation. In the year since her husband was murdered, Audrey and her little boy have endured hideous experiments.

Shackled with a collar and bound for life, Leto Garnis is a Cage warrior. Only through combat can Dragon Kings earn the privilege of conceiving children. Leto uses his superhuman speed and reflexes to secure the right for his two sisters to start families. After torture reveals Audrey’s astonishing pyrokenesis, she is sent to fight in the Cages. If she survives a year, she will be reunited with her son. Leto is charged with her training. Initially, he has no sympathy for her plight. But if natural conception is possible, what has he been fighting for? As enemies, sparring partners, lovers, and eventual allies, Leto and Audrey learn that in a violent underground world, love is the only prize worth winning.

REVIEW: CAGED WARRIOR is the first full length novel and second storyline in Lindsey Piper’s Dragon King paranormal/dystopian fantasy series. A word of caution: This is not a series about dragon shifters. This is a series about the descendants of the five clans of powerful beings known as the Dragon Kings. Each clan specializes in a specific power and those powers can be combined or used in various ways. Caged Warrior is Audrey (aka Nynn) and Leto’s story.

The premise focuses on Audrey as she endeavors to survive the torture and ultimate fighting cages in the underground facilities of the Master known as ‘The Old Man”. Her husband murdered, her son missing and her life virtually not worth living, Audrey survives day to day in the hopes that she will be reunited with her six year old boy. But the longer she stays imprisoned, the more likely neither she nor her son will survive.

Training under the hardened and collared Dragon King Leto Carnis, Audrey will discover that the powers she once believed were non existent needed a little focus and encouragement to draw forth. And in the end, Leto could very well bare the brunt of her new found ability and anger.

The relationship between Audrey and Leto begins as prisoner to warden, then trainer to trainee, then cage fighting partners and eventually, friends to lovers. But the climb has been anything but easy as Leto pushes Audrey (now known by her Dragon King name Nynn) beyond her limits and expectations. Leto is a warrior, one who by duty and order, is a menace to those he considers beneath his time and Nynn is more of a burden than anything else. But if she cannot best an opponent in the cage, she will surely die or remain in pain the rest of her life. And it is with Leto’s help, faith and eventually love that Nynn will focus on her end goal and take down the people responsible for the pain and heartbreak in so many lives.

Caged Warrior is a detailed and intriguing storyline that flows smoothly but there is still very little background information revealed about the history of the Dragon King Clans or their powers. This is also a story that is both graphically brutal and violent and, those in power are verbally and sexually abusive. But saying that, this is a dystopian story about a species of being who have survived because of their ability to withstand pain and suffering and years of abuse at the hands of those calling themselves superior. To downplay the violence would probably not evoke the same reaction to the story.

Caged Warrior is a fascinating look into the world of the Dragon King and their struggle to survive. Lindsey Piper draws the reader into a storyline fraught with violence, sorrow and most of all love between two people who have suffered at the hands of humans and their own kind.

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BLOOD WARRIOR (Dragon Kings #2) by Lindsey Piper

Blood WarriorABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 30, 2013

ORDER:  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

As a young man, sarcastic, violent Tallis Pendray believed the Dragon Kings’ survival depended on a prophecy delivered in dreams by a woman named “the Sun.” His role has been to complete inexplicable, even reprehensible tasks. First, by murdering a priest, he united his fragmented clan in their hatred of him. Dubbed “the Heretic,” Tallis fled his family’s Highland estate. Now disillusioned, he seeks revenge on the woman he holds responsible for two decades of exile.

Telepath Kavya Indranan is a charismatic, seductive cult leader born to a prominent family. However, she grew up terrorized by the ominous threat of her powerful, insane twin brother. On the run and hiding among the poor, she witnessed the destruction wrought by her clan’s centuries-old civil war. Maturity nurtures Kavya’s determination to end the cycle of bloodshed. Those who follow her call for peace have nicknamed her “the Sun.”

REVIEW: BLOOD WARRIOR is the second full length novel in Lindsey Piper’s Dragon King series focusing on the descendants of a powerful species of supernatural warriors. This series is not about dragon shifters but about a race who believe they have connections to the dragon and all of its’ powers.

Blood Warrior focuses on Tallis Pendray – member of the Pendray Dragon Kings and a berserker. His violent history among the Dragon King clans is well known but the cause of his rage and pain is not. His search for the woman who has invaded his dreams for twenty years has ended and with it, so too, will he end her life. Only the woman he has found is not the woman from his dreams-something about Kavya of the Indranan Clan screams ‘mine’ where the woman from his dreams pushed him beyond sanity and into the depths of a two decades murderous rage and revenge.

Kavya is a beautiful Dragon King-one of three triplets- and on the run from the brother who means to take her life as he took their sister’s years before. Gathering the telepathic Indranana and other Dragon King Clans together for peace and solidarity Kavya will come face to face with her worse nightmares-Tallis of the Pendray Clan and her brother. Hoping for the lesser of two evils, Kayvy runs with Tallis only to discover the man has come to take her life.

The storyline follows Kavya and Tallis as they try to outrun Kavya’s brother and their growing attraction to one another. The relationship begins as a captor and jailer, to friends and lovers but the road is fraught with bloodshed, anxiety, memories of betrayal and lust and, a constant need to run from a brother she once loved and called her friend. The sexual attraction between the two is immediate although both try to deny their feelings.

Once again, the world building and storytelling is detailed, graphic and fast paced. A little more is revealed about the Dragon King Clans and their history but on a need to know basis throughout each storyline and novel.

The series reads like a dystopian/paranormal storyline as the five major Dragon King clans fight for survival in a contemporary human world that at time rivals many historical romance settings. Lindsey Piper takes the reader on a tour of Europe and Asia and into the mountains of the Himalayas all the while weaving a story of betrayal and survival among the five Dragon King Clans.

Copies supplied by author

Reviewed by Sandy

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