Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Here we go again, another book I don’t know who gave it to me or when I got it, but Water’s Blood by Elaine Calloway was released 1.28.13. So I will share a one sentence review.
Walking the New Orleans streets, the Elementals search for the Minare, the Fallen Angels, but Brooke, a Water Elemental has an even more important mission of her own, to save her human family, and everything about the book made me want to read it, though, I did have some trouble with Ella, until I let my mind go and the fantasy take me where it will.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Nature’s
Elementals—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water—have lived for countless
millennia. Disguised as humans, they are charged with one mission:
protect the innocent from fallen angel clans, who reap human souls and
force them to do their bidding.
Brooke, a Water Elemental
stationed in New Orleans, broke the rules once—she mated with a human.
For her indiscretion, she is forbidden to share a life with her loved
ones: NOPD officer Alex and their half-breed daughter, Ella.
Now Ella is about to turn sixteen, and the local clan of fallen angels is determined to snare her soul by Halloween.
Brooke broke the rules once by allowing love to interfere with her mission. Now she and Alex must put consequences aside to break the rules again—if they wish to save their daughter’s soul.
BDSM/AP lifestyler Breanna Hayse strives to give her readers truth and
reality of the BDSM/Age-Play/Total Power and Erotic Exchange lifestyle.
Who am I?
I’m a native Californian gone ‘wild’, and had the opportunity to travel
the globe and discover the world through the eyes of both a Marine
Intelligence specialist and a BDSM lifestyler. I left the service to
go into hospice nursing and grief counseling, eventually working as a
marriage and family therapist for those involved in alternative
lifestyle development. This experience has allowed me to gain unique
inspiration for my books and offer realistic plots and relatable
characters.
In 2004, my husband, John, and I joined forces to work with both
submissives and dominants- teaching, training, listening and loving.
Our goal was to take the mystery and fear out of the lifestyle and
mentor people in safe, consensual and healthy relationships.
My first book, The Game Plan, was published in 2012 and opened the door
to the now-booming world of Age-Play literature. Since that time,
I’ve devoted my ‘spare’ time to writing, researching, community
involvement, and private and group pro bono counseling in deviant
behavior, alternative lifestyle, and addiction recovery.
I was formally ‘dungeon trained’ as a Domme before discovering my
submissive side when I joined the service. My scenarios are pulled
primarily from either personal experience or observation, including
spending time in BDSM clubs as the safety/medical officer. My
multi-faceted background allows me to glean from many avenues and
give a unique and intelligent literary experience through elements of
fantasy and fiction. I also discuss the questions and psychology of
the lifestyle in a manner that is fun and informative, and based on
‘the real deal.’
I live with my husband, musician, and fellow-author, John Hayse, and
two border collies in southern California. We practice a 24/7 D&S
relationship with speckles of AP (and many trips to Build-A-Bear),
and happily spend every moment together that we can. My hobbies
include my puppies, hiding my vanilla salt-water taffy where John
can’t find it, exotic art, collecting inspirational trinkets, and
developing my own paddle line. You can also see me as a featured
author/instructor in professional conference settings and as a
Sexpert for kinkyliterature.com.
I have read several of Abigail Owens series and loved them, so when I got a chance to read The Rogue King, the first book in the Inferno Rising series, I had to have it!!!!
Happy Release Day to Abigail Owen and her Rogue King.
Her heroes are some kind of gorgeous. Just take a look at the cover for yourself.
The Rogue King by Abigail Owen (Inferno Rising #1) Published by: Entangled: Amara Publication date: July 30th 2019 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
MY REVIEW
She chose her moment to die…to save her children!
It is insta love, which in the dragon world is very acceptable, and Brand has an overwhelming need to help the woman covered in flames.
Kasia has seen him in her visions. She has been waiting for him. Everyone wants her…dragons, werewolves, vampires… for their own reasons, but no one will make her do something that isn’t right for her.
Brand is a rogue, unclaimed by any dragon clan.
Though the theme, dragons and paranormal romance is familiar, the Phoenix is rare and coveted…by me and other lovers of the supernatural world. Even though I know dragon meets girl, falls in love, braves many dangers and lives happy ever after, it’s the bits and pieces that an author like Abigail Owen adds that makes the story special.
The world building makes the scenery and action come to life. The characters are easy for me to remember, because the story engulfed me. At times the dialogue is humorous, helping alleviate the feeling of danger that hovers around the characters. Tons of action and never a dull moment.
I have read several of Abigail Owen’s series and look forward to each and every story she writes. As expected, she gave me a magical love story and new characters to love in her new Inferno Rising series. I have met two of Kasia’s sisters and I think I know who’s story may be next. I can hardly wait.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Rogue King by Abigail Owen.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Kasia
Amon is a master at hiding. Who—and what—she is makes her a mark for
the entire supernatural world. Especially dragon shifters. To them,
she’s treasure to be taken and claimed. A golden ticket to their highest
throne. But she can’t stop bursting into flames, and there’s a sexy
dragon shifter in town hunting for her…
As
a rogue dragon, Brand Astarot has spent his life in the dark, shunned
by his own kind, concealing his true identity. Only his dangerous
reputation ensures his survival. Delivering a phoenix to the feared
Blood King will bring him one step closer to the revenge he’s waited
centuries to take. No way is he letting the feisty beauty get away.
But
when Kasia sparks a white-hot need in him that’s impossible to ignore,
Brand begins to form a new plan: claim her for himself…and take back his
birthright.
ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN
Award-winning
paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in
Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in
Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are
the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and
exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of
Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career
related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric
(Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing
without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Ghost Storm by Jessie Renee was published on 9.3.15 and has sat in my Documents on Kindle for, well, probably, almost that long. Why it took me so long to visit Hidden Bay, I can’t say for sure, but, now that I have, I would like to return again…and again.
I was so happy to visit these wonderful characters and Hidden Bay, where nothing is at it seems and there is a special someone that will help to soothe the lost souls, maybe even find a little romance in Ghost Storm, an engrossing supernatural tale that left me wanting to revisit them.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Melodie thought Hidden Bay was just another stop in her nomadic life. That soon she’d be moving on again.
But
as soon as she arrives, strange things begin to happen. There’s Blake,
the guy who’s so familiar, though she’s sure she’s never met him;
there’s the man who keeps appearing, who may not be a man at all; and
there’s the blackouts.
Except that in the blackness, she’s going somewhere. Somewhere other. Somewhere dark, and wet, and full of pain.
And if she doesn’t work out what it all means soon, it could be too late. For her. For Blake. Perhaps for the whole town of Hidden Bay.
Fate of Dragons Alisha Klapheke (Dragons Rising #1) Publication date: March 27th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
An Earth Queen desperate to wake her magic.
An elven prince fighting a ruthless betrayal.
A flood is coming. The Sea Queen has a mad plan to drown the world.
Only the magic of the Earth Queen can stop her. Vahly, the last human, was born to fill that role and wield the power necessary to battle the rising oceans and save the dragons and elves.
But Vahly is the world’s biggest disappointment. She possesses no magic whatsoever.
When she finds an ancient scroll that mentions a human power ritual conducted deep in the homeland of the elves, she gathers her dragon allies and journeys to see the king of that great forest-dwelling race.
Welcomed by a handsome royal cloaked in dark magic, will Vahly find answers or will a twisted and powerful elven lord destroy her chance at saving the world?
When USA Today Bestselling author Alisha Klapheke isn’t busy creating new fantasy worlds, she teaches martial arts (specifically Muay Thai kickboxing, Krav Maga, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), loves on her two amazing kids, and travels the world with her ninja husband. *Alisha made the list November 2, 2017
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Sexy Aliens/Sassy Dragons
Earth’s fate rests in the hands of shape-shifting dragons, studly aliens, and a determined woman who demands a say in her own fate. In this exciting finale of the An Alien Exchange trilogy, follow their adventures across the galaxy to a tale that features mounting action, stimulating passion, and heart-pounding emotions.
Sherrilyn Marie Cantor firmly believes success doesn’t come to those who sit around and wait for it to show up; it takes determination, discipline, and hard work. At thirty-four, she has it all – a successful business and more money than she can spend until a jealous partner sets her up and frames her for stealing trade secrets. She loses everything and faces a twenty-year federal prison sentence. When an unexpected offer to find “love among the stars” comes her way, she doesn’t hesitate to escape her unjust fate and leaves Earth forever.
A Zerin descended from a secretive line of dragon shapeshifters, M’alalu (Ki) Ki E’eur ignores the fact he’s living a half-life. Broken from childhood guilt for the murder of his parents and six year-old sister, he silently goes through the motions of everyday life. A former mercenary and friend of the crown prince of Zerin, Ki absorbs a debt his prince intended to take. He’s expendable; the prince isn’t. Now he’s in the crosshairs of a power-hungry despot determined to overthrow the current democratic galactic government.
Read an Excerpt
Being possessed sucked.
Yep, she, Sherrilyn Marie Cantor, was possessed—like “demon taking over your body” type of possessed. Instead of housing a spitting-pea-soup demon, Sherri endured an unwanted galactic gangster fighting for domination of her body and mind. From the moment the bubble housing the Dread Pirate Maynwaring popped over her face and his essence entered her, she’d been fighting for control. So far she’d kept a tight lid on things, but the whole situation was turning out to be a huge pain in the ass.
But, bright side, she had help from her Zerin shipmate, Ki. He’d taught her how to access the memories of her unwanted guest while at the same time keeping him locked away. Jeez, the spirit called himself Dread Pirate. What kind of name was that? Apparently, that wasn’t his original name, but something he’d adopted after hearing the story of The Princess Bride from a human slave. He’d become so enamored of the dread pirate character he changed his title.
What a snowflake.
What’sss a sssnowflake, human? He asked it in his normal, hissy tone.
How a disembodied entity had a tone was a mystery to her. He sounded like a snake with a speech impediment. She created a visual of sticking his stupid forked tongue between his teeth and clamping his mouth shut then taping it closed. And, if he called her human in that derogatory manner one more time….
Ki’s training kicked in. Instead of imagining the pain she’d rather give, she created a dark, dank pit to throw his happy ass in.
No…no, don’t ssssnd me there again!
Sherri imagined throwing his bright orb down a bottomless cavern before rolling an avalanche of sharp, heavy rocks to cover the hole. Dust billowed up and down before it settled in a thick layer to create a mountain to contain him. Then she pictured the mountain folding upon itself, repeatedly, until it was a speck of light flashing out of her thoughts.
Unfortunately, this exercise never held him for long. One minute he’d be gone (treasured silence), and the next, he’d be right back butting in and making snarky comments every chance he got. You’d think he’d be smart enough to keep his mouth shut so she didn’t know he was there.
Whoa…where’d that creepy idea come from? Sometimes the hair on the back of her neck broke out in chill bumps as if someone looked over her shoulder. What if…what if she wasn’t aware when he wormed his way out? Was he spying on private intimate things she was obsessed with…like say, a certain tall, well-built, sexy-as-sin Zerin named Ki…
Damn it! She shook her head to get rid of that image. She didn’t trust people outside of her body, much less the asshole inside. Only constant vigilance on her part would keep the alien in the hole she’d put it in. Shit, no wonder she was tired all the time.
Sherri sat with her feet over the side of the comfortable bed she’d slept in. She had to admit, she was happy enough with the accommodations aboard the organic AI ship called “Elemi.” Still, she could do without the snarky attitude the female contraption gave her all the time. The sleek 11-15 ship apparently came with a load of baggage, and not the kind Sherri liked to use on vacations.
About the Author:
A native Nevadan, Keri resides with her family in the wilds of Northwest Michigan where she enjoys the stark change in seasons and the pleasures each one brings. An avid reader, Keri loves an enjoyable bottle of red wine, a variety of delicious foods and watching action/adventure movies…usually at the same time. You can find her most days immersed in her fantasy world on her latest novel while foot tappin’ to classic rock. When not absorbed in her writing, Keri works alongside her husband in building their dream home or discovering intelligent life in America in their RV.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Today I am sharing one that has been hanging around in Documents on my Kindle for a very long time, Dark Promise, Between Worlds Book I by Julia Crane & Talie Jager. Why? They tend to get lost through all the one clicking I used to do. I still have trouble controlling myself, but I am trying to be choosier. There isn’t enough time to read them all.
Dark Promise was free when I created this post, but be sure and check for the ‘0’
There is more than one cover and I am curious which you like more. They are both gorgeous in their own right and I cannot choose my favorite. How about you?
Rylie is special. Her mother gave her up when she was a baby to keep her safe, but now her birthday is approaching and there is nowhere to hide.
I was quickly intrigued…faeries…I haven’t read a lot of them. Once she met Kallan I became hooked. Even though there is a triangle, it doesn’t bother me, the guys are two separate beings and that just adds to my curiosity…which will she choose…and why.
My only problem, I was just getting hot and heavy into the book and it ended. I need more.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Rylie has it all – great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.
I have seen Tegon Maus’ books around and heard such good things that I had to find out for myself. I was not disappointed.
The story is about Enon, a Jonda and mind reader, and Elisabeth, kidnapped royalty.
Enon would either be a hero or a dead
man. The fighting is fierce, but he makes a good showing, even managing
to hook up with a woman who has his number. Their verbal banter is more
often funny than hurtful.
Would betrayal take the king’s life? Isn’t there always someone hiding in the shadows wanting the kingdom?
The world created is fraught with danger
and enemies at every turn. Will the frightened little man become an
unwilling hero? Well, all I can say is the journey is long and arduous,
and not all will return.
Tegon Maus can sure spin a tale, drawing me in, making me crave more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Gift by Tegon Maus.
4 Stars
BLURB
Tucker
Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man. In an attempt to take advantage of a
party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s
niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as
heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to
death. To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul
bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha
instead and their leader Tahki – a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a
volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is
blackmailed into her recovery. Will the help of his companion, Enon, help them
save Lizie…and themselves?
“Transformed by a
primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible
gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its
bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead
until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see
again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to
find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten
stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at
birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again –
all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for
the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I
can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is
true-spoken.”
EXCERPT
She grabbed my right hand, holding it tightly. I was frozen
with fear and could not escape. The dagger suddenly flashed in her hand and she
drove it deep into my palm. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my
mouth. If it did, it was drowned out by the wails of Enon’s dog. It howled,
pained as deeply as I, as the flames of the fires became fingers, rippling out
to tear open the dog’s chest. They responded to Daneba’s voice, doing her
bidding, and peeled layers of flesh, laying open bone and hide alike, exposing
the animal’s beating heart.
A second unholy scream filled the air, deeper, wilder than
that of the creature laid open at my side. It was Enon, and all that had
happened to the dog began to repeat itself with him.
He, still kneeling, screamed as his chest turned inside out,
his beating heart exposed to my gaze.
I was next to be disemboweled by her spell. The tearing of
cloth and the sizzle of the fire as it pulled open my skin was deafening. The
snap of bone wrenched at my fear and as I looked down, there beat my own heart.
Blood ran freely from the hole in Enon’s hand. Daneba’s chant gained volume as
she collected it in a silver bowl and the wind blew harder. As she chanted and
the fire licked out repeatedly toward me, she poured Enon’s blood into the
fresh wound in my palm and between my fingers. She raised the bowl higher and
the blood that streamed from it thinned to a single strand.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
I was raised
pretty much the same as everyone else… devoted mother, strict father and all
the imaginary friends I could conjure.
The first thing
I can remember writing was for my wife. For the life of me I can’t remember
what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in
my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after
that. I spent a good number of years chasing other dreams before I got back to
writing.
Hanzel and Gretel’s story has nothing on Bulwark and the Gingerbread House.
It all started with and accident and a large puddle of water appearing from nowhere…and the town went to hell.
Clay is the small town sheriff and is prime marriage material. Dayna is the local reporter and dogging his every step, causing many personal problems for Clay.
It had been fifty years since the ‘unusual’ killings.
There are plenty of scary moments when I wondered who would survive and, of the ones who would bite the dust, how it would happen. Not much good going on, but when it happened, it was great. Plenty of magical badness.
Need a good scare, this may be for you. Is it there? Is it all in your mind? There are two endings and for those who want a HEA, you’ll want to read the second one. Me…I loved the first ending…it keeps on giving…
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bulwark by Brit Lunden.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong, and will Jenna ever come back to him. He’s troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life. Clay has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.
Stranger Rituals Kali Rose Schmidt Publication date: July 9th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, New Adult
A fighter with a venomous grudge.
A monster with an immortal curse.
A girl with a terrible gift.
All three out for blood in a land torn apart by harsh gods and holy wars. Each entwined with the other, on their own quests for vengeance, and yet held together by strange links to sinister pasts. As their fates unravel, a dangerous romance blooms, and violent darkness beckons.
At turns both darkly humorous and utterly morbid, STRANGER RITUALS is the startling first novel in Kali Rose Schmidt’s dark new series.
She swallowed, and then moved away, ducking her face from his grasp, hating how he knew her weakness so well. She rose from her knees. The Djavul stared up at her a moment, then gracefully stood to his full height.
“What did they want?” she questioned.
Vojtech smiled. “You have a job to do.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. That’s guarding you. It’s a thrill a minute.” She gestured toward the ruined soldier beside them.
Vojtech frowned. “I actually thought you were growing bored here. No attacks in three months, only this idiot sneaking around in the desert.” He shrugged. “It seems Olofsson is losing his fear of me.”
“Good.” Scarko’s words mingled with fury. “Let him. It’ll serve our purpose for the second Holy War.” She stalked back to the Warskian soldier’s head, lifted it by the scraggly, blood-drenched hair. “So, what did the gods want?”
Vojtech watched her carefully, hands clasped before him. “You’re to go to the city of Kezda. A boy there is immune, it seems, to Vrakan abilities. You are to kill him.”
Scarko dropped the head with a thud. “What?” she hissed. “Why me? I’m your guard. Send someone else.”
Vojtech smiled. “As much as I enjoy you bossing me around, the gods are not so easily convinced.” He wiped his hands on his black robes and sighed. “This boy is a street fighter,” he wrinkled his nose, “taking on Vrakan defectives from the Warskian army. While he isn’t able to die from the usual Vrakan methods—ice, wind, fire, shadows—I think your magic could kill him. That’s why you.”
Scarko left the head on the stone floor and stalked toward the stairwell, behind the Djavul.
“I’m sure he’d die by sword just fine. Tell the gods I won’t go. A street fighter—the nerve of them…”
She made to pass Vojtech, but he snaked a hand out and gently stroked her dark blonde braid, the color of damp sand. She spun around to face him, fury in her eyes. But it was equally matched in his.
“I am the Djavul of the Order of Saints, Scarko Kadezska. You will not blasphemy our gods here. You know as well as I do that we cannot resist their orders, and we should not. They have guided me thus far.” He took a step toward her, brushed a cold finger against her cheek. “You will do this, and you will return to me.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and turned, clomping up the stairs. She heard him chuckle softly as she pushed open the doors from the dungeon, the Shadows on guard making way for her, black thread entwined in their grey cloaks, same as hers.
“Watch him,” she said unceremoniously.”
Author Bio:
Kali Rose Schmidt is an author, mother, and villain lover. She likes bloody tales of monsters, yoga with the lights off, and anything that goes bump in the night.
