"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill

Monday, July 29, 2013

The Sexy and The Undead Sexy Witches Series Book One Charity Parkerson



The Sexy and The Undead
Sexy Witches Series Book One
Charity Parkerson

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Punk and Sissy Publications
Date of Publication: May 1, 2013

ISBN: 1484875001
ASIN: B00CLYIMD0

Number of pages: 156
Word Count: 25,769

Cover Artist: Designs by Charity



Book Description:

A potion gone wrong, or right?
Single, unemployed, and in charge of her very own pet zombie, Ella Perry is cooking up trouble, and it's raining men. 
Ella has spent years searching for a cure for a zombie named Freddie. However, when an experimental concoction takes an unexpected turn, she gets a glimpse of the life she's been missing by hanging out with the undead. 
Zombies, Angels, and Pixies. Oh my! Don't miss out on the first book in the new "Sexy Witches" series by Bestselling Author Charity Parkerson.




Short Excerpt:
“This place flipping sucks,” Tam said, using her whiniest voice.
She didn’t get to visit with her friend, Lena, very often since she lived amongst the humans, and Tam was stuck living in the Hall of the Gods. She was taking full advantage of the rare social call by laying all her problems on the Seer as thick as possible. “I mean, look around,” she added, gearing up for a full rant. “There’s not one man in this joint I’d be willing to sleep with.”
Lena’s bright pink hair, which stood out in a spike above her head, tilted from side to side as she did as Tam ordered. Her eyes widened, showing her confusion.
“Are you insane?”
Disbelief laced her words. Lifting one beautifully manicured finger, she pointed out a blond angel that was guarding a nearby door. “What about that one?” Before Tam could answer, Lena added, “or that one?”
Tam didn’t bother glancing in the redhead’s direction. She knew without looking that both men wore matching black kilts and nothing else. Their golden muscular bodies were a common sight in the Heavens.
“Bloody freaking hell, Lena. All these guys are three feet taller than me. What am I supposed to do with them, I ask you? Their,” she made a swirling gesture with her index finger, searching for the right term. “Pricks. Yes,” she said with a nod, deciding that she liked that word. “They are probably the size of my leg. I’d be killed.”
A snort of laughter escaped Lena, but she covered her mouth as if attempting to hold it in. Tam’s nerve endings lit up at the sound. Most people believe that chanting their belief in fairies will cause one to grow strong, but in truth laughter was the key to pixie power. A day with Lena was equivalent to a day at the spa for Tam. Not only was Lena the clumsiest immortal in all the realms, she was also a regular hoot.
Feeling encouraged, she grew even more outrageous. “Take that one, for example.” Tam nodded toward a dark-haired angel that stood a few inches taller than the rest. “Notice that his kilt falls to his shins instead of his knees,” she pointed out.
Lena nodded. “I did think that was odd, but then again, what isn’t here?”
It was Tam’s turn to snort. “Well, his is not a fashion statement. I heard that he tried wearing the standard uniform when he first arrived, but everyone got sick of seeing that huge one-eyed monster slapping his kneecaps every step that he took. Mistress Katrina finally made him wear a longer one.”
Lena openly gawked at the man in question. Leaning over in her chair, she tried to peek under his pleat before losing her balance and almost landing on her face.
Catching her stare, the man began to inch the plaid upward as if fully prepared to relieve Lena’s curiosity.
“Thomas!” Tam cried, admonishing the wicked angel.
With a wink in Lena’s direction, he turned away, but Lena didn’t look the least bit ashamed as she attempted to right herself.
“Too bad,” she sighed. “I’ve never seen a knee-slapping monster before. Why don’t you just leave?”
Wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Tam’s wings drooped, mimicking her inner deflation. “I want a normal man,” she confessed to Lena. “An ordinary man who won’t squash my twat,” she added miserably.


About the Author:


Charity Parkerson was born in Tennessee, where she still lives with her husband and two sons. She is the author of several books including fifteen Amazon bestsellers.

Her “Sinners series” was voted one of the top ten best books by an Indie author in 2011- Paranormal Romance Reads Her book “The Danger with Sinners” was named “Best Book of 2012” by Paranormal Reads Reviews and was a finalist in the 2012 Australian Romance Reader’s Awards for Favorite Paranormal Romance.

She was named as one of the top three Indie authors of 2012- EbookBuilders She is a member of The Paranormal Romance Guild, is a Goodreads moderator, a member of Coffee Time Romance, and co-host of The Melissa Craig and Charity Parkerson show.

She won author of the week in August of 2011, and is a five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath.










Thursday, July 25, 2013

Interview With Shehanne Moore - The Unraveling of Lady Fury



How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in your books?
I tell people nothing at all. Unfortunately that is not what they tell me. Obviously they see similarities in terms of the absolute niceness of my characters. The patience and serenity with which they greet life as a whole, accept defeat and never want the impossible. Ahem. Looking the other way here.

How much of a story do you have in mind before you start writing?
I see the beginning and that’s it. Obviously since it’s romance and you have to HEA, that too. Then I just hope I can get from one to the other.

Can you tell us about your Historical Romance?
Well, it’s set in Genoa, in a sort of émigré English community and it’s about a woman needing to conceive an heir in order to guarantee her future. All fine till husband meets with an unfortunate accident and then her ex-lover, the one man in the world who knows all her secrets turns up.

Will you write another book in the series?
It’s a stand alone, although they do have children so you never know.

How do you cope with writer's block?
I don’t think about it. To think is to fear.

How do you develop and differentiate your characters?
I like feisty characters, characters who are glaringly imperfect and not terribly self aware because let’s face it, which of us is truly self aware? I develop them by thinking of their lives before they got to the point where the actual story starts because the things that shape us as people are to be found there. I then think about what their goals are at the point the story starts, to see what little traits to give them they will soon shoot themselves in the foot with. Then I think about physical appearance. Their likes, dislikes.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
A lot of candlelit baths and optimism.

How (or when) do you decide that you are finished writing a story?
When every end is tied and the conflicts external, then internal, are resolved.

Is there a message in your writing you want readers to grasp?
Even when the subject matter is weighty I think the ability to laugh is a huge thing. So I try to get these touches of humor even in the bleakest circumstances. Also real life isn’t perfect so why should my characters be?

What are you working on right now?
I am working on a story which I see as part of a series about an ex jewel thief.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes. I have actually. And I’ve stuck at all kinds of jobs in the hope that one day this dream would come true.

At what age did you discover your love of writing?
Seven. But it certainly wasn’t as simple as that.

What was the first story that you wrote?
A god-awful fairy tale. Some unoriginal claptrap about a princess in a forest.

When were you first published? How were you discovered?
It depends what kind of publication we are talking of. For years I’ve done all sorts of writing jobs, from girls’ graphic comics to non fiction. The Unraveling of lady Fury is my first published book. I subbed it to Etopia Press, I subbed it a lot of places actually, but they came right back offering a contract so...

What is the most difficult part of the whole writing process?
Probably accepting that you may fail. That no-one might want to publish your work and not necessarily because it’s no good either. Having a book out is no guarantee of anything.

What do you like to read?
I love historical stories. But some of my favs are oldies. I also love anyd of the forties noir books.

What writer influences you the most?
I would that impossible to answer when so many do. I love the sprawl of writers like Margaret Mitchell, F.Tennyson Jesse, the incredible detail of the times, but I also think these thirties/forties writers like Cain and McCoy had a huge talent for keeping it tight, while F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the prose that is a delicacy.

If your book was made into a TV series or Movie, which actors would you like to see playing your characters?
Talking Margaret Mitchell I could see Vivien Leigh playing Fury. She has the right fire onscreen but I could also see Keira Knightley having that refined edge Fury constantly tries to maintain. Flint, I think Josh Holloway has the right onscreen mix of steel and grit.

Where can people learn more about you and your books?
  1. http://pinterest.com/shehanne


Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and your books?

Apart from giving them a chance..! Nah. 


About The Author

Shehanne Moore is a Scottish born author who writes gritty, witty, more risky than risqué, historical romance, set wherever takes her fancy–stories that detail the best and worst of human behaviour, as opposed to pouts and flounces.

For years she did various jobs while pursuing her dream of becoming a published writer, so she was thrilled to be offered a contract by Etopia Press for The Unraveling of Lady Fury, six days after subbing it.
Shehanne still lives in Scotland with her husband Mr Shey. She has two daughters. When not writing intriguing, and of course, sizzling, historical romance, where goals and desires of sassy, unconventional heroines and ruthless men, mean worlds do collide, she fantasizes about cleaning the house, plays the odd musical instrument and loves what in any other country, would not be defined, as hill-walking.




About The Book

Rule One: There will be no kissing.

Rule two: There will be no touching…

Widowed Lady Fury Shelton hasn’t lost everything—yet. As long as she produces the heir to the Beaumont dukedom, she just might be able to keep her position. And her secrets. But when the callously irresistible Captain James “Flint” Blackmoore sails back into her life, Lady Fury panics. She must find a way to protect herself—and her future—from the man she’d rather see rotting in hell than sleeping in her bed. If she must bed him to keep her secrets, so be it. But she doesn’t have to like it. A set of firm rules for the bedroom will ensure that nothing goes awry. Because above all else, she must stop herself from wanting the one thing that Flint can never give her. His heart.

Ex-privateer Flint Blackmoore has never been good at following the rules. Now, once again embroiled in a situation with the aptly named Lady Fury, he has no idea why he doesn’t simply do the wise thing and walk away. He knows he’s playing with fire, and that getting involved with her again is more dangerous than anything on the high seas. But he can’t understand why she’s so determined to hate him. He isn’t sure if the secret she keeps will make things harder—or easier—for him, but as the battle in the bedroom heats up, he knows at least one thing. Those silly rules of hers will have to go…



Book Excerpt

Fury sat down and dipped the quill into the ink. She detected the faintest trace of nerves. It must be the fact Thomas lay in the cellar. Why else would a man, so great, so stalwart, so worldly as Captain Flint be nervous of her?
Well, yes,” she said, listening to the pleasing scratch of the nib on the soft paper.
Babies are not always made in a night. Of course, you wouldn’t know that, being you. It will take time.”
All the more reason then to just get going. After all this time, sweetheart, you don’t know how eager I am.”
He strode across the tiled floor and the ink trailed a long dark path across the paper as he dragged her to her feet. Had it blobbed it might have been something to worry about. But she was very set on this. And calm. As calm as one could be having this man in her bedroom, knowing what was coming next out of dire necessity, her husband in a box in the cellar and her cast off, potential lovers on their way out the door.
No, James.” She held a hand up between their lips. “There will be no kissing.”
No kissing? Why in hell not?”
It displaced her calm to see him grin. She would have preferred that he was indignant. Especially as he was a man who thought he could settle all his arguments—with women anyway—with a kiss. But she kept her face cold, blank.
Because.” In some ways she was cold. Cold with rage.
Aw, come on Fury, didn’t you like my kissing? Hmm?” His breath, hot and male, brushed her fingertips. He wrapped his arms around her, splaying his hands across her back, so her hand might as well not have been there for all the protection it was.
But she was calm. Didn’t she have to get into bed with him after all? So, even the impulse to squirm was one she would squash. When she thought of all he had done to her, she would give him nothing. Not even the knowledge she found his proximity so unsettling that she sought to pull away.
Your kissing was fine, in its way, I suppose. But kissing is a sign of affection.”
How do you make that out?”
She knew exactly why he scratched his head. Their love-making had been torrid. It had been sensual. It had been shaming. And it had been absent of any affection. Certainly on his part. So, why on earth would a kiss be a sign of anything? To him anyway. She was the damn fool who had thought it had. Who even now was forced to concede the pleasure it would be to take her hand across his face to assist his understanding of her feelings. The impertinence of the damn man, the stinging ignorance.
It just is.” She eased the distance between them a whisper. “So there will be none. Not now. Not at all.”
All right then. Saves time. It means—”
Rule two.” She saw his eyes freeze as he readied himself to yank off his shirt. She persisted anyway. Why not? In many ways she walked a tightrope here. If she paused it might be to her detriment. “You will be fully dressed at all times.”
What? How the hell am I meant to—”
I am sure you will manage. You managed plenty before. But I do not desire to look at your body before, during, or after. Nor in any shape or form wandering about this house in just your breeches. Is that understood?”
He dropped his hands from his shirt and glared, so he must have. “You wanted to look at it plenty before. In fact, it makes my head spin, just how often you—”
True. But that was then. “Rule three.” Clasping her fingers around the cool edge of the dressing table to create another inch of distance, she continued.
Rule three? You mean there’s more?”
I will not touch you in any place, intimate or otherwise. I will lie. You will perform.”

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Forced To Serve Series Book Tour & Giveaway with Donna McDonald



How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in your books?

My guess is more than I am probably aware. I definitely think the science fiction based romances reveal the spiritual and theological issues that fascinate me. As for my characters, I think I work at becoming them in order to write their story. Each character and I become “one entity” for the duration of the book. This is likely why Malachi, my alien demon who lives in a host, is a natural creation for me. I am used to sharing my brain, body, and spirit with those I create.

How much of a story do you have in mind before you start writing?

I typically start with a scene that keeps playing over and over in my head like a min-movie. Sometimes it’s not even the beginning of a story, but rather just a fun, interesting scene happening among characters. If I like the scene well enough, another soon follows. If I find the scenes create a chapter, then I build around them to develop the book. Sometimes by the end of one book, I have this happening for the next. The Forced To Serve series has a lot of action in it. My imagination and I never get tired of thinking about it.

Can you tell us about your SciFi Romance Series?

The Forced To Serve series is primarily set around Captain Liam Synar and the crew of his rescue ship. They move through their version of the universe, of which Earth is a part, working for the Peace Alliance. Ambassadors of the Peace Alliance visit planets who are being recruited. Sometimes those diplomatic forays don’t work out and Synar’s crew is sent in to rescue the captured Peace Alliance official.

In the midst of the “work” of being a crew member, each character on the ship is dealing with their own issues. So alongside missions and romances, personal growth is taking place. I like to clearly see development in a character. Those in this series never disappoint me.

Will you write another book in the series?

Yes, and more than one. I am currently working on “The Demon’s Change” which is Book 5 of the series. It is Malachi’s story and I’ve been waiting with great anticipation to write it. After that, I have two more tentatively planned, but really don’t see the end of the series yet. Missions are endless. Members join the crew. Members leave the crew. It could go on and on. I suppose I will stop writing when I grow tired of the characters, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I’m having too much fun writing these.

How do you cope with writer’s block?

What is writer’s block? Just kidding. I do experience it occasionally, but fortunately not often. The best cure I have found is simply to stop writing and let the story rest. I play out scenarios in my head while I do tedious things like housework and laundry. Bruce can always tell when I’m stuck because the house looks best then. It usually lasts a couple of days. I also find taking long walks helps. Really anything physical helps me.

How do you develop and differentiate your characters?

In the Forced To Serve series, I start with assigning an alien culture to them. Most of my characters are “hybrid”, just as most of us are ethnically hybrid on Earth. The hybrid status allows me to differentiate easily between having two “Sirens of Rylen” on board. One is full Siren and has all the common traits. The other is Siren/Greggor. The Greggor part has different characteristics which contribute plus and minus traits to the Siren part. This is the background of Lt. Dorian Zade who may be the hottest hero on my ship, but he is arrogant and not always pleasant. He also has to fight his Siren urges to dominate. Whereas the full Siren doesn’t fight them because he lacks the capacity. At the moment, he is medicating himself under Captain’s Synar orders. It is Lt. Warro’s requirement to remain on the ship. This means I can have duplicate aliens that are not really all that duplicate. Even my Earthling is hybrid, but trust me—it was necessary in her case.

The other trick I use is speech. I have a linguistics background, so I made up two of the languages by combining aspects of many. Then I realized that would be difficult to keep up with long term if I had to keep having them say different things. So for others, I chose languages that seemed interesting, and then I bastardized the pronunciation of them by removing all the normal accent marks of the tongue. I actually made a pronunciation key for the audio book narrator to use for her reading. Since Earth English is the common language on the ship, I keep the use of language to a minimum. That said, in Book 4 the main couple didn’t understand each other’s native tongues, so it was comedic for them to fight and swear at each other.

I also conduct sexual relations differently. Practitioners of Tantric Sex will understand why I use energy exchanges in lieu of connecting body parts. I don’t do anything overly kinky, but I do focus on the sacredness of those connections. To share one’s body in most of my alien cultures is to share one’s energy as well. Sometimes exchanges are made that enhance one’s partner. Really I think our normal Earth sexuality works the same. I just don’t think it is often described in these terms.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?

I confess I am not a plotter. Planning out scenes, chapters, and whole stories is not for me. Perhaps I just have a logical mind that says “this comes after this” and “that needs to happen before that”. Sometimes the stories come together like puzzles. I find that to be part of the excitement for me. I can’t imagine writing to an outline of everything that takes place, but I have many, many, many author friends who do this. “Pantzers” like me are a writer minority.

Sure I do occasionally get lost in plots that weave, twist, and turn. When I feel that is happening, I go back and outline what I have written up to that point. Typically, it happens between Chapters 17 and 20. Other than that, I use beta readers to tell me if they get lost, confused, or just feel like I strayed too far from the point in the books. I think staying on track is one of my writer gifts. All authors have some.

How (or when) do you decide that you are finished writing a story?

The story tells me when it is finished. Beyond saying that, it is hard to explain. Afterward, I still go back through the entire book several times. I close all plot loops I can, except of course for the one that leads into the next book.

Is there a message in your writing you want readers to grasp?

Science Fiction by design offers up imaginary worlds that allow a reader to safely explore all kinds of beliefs. I hope my work offers readers some thought provoking concepts. For example, many of my more evil alien planets have slavery of some sort. The urge to control and manipulate others of your own kind is one of the greatest evils I am capable of imagining. Doing so through fear and torture is horrendous and Earth’s history is littered with lots of examples. I would like to think it wouldn’t always be the case on all planets, so I create good—aka “englightened”—planets as well. And of course, I created the “Peace Alliance” whose goal is peaceful co-existence among all planets.

What are you working on right now?

I am trying really hard to finish up a contemporary romance that I owe my readers. It is a very hard book to write and is going slowly. Afterwards, I will finish Book 5 of the Forced To Serve series.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes. Always. And you will never find an author more grateful to have managed to achieve that goal. I want to do this for the rest of my life.

At what age did you discover your love of writing?

Somewhere in elementary school I discovered I loved reading. Somewhere in middle school, I discovered I loved words and wanted to write. Somewhere in high school, I found teachers who fostered that creativity in me. But it took me most of my lifetime to discover that I had the ability to make my own writing dreams come true.

What was the first story that you wrote?

I don’t remember the first one I wrote, but I can tell you the one I first finished and knew was a complete novel. It is a Fantasy Romance I completed in 2010 called “The Shaman’s Mate”. It’s very Native American in theme and tone. I have Cherokee in my family history. When faced with the death of someone I loved very much, this was the culture that offered me the most consolation. My background is also Scots-Irish, so my soul is connected to the land I inhabit. All of this shows up in “The Shaman’s Mate”.


When were you first published? How were you discovered?

I first published March 2011 after I discovered I could do it for myself.

After collecting an extensive second round of soft rejections ending with presses and agents telling me I was good writer, but they didn’t think they could sell my work. So I self-published my first two contemporary novels. The books are “Dating A Cougar” and “Dating Dr. Notorious”. DAC is still free for readers to try that series. DDN is my top selling title at the moment.

What is the most difficult part of the whole writing process?

Editing. I try hard to make a perfectly edited book and never make it. Certainly some editing is subjective, but it takes me several revisions to make a title error free.

What do you like to read?

I read everything from books on Egyptology to cozy mysteries. I love romantic comedies. I love dragon books. I don’t read heart-wrenching true stories because I’ve had too many of those personally. I read non-fiction when I’m trying to change something in my life. I read what interests me no matter what rating or ranking it receives. I like science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy because it offers a true escape.

What writer influences you the most?

The list is too long to mention here. I admire the writer who writes the book they love. This is harder than it sounds because it requires keeping faith in your work alive for a very long time.

If your book was made into a TV series or Movie, which actors would you like to see playing your characters.

Oh, this would be a VERY exciting circumstance if it could happen. Do you think we can get Nathan Fillion of “Firefly” to play Captain Liam Synar?

Where can people learn more about you and your books?

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and your books?

My goal is to entertain readers for a short while and give them a pleasant, fun experience comparable to a movie or TV show. My favorite reader emails are those who write to tell me this was the case for them.

Also, I found a totally awesome audio book narrator for the Forced To Serve series who exceeded my expectations with the final product. She reads it just like I hear it in my head when I am writing. I am proud of the way it turned out. The audio book for The Demon of Synar is one of my best achievements this year and can be purchased from Audible, Amazon, or iTunes if anyone is interested.



Donna McDonald is a best selling author in Contemporary Romance and Humor, and lately has been climbing the Science Fiction list as well.
Science Fiction reviewers are calling McDonald “a literary alchemist effortlessly blending science fiction and romance”. Contemporary and humor reviewers often write to tell her that the books keep them up reading and laughing all night. She likes both compliments and hopes they stay true forever.
McDonald’s idea of success is to be sitting next to someone on a plane and find out they are laughing at something in one of her books. This would of course be while she was heading off on her next adventure to feed her creative soul.








THE DEMON OF SYNAR — Being captain of his own rescue ship is the life Liam Synar has always dreamed of living. Being master of a hereditary demon is not. Coveting Malachi’s power, his exiled brother hunts him to capture the demon that Liam’s life mate unknowingly hosts. Putting Malachi inside Ania two years ago had been an act to save her when she almost died saving his. If only the demon hadn’t killed again.




The Demon Of Synar (Excerpt from Prologue)


“I was nervous the first time I bound myself to a female as well,” Dorian said, watching his best friend and current captain pace the room.
“What makes you think I’m nervous?” Synar asked.
Dorian laughed when Liam paused his restless pacing and gave him a strange look.
“What still shocks me is that Ania Looren passed up dignitaries, presidents, other ambassadors, and more warriors than I can count to tumble into your bed like a love stricken Earthling. I’m in awe of you turning out to be the one male in her entire life that she couldn’t refuse.”
“If you think I’m going to be indiscreet and brag about my bonding time with Ania, you are mistaken my friend.”
Synar grinned at Dorian’s guilty, and disappointed, look.
“Being a Siren, my vows of abstinence are hard to endure every day. You have known me long enough to realize that this is a profound truth, Liam. But today the most celibate planet in the Alliance is tuned into your mating vibrations, as am I. As your best friend, the least you can do is let me live vicariously through you once in a while,” Dorian teased. “I know you were Ania’s first breach. She told me.”
“Yes I was, but I’m still not telling you any details. The first time is a private matter and a special sharing. You’ve been alone too long, Dorian. Find a willing female and start living again,” Synar ordered.
“I want peace, not another mate. It hasn’t even been a century since I lost the last one. I know not all creatures live as long as Sirens, but a century doesn’t feel all that long when you are grieving.” Dorian narrowed his eyes as his friend picked up his walking speed again. “Liam, you’re going to wear out your footwear if you keep that up.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me—just can’t seem to stand still. I’m truly not nervous taking Ania as a formal mate, just impatient to get the public ceremony over. My intuition is sending out massive warning signals, but I can’t tell if they are real or just a reaction to the events of this day.”
Synar frowned at Dorian who wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement. “Glad one of us can laugh about it. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to Ania in front of her family, so I haven’t said anything about my concerns.”
“Perhaps I should mark this historic day in my journal. The ever stoic Liam Synar has been brought to his emotional knees with mating nerves. Why are you even doing this ceremony? I distinctly remember Ania saying it wasn’t necessary for her sake. She said you filed the legal forms before ever leaving the ship.”
“Yes. I did,” Synar confirmed.
Dorian smiled and nodded. “That means all the Peace Alliance planets will honor your commitment. What will this ceremony accomplish?”
“Ania is a high-level Peace Alliance ambassador. You don’t just throw one of those over your shoulder and run off to your quarters with her screaming that she’s yours,” Synar answered dryly, shaking his head at Dorian’s outright laughter.
“You can laugh until it’s done, but it’s still happening. This ceremony is not for Ania or me. It’s for her family. They’ve waited a long time for their only child to take a mate. At least one of us is represented. My mother declined to be here, which was just as well since she hasn’t spoken to me in person since my father died. Mother says she is still grieving. I suppose that could be true. She had more trouble believing Conor killed him than I did. I’m not even sure she believes it now.”
Dorian could hear the pain in Liam’s voice without even looking at his energy. His previous losses were large, but the absence of family today was taking a toll on his Norblade friend. It was his first mating and yet he would have no other Synars standing at his side to bless the union. His Siren mother had attended both his matings, and been there to comfort at their deaths. Truly he couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be shunned by a birth parent.
“Is your brother still exiled?”
“Yes,” Synar said, feeling Dorian’s sympathy reaching out to him energetically. He bowed his head to his friend to acknowledge the support. “And it will stay that way for at least the next century of my brother’s life. Mother will just have to deal with Conor’s punishment and be glad that at least he isn’t dead.”
“Have you told Ania about your family? And your. . .inheritance?”
“No,” Synar answered, adjusting the cuffs on his uniform jacket. “I ordered Malachi to block Ania from knowing for now. Once Jonas is gone, the demon is going into the sacred amulet until I can figure out the proper person to rule him.”
Skipping over the advice he wanted to offer Liam about the dangers of keeping such a large secret from the person closest to his spirit, Dorian instead focused on the main issue he saw as a problem. “How can you be so sure that you are not the proper person, Liam?”
Synar looked and held Dorian’s gaze until he was sure his friend saw the truth in him. “No one in my family is worthy to rule the demon any longer. Certainly not Conor or me. It’s time the burden was passed on.”
“I can tell you sincerely believe that, but I think you are more suitable than you realize.” Dorian glanced at the timekeeper on the wall of the room they were in and saw it was time for them to go.



THE DEMON MASTER’S WIFE — If she’d had a choice, Ania Looren would have chosen death over becoming a 
demon host. Now as she struggles to accept the fate her mate, Captain Liam Synar, forced upon her, she must decide whether to end her life or make a deal with the demon that could unravel 800 years of peaceful enlightenment. She must decide before Conor Synar destroys everyone in his path to claim the demon for himself.





The Demon Master’s Wife (excerpt from Chapter 1)


“So who won the fight?” Gwen asked, pushing open the door to the training room.
“It was not a true competition. What is more important is that Synar surprised me and I let him get by with it,” Ania said with a frown. “That’s what should matter to you from a warrior’s perspective.”
“Much of what Synar does these days surprises me. Before you got here, he was the most stoic male I had ever met. Now he’s as anxiety ridden as any other creature. When I reported to him last, he actually yelled at me. So quit stalling and tell me who won the fight,” Gwen demanded on a laugh, removing her shoes and tucking them under the bench. “Did you beat him as badly as you did me? And can I watch next time?”
“Your competitive nature screams ‘Earthling’ to everyone who gets to know you,” Ania chastised, even though she also paused to think about Gwen’s question as she slipped off her own shoes.
Truthfully, she hadn’t really thought of what happened during their fight as her losing to Synar or either of them winning. She didn’t even think of fighting Synar the way she thought of fighting other people. She had merely been trying to prove a point, and maybe work off some justifiable anger.
“Winning is relative, but by your standards I would say I did. My body never hit the mat,” Ania said with a shrug.
Gwen snorted, examining the smaller female’s skinny frame and lack of roundness with a trained warrior’s eye.
“Synar is not all that tall for a male, but you’re at least five inches shorter than him. I know because I’m as tall as he is. Are you telling me Synar kissed you and your feet never left the mat?”
Remembering his fierce embrace and her legs wrapped tightly around him, Ania sighed and frowned. “I see your point. Perhaps the fight ended in a draw.”
“Too bad for you both that it didn’t end in one of your beds,” Gwen teased, laughing at her own joke. “If it makes you feel any better, right now I’m running from Zade. He keeps asking to speak to me privately. My instinct is to keep away from him, so that’s what I’ve been doing. You want to help me out by telling me what’s going on?”
“Why should I tell you what I see intuitively when you are able to see for yourself? If you are so concerned, use your intuition to discover the reason,” Ania ordered.
Gwen ran a hand through her hair. “Not going to happen—I’m not sure I want to even know. Zade and I—Shades of Kellnor—we have a history, okay? Or at least we could have had one. I sort of threw myself at him when I first met him. I hadn’t felt that way about a male before him and haven’t felt like that for another since. He refused me very politely, which has worked out fine. Now I think he wants to break the news to me about the mating thing you mentioned. I’m just not up for all that awkward stuff,” Gwen protested.
Ania studied Gwen, blinking in disbelief. Dorian was finally chasing and Gwen was now running. They had traded places, but the end result remained their continued avoidance of involvement with each other.
“You really need to learn to use your intuition in better ways. It rules you anyway. I suggest you concede to it as soon as possible,” Ania advised.
“Really? Well, what’s so great about knowing the future? Zade can just go do what he needs to do. Let him mate someone. He doesn’t owe me any explanations. I admit I felt a twinge when you first mentioned it, but no male is worth dwelling on forever, no matter how nice he looks,” Gwen announced.
Ania rose and took a deep breath, wrestling with the decision of telling Gwen or not telling Gwen about Dorian’s intentions towards her. When a creature rejected their intuition so adamantly, it had always seemed wrong to her to force them to epiphanies they did not seek on their own.
Besides, Ania thought, who was she to put herself in the middle of Dorian and his mate?
Deciding to let it happen as it would, Ania only smiled and gestured at the mat.
“Let’s go. I’m feeling lucky today,” Gwen told her, looking down on the top of the shorter female’s head.
“Good for you. I’m feeling like you’re going to be on the mat in the first two minutes again,” Ania teased back. “Unless you’ve magically learned some patience since last time.”

“Very funny,” Gwen said, taking her stance.


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Book Review: Demon Inhibitions by Gary Starta

Demon Inhibitions
by Gary Starta





Gary Starta is a former journalist who began writing multi-genre fiction in 2004. He likes to include science theory in his stories as well as elements of paranormal, fantasy, mystery and romance. 

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter








Genre: Paranormal Romance/Science-Fiction
Publisher: Self-Published at Amazon Kindle
Release Date: March 15, 2013
Amazon

Book Description:

Most people don't travel to another universe to get a new job, house and boyfriend but psychic investigator Caitlin Diggs did. Now she's living the life of her alternate self, working for the FBI's Preternatural Division where her first case just happens to include chasing a genetically engineered man hell bent on stealing souls. Well, there had to be consequences. 





Caitlin Diggs - Ex FBI, New Investigator, Totally Rocks!

Celeste - Everyone with a supernatural ability needs a cool pet!

Plot - Fantastic!

I have to say that I've read Mr. Starta's work before and I love it. Demon Inhibitions was a great addition and another great work of art to add to my collection. I loved the entire premise behind the book and I think I myself, having to live in two dimensions may have lost it a little. Caitlin is an awesome character and handles it superbly. Starta does a great job pulling the reader in from the first page, keeping you engaged and wanting to find out more.

All the characters were easily related to, and I'm not sure who I like more. Caitlin or Briana. Both were very well developed, and perfect for the storyline.

I will say that I felt the story dragged out at times, but before you knew it you were back in the money and moving right along. Having read Demon Inhibitions only made me like this author's work even more and I can't wait for the next book.




*I received this book from the author for my honest review as part of the author's virtual book tour. This in no way effects my review and all opinions are of my own.*





Demon Inhibitions Excerpt


A full moon bathed my bedroom in bluish haze. It kept my eyes from closing. Normally I would have drawn the curtains on the nocturnal intrusion, but tonight I was hosting so to speak. I felt I was setting a better trap or “invitation” to Manners if I left the light on. Briana would have probably scolded me if she were capable of listening to my silent ranting. She had explained to me several times Manners would not be traveling via car, plane or broom for that matter. His appearance would be completely ethereal to all waking humans. He would meet me via an altered state of mind, in a dream or alpha state, where his thoughts and presence could transcend any physical traps an overly anxious former FBI agent (me) might feel compelled to set. It wouldn’t matter if I shined a lantern in my window or posted Rottweillers on around-the-clock guard duty, Manners would be oblivious to it. Briana stated this very emphatically, employing wild gyrating arm movements that nearly had me fearing she would turn me into a rat if I didn’t give her my undivided attention. So I sat and listened to her for an hour after we completed the spell. When my eyelids began drooping, she ordered me to bed. She took up residence in the adjoining guest room with Celeste. With a click of a doorknob, Briana could be at my bedside in seconds. But when I finally began to absorb the notion that Manners would not be using the front door to meet me, fear began to take hold. How would her presence help me? She could monitor my dreams all she wanted, but ultimately it would be up to me to break free of Manner’s paranormal grip-provided one: he was an incubus and two: he would still deem an appearance necessary to either protest his innocence or quiet my suspicions of him once for and all. My mind finally began to drift into that sleepy state where your thoughts start running into one another. How would I converse with him in the dream world? And would my gun be at my bedside in this dream? My brain felt like rubber. My eyelids finally shut. A faint hint of blue light seeped through them and then the next thing I knew…
Who, what…what do you want?” I sat straight up and stammered as a presence took shape over my brass four-post bed. At least I determined I could talk, albeit not very intelligently in my dream state. The shape continued to hover over me, within arm’s reach. I twisted in my covers, attempting to lunge towards my dresser drawer where I kept my gun. As my hand continued to fumble for the dresser knob, coldness brushed against my backside. At that instant, I gave up my hunt for the gun and reverted to my backside, hoping confrontation might keep the invading demon at bay. I shouted. “Back off and identify yourself.” I felt silly. I couldn’t very well command this thing to put its hands behind its back--if it had hands--let alone expect it to adhere to laws and protocols devised by those living in the real world.
The thing, best described as a floating transparent body of liquid, actually started to comply. It reversed itself away from me, about a yard or so. Now it hovered over my Victorian vanity chair. I seriously hoped its liquid makeup wouldn’t drip all over my prized antique. It began to glow blue, probably because it was in the direct path of a moonbeam.

Now tell me who are you.” Hoarse and raspy, my voice no longer sounded like mine. I tried to recall my vision where I had been speaking to the spirit of Alastair Crowley. My voice had sounded like mine then. In fact, I’d felt no different in that dream state whatsoever; I had classified that experience as a vision. But now, as I sat cowering in my bed, I felt more as if in a dream. I willed my legs to move, but like in a dream, they were uncooperative as if an iron vise was keeping them in place. As I struggled to escape my covers, the thing spoke to me in a whispered voice. Whatever it was, it was now inside my head!






ShareThis