New Release Goodness: Black Gold

Black Gold
By: Vivian Arend
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Release Date: 09-13-2011
Length: Novel (Ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-60928-525-8
Series: Takhini Wolves #1

SUMMARY: Lone wolf Shaun Steven’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.

One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his forever button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.

When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite define—something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.

Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is done—and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.

It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…

Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.

MY THOUGHTS
First I must say that the cover is amazing-- geesh, did it help me visualize while I read Black Gold. Probably why I was sweating. I've read every one of Vivian's Granite Lake Wolves stories, and she has this wonderful way of blending action, location, humor and romance together in a perfect combination. I know you've all read stories where the descriptions were lovely but simply too much, and others where it wasn't enough. The same can be said for over the top humor/snark or all sex and no plot. As a reader I was completely satisfied with all of the elements in Black Gold. I loved the characters, and it was cool to not only read about Shaun and Gem, the main characters, but also Evan, the Takhini Pack alpha and Caroline, who kicks butt and surprises the reader and Evan at every turn. If you haven't read Vivian's Granite Lake stories, you can read Black Gold as a stand alone without a problem. Fans of Moira Rogers, Shelly Laurenston, Kelley Armstrong or Lori Handeland should love this series.

One last thing I really enjoyed about Black Gold were the quotes from Robert Service. I didn't know who he was, but I found some cool information on the man that inspired many writers with his poetry. He often wrote of gold prospectors, nature and the Canadian wilderness. There is a scene between Gem and Shaun where they are sitting by a fire and talking about one of his famous poems, The Cremation of Sam McGee. You can find the entire poem and more here:
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/robertservice.htm

Black Gold on sale at Samhain right now because it's a new release, so it's the best time to pick it up before it goes to full price! http://store.samhainpublishing.com/black-gold-p-6454.html

For more information on Vivian's books visit her here:
http://vivianarend.com

~Brenda

Warming Up With Winter Wishes

Winter Wishes
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Carina Press
Released: 12/6/2010

Authors:
Moira Rogers
Vivi Andrews
Vivi Andrews

Summary: A woman has the Christmas Eve from Hell. Two cat shifters play naughty games. And a witch brings out the beast inside the man. The magic of the season takes on a whole new meaning in these three fantastic—and festive—novellas from some of the best voices in paranormal romance.

I asked to review Winter Wishes because all three authors are favorites of mine and it sounded as if the stories were all unique, and not your usual holiday fare. I was certainly correct in that assumption. All three stories were fast paced, steamy and the settings were imaginative and unique. The three novellas are available individually as well, so I'm going to do mini reviews of each one.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend: Viv has once again steamed up my Kindle with this awesome shifter story. El is a cop who prefers to deny her shifter side, but uses it to take Kyle Branegan into protective custody. Turns out Kyle is also a Cougar, but he embraces his shifter side and is a member of a shifter law enforcement organization. He makes it his mission to teach El how to embrace who she is, while she "protects" him until a trial where he's going to testify. This story has very steamy sex, plot twists galore, and witty banter. I loved it.

No Angel by Vivi Andrews: I love the author's writing style, full of humor, action and romance, but this story was not what I expected. It's a very cool plot involving demons straight from hell, and angels, who aren't as holy as they appear to be. Sasha is a kick ass stunt women who loves tough guys, but falls for Jay, who appears to be a generous, sensitive soul. She loves him even though he didn't exactly set her world on fire until he gets sucked back to hell where his new step dad rules, and the angels decide Sasha needs to rescue him. I loved this story for the humor, and the interaction between the demons and the angels, which ended up being complex with humans right in the middle. The two main characters are great- as is their banter.

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers: I've been waiting for this story from Moira Rogers since they announced it was coming. The world is in an ice age and humans know about werewolves and witches, but many of them would rather torture and test them than live among them. Shane is a werewolf who will do anything he can to not give into his instincts and Nadia is a witch who's escaped from a lab where she was tortured. He needs to protect her, and she needs help, but things aren't that simple in this wild and complex world where everyone is simply trying to survive. This story is different than the authors' other shifter stories because it's darker, the characters are brooding yet passionate, and the world they've created is stark and harsh. I loved the interaction between the two characters as they got to know one another. The story was emotional in so many ways, and by the end I was holding my breath in suspense of what would happen. I would love to see more stories set in this world.

For more information on the authors visit their websites below:

Vivi Andrews: http://viviandrews.blogspot.com/
Vivian Arend: http://vivianarend.com/
Moira Rogers: http://moirarogers.com/blog

~Brenda

Moira Rogers on Research, Wolves & Sex

I have been wanting to interview Bree and Donna, who write under the name Moira Rogers, since last spring. I finally got the chance this month, and hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. Before I begin, I want to share a paragraph from their bio that gives you glimpse at their unique personalities and writing style:

How do you make a Moira Rogers? Take a former forensic science and nursing student obsessed with paranormal romance and add a computer programmer with a passion for gritty urban fantasy. Toss in a dash of whimsy and a lot of caffeine, and enjoy with a side of chocolate by the light of the full moon.

My first two questions pertain to their new series, Building Sanctuary, which takes place during the 1930's. It features bootlegging werewolves and former debutantes who join together to start a safe place for shifters and their families. I've reviewed the series below the interview here.

Brenda: How the long was this idea in your heads, and did you think people would like it immediately?

Bree: It evolved while we were working on Sanctuary's Price and getting ready to start plotting Sanctuary Unbound. A big part of that was considering Adam's backstory, and the more we talked about it, the more I liked the idea of writing that story. Then I think I started in on Donna, trying to convince her. :D I can't remember, Donna--was it difficult?

Donna: Not really. The biggest hurdle we faced, I think, was figuring out how we could convince our editor to let us write it. Then it turned out not to be a problem at all, because she was like, "Hey, go for it."

Bree: We hoped people would like it, of course, but we were aware that it was a risk. 1930s historicals are not exactly an in demand commodity, but our editor gave us her support and so far I've been thrilled with the response!

Brenda: Was there a lot of research involved to write about that time period, or did you wing some of it? (It was such a fascinating era.)

Donna: There's a ton of research involved, even if it's stuff that never shows up on the page. In a lot of ways, it was harder than writing a book set further in the past, because there are a lot of things that aren't entirely different now. It becomes this balancing act, really, where you try to find a way to let the readers know that yes, you did research this, you didn't just pull it out of your--yeah. LOL

Bree: It was tough, and more tough because a big part of this universe has always been that our wolves live off the beaten path. In Undertow, especially, our characters are so far removed from the world and conveniences of their time that we were essentially writing 1930s characters living a frontier-style life. We didn't set ourselves up for an easy time, that's for sure.

Brenda: I've been dying to ask you a question since reading your books for the first time. I find your love scenes very steamy, as I'm sure all your fans do, but I also find myself giggling at the banter between the couples during sex. Did you always write the love scenes this way...or did it develop with time? I picture you gals going over the scenes, snickering and saying things like "OMG, yeah, yeah, he should say that when he's doing this..." "Come on, they can't do that, can they?". Please 'fess up on the process you go through to write those scorching scenes. I know others must wonder about this too.

Bree: Best. Question. Ever. Because really, our process for writing sex scenes is moderately hysterical, I think. You wouldn't believe how many times I have to IM Donna with, "Choreography check!"

Donna: I'm not going to lie--sometimes I have to pause mid-scene to go find some streaming porn, JUST to figure out if people can really bend that way.

Bree: And then there's all the frantic conversations that go something like this:

Me: I CAN'T WRITE THIS DIALOGUE, IT IS TOO FILTHY!
Donna: Doooooo it.
Me: No! OMG. I can't!
Donna: Do it now!
Me: *cry*

Donna: Or, "OMG [HERO'S NAME] IS SO DIIIIIIRTY!!" We do that a lot too.

Bree: Or the question so inevitable it has become our standing joke for how silly our job can be at times: "What color are [character]'s panties?!?"

Donna: Seriously, though. Beyond the choreography and panties, each scene is different. Whether it's sweet or spicy or both is all dependent on who's getting it on. Some couples talk more, or dirtier, than others. They all have a distinct dynamic, and that's what leads the scenes more than anything else.

Bree: And in between the jokes and the laughing, we do spend endless hours discussing those dynamics. (Sometimes over the dinner table, much to our husbands' unending consternation.) We want our characters to be changed by the sex they have, and that means we have to go into each scene knowing what they need to learn or give. That takes planning!

Brenda: Do you both see yourself writing when your sitting on the porch, rocking in your favorite chair, at 80 years old, or do you think a time will come when you'll say "Hey, I'm all written out, it's time to give it a rest?"

Donna: Nope. I hope I can come up with some awesome stories to tell when I've been around that long.

Bree: I figure some day, we'll probably run out of ideas. Maybe. But they are always stacking up faster than we could possibly write them, so I guess after we run out of ideas we can work our way through the backlog. Then take a break. ;) (Of course, chances are good we'll come up with more ideas in the meantime!)

Brenda: Thanks for letting me pick your brains ladies. I knew you two would be a hoot to interview. Now, everyone go out and buy a Moira Rogers e-book so you can understand my question about their steamy sex scenes:) I promise it will be worth it.

Visit Bree and Donna, the team who make up Moira Rogers at the following places:
-Moira Rogers Website: http://moirarogers.com/
-Bree & Donna's Blog: http://moirarogers.com/blog/
-Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moira-Rogers/28543327904
-Bree @ Twitter: http://twitter.com/moirarogersbree
-Donna @ Twitter: http://twitter.com/donnajherren

~Brenda

Kindle Review: Primal Hunger

Primal Hunger
Pendragon Gargoyles #1
Author: Sydney Somers
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 516 KB
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Available from Amazon

Summary: Kennedy Beaumont loves her bartending job, even if her spirited nature sometimes gets her in trouble. Like threatening to hose down one of Pendragon's co-owners. When it comes to Tristan, she could use a good hosing down herself-maybe it'll help her stop casting him as the star of her wickedest dreams. Since he goes out of his way to avoid her, it ought to be easy to put him out of her head-until he reluctantly offers her a ride home.

Primal Hunger is my first Sydney Somers book, and it won't be my last. I loved this fast paced story from the first page as we meet Kennedy, the main character, as she breaks up a fight in the bar she works at as a bartender. She's tough, smart, witty and passionate, but she's oblivious to the supernatural, even after 6 months working in a bar owned by shapeshifters.

The book takes us into this gritty world of shifters, wraiths and Fae as Kennedy discovers they not only exist, but she's right in the middle of the mayhem. It's an action filled urban fantasy with great characters, steamy sex and fascinating mysteries.

Give me a hot shapeshifter with a sarcastic wit and a protective streak and I'm a happy camper. Primal Hunger made me very happy. I loved the characters, and the action kept the book fast paced and interesting right until the end. It's the first book in a series, and the author introduces the world without giving away too much, nor leaving out essential information. Primal Hunger leaves the reader satisfied, yet excited to read the next story in the series.

You can learn more about the series on the author's website here.