Author Spotlight: Uprising, The Rose Warriors by Craig Kimber

Available from Amazon, Leap of Faith Publishing

Blurb:

In a small village over the mountains surrounding Kyoto, the villagers prepare for an annual tradition. All seems to go well until the village is stormed and all the inhabitants are taken prisoner, except one. Simple village girl, Osei, finds herself alone in the misty mountains on her way to the city. A run in with a near death experience brings her to Kilik, an extremely powerful samurai who vows to keep her safe. Their ventures pull them both into a war beyond imagination, and Osei finds herself gradually transforming into something that she grew up to fear...a samurai.

Excerpt:

“This is not going to end well,” Kota whispered to me. He placed his hand by his side and clutched onto the handle of something. “When I say so, I want you to run for the mountains. I will follow later when the situation has been handled.”

          

“You test my patience, Zhuge,” the samurai barked, drawing his sword and pointing it at Zhuge’s throat. “When I count to five, my men will burn this village to ashes.”

         

“You don’t frighten me, Oyodo,” Grand Master Zhuge hissed. “You are a coward hiding behind his pawns.”

          

“So you wish to bring destruction to your home...fine...” the man sighed. “One...two...”

          

“Run now, Osei!” Kota commanded, advancing toward the man, drawing a small blade.

          

“Three...four...!” the man continued. Just before he reached the final number, Kota hurled the knife towards him, impaling his shoulder. The silence was no more as the crowd began to panic and the ninjas began to advance toward Kota. Several villagers grabbed what weapons they could to defend him, but they were no match for the agile ninjas.

About Craig Kimber:

Start of Career: I started writing as a hobby at the beginning of February 2011, and my love for samurai stories led me to begin writing "The Rose Warriors: Uprising." Originally named "The Five Rose Warriors," its main influence was the video game, "Way of the Samurai." When playing the game I found that a single samurai building a faction to take down a vast empire was simply exhilarating, so I decided that I need to make that my aim. The story started as a simple village girl learning to be a samurai, but the idea just wasn't special enough. I asked myself "What will make this book different to every other book I have read?" So I did some research and I found that there were hardly any stories written about the historic fall of the samurai, which the movie "The Last Samurai (Tom Cruise)" is revolved around.

After the first four chapters I let my friend read it, and I was told it was the best story he had ever read. I passed it around to get some further opinions, and I was asked every time "What happens next?" with the upmost enthusiasm. I thought up some ideas for how to make the story different to every other samurai rebellion story, so I called upon another genre passion, fantasy. I took the end of the samurai era, and transformed it into a war filled with magic and supernatural beings.

I spent every single night coming up with ideas of how to make it better and all I could think about while living life was the story, and it was from that moment I discovered my calling was to make a living of my newfound passion. More ideas for stories started to fill my head and began to make plans for future novels, including the sequel to "Uprising," "Revival."

Review: Capturing His Heart by Frey Ortega

Title: Capturing His Heart
Series: Caer Tarw 1
Author: Frey Ortega
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Genre: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/M, shape-shifters, HEA
Release Date: August 2011
Rating: 3 Eagle Feathers

Blurb:

Welcome to Caer Tarw in beautiful, scenic Ireland, home of beautiful flora and endemic fauna, as well as…Minotaurs?

Rabbit shifter Hayden Somerset wastes away at home, having nothing to do and having no sense of progress in his life. One day, he is given an invitation he can’t refuse: an all-expenses paid trip to Ireland for three weeks, sponsored by the Supernatural Council.

As soon as he gets to Caer Tarw, the stage is set: mating season is close by, and the purpose they were all invited for was to help the Minotaurs find their mates. Hayden is among the lucky ones, finding Minotaurs Brian Connelly and Ronan Breckenridge, who are lovers, and are Hayden’s mates.

But not all is well in their tiny slice of paradise. Hayden is clueless about Minotaurs and knows nothing about them. Ronan and Brian are clueless about how to bring their rabbit into their world. How exactly will they capture their rabbit’s heart?

Review:

Hayden Sommerset is a rabbit shifter who comes from a large family. He feels that his life is at a standstill. He still lives at home with his large family and at this point he would do anything to get a little excitement and action, so when an invitation comes inviting him to an all-expenses paid trip to Ireland, he jumps on it.

Brian Connelly and Ronan Breckenridge are minotaurs and mates. They love each other, but they know they need a third to round out their relationship. Both are dominant males and this can make it more difficult to meet each other's needs. They hope they'll find their third mate among the other shifters who have been invited to their home Caer Tarw. 

All Hayden wants is to get away from his huge family and maybe find his mate on this vacation. Imagine his surprise when he gets not one mate but two. The sex is so hot between the three that it's enough to singe eyebrows. While Hayden is happy to have found mates, the two big bulls are just that big and bulls and when a fight breaks out between the two over a misunderstanding, Hayden fed up with this and the fact they kept one very important fact from him walks off to clear his head. Will Hayden leave his two mates taking his greatest gift with him, or will the three be able to work it out. 

I enjoyed the world building in this story very much. I also liked the characters. While I'm not sure exactly what it was for me that didn't allow me to give it a higher rating than three eagle feathers, let me see if I can articulate it. While there was some conflict in this story, I think in this case it needed more. I just had a hard time feeling the character's emotions. I think if the story had had more action, and even more ups and downs and maybe a little less insta-love and insta-sex or at least where the story had these but was more fleshed out with more emotions and action, I would have enjoyed it more. I realize that may not be entirely clear but this story just didn't capture my attention the way it had the potential to. Despite this I will try this author again in the future because I know that not every reader is going to enjoy every story, and it's entirely possible I will enjoy this author's other books. 

Spotlight: The Princess by Laura Tolomei

Bio:

Globetrotter author from Italy, Laura Tolomei has traveled the world from age five, and she hasn’t stopped since. After having read countless numbers of books, she decides, at age forty, to write her own stories for a change, instead of always having to read them from others. Now an acclaimed author with original borderline stories at the edge of accepted conventions, Laura Tolomei guarantees an erotic earthquake with each new novel.

Q. Does your family support your writing? Do they know….it’s spicy?

Laura: My family, my husband in particular, totally support me, and yes, they know it’s a hell of a lot more than spicy…mine is downright erotic. Fact is–I’m a very open person and don’t feel the need to hide anything about what I do or how I live. As a result, my family’s very supportive. My mate in particular bears the full weight of it since he’s my main reference for all my stories. Writing mostly MM, I ask him about how to make my characters more credible, also in their sex scenes. LOL I must admit, we have a lot of fun out of it. In addition, he helps me with plot and even reads the completed stories. We even found a new way to work together when I wrote Bloody Passion in first person. Since the speaker is a Druid, I wanted it to be credible so I asked him to review each chapter as I wrote it and his comments/suggestions were priceless. Ain’t he great?

Q. What describes the “heat” level in your writing?

Laura: My extremely HOT HOT HOT sex MM and MMF sex scenes! That’s why many of my books have five flames heat levels, like Divinitas, The Game and The Festival from my Virtus Saga. Most of my other books have a rating of four as heat levels, which is still scorching, particularly when it comes to my Soulmate and ReScue series.

Available from Extasy Books!
Blurb:
Alone. The future of his world on his shoulders, Prince Duncan Caldwell has to connect the dots. To pick up the pieces of broken love. Before the new edition of the Game. Before the terrible loss awaiting him at Black Rose. But not alone. Not without his angel. Certainly not without his princess. For only her power will save him.
Excerpt:
“Robin and I both had phases, but they were nothing like theirs…” Jeff frowned as though deep in memory. “No one could come between them, and you can ask Carl Strepton for confirmation.”
Yeah, good old Carl. No, she had not forgotten him, either.
“Carl tried separating them without success. They were as thick and tight as if they were one and understood each other even without words, like they had their own language or something. I’ve never seen anything like it, but it didn’t feel right then or much less now. Today that one is the leader and the other is pledged to you.”
No, Jeff just could not get it.
“And the leader reaffirming their love in such a public and dramatic way then nominating him as co-leader no less…makes me wonder where you fit in all this.”

Author Spotlight: Tempest of Vengeance by Tara Fox Hall

Blurb:

A chain of tragic events cumulating in the shattering of the magical "dream bond" between Theo and Sar turns

the lovers against one another, as Ulysses attacks from all fronts, hoping to destroy Devlin for good. The return of Lash reignites the fire between he and Sar, even as he saves her daughter Elle from certain death. Finally joined under Oath, Lash, Devlin, and Sar face the storm of Ulysses's wrath, knowing it will take their combined strength and courage to save all they love from his tempest of vengeance.

Excerpt:

My heart seemed to stop, and everything from that point went in slow motion.

I grabbed Devon up in my arms, feeling how cold and stiff my son’s body was.

“No! Please God! No!”

My next scream deafened me, as I went to my knees, holding the lifeless body of my son. I kept screaming, stopping only to take great draughts of air to give sound to my pain.

“Sar! Sar, what the—?” I felt Theo’s hands on me, holding us. As he roared out his rage and agony, I fainted.

When I awoke, I was lying in Danial’s bed with Theo. Instantly Devon’s death hit me like a ton of bricks. I began screaming again hysterically, and crying. Theo held me, and we cried together for a long time, not saying anything to each other. What was there to say? Our baby was dead. And everything I’d hoped for him to become, and experience, would never happen.

Buy Links:

Tempest of Vengeance

Bio:

Tara Fox Hall is an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New

York. She received her bachelor's degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. Her writing credits include over twenty short stories published in the nature magazines Catnip Blossoms, Meanwhile, and On The River. Her short horror stories have appeared in Deadman's Tome, Flashes in the Dark, Halloween Alliance, and Ghastly Door. She also coauthored the essay "The Allure of the Serial Killer," published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). She divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals of all species, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.

Tara’s Other Links:

Website

Email: tarafoxhall@gmail.com

Tara's Blog 

Tara's Facebook Page

Twitter

Review: A Solid Core of Alpha by Amy Lane

Title: A Solid Core of Alpha
Author: Amy Lane
Publisher: Dreamspinner Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction/Erotic Romance
Release Date: August 2011
Rating: Dream Catcher Recommended Read

Anderson Rawn would not even be alive if it were not for a heroic act by his oldest sister who put him aboard a shuttle and remote control started it so he would survive their mining

colony's destruction. But it's tough being all alone and only twelve years old, so in an effort to stay sane, Anderson spends two years learning holographic technology and several years after that creating holographic friends that he can interact with. By the time he reaches civilization he is twenty-two years old. 

C.J. Poulson lives and works on a space station called the Hermes-Eight as a junior engineer. C.J. is planet side on a month's vacation when he gets the call about the shuttle, Anderson and Anderson's revolutionary new holographic technology. He is more than a little intrigued. 

When Anderson finally disembarks from the shuttle, he is nervous about interacting with anyone other than his holographic family. Still he leaves the shuttle once they dock and for the first time in ten years talks to "real" people. It quickly becomes apparent to Cassidy one of the leaders on the station, and C.J's sister that there are some very serious things going on with Anderson, not the least of which is that he has been horribly physically abused by someone. Despite this, Anderson gives the appearance of handling his new surroundings fairly well. Cassidy assigns him to stay with C.J. which would be fine with him except he finds himself very attracted and very drawn to the Anderson. When it becomes apparent that the attraction is mutual, C.J. does his best to be a good friend and not take advantage of a man that all the psych workers including his ex-boyfriend who is a shrink, say is just a powder keg waiting to blow. But what will he do when Anderson sets out to seduce him? Will he give in, or will he hold Anderson off? Especially when either could be the very thing to cause Anderson to have the melt down of the century?

I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! This was my first experience with Amy Lane's writing and I have to say I was not disappointed. The entire premise for this science fiction romance is out of this world. You could tell that either Ms. Lane has experience working with mental  health issues, or she really did her research into PTSD, its causes and how to treat it. It was so realistic that I felt as if I was walking and talking with all the characters as they told me their stories. Even the secondary characters were very well fleshed out which you don't often see with many books. The world building was so well constructed that I had no problem believing it was completely real. The fact that the author took the time to show us everything about the back story really made this book far surpass my expectations. So many would have just started the book when Anderson finally docked at the space station, but I loved getting to know Anderson from age twelve and I think for this story that was really needed. Finally, the slow build of the love story between Anderson and C.J. was just fantastic, the love scenes are realistic, and emotional both of which were necessary for the story line. I cannot say enough good things about this book, and it definitely deserves the Dream Catcher Recommended Read, thanks Ms. Lane for a great story!

Author Spotlight Fire & Ice by Maya DeLeina

Blurb:

Noel Tierney thought she’d have enough time before the predicted storm to make it to her holiday retreat, but the snow hit sooner than expected. Caught unprepared on a treacherous pass, poor visibility and icy conditions lead to a crash. She lay immobile in her vehicle, stranded in a ditch in the most remote leg of her journey.

A faceless hero comes to her rescue and Noel has no choice but to wait out the blizzard in her rescuer’s unique cabin nestled in the woods. Everything about Grayson James peaks her curiosity—his valor, air of mystery and most of all, undeniable attractiveness.

For three days and nights, passions are unleashed and unexpected emotions are brought to life. When the storm breaks, Grayson vanishes into thin air, but not before revealing startling news that leaves her questioning her sanity.

Fast forward years later and Noel is in the southernmost part of the United States. She’d come seeking solace after her husband’s tragic death, but what finds her in Key West is more than she ever anticipated.

In the sultry summer, her unbridled winter’s ecstasy resurrects.

And so does the Vampire.

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”  
-Albert Camus

Excerpt:

Dark yet welcoming, the restaurant pulled them in with its ambiance.
The plastered walls were sponged in color blocks of a deep red and black. The ceilings were painted in a high polish black and stone black tile lined the floor. Striking kabuki masks and detailed silk kimono robes lined the walls
The women shared the restaurant with no one except the spiciness of sriracha seasonings and robust scent of the rich soy sauce that filled the air. They sat on their high top stools at the bar, enjoying the food and the reprieve from the heat. 
“Air conditioning is nice, huh?” Noel asked.
“Yes, I’ll give you that. I forgot how sticky this weather can be. I think we have to get used to having bad hair and make up days.”
 “I think you’re right.”
Suzanne finished sipping the last of the broth. “The soup is amazing. It’s not the kind of cuisine I had in mind for our vacation in Key West, though.”
“I had no clue this was even here. But, I needed this…helped with my hangover.”
“Feel better?”
“Absolutely. I think I can tackle a Sandhill Hooker shot or two today. After all, we are on the infamous Duval Street.”
“Okay, pickle juice that way…now you’re talking.”
She looked around the place and smiled. “It’s pretty cool in here.”
Suzanne leaned her head back. “And look at how high the ceiling is. I like all that exposed ductwork. I wonder what this place was before?”
“This used to be a club,” said the waitress as she carried in a case of liquor from the kitchen to the bar.
“This was a club?” Suzanne asked.
“Yeah. You two new to Key West?”
“First time here.”
Noel sat quietly listening to the conversation unfold between Suzanne and the waitress.
“You want a little history on this building you won’t hear about on any tour guide?” The waitress asked as she unpacked the box and carefully placed the bottles on the lighted shelves behind the bar.
“Sure.”
“This restaurant and the entire vacant spot next door used to be one big club.” The waitress turned around and pointed towards the ceiling. “There was an entire second floor up there. The owners of the restaurant demolished it since the place is small and narrow. The height makes it feel spacious. You can sorta tell how it looked like the second floor with that small area they kept above the kitchen. The red spiral staircase you see leading up to that area…that’s original to the building.”
“Yeah, taking the second floor out does make it feel bigger. So the club must’ve been packed all the time to have two floors, huh?”
The waitress laughed and leaned against the counter. “They didn’t advertise.  And you notice it’s off of Duval right?”
The women nodded.
“Not much foot traffic on this street like Duval. This was the hush-hush place. You had to get invited. Secret door knock and password would let you in—extremely private and exclusive.”
“You ever get invited?”
“Oh, God, no. I have no idea who got invited, but I wasn’t one of them. In fact, I never knew the club existed until a friend told me that the owners were going to put the building up for sale a few years ago. I was like, ‘what club?’ And the thing was, I walked past the place many times and always thought it was an abandoned building.”
“So what was the deal? Why was it private? What went on?”
“Rumors claimed it as an adult playground.”
“If the place was still in operation, somehow I know Suzanne would get an invite,” Noel chimed in.
Suzanne flashed a wicked smile.
“Possibly,” the waitress said. “Get’s your thoughts going, right? Like, what exactly happened in there? Who went there? But the one thing I was always curious about was seeing the place. They say it was like being on another planet.” 
Noel awaited a break in the conversation to jump back in with her questions. But movement from out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She snapped her head to look at the loft area and gasped. 
“What?” the waitress asked in a concerning tone.
She scanned the area in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Suzanne asked.
“I-I thought I saw something up there.”
 The waitress peered into the kitchen. “Can’t be. No one else is here except Jesse and he’s at sink.”
“What’s that door up there?”
“That’s the access point to the space next door, but its sealed shut from the other side. Trust me. I’ve tried to see if I could get in to sneak a peek.” 
“What is it that you think you saw?” Suzanne asked.
She shrugged her shoulders as goose bumps paraded along her skin. The same feeling stirred again—as if she were being watched. “I thought I saw someone looking down on us from that railing.”
Suzanne turned to the waitress. “We partied a bit last night.”
“That tends to happen in Key West.”
“I think we’ll take the check and I’ll get this one out for some much needed fresh air and vitamin D.”
“Sure thing.”
“I’m not crazy, Suzanne,” she whispered as she reached for her purse.
“I didn’t say you were. I just think you need to get outside.”
“Sammy told you right?”
“What?”
“The boat? Me freaking out that someone was watching me last night?”
 “Yes. But, honey, I think you’re just thinking of Dante being in this place and visualizing him. That’s all.”
The waitress slid the check across the counter and Suzanne immediately snatched it up. “My treat. You get drinks tonight.”
“Thanks.”
Suzanne placed the cash on top of counter. “Keep the change, darling. Thanks for the 411 on this place. Very interesting.”
“No problem. You guys go have fun.”

Buy Links:

Amazon - http://ow.ly/ChF7d
Barnes and Noble- http://ow.ly/ChG0r
iTunes- http://ow.ly/ChFdh
Smashwords- http://ow.ly/ChFo6

About Maya DeLeina:

Maya DeLeina is a multi-published Erotic Vampire Romance Author  with Siren , Evernight and Ellora’s Cave Publishing.  Her current series includes Ambrose Heights Vampires, My Naughty Vampire and Vampire Architects.
Not only does Maya have theatrical book trailers that bring her vampires to life, all of her vampires were featured in Singer/Songwriter Jill Cohn's music video "Blessing Moon".

Visit Maya DeLeina Online:

Website- http://www.mayadeleina.net/
YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/mayadeleina
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vampauthormaya
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/maya.deleina
Fan Page Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/EroticVampireAuthor
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

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Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Blurb:

It’s Christmas time, and Eriah Jameson has returned home to restart his family’s business. Due to his wild child past, no one is friendly or welcoming to Barrow Haven’s black sheep.

Aylin Myers lost her job when Eriah’s father took ill. She knows Eriah needs her help getting his business up and running again, but she doesn’t trust him. If he fails, she knows it will dishonor his father’s memory. And Aylin knows that at Christmas, it’s the right thing to help your fellow man—no matter how wretched he might be.

As Aylin gets to know Eriah, she sees a side of him Barrow Haven never saw. That perhaps the black sheep has changed for the better. Still, can she be sure this side of Eriah is real, and not just a facade he’s perfected over time to get his own way?

Excerpt:

Chapter One

It wasn’t as though she had any place better to be during the Christmas holidays.

Aylin Myers enjoyed her quiet existence in her own little world, pouring candles and crafting perfumed oils from the privacy of her own home. But the need for an automobile forced her out into the cold.

Her little business exploded overnight, and she desperately needed a car to make deliveries to bespoke little shops all around, and outside of the city.

     The yearly Barrow Haven Christmas Market attracted thousands of eager, last-minute holiday shoppers over one day. It was the perfect way to make a few quick dollars. Combined with the money she’d saved, buying a used car that would get her from place to place, was now within reach—If her handcrafted candles and perfume were a hit with the shoppers.

     With perfume titles like ‘Funeral Flowers’ and ‘Garden of Graves,’ her dark wares might scare off the happy holiday crowds looking for cheap, handmade, feel-good gifts for their friends, work acquaintances, and of course, their loved ones.

     The December weather was extremely wicked this year. Standing with only the shelter of an open market stall, on an early Saturday morning, caused Aylin to once again in her mind justify being outside in below freezing temperatures.

    

     She’d arrived early, and made the stall as festive as possible, to attract potential buyers. She wound strings of brightly-colored fairy lights around the support poles of the shelter, and hung a pine wreath decorated with antique glass baubles. She bought bunches of fresh mistletoe and holly berries from a vendor, and hung it from the support beams.

     Carefully, she laid out her assortment of candles. Some from Victorian era molds, she procured by scavenging antique stores, flea markets, and garage sales. She took the inspiration for the names for her  gothic scented perfumed oils from her experiences working as a cleaner at a local funeral home, for several years after her sixteenth birthday. Unfortunately, the funeral home went out of business when the owner took ill, and subsequently passed away. It was then she created Aylin’s Dark Desires.

     Behind her, she displayed her treasured antique photograph collection of daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and cabinet cards. The collection encompassed the time from the Civil War era until early twentieth century. Several of the photos depicted homes and businesses in Barrow Haven. Maybe the Christmas shoppers might appreciate a little hometown nostalgia.

     By ten that morning, the market was alive with holiday shoppers. Christmas carols blared over a loudspeaker, and snowflakes filled the air. To her delight, business was brisk, and by lunchtime, she’d sold half her stock. By two, she was nearly depleted, and ready to call it a day. She began to pack up two broken candles she could melt down to make new ones at a later date.

     “Don’t I know you?”

      Aylin looked up at the sound of the unfamiliar masculine voice.

     The black sheep of Barrow Haven was back in town.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Author Bio:

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Visit Natalie-Nicole Bates Online!

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