Review: Haunted Wolves

Reviewed by Jen
 

I do really enjoy Moira Rogers' sexy shifter stories.  But while there were parts of the book I really liked, I had just a few niggles that kept this from being a home run for me.

The past few years of Lorelei's life have been miserable. She has lost her son, nearly lost her sanity, and endured the destruction of her pack. She has barely held it together, but now, she has two new alphas to give her the safety and peace she has been sorely lacking.

Colin is attracted to Lorelei but her abuse at the hands of other wolves has made her firmly off limits. Until she takes the initiative and acts on the sexual tension they've got going on.  They begin a fragile relationship, but there are many unspoken truths between them.  Colin needs the pack every bit as much as Lorelei does.  He's been a lone wolf for too long; had to see too much --kill too many-- as an enforcer.  Both of them feel broken by their pasts.  The difference is, Colin has no idea just how deep Lorelei's pain really runs.

The dynamic between these two is really good (with one exception I will get to in a moment.)  At the beginning, there is a lot of pull as they skirt the sexual tension.  Later, the actual sex is hot.  And they are easy to root for as they try to give one another the things they need. Colin struggles to make Lorelei feel safe and revels in the way she entrusts her body to him.  They are more whole together than apart.

As they try to find their way together, someone or something is targeting the pack.  One member is killed at the hand of magic.  So Lorelei and Colin travel to Memphis to see if the Bad Wolves there have something to do with it.  In doing so, Lorelei is forced to confront more of her past and Colin begins to see there is so much about her he doesn't know.

I had two issues with the book: one in the internal conflict, one in the external.  My problem with the external conflict: I'm still not really sure what happened.  I'm not sure how the Bad Guys were using the magic to attack the pack and I'm not sure why.  Yeah, I know their names and their supernatural type, but the bigger explanation is not there.  I'm sure we'll get into it in future books, but not getting it now feels really anticlimactic.

As for my relationship issue... there comes a point in the book where all of Lorelei's secrets come out.  I was unhappy with Colin's reaction; unhappy that Lorelei is painted in the wrong.  Her kid is dead.  She is a train wreck.  This is not about you, Colin.  (Plus, I have to say I had a little trouble following her explanation of how her son died.)  *spoiler* If he died immediately in the wreck, how did her surviving save him from the "hunt?"  Was the whole thing a ploy to turn her into a wolf? What happened to her attacker? Anyway, it bothered me that her grief became about Colin.

Overall, I did like it. It just wasn't my favorite.  --Now I am looking forward to seeing poor Zach put himself together. I do love a good tortured hero.

Rating: B-

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Haunted Wolves

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Publisher: Samhain

Review: Diana's Hound

Reviewed by Jen
 

I continue to be impressed with this super-sexy and gritty series.  If you're unfamiliar with the Bloodhound books, they center around a breed of engineered shifters in a kind of alternative- western- historical world with a little bit of a steampunk vibe.  If that sounds kind of schizophrenic, it's not... it really works. Of course, it helps that is has some smokin-hot sex in there too.

We met Diana in Archer's book.  She is an anomoly among the Bloodhounds --A-- because she is a woman and --B-- because she wasn't turned by the Bloodhound Guild. Instead, she was attacked by a rogue hound and survived, changed.  She was taken in by the inventor of the Bloodhound alchemy, though she didn't know it at the time.  Now that he is gone, she is working with Nate, hoping to understand his research.

Nate has been a part of the series from the beginning. I must admit, it was little hard for me to see him as a love interest at first. After all, he was introduced as a father-type figure to Satira... a man in his 60's.  Now that the vampire-Bloodhound hybrid thing he's got going on has changed his physiology, he looks young again. But in my head, Nate = old dude.  However, that all went out of the window when the sexual vibe kicked on.

Nate and Diana want each other.  He's fighting it because of the age difference and because of what he is.  But once they go undercover together to figure out who is selling hounds to the vampires, that reticence gets harder to hold onto.  Especially when they spend the New Moon together.  For new readers, the new moon means "wild, passionate, crazy sex for three days." (*fans self*) In other words... one of the highlights of every book.

If it sounds like I am fixating on the sex, maybe I am I'm not.  But that isn't all the book has to offer.  I liked Diana. She has survived so much and still remains strong and whole and willing to love again.  Nate is a dumbass once or twice, but for the most part, he respects both sides of Diana and only wants what's best for her.  We get some advancement in the overall series arc.  And... dammit, the sex is really hot.

Just read it.

Rating: B+

*ARC provided by author for review 

Click to purchase: Amazon

Diana's Hound

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Publisher: Samhain

Review: Haunted Sanctuary

Reviewed by Jen
 

I've never read Moira Rogers' Red Rock Pass books, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this first book in the spinoff series.  It's set in the same world, but is very easy to jump into as a new reader.  I was never confused or felt like I was missing anything, nor did it seem like we were getting any massive info dumps. The world-building is woven seamlessly into the story.

Jay is a lone wolf in the small town of Clover. That is, until Zack returns to his family's farm.  Jay has no idea that another wolf is linked to the town, especially not one related to Eden, the woman he's been crazy about for ages. But when Eden gets word that something is stirring at the old farm, she knows what it could mean. And sure enough, when she goes out to investigate with Jay, not only does she find her shifter cousin, but other wolves who are out for his blood.  One of them bites her, changing her life forever.

As the story progresses, we learn that Zack was once Alpha to a pack in Memphis, but stronger, power-hungry wolves attacked them. They ran, hoping to find safety on the farm.  Eden and Jay evolve into an Alpha pair and deem the farm a sanctuary to protect the brutalized pack.  This, as the Memphis Alpha's pack threatens to come down and finish what they started.

Right off the bat, I liked the sexual tension between Eden and Jay. Perhaps it was too good, because I was beyond ready for these two to get busy by the time it actually happened. I liked the fact that they had a history together, so it felt more realistic for their relationship to progress so quickly.  I thought Eden adjusted really well to her sudden turning, and it was interesting to see the portrayal of an Alpha pair where "Alpha" doesn't translate into "overbearing buttmonkey."

I've been sitting here, though, trying to figure out why I liked it, but didn't love it. I think it's because the relationship between Eden and Jay was a bit too easy.  Neither one of them really had to work for it. And other than the long wait for sex, everything between them fell into place from the very beginning.  I find my romance ends up being more satisfying with a bit of angst and uncertainly.  Almost all of our angst, here, is in the external conflict tied into the Memphis wolves and the aftermath of their actions.

But, I did enjoy it overall. And I will be back to check out the next story. I hope it's not too soon for Zack and Kaley's story. Now THAT should be deliciously angsty!

Rating: B

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Haunted Sanctuary

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Samhain

Guest Post & Giveaway: Moira Rogers

THE BACKSTORY

From the time we announced the final Red Rock ebook in 2009, people have been asking us when we'd go back to the Sanctuary world and write more about werewolves and their witch rivals. In the beginning we didn't want to return--we had our four books and our two prequel novellas, and those were the stories we had to tell. But people kept asking, and we kept saying, "Well, what if...okay, no, but maybe if..."

A watched pot never boils, and I'm starting to think a watched plot is the same way. The harder we tried to force ourselves to come up with the right story, the more they slipped away. Finally we set the idea aside for a while, reluctantly admitting that maybe it had been too long in any case. We'd missed our window. It was time to work on other--

BOOM! That was our idea, knocking us head over heels. It hit us so hard we sat down and wrote Haunted Sanctuary instead of the book we were supposed to be writing. It wasn't the story we'd originally imagined. It takes place in a new town, with a new cast of characters, and is set several years after the end of Red Rock Pass. You don't have to be familiar with any of the previous books to pick up Haunted Sanctuary...

...but hey. Any excuse to give away books is good for us!

THE BLOG TOUR

Thanks to the generosity of Samhain Publishing--and with the assistance of many awesome bloggers--we get to spend the next twenty days giving away 80 ebooks! Those of you who haven't read the Red Rock Pass books will have twenty different chances to win the entire set in the ebook format of your choice.

In honor of that, we're going to be revisiting some of our favorite scenes from each of the four books...and maybe showing a few sneaky peeks at the next chapter in the Sanctuary Universe!

TODAY'S SNIPPET

Cry Sanctuary: Meet Your Hero aka Keith Winston Will Break Your Face

Abby’s a tough heroine, but her hero, Keith Winston, isn’t much of a soft touch either. When the book starts, he’s just come home from a few years spent overseas fighting in a very messy—and secret—war between werewolves and wizards. He’s tired, he’s cranky, he doesn’t really know where he fits…

But he gets really mad when someone threatens the people who look to his pack for safety.

Really, really mad.

* * *

   “Keith.” It was so short and abrupt she didn’t realize at first that it was meant to be an introduction. Keith holstered his gun and moved to the third man, the one still whimpering in pain. He nudged the man’s body over with his foot and studied him appraisingly.
   The man tried to speak, but managed only incoherent moans. Abby took a deep breath. “Will he make it?”
   “Probably.” Keith leaned down and searched the man with an ease that looked practiced. He pulled a cell phone from one pocket and a gun from an ankle holster. He absently checked the gun, set it on top of the car, and crushed the cell phone under one booted heel. “If he does, he can drag himself home and tell them what happens when you cross our borders to hurt someone looking for sanctuary.”
   Dylan dragged in a pained breath and braced a hand against the back bumper of the car as he tried to stand. “Alan Matthews had someone attack her. He wants her, and he’s not going to just let her go.”
   “Dylan.” The word came out more sharply than she intended, and she looped his arm around her shoulders to help him. “We can talk about it later.”
   Keith’s dark gaze flicked back and forth between them before settling on Dylan. “Can you walk back to my Jeep, or do you need to wait here?”
   “I can walk,” Dylan said, his voice stubborn. “I want to get Abby somewhere safe.”
   “She is somewhere safe,” came the calm reply, and Keith smiled a little as he reached for the gun he’d set on top of the car. He checked it again and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. “She’s with me.”

* * *

THE CONTEST

Leave a comment to if you'd like to be entered to win a set of the Red Rock Pass ebooks! (Don't forget to include an email address.) And keep an eye open for the new book, Haunted Sanctuary, on sale January 22nd from Samhain Publishing and available to pre-order at Samhain, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, iTunes & Books on Board!

This contest is closed. The winner is Diana.

Review: Hunter's Prey

Reviewed by Jen
 

The more I read from the Bloodhounds series, the more I enjoy them.  They're this gritty blend of shapeshifter, old west, steampunk, and holy hot sex --and I am already jonesing for the next one. 

This story features Hunter, the man turned into a Bloodhound against his will and kept caged and tortured by the vampires in Wilder's Mate.  He is trying to aclimate himself to his new life, but he is having a hard time reconciling the man that he once was, to the beast that is now inside him.  He is living with Wilder, Satira, Nate, and Ophelia --and he is coming on his first new moon where he is not locked behind bars.

It's Ophelia who he wants to slake his lust upon during those three days of burning need, but he fights it. He is afraid he'll hurt her. But when the time comes, his beast will accept no other.

Thankfully, Hunter's feelings are not one sided.  Ophelia wants him too and only fears that the man in him doesn't want her as much as the Bloodhound does.  The story follows their path to mating, as Archer and Wilder search out a new vampire threat.  Oh --and some guys from the Guild come sniffing around to check out Hunter and Nate.

It absolutely must be said that the sex in these books hits all of my happy buttons.  It's just the right blend of dirty and needy and passionate without crossing the line into eye-rolling.  The sexual element of Hunter and Ophelia's relationship is awesome, but I also really liked their tentative romance as well.  They both have issues that make them fear rejection from the other, but I love that it's handled honestly between them.

There is action and violence and an interesting plot to go along with the loving too.  There is also a wealth of fleshed out secondary characters which give depth to the world and plant the seeds for future stories. It's just cool all over.  You should definitely check this series out.

Rating: B+

*Book provided by authors for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Hunter's Prey

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Publisher: Samhain

Review: Impulse

Reviewed by Jen
 

As someone new to the Southern Arcana series, I went round and round debating with myself about whether I should jump in with this fifth installment. The short answer: I should have started at the beginning. This is clearly a series with a wide canvas that is very rich in characters. They're all interconnected and they have a mountain of backstory. Moira Rogers does an admirable job filling in the blanks and I felt like I caught up... eventually. But I have no doubt that I would have been able to enjoy the book much, much more had I not been struggling to figure out who everyone was and what the hell happened before the book ever started.

Now that I have that out of the way, let me give you the low-down on the story. Sera is a coyote shifter who is trying to start her life over after leaving an abusive marriage. But her ex doesn't want to let her go. Sexy alpha wolf shifter Julio gives her the perfect opportunity to get away from the threat when he takes her along on an impromptu vacation.

Julio could stand some time away from his pack. He still has not come to terms with being tortured last year and he has thrown himself into helping his people ever since it happened. He and Sera have harbored feelings for one another ever since the night he rescued her father from a burning building and he helped her through her recovery from her husband's fists.  Though their friends see the trip as an excuse for an extended booty call, his intentions are actually more noble.  He cares about Sera and he wants to protect her.

This brings me to the whole dominant/ submissive element of their relationship.  It's usually a dynamic I avoid, but I can deal with it a bit better with shifters than in, say, contemporary romance.  As I said earlier, Julio is very alpha... and all his instincts are possessive and protective towards Sera. She, on the other hand, isn't just submissive, she is uber-submissive and she has a lot of self-image problems wrapped up in that. I don't think I would have minded her tendencies so much if she didn't have such self-loathing attached to them.  Beyond that, she is already considered kind-of redneck and lower-class, simply because she is a coyote and not a wolf.

Their plans for a vacation shift into something of an ambassador mission, where Julio reaches out to some of the nearby packs in his brother-in-law's territories.  And along the way, he and Sera give in to their attraction.  I can tell you unreservedly that this is where the book knocked my socks off. The sex is hot.  Crazy hot. Hot. Hot. Hot.  It's also plentiful... though it never overshadows the story.  Even though d/s relationships generally are not my brand of kink, it's clear that these two complete each other. They need what the other has to give, both in the bedroom and out.

The story advances an overall series arc... and it makes me want to go read the backlist.  I just wish I had done that in the first place!

Rating: B

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Impulse

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Publisher: Samhain

5 for Friday - August 3

It's finally Friday and the closer I get to the Authors After Dark convention, the slower time seems to be moving.  I'm headed in Tuesday to begin my week of debauchery celebrating the love of booze books with fellow bloggers, readers, and authors.  I will endeavor to tweet often and take lots of pictures.  I've got a list ready of great drinks and restaurants for people to try if they're new to the city.  If you want any suggestions, just let me know!

5. Kristen Calliahan has revealed the cover for Winterblaze, book three in the Darkest London series.

There is no blurb yet, but she did say in her USA Today/ HEA article that "Poppy may be happily married to London Police Inspector Winston Lane, but a demon is about to put their love to the test."  (*swoon*) Winterblaze is set to release February 26th.

4. I've got another Moira Rogers freebie to report. If you haven't tried their Southern Arcana series, you can start at the beginning! Crux is free at Amazon (and Barnes and Noble) for a limited time.

Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn't crack...until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn't explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny. 

If you like it, there are four other installments out in the series so far. Book 5, Impulse, releases September 4th.

3. Harlequin is giving some Megan Hart books a makeover.  A slew of her erotic/powerful/wrenching stories are getting new covers. Check it out:

Any Megan Hart fans out there? Do you like the new covers better or the old ones?

2. Looking to get lucky? Maybe you need to pay a visit to Olympic Village.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

According to ESPN, there's a shit-ton of hanky panky going on among the competitors. Think I'm exaggerating? The article linked above goes on to say that Olympic organizers have ordered 100,000 condoms to keep up with the, er, rigorous demand.  The best quote comes from a former Olympian who talks about how athletes have a chance to win gold medals and sleep with hot guys. Win-win.  I guess I should have taken gymnastics. 

1. And finally... you may not know this about me, but I am a closet horror movie fan.  I don't get to watch as many as I used to with two little ones in the house, but the impulse is still there. I had a little squee moment when I stumbled over this trailer for the new Silent Hill movie.

Bad ass!! (Is it just me or does the girl look like a dead ringer for Michelle Williams?)  I'd like to just spend a day in a dark house with a bottle of wine and watch all of these movies back-to-back.  The zombie nurses are my favorites.

Don't judge!

XOXO,
Jen

Review: Merrick's Destiny

Reviewed by Jen
 

When you're working with half as many pages, you can't give the reader everything you would give them in a longer story.  Fortunately, Moira Rogers doesn't scrimp on the good stuff.

This novella doesn't have the same kind of story arc and action featured in Wilder's Mate, but it had plenty of heat.  Our hero, Merrick, is a Bloodhound who wakes from an aircraft accident with holes in his memories and a new mate at his side.  Paralee was the only other survivor in the crash and she has no idea how Merrick feels about her.

The two of them are in hostile vampire territory and must find their way to safety. And wouldn't you know it? They must also face the new moon --and the unbridled sexual hunger that brings out in Merrick.  Of course, Merrick's attraction to Paralee isn't one sided, so these two are on each other like white on rice.

The sex is as scorching hot as I have come to expect from this series.  Merrick is gruff and tough, but he treats Paralee with equal parts raging lust and gentle tenderness.  It's such an attractive combination! I only had one little beef.  I get that the mating thing kind of blind-sides the Bloodhounds. It can happen in an instant. But I thought Paralee's, er,  enthusiasm and commitment happened really fast. After all, she is a regular human. It was just one of those things you have to take in stride, I guess.

Really, the whole story was about these few days they spent together. I did miss the external plot a little, but the heat factor helped me get over it.

Rating: B-

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: All Romance

Merrick's Destiny

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: February 12, 2012

Publisher: ARe

5 for Friday - July 27

An article from author & blogger Roni Loren is prompting big changes in the blogosphere.  Roni was sued over a copyrighted image she posted on her blog and her story has become a cautionary tale.  You've probably noticed the absence of Man Candy photos on many of your favorite sites... and this one is not immune.  The Man Candy slideshow is gone, along with my Free Pass List (which, by the way, was my most popular blog post of all time.) There will be no more Tumblr Photos of the Week, though you can still enjoy hot men on the Tumblr site any time you need your fix.  I will work to find creative solutions, nowhere more so than here at 5 for Friday. Let's see what we can do.

5. With all the excitement surrounding Lover At Last, I feel like I've been neglecting JR Ward's next Fallen Angel release, Rapture.  I'm really excited about this one, especially to see the aftermath of the Bad Thing that happened with Eddie in the last book. She has put up a little video teaser on her Facebook page, which I have tried valiantly --an unsuccessfully-- to embed for the past hour.  If you want to see, click the screen grab and it will link you out.

 

Rapture releases September 25.

P.S. Ward has now posted the first line of Lover At Last: "Now THAT is a motherf**kin' whip!" Be still my heart.

4. I know I have been bombarding you with squee about the upcoming Styxx book for weeks now --and I swear this is the last time I am going to talk about it (until I talk about it again.) The book blurb is out!!

Just when you thought doomsday was over…

Centuries ago Acheron protected the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life for Acheron’s.

Bethany was born to set right the wrong that left her family imprisoned for eternity. Now that she’s out, nothing will stop her from fulfilling the bargain that freed them. She must take the life of the last remaining Atlantean and she will not fail. But things are never what they seem and Acheron is no longer the last of his line.

Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it’s your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul? 

I love, love, love that Kenyon is writing this book. Even if I have to wait until next year.  In the meantime, for League fans, SK has posted an excerpt to Cloak & Silence on her website.  That's out in December.

3. I'm sad to say that I am late to the Moira Rogers party.  I just read my first book from them a few weeks ago, and now I must make up for lost time. I am almost finished with the Bloodhounds series and I have Impulse and Wild Card loaded on the Nook, ready to read.  If you, too, want to get your Moira Rogers fix, it's a great time.  Wild Card is free on Amazon! Anyone want to do a read-along?

Free + hot sex = Happiness  (Words to live by, my friends.)

2. NBC has ordered 10 episodes of a new Dracula drama, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Generally, this would be the time I would trot out one of those pictures I am not supposed to post.  Instead, let's watch Jonny-boy on YouTube together.

Now let's pretend he has fangs. It's being produced by Carnival Films & Television... the folks behind Downtown Abbey.  I am intrigued.  Which means it will no doubt be canceled in about five minutes.

1. For a minute, it looked like Matt Bomer was the man for the 50 Shades movie. At least, this Entertainment Weekly cover seemed to be the real deal.  (I am crying over the fact that I can't post it right here.) However, the photo has been debunked as a hoax.

I have to admit... they had me convinced. I am so easy.  I think I would watch it if Bomber were cast.

XOXO,
Jen

Review: Wilder's Mate

Reviewed by Jen
 

Moira Rogers had seamlessly blended multiple genres to create a really cool series with the Bloodhounds.  It's got elements of steampunk, paranormal romance, and even the Old West.  And somehow, it works.  Amidst the vampires and shifters, steam-powered devices, horseback riding and really hot sex, I found a story I didn't want to put down.

Satira grew up the sort-of adopted daughter of a Bloodhound.  Once he was gone, she became an apprentice to an inventor named Nathaniel... and he became her family.  Now someone has kidnapped him and all that matters to Satira is getting him back.  When the Guild sends Wilder to help search for him, she refuses to remain on the sidelines and offers her help on the hunt.

Wilder is no ordinary man. He is a Bloodhound, and if you're wondering what that means, suffice it to say that he is an enhanced human. (Getting into more specifics would only spoil it for you as it all plays out.)   There is an attraction between him and Satira right away.  The story follows the two of them as they work together to rescue Nathaniel and eventually give into their desire to be together.

I really enjoyed this book. You'd think with so many different genres mishmashed together, it could overwhelm the story, but it doesn't. The world-building unfolds over the course of the book, but I didn't ever feel lost in the process. I was very much in the moment with Wilder and Satira.  There were times the heroine felt a little desperate, which made me cringe a bit. But thankfully, her attraction was not one sided.

The sexual tension was great and the sex was even better. It was hot and raw and Wilder was deliciously Alpha in the sack. He has all this barely leashed power and still a sweet vulnerability which makes him downright irresistible.

When she isn't emotionally needy, Satira is a pretty good heroine.  Her history with Bloodhounds allows her to understand Wilder in a way that not every woman could. She is loyal, determined and capable, despite the fact that society devalues her because she is woman.  And when all is said and done, she really delivers.

In the course of the story, we meet some intriguing secondary characters who will go on star in their own books in the series. But make no mistake, this is Wilder's book. He stole the show and blew me away.

Rating: B+

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Wilder's Mate

by Moira Rogers
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Publisher: Samhain

Giveaway: Archer's Lady

Archer's Lady was my very first Moira Rogers book and I am already excited to read more from the Bloodhound series.  The authors are sharing this great excerpt and giving away a copy of the book. Check out the deets and enter the Rafflecopter form below!

She's looking for redemption. He doesn't believe in it.

Accused of betraying the Bloodhound Guild, Archer's only chance to regain the trust of his fellow hounds is to earn it--one dangerous job at a time. Crystal Springs may be the worst yet. The town has been deserted by all but the poor and the desperate, yet the vampires stalking the edges of the settlement haven't closed in for the kill. Question is, why?

Grace Linwood, professional liar, has been hiding under the guise of a border schoolteacher for so long, she's almost fallen for her own con. The frontier was supposed to be her chance at a respectable life, but now the cowardly part of her wants to flee. When Archer catches her considering a run for safety, she knows it's only a matter of time before he sees through her charade.

They become reluctant allies in the quest to uncover the mysteries of Crystal Springs, but every unraveled knot ties them closer together. They both know their pasts are too shattered to hope for a future--until their investigation uncovers a secret. One that could make betraying the Guild their only path to redemption.

Excerpt:

Every surface had been dusted and cleaned. The coldbox was stocked with easily prepared foods. Enough wood to run the boiler for a week had been stacked in the small lean-to. 

Even the bed had been readied.

Grace had blushed the entire time Cook had helped her fit the fresh sheets to the feather mattress. Not Diana, because Archer and Diana had grown increasingly irritated by each other’s presence as the day progressed, to the point that Grace had begged her to see to final preparations back in town.

Sunset might mark the start of the new moon’s worst fury, but Grace had begun to suspect the storm inside Archer would break much sooner.

“We have supplies enough to last us through the week,” she said, tucking the last covered dish into the coldbox. Her voice seemed to tremble between nervousness and anticipation, and she could only hope he wouldn’t interpret it as fear. “Is there anything else I need to do?”

“No.” He spoke from directly behind her. “You’re nervous.”

No lies between them, that was the agreement. “Yes, a little. But it’s the good kind of nervous, I think.”

His breath blew across the back of her neck. “Would you tell me if it wasn’t?”

“Yes.” Maybe she should have taken her hair down, or left it in a simple braid. Something easier for a lust-addled man to deal with. But the heat of his mouth so close to the vulnerable nape of her neck made her skin tingle. “Only honesty, Archer. I promise you.”

“Mmm.” He licked his way to the side of her neck and drew her earlobe between his teeth.

She braced both hands on the kitchen table as arousal weakened her knees. “Should I go to the bedroom and undress?”

Archer growled, reached around and covered her hands with his. “No, don’t move.”

His voice sounded rougher. Low and intense, as barely restrained as the arms that caged her in place. Her heart thumped as she realized the storm had already broken. Archer was sliding into madness, and a sudden move might send him there hard and fast.

She forced herself to relax, to soften as she tilted her head forward. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Not even moonrise yet.” His chest heaved against her back. “I won’t make it ’til nightfall.”

“You don’t need to. Everyone’s hunkered down in the saloon. Everything’s taken care of.” She leaned into him as well as she could with her hands pinned, and shivered when she found him already hard. “I’m yours for as long as you need me.”

“You’re mine for as long as the moon is dark,” he corrected in a rumble.

Pleasure sliced through her at the thought that his need wouldn’t easily fade, followed by loss at the reminder of how short their time could be. “So what are you going to do with me?”

“No. No more words.” He slid his hands up her arms to her shoulders. “Soon, no more clothes either.”

It might have been prudent to leave her hands on the counter, but she couldn’t keep from reaching back to cling to his legs. “Very soon, I hope.”

In the span of a heartbeat, he lifted her off her feet, spun her around, and dropped her to sit on the edge of the table. “I don’t know what I want.” He gave lie to the words by slipping free the top button on her bodice.

She’d never been naked in front of him. Clothing had been jerked askew, or nightgowns shoved up around her hips, but she’d never been stripped bare. Never been defenseless, and she should have felt wary now. Instead she was excited, eager as she stroked her hands up his tense arms. “You want me.”

Archer didn’t pause in opening her bodice. “I still have my mind for now, and yet…” He held out a shaking hand. “Look at that. Trembling like a leaf.”

Grace dipped her head to kiss his fingertips. “I never have my mind around you, not completely. It drifts to the most obscene places, even when I’m not asleep.”

“If only that were it.” But he didn’t elaborate. Instead, he pushed her dress down off her shoulders and toyed with a ribbon on her chemise.

“Archer?” She caught his hand. “Are you all right?”

“No. But I will be.” He bent, caught the top edge of her chemise between his teeth and ripped it away. 

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5 for Friday - July 6

Happy Friday! I'm finally over my Magic Mike hangover and I have learned two very important lessons.  One: it's bad enough to drunk-dial or drunk-tweet, but it's even less of a good idea to pull out the camcorder and post your drunken monologue-slash-movie-review online... even if your enabler-friends say it is funny.  And two: if you are foolish enough to do this anyway, for the love of God, disable the comments on YouTube.  Days after my review posted, someone left the comment, "Lonely drunk older woman. Yuck."  I wanted to shout, "I'm not lonely!!" But I thought better of a flame war with some kid out in cyberspace. (I'm still crying on the inside and the comments are, indeed, now disabled.)

In other news, I decided to go ahead and start the Crossfire series and I really ended up enjoying Bared to You. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to give it a try!!

5. I read and Loved Elizabeth Hoyt's Thief of Shadows with a capital-L. Now she is spilling the deets on the next Maiden Lane book, Lord of Darkness, out in February.

WHEN STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
He lives in the shadows. The mysterious masked avenger known as the Ghost of St. Giles, his only goal is to protect the innocent of London. Until the night he confronts a fearless lady pointing a pistol at his head—and realizes she is his wife . . .

BECOME LOVERS...
Lady Margaret Reading has vowed to kill the Ghost of St. Giles—the man who murdered her one true love. Returning to London, and the man she hasn’t seen since their wedding day, Margaret does not recognize the man behind the mask. Fierce, commanding, and dangerous, the notorious Ghost of St. Giles is everything she feared he would be—and so much more . . .

DESIRE IS THE ULTIMATE DANGER
When passion flares these two intimate strangers can't keep from revealing more of themselves than they had ever planned. But when Margaret learns the truth—that the Ghost is her husband, Godric St. John—the game is up and the players must surrender . . . to the temptation that could destroy them both.

4. A tidbit for fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series.  According to her Facebook page, her next Dark Hunter book may be about Acheron's brother Styxx.

This excites me. I'm ready to get back into the Acheron side of the DH world!!

3. Laura Wright's 4th book in her Mark of the Vampire series, Eternal Beast,  is coming soon.  Now she has released a book trailer.

I'm excited to read Gray & Dillon's story!  It's out August 7.

2. I love Kelly Meding's Dreg City books.  But I've never tried her MetaWars series.  There's no time like the present, though. Pocket After Dark is featuring book one, Trance, for free on their website this month!

Kelly Meding’s war-ravaged Los Angeles is ground zero for the ultimate Meta human showdown in this sexy, action-packed new series.

Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.

Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman . . . only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons.

If you like it, book two, Changeling, just came out June 26.

1. Here's a big one for Guild Hunter fans. Nalini Singh is holding a giveaway for three ARCs of Archangel's Storm.

I love the Guild Hunter covers, don't you?? This is Jason's book, out September 4th. Scoot over to her blog to enter. The contest runs through July 20th.

*Bonus Items*
Thea Harrison has revealed the cover art for her next Elder Races novella. And Moira Rogers has a new one in the Last Call series.

What do we think?  Hunter's Season is out September 18th.  No release date yet for Firecracker.


Have a great weekend!

XOXO
Jen

P.S. The contest winner is JenM.  Jen, send me an email and I'll hook you up with your prize.

Review: Archer's Lady

Reviewed by Jen
 

Grace has made a new life for herself in the Old West border town of Crystal Springs. She left her disreputable ways behind, reinventing herself as a school teacher --a lady.  But her town is now under attack by vampires and it's barely holding on.  They need help if they're going to survive.  That's where Archer comes in.

Archer is a Bloodhound, a shape shifting supernatural, sent in by his Guild to clean-up the vampire problem.  He's rough around the edges, but strong. And he's determined to save the town from the vampire threat.

Archer sees past the facade Grace hides behind. He senses a little something of himself in her, I think. Someone trying to rebuild themselves in the wake of past sins.  The two them find solace in each other, a simple honesty neither has ever had with anyone else.  It grows into more as they work together to figure out why the vampires have targeted the town and then to defeat them.

This is a bit of a departure from my usual fare in that it's set in an alternative Old West and it has some steampunk elements.  But I found that I liked it anyway. I think Archer is the biggest draw.  He's powerful and gruff, yet gentle and yearning in ways that even he never expected.  He's very sexy and that made the love scenes go from hot to muy caliente.  The sexy times were plentiful and highly enjoyable, but I thought they really helped build the relationship between Archer and Grace, and never threatened to overwhelm the story.

This is book three in the Bloodhounds series, and I can tell you as a new reader, it worked well as a standalone.  There were a few things, especially toward the end, which seemed to reference earlier stories, but I never felt lost. The world building was accessible and I felt like it was built seamlessly into the story without any obvious info dumps.

I liked it.  And I would read from this series again.

Rating: B+

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Archer's Lady

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Publisher: Samhain Publishing