Tracy W. is the winner of One Fell Sweep! Congratulations Tracy, and thanks to everyone who participated for dropping by.
Tag Archives: giveaway
Review + Giveaway – One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Dina DeMille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to a very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage.
But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family to a planet that functions as the most lawless penal colony since Botany Bay. Then she agrees to help a guest whose last chance at saving his civilization could bring death and disaster to all Dina holds dear. Now Gertrude Hunt is under siege by a clan of assassins. To keep her guests safe and to find her missing parents, Dina will risk everything, even if she has to pay the ultimate price. Though Sean may have something to say about that!
I received an ARC of this book from the author, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the contents of my review…obviously, since I bought it anyway. And I’ll buy a copy for one lucky winner of my Giveaway too, as has become my tradition (and despite the fact that it is getting released on a Tuesday)! a Rafflecopter giveaway
So on to the story. This is the first one of this series of serials where I actually read the serial instead of waiting for the project to be finalized, though I did wait for all parts to be written…because I am not that much of a masochist. So I found it really interesting to try to see where and how it changed. Of course, the difficulty with trying that is that I once again got sucked into the story, hard. It is difficult to play the difference game when you feel like you are in something instead of outside it.
This is the third book in their urban fantasy series, where the earth in question is one out of a multiverse, one that connects to the wider multiverse through key points in the form of Inns. Inns are magical places that are hidden from the earthlings at large, and that function as neutral points on earth for the protection of both earth and the special visitors that come here. They also are symbiotic, Inns need guests. And Dina is the Innkeepeer of the Gertrude Hunt, the setting of our story.
The overall series arc revolves around the search for Dina’s parents who disappeared with their Inn some years ago. While her brother actively searches, Dina’s plan was to draw guests to her Inn in the hopes of encountering someone who could help. Considering the caliber of guests she has attracted, and the courageous way she has addressed problems along the way, it is no surprise that this plan is bearing fruit. Dina rocks.
Other notable points in this story are getting to meet more of Dina’s family and the resolution of the love triangle that was noted in the first book. I was never in doubt about which way that was going to go, personally. But if you were hesitant to pick up this series because of that triangle, you can rest assured it is safe to pick it up now.
But the most important things are the way our kick-ass homemaker grows into her role and owns up to making life and death situations. She also learns to be part of a team. This book wasn’t as “fun” as the first one, nor was it quite the sucker punch to the guts that then second one was (in my opinion), but it was just as good only in a broader way. I guess what I am trying to say is that there was a lot more going on in this one. Heartwarming moments, humor, joy, despair, and hope. This one has it all, and so did Dina.
As for changes from the original serial format? The only thing I actually noticed was the little bit of a twist at the end. It really cleared up one confusing (to me) plot point from the last book, and left us with a hell of a question to ponder while waiting for the next one.
But you’ll have to read it to see what shook out. And I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a little paranormal/urban fantasy.
Review + Giveaway – Beyond Ruin by Kit Rocha
Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.
They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.
Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.
Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives.
I received an ARC of this book from the author(s), this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.
This is a series that I adore. Dark and gritty, sensual with a biting edge, and in my opinion, feminist erotica. Post -pocalyptic dystopian, which I can’t get enough of. And characters you just have to love set in an intricately built political world. You really can’t just jump in here at the 7th book. It won’t work. Start at the beginning and dig in. Fair warning, the first ones are skewed mostly to the erotica side, but as we go along Kit Rocha builds this whole world and political system that is kind of a darker, and way sexy, Panem.
And this particular story is one that we readers have been clamoring for. For one thing these are some of the most mysterious characters, and for another, after the triad the authors pulled off, how would they pull off a quad? Mad, Dylan, Scarlet, and Jade have serious demons, and this particular story is erotic /fic in just about any configuration you can think to make. And it is intense, and explicit, and not to be missed or skimmed over, because it redraws the terms and boundaries of their relationships and their souls. And for just how sexy it is, it also feels a bit like a cuddly puppy pile, especially at first, because it is also about comfort and caring. And the remarkable thing is that they analyze why they are broken, and what in them is “them”, and what in them is what they were made to be. And as a quad they are whole, and they shore each other up, and they SEE each other, because some things you simply can’t fix…you just have to live with who and what you are now. So it is heady being inside their heads.
On the political/societal front, things come to a massive head. Outright war is on our doorsteps. But sometimes that isn’t even the worst of it. The lives Eden twisted and destroyed and turned into their twisted playthings are PEOPLE under it all, not nameless, faceless things, people…and as I’ve said, sometimes people can’t really be fixed. But sometimes they can remake themselves, and that is often the theme in this series. And if Ashwin Malhotra doesn’t get his ever loving redemption, if not a full-fledged happily ever after, then I WILL freaking riot.
But that is a side thing (but I am serious Bree and Donna, so, so serious), and we have to focus on the now.
And here is what I mean by this being feminist erotica. Yes, there are sexual power plays, and yes, some characters ink collars and cuffs on each other (and that is predominantly women). And yes, there is a ton of sexual submission going on, and what some might argue is coded language. But the flip side to it is, who has the power if sexual submission is what you like and want? And that isn’t all women are in this series. The sexual games are titillating, but if you care to look, the rest is often powerful. Women can be healers, and power brokers, and powers in their own rights. Women can be Sector Leaders, and some of that is because even in the midst of the chaos women can teach their daughters powerful lessons “…how to tell right from wrong, and how to use whatever power she had to protect those who had none….because her mother had loved her enough to tell her she could do anything.” And the powerful men in this series don’t take that for granted, they don’t diminish it, and whatever sexual games they might play-they recognize that the sex (submissive or otherwise) isn’t the defining feature of the women. And there isn’t any BS about the men having to have equal outside power to count, or holding extra internal power to compensate, they just are who they are and they respect each other.
And the love story here of 4 broken individuals who remade themselves, and reshaped themselves-for themselves- somehow made themselves into pieces that fit together perfectly, a puzzle that might not make sense to anyone but them. I’ll admit, I had my doubts about how well a quad would work, how they could balance so I felt that everyone gave and got what they needed, so no one was lesser. But it turned out beautifully, and I can see this relationship working for all of them.
That ending though, war, and not everyone has made it out alive so far, and the future looks pretty grim. We have a title, Beyond Ecstasy, and our two new main characters are revealed. But so far, no date, though it is listed as 2016, so hopefully not too long, I can’t wait.
If you haven’t picked this series up, here’s chance to score a digital copy of a bundle of the first 3 in the series.
BEYOND SHAME (87,000 words, 354 pages)
All Noelle Cunningham has ever wanted is a life beyond the walls of Eden, where only the righteous are allowed to remain. But ruins lie outside the City, remnants of a society destroyed by solar storms.
Those ruins house the corrupt and the criminal–men like Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter. He’ll defend the O’Kane gang with his life, but no fight prepared him for the exiled City girl who falls at his feet.
Her innocence is undeniable, and so is their attraction. But if she wants to belong to Jas, she’ll have to open herself to a world where passion is power, and freedom is found in submission.
BEYOND CONTROL (100,000 words, 398 pages)
Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude to become one of the most influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang–and for its leader. But she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.
Dallas fought to carve order out of the chaos of the sectors. Danger threatens his people, but his liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire–and no one says no to the king of Sector Four.
Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.
BEYOND PAIN (89,000 words, 350 pages)
Live fast, die young–anything else is a fantasy for Six. She’s endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They’re completely open about everything, including their sexuality–but she hasn’t survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.
Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can’t afford–until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn’t enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes–voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won’t share her.
In Bren’s arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they’ve forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human–her love.
Enter the Rafflecopter HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Review + Giveaway – The Lady Who Lived Again by Thomasine Rappold
Madeleine Sutter was once the belle of the ball at the popular resort town of Misty Lake, New York. But as the sole survivor of the community’s worst tragedy, she’s come under suspicion. Longing for the life she once enjoyed, she accepts a rare social invitation to the event of the season. Now she will be able to show everyone she’s the same woman they’d always admired—with just one hidden exception: she awoke from the accident with the ability to heal.
Doctor Jace Merrick has fled the failures and futility of city life to start anew in rural Misty Lake. A man of science, he rejects the superstitious chatter surrounding Maddie and finds himself drawn to her confidence and beauty. And when she seduces him into a sham engagement, he agrees to be her ticket back into society, if she supports his new practice—and reveals the details of her remarkable recovery. But when his patients begin to heal miraculously, Jace may have to abandon logic, accept the inexplicable—and surrender to a love beyond reason…
Excerpt
Mr. Piedmont worked swiftly, the sound of crumpling paper filling the awkward silence as he wrapped her purchases and bound the tidy parcel with string. By rote, his freckled hand reached to the nearby jar of candy. Placing a single peppermint stick on top of the bundle, he slid it toward her, then turned to face the shelves lining the wall behind him.
Tears blurred Maddie’s vision as she stared down at the red-striped treat, the simple reminder of who she once was—who she still was, if only one of her neighbors could manage to look her in the eye long enough to see it. She swallowed hard.
“Thank you,” she murmured to the shopkeeper’s back before he walked away.
Maddie left the store and proceeded to her final errand. As she’d anticipated, a letter from Amelia awaited her at the post office. Maddie would wait until later to open it. Their recent correspondence had rattled her to the bone, and she knew any public display of emotion would be ripe fruit for hungry local gossips.
Not that maintaining decorum could help her cause now. People already believed the worst about her. These rare trips to town only served to remind her that nothing had changed.
Shoving the letter into her skirt pocket, she headed south on Main Street. To her relief, the band of young hooligans that had taunted her earlier was nowhere to be seen. She hurried out of town nonetheless. Each dreaded trip was a tax on her nerves, and when added to the anxiety of what awaited in Amelia’s letter, Maddie yearned for the comfort of home.
When she reached the outskirts of town, she took the path through the woods that opened to a large field. She welcomed the sound of chirping crickets and birds. As always after she exerted herself with a lengthy walk, her leg was beginning to ache. She slowed her pace, then stopped to rest at her favorite spot on her grandfather’s sprawling property. Sitting on a felled birch log in the broad clearing, she stretched out her leg. The cramped muscles unfurled as she enjoyed the serenity of the surrounding forest, the gentle spring breeze through the swaying trees. The sun felt heavenly, and she lifted her face to bask in its glow.
She’d avoided town all winter, hibernating like a bear in a cave. She’d emerged from seclusion renewed by foolish hopes, but the first outing of the new season had been just like the last. A bear would be better received.
Maddie sighed in defeat, dug out the letter that was fairly vibrating in her pocket, and unfolded its pages. The bold strokes on the delicate cream sheets conveyed Amelia’s confident tone and dramatic style.
My dearest Mads,
I received your response denying my request, but I refuse to take no for an answer. I simply cannot get married without you!
You swore an oath to one day serve as my bridesmaid, and it is time for you to honor it. My deep love and concern for you force me to hold you to your promise.
The past is the past, my dear friend, and you must lay it to rest. Eventually, the town will follow suit. Consider attending my wedding as your first step toward getting on with your life.
We arrive in Misty Lake in three weeks. I look forward to seeing you then.
Forever yours,
Amelia
Maddie’s breakfast turned in her stomach. How on earth could she attend? No one, save Amelia, wanted her there. Certainly not Daniel. The mere thought of facing her former fiancé and all the others who’d blamed and abandoned her…no. Maddie hadn’t the courage. Amelia didn’t understand. How could she? She was not present when it happened. Nor was she here for the aftermath.
I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.
You typically expect doctors to be Mary Stus in fiction (assuming they aren’t the evil villain), but this one is something of a cad and a rake. Jace is also more than a bit of a know-it-all ass. Maddie on the other hand, it is hard to get a handle on her, all puffing, preening, flirtation one minute, soundly grounded and reasonable the next, and flighty as all hell the next one.
But, as we see just how the townspeople have treated Maddie, and how she bears up under it and faces down her fears, you can’t help but learn to like her. She learns to truly live again and we watch her blossom on the page, and it is HER doing, not the love of nay man or the regard of any other person. Frankly I don’t think anyone else besides her grandfather (and their two servants-who aren’t really fleshed out) and Dolly (a minor character) are worth anything at all. And that includes the supposed hero and her best friend.
Frankly I liked her best friend Amelia until she single handedly managed to ruin almost everything there at the end and then blithely went on about her life. And while there was some degree of chemistry between Jace and Maddie, I didn’t really warm up to him until the very end at all.
For all that though, I liked Maddie so well, and enjoyed her journey so much that it bumped up my rating tremendously. I was also interested in the events of the town and how things would resolve. And I am especially hoping that as this series plays out that we get to see Dolly’s happily ever after.
But don’t read this expecting some epic love story, or a woman who gets rescued by the love of a man, because in this case it is almost like the classic video game situation only in reverse. Jace is the princess in the tower with no agency, and he is Maddie’s prize in the end for completing her quest. But for readers who like that sort of thing, of which I am one, I heartily recommend this book.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/10/the-lady-who-lived-again-sole-survivor.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25219448-the-lady-who-lived-again
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/151338-soul-survivor
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
A three-time RWA Golden Heart nominee, Thomasine Rappold writes historical romance and historical romance with paranormal elements. She lives with her husband in a small town in upstate New York that inspired her current series. When she’s not spinning tales of passion and angst, she enjoys spending time with her family, fishing on one of the nearby lakes, and basking on the beach in Cape Cod. Thomasine is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Capital Region Romance Writers. Readers can find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @ThomRappold.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Rafflecopter Giveaway (One Digital Ebook Copy of THE LADY WHO LIVED AGAIN)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour + Giveaway – Feel the Burn by G.A. Aiken
I read and loved this so well I jumped at the opportunity to give everyone a chance to win (scroll to the bottom for the giveaway link) copies of this.
Excerpt:
Kachka Shestakova, formerly of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight Mountains of Despair in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains, gazed blindly over the beautiful lands she’d been living in for near on six months now. Lots of grass and trees and fresh water lakes. Ample food supplies and happy people ruled by a benevolent ruler.
Horse gods of Ramsfor! It was like hell on earth!
And Kachka had no one to blame but herself. She’d given up her painful, harsh life as a Daughter of the Steppes when she’d saved her sister from their mother. It was still a decision she’d make again if she had to, but she’d never thought that her life would end like this. She’d assumed that their mother would have tracked them down and killed them both. Kachka had been wrong. Her mother never had the chance because she’d come face to face with Annwyl the Bloody, Queen of the Southlands.
The royal had killed Glebovicha Shestakova, cut off her head, and ripped the eyes from the skull. All in front of the Anne Atli, leader of the Outerplains Tribes. It had been a bold move on the queen’s part. Or, as those closest to the queen had said more than once, “a completely insane move.” Kachka didn’t know. She didn’t talk to the queen. Or really anyone unless she absolutely had to.
All of Garbhán Isle was littered with dragons in human form. She couldn’t tell one from another without her sister’s help. Kachka didn’t hate the dragons. She just didn’t understand why a human would mate with one as they would a man. True, men were mostly useless, but they served their purpose: trash removal, child rearing, and breeding.
Although in the past few decades, the breeding part had changed where dragons and humans were concerned. The queen herself had a set of twins who were half human and half dragon. And it was because of them—and the other offspring that came after—that the humans’ gods had turned on their worshippers. Leaving them to fight the followers of Chramnesind by themselves.
It was shaping up to be quite the long-lasting war from what Kachka could tell. The Southlanders and the inhabitants of the Quintilian Sovereigns Empire were unwilling to give up their multitude of gods. And those who did choose to follow Chramnesind were unwilling to let the others worship anyone else. Armies were being built. Battle plans arranged.
And Kachka wasn’t involved in any of it.
That didn’t really surprise her, though. She wasn’t of these lands. She was a Rider, and her people’s fighting style and reasons for fighting were vastly different. The Anne Atli and the Daughters of the Steppes did have an alliance with Queen Annwyl and the Southlanders, but it was less about fighting by the Southlanders side and more about not stopping the Southlanders and their other allies from traipsing through Outerplains territory when necessary.
What dug into Kachka’s soul more than anything, though, was that before her sister had returned home with that request to speak to the Anne Atli—the title given to all their leaders since the first Anne Atli wrestled power away from the useless men—on Queen Annwyl’s behalf, Kachka\ had been moving up through the ranks at a nice, steady pace. She would never have been the Anne Atli, but she could have led her own troops into battle. Perhaps sat in on the all-tribes meetings when large decisions were made.
In other words . . . she’d have had a purpose.
Kachka needed a purpose. She needed a goal. She needed to make a name for herself. Their mother had never liked Kachka or her sister, but Kachka’s skill and willingness to throw herself into battle couldn’t be denied.
Where did that leave her here?
Of course, she could join the Queen’s Army, but marching in formation and taking orders from mostly men . . . no.
Never!
She was a Daughter of the Steppes, not some sheep blinded to the decadent life offered in these Southland territories.
Which left Kachka . . . where? Exactly?
“Um . . . excuse me? My lady?”
Kachka cringed at the ridiculous moniker these Southlanders insisted on using. She’d gotten tired of correcting them, so she let out a breath and snapped, “What?”
“Margo”—the leader of the kitchen staff—“was wondering if you could perhaps, if you’re not too busy, round up some meat for us? Some of the Cadwaladrs will be attending dinner tonight and the butchers don’t have enough to feed them all. You know what hearty eaters dragons are. So she was just—”
As the sheep went on—begging—and Kachka stared her in the face, she raised her bow, an arrow already nocked and ready, and shot the first thing she saw from the corner of her eye. The bison cried out once before dropping to its knees and bleeding out from the wound on its neck.
“Anything else?” Kachka asked.
The woman was pale now, her head shaking in answer.
Disgusted—hunting was not a challenge for a Daughter of the Steppes; it was more like breathing—Kachka turned away and started walking.
“Kachka?” She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see her sister.
“Fuck,” Kachka muttered as her sister walked over to her.
“You can’t be nice?” Elina asked in their native tongue.
Kachka’s sister wore a bright purple eye patch where her left eye should be. It had been the last thing their mother had taken from Elina. Over time, she’d grown accustomed to the loss, her skills at using her bow improving day after day. But the eye patches . . . this ridiculous purple one could have only come from that idiotic She-dragon, Keita. Her obsession with what Elina wore bordered on the disturbing. Wasn’t it bad enough the Shestakova sisters had already become decadent and lazy? Must they also become pathetic as well?
“I was nice,” Kachka replied, but when Elina pursed her lips, Kachka threw up her hands. “What more do you want from me, sister?”
“How about not terrifying the staff?”
“You mean the sheep?”
“And stop calling them that! You know they hate it!”
Seriously, how can you not love these women? I adore and re-read the entire series often.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/10/feel-burn-dragon-kin-8-by-ga-aiken.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23453137-feel-the-burn
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/62647-dragon-kin
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
Originally from Long Island, New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken has resigned herself to West Coast living, which involves healthy food, mostly sunny days, and lots of guys not wearing shirts when they really should be. Writing as Shelly Laurenston, she is also the creator of the wickedly funny Pride series for Brava. For more info about G.A. Aiken’s dangerously and arrogantly sexy dragons, go to www.gaaiken.com.
Author Links: Website | GoodReads
Rafflecopter Giveaway (3 Print Copies of FEEL THE BURN by G.A. Aiken)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sweep in Peace Release Day Giveaway Winner
And the winner is…….
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have. And if you didn’t win, I hope I have done a good enough job of extolling this series’ virtues that you’ll consider picking them up for yourself.
And, as an added bonus, it looks like the first book, Clean Sweep, is on sale for $1.99 for a limited time.
And I just wanted to thank all of you, who made this my best giveaway ever. Almost 600 people signed up, which is huge for me. And thanks for all the fun comments, I appreciate every one of you.
Review + Giveaway – Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
I received an ARC of this book from the author, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.
Dina DeMille doesn’t run your typical Bed and Breakfast. Her inn defies laws of physics, her fluffy dog is secretly a monster, and the only paying guest is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. But the inn needs guests to thrive, and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina’s door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance.
Unfortunately, for Dina, keeping the peace between Space Vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the devious Merchants of Baha-Char is much easier said than done. On top of keeping her guests from murdering each other, she must find a chef, remodel the inn… and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it’s all in the day’s work for an Innkeeper…
It is absolutely no secret that I adore husband and wife writing duo Ilona Andrews. Their works are just magical. This is the second book in the Innkeeper Chronicles and it is an interesting project because this is a self published venture that is initially written as a serial for free on their website, and then is copy edited and published for a modest price. So if you haven’t started this series, once you get caught up you can read along for free. I personally don’t do that because serials drive me barmy, but it is certainly an option, and I would imagine it is interesting to get small peeks into the writing process.
To that end, and to show my great love, my cheap butt is personally hosting a giveaway. And also to support an author who most rationally releases their book on a Friday, as in my opinion all books should be released – Tuesday releases are misery. As Sweep in Peace is being released on Friday 13, the giveaway will be open until November, 13, 2015 12:00 am at which point a winner will be chosen to receive an ebook copy of both Clean Sweep and Sweep in Peace. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 or older who can receive ebooks through Kindle, Nook, or Kobo.
Enter HERE:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This is more of an Urban Fantasy series than a paranormal romance. Clean Sweep had some romantic elements, and there was the beginning of a light love triangle (which is something I normally despise but which didn’t bother me here), but this is more about Dina’s journey than anything else. Yes, eventually I am sure she will get her happily ever after, I can even guess who it will be, but it is more about her than any pre-supposed “him” right now.
So in an alternate version of current reality (or maybe it is this world…if you believe in magic), Dina is an Innkeeper. This doesn’t sound too magical until you realize that The Gertrude Hunt is no mundane Inn, it is a living, breathing, entity; and within its grounds Dina, with her trusty broom, reigns supreme. And from it she has access to other worlds and to other dimensions of this world. She’s a truly kick-ass homemaker. There is also a small tie-in to Andrews’ Edge series, but it is a small easter egg for fans and I don’t think you have to have read that series to enjoy this one. While the characters from that series are main characters here, they are fully formed in this story without requiring the back story from that series. I recommend you go back and read those, because they are excellent, but it just isn’t a requirement if you aren’t looking for that sort of commitment.
The gist of the matter is that magical Inns require magical guests to maintain their magic. It is a strange and wonderful symbiotic relationship. Dina comes from a family of Innkeepers, and at some point they and their Inn went missing. When she failed to find them she revived the long dormant Gertrude Hunt in order to get guests from all over the universe and across dimensions in hopes of news of her family. But being new and lacking guests, the Inn has been in a slump. So when the Arbitrators, the universe’s neutral faction, come calling with a business proposition to host an arbitration, it is an offer she literally can’t refuse. No matter how disastrous she thinks hosting warring factions will be. And she knows it will be disastrous.
And damn if it didn’t start out with a bang. It was just as disastrous, if not more so, than anyone could have foreseen. There was plenty of action and drama as one would expect when you get warring factions together. Sneaky maneuverings and stratagems. Excellent storytelling and world building, characters you root for and empathize with. All in all, a simply wonderful urban fantasy (with an emphasis on the fantasy) tale. And then BAM! Andrews hits you with the curve ball. Maybe I would have seen it coming if I hadn’t been sucked into the story so hard, but there was simply no time to analyze where all this was going. And that curve ball left me unbalanced just enough that when the pinnacle hit, I’ll admit it, I sobbed like a little baby.
The story is excellent, even better than Clean Sweep, and that is saying something. The premise is interesting, the world building is excellent, and I love Dina to bits. Yes there are other characters, and they are more than one dimensional set pieces, but this is Dina’s story and she rocks. So 5 stars and a sobbing plea to the AuthorLord for more Innkeeper.
Blog Tour – A Sorceress of His Own by Dianne Duvall Excerpt and Giveaway
OK, this is a little strange for me, but I jumped on this blog tour strictly due to the blurb, which kind of captivated me. I haven’t read this yet, but it is absolutely on my TBR list. Take a look at the blurb, then hit up the giveaway rafflecopter, and then head on to the excerpt which has cemented my interest. I think any fans of fantasy romance will see why I find it intriguing.
About A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Immortal Guardians series comes an enchanting new series full of romance, danger, and loyalty: The Gifted Ones
Since the day Lord Dillon earned his spurs, rumors of his savagery on the battlefield have preceded him into every room, stilling tongues and sparking fear. Weary of battle, he wishes only to find a woman he can wed who will approach him not with fear, but with the tenderness that has been absent from his life for so long. Yet only the wisewoman seems invariably at ease in his presence. Perhaps because she garners the same fear in others that he does himself.
For seven years, Alyssa has been by Lord Dillon’s side, counseling him from the shadows, healing him with her hands, and staving off the worst of his loneliness while his fearsome reputation keeps others at bay. Blessed—or cursed—with gifts that label her a sorceress, she is forced to conceal her youth and the love she harbors for him beneath umbral robes that lead Dillon and his people to believe she is the same aged wisewoman who served his father.
All is revealed, however, and passions flare when an enemy threatens Dillon’s life and Alyssa sacrifices everything to save him. When Dillon discovers that the wisewoman is far from elderly, he is instantly entranced. And, as he and Alyssa work together to defeat an enemy bent on destroying them both, Dillon will risk anything—even the wrath of his king—to be with her.
Order Links:
A Sorceress of His Own
The Gifted Ones Book 1
Prologue
England, 1191
“Where is Father?” Alyssa asked, unable to bear the leaden silence a moment longer.
“Outside.” Kneeling in the rushes that covered the earthen floor of the modest hut in which Alyssa had been raised, her mother completed one last stitch, then bit off the end of the dangling thread.
Alyssa glanced through the window, but did not spy him.
A brisk, cool breeze wafted in, accompanied by morning sunshine. Leaves the color of a golden sunset had just begun to fall in preparation for winter and painted the forest around the isolated dwelling with bright color.
“Is he angry?” she asked hesitantly.
“He is worried,” her mother corrected, “as we all are.”
Alyssa’s second cousin, Meghan, slumped in a chair by the hearth, brow furrowed, teeth nibbling her lower lip. The two were of a similar age and had been the best of friends in their youth until Meg’s parents had been slain when Alyssa was ten. Meghan had gone to live with her grandsire then, far enough away to limit the time the two could see each other.
Rising, her mother crossed to the table in the corner and tucked her needle away.
Matthew, Alyssa’s father, may be blind, but he had lost none of his carpentry skills. He had lovingly created every table, chair, stool, and chest in their small home.
Alyssa gave the folds of the long black robe she wore a little shake and checked the length. Perfect. Her grandmother was a couple of inches taller than Alyssa, so all of the robes had needed to be shortened. “Thank you.”
The fear and sadness that shadowed her mother’s features when she returned tightened Alyssa’s chest.
“Please reconsider this, daughter.”
Swallowing hard, she shook her head. “This is what I want. I have made my decision.”
Male voices erupted outside, one soft and low, the other angry.
Alyssa’s brother, Geoffrey, yanked open the door and stomped inside. His lips tightened when they fell upon her, garbed in her grandmother’s black robe. “I did not wish to believe Mother when I received her missive. What have you done?”
Alyssa raised her chin. “What I have long wished to do. I have taken steps to replace Grandmother as Westcott’s wisewoman.”
He swore foully.
“Geoffrey!” her mother reprimanded.
“Well, ’tis madness!” he raged.
Alyssa held on to her own temper, knowing his was fired by concern for her. “’Tis not madness. Grandmother grows weaker and more frail every year. She cannot continue to serve as Westcott’s wisewoman.”
“Then Westcott can do without one.”
“I see no reason why they should when, shielded by these robes, I can take her place with none being the wiser.”
“They should,” her brother hissed, “because the path you have chosen will invariably lead to either heartbreak or death.”
Her mother’s and Meg’s expressions betrayed their agreement.
“I know not why it should,” Alyssa countered.
He took a step forward. “Think you I know naught of your feelings for him, for the valiant Earl of Westcott? Or the monstrousEarl of Westcott, if the rumors are true.”
She bristled. “A victim of rumor yourself, you know people are always eager to believe the worst of others. The false rumors told of mother’s supposed witchcraft nigh resulted in her death. Yet you would place your faith in the lies told of Lord Dillon?”
“Violence follows him wherever he goes. Can you deny that?”
“You would condemn him for defending his king? Our king?”
He clamped his lips shut.
Meg ventured to speak. “Do you not fear him, Alyssa? The rest of England does.”
“With good reason,” Geoffrey muttered.
“Nay, I do not. You are all well aware the rumors hold no truth. I have seen with mine own eyes the kindness of which Lord Dillon is capable. And Grandmother has said naught but good things of him.”
“Too many good things. She has filled your head with foolish fancy.” Geoffrey paced away a few steps.
Alyssa caught her mother’s eye. “Know you where Grandmother is?”
“I think she is fetching her paints. I shall see why she tarries.”
Alyssa waited for her mother to leave, then turned to her brother. “Ask me again why I do this.”
“Why must you do this?” he asked helplessly as he returned to her side.
“Because I am tired of hiding.”
He motioned to the midnight material that covered her. “This is not hiding?”
“Do not play the half-wit,” she snapped.
“You—”
“I love Mother,” she interrupted, keeping her voice low so it would not carry. “But I do not want the life she has chosen. I do not wish to live in total isolation, in constant fear for my life. You know I have always wished to use my gifts the way they were meant to be used. I wish to help others. Healothers. Guide them whenever I can. And serving as Lord Dillon’s wisewoman will allow me to do that without risking my life.”
Her brother snorted. “You will risk your life the very night you begin to serve him. You intend to help Lord Dillon take Brimshire, do you not?”
She nodded. “Are you certain you can gain us entry?”
“Aye. Mother sent me there ere the siege began, saying only that I would be needed. They think me one of them.”
“She must have had a vision.”
“Aye. And, had she seen the reason I would be needed, I would have refused.”
“Geoffrey—”
“You will die in his service,” Geoffrey predicted, his face full of torment. “Violence does follow him wherever he goes. And your love will drive you to heal every wound he incurs, fatal or nay.” He shook his head. “I do not wish to lose you and, again, ask you to reconsider this.”
She swallowed hard. “I have made my decision.”
He stared at her a long moment. “And ’tis yours to make. I shall await you outside.” He left without another word.
Alyssa looked to Meg.
Ever her friend and supporter, Meg made no attempt to sway her from the path she had chosen.
Alyssa’s mother and grandmother entered.
Her grandmother crossed to Alyssa and offered her a cloth bag. “The paints for your hands. Show me again you know how to use them.”
Alyssa obediently took them and, seating herself at the table, applied them the way her grandmother had instructed. When she finished, her youthful hands bore the appearance of an old woman’s, the skin appearing thin and spotted with age.
Her grandmother nodded her approval.
“You taught me well,” Alyssa said. “Thank you, Grandmother.”
Tucking the paints back in the bag, Alyssa rose.
Her grandmother clasped her hands and stared at her a long moment. “I understand why you do this,” she said softly.
And Alyssa could see in her world-weary eyes that she did. She understood all of the reasons that had driven Alyssa to take her place as Westcott’s wisewoman.
Alyssa’s mother took a step toward them. “Mother, do not—”
“Beatrice,” her grandmother countered sharply.
Her mother quieted.
“Perhaps I did speak too fondly of Lord Dillon,” her grandmother mused.
Alyssa shook her head. “You only spoke the truth.”
Sadness softened her grandmother’s voice. “He will never love you, Alyssa.”
She knew her grandmother did not say it to hurt her, but it did, nonetheless. “I am well aware of that. He will think me the same aged wisewoman who served his sire and his grandsire. He will think me you. And will continue to believe such as long as I wear these robes.”
Alarm lit her mother’s face. “You do not intend to remove them, do you?”
“Nay,” Alysaa assured her. “Grandmother made me vow I would not, for my own safety.”
Her grandmother squeezed her hands. “You are so innocent, Alyssa. You know not what ’tis like to love one who cannot love you in return. What ’tis like to love one who will never be free to love you in return. The pain that accompanies the pleasure of being in his presence every day. You know not the misery that awaits you when you inevitably watch the one you covet turn to another.”
“I know it well,” she insisted, and thought it worth the price she would pay.
Her grandmother sighed. “Nay, you do not. But I fear you soon will.” She released Alyssa’s hands and crossed to the hearth.
Alyssa’s mother stepped forward, tears glistening in her eyes. “We have sheltered you all your life from the hate directed at those who bear gifts such as ours. I fear we sheltered you so much that you do not understand the true danger you will face once you leave here.”
“How can I not understand it, knowing your past and Grandmother’s?” Alyssa asked her. The hate and fear of aught different had nipped at her grandmother’s heels all her life. The same hate had led a man of the cloth to set Alyssa’s mother afire in an attempt to purify her of the devil’s taint when her mother was but a girl. And a similar hate had driven men to hunt and slay Meg’s parents, who also had been gifted ones. “But I will be safe at Westcott, Mother. No one will chance earning the fierce Earl of Westcott’s wrath by attempting to burn his wisewoman at the stake. All fear him too much.”
When her grandmother returned, she bore several wineskins. “Are you certain you wish to begin your service to Lord Dillon with such a grand endeavor?”
“Aye. If I succeed in taking Brimshire for him, he will be too distracted to notice any peculiarities that will arise during my transition.”
For the first time, her grandmother’s lips twitched with a faint smile. “’Tis bold. And clever. You shall serve Lord Dillon well.”
Smiling with just a hint of nerves, Alyssa lifted her robe and secured the skins to her waist with a rope.
“You must be diligent, Alyssa,” her grandmother advised. “And maintain your guise at all times. Never leave your chamber without the robes and cowl. Never allow anyone more than the briefest glimpse of your hands. And never slip and speak in your own voice.”
Alyssa adopted the elderly rasp she had been practicing for months. “I shall be most diligent indeed, Grandmother.”
Meg’s face lit with awe. “She sounds just like you!”
Alyssa grinned.
Her grandmother grimaced. “Surely I do not sound as old as that.”
“Of course not,” Alyssa lied, returning to her own voice.
Her grandmother’s wrinkled features reflected her disbelief as she helped Alyssa straighten her robe. “Should anyone at Westcott seek to harm you, all you need do is duck out of sight and doff these robes. None will know a young woman resides beneath them. When they find the robe, they will search for a doddering old woman, not one who blooms with youth.”
Alyssa nodded.
Her grandmother forced a smile and embraced Alyssa with frail arms. “’Tis time.”
“Thank you, Grandmother,” Alyssa whispered past the lump that rose in her throat.
“Prove them wrong,” her grandmother whispered. “Do not let your love for Lord Dillon cost you your life.”
When her grandmother stepped back, Meg rose and embraced Alyssa.
Then Beatrice stepped forward and hugged her close. “Be safe, daughter.”
Alyssa nodded, unable to speak as tears burned the backs of her eyes and thickened her throat.
As her mother, grandmother, and cousin watched, Alyssa straightened her shoulders and raised the black cowl that would conceal her features from that day forth.
* * *
Alyssa shivered beneath her dark robe as she and Geoffrey stole through the Stygian forest. The light of a full moon dappled the foliage around them, enabling the two to negotiate the forest’s maze without the benefit of a torch.
Though brittle leaves carpeted the forest floor, a light rain had softened them, permitting silent footsteps that enabled the two to elude the army encamped outside Brimshire’s walls.
Geoffrey touched her arm, bringing her to a halt. Leaning down, he pointed and whispered in her ear, “The postern gate lies through there.”
“You are certain you can gain us entry?” she asked again.
He nodded. “They think me one of them. And, should any seek to prevent our entry, I shall use my gifts to attain it.”
“I must speak with Lord Dillon first.”
Geoffrey’s hand tightened on her arm. “There is still time to change your mind, Alyssa. You do not have to do this.”
She patted his hand, then gently removed it. “I shall return anon.”
Leaving Geoffrey, she once more crept through the forest until she reached the main camp. Simple structures had been erected over the long months to protect the men from arrows should any be let loose by the guards atop the castle walls. They also provided the men with shelter to stave off the illness that could be spawned by poor conditions arising from long sieges.
The light of the fires grew brighter as she approached the break in the trees.
Her heart began to pound when she located the Earl of Westcott.
He sat before a fire with a number of his men. Armor encased his broad shoulders. A sword, nigh as long as Alyssa was tall, lay at the ready beside him. Flickering flames sent golden light dancing across his handsome features, providing a pleasing contrast to the dark stubble that coated his strong jaw and chin. The scowl that creased his brow and made others tremble sparked no fear in Alyssa. She was far too nervous and excited.
Tonight she would begin her service as Lord Dillon’s wisewoman.
* * *
Frustration beat at Dillon. Months had passed and the lord of Brimshire seemed no closer to surrender than he had been when the siege began.
“Do you think they are as well-fortified with provisions as Lord Edward would have us believe?” Sir Simon asked.
Several dead cows had been launched over the walls today. At first, Dillon and his men had feared they were diseased. ’Twas a common tactic in sieges.
But the cows had instead been meant to convey a simple message: Those besieging the castle would starve long before the inhabitants of the keep would. They had food aplenty inside the stout walls.
Dillon shook his head. “I know not… and have reached the end of my patience. Tomorrow we will begin constructing siege towers.” He had hoped to take the castle—one King Richard had granted him when Dillon had saved his life—without violence. Without death. Without destroying walls and structures he would then have to rebuild once Brimshire became his.
“Do you wish to send for the trebuchet?”
Ready to be done with it, Dillon nodded and started to speak.
A twig snapped in the forest.
Every man present leapt to his feet and drew his sword.
A small, black-robed figure stepped into the firelight, seeming to manifest directly from the darkness itself.
Several knights hastened to cross themselves.
Dillon motioned for all to stand down and waited for them to relax before the fire once more. Sheathing his own weapon, he crossed to the wisewoman’s side.
“My lord,” she greeted him in her raspy voice.
Dillon guided her away from his men. “What do you here, Wise One? ’Tis not safe.” How had she traveled such a distance? He saw none of his men with her. Had she come alone?
“My gifts told me you have need of my services,” she whispered.
He could remember a time in his youth when her voice had been stronger. But age had gradually weakened it, first cracking it then reducing it to this faint relic of its former self.
None knew the wisewoman’s true age. The more superstitious of his people, those who crossed themselves whenever she passed them, believed she possessed the powers of immortality and could claim centuries to her past. Others placed her age nigh that of the elders, who all swore she had served the Westcott lords for as long as the oldest amongst them had walked the earth. All Dillon knew with any certainty was that she had seen at least two-score and ten years, for she had advised his father throughout Dillon’s youth.
He recalled his intense curiosity as a boy. She had stood straighter then, had seemed taller, almost grandiose to a precocious child who would not see his final height of a few inches above six feet for many years. A floor-length black robe with long sleeves that fell beneath her fingertips and a cowl that shielded every feature and defied even the strongest gust of wind had been and still was her constant companion. As Dillon understood it, none had ever looked upon her unmasked. Not even his grandfather, beside whom the elders insisted she had first stood.
Since acquiring the title, Dillon had had little chance to speak with this mysterious woman who had served his family for so many years. He had spent most of his time quashing a cousin’s rebellion, then attempting to claim Brimshire. And, though he had known her peripherally all of his life, he had not yet decided how he felt about her coming to him as his advisor.
“All goes well here, Seer,” he told her. ’Twas not a lie. There had been no losses on his side. No sickness. As far as sieges went, this had been an uneventful one. “Tomorrow we will begin constructing siege towers—”
“Such will not be necessary.”
He stared at her, shocked that she had interrupted him. Everyone else feared him too much to risk the fury they all believed would erupt if they did so. “I know not—”
“Rest easy, my lord,” she whispered, interrupting him again. “Brimshire will be yours by sunrise.”
So saying, she backed away and let the forest swallow her.
Nonplussed, Dillon heard no sound of movement but knew without grabbing a torch and thrusting it forward that she was gone.
He turned to face his men.
Judging by their uneasy expressions, most had overheard.
“What do you suppose she meant by that?” Simon asked.
Dillon knew not and, retaking his place before the fire, decided to forgo sleep until she returned.
Hours later, as the sun rose and painted the land around them with a rosy dawn, a loud clanking sound disrupted the silence.
Dillon stood and faced the castle.
The drawbridge began to lower.
Waking his men with a single command, he mounted his destrier and drew his sword.
Squires fetched mounts. Knights climbed into saddles and drew weapons that glimmered in the strengthening sunlight.
The heavy outer portcullis slowly rose as Dillon and his men took up a position some distance from the end of the drawbridge.
A charged silence followed.
The inner portcullis rose.
All waited in tense anticipation for men to pour forth with a battle cry.
Minutes passed as bird song serenaded them.
Then a small black-robed figure emerged, face hidden by her cowl. Striding boldly across the drawbridge, she halted when she reached Dillon’s side. “As I said, my lord, siege towers will not be necessary. Brimshire is yours.”
Dillon stared down at her in astonishment as his men all crossed themselves in a flurry of motion.
She had accomplished in one night what a six-month siege had not.
Just how far did her gifts extend?
Beyond Winner!
ARC Review & Giveaways – Beyond Innocence by Kit Rocha
Beyond Innocence
By Kit Rocha
For years, Jared has existed on the fringes of both Eden society and Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang. He travels between these worlds, protected by his money and power–money he earned selling his body, and power that comes from knowing secrets. He’s untouchable—until he starts a new life gathering intelligence for the O’Kanes.
Lili Fleming walked out of Sector Five with a gun, the bloodstained clothes on her back, and an icy determination to survive. She finds herself in a world where people live hard and love harder, and nothing’s more terrifying than how much the O’Kanes wake her up, make her feel—especially Jared.
Emotion is a risk he can’t afford, and a complication she doesn’t need. But neither can resist the lust simmering between them, and the sparks that could either melt the ice around both their hearts…or get them killed. Because the only thing more dangerous than loving an O’Kane is loving a spy.
This is book 6 in Kit Rocha’s sexy post apocalytic series. Previous books I’ve reviewed in this series include Beyond Shame, Beyond Control, Beyond Pain, Beyond Temptation, Beyond Jealousy, Beyond Solitude, Beyond Addiction, and Beyond Possession. Needless to say, once I found them, I inhaled them. We’ve got a couple of giveaways here, and then my review.
From the author:a Rafflecopter giveaway
And from me, via the author(s), This giveaway is open internationally for anyone who is 18 and over and you can enter using the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway ends on the 28th of May and the winner will be announced soon afterwards. The prize will be sent out directly by Kit Rocha or her assistant so by entering you are giving me permission to share your email address. Feel free to enter both:
I received an ARC of this book from the author, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the contents of my review.
I really adore this series. For what is most certainly erotica, Kit Rocha has developed a richly nuanced post-apocalyptic dystopian world, somewhat reminiscent of the Hunger Games only with no grand games, and adults instead of children. And while the world is rather detailed, and the politics are interesting, it is the people who are the heart of these stories. And while old favorite characters are scattered throughout and take up prominent portions of the story, it is because they are integral to the story, it is because the O’Kane’s individually and as a whole ARE the story. The characters wouldn’t be the people they are without the relationships. It never feels as though they’ve been thrown in to keep fans happy seeing beloved characters, as happens too often in series.
Lili and Jared are probably the most damaged and interesting characters yet. And somehow, Lilli is the most out of place heroine as well. But she changes and grows, and makes a spot for herself that is uniquely her own.
Lili’s world tilted oddly, then settled while her mind continued to spin. Every time she was convinced she’d mapped out the boundaries of what her new life could be, an offhand comment shoved them outward again. Women could distill liquor and brew beer. Women could run businesses and have trades. Women could fight for money.
She didn’t know if she wanted to do any of those things… But now she knew she could.
This whole world is eye opening for her, like nothing she’d ever imagined. And I don’t know if this aspect is just increasing, or it has always been in this series and I am just really noting it because of the last book I read, but THIS is how you mix feminism, erotica, and BDSM. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t highly politicized, but it is definitely a theme. And I think Lili is a perfect foil for it, and Jared was surprisingly (to me) tender, and wile not perfect, he was perfect for her.
“The first time you kissed me, I felt like the desert, and you were the rain. So much rain, I thought you’d wash me away. But, I’m not the desert, I’m the flowers.”
Of course this wouldn’t be a book about the sectors and the O’Kane’s without drama and intrigue, and Jared provides this in spades. The political machinations are really speeding up toward a large confrontation. And Lili provides a giant piece of the puzzle.
She wasn’t the desert or the flowers. She was a g——m diamond, formed under terrible pressure, as hard as the rock Logan had put on her finger.
And she’d cut the f—k out of anyone who didn’t get out of her way.
Beyond Innocence was sweet, tender, and raunchy, everything I’ve come to expect from this series. So now we’re set up for some real conflict in the next books, and a possible endgame is in sight. The next book should be coming out this winter and I can hardly wait. 4.5 stars
...Burns Through Her Bookshelf 