Friday, December 27, 2013

Wait For You Book Review


Synopsis:

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…


Review:

Wow!  I loved this book.  My only regret is that I waited so long to read it. Avery Morgansten's decision to attend college far from her home in Texas is not about choosing the best school.  She is running from a horrific incident that branded her a whore in her hometown...an incident that took place 5 years ago at a Halloween party when she was only 14 years old.   Avery is starting over where no one knows her.  She left everything behind in Texas including parents who did not stand up for her or believe her when everyone branded her a liar and a whore.  Their loyalty and her silence were bought with money and at such a young age, she had no choice but to do what she was told.  Now, she finally has the chance to escape the nightmare that has become her life.

Late for class on her first day, she literally runs into Cam in the hallway and the rocky road for this couple begins.  Her attraction to Cam is immediate, intense, and surprising to her.  Avery has never had a date - never kissed a boy and she is 19 years old.  She doesn't know how to do relationships and furthermore, she is afraid to try.  And now someone is sending her threatening emails and phone calls...someone from the past.  Someone who knows her darkest secret.

Cam is every girl's dream - a gorgeous, sexy man who can stop a girl's heart with just a smile...a beautiful man both inside and out.  No one can resist his blue eyes and killer smile, but Avery knows he is not meant for her...no one is.  She finds it hard to understand when Cam begins an active campaign to get her to accept a date with him.   In the meantime, he becomes her best friend and is determined to show Avery that they can build a future together.  However, she cannot and will not let go of the past and trust him with her dark secrets.  What Avery doesn't know is that Cam has secrets too.  

This book is beautifully written.  It is a poignant story that is funny at times.  The plot and character development are superb and kept me literally flipping pages into the night.  And just when you think you have it all figured out, this author will surprise you!  What a beautiful romance story that deals with some dark issues.  The only negative thing about the book is a few editing issues but they are not severe enough to hinder your enjoyment of this book.  It goes on my Favorites shelf and is a must read!

Rating: 5 Gorgeous ♥♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Dragon Bound Book Review



Synopsis:

Half-human and half-Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful—and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other.

Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave—although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul.



My Review:

This was my first venture into the world of dragon shifters, since I generally prefer the wolf shifters, but it won't be my last!  At the very least, I will be reading the rest of The Elder Races series.  Thea Harrison has written a magical yet gripping story where heroes come in many shapes, sizes, and forms and stalk and rule many lands - from high rise buildings in modern day cities to mystical lands only dreamed of in fairy tales.  The world building in Dragon Bound is so vivid and real that not only can you visualize it, you can scent it.  The plot the author weaves is intricate, rich with characters in both human and mythical form that are thrown together by circumstances not always of their own choosing.  They are at times determined, stubborn, passionate, and funny.  

Pia (1/2 human & 1/2 wyr) is a woman schooled from birth to hide herself and her powers from everyone...and even she doesn't fully understand what she is or how great her powers are.  A bad decision with an ex-boyfriend leads her to steal an item from the hoard of the most powerful Elder of all - Dragos.  As the saying goes, Pia is caught between a rock and a hard place.  I loved this heroine.  Pia is determined, intelligent, spunky, and funny...a refreshing character that is willing to go toe-to-toe with the mighty dragon.  Poor Dragos never really stood a chance!

Dragos is in a word - Magnificient!  What a man/creature!  Harrison's description of him in both man and dragon form is so vivid & real that you cannot help but believe that this gorgeous, domineering alpha male can change into a mythical dragon right before your eyes.  Both passionate and feared,  Dragos is truly King of all the Elders and accustomed to having everyone recognize that fact, but the mighty dragon has met his match in Pia.  The chemistry between them is sizzling as they must stand together to fight enemies that want them both dead as well as fight their growing attraction for one another.  While Pia helps Dragos open up to new possibilities including love, Dragos helps her discover her own true magical and beautiful self.   The cast of secondary characters in Dragon Bound is also outstanding and deserving of a lead spot in future books.   

Dragon Bound is a riveting read with mesmerizing characters, an intricate plot, and yes, some passionate love scenes!  What more can you ask for?  This is a must read!

Rating: 4 Beautiful ♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 

Sunday, December 8, 2013



It's a holiday give-a-way!  You can enter to win this beautiful bracelet in our Nancy Gideon By Moonlight Goodreads group.



Many thanks to Nancy for providing this beautiful, one-of-a-kind ReMaryD Original 'By Moonlight' holiday bracelet for a group holiday give-a-way! This bracelet features wolves, trees, moons, and fleur du lis...it is stretchy but will be sized for the winner. A beautiful holiday gift for yourself or others!! This give-a-way will begin Dec. 9 at 12am and close Dec. 23 at 12am EST. How can you win this gorgeous bracelet? Let me count the ways...

1 - You can enter the give-a-way by posting a comment in any thread in our Nancy Gideon by Moonlight group anytime between 12/9 and 12/22. You will receive one point (contest entry) for each thread you post in during the contest time period. (Exp. If you post in 12 different threads during this time period, you receive 12 entries.)

2 - You can earn 10 extra points (contest entries) by inviting a friend to join our group if they join and mention your name as the friend who invited them in our 'Welcome & Introduce Yourself' thread. You will earn 10 points for each friend who joins. All new members who join during this time period will have their name entered into a drawing for an ebook copy of Prince of Shadow (all formats except Kindle). We have 5 copies to give away. New members can also earn a chance to win the bracelet by posting in any group thread during the contest time period.

3 - Members can earn 12 extra points (contest entries) by writing a review on any of Nancy's books and posting the review on Barnes & Noble and/or Amazon. After writing and posting your book review, just post the name of the book you reviewed and where you posted it in our 'Book Reviews - Holiday Contest' thread to receive 12 more contest entries. You can receive 12 extra entries for each review you write & post on either of the above sites.

Winners will be drawn by random drawing from all qualifying names on Dec. 23 and announced on this group's Administration thread. Winners must respond within 5 days of contest winners announcement providing a valid mailing and/or email address. All decisions final. 


Follow link below to join our group and enter the contest!

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/109994-nancy-gideon-by-moonlight

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Scribe Book Review



Synopsis:

Hidden at the crossroads of the world, an ancient race battles to protect humanity, even as it dies from within.

Ava Matheson came to Istanbul looking for answers, but others came looking for her. A reckless warrior guards her steps, but will Malachi’s own past blind him to the truth of who Ava might be? While ancient forces gather around them, both Ava and Malachi search for answers.

Whispering voices. Deadly touch. Their passion should be impossible... or it could be the only thing that will keep them alive.

THE SCRIBE is the first book in the Irin Chronicles, the new paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries.


My Review:

After finishing The Scribe, my heart was racing.  I felt like I was on a runaway train with no way to get off.  I would have done anything to have book 2 in my hands at that moment, as I read the last page and frantically looked for more.  Elizabeth Hunter has woven a beautiful fantasy of good vs. evil with a compelling storyline filled with action, mystery, and romance that will leave you begging for more.

Ava is a strong willed woman with a delightful wit about her and a desperate desire to escape the voices she hears in her head, in a language she doesn't understand.  She often travels alone, working as a professional photographer and living life in self-imposed isolation, battling her fears that she just may be insane.  The only way Ava can quiet the voices in her head is to leave crowds of people behind.  In an attempt to find help for her affliction, she travels to Turkey, seeking the services of a mysterious specialist who claims to have helped others with her condition.  The peace Ava hopes to find in Istanbul is shattered as she realizes she is being followed, and her life is in danger.  As a result of these events, she meets Malachi who pretends to be a bodyguard hired by her family to protect her.  Ava has no idea that he is much, much more than just a bodyguard.

Malachi has a very secretive, mysterious, powerful and dangerous air about him from the first moment he appears in this story.  You know right away that there is much more to this man than you can see on the outside and are mesmerized by the waves of passion rolling off him and the sense of vulnerability that even his powerful exterior cannot hide. Malachi is one of those special characters that you just can't help but be drawn to - those special heroes who will earn his spot on your favorites shelf.

When Ava and Malachi meet in Istanbul, the chemistry is sizzling, and the story kicks into high gear as he seeks to protect her from unknown forces and help her discover who and what she is.  As the story unfolds, we also learn who and what Malachi is.  Thus, a world of powerful "other beings" is revealed as Elizabeth Hunter weaves her story of tragedies, both past and present, loss, hope, love, life and death.  You will become entralled with the story of Malachi and Ava and the journey for truths that they set out upon.

What works about this story?  Everything!  The characters, the fantasy, the romance, the suspense, the plot...even the setting adds to the awesomeness of this book!

What doesn't work?  I can't think of a thing that doesn't work about The Scribe.  It does deliver a heartbreaking shock near the end but leaves you with hope for the future as you anxiously await book 2, The Singer, due out sometime in the spring of 2014.

I could not put this book down.  I do not give 5 star/heart ratings easily, however; this book was a Page Turner book for me and receives a spot on my favorites list and shelf.  A Must Read!

Rating:  5 Gorgeous ♥♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 

Quotes:

"I understand.  It's part of the reason I came back.  This city...It feeds the soul."

A strange fluttering started in her chest.  "I didn't know my soul was hungry."

"Didn't you?"  He smiled.  "Hmmm."
♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥

"I thought I was crazy for a long time.  My whole life, really.  It's hard to leave that behind, even with all of you telling me that I'm not."

"Why?"

"Don't get me wrong."  She shook her head.  "I know it should be a relief.  But there's a part of me that still doesn't believe it.  A part that thinks I'm locked in a room somewhere because my delusions have finally taken over.  The voices have finally won, and this is all a kind of dream that my mind is using to cope."
♥       ♥        ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥      ♥      ♥

"Is that what you think?"  His voice fell, and he put his hand on the side of her neck.  Immediately, her pulse roared.  Her mind went silent.  There was only him.  His scent and touch.  The rest of the world went quiet when his thumb stroked the base of her throat.  

"You really think I have no claim on you?"

She swallowed with effort; her eyes locked on the stormy grey in his.  "None."

"Really, Ava?"  He leaned down, his breath whispering across her cheek.  "How do you feel when I touch you, canim?"
♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥

"When you find your power," he murmured in her ear as he stretched out beside her on the narrow bed, "you will sing to me.  And I will feel your magic as you feel mine."
♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥       ♥      ♥
         

Friday, November 1, 2013

Nightfall Book Review



 Synopsis:

Roarke is in love with Mr. Wrong.

His name is Richard Tiernan. He is deadly handsome, darkly brilliant, and devastatingly attractive to women. He has been convicted of killing his wife, and his children have disappeared. Now he wants to make Cassidy the latest victim of his powers of seduction and secret agenda.

Cassidy knows all this. But still she chooses to surrender her heart and soul to a lover whose reasons for wanting her are as mysterious as the violent act that branded his a murderer. Cassidy is his now, to do with what he wishes...as he leads her through a labyrinth of desire that is her only path to the terrifying truth.



My Review:

Nightfall was my introduction to the book world of Anne Stuart, and I'm now a fan.  From the very first page through the last page, I lived in this world of dark, psychotic madness, sucked in so deep that I was unable to let go.  I had to keep turning pages, desperately trying to find out the truth about Richard Tiernan, convicted (he confessed) of taking a butcher knife and brutally murdering his pregnant wife, and suspected in the deaths of his two young children who have disappeared as well as his former lover.  Then we meet insecure, innocent, boring Cassidy Roarke, sacrificed by her own father as he will do anything to write his next bestseller - even make a deal with the devil.  His deal is to deliver his daughter to Richard in exchange for the exclusive rights to write his story, but why does the dark, moody, manipulative, dangerous  Richard want Cassidy?  What is he looking for?  Richard is out of jail on appeal and living with Cassidy's father when her father suddenly calls her home.  Cassidy returns home, walking into an empty house...empty except for a convicted murderer who is lurking and waiting for her in the shadows.  And thus the mind games begin.  

Richard has a master plan...Cassidy needs to figure out what it is in order to survive.  Along the road to discovering all the horrific truths, she falls in love with a man who will be put to death in three months...a man who refuses to fight his death sentence...a man who both terrifies her and yet draws her to him like a moth to a flame.  She knows she will lose everything - her heart, her soul, her sanity and possibly her life if she doesn't run and so she tries...time and time again.  But her heart and soul will not allow her to resist the magnetic pull he has on her.  Richard has nothing and yet everything to lose.  He wants Cassidy like he's never wanted or needed another woman...but for what?  What is his mysterious plan for her?  This is a book of mind games...and nothing is as it seems.  Anne Stuart has crafted a story of murder, lies, deceit and guilt and intertwined it with a story of  love, desire, truth, and strong characters who are pushed to their absolute limit.  A must read for lovers of romance/suspense.  This book goes on my Favorites List!

Rating:  5 Gorgeous ♥♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Welcome to my Haunted House & Blog Hop~Enter at your own risk!

Nancy Gideon's 3rd Annual Haunted Open House



Welcome!  I'm happy to be hosting the Nancy Gideon Haunted House Blog Hop this week!  Enter if you dare to enjoy some of my favorite scary movies, spooky music, Halloween memories, and plenty of Bad Boys! 

I have such fond memories of Halloween.  Dressing up and roaming the neighborhood with my friends was both fun and scary!  My brother and his friends often hid behind trees to jump out and scare us when we walked by.  We did exactly what they wanted by screaming and running for our lives!  Later, we would wander home to dig through our bag of treats and sink our teeth into our favorite candy...then argue over who got the best and the most!  That's what brothers and sisters do!

My blog hop giveaway is a $20 Gift ECard from Amazon or Barnes & Noble - winner's choice.  The contest is open Oct. 23 - 30.  The winner will be announced within 2 days after close of contest.  A valid email address must be provided during contest entry.  You may enter the contest below via Rafflecopter.  
 
Happy Haunting, and I'll be sure to leave the lights on for you!  When you finish here, hop on over to the next stop on the blog hop to enter another trick or treat giveaway!  You can find those addresses below.  You can also enjoy the festivities at our Goodreads group Haunted House at Nancy Gideon By Moonlight 


Movies now showing in the Poltergeist Parlor...Enter at your own risk!



Nothing says Haunted Halloween quite like scary movies.  You know - the ones you watch with your eyes squeezed closed...the ones that make you jump at every little sound...the ones that make you double check your door locks...the ones that make you sleep with your lights on!  Remember these movies?

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

One of the scariest movies because: Adolescence is tough enough without worrying about razor-armed Freddy Krueger killing hormonal teens in their sleep.

What the critics say: "Tailor made for those who like their gore leavened with thought-provoking ideas—something that is a rarity in this genre."—James Berardinelli

The Shining (1980)

One of the scariest movies because: Jack Nicholson is seriously freaky as crazed novelist Jack Torrance, who [spoiler alert] tries to chop his family to little bits after a particularly stressful winter.

What the critics say: "Scaring the viewer is easy... What is harder is to accentuate the horrifying aspects of things that are familiar... Kubrick isn't out for screams, but he manages to make his movie thoroughly              unnerving by keeping the horror so close to home."—Janet Maslin

 


The Exorcist (1973)

One of the scariest movies because: Terrible, terrible things come out of a little girl's mouth (which happens to be attached to a spinning head, thanks to a demonic possession). Audiences were so affected by this fearsome film that some theaters even provided "Exorcist barf bags."

What the critics say: "The climactic sequences assault the senses and the intellect with pure cinematic terror. "—Variety


Carrie (1976)

One of the scariest movies because: Thanks to inspired directing from Brian De Palma, every moment in this film is filled with dread as the story inches toward its big, bloody finish.

What the critics say: "Brian De Palma's Carrie is an absolutely spellbinding horror movie, with a shock at the end that's the best thing along those lines since the shark leaped aboard in Jaws."—Roger Ebert
Jaws...1975

Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is a sensationally effective action picture, a scary thriller that works all the better because it's populated with characters that have been developed into human beings we get to know and care about. It's a film that's as frightening as "The Exorcist" and yet it's a nicer kind of fright, somehow more fun because we're being scared by an outdoor-adventure saga instead of by a brimstone-and-vomit devil. - Roger Ebert.

You can find a slideshow and movie trailers for most of these movies at:   Scary Movies Slideshow & Movie Trailers

Enjoy & don't forget to leave the lights on! 

Visit Nancy Gideon's Haunted Open House & Blog Hop for more fun and giveaways!  Drop in on the other bloggers.  I know they will be waiting for you!


Nancy Gideon's 3rd Annual Haunted Open House


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do?

We all love the Bad Boys...you know the ones I'm talking about - big, powerful, bad*ss, alpha males who are usually carrying some emotional baggage.  Shifters, Vampires, Demons, Angels, or Mere Mortals...there's at least one for us all, stealing our hearts and making us weak in the knees.  They are only a book away - enjoy!



 Shifter Max Savoie from the By Moonlight series.  A powerful, sexy, dangerous predator who will make you howl at the moon and go weak in the kneesMax is a personal favorite!  I would love to hear him whisper, "sha" in my ear.










  Vlad - Prince of the Night...Oh my, just looking at the cover makes me shiver.  A vampire who can control fire -  big, powerful, sexy, and arrogant.  Bad Boy!







 Zsadist - One of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a former blood slave - Dark, tortured, angry, emotionally damaged vampire who is feared by both humans and other vampires.   Hands off...Giulia says he belongs to her!







 Remington "Riptide" (Remy) - a mere mortal?  Not on your life...Remy is a powerful, dangerous, underground boxer.  He's emotionally damaged and needs someone to love him and be his "real".  I volunteer!







Kane "Tack" Allen- President of Chaos Motorcycle Club and one bad, tattooed biker!  Dangerous, bossy, and sexy as sin...a real alpha male.








Roarke - just Roarke - Rich, powerful, emotionally damaged, devastatingly handsome with those Irish blue eyes - definite "bad boy"!  I love his "heart"...ultimate hero, for sure!






So...a shifter, 2 vampires, a boxer, a biker, and a rich, gorgeous CEO...that's my Bad Boys for this month.  I will feature some more soon.  Leave me a comment if there's a Bad Boy you think is deserving of a spot on the list...I'll see what I can do!







Saturday, October 12, 2013

Take This Regret Book Review


 Synopsis:

There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian Davison, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth Ayers. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back. Can Elizabeth forgive someone who has committed the unforgiveable? Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?




My Review:

What a beautiful yet painful story to read.  So much anger and hurt held inside for 5 years festering and growing in a woman, Elizabeth, who could not or would not forgive the man who had wronged her so badly.  A foolish young man, Christian, who, in a spur of the moment decision, makes the wrong choice and is forced to live with his regrets and without the woman he loves for 5 years and beyond.  A beautiful little girl, Lizzie, so full of joy and innocence with love to give everyone including the daddy who gave her up.  This is a poignant love story that makes you feel like you're riding on a runaway train with no way to get off.  When it crashes, it almost destroys them all.  Christian has so many regrets and is losing hope of ever being forgiven, as Elizabeth has hardened her heart filled with the fear that he will leave her again.  This is a story of love & loss, betrayals that are unforgivable, regrets that threaten to drown them in their sorrow, trust that is destroyed in such a way that it may never allow love to grow again in her broken heart.  Sometimes when two people are in love, the pain they cause each other is too overwhelming and shattering to get past...to ever allow themselves to trust again.  Take This Regret will stir emotions deep inside you and make you pray for this couple to find their way back to each other...even knowing this will be a near impossible feat. 

The downside for me is that the angst in this story went on for a little too long.  It began to be a little too much for me to accept as Elizabeth withheld her forgiveness from Christian over and over again.  She almost lost all my sympathy as I began to feel like she was punishing him more than anything else.  I gave this book 4 hearts as I enjoyed the alternating POV between H/h, allowing us to hear both character's thoughts and feel their anguish and genuine emotions.  The emotional turmoil is real and beautifully written for both characters.  If the turning point in this story had come sooner, it would have been a 5 star read for me.

Rating:  4 Beautiful ♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra

Quotes:

I knew she could feel me, conscious of watchful eyes.  Being near her stirred me - my love and guilt and desire - emotions that left my heart heavy and my legs weak.
♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥

Echoes of our past surfaced in my mind, our happiest moments, the way only he could make me smile, the way only he could make me feel, our most intimate times.  I wanted to hold onto them, but they fluttered and flickered and gave way to vivid images so strong I could almost taste them - sick, cold, alone - and I remembered why I could never give into this.
♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥

I closed my eyes as he pried my fingers from the page and wrapped them in his hand.  "I don't want to become like him, Elizabeth."  His throat bobbed in unspent emotion.  "I don't want to waste my life.  I don't want to waste this," he stressed as he squeezed my hand.
♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥        ♥

They say cowards run in the face of danger or pain.  I supposed that's what I was, what I'd become, too fearful to love, too fearful to be loved, too afraid to live - so I ran.

          

 


Monday, October 7, 2013

Raphael Book Review


Synopsis:

Malibu, California—home to rock-and-roll gods and movie stars, the beautiful, the rich . . . and vampires. Powerful and charismatic, Raphael is a Vampire Lord, one of the few who hold the power of life and death over every vampire in existence. Thousands call him Master and have pledged absolute loyalty on their very lives. But when, in a brazen and deadly daylight attack, a gang of human killers kidnaps the one female vampire he’d give his life for, Raphael turns to a human investigator to find his enemies before it’s too late. Cynthia Leighton is smart, tough and sexy, a private investigator and former cop who’s tired of spying on cheating spouses and digging out old bank accounts. When Raphael asks for her help in tracking down the kidnappers, Cyn’s happy to accept. But she soon realizes her greatest danger comes not from the humans, but from Raphael himself. Battling Russian mobsters and treacherous vampires, and betrayed by those they trusted, Cyn and Raphael find themselves fighting for their lives while caught up in a passion of blood and violence that is destined to destroy them both. 

My Review:

Raphael is the first in the Vampire In America series, and I must say I am hooked.  I loved the romance/suspense feel to this book and will admit I have already read book 2, Jabril.  This world of both humans and vampires that D.B. Reynolds has created is intriguing to me in that it is very "real".  This isn't your dark, spooky, coming out of graveyards and caskets vampire story.  This is a modern world where vampires and humans exist, both aware of and living together.  Lord Vampire Raphael rules one of eight regions and has the power of life and death over thousands of vampires.  He is a powerful, rich, sexy, mind controlling hero who has a heart of gold and rules with fairness but with absolute power.  He does not expect his orders to be questioned...ever!  But he has met his match in the human bombshell Private Investigator, Cynthia Leighton.  Cyn (Raphael thinks "Sin" as he looks her up and down the first time they meet & his fangs come out!) is a P.I., formerly a police officer, who is a kick*ss, self-sufficient, fearless, smart heroine who trusts very few people and lets even fewer get close.  She works alone and doesn't give a sh*t whether Raphael likes the way she handles things or not.  The two experience an instant, sexual attraction when Raphael hires her to help find a vampire who is kidnapped from him in a major power-play while he is away.  The abductors were human, thus Raphael needs a human who can think like them and get in their world to track them down.  And so the mysterious and intriguing plot thickens and explodes as their journey begins, and they come to realize that their attraction is much stronger and deeper than just sex.  Sooner or later, they will have to come to terms with the emotions that neither one of them knows how to handle.  This was a great read, grabbing me and pulling me into a world that seems very real and yet sub-real at the same time.  The characters are strong and the sexual tension and romance grows as the danger and suspense builds.  Everything was not resolved in the ending of this book so I recommend having book 2, Jabril, ready to read immediately after although it was not a terrible cliffhanger...just enticement to read more!  I loved it!  A must read for lovers of romance/suspense/pnr/uf.


Rating:  4 beautiful ♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth...

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 



Quotes:

"How did you know?" Raphael asked.  He had a warm, rich voice that flowed like sweet honey, a voice she could not only hear with her ears, but taste with her tongue, feel its heat against her lips.  She licked those lips self-consciously and wondered if he was using some sort of magical vampire influence on her.  
♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥
"Yes, I want you.  I want you until I can think of little else," she whispered, not even trying to break away from him.  "You stalk my dreams and haunt even my days when I should be free of you.  Every nerve in my body is tortured with wanting you, wanting to touch you, to fuck you, to have you fill me until I scream with the delicious pain of it and beg for more."
♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥
 Raphael came through the door like a child's nightmare, his eyes glowing an almost solid silver with wrath, his gleaming fangs fully extended, blood painting his mouth a brilliant red, dripping from his chin to shine wetly against the tattered remains of his black shirt.  His huge chest was heaving with the fury of his breath, and his hands curled into claws as his gaze found her and he growled a warning.  "Release her, human."
♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥      ♥
Raphael smiled then, a slow, predatory baring of teeth.  "Asshole?  I don't think anyone has dared use that word to me in a few hundred years, at least not in my hearing."

"Which is probably why you're such a big one sometimes."  Cyn grinned up at him, then sobered.  "Listen, I've got a lot of information for you--"

"Later," he said.  "I want you now."    
   

Friday, October 4, 2013

Spook*Tacular Haunted House & Blog Hop!


I'm stirring up some frightful fun!  Join me at my first Haunted House & Blog Hop! I'm excited to join Nancy Gideon's Haunted Blog Hop during the week of Oct. 23 - 30.  You can also find the fun at our goodreads group - Nancy Gideon By Moonlight.  Join us for a week of fun, games, and giveaways.
Nancy Gideon By Moonlight 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Hot Ticket Book Review


Synopsis:

He needs her to mask his pain…

When Jace walked through the doors of Aggie's dungeon, the last thing he expected was to find self-forgiveness and the love of a remarkable woman. But when a terrible accident sidelines Jace during the band's tour, the burdensome chains of his past wrap ferociously around his heart.

She needs him to forgive himself…

Determined to crack through Jace's armored shell, Aggie must go beyond her usual methods to mend his heart to love again.


My Review:

Sinners On Tour is a series of books about a rock band - 5 sexy guys in a bus on the road having the time of their life...A different city & a different girl/s every night.  While I loved books 1 & 2, Brian & Sed's stories, I fell in love with Jace - bass player extraordinaire in Hot Ticket.

Jace is the newest member of The Sinners, having replaced Jon who was let go from the group for repeatedly abusing drugs.  He is not sure of his place in the band so he keeps his head down, his thoughts & ideas to himself, and tries to go unnoticed - both on stage and off.  He doesn't talk about himself or share his painful past with anyone.  Jace is deeply scarred & emotionally insecure.  He doesn't believe himself worthy of anyone or anything good.  His story is heartbreaking as it is revealed, and the reader begins to learn why the only thing Jace gets off on is pain.  He desires it, seeks it, relishes it, and truly believes he deserves it.  Enter Aggie - on a strip stage in a club snapping her whip in Jace's face while wearing a corset and thigh high boots.  Jace is so turned on that he can't wait to get his hands on her.  Aggie loves giving pain and making men beg on their knees, and she does so frequently but she does not have sex with them.  Little does she know - when she agrees to take Jace on as one of her private customers - that she has met her match and things are getting ready to change.  Jace turns her on like she's never been before.  Aggie steps up to the plate and accepts the challenge.  We'll see who's begging now!  As their discovery of each other begins, a bad accident makes Jace question everything as he believes his world is crashing down.  Can Aggie make him see what's staring him in the face everyday?

Olivia Cunning has a way of drawing readers in and making them care about each one of these sexy bad guys.  I loved the banter between band members as it revealed how much they really care about each other and had each other's back.  Each of the band members is flawed in some way and acts out in an effort to hide their personal pain but you can't help falling in love with them.  There is a lot of action and sex in these books but - make no mistake about it - this is a love story, as is each of the Sinners On Tour books.  Jace's story is particularly harsh as he seeks redemption from what he perceives as his guilt and sins.  He's a very lost soul in desperate need of love and security.  I am a bit haunted by Jace's story and could not put this book down until I finished it.  A Must Read!  Loved it!


Rating:  4 Beautiful ♥♥♥♥'s...And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart...xxx

Sandra 

 

Monday, September 2, 2013

September's Featured Author

Author's Showcase with Nancy Gideon


Welcome to the September Author Showcase at Cross My Heart Writings and Reviews.   I feel very fortunate today to be chatting with author Nancy Gideon as well as Max Savoie and Charlotte Caissie of By Moonlight fame.  Nancy's By Moonlight and Midnight series are both a personal favorite of mine, and I highly recommend them to fans of paranormal romance.  Be sure to see the posts below for my reviews of Chased by Moonlight & Midnight Kiss.   Enter our giveaway for a Signed & Personalized copy of Chased By Moonlight at the end of this interview!  Let's jump right in and get the answers to some questions that we've all been dying to ask.


What inspired you to write books? What led you to write PNR?

I’ve always been a storyteller. I knew I wanted to be a writer the first time I saw my name in print in our elementary school 
newspaper under a fractured fairytale I wrote in 5th grade. I loved second-guessing books and TV shows by asking “What if?” and that curiosity got me re-writing plots in my own way because I always liked the bad boy instead of the nice guy hero because I thought he was more interesting. Rushing home from school to watch “Dark Shadows” got me hooked on PNR. Nothing says “What if?” like making the unbelievable seem possible.

Why did you choose to use a pen name on some of your earlier books?

There was no choice involved. In the ‘80s when I started out, publishers wanted to contractually own your writing name so you couldn’t take it elsewhere. Since they couldn’t ‘own’ the right to your legal name, they required pen names. You had to take a new one if you moved to a different publisher or wrote for a different genre. So I ended up with three writing names in addition to my own.

When you begin a new novel, do you start with an idea for characters, plot, or setting?

It depends on what sparks the idea. Sometimes the book grows organically from a particular setting. Sometimes it’s a character conflict. Then it’s a matter of tumbling all the elements around until they gel together. I have more book ideas than I’ll ever have hours to write them.

How important are character names & how do you choose them? What strategies do you utilize to make your characters authentic and bring them to life?

I can’t start a book without the right character names. It’s an agonizing process, because a name reflects on who that character is and ultimately becomes. I’ll look at ethnic background, meaning, and how it sounds – hard, soft, whimpy, cruel. I don’t care for names that are trendy or unpronounceable. That name is the first step to creating a ‘real’ fictional character. Giving them goals, flaws, dreams, baggage and quirks are what gives them dimension. I try never to write the same character twice.

Do you have a writing routine or ritual?

Working around babies, deadlines and later, a full time job, makes this ADD/OCD girl very routine oriented. I work around the path of least resistance to find the best slots of time to get in the work I need to do. Early morning, right after coffee, is when I’m at my prime, so I’ll get up at 5:00 am and put in several hours before I have to leave for the day job. My goal is a full chapter during the weekdays and two chapters on the weekend. That’s been a pretty comfortable pace. But I have been known to write with video games blasting in the other room and on receipts at while waiting in line.

When you curl up with a good book, who is the author most likely to be?

I love to read and will read anything but my go to authors are Dean Koontz, J.D. Robb, Justin Cronin, Suzanne Brown, Lisa Gardner and Kresley Cole. I’m really digging Cassandra Clare books, too.

Tell us 3 things you take with you wherever you go.

Umbrella, Motrin, tape measure. When I travel, add in my laptop.

What are you most proud of in your life?

My sons. And my ankles. I have great ankles.

Let's talk about the By Moonlight series...

When can fans expect to get more of Max & Cee Cee's story? Will there be another By Moonlight book? What does the future hold for this couple?

Though the hero and heroine from the first four Moonlight books in my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shape-shifter series appear prominently in the four Shadows books featuring new H/Hs that follow, readers have repeatedly begged for more Max and Cee Cee. Okay, I cave under pressure! I’m currently writing Remembered by Moonlight which is a return to Max and Cee Cee in the spotlight. At the present, this book isn’t contracted so I’ll have to keep you posted on when and where it’ll be available. The future for them, of course, is a Happily-Ever-After. But the road to every HEA is paved with adventure!

What/Who was your inspiration for these books and the characters of Max & Cee Cee? What made you decide that their story needed to be told?

I LOVE kick @ss characters that you care about who continue on from story to story. While this is typical in Urban Fantasy and Suspense, not so much in romance which prefers a new couple for each story. That was my intention when I started Masked by Moonlight at the request of a series contemporary editor. But you know what they say about the best intentions . . . There was no deciding on my part. The minute Cee Cee and Max met on the porch of a mobster’s New Orleans plantation fortress, it was all over. They wouldn’t stop pushing until I was hip deep in book four! And then there was STILL more to story to tell. My original inspiration for them was Dwight and Gayle from the movie Sin City.

Why did you choose New Orleans as the setting for this series?

Where else? It’s one of my favorite cities to visit. The atmosphere becomes its own character!

Are you planning more of the Shadows books? Who else might get their story told?

I’d love to do more, and have a host of plots spinning. Picking which characters get the next story is the hard part. Let me see . . . Philo, Alain, Mary Kate, any one of those hot Terriot princes . . .

Questions for Max & Cee Cee:

Heya Max,

Why did you fall in love with a New Orleans police detective who could put you away for life? Why Cee Cee? What is it about her that you can't live without? What would make you give her up?

Oh sha, you can’t control such things. The first time I saw Charlotte with her eyes flashing fire and teeth gritted against odds she couldn’t best I knew in the soul of me that she was the one. She had the courage to accept what I was and strength to defy those who would keep us apart. Alone, we’re lost and broken. Together we make a powerful whole. I’d a soon lose a piece of me than let her go.

Why do you wear red converse sneakers paired with an Armani suit? Why do you think Nancy chose them for you?

My author watches too many movies. (see answer to #2 above). The red shoes are symbolic of something from my past, something I didn’t remember until she made me remember. Having to hide so much of what I am, it’s one way to remind myself of what makes me different . . . and stronger. A survivor.

What song best defines Charlotte as you see her?

Feels Like Rain” by John Hiatt. Take a listen and you’ll know why. 


 Hi Charlotte,
  Why did you - a police detective - fall in love with the most feared man/mobster/shifter in New Orleans? Why Max? What is it about him that you can't live without? What could make you give him up?

Not by choice! And if I was looking for a relationship, it wouldn’t have been with someone on the wrong side of everything I believe in. There’s just something about Max . . . I didn’t know what it was at first, just that I couldn’t seem to resist him and it pissed me off royal! I guess you could say I fell in love with him because he’s NOT a man. I’d never leave him. Not even death could keep me away.

Why do you dress suggestively – like a hooker? You're a detective fighting crime on the streets of New Orleans. Why does Nancy encourage this style of dress for you?

It wasn’t her idea. No one tells me how to dress. I don’t do it to suggest anything, and anyone who gets that idea is discouraged right quick, and often with a right hook. The leather, the heels, the makeup – it’s not about sex, it’s about strength and aggressive power. In the parts of N’Awlins I work, you can’t look soft or feminine and get the job done. Think of it as my super hero costume - with a badge.

What song best defines Max as you see him?

Norah Jones’s “Turn Me On” and not just because I enjoy dancing to it in his arms. It had me at “My poor heart, it’s been so dark . . .”

(This youtube video has since been blocked...you can hear a preview of this song at the link below.)

Nancy Gideon is the author of over 54 novels ranging from historical and contemporary suspense to dark paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays thrown into the mix. When not at the keyboard or working full time as a legal assistant, she can be found feeding her addictions for Netflix and all things fur, feather and fin, enjoying Grammy time (usually watching The Avengers) and meeting new friends and readers through her GoodReads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group.


Visit Nancy at any of the following places!



Thank you, Nancy, Max, & Charlotte, for visiting with us today and answering questions.  We are anxiously awaiting Remembered by Moonlight!  Please make it soon!!


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