Happy 2009...

Wishing you and yours a safe and prosperous new year.

Fall Romance Book Challenge...

It looks like I'm not going to complete this challenge. So close. Only one book to go but I'm only half way through it. So congrats to those that did complete the challenge. It was fun and I read some great books. A few that I had planned to read and many that would probably still be on that mountain I call the TBR pile. Looking forward to some interesting challenges in 2009. More on those later.

Review: King of Sword and Sky

Title: King of Sword and Sky
Author: C. L. Wilson
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Tairen Soul/Book 3

Tairen's breath of fire reigns,
She of red hair feeds the flame.
She soothes the soul cast in chains
Because of love she holds no blame.

While he embraces her love so pure
And guides her to her waiting fate.
With magic and sword they will secure
This land of legend and truemates.

The third book in the Tairen Soul series is nothing short of wonderful. After reading Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadows it was obvious that C. L. Wilson wasn't just a one hit wonder. She has what it takes for amazing world building and fascinating storytelling. This isn't just a fantasy romance. This book has everything ~ action, romance, friendship, magic, darkness, light, good and evil. It's epic without being overwhelming. The flow of events and character development is done with a gentle touch here and a push when needed there.

Rainier vel'en Daris. Rain Tairen Soul. Rain. This is the story of his journey to his rightful place as King of the Fading Lands. His battle with himself and with the Fey who still question his leadership. His need to keep his people, both Tairen and Fey, safe from death is what drives him. His love for Ellie is what keeps him from losing hope.

Rain is one of those heroes that stays with you long after you've moved on to other books. You find yourself comparing the hero of your current read to Rain. Is he as loyal as Rain? As smart as Rain? As good looking as Rain? Can he fly? Breathe fire? Can he make that adorable chuffing sound when he laughs? Yes, Rain is a difficult hero to follow. But he does have his faults. He can be overbearing, arrogant, stubborn. But all of that is what makes him such a compelling character. He's not perfect even with all his magical abilities. He is still flawed. And that is what makes him so special. So real.

His love for his blade brothers (love that term) is demonstrated time and again. I think it's so important for the hero to have that core group of friends. It doesn't have to be a big group, just ones that give the reader a chance to see the hero interact with and allow us to get to know him better through those interactions. To see all sides of him, not just his relationship with the heroine.

Ellysetta Baristani. Feyreisa. Ellie. She has come so far since we first met her. She was the shy, quiet daughter of the master woodcarver Sol Baristani and his wife Lauriana. She is now coming into her own power and beginning to feel comfortable with her abilities. Her love for family and her desire to help the Tairen lead her to her destiny.

Ellie wasn't the easiest heroine for me to connect with at the beginning of the series. She started out a little too timid for me but has evolved into a strong, remarkable woman. Her courage comes not necessarily from confidence in her abilities but from her love. It's in everything she does. In the decisions that she makes. Her love is there. She is the driving force behind Rain and his ability to overcome his past. I have come to adore her calm strength and her stubbornness in the face of Rain's own stubbornness. I think Rain acknowledges Ellie's strength by not sheltering her from the truth, even though he knows it will at times cause her pain.

The love between Rain and Ellie isn't just in the way they lean on each other. The physical lovemaking is a very large part of who they are and how they connect. The love scenes are sweet, tender and very hot. With lots of giving and taking by both. There are enough of these scenes to leave no doubt that Wilson can write some very steamy love scenes.

As the story progresses the reader gets to see Rain and Ellie deal with the obstacles that every king and queen may face. Questions about there leadership and their loyalty. The politics that go on in every kingdom also occur in the Fading Lands. We get to see how they deal with these issues, how they rely on each other's strengths. The day to day workings of a kingdom. I found it gave a realistic feel to this magical world that Wilson has created.

Vadim Maur. High Mage of Eld. Nasty bastard. This guy is the Hannibal Lecter of mages. He is evil incarnate. And he is exactly what this book/series needed. To have an antagonist that wasn't up for the challenge of what Rain, Ellie and company could dish out would have left the story lacking. Give me a powerful opponent, one who keeps me guessing. Oh sure, I know in the end the good guys will win but the end isn't here yet and you don't win the war without losing some battles.

And that leaves us with some of my favorite secondary characters. Although, I don't really think of them as secondary, they are such an integral part of the story. They are Gaelen vel Serranis, Belliard vel Jelani (Bel), Kieran vel Solande and Keil vel Tomar. These Fey warriors are the ones that Rain and Ellie trust with their family and at their backs. There is also the pride of Tairens. These great, winged cats. The character development of the Tairens is so vivid. They are not merely large, magical cats but beings with emotions and needs. With love for their pride that is just as strong as what the Fey and mortals feel.

I do want to thank you one and all who read my attempt at poetry at the beginning of the review. I'm not sure what came over me but when I sat down to write that's what came out so I went with it.

Just in case you were wondering, yes, I would highly recommend this book/series. lol It isn't a stand alone so you really need to start with the first book of the series.

King of Sword and Sky is a book you can literally curl up with and loose yourself in. The next and final book in Rain and Ellie's story is Queen of Song and Souls, due out in June 2009. For more on the writings of C. L. Wilson she has a magical website full in information about the Tairen Soul series, characters, language and the world of Rain and Ellie.

Rating: A+

Catherine Spangler Sentinel Series...

Found the cover for Touched by Light over on Shelfari and Amazon. Still can't confirm who the hero and heroine are. The only thing I could find was a release date of June 2, 2009. Adam and Julia's book is suppose to be next in the series. Checked Ms. Spangler's website and it hasn't been update in over a year. I do hope this is their book and it gets released next year. Adam in particular was such an interesting character. And Julia should fit well with him. I really enjoyed Touched by Darkness and Touched by Fire, the first two books in the series. They were both released in 2007 so it's been a while since I read them. Might need to do a re-read on those. She also wrote another series called the Shielder series that I've heard very good things about. I have those in my TBR pile.

Here's the deets on the Sentinel series from Ms. Spangler's website:

The Sentinels are reincarnated Atlantians, the same souls who were the priests and high priests who served The One (God/Creator/Supreme Being) in the temple on Atlantis.

The Sentinels have returned to Earth, taking on human bodies, in order to track down Belians, also reincarnated Atlantians. The Belians are the souls of those who followed Belial on Atlantis and worshipped dark forces and made human sacrifices—and whodestroyed Atlantis. They are also in human bodies and they, like the Sentinels, have superhuman abilities.

It is a cat-and-mouse game between them, as the Belians mount a reign of terror and evil on current-day Earth, and the Sentinels track them and dispense karmic justice.
The two groups are well matched in physical and psychic powers, but the Sentinels have a slight edge: Conductors—a small group of humans who are able to mentally link with Sentinels and enhance their psychic tracking abilities.

A human conductor who psychically matches a Sentinel is always the opposite sex. When the conductor and Sentinel meld minds and souls in a conduction to track a Belian, powerful sexual energies arise, and it becomes much more than a mental exercise. The sparks fly as Sentinel and conductor come together in a blaze of psychic power and sizzling desire, to track unimaginable evil.

Your Earth is once again touched by darkness.
But those who worship Belial will not win.
There is no escape from destiny.
We are the Sentinels.
We will prevail.

If anyone has heard anything about this book please share. Thanks!

Review: Contact

Title: Contact
Author: Susan Grant
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Jordan Cady is a young widow who is also a single mom. She's worked very hard to get to where she is. Which is why she's is currently sitting in the co-pilot's seat of United Airlines Flight 58 bound for San Francisco from Honolulu. What started out as a normal flight turns out to be anything but normal for the passengers and crew. A thunderstorm that should have been easy to fly around becomes something completely different. What Jordan doesn't know is that her world is about to change ~ literally. That change comes in the form of Kào Vantaar-Moray, former lieutenant in the Alliance Space Force and now a member of the Perimeter Patrol. An alien.

This is my first foray into Susan Grant's writing and I am so glad I took the jump. The story of Jordan and Kào is a wonderful blend of romance with some sci-fi and suspense added to the mix. Ms. Grant is a pilot so there was a very real sense of what happens on an airplane during a crisis and what happens in the aftermath. How the crew is trained to do more than simple serve drinks and peanuts. It was interesting to read the dynamics of how the crew pulls together along with the passengers in the bizarre situation.

Even though Jordan and her crew are not considered prisoners but guests the tension is still there and the crew and passengers don't trust their hosts. Jordan is put in the position of leader by default and has to rise to the challenge. While she usually does manage to meet most of the challenges self doubts do plague her. New friends and old help boost her self esteem. Jordan is a well developed heroine with a strong sense of responsibility to her crew and her passengers. She doesn't want to fall for Kào but is drawn to him.

Kào is definitely a tortured hero. He was a prisoner of war and is still recovering, both physically and mentally. The nightmares of his imprisonment are still with him and he blames himself for many deaths. He is slowly sinking further into depression when he is assigned as the liaison for the crew and passengers. This assignment puts him into contact with Jordan. As he gets to know Jordan he realizes he actually enjoys spending time with her. Soon he becomes conflicted with his sense of duty to his father, the commander, and with his developing relationship with Jordan. Kào's trust is tested and he has to make hard decisions.

The love story between Jordan and Kào is well paced, the development is not rushed but takes into account the extremely stressful and difficult situation they find themselves in. When they do become intimate their passion comes from not only their physical needs but their emotional needs too.

The secondary characters of the crew of both the airliner and the space craft are developed enough to give the reader insight into the workings of both groups. And the tension of the life aboard the ship is felt and shown by both crews. Overall Grant does a good job portraying the different and similar values of both groups of people.

Susan Grant is the author of eleven books and four novellas with more books due for publication in 2009. You can find out more about her at her website.

Rating: A-

Merry Christmas...

Kreativ Blogger Award...

The lovely Brie at Musings of a Bibliophile has honored me with the Kreative Blogger Award. Brie is one of those readers who not only has great taste in books but has a truly kind heart. She makes you feel welcomed and she has such a variety of books to recommend that there is always something interesting to read at her blog.

Not only is there an award but there is also a MeMe.

Here's the rules for the MeMe:

1. Mention the blog that gave it to you.
2. Comment on their blog to let them know you've posted the award.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you.
4. Share 6 things you do not support.
5. Share the love with 6 other blogging friends.

As Brie mentioned the rules have been tweaked a bit by previous award recipients so I'm going to do a little tweaking myself.

The 6 things that I value this time of year:

Togetherness ~ that means spending time with family that I don't get to see very often.
Honesty (to a point) ~ Do I like the present? Of course I do! I could always use more slippers.
Good Food ~ Do I really need another cookie? Why, yes... yes I do.
Tape ~ wrapping paper-check, name tags-check, bows-check, tape? Where's the tape? Who took the last of the tape?! Finding the tape=Priceless. (In case you hadn't guessed, I can never find tape in my house.)
Good Hiding Places ~ that are kid proof and I can remember where they are. (the gifts, not the kids.)
Warm Fuzzies ~ not the afore mentioned slippers but the feeling you get after things quiet down and you realize how lucky you are to have such a great bunch of people in your life.

The 6 things I do not support this time of year:

Long Lines ~ at the post office, the grocery store, the bookstore, McDonald's drive-thru...
Christmas Music ~ before Thanksgiving!
Bad Drivers ~ OK, I don't like them at any time of year but they seem to be especially bad this time of year.
Rampant Commercialism ~ I do not have to buy every toy in the world to give my kids a wonderful Christmas. Period.
Chia Pets ~ need I say more?
The Clapper Commercial ~ it always gets stuck in my head. Always.

Sharing the love with one and all.

Review: Natural Born Charmer

Title: Natural Born Charmer
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chicago Stars/Book 7


Is that a...beaver? Yes, Dean that is a beaver. A big one too. But where's it's head?

The sight that greets Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard, while driving down a Colorado road, is nothing short of bizarre. In the beaver suit is Blue Bailey, an artist who's luck has abandoned her along with all her money and her boyfriend. Her car broke down and the only job she could find is dressing in said beaver suit. Sounds like a country western song gone wrong but things are about to change for Blue when Dean decides to give her a ride. Just to relieve the boredom he tells himself. Dean certainly gets a relief from the boring drive but Blue also gives him a heck of a lot more.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has done it again. What an entertaining story! I was laughing quite a bit with this one. I also squeaked out a couple of tears during a few scenes. What starts out as a comedy of errors transforms into a family drama. This was a story not only of Dean and Blue and their often times very rocky road to HEA but also the opening and healing of old wounds. The making of a family by blood and by circumstances.

As Dean and Blue head to Dean's farm in Tennessee they do what people usually do on road trips ~ get to know each other better and drive each other crazy. By the time they get to Dean's farmhouse the relationship has evolved from distraction to irritation to sexual frustration.

Once they get to the farmhouse things become even more complicated with family members coming out of the woodwork. All Dean wanted was some time to relax and recover from a shoulder injury. What he got was another chance at mending the relationship of some of the most important people in his life. He also got Blue Bailey in his life and soon he realizes that he can't be without her. It isn't that simple for Blue. She's used to moving around and never really having anything or anyone permanent in her life. But now she's coming to feel too much for these people. To care too much.

Blue was such an interesting character. A genuine original. She's self sufficient because she's had to be most of her life. She is determined not to get involved in Dean's personal life but keeps getting drawn into the drama of his relationships with his estranged family. Blue's childhood was a series of constant change. Change of location, change of what passed for family. She was raised by different people with some visits from her mom who had a "need to save the world" obsession which kept her away a lot.

Dean was lovable, sexy, sweet, sexy, caring, sexy, funny. Umm...did I mention sexy? LOL Yes, he might be one of my favorite contemporary heroes so far this year. His childhood was not even close to normal. His mother was what I would call a "casual parent" meaning that she didn't concern herself with his upbringing personally, merely hiring people to care for him. Unfortunately for Dean, she was too busy fighting her own addictions to give him the security every child needs from their parent. Dean became a man who places a high value on friendship, those he considers close friends he views as his true family. While his family members are viewed more as complications in his life that he tries to avoid.

I really enjoyed Natural Born Charmer. The dialogue was pure SEP and kept me completely entertained. It is part of the Chicago Stars series but IMO can be read as a stand alone. I've only read two other books in the series and had no problem following along. There is very little interaction with other members of the team since the story primarily takes place away from Chicago.

Rating: A-

Cover Love ~ Dreamfever

It's a long way off before the release date of August 25, 2009 but the cover is simply gorgeous! Mac looks like she'll be kicking some Unseelie ass. And the colors are amazing. This has that popular Urban Fantasy cover look ~ showing the back of the heroine. Although it's usually more of a close up and tats are involved. Still, I'm loving it. How about you?

And here's a little teaser KMM sent out for Dreamfever:

I am a kite in a tornado but I have a long string. There is tension in my line. Somewhere, someone is holding onto the other end and, although it cannot spare me this storm, it will not let me be lost while I regain my strength.

It is enough.

I will survive.

Cover Love ~ Branded by Fire

Posted on Nalini Singh's blog. So, what do you think? Like it? Don't like it? What I like is the fact that both heroine and hero are on the cover. I'm glad that Mercy wasn't left off. I'd say it's one of my favorites of the series. Release date of July 2009.