edited by Trisha Telep
Ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. Twenty-four, never before published, short stories of paranormal romance.
Normally, especially in an anthology of this size, there’d be a few stories that stand out and a few that really . . . don’t. That wasn’t the case with this book. Twenty-four stories and not a bad one in the bunch. Pick a favorite? Not possible!
Two things surprised me about this book. First, that I enjoyed it so much despite being familiar with the work of only a paltry four authors. And second, that I didn’t see the same theme repeated over and over. A lot of books claiming to be paranormal seem to think paranormal is limited to vampires and werewolves. Not so with this book. Yes, there was a couple of werewolf stories and a vampire or two, but they were presented in unique ways and as a whole, this book contained an amazing array of paranormal themes.
Go out and buy a copy right now. You won’t be sorry!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Silver Lining
No, it's not the name of a book. Although maybe I should write that down somewhere . . .
Last week my lap top got a virus and although I do have a desktop computer, it's been sadly neglected the last couple of years and you really have to want to compute bad to get any satisfaction out of using it.
So I found myself with time on my hands, especially in the evening. And so to fill in the time I, you guessed it, started reading more.
First I finished The Cat Who Came In From the Cold, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. It's listed as a fable, but that doesn't mean it's a mere children's book. It's the story of Billi, an Asian leopard cat, and the internal struggle he goes through as he faces the decision of whether or not to become the first cat to live with humans. Billi travels the countryside in ancient India, talking with other animals who already have been living with humans. This book really makes you stop and think about the way we treat animals, both domestic and otherwise.
Next I read The Mammoth Book of Women's Erotic Fantasies, edited by Sonia Florens. This is a collection of erotic fantasies of real women from all over the world. To be totally honest, after a while I found it to be a bit of a bore. Lots of lesbian fantasies, domination fantasies, and exhibitionist fantasies. After a while they all started sounding the same. I guess that's the problem with fantasies, all fluff and no substance.
After this I needed something with a little more story to it, so I started reading some of the Harlequin's I picked up at the book sale.
First was Navajo Justice by Aimee Thurlo, part of the Sign of the Gray Wolf series in the Harlequin Intrigue line. A hot Navajo operative is given an undercover assignment to protect a romance writer (we should all be so lucky) from a danger she doesn't even realize she's in. I loved the way the characters had to keep reminding themselves that it would be a bad idea for them to get together and I really loved the dog. I think there's more to that dog than meets the eye and I'd like to read more in this series.
Next was from the Temptation line, the Sheriff of Devil's Fork, by Regan Forest. I loved this book. Dana French has a life in Dallas but goes to Devil's Fork to check out the house her Great Aunt Maude left to her when she died. Unfortunately, Maude also left her a hefty tax bill which the sheriff presents her with when she arrives. As if that weren't bad enough, she has six ghosts who are depending on her to keep the house intact, a crooked mayor who wants to tear the house down, and a sizzling attraction to the taciturn sheriff. A really good read!
I'm also about halfway through the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, but that will be a post for another day. ;-)
Last week my lap top got a virus and although I do have a desktop computer, it's been sadly neglected the last couple of years and you really have to want to compute bad to get any satisfaction out of using it.
So I found myself with time on my hands, especially in the evening. And so to fill in the time I, you guessed it, started reading more.
First I finished The Cat Who Came In From the Cold, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. It's listed as a fable, but that doesn't mean it's a mere children's book. It's the story of Billi, an Asian leopard cat, and the internal struggle he goes through as he faces the decision of whether or not to become the first cat to live with humans. Billi travels the countryside in ancient India, talking with other animals who already have been living with humans. This book really makes you stop and think about the way we treat animals, both domestic and otherwise.
Next I read The Mammoth Book of Women's Erotic Fantasies, edited by Sonia Florens. This is a collection of erotic fantasies of real women from all over the world. To be totally honest, after a while I found it to be a bit of a bore. Lots of lesbian fantasies, domination fantasies, and exhibitionist fantasies. After a while they all started sounding the same. I guess that's the problem with fantasies, all fluff and no substance.
After this I needed something with a little more story to it, so I started reading some of the Harlequin's I picked up at the book sale.
First was Navajo Justice by Aimee Thurlo, part of the Sign of the Gray Wolf series in the Harlequin Intrigue line. A hot Navajo operative is given an undercover assignment to protect a romance writer (we should all be so lucky) from a danger she doesn't even realize she's in. I loved the way the characters had to keep reminding themselves that it would be a bad idea for them to get together and I really loved the dog. I think there's more to that dog than meets the eye and I'd like to read more in this series.
Next was from the Temptation line, the Sheriff of Devil's Fork, by Regan Forest. I loved this book. Dana French has a life in Dallas but goes to Devil's Fork to check out the house her Great Aunt Maude left to her when she died. Unfortunately, Maude also left her a hefty tax bill which the sheriff presents her with when she arrives. As if that weren't bad enough, she has six ghosts who are depending on her to keep the house intact, a crooked mayor who wants to tear the house down, and a sizzling attraction to the taciturn sheriff. A really good read!
I'm also about halfway through the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, but that will be a post for another day. ;-)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Bled Dry
by Erin McCarthy
It became apparent, early on, that the two main characters in this book were minor characters in a previous book, but this did nothing to detract from the overall story. As far as I'm concerned, this is the way a series should be done, the books are connected, but each can stand on its own.
Brittany Baldizzi has a one night stand with a vampire, and weeks later discovers she's pregnant. What follows is her confronting the father and how they work things out despite opposition from her sister (who's a vampire), a kidnapping, and an election for the vampire president.
This is yet another take on vampires (which I always love discovering). These vampires can procreate (obviously), can become addicted to drugs just like humans, and yet still have no reflection as a lot of the current vampires do. Corbin (the vampire who got Brittany pregnant) is a scientist who's searching for a cure for vampirism. Brittany, the daughter of a stripper and a vampire, is a dentist.
I loved the way Brittany is so honest and forthwright, and how Corbin wants to do the right thing but has no clue how to go about it. I will definitely be on the look out for the other books by Erin McCarthy.
It became apparent, early on, that the two main characters in this book were minor characters in a previous book, but this did nothing to detract from the overall story. As far as I'm concerned, this is the way a series should be done, the books are connected, but each can stand on its own.
Brittany Baldizzi has a one night stand with a vampire, and weeks later discovers she's pregnant. What follows is her confronting the father and how they work things out despite opposition from her sister (who's a vampire), a kidnapping, and an election for the vampire president.
This is yet another take on vampires (which I always love discovering). These vampires can procreate (obviously), can become addicted to drugs just like humans, and yet still have no reflection as a lot of the current vampires do. Corbin (the vampire who got Brittany pregnant) is a scientist who's searching for a cure for vampirism. Brittany, the daughter of a stripper and a vampire, is a dentist.
I loved the way Brittany is so honest and forthwright, and how Corbin wants to do the right thing but has no clue how to go about it. I will definitely be on the look out for the other books by Erin McCarthy.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April
Wow. Bless me readers for I have sinned. It's been many weeks since I finished my last book . . .
I'd like to say I haven't been reading much lately because I've been writing crap loads, but that isn't the case either. I don't know what was going on, I just wasn't in the mood to read or write, just in a mood to brood.
However, that was then, this is now. I signed up for a poetry challenge that has given my writing a much needed boost and I've rekindled my desire to read, read, read!
First on my list was Lucky, by Alice Sebold. My daughter despairs of my love of paranormal romance and erotica, and every once in awhile she'll slip me a "normal" book to read. Considering the subject matter of Lucky, it's the memoir of the author's college years where she was raped and how she survived the trauma, I don't know if I can safely say I enjoyed the book. It's certainly powerful, and I found I preferred to be alone, with no distractions, while I was reading it.
Chapters had a whole bunch of trade paperbacks for $4.99 each or 4 for $10.00. Far be it for me to pass up a bargain so I bought about eight of them. So far I've read two.
Roommates, by Whitney Lyles is a contemporary novel of a writer named Elise who relocates from Arizona to California. Life throws her a few curves, but she manages to come out on top, in spite of a series of less than perfect roommates.
If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince by Melissa Kantor is probably meant for the young adult market, but I really enjoyed it. Lucy is a teenager whose father has just remarried and they've relocated from the West Coast to Long Island. The story follows her trials and tribulations as she adjusts to her new family and her new life.
Today I "just happened" to be near a Chapters where I found the next two volumes in the Mona Lisa series by Sunny, a couple of paranormal anthologies, the newest Lynsay Sands Argeneau Vampire book, and the latest in the Michelle Bardsley Broken Heart series.
Good thing I'm back in a reading mood, the books have been piling up fast!
I'd like to say I haven't been reading much lately because I've been writing crap loads, but that isn't the case either. I don't know what was going on, I just wasn't in the mood to read or write, just in a mood to brood.
However, that was then, this is now. I signed up for a poetry challenge that has given my writing a much needed boost and I've rekindled my desire to read, read, read!
First on my list was Lucky, by Alice Sebold. My daughter despairs of my love of paranormal romance and erotica, and every once in awhile she'll slip me a "normal" book to read. Considering the subject matter of Lucky, it's the memoir of the author's college years where she was raped and how she survived the trauma, I don't know if I can safely say I enjoyed the book. It's certainly powerful, and I found I preferred to be alone, with no distractions, while I was reading it.
Chapters had a whole bunch of trade paperbacks for $4.99 each or 4 for $10.00. Far be it for me to pass up a bargain so I bought about eight of them. So far I've read two.
Roommates, by Whitney Lyles is a contemporary novel of a writer named Elise who relocates from Arizona to California. Life throws her a few curves, but she manages to come out on top, in spite of a series of less than perfect roommates.
If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince by Melissa Kantor is probably meant for the young adult market, but I really enjoyed it. Lucy is a teenager whose father has just remarried and they've relocated from the West Coast to Long Island. The story follows her trials and tribulations as she adjusts to her new family and her new life.
Today I "just happened" to be near a Chapters where I found the next two volumes in the Mona Lisa series by Sunny, a couple of paranormal anthologies, the newest Lynsay Sands Argeneau Vampire book, and the latest in the Michelle Bardsley Broken Heart series.
Good thing I'm back in a reading mood, the books have been piling up fast!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Feast or Famine
As you may have noticed on my other blogs, I haven’t been writing much lately, but I have been reading. I’ve been reading crap loads!
Nevermore by Maureen Child. To be honest, I couldn’t remember reading this book, I only know I did because it was on my current reading list on the other blog. It was a Silhouette Nocturne and I had to look it up on the internet to jog my memory. To be fair to the book, I probably read it before Christmas and I’ve read a lot of books since then. However, even after reading the blurb I still only vaguely remember it, which speaks volumes on the impression it made on me.
The Silhouette Nocturnes seem to be feast or famine with me. I’ll buy several in a row and then nothing for a couple of months. December was a “feast” month. I also read Winter Kissed, which is a two in one - A Kiss of Frost by Michele Hauf, and Ice Bound by Vivi Anna. Both excellent stories, although I wasn’t entirely happy with the way A Kiss of Frost ended. I also read Enemy Lover by Bonnie Vanak and Alpha Wolf by Linda O. Johnston. These were both werewolf romances, both very different, and both very enjoyable.
I also read a bunch of Blaze, holiday themed romances but I couldn’t tell you what they were because I’ve already passed them on to a friend. I like the occasional Blaze because they live up to their name. They’re quick and hot.
I also read a great anthology: Dead After Dark. This anthology is a must have for anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. I would buy it for the J.R. Ward story alone. I’m not even going to tell you about this book. Go out and buy it and read for yourself. It was that good.
Next I started the Mona Lisa series by Sunny. I’ve come across a couple of short stories from the series in different anthologies, and they were enough to make me search out the novels. So far I’ve only been able to find two of the three Monere novels, but it was worth the search. I haven’t been so lucky with the third one, but hopefully I can order it from the local bookstore.
For Christmas, the cats gave me a big, fat anthology, The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance. Twenty-five vampire stories, all in one big volume. What’s not to like? As with most anthologies, some stories were better than others, but it is still a volume worth having for any vampire lover.
Every once in awhile my BFF drops off a bag 'o books for me - ones that she and other various members in her family have read (it's to my benefit they're not book pack rats like me). I read them and either pass them on or put them on my keeper shelf. One book that made my keeper shelf was Soul of a Highlander, by Melissa Mayhue. I love discovering new authors for my keeper pile! This was the second book by this author and I'm going to have to remember to look for the first one. Highlanders and time travel - two of my favorite subjects. And throw in a drop or two of fae blood and we've got a definite winner!
The last, but certainly not least, of my recently read books is Zen and the Art of Vampires, by Katie MacAlister. I have to admit, although I loved the book (as I do all her books) I was disappointed in the ending. She might as well added "to be continued". It was disappointing because this is the first time she's done this in one of her "Dark Ones" novels. She pulled this in her dragon books, which is why I'm not a big fan of the Aisling Grey or Silver Dragon books.
Okay, back to more reading. Or writing. Or maybe a bit of both.
Nevermore by Maureen Child. To be honest, I couldn’t remember reading this book, I only know I did because it was on my current reading list on the other blog. It was a Silhouette Nocturne and I had to look it up on the internet to jog my memory. To be fair to the book, I probably read it before Christmas and I’ve read a lot of books since then. However, even after reading the blurb I still only vaguely remember it, which speaks volumes on the impression it made on me.
The Silhouette Nocturnes seem to be feast or famine with me. I’ll buy several in a row and then nothing for a couple of months. December was a “feast” month. I also read Winter Kissed, which is a two in one - A Kiss of Frost by Michele Hauf, and Ice Bound by Vivi Anna. Both excellent stories, although I wasn’t entirely happy with the way A Kiss of Frost ended. I also read Enemy Lover by Bonnie Vanak and Alpha Wolf by Linda O. Johnston. These were both werewolf romances, both very different, and both very enjoyable.
I also read a bunch of Blaze, holiday themed romances but I couldn’t tell you what they were because I’ve already passed them on to a friend. I like the occasional Blaze because they live up to their name. They’re quick and hot.
I also read a great anthology: Dead After Dark. This anthology is a must have for anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. I would buy it for the J.R. Ward story alone. I’m not even going to tell you about this book. Go out and buy it and read for yourself. It was that good.
Next I started the Mona Lisa series by Sunny. I’ve come across a couple of short stories from the series in different anthologies, and they were enough to make me search out the novels. So far I’ve only been able to find two of the three Monere novels, but it was worth the search. I haven’t been so lucky with the third one, but hopefully I can order it from the local bookstore.
For Christmas, the cats gave me a big, fat anthology, The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance. Twenty-five vampire stories, all in one big volume. What’s not to like? As with most anthologies, some stories were better than others, but it is still a volume worth having for any vampire lover.
Every once in awhile my BFF drops off a bag 'o books for me - ones that she and other various members in her family have read (it's to my benefit they're not book pack rats like me). I read them and either pass them on or put them on my keeper shelf. One book that made my keeper shelf was Soul of a Highlander, by Melissa Mayhue. I love discovering new authors for my keeper pile! This was the second book by this author and I'm going to have to remember to look for the first one. Highlanders and time travel - two of my favorite subjects. And throw in a drop or two of fae blood and we've got a definite winner!
The last, but certainly not least, of my recently read books is Zen and the Art of Vampires, by Katie MacAlister. I have to admit, although I loved the book (as I do all her books) I was disappointed in the ending. She might as well added "to be continued". It was disappointing because this is the first time she's done this in one of her "Dark Ones" novels. She pulled this in her dragon books, which is why I'm not a big fan of the Aisling Grey or Silver Dragon books.
Okay, back to more reading. Or writing. Or maybe a bit of both.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Now That Nano's Done
As soon as I reached the 50K for Nano I cracked open Brenda Jackson’s Irresistible Forces and read it from start to finish. The premise is that a woman wants to start a family, but without benefit of a sperm bank or a husband. She propositions a like-minded man and they spend a passion-filled week on a tropical island with procreation in mind. Everyone once in awhile I like a mainstream romance and this one was surprisingly hot, if not a little predictable.
Oh, looks like I forgot to mention how I ended up with Irresistible Forces in the first place. Way back in October I was on Gennita Low’s blog and she posted a picture that she invited people to put a caption to. She picked my caption as the winner and as the prize I got to pick a free book. I naturally picked one of hers I didn’t have yet, and when she sent it she included the Brenda Jackson one too. As soon as I read the blurb on the back I wanted to read it, but I forced myself to wait until Nano was done.
Next I read Kerrelyn Sparks’ novel All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire. Although Sparks isn’t new, I hadn’t got around to reading her vampire novels yet. This one was so good I’m going to be forced to go out and get the rest of the series. A Scottish Vampire, doesn’t get much more nummy than that! I say series, but they’re not a series as in you have to read them in order to figure out what’s going on. This one worked well as a stand alone novel, but I still want to go out and get the rest of them.
Okay, just to reward anyone who happens to stumble across this blog, here’s some free reading for you:
Samhain Publishing is offering a free story every day this month. You can find them HERE
Also, Mari Carr is offering a free story HERE . I really enjoyed this story, especially the way she didn’t drag out the ended the way most authors do when using this particular scenario.
Although Nano's finished, the novel I'm working on isn't, so I'm trying to keep the reading to a minimum. Note the word trying.
Oh, looks like I forgot to mention how I ended up with Irresistible Forces in the first place. Way back in October I was on Gennita Low’s blog and she posted a picture that she invited people to put a caption to. She picked my caption as the winner and as the prize I got to pick a free book. I naturally picked one of hers I didn’t have yet, and when she sent it she included the Brenda Jackson one too. As soon as I read the blurb on the back I wanted to read it, but I forced myself to wait until Nano was done.
Next I read Kerrelyn Sparks’ novel All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire. Although Sparks isn’t new, I hadn’t got around to reading her vampire novels yet. This one was so good I’m going to be forced to go out and get the rest of the series. A Scottish Vampire, doesn’t get much more nummy than that! I say series, but they’re not a series as in you have to read them in order to figure out what’s going on. This one worked well as a stand alone novel, but I still want to go out and get the rest of them.
Okay, just to reward anyone who happens to stumble across this blog, here’s some free reading for you:
Samhain Publishing is offering a free story every day this month. You can find them HERE
Also, Mari Carr is offering a free story HERE . I really enjoyed this story, especially the way she didn’t drag out the ended the way most authors do when using this particular scenario.
Although Nano's finished, the novel I'm working on isn't, so I'm trying to keep the reading to a minimum. Note the word trying.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hiatus
Yeah, I know it's been a while. And it'll be a while yet.
Who's got time to read when they're doing Nano??
See y'all in December.
Who's got time to read when they're doing Nano??
See y'all in December.
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