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The Sullivans Series by Bella Andre – a Synopsis

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The Sullivan Series by Bella Andre – a Synopsis

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The Look of Love – Book 1
Chase & Chloe
Release Date: June 2011

THE LOOK OF LOVE introduces you to a fun and emotional contemporary romance series about the Sullivan family. Because when a Sullivan bad boy falls…he falls hard. And it’s forever.

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he’s home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will Chloe let him?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only, with every loving look Chase gives her—and every sinfully sweet caress—as the attraction between them sparks and sizzles, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception. And although Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether…for Chloe’s heart.

From This Moment On – Book 2
Marcus & Nicola
Release Date: September, 2011

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he’s planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name – Nico – for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is…or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger – and the sinful promises – in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But nothing goes as they plan when instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated. And even though they both try to fight it, growing emotions – and sizzling attraction – keep drawing them closer together.

Close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough?

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Book 3
Gabe & Megan
Release Date: December, 2011

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can’t stop thinking about.

Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving – and losing – a man with a dangerous job again.

Only, when Gabe and Megan meet again and uncontrollable flames of desire ignite between them, how can he possibly ignore her courage, determination, and beauty? And how can she deny not only his strong bond with her daughter…but the way his sweetly sensual kisses are challenging her to risk everything she’s been guarding for so long?

If one – or both – of them aren’t careful, they just might end up falling in love.

I Only Have Eyes For You – Book 4
Sophie & Jake
Release Date: March 2012

Sophie Sullivan, a librarian in San Francisco, was five years old when she fell head over heels in love with Jake McCann. Twenty years later, she’s convinced the notorious bad boy still sees her as the “nice” Sullivan twin. That is, when he bothers to look at her at all. But when they both get caught up in the magic of the first Sullivan wedding, she knows it’s long past time to do whatever it takes to make him see her for who she truly is…the woman who will love him forever.

Jake has always been a magnet for women, especially since his Irish pubs made him extremely wealthy. But the only woman he really wants is the one he can never have. Not only is Sophie his best friend’s off-limits younger sister…he can’t risk letting her get close enough to discover his deeply hidden secret.

Only, when Sophie appears on his doorstep as Jake’s every fantasy come to life—smart, beautiful, and shockingly sexy—he doesn’t have a prayer of taking his eyes, or his hands, off her. And he can’t stop craving more of her sweet smiles and sinful kisses. Because even though Jake knows loving Sophie isn’t the right thing to do…how can he possibly resist?

If You Were Mine – Book 5
Zach & Heather
Release Date: September 2012

Can two people who have both sworn off love find forever in each other’s arms?

The last thing Zach Sullivan wants is to take care of his brother’s new puppy for two weeks. Until he meets the dog trainer, that is. Heather is bright, beautiful, and he can’t stop thinking about her. Unfortunately, she just might be the only woman on earth who wants nothing to do with him.

Heather Linsey can’t believe she’s stuck working with one of the city’s top dogs, auto-shop tycoon Zach Sullivan. Especially when his focus is clear from the start—not only to learn how to deal with his temporary puppy…but also to make Heather his. Having sworn off love at seventeen when she realized it was nothing more than a pack of lies, she has stuck to her vow never to fall for a charming man.

But as Heather’s determination to push Zach away only fuels his determination to get closer—and the sensual and emotional connection between them grows more and more undeniable—will the biggest Sullivan bad boy of all tempt her into believing in love again?

Let Me Be The One – Book 6
Ryan & Vicki
Release Date: August 2012

In LET ME BE THE ONE, the brand-new book in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling series about the Sullivan family, an unexpected friends-to-lovers romance might not only turn out to be so much hotter than anything bad boy pro baseball player Ryan Sullivan has ever known…but much, much sweeter, too.

When Vicki Bennett saved Ryan Sullivan’s life as a teenager, it was the beginning of a close friendship that never wavered despite her failed marriage to someone else and Ryan’s well-earned reputation as a ladies man. So when she suddenly needs a pretend boyfriend to protect herself and her career from a powerful man’s advances, he is the only person she can imagine asking.

Ryan will do anything to protect Vicki from harm, but when their “fake” kisses and caresses lead to an incredibly sensual night that neither of them can resist, will he have made the biggest mistake of all by irreparably jeopardizing their friendship? Or is it possible that what they’ve both been looking for has been right there the whole time…and the perfect combination of wicked and sweet, friendship and love, is finally within reach?

Come A Little Bit Closer – Book 7
Smith & Valentina
Release Date: November 2012

Movie star Smith Sullivan can’t afford any distractions. He’s staking his entire reputation on his new film…but he can’t stop thinking about Valentina Landon and the fire he sees smoldering just beneath the surface.

Valentina isn’t averse to sensual pleasure, or even to the idea of finding true love, but as a Hollywood business manager she’s watched too many smart women fall for actors…only to be torn apart when the fairytale comes to its inevitable end.

But when intense weeks together on set turn their heated attraction into red-hot flames of passion, Smith knows he has to find a way to convince Valentina to let him get a little bit closer. Close enough to completely steal her heart…the way she’s stolen his from the start.

Always On My Mind – Book 8
Lori & ?
Release Date: March, 2013

Synopsis compiled by Barb

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The Nine Kingdoms by Lynn Kurland- a Synopsis

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The Nine Kingdoms by Lynn Kurland- a Synopsis

Since we are  big fans of Lynn Kurland, we thought we would introduce you to this wonderful series, if you have not read it.  The synopsis below is based on the 7 novels of The Nine Kingdoms.  The first two books above are novellas, within anthologies.

Star of the Morning: Nine Kingdoms # 1.

GoodReads description:
From the USA Today bestselling author comes the first in a magical romantic fantasy trilogy.

Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche’s king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades…

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.

Description from Amazon.com:
Neroche’s kingdom is threatened by the darkness of an evil Black Mage- and all hope lies in the legend of two magical swords. Miach, the arch mage of Neroche, carries one. And he’s found a Wielder for the other in Morgan, a young woman and feared mercenary herself. Now, Miach must choose between endangering the woman who has captured his heart, and defending the kingdom he’s sworn to protect.

The Mage’s Daughter: Nine Kingdoms # 2.

 GoodReads description:
In the kingdom of Neroche, nightmarish creatures have been unleashed as weapons in a war of evil. Morgan the mercenary, daughter of a treacherous black mage, must fight against them-as well as for her very life. Miach of Neroche would risk his own life to save Morgan’s, but he must do so at the peril of the realm, forcing dangerous choices in the deadliest of quests.

Description from Amazon.com:
Lynn Kurland’s trilogy of love, intrigue, and fantastic destiny continues as a female mercenary fights for her life, her future, and the one man who can save her…

Darkness in the kingdom…

Neroche is under assault by a magic that has stripped its king of his powers and unleashed nightmarish creatures in a war of evil in which Morgan of Melksham is fighting for her life. Recovering from a near-fatal attack, Morgan realizes that she must decide between two fates: that of being a simple shield maiden or accepting her heritage as an elven princess. If only she could ignore that she was the daughter of the perilous black mage of Ceangail…

Magic in the blood…

Duty bound to aid his king, Miach of Neroche is torn between what his responsibilities demand and what his heart desires. He is willing to risk his life to rescue Morgan from the darkness that haunts her, but he must do so at the peril of his realm. Forced to choose between love and the burden of his mantle, Miach sets out on his most deadly quest ever.

Princess of the Sword: Nine Kingdoms # 3

Description from GoodReads:
The stirring conclusion to the “superb romantic fantasy trilogy”(Midwest Book Review) from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mage’s Daughter

Born out of “a fantasy world…too wonderful to miss” (Paranormal Romance) the Nine Kingdoms Trilogy now explodes in the fiercest battle yet as the fate of a kingdom lies with a man and woman bound by love, magic, and a legendary-and perilous-sword.

A Tapestry of Spells: Nine Kingdoms # 4.

Description from GoodReads: 

The compelling start of a new fantasy romance trilogy set in the world of the Nine Kingdoms, from New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland

Return to the world of the Nine Kingdoms with New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland as a new evil, and a new passion, emerges:

Sarah’s brother has embraced the dark arts, vowing to destroy the Nine Kingdoms, and she doesn’t have the power to stop him. Now she must risk everything to thwart his plans, even though she fears the quest will reveal the secret she’s kept all her life.

After seeing his entire family slain by magic, Ruithneadh swore never to use his power again. But when Sarah pleads for his help, he’s thrust back into a life of enchantments and peril, and a quest capable of unraveling the entire fabric of the Nine Kingdoms.

Spellweaver: Nine Kingdoms # 5

Description from GoodReads:
The New York Times bestselling author returns to the Nine Kingdoms for another spellbinding story of magical romance.

Ruith had long managed to ignore the magic in his veins, until aiding Sarah with her ill-fated quest forced him into places where his heritage was impossible to deny. Faced with an ever-increasing number of enemies who covet his power, Ruith must accept his birthright and gather his father’s spells together so he can destroy them-or turn away and allow his father’s evil to overcome the Nine Kingdoms.

Now, Ruith and Sarah must rely on each other more than ever-for everything they value is at risk: the Nine Kingdoms, their lives…and their hearts.

Gift of Magic: Nine Kingdoms # 6.

Description from GoodReads:
The latest installment in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland’s breathtaking Nine Kingdoms saga, which follows the daughter of a dreamweaver and the son of a mage as they struggle to save the realm from a magic as dark as it is powerful.

Sarah of Doìre knows the pattern of spells is no accident. With each page, each powerful rune, she and Ruith are being led somewhere, to someone-but by whom, she cannot tell. Sarah’s gift of sight only allows her to see the spells themselves, not the person behind them.

A reluctant sorcerer still learning to trust his own magic, Ruithneadh of Ceangail knows he’s woefully unprepared for the adversaries they’ll face. But he and Sarah must collect and destroy his father Gair’s spells soon. Many mages seek their power, and in the wrong hands, Gair’s magic would plunge the Nine Kingdoms into an eternity of darkness.

But as they pursue the final spells-acquiring strange companions, welcome allies, and unexpected foes along the way-Sarah and Ruith realize that their true quest has only just begun. The real enemy is closer, darker, and more power hungry than they ever imagined; and until he is defeated, the fate of the Nine Kingdoms hangs in dire peril.

Dreamspinner: Nine Kingdoms # 7

Description from GoodReads:
New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland’s enthralling Nine Kingdoms saga brings together a weaver’s apprentice and the son of a mage, both fighting to save the Nine Kingdoms from peril.

Aisling of Bruadair has lived a provincial life, heedless of the evil creeping over her land. That ordinary existence changes forever, though, when she is sent to the opposite end of the world to find a master swordsman. If she fails, her life–and her country’s safety–will be forfeit. She just never expected that swordsman to be a wounded elven prince masquerading as a simple soldier.

Powerless and scarred from a long-ago conflict, Rùnach of Ceangail has spent years in obscurity, ignoing battles he can no longer fight. And although he has been drawn back into the world, he fully intends to live an unremarkable life far away from events he knows he cannot change… Until Rùnach meets Aisling and realizes that she is far more than what she seems, that their alliance has attracted unwelcome notice, and that some battles must be fought.

Synopsis compiled by Miranda

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Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter – a Synopsis

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Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter – a Synopsis

The Darkest Night – Book #1 – Released May 3, 2008
His powers — Inhuman…
His passion — Beyond immortal

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love . . .
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive — and unimaginably powerful.

 

The Darkest Kiss – Book #2 – Released November 1, 2007
She has tempted many men…but never found her equal. Until now.

Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death–a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining…

 

The Darkest Pleasure – Book #3 – Released April 1, 2008

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her–even defy the gods. Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear….

 

The Darkest Whisper – Book #4 – Released August 18, 2009
He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

 

 The Darkest Passion – Book #5 – Released May 21, 2010

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting – and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?

With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t…

 

The Darkest Lie – Book #6 – Released June 29, 2010

In this riveting new installment of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth….

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .

 

The Darkest Secret – Book #7 – Released March 29, 2011

In this sexy new installment of Showalter’s bestselling Lords of the Underworld series, the haunted Amun meets a woman who tempts him like no other…

Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when the immortal warrior is chained and isolated to protect those he loves, death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty.

Haidee is a demon-assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her

 

The Darkest Surrender – Book #8 – Released September 27, 2010

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he has an agenda of his own-steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter-the love neither had thought possible…

 

The Darkest Seduction – Book #9 – Released February 28, 2010

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris’s arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally—or tear them apart.

Synopsis by Vickie

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The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher – a Synopsis

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The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher – a Synopsis

Storm Front – Book 1 –  released 4/2000
Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things — and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a — well, whatever.

There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get… interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

Fool Moon- Book 2 – released 1/2001
Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work—magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses—and the first two don’t count..

Grave Peril – Book 3 – released 9/2001
Harry Dresden’s faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you’re the only professional wizard in the Chicago area phone book.

But in all Harry’s years of supernatural sleuthing, he’s never faced anything like this: the spirit world’s gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble — and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone — or something — is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc.

But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn’t figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself….

Summer Knight – Book 4 – released 9/2002
Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with her newly acquired taste for blood, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can’t pay his rent. He’s alienating his friends. He can’t even recall the last time he took a shower.

The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.

And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can’t refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him — and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen’s right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen’s name.

It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case.

No pressure or anything…

Death Masks – Book 5 – released 8/2003
Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only practicing professional wizard, should be happy that business is pretty good for a change. But now he’s getting more than he bargained for.

A duel with the Red Court of Vampires’ champion, who must kill Harry to end the war between vampires and wizards…

Professional hit men using Harry for target practice…

The missing Shroud of Turin…

A handless and headless corpse the Chicago police need identified…

Not to mention the return of Harry’s ex-girlfriend Susan, who’s still struggling with her semivampiric nature. And who seems to have a new man in her life.

Some days, it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. No matter how much you’re charging.

Blood Rites – Book 6 – released 8/2004
For Harry Dresden, there have been worse assignments than going undercover on the set of an adult film. Still, there’s something more troubling than usual about his newest case. The film’s producer believes he’s the target of a sinister curse-but it’s the women around him who are dying.

Harry’s even more frustrated because he only got involved with this bizarre mystery as a favor to Thomas-his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can’t quite figure out. But Harry is about to discover that Thomas’ family tree has been hiding a shocking revelation that will change his life forever

Dead Beat – Book 7 – released 5/2005
Harry Dresden must save Chicago from black magic and necromancy — but first, he must locate the Word of Kemmler. Just as soon as he figures out what that is. It’s all in a day’s work for the city’s only professional wizard … assuming he can live to see the end of the day.

Proven Guilty – Book 8 – released 5/2006
Harry Dresden has spent years being watched and suspected by the White Council’s Wardens. But now he is a Warden, and it sucks more than he thought… So when movie monsters start coming to life on his watch, it’s officially up to him to put them back where they came from. Only this time, his client is the White Council, and his investigation cannot fail — no matter who falls under suspicion, no matter the cost.

White Night – Book 9 – released 2/2007
Someone is targeting the city’s magic practitioners, the members of the supernatural underclass who don’t possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Many have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But the murderer has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes–a message for Harry Dresden, referencing the book of Exodus and the killing of witches.

Harry sets out to find the killer before he can strike again, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half brother, Thomas. Determined to bring the real murderer to justice and clear his brother’s name, Harry attracts the attention of the White Court of vampires, becoming embroiled in a power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation.

Harry knows that if he screws this one up, a lot of people will die–and one of them will be his brother.

Small Favor –  Book 10 – released 4/2008
No one’s tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow.

An old bargain has placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, the Queen of Air and Darkness-and she’s calling in her marker. It’s a small favor he can’t refuse…one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and one that will strain his skills-and loyalties-to their very limits.

It figures. Everything was going too well to last

Turn Coat – Book 11 – released 4/2009
The Warden Morgan has been accused of treason against the Wizards of the White Council–and there’s only one, final punishment for that crime. He’s on the run, wants his name cleared, and needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog. Someone like Harry Dresden.

Now, Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less-than-agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head–someone like Harry.

Changes –  Book 12 – released 4/2010
Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden’s lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.

Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry’s not fighting to save the world…

He’s fighting to save his child.

Ghost Story – Book 13 – released 7/2011
When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…

Cold Days – Book 14  – 11/2012
HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

Short Stories

Side Jobs – 10 short stories – released 10/2010

Compiled by Barb

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Shadowfae Series by Erica Hayes – a Synopsis

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Shadowfae Series by Erica Hayes – a Synopsis

Shadowfae Chronicles
Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerise you with their songs, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you're in, there's no escape...

Hellcursed (short story) – free online
http://www.shadowfae.net/hellcursed.html
Tricked. Cursed. Damned.

It’s 1863, and headstrong ex-convent girl Jade has renounced the church that tried to curb her independence. Now, she travels the world seeking adventure and the pleasures of forbidden ritual.

But she's tricked by a treacherous sorcerer, and forced into a darker kind of slavery. She's a succubus, with a powerful demon lord her master for a thousand years.

At least, that's what he thinks. Jade accepts no man's domination, least of all a demon's. She's determined to thwart her fate.

But she's yet to discover the true meaning of demon thrall...

1. Shadowfae (Jade & Rajahni) – October, 2009

Enslaved by a demon lord, Jade is forced to spend her nights seducing vampire gangsters and shapeshifting thugs.  After two hundred years as a succubus, she burns for freedom and longs to escape her brutal life as a trophy girl for hell’s minions.  Then she meets Rajah, an incubus who touches her heart and intoxicates her senses. Rajah shares the same bleak fate as she, and yearns just as desperately for freedom.  But the only way for Jade to break her bonds is to betray Rajah—and doom the only man she’s ever loved to a lifetime in hell.

2. Shadowglass (Ice & Indigo) – March, 2010

Welcome to secret world hidden behind shadowy fairy glamour, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, big green trolls kick heads at nightclubs and vampire Mafiosi rule the streets.  Here a seductive magic mirror lies hidden deep in a demon’s lair, with a simple warning: don’t stare at the glass…

Ice is a light-fingered fairy who can’t resist a look at the powerful mirror.  She and her fairy friends run confidence games, pretending to be fortune tellers and bedazzling customers with their glamour.  But Ice longs for more—she wants a real life, a respectable job and something to strive for.  The mirror offers her a chance to achieve everything she’s ever dreamed of.  But when she pilfers it, she discovers that its power comes with a price: the mirror is a gateway to obsession and madness… and it will take every trick in her arsenal just to survive.

3. Poison Kissed (Mina &Joey) – September, 2010

Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She’s beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother’s death…

When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother’s murder, fury threatens to spill out of her note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she’s not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him—or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns her blood…

4. Blood Cursed (Ember & Diamond) – August, 2011

To a vampire, nothing is sweeter than bloodfairy essence—and Ember is the most sought-after fairy on the underworld circuit. Selling her blood to the highest bidder—and robbing her clients in the process—Ember has unwittingly become a target of dark and dangerous forces. Her enemies are everywhere. And if she hopes to survive, she needs protection…

Diamond is a glassfairy who, for better or worse, knows his way around the vampire underworld. Smooth as silk and tougher than trolls, Diamond is Ember’s only chance to keep her magical blood inside her body, where it belongs. But he also poses a threat to Ember, a strange kind of danger she’s never experienced before: She’s falling in love with him…

4.5. Cherry Kisses  – (Hex Appeal Anthology) – June, 2012

Synopsis by Barb

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Mark of the Vampire – a Synopsis

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Mark of the Vampire – a Synopsis

ETERNAL HUNGER – book 1
Release Date: October 2010

FEAR IS IN THE BLOOD

Alexander Roman wants nothing to do with the controlling rulers of his vampire breed or the family he escaped from a hundred years ago. But as a new threat to the pureblood vampires emerges, Alexander’s ties to the past are forced upon him again, and without warning, he finds himself – disoriented, terrified, and near death – at the door of a stranger.

TRUST IS A RISK

Dr. Sarah Donohue is dedicated to removing the traumatic memories of her patients – like those of the stranger at her front door. But what he tells her of his past is too astonishing to be anything more than the delusion of a madman. Yet she has seen his flesh scarred by the sun and witnessed his inhuman strength. And never more has she felt so conneted to a man, by both fear and seductive excitement.

LOVE IS ETERNAL …

But as their worlds collide, Sarah and Alexander are bound by something even stronger, as one becomes hunter and the other prey. And Sarah’s only chance of survival is to surrender to the final – and most unimaginable – desire of her life.

 

ETERNAL KISS – book 2
Release Date: April 2011

Raised by the Breed, Nicholas Roman wants to stop the Eternal Order of Vampires from controlling his life, and using other males from his bloodline-including possibly his son-for their vicious reign. Only a beautiful vampire stranger can help him. But what are her true motives?

 

ETERNAL BLOOD e-novella special

Release Date: January 2012

Gray Donahue is crippled by the guilt he feels for his father’s death. An Impure vampire cursed with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, he indulges in blood and sex to stave off the pain of his existence. He is then abducted by the Eternal Order of Vampires, who subject him to a nightmarish ritual. But when he is rescued by the icy pureblood vampire Dillon, he finds something that is worth living for, dying for, killing for…
.

ETERNAL CAPTIVE – book 3
Release Date: February 2012

Since feeding her his blood, Lucian Roman has struggled with his obsession with Bronwyn Kettler-fighting an uncontrollable desire to kill her, if he has to, and the vampire she has sworn to wed. But when a dangerous enemy threatens Bronwyn, only Lucian can save her life. Even if it means sacrificing his own…

 

ETERNAL BEAST – book 4
Release Date: August 2012

Ever since his abduction by the Eternal Order of Vampires, Gray Donohue has finally found his true calling: vengeance. He will stop at nothing to bring his fellow Impure vampires the freedom they deserve. Now if he could just release his primal need for the beautiful vampire who saved his life-and rules his thoughts and desires . . .After nearly killing the senator she was assigned to protect, Dillon is now in mortal danger. The jaguar within her has been unleashed, and she can no longer control it. Sex is the only thing that can tame her shift. And Gray is the only man who can make her surrender to a passion strong enough to overpower her inner beast. But she doesn’t want to surrender-she wants her life back. Because she is determined never to belong to anyone, especially not Gray-the man who destiny claims is her mate.

Compiled by Barb

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Dirk & Steele by Marjorie M.Liu – a Synopsis

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Dirk & Steele by Marjorie M.Liu – a Synopsis

Tiger Eye- book 1
Release Date: March 2005

Long ago they roamed the earth — dragons, tigers . . . shapeshifters — men who wore the forms of beasts. Their world was magic. Now it is gone. But some remain . . .

He looks out of place in Dela Reese’s Beijing hotel room— exotic and poignant, some mythic, tragic hero of an epic tale. With his feline yellow eyes, he’s like nothing from her world. Yet Dela has danced through the echo of his soul and knows this warrior will obey her every command.

Hari has been used and abused for millennia. But he sees, upon his release from the riddle box, that this new mistress is different. There is a hidden power in Dela’s eyes—and with her, he may regain all that was lost to him. Where once he savaged, now he must protect; where before he knew only hatred, now he must embrace love. Dela is the key.

For Dela, he will risk all.

Shadow Touch- book 2
Release Date: February 2006  

Elena Baxter can work miracles with her fingers. She can coax bones to knit, flesh to heal. She can mend the mind and spirit.

That is why she is taken.

Artur Loginov joined Dirk & Steele, an international detective agency that specializes in the impossible, to help extraordinary souls in need—and to keep their secrets safe. For Artur himself is not like ordinary men—handsome, powerful, and tormented, he is able to do wondrous things with nothing but a thought and a touch. That is why he, too, is taken . . .

Drawn together into the darkness, Elena and Artur find themselves caged and cornered, joined in a desperate fight for their lives. But they will find strength where they never expected it: in a passionate look, in a tender kiss, in a heart-soaring, breathtaking.

The Red Heart of Jade – book 3
Release Date: July 2006  

Beneath passion and purifying fire is . . . The Red Heart of Jade

Dean Campbell can see and sense things that others cannot—an extraordinary ability that drew the ex-cop to the Dirk & Steele Detective Agency, a global association of more-than-human men and women. Dean and his peers—shapeshifters, psychics, and other paranormals—are dedicated to protecting life. But there are those who live for destruction.

Now Dean’s investigation into a series of unthinkable killings is calling him to Taipei, where a pattern is emerging that is more deadly than anything he could have foreseen. At the center is a power that could change the world . . . and the woman who can truly complete him: Mirabelle Lee, the girl Dean loved in his youth, the childhood sweetheart he once believed dead. Now that his heart has been reawakened, he will not lose her again—even as the forces of an immortal evil gather to destroy them and everything they love.


A Dream of Stone and Shadows – book 4
Release Date – September 2006 – part of anthology Dark Dreamers
Re-released March, 2012 as standalone ebook

There are those who do terrible things in this world, and those who simply watch. Charlie would do neither. Imprisoned, his only release is through his own destruction—or through Aggie Durand. Sweet as a kiss or a rescued child, she is the one dream he does not dare desire. As an agent of Dirk & Steele, she could be his salvation. Today, Charlie’s dream is waking.
(See Sandy’s full review below)

Book 5 – Eye of Heaven- book 5
Release Date: December 2006  

Like every member of the Dirk & Steele Agency, Blue Perrineau is far from “normal”—and he believes in the organization’s creed: Protect the innocent in secrecy. Now an obligation to the family that rejected him is leading Blue into the light and shadow of Sin City . . . and to a remarkable woman, beautiful, desirable, and untamed.

Iris is a headliner in Vegas, dazzling crowds with her feral sensuality and her uncanny affinity for dangerous beasts. But there is a darkness in her world that she never knew existed, and a champion has appeared to protect her—a man charged with electricity, who guards a secret as strange and powerful as her own. And every secret is a liability when darkest evil exists that follows no rule under heaven. Yet with passion and love sustaining them, together Blue and Iris might yet live to see the dawn.

Soul Song- book 6
Release Date: July 2007  

Against her will, Kitala Bell foresees the future.  But only deaths, and only violent.

Kitala’s own future is in peril.  From the ocean’s depths rises an impossible blend of fantasy and danger, a creature whose voice is seduction incarnate, whose song can manipulate lives the way that Kitala herself manipulates the strings of her violin…even to the point of breaking.  He is a prince of the sea, an enigma-a captive stretched to the limit of his endurance by a woman intent on using him for the purest evil. And when survival requires he and Kitala form a closer partnership than either has ever known, the price of their bond will threaten not just their lives but the essence of their very souls.

The Last Twilight – book 7
Release Date: January 2008  

Duty called Dr. Rikki Kinn to the Congo. One of the world’s top virus hunters working for the CDC, she is on a mission to investigate a deadly new plague. But there are those determined to stop her—at any price.

Shape-shifter Amiri was born in this land of untamed splendor. Here he woke with the sun and raced as the cheetah . . . until he was kidnapped and subjected to terrible experiments by the evil Consortium. Now his colleagues and brothers in Dirk & Steele want him to return to Africa to face his nightmares. For a good woman has been targeted for death—a beautiful healer who holds the fate of millions in her hands, whose destiny is intertwined with his—and whose need leaves Amiri vulnerable, threatening his heart, his passion . . . and his soul.

The Wild Road- book 8
Release Date: August 2008

Those who look upon Lannes Hannelore see only an exceptionally handsome man. But his beauty is a prison, locking the dark truth inside his tormented soul. For Lannes is one of a dying race of remarkable creatures, hiding in plain sight among earth’s human masters. His existence is solitary and sad—until the night he encounters a young woman on a deserted street, desperate, frightened, with no memory . . . and covered in blood.

She has no recollection of who she is or what she’s done—and now she must trust a mysterious stranger whose imposing presence masks a gentle heart. Her need draws Lannes into a mystery that will cause him to confront his worst fears and question everything he believes—and compel him to risk his secrets for the one woman who might well be the love of his life . . . or the destruction of it.

The Fire King- book 9
Release Date: August 2009  

Long ago, shape-shifters reigned as gods. But even gods have laws that they break at their own peril . . .

Each member of Dirk & Steele has a unique ability. Soria’s is the gift of communication—which is why she’s been chosen to learn the language of a tormented warrior resurrected after thousands of years of icy sleep.

He is Karr, and once he was a king. Strong as a lion, quick and deadly as a serpent, he saw everything he loved consumed in flames. Death was to be his salvation, but thousands of years later he has been awakened against his will. Now a breathtaking human moves him in ways he neither understands nor desires. But Soria can see beyond his rage . . . and only she can speak the words that will cool the destructive fury in his soul.

Words of love.
In the Dark of Dreams- book 10
Release Date: November, 2010  

She could never forget the boy with the ice blue eyes . . .

She was only twelve when she saw the silver boy on the beach, but Jenny has never stopped dreaming about him. Now she is grown, a marine biologist charting her own course in the family business—a corporation that covertly crosses the boundaries of science into realms of the unknown…and the incredible.

And now he has found her again, her silver boy grown into a man: Perrin, powerful and masculine, and so much more than human—leaving Jenny weak with desire and aching for his touch.

But with their reunion comes mortal danger—from malevolent forces who would alter the world to suit their own dark ends.  For Perrin and Jenny—and all living creatures— their only hope for preventing the unthinkable lies in a mysterious empire far beneath the sea—and in the power of their dreams
Within the Flames- book 11
Release Date: November, 2011

Joining the Dirk & Steele Agency turned Eddie’s life around. A pyrokinetic and former car thief, he cannot refuse an assignment to cross the continent in order to rescue an extraordinary woman in peril . . . even though he fears losing control of the destructive power of flame at his fingertips.

The last of her shape-shifting kind, Lyssa hides in the abandoned tunnels beneath Manhattan, seeking refuge from those who murdered her family a decade ago and would now destroy her as well. Like Eddie, fire is her weapon, her destiny . . . and her curse. Yet she wants nothing to do with this mesmerizing stranger who seeks her trust while enflaming her passion. For beneath Lyssa’s extraordinary beauty are dangerous secrets . .  and even darker, nearly irresistible urges. But she has won the heart of a fearless protector . . . and all the demons in the world will not make him back down.
(See Miranda’s full review tomorrow)

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Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost Synopsis

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Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost Synopsis

The Night Huntress Series (Cat and Bones)

I love the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.  I have been a fan from the start, and Jeaniene has two of the best characters in Cat and Bones.  Many of you will remember that Bones went neck and neck against the fabled Barrons for the best and hottest male character.   But as good as Bones is, Cat Crawfield is a super heroine, and their romance is awesome.  Each book in this series just gets better and better.  Jeaniene does a great job with the other characters that she brings in later, like Mencheres, Vlad (whom is the hero of the her latest book..Once Burned), Spade, Ian.  If you like paranormal, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, action, excitement, romance, sex, and some of the best characters ever, then this series is for you.

Halfway to the Grave (October 30, 2007)

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

One Foot in the Grave (April 29, 2008)

You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won’t let her get away again.

At Grave’s End (December 30, 2008)

Some things won’t stay buried . . . at grave’s end

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield’s life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she’s successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat’s worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover’s finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn’t enough, a woman from Bones’s past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat’s about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she’s learned as a special agent won’t help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

Destined for an Early Grave (July 28, 2009)

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they’ve fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it’s time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She’s having visions of a vampire named Gregor who’s more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn’t know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won’t stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor’s hold over her. She’ll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she’s ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

This Side Of The Grave, (February 22, 2011)

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance…

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing.  A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”–the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war. …to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

One Grave at a Time (August 30, 2011)

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans’ voodoo queen just keeps on giving-leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

This is a fun series, with great characters.  If you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for.  It’s time for you meet Cat and Bones.  🙂

Barb

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