Favorite Scenes Friday: Justice

A loud noise boomed and wood split in the living room. It sounded as if someone had kicked down the front door. She grabbed Justice’s hand to shove over his injury.

“Press here, hold it tight and don’t move. I love you.”

She grabbed the empty gun and reached into her shirt. Her hand smeared Justice’s blood all over her vest, shirt and breasts as she yanked out the clip. She slammed it into the empty chamber as she rose to her feet. She gripped both guns in her fists and spread her feed apart to plant them on both sides of Justice’s hips.

It was a bad place to be as far as tactical advantages went. Windows were all around them–a huge glass slider and the open archway that led to the living room. There was no cover. Justice was too heavy and too hurt to move. The fifth male would strike and she hoped he’d come from the archway since that’s where she’d heard the house breached.

Her eyes scanned the room frantically.–Justice by Laurann Dohner

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Erotic “Alien” Romance Books I’ve Read

Yes, this seems to be my year for reading romances about aliens wanting human women. I don’t know if there are more erotic “alien” romance books than normal ones, but that’s what I’ve been reading. I’ve read most of the books below, unfortunately there were a few that even I couldn’t get through.

The Spawning by Kaitlyn O’Connor

Miranda had been snatched and packed for shipping so fast, she was still reeling with shock when the trader marched her and the other women hed kidnapped from Earth into the compound on the strange, alien world.

She discovered that was only the beginning, however.

The Hirachi were nearing their spawning season. When the massive, golden skinned, dark haired warriors marched from the sea, she learned that the trader had brought her and the others to sell them to the Hirachi as breeders.

Daughters of Terra by Theolyn Boese

Theadora Conner lived a quiet, solitary life until she met two strange men one night at a club. Several days later, after a surgically neat kidnapping, she awoke to find that her world has been turned upside down. Told that she was mated to both men and altered to carry their children, she finds herself thrown into a world and culture she knows nothing about, one where science, myth, and religion seem to blend seamlessly.

As she tries to accept her new life with Kyrin and Daeshen, her new husbands, a hidden danger stalks the human women. For not all of the Ta’e’sha are happy to accept these women, and one expresses his contempt with rape.

Sheala by Judy Mays

When a Gattan warrior loves a woman, nothing will stop him from claiming her – not breaking his society’s long-standing traditions on a world not his own nor the fact that this woman’s brother was once an enemy.

From the first moment Marljas caught sight of Sheala’s curvaceous body and mischievous eyes, he wanted her. When she accidentally cut him, she sealed her fate. She’d blooded his neck, claiming him in true Gattan tradition. By all rights, she was his.

Raised on the hedonistic planet Drakan, Sheala learned a myriad of ways to please a lover. However, she decides to practice the sensual arts she had learned on the handsome Gattan visiting her family. The virile lion man with golden hair, tufted ears, and an Alalakan dragon tattoo his shoulder fascinated her. But it was the huge bulge between his legs that came alive every time she was near him that captured her attention. Oh, yes, Marljas would be her first true lover.

After Sheala is kidnapped and tortured by a family enemy, the indulged, protected young woman she’d been disappeared. Hoping Marljas will heal her physically and mentally, Sheala initiates the blood ritual that would bind her to him forever.

The fire he ignites in her soul does much, much more.

The Hunter’s Surrender by Kaenar Langford

Maddie Graham is a bounty hunter who likes to keep a low profile. But her stellar reputation has brought her under the keen eye of the Tentalians who feel she’ll be a fitting brood mare for their king. Little do they realize that kidnapping Maddie will be the easy part. She’s far more dangerous than they thought, and it has nothing to do with her hunting skills.

King Rochar and his consort, Santara, aren’t sure what to expect with Maddie. Living on an all male planet, they’ve been taught to view women as mere vessels for future children. But they soon discover Maddie is as feisty as she is compassionate, and her presence threatens to unravel the very fabric of their civilization when they realize she means much more than they’d ever thought possible. As the moment approaches to choose their destiny, will they fall victim to their sense of duty, or will a new order rise with the ringing of the Soprac bells?

Demon’s Captive by Stephanie Snow

Charity is almost through with college when war breaks out and the planet is decimated. Charity is alone, without family or friends and she has eluded capture by the warriors in the sky.

Commander Melmanon is furious that the Earth woman has been able to elude capture. Melmanon is known for his terrible bloodlust and ability to torture his captives. His pride has taken a beating and he visualizes his revenge on his enemy.

When Charity is finally captured by Melmanon, she is terrified when she sees he looks like a demon. Fearing pain and a slow death, Charity submits to Melmanon and he is surprised that her submission brings him great pleasure. He makes Charity his torture slave so he can keep her with him longer. Nobody is more surprised than Charity when she finds herself liking Melmanon’s attention. But Charity’s loyalties and feelings are put to the test and she will soon have to make difficult decisions. But not as difficult as those Melmanon will have to make…

Ral’s Woman by Laurann Dohner

Ariel never knew aliens existed until she finds herself kidnapped and taken from Earth. When the Anzon declare humans useless, she learns her fate-prize for the winner of a brutal fight between large, muscled alien men.

Ral is a Zorn warrior. He has also been kidnapped by the Anzon, along with his crew. Forced into slavery, he’s got one thing on his mind-freeing his people. That is, until he sees the small human woman he’s willing to fight to win. He doesn’t just want her body, he wants her heart forever.

In the hands of a hot alien, Ariel is about to discover how pleasurable captivity can be.

Belle Starr by Belinda McBride

Marshal Annabelle “Cowgirl” Oakley is the best law enforcement officer in Interstellar Coalition Enforcement. With her wolf Tucker at her side, Belle is clearly the best man for the job. Unfortunately, the job comes with hazards, and one of those hazards comes in the shape of tall, mysterious Armand.

Armand de le Croix is a werewolf with amnesia. He has no idea how he came to be living in Coalition space, he doesn’t know where his people are, or why his inky black hair is now snowy white. He just knows that the tall, dangerous redhead is all that he wants, and he means to have her regardless of what he must do to win.

Review: The Bloodgate Warrior by Joely Sue Burkhart

The Bloodgate Warrior by Joely Sue Burkhart
Carina Press (Aug. 6, 2012)
ebook: $3.99
ISBN: 9781426894183

Favorite Lines: “Maybe I wouldn’t feel so guilty about the dreams if they weren’t so… Raw. Uncomfortable. Even violent sometimes. He scares me with his intensity, and yet I love every minute of it. Don’t get me wrong, my dream lover can be incredibly tender. The way he cups my face in his big, powerful hands and strokes my cheek with his thumbs makes me melt, but he’s relentless too. He won’t let me pretend to hide or lie about what it is that I’ve come to expect–and want–from him.”(p. 16, e-galley)

As the Mayan hero Técun lay dying, a sorceress cast a spell tying her bloodline to him, so that one day he could return and avenge their people…

Following a near-death experience, Cassandra Gonzales is haunted by erotic dreams of a mysterious man. As the dreams intensify, she is compelled to travel to Guatemala in search of him. There she learns that her blood has opened a gate—and she is the only one who can bring the great warrior back from the afterlife.

Once faced with Técun in the flesh, Cassie fears the need he stirs within her. She aches to submit to the pleasure he promises, but first she must learn to trust in him, and in her own desires. Their time for sensual exploration is brief—Técun’s killer has escaped, intent on sacrificing Cassie and wreaking havoc on the world. Now, only Cassie’s complete and willing surrender to Técun will give him the power to defeat the demon once and for all…

I started reading The Bloodgate Warrior  and the first thing I noticed was how short it showed up on my nook. My nook showed 137 pages and the story ended on page 132. I point this out because it means my expectations for a short story are different from those of a full length novel. I know there will be less depth and I adjust before reading.

The Bloodgate Warrior is book two in Joely Sue Burkhart’s Mayan Bloodgates paranormal romance series. It is told in first person and is written as additions in a family journal. Chapter one begins:

“Entry added August 2012 to the Guzman-Gonzales family journal by Cassandra Luisa Gonzales.”–p. 9

I’m not a fan of diary style romances but I knew it was supposed to be filled with erotic scenes and decided to give it a shot. First off let me say it’s not filled with as many erotic scenes as I expected. This isn’t necessarily bad. It’s just different. As it is, reading a family journal about “porn moments” just feels wrong. Like this:

“God, it makes my face hot with shame just writing this down. Yet I’m squirming in my chair, too,  and hurrying so I can slip between the luxurious hotel sheets and get to him as quickly as possible.”–p. 16

Can you imaging writing about your intimate encounters and dreams in a book for your descendants to read? I can’t and it affected my thoughts of the story. Instead of simply being a form of story telling, the journal idea yanked me out of the world Joely Sue Burkhart created. I realize this is a matter of preference, but my squicky feelings were reinforced throughout the tale by the story which is told in first person past tense. The Bloodgate Warrior should have been a quick read, it felt like it would never end.

I liked the idea of a Mayan warrior arriving in the present day to prevent a destructive evil force. The hero and heroine had explosive chemistry. Técun liked to dominate in sex and Cassie liked to submit. Both liked to please the other even more. My problem is that I never felt anything. I didn’t care if the good guys won or loss. I never felt the attraction more than I would notice two animals mating. I was extremely apathetic to the entire story.

In the end, I wanted to love The Bloodgate Warrior but I never quite made it past the “it’s okay” point. The book is inexpensive though, so if your library doesn’t carry the book pick it up from Carina Press, B&N, Amazon or where ever you buy your ebooks.

Quickie Review: Elements Unbound by Lorie O’Clare

Elements Unbound by Lorie O’Clare
Elora’s Cave (Nov. 2009)
ebook: Free
ISBN: 1419906070

Bruno Tangaree has a mission. With his guidance and strength, the Werewolves of Malta will know more glory than any pack on Earth. And he’s chosen his mate—the only woman who not only makes him burn with hunger, but who can match his special gift—to run by his side as he leads his kind. It’s time to run his little lady to ground.

Book one in the Werewolves of Malta series is a short, erotic snapshot which shows up on my nook as 141 pages long. It is a superficial glimpse into a story about two people becoming a couple. Basically two people become more than friends, but before they can be happy the male plans to challenge the pack’s alpha.

The story lacks depth and emotional exploration. We meet characters, listen in on their thoughts about their lives and how they’ve reached the point we are introduced to them and watch them have sex. We’re not even guaranteed a happy ending because as the old alpha’s mate says “May you have as many wonderful years as I did before this happens to you.” (p. 102)

I didn’t too much care for Elements Unbound. It interchange the word bitch for woman, she or her which irked the shit out of me. That aside, the hero is aggressive and happy with his submissive partner. The heroine loves Bruno’s fierce desire for her. She get excited by his He-man actions. For example, she was excited when he ripped off her clothing and ravaged her on the ground.

If you read this book expect a ton of sex: regular sex, half-shifted to human sex and werewolf to werewolf sex.

Review: Slayer’s Kiss by Cassi Carver

Slayer’s Kiss by Cassi Carver
Samhain Publishing (Feb. 14, 2012)
ebook: $5.50 (it’s on sale right now for $3.85)
ISBN: 9781609286798
Excerpt (Click on the excerpt tab)

Favorite Lines: “I begged him to screw me, Abbs. Like, pleaded for my life, and he refused. Then I cried–real tears–and let him hold me even though I knew he just felt sorry for me. If I never see him again, it’ll be too soon.” (p. 34, ebook given to me by author)

Kara Reed is a supernatural failure. But where her magic falls short, her fists get the job done. The criminal element doesn’t stand a chance once she hits San Diego’s dark streets.

When two smoking-hot tenants move in next door, she thinks her love life might finally be heating up. Just being near Gavin and Julian is enough to make her want to offer her body on a platter.

Gavin and Julian know it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. They’re fallen angels sent to watch over the king’s daughter, one of the last females of her kind. Trouble is, she doesn’t seem to think she needs watching—unless they’re watching her shimmy out of her clothes.

No matter how tempting her guardians, Kara’s not about to let anything stop her from tracking down a sadistic killer who carves into his victims and leaves them for dead. Even when she realizes her target may be the very scourge of heaven from which her angels swore to protect her…

Book one in Cassi Carver’s Shadow Slayers series is an erotic paranormal romance. It is burning the pages, thigh clenching hot. It reminds me of Sunny’s Monère series blended with the smart ass comments generally found in paranormal romance. However, it is fully the voice of new to me author Cassi Carver.

Kara–the heroine–isn’t the easiest woman to like. She is a rough around the edges vigilante who is pretty good at distancing herself from emotion. I say this because there is a scene in which she and her best-friend, Abbey are hunting down a rapist and implant an idea in his head. It could be funny. It would have been funny had he not been magically influenced to do what he was told. Yes, it’s karma  showing her ass, but it’s also just wrong.

Her lust interests are Gavin and Julian, two guardian angels, with the ability to get her juices flowing. Gavin is the more responsible of the two, which leaves Julian to be the hot head. I actually found him to be very immature. Hot, but immature. The winged men have ginormous packages below the belt but women of their race, Demiare, (of which Kara is, although she doesn’t know it) have to reach maturity to accommodate them. Kara is not ready, or so they think. There’s a lot about Kara that is different from other Demiare women.

The men are lords from the Mercury clan and as such are forbidden to share or bond a woman. They are also protectors of the Demiare race. Their duties have led them to Kara, a lone woman, hidden in the human world. They can protect her from the evil looking for her in the form of an Aniliare male…if she accepts their help.

Slayer’s Kiss showed up on my nook as 240 pages which I quickly devoured. The story is easy to follow, quick paced and full of erotic scenes. It takes place in both the human world and the world of the paranormal angels. Like Sunny’s series, the few remaining Demiare females are vicious creatures who have fixated on physical pleasure. Keep that in mind while you read the book. Men in Carver’s paranormal world are used to belonging to a woman’s harem with the exception of the Mercury Lords.

In general I don’t like love triangles. That said, I had no problem getting on board with Carver’s love triangle because she made it clear from the start that it was a sexual attraction and normal to the characters’ race. I didn’t feel an emotional connection. At all.

I guess that can be seen as the only issue I had with the book. I never felt love between any of the characters. Attraction, hell yeah. Love, not so much. For me this equals no clear happy ever after at the end of the book. I’m cool with that, but fans of traditional romance may not be thrilled. Slayer’s Kiss is an introduction to a new world and several characters. As the series progresses I expect for some kind of emotion or love to be woven in with the erotic aspects. I expect to feel a love connection between Kara and her man or men. Right now, I don’t feel that.

In the end, I had a great time reading Slayer’s Kiss. I look forward to following up with Kara in the next book.

Review: Reckless Night by Lisa Marie Rice

Reckless Night by Lisa Marie Rice
HarperCollins (Nov. 29, 2011)
ebook: $0.99 (very short)
ISBN: 9780062115218

Favorite Lines: “They had a fabulous sex life. Drake was an attentive, tender lover who took his time in pleasing her. But every once in a while something in him changed and she caught a glimpse of the truly dangerous man he really was. She hadn’t tamed him, not one bit. He just chose to show her a tender side he said he’d only discovered with her.” (p. 17, egalley)

What do you give your beautiful wife when you’ve got all the money in the world but can’t spend it?

Victor “Drake” Drakovitch used to run a criminal empire, but he gave it all up for the woman he loves. Grace, an accomplished artist, abandoned the life she knew in order to be with the one man she could never live without.

Exiled to an island far from their former lives, the two stay safe from the watchful eyes of Drake’s many enemies. This Christmas, Drake wants to show Grace how much her sacrifice means. But what can he give a woman who shuns gold jewelry and diamonds, furs and expensive cars? Grace doesn’t want fancy things; she wants what Drake can give her—unquestioning devotion, fierce protection… and the best sex a woman has ever had.

Until terror strikes and Grace realizes that the best gift of all is a dangerous husband.

Lisa Marie Rice, author of the Dangerous series, follows up book three in the series (Dangerous Passion) with a peek into its hero’s and heroine’s new lives. A peek into their new lives is told in Reckless Night. When I say peek, I mean the story began on page 4 and it ended on page 30, according to my nook.

The short, erotic snippet of the married couples’ life will most likely appeal to those who read Dangerous Passions. I didn’t get sucked into the story, but the sex. Oh, the sex is another matter entirely.

The blistering sex features a “huge erect penis” and a woman willing to let her man direct her when it comes to sex. It mixes a little voyeurism with domination by a husband’s “hard, hot club.”

He was huge. When they made love, his foreplay lasted forever because he wanted to make sure she could take him without pain. He’d been able to enter her in one stroke only because she’d been so excited and so very wet.–p. 19

But there is more to the story than sex. The story basically lets the reader know that despite the necessity of changing many things, the hero is still capable of protecting his woman. He’d do anything for her and it shows.

I won’t be re-reading the story, but it is extremely short. All I’m saying is take it for what it is…a glimpse into a couple’s happily ever after.

Fairy Tale Twisted Romance Books for Halloween

Want a book that retells a classic fairy tale? Well, you’re in luck. There are tons of books available for purchase right now, both in paper and electronic formats. This Halloween, think of yourself. You’re kids will be getting plenty of candy, in addition to new costumes. You…well, you will be getting touched by sticky fingers. Pull a little joy out of Halloween by sinking into a romance. (BTW…I haven’t read all of the books listed below.)

An erotic re-telling of Goldie Locks.

Cinderella's Prince Charming is divorced, but he'll find his happily ever after.

Alice in Wonderland has nothing on a plus sized Alice who falls into an erotic Wonderland.

The classic Beauty and the Beast is retold with heavy dose of romance, sex and fantasy.

Giveaway: Trades of the Flesh by Faye L. Booth

Up for grabs today is Faye L. Booth’s Trades of the Flesh. To enter the giveaway just friend me on Facebook, come back and leave me a message that you friended me. Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. Good luck! (Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada 18+ till March 31; 1 entry per person)

Trades of the Flesh by Faye L. Booth
Forge (March 2011)
Trade: $14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2784-0

Some would call Lydia Ketch’s life immoral and shameful.  After her mother’s  death and with the obscene conditions of the workhouse looming before her, Lydia chooses to enter into “the trade” in a brother to shield herself and her sweet young sister from life’s ravages. Her education at the hands of the men who use her gives Lydia some very unusual skills and an income an ordinary woman could never match.

When Lydia meets Henry Shadwell, a young surgeon with a passionate interest in biology—and the shadowy world Lydia lives in—the chemistry between the two is instant.  Henry desires Lydia’s body, but their relationship deepens when he discovers that Lydia possesses a nimble intellect. He soon enlists Lydia’s help in his underground sidelines; first as a model for pornographic photography, then as an assistant in procuring corpses for medical experimentation.

With the dangers of her own line of work becoming clearer by the day, and with her newfound delight in her own sexuality burgeoning, Lydia becomes disillusioned with her life as a prostitute.

It soon become evident that her trade—and Henry’s—are even more dangerous than either had imagined.

Books I Want: January 2011

Y’all are gonna shit when you see the super LONG list of books which are coming out in January. Most of them have been on my buy list for quite a while.

Flip this Zombie by Jesse Petersen (Jan. 3)

The Zombie Apocalypse has been good to Sarah and David. Their marriage is better than ever. They communicate well, share responsibilities, and now, they’re starting a business. ZombieBusters-for all your zombie extermination needs.
There are lots of zombies and that means lots of customers…Except one of them doesn’t want the zombies dead, he wants them alive and ready for experimentation. Mad scientists make for difficult clients and this time, Sarah and David might have bitten off more than they can chew.

Review: Falke’s Peak by Anna Leigh Keaton and Madison Layle

Falke’s Peak by Anna Leigh Keaton and Madison Layle
Ebook: $4.99
Carina Press (December 2010)
ISBN: 9781426890987

Favorite Lines: ” “You know, I’ve always wondered what these cats felt like.” She looked up to see Axel and Heidi watching her. “Of course, I’d never dare touch a live one. Are cougars abundant in this area?”
That’s when the stuffed cat started to purr.” (p. 18 )