NOTE: These two events have been canceled and will be re-scheduled at a later date. Comments are closed.

Join author Jackie Kessler as she guest blogs at http://bittenbybooks.com on Wednesday January 28th!
Love your inner vixen, baby!!! Jackie will be talking about celebrating a woman’s sexuality in fiction.

She will be giving away a copy of “A RED HOT VALENTINE’S DAY” which features her latest story “Hell Is Where the Heart” Is to one lucky participant. Open to readers worldwide.

BE SURE to post this link and the event info to invite all of your blogs, groups, myspace, ning, yahoo groups etc *Hint - by doing this you get entries into the contest! You can do it before the event to get a jump on things!

This is not a fixed time event but one that runs all day on the 28th through 3:00 pm the 29th. This means you can come by ANY TIME during this time frame and leave a comment and participate for a chance to win in the contest and add your own thoughts to the author’s topic.

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Casey Daniels once interviewed for a job as a tour guide in a historic cemetery. She didn’t get the job, but she did get the idea for her Pepper Martin mysteries. Join Casey as she talks about Pepper, cemeteries and things that go bump in the night on Friday January 30th ONLINE at http://bittenbybooks.com!

One lucky participant will win a signed copy of her newest Pepper Martin book, “Night of the Loving Dead.” The contest is open to readers worldwide!

This is not a fixed time event but one that runs all day on the 30th through 3:00 pm the 31st. This means you can come by ANY TIME during this time frame and leave a comment and participate for a chance to win in the contest and add your own thoughts to the author’s topic.

BE SURE to post this link and the event info to invite all of your blogs, groups, myspace, ning, yahoo groups etc *Hint - by doing this you get entries into the contest! You can do it before the event to get a jump on things!

(No Ratings Yet)

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Blackmail, blackmail, and more blackmail. Tera Fitzpatrick was emotionally blackmailed into venturing into the darkly seductive presence of Darius Hadides and is then blackmailed into going to his estate with the threat of the deforestation of the last untouched forest in the world looming over her head. She doesn’t want to give in to his ultimatum, but if that’s what it takes to finally be free to live out her days in peace within her sanctuary then she is willing to go. The question will be if she still wants to leave after visiting his alluring anomaly of an estate.

Set in Paris in the devastated future, Kelly Maher has crafted an intriguing story with her addition to the Dark Pantheon series. She does not sacrifice depth for eroticism in this novella, though there is plenty of both. Tera and her past in the barren future is compelling and Darius’s connection to Hades, Persephone, and Demeter drew me in, though I was a bit disappointed that we never had an answer to Darius’s interest in the Torgon Forest and the latter half of the story seemed to lose the focus of the former. That disappointment was, however, completely eliminated by Demeter finally getting hers *evil cackle*.

On one last note about the start of this story: I really liked that the glossary and brief explanation of some of the history, terms, and lineages, of the Dark Pantheon series is at the start of the story. So many stories have it at the back and force you to either go look for it and risk reading the last page first or let you stumble through the story to figure things out for yourself. I much prefer this format.

Book Stats:
e-book, digital format
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Book Length: Novella
Language: English
ISBN: 9781419917301

To purchase an electronic copy of Tera’s Awakening click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Maria Jennings is a resourceful heroine: a Fae who has the training to be an accomplished Hussy. As the story unfolds, her strengths manifest, showing just how powerful she truly is.

Denton Prescott is a proficient warrior. His passion for Maria intensifies with the turn of each page. He is a broken man who finds restoration through the sentiments Maria lavishes on him.

This erotic fantasy will keep you flushed and fanning yourself, as the newlyweds enjoy each other. The sensuality shared between them can only hold danger off for so long; soon trouble comes knocking on the door. Maria has to complete her mission which happens to include her new husband.

Even though this is a petite fable, it is savory. It is everything you would expect in a longer novel only compressed. The vivid writing will make you feel every caress and penetrating kiss.

Book Stats:
e-book, digital format
Publisher:  Ellora’s Cave
Book Length: Quickie (super short)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781419918995

To purchase an electronic copy of Fae’s Gargoyle click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Tara Sedai is an Indiri healer. Not just any healer but a High Indiri, one whose power of healing is strong enough not to need a stone to help empower her. She and four other healers are trying to find a place to start a colony where they can heal more people. What they get in their journeys is more than any of them expected.

Zaden Felinian simply wants to get his men home. He never expects to scent his mate at the travel gate! He follows her scent into the world of Deral, a world that has an unreliable gate at the best of times. Can he get her to accept him during their time there? Can they share the home and life he craves?

Primal Pursuit is a tale of love, lust, and greed. All males search for their one mate, that one female that is uniquely theirs. The desire for a stable home, and to protect what is theirs is ingrained in these strong aggressive males. Many women wish that the men in their lives were as covetous of their safety and well being, but as they say; be careful of what you wish for.

Rebecca Airies has once again written a wonderfully vivid book! The details are crisp in the readers mind and imagination. The highly erotic scenes throughout the story will leave you panting for more, with the possible exception to one scene some may find offensive. The idea of intercourse, whether oral or full, with one character in an animal form may prevent some from enjoying the story fully. However I viewed it as just another one of their forms, and continued to enjoy the story. The characters blatant sexuality and enjoyment of each other, I feel, overrides the negative connotations that some may have of this book. It was well written and extremely erotic. If you are looking for an edgy, sit in front of the fan to cool the heat kind of, erotica then read Rebecca Airies Primal Pursuit.

Book Stats:
e-book, digital format
Publisher:  Ellora’s Cave
Book Length: Novel
Language: English
ISBN: 9781419918827

To purchase an electronic copy of Primal Pursuit click here.

Books in the series in the order they should be read:
Primal Quest
Primal Pursuit

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Sarah Livingstone has lusted after fellow real estate agent, Jacob Porter, for years. Competition between the two heightens as both are shown the same house by the property manager. When the property manager excuses himself for a phone call, and doesn’t return, Sarah and Jacob find themselves locked in the house together.

Lust flares to life as the two are forced together. Strange things begin to happen, such as lit candles that weren’t there when they came in, and rose petals floating onto the bed out of nowhere. It would seem that the ghosts of the house are trying to seduce Sarah and Jacob into having sex. The question is, will the two experience the same connection once leaving the haunted house, or will their time shared together evaporate once the magic is gone.

Set In Stone has plenty of steamy sex scenes, and the sensuality between Jacob and Sarah is hot. I did find that the characters lacked a certain ‘real’ quality that would have made them jump off the pages. The sex between the two seemed forced, and the ending, though a happily ever after, was harshly contrived from coincidence.

Book Stats:
e-book, digital format
Publisher:  Ellora’s Cave
Book Length: Quickie (super short)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781419917554

To purchase an electronic copy of Set in Stone click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Caidi is Acine, or female Alpha, of her all female pack of Zarain shifters. Though they didn’t want or need the protection of the males, the males could offer one thing that they did want. They wanted children, without male encumbrance, and they had a plan to ensure that….. Until it all went wrong and she was paired with Raven, her mate.

Raven is Achan, or male Alpha, of his pack of Shadatai Zarain had gone to the planet Mijohin to look into a friend and allies death. When taken with a young, blond woman, he expects to use and enjoy her. What he doesn’t expect is to be drugged and find out that she is the mate he has been searching for. Now it is his job to find and protect her.

What do you do when you are used to doing things your own way? Try to keep doing it! Heads and tempers collide when Raven tries to protect headstrong, independent Caidi. Can’t she see he is only doing his job as Achan and her mate by trying to keep her safe? Caidi isn’t convinced that just because she is mated that she is any less capable of caring for herself or her pack. But Raven is determined to protect her, even to the point of making her feel caged.

A wildly erotic tale with such vivid scenes that you will either blush or fan yourself from the intense heat! Primal Quest is a mixture of finding a home for the body, heart, and soul. What would you do to ensure the safety of those you loved and that depended on you? Whatever it takes! Readers be forewarned; this is not a story for the weak of heart, or someone looking for a sweet, innocent tryst. It is definitely an 18 or up book! If you want a book that will make you sizzle then read Rebecca Airies Primal Quest!

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Ellora’s Cave (January 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419956817
• ISBN-13: 978-1419956812

To purchase a print copy of Primal Quest click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of Primal Quest click here.

Books in the series in the order they should be read:
Primal Quest
Primal Pursuit

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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In the third book in the Love Beyond Time series, Joshua Forrester is dreading another Christmas season. Joshua has hated Christmas ever since his wife died in an accident, leaving him to raise his sons, Mike and Scott, alone. Now that his sons are grown and married, they try to include Joshua in their celebrations, but Joshua refuses to participate. After a particularly frustrating conversation with Mike and Shauna, Joshua throws his Blackberry towards the bed and goes in to take a shower. He never notices the tangerine light enveloping the room. After Joshua dresses, he grabs the Blackberry and rushes out of his apartment. Once on the street, he realizes things are very different. The buildings have hand-carved wooden signs, the streets are dirt, not asphalt, and people are riding horses down the main street.

During Joshua’s stay in 1890, he meets a remarkable woman, Addie Benjamin, and eventually learns to adjust to the customs of the Old West. After Joshua is arrested for counterfeiting money, Addie helps Joshua find work, offers him a place to stay, and provides a buffer between Joshua and the sheriff. Joshua learns to ride a horse, drive a wagon, and finds that his accounting skills are in demand in town. He also comes to terms with his wife’s death and regrets his neglect of his sons. Joshua’s love for Addie has taught him about the importance of family, and he wants nothing more than to return to 2006 and apologize to Mike and Scott…as long as Addie can return with him. Eventually Shauna is able to configure the Blackberry for Joshua’s return. Will Joshua stay in 1890 with Addie and her nieces? Will Addie return to 2006 with Joshua?

Although each book in this series deals with time travel, all three men had different experiences. From Barbara Goodwin’s descriptions of Joshua in the two previous books and the prologue in this one, I wondered if he would ever learn to appreciate his family. By sending him back to 1890, to a simpler time where family and hard work were honored, Joshua is able to release his anger about his wife’s death and to recognize how important his sons are to him. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoys time travel and believes in true love.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Cerridwen Press
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419917875

To purchase an electronic copy of No Time for Christmas click here.

Books in the Love Beyond Time series in the order they should be read:
No Future Christmas
No Silent Christmas
No Time For Christmas
No Hope For Christmas

To visit the author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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In this second story in the Love Beyond Time series, Scott Forrester borrows his brother Mike’s Blackberry to call their father and realizes too late that he has somehow gotten his hands on one of sister-in-law Shauna’s time travel devices. Scott is enveloped in a tangerine glow. Suddenly, Scott finds himself rushing into a burning wooden building in an Old West-type town to save a man. Scott has been transported from Bend, Oregon in 2005, to a movie set in Los Angeles in 1925. For his bravery, he is offered a role in the film as the second male lead. While on the set, he is captivated by Maggie Ingram, the female lead and the most beautiful woman Scott has ever seen. Maggie is the only child of a steel magnate, and bored with her socialite life. She came to Los Angeles to visit a sorority sister in the hopes of escaping an arranged marriage.

Trouble comes in the form of Carey Chambers, the male lead. He is jealous of Scott, interested in Maggie, has a serious drinking problem, and owes money to Chicago mobsters. The studio executives have a great deal of power, but not enough to keep Carey from drinking heavily and damaging the production. Scott’s presence on the set enables him to save Maggie from danger several times, but each rescue only makes Carey angrier.

I really enjoyed reading this story! Scott and Maggie are both believable, well developed characters, and it seemed easier for them to connect than it was for Mike and Shauna. Maybe traveling back in time is easier. I liked the descriptions of Coconut Grove and the speakeasy; and dreaming of those beautiful cars made me smile. The inner working of the silent movie set was interesting and very different from what I imagined it would be. No Silent Christmas is a must read for time travel and romance fans!

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Cerridwen Press
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419917646

To purchase an electronic copy of No Silent Christmas click here.

Books in the Love Beyond Time series in the order they should be read:
No Future Christmas
No Silent Christmas
No Time For Christmas
No Hope For Christmas

To visit the author’s website go here.

(No Ratings Yet)

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On December 1, 2106, Doug and Louise Wentworth are frantically destroying information that could possibly condemn them to death, while the worldwide police force breaks down their door. Doug and Louise are taken prisoner, and their daughter Shauna is told they have died.

On December 21, 2004, Mike Forrester is shopping for a Blackberry for his brother’s Christmas present when he sees a woman outside the store, enveloped in a tangerine glow. Eager to know more about the woman, Mike hurries outside, and touches her arm to get her attention. Suddenly, the earth begins shaking, and Mike grabs the woman around the waist to keep her from falling. As the tangerine glow turns to gold, Mike feels himself spinning, and when he wakes up, he has no idea where he is. He sees the woman rounding the corner and hurries to catch up with her so she can explain to him what has happened. Mike meets up with her in the lobby of an office building and demands an explanation. The woman pulls him into an elevator, brings him to her office, and introduces herself as Shauna Wentworth.

Mike is disbelieving when Shauna explains that she is the head of a division that develops secret time travel devices and Mike is now in the future - in 2110, to be exact. Many things have changed since Mike’s time. Four corporations run the world. A worldwide police force, known as the Global Guardians, is supposed to protect society, but are in fact hated and feared. There is no government; all decisions are made by the heads of the four corporations. While Mike sits in Shauna’s office, trying to understand what she has just told him, a message comes for Shauna, written in an old-style language called “texting”. The message tells her that her parents are still alive. Will Mike return to 2004? Will he remain and help Shauna? Will either of them survive the threat of the Global Guardians?

This story moves quickly with lots of action and suspense. I appreciated the way Barbara Goodwin used events of our current time to offer possible outcomes for the future. The main characters showed great strength and determination to forge ahead, and several minor characters served to remind us that people are not always what they appear to be on the surface. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, and one I would recommend to time travel and mystery fans.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Cerridwen Press
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419915956

To purchase an electronic copy of No Future Christmas click here.

Books in the Love Beyond Time series in the order they should be read:
No Future Christmas
No Silent Christmas
No Time For Christmas
No Hope For Christmas

To visit the author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Scarred by a childhood trauma caused by her mother’s death and frightening experiences with the spirit world, Jillian is a young woman who is deeply cynical of all things spiritual and paranormal. She no longer believes in the power of love or in anything she can’t touch or explain. Except for the love part, this wouldn’t be much of an issue for most people, but Jillian and her sister both have psychic abilities and a connection to the spiritual world. Jillian for the most part fears, denies, and suppresses her abilities, while her sister, Amy, uses her abilities to send spirits to the light and provide spiritual guidance to those in need. When Amy goes missing and Jillian sets out to discover what has happened to her—bringing the ghost of Thomas Benton Smith into her life—she is forced to face her fears and redefine who she is, what she’s capable of, and the impact that love can have on her life.

The author skillfully develops Jillian into a character you care about, mostly because of how deeply she loves her sister and how fiercely she fights to protect those she loves. Jillian is torn between her concern and love for her sister and the anger and frustration she feels because of her sister’s trusting nature and openness to the spiritual world. So haunted by childhood terrors and a fear of the unknown, Jillian has an almost obsessive need to always be in control of herself, her emotions, and the people in her life. This rigid control is sorely tested when she encounters the ghost of Thomas Benton Smith while trying to find her sister.

Jillian and her sister Amy couldn’t be more different. Jillian is fearful, angry, and hides behind a facade of self control and calm while fighting and denying who she is. Amy is completely at peace with herself and her psychic abilities, exuding a serene, calm, and gentle personality with a deep inner core of strength. I found myself wanting to see more of Amy. Thomas is a mysterious spirit tied to this plane because of his untimely and violent death. He throws Jillian for a loop with uncontrollable passion. The author does a lovely job of describing Thomas so that each time I read his words, I could hear his southern accent and picture him in his uniform. The way that Thomas protects, encourages, and challenges Jillian, clearly shows that all the qualities that the characters attribute to him are true.

Jillian, who develops criminal profiles for the police, sets out to find her sister after she gets a message that Amy has disappeared. Because she has no leads, she reluctantly uses her latent psychic gifts to find out where Amy is and why she has disappeared. In the process, she discovers that Amy, a professional psychic, went missing while trying to send the spirit of a civil war soldier, Thomas Benton Smith, to the light. Thomas is the only link to Amy’s disappearance and he agrees to help Jillian find her sister so that he can be sent into the light. While working with Thomas to find her sister, Jillian also becomes involved in a dangerous mystery surrounding the life and death of Thomas.

Although I sympathized with Jillian’s fear of her abilities and opening herself up to love, at times she was frustrating to root for. She was closed off from her sister, personal relationships, and her own self, and she was stubbornly resistant to learning anything about her psychic abilities, particularly her ability to see and communicate with spirits. But the challenge of finding her sister and encountering Thomas’ ghost forces Jillian to step outside her comfort zone, try and see things from a more mature perspective, and to take the time to learn about how her psychic abilities work. In those moments, it’s clear that Jillian has reserves of courage, strength, and love that even she is unaware of, having lost touch with them out of self-protection.

I am giving this book three Tombstones out of five. The author beautifully develops a suspenseful and intriguing mystery with great description and spicy love scenes between the heroine and hero. My favorite things about the novel are the author’s active writing style, use of words, and vivid description, which totally pulls you into the story and keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next. It also has a couple of interesting and surprising twists that give the story additional depth.

The only things missing from the novel were a more in depth exploration of the paranormal and psychic aspects of the story and seeing more of the story through Thomas’ eyes and viewpoint because they would have given the story more depth and emotional resonance to me.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419914850
  

To purchase an electronic copy of Gatekeeper click here.

Books in the Phantom Lovers series in the order they should be read:
Gatekeeper
Shadowkeeper
Watchkeeper

To visit the author’s website go here.

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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