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15 new-to-me authors.
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Showing posts with label Blood-Vine Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood-Vine Series. Show all posts
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday Snippets #26
From Bound by Rebellion by Christa Paige
Luke did not want to harm Kat. Instead, he wished to show her exactly what it meant for him to reclaim her as his. To lie beside her when they slept, and keep her safe in his embrace. He longed to stroke back the damp, amber tendrils of her hair which framed her beautiful face and clung to her flushed cheeks. His fingertips prickled in want of her skin, touching and exploring, bringing her ultimate pleasure. Even more pressing though, he longed to rekindle their connection. He missed their mental communication, allowing them private moments when they could not be physically together. Danger lurked everywhere. His natural inclination was to stay near his mate, keeping her secure. Luke had wasted too many years letting Katiya "find her own way." As she so scathingly told him, that final night before their separation, she had no intentions of being pinned down under his thumb for the rest of her extended life. Luke didn't understand what bothered her about it. Growing up in their tight-knit community as part of the Family, Kat had known exactly what to expect when she walked down the long aisle, to the altar where her future hinged upon a fateful decision. Like every other bonded female before her, Katiya had faced the mating ceremony, risking her life to find a blood-mate. Kat didn't have the luxury of modern science to help lessen the danger of her selection. In the past, the Elders simply chose three of the strongest candidates. To up the odds, the males came from different families. Everyone hoped the couple would be genetically compatible. Sometimes, the worst possible outcome occurred and the female's body rejected the blood, killing her within moments. Luke had watched, not knowing if luck would shine down upon him that night. But it had and Katiya survived the ritual. She had sworn an oath by taking his blood, and had bound herself freely to him.
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Friday, July 2, 2010
Quickie Review - Bound by Deception
Quickie Review:
Bound by Deception
Author: Christa Paige
Release Date: available now
Publisher: Ebook by Liquid Silver Books
Blood-Vine Series Book #1
ISBN: #978-1-59578-600-5
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Novella length
NOTE: This book was given to me by the author after I told her how much I enjoyed her second Blood-Vine story, Bound by Rebellion (review HERE).
In order to find a compatible mate, Anna undergoes the ancient blood-rite of her people. She is shocked to learn that her brother has interfered with the process and can’t be sure that Dimitri is her true mate. However, soon Anna realizes that her desire for Dimitri is unstoppable and the two come together in an explosion of passion. Waiting in the wings is a dangerous male who feels that Anna is his to claim. Will Dimitri be able to complete the bonding and protect his beloved Anna in time?
It’s always a bit tough going backwards and read an earlier story in a book series, but not in this case. In Bound by Rebellion, main characters Luke and Kat discuss Anna (Luke’s sister) and Dimitri and the situation that surrounds their story. Reading Bound by Deception filled in several details and completed the background picture for me.
Anna and Dimitri’s story is sexy, quick-paced and exciting. Although not as well-developed as the second Blood-Vine book, it provides greater detail on the origins of the Kan Asma people and the blood-rite mating process, which proved very interesting. Anna and Dimitri are sizzling and their story is a good one. I recommend this short-length book and suggest you read it before reading Bound by Rebellion, but as I discovered, it isn’t necessary.
My Rating:
Friday, June 25, 2010
Bound By Rebellion - Review
Bound by Rebellion
Release Date: February 2010
Publisher: Liquid Silver ebooks
Blood-Vine Series Book #2
ISBN: #978-1-59578-670-8
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Novella length
Note: An e-copy of this book was given to me by the author for review purposes.
Note: An e-copy of this book was given to me by the author for review purposes.
Katiya and Lucas are blood-bound mates. Nearly a decade ago, their idyllic relationship quickly devolved into one of animosity. Furious with Luke’s meddling in her privacy, she left him. Except, they have a pesky issue that continues to bind them together. They must carry on, sharing their blood, or face the deadly consequences, literally.
Ten years have past since Kat moved out. Now, their estrangement firmly in place, she is desperate to move on with her life. So desperate in fact, that she will even rebel against the long-held convictions of her people. Secretly, over the past several months, she has formed an infatuation with a co-worker and, tonight, she plans to take it to the next level.
Luke is unhappy with their tenuous situation. He is prepared to do anything to win her back. He wants her in his arms where he can show her the depths of his passion. If seduction is the key to their reconciliation, he is more than ready to take her to new levels of pleasure. He needs her home, with him, to keep her safe and secure.
Once Kat takes a drastic step to alter her life, she comes face-to-face with a sinister threat. Lucas must find her in time and, when he does, he promises, on his life, that nothing will keep them apart ever again.
What I’m talking about:
When we first meet Kat and Luke, we discover that they are separated and Kat is ready to move on. In the beginning, we find out that Kat must maintain a “relationship” with her estranged mate so that he can survive (needs her blood) and she can stay young. She convinces herself (and me) that it is an awful arrangement. But as I read on, I realized that Kat was also a spoiled brat.
In comes Daniel: handsome co-worker and Kat’s prospective romance. She hasn’t been out with anyone since Luke and is finally ready to take that chance. Immediately we know that something isn’t quite right with Daniel, and I enjoyed trying to figure out what it was (and how Luke would figure it out).
The first thing I noticed about Ms. Paige’s work was the exquisite detail she pours into her story. From beginning to end, each scene was thoroughly described, but not over done. Here is an example:
Sprawled out on a butter-soft, overstuffed, dark leather couch, he flipped on his bigscreen plasma TV. The fifty-two inch monstrosity hung on the wall directly across from the L-shaped sofa. Underneath the television, a black lacquered entertainment center held speakers, game consoles and a vast selection of DVDs.
I loved that I was able to visualize the surroundings, and this enhanced my reading immensely.
I was also impressed with the character development in Bound by Rebellion. Usually, I am frustrated by the expedience with which a character changes in shorter books (novella-length); however, Ms. Paige has written full and interesting characters that grabbed my attention and left me satisfied.
The romance between Kat and Luke is hot and sexy! We get “just the two of them” for roughly the last third of the story and the time is largely well spent. There is an emotional shower scene that left me a bit misty-eyed, but also feeling a tad over-heated *wink*. My biggest complaint was that while reading from Luke’s POV, we are constantly reminded that he was “holding back his need” for Kat. It became redundant and put a damper on some of the sexiness.
There were a few other personality issues I had with Kat - or more concerns about how “easily” she seemed to forget and move on (I can’t give details without putting in spoilers). At times, I felt the 180-turn in her feelings for Luke from the beginning of the story were too radical. However, in the end, almost all of my issues were addressed, which made me a happy girl.
The novella leaves an open door for more stories to come (Luke has some handsome brothers waiting in the wings), and I will for one will be reading any subsequent books. This was an enjoyable, sexy read with the right mix of action and romance.
My Rating:
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Author Interview - Christa Paige Part 2
Today I have the honor of welcoming back author Christa Paige. We had so much to talk about that Christa returned for a second day of interviews. Christa started her writing career as a critique partner for aspiring authors. Prompted by the crit-group, to attempt writing her own books, she embarked on the fascinating journey of being a novelist. She has a passion for the paranormal genre and decided to create a unique twist on vampire lore. Soon after that, she started her first contemporary series, Kissin’ Cops, based on the sexy detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A Southern California native, she is happily married to her very own alpha male. Together, they restore classic cars and often go RV-ing. When she isn’t writing, she is a busy mother of two active girls. Her days are spent home-schooling. At night, she continues working on the next installments in both her Blood-Vine and Kissin’ Cops series. Please help me welcome Christa to That’s What I’m Talking About.
Christa: The first thing I ever wrote, novel-wise, was when I was twelve years old. It was a sweeping romantic tale about a Civil War widow named Katherine, who thinks her husband lost his life on the battlefield and so, she remarries. Only, she finds out a few years and a couple of babies later, that her first husband had never really died. I began with complicated romantic plots and I don’t think I have changed that much since then. Serious writing-wise, I have been working on original fiction for about four years.
Twimom: Sounds like a lot to think about at the age of twelve. Outside of writing, how do you spend your time?
Christa: I’m the mom of two extremely busy pre-teens. I don’t know if I have time for hobbies. When we do find sometime for ourselves, hubby and I restore classic cars. Well, he does all the greasy, sweaty dirty work and I order all the cool interior parts. There is nothing more exciting than hauling butt in a rumbling ’69 Camaro SS! Also, we go RVing often. During the summer, it is all about the lake and, during the winter months, we go to the desert for dirt biking. On top of those, I really enjoy cooking. My youngest has celiac and so I spend a ton of time converting recipes so she can enjoy good food like everyone else.
Twimom: You are one busy mama! When it comes to books, what is your favorite genre to read? Who are your favorite authors?
Christa: Regency has always been my favorite genre. I love heroes in Hessians and cravats. There are so many authors in historical romance that I have on auto-buy. Gaelen Foley, Mary Balogh, Barbara Dawson-Smith, Laura Kinsale; all top my favorites list. I do have to add that I absolutely love Pamela Clare’s MacKinnon’s Rangers series as well. She really knows how to write delicious heroes and her historical background is simply amazing. Who knew rangers during the French and Indian war would make such delicious heroes?
Twimom: That is one genre I do not know a lot about, but you make it sound so sexy! What is your favorite book you've read in 2010?
Twimom: *sigh* John Matthew... Anyhow to follow up, what book release are you looking forward to (other than your own!)?
I can not wait for Connor MacKinnon’s book to come out but, according to Pamela Clare, Defiant won’t be released until 2012. That’s like forever. So, to pick something closer to now, I am looking forward to Gaelen Foley’s My Dangerous Duke.
Twimom: Christa, once again thank you so much for taking the time to tell my readers a little bit about yourself and your writing. It was wonderful chatting with you.
Christa: Thank you, Twimom.Readers... Be sure to stop back tomorrow when I have a review of Christa’s latest Blood-Vine story: Bound by Rebellion.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Author Interview - Christa Paige Part 1
Today I have the honor of bringing to you author Christa Paige. Christa started her writing career as a critique partner for aspiring authors. Prompted by the crit-group, to attempt writing her own books, she embarked on the fascinating journey of being a novelist. She has a passion for the paranormal genre and decided to create a unique twist on vampire lore. Soon after that, she started her first contemporary series, Kissin’ Cops, based on the sexy detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A Southern California native, she is happily married to her very own alpha male. Together, they restore classic cars and often go RV-ing. When she isn’t writing, she is a busy mother of two active girls. Her days are spent home-schooling. At night, she continues working on the next installments in both her Blood-Vine and Kissin’ Cops series. Please help me welcome Christa to That’s What I’m Talking About.
Twimom: Christa, welcome and thank you for stopping by.
Christa: Thank you for inviting me.
Christa: When I first began writing the series I knew two things. First, my females would not have vampire traits but would carry the genetic mutation. Second, the males would not be undead, soulless monsters who slept in caskets. I really liked the idea that the females were not as strong as the males because it gave them a vulnerability which makes their mates over-protective! I wanted a plausible reason for the vampirism, so I did an extensive search on longevity in different cultures. Finally, my research paid off and I found one that I felt worked wonderfully. After incorporating the factual information, from the Abkhazian people into the broader mythology of my vampires, I was able to create this new culture which I called the Kan Asma. (Loosely translated in Turkish it means the people of the Blood-Vine.) Since they are dependent on sharing blood to extend their lives and give them super-natural abilities, I think they can be classified as vampires. However, they do not call themselves vampires because they are living and breathing creatures who have basic needs like the human next door. They do, however, believe they are superior to humans.
Twimom: It’s an interesting concept that works well in your stories. Can you tell me a little more about the mythology of the Kan Asma?
Christa: Basically, many centuries ago, the villagers stumbled upon a succulent berry-vine that grew way up in the Caucasus Mountains. Those who ingested it ended up with a severe belly-ache; the weakest of the community didn’t survive the night. All the towns-folk who made it through the illness ended up changed. The vampire traits surfaced within the males and soon, preternatural instincts kicked in. Their appetites were altered and they craved that berry. Unfortunately, their addiction to it made it become extinct. Because they were descendants of Turkish invaders, they kept their social hierarchy with powerful princes and commoners. To this day, they continue to manipulate the next generation of younglings by orchestrating the best genetic matches.
Abkhazia has its very own mythology that is expansive. Weaving those intriguing tidbits into the Kan Asma culture has been truly enjoyable. I hope readers like the distinctive take as well. The mythos of my vampire community is based on the Nart Epos as well as Circassia folklore. Trees and harvest are very important to them as well as rites and customs. The moon plays a huge role in the rituals as well, which worked perfectly for sun sensitive vampires!
Twimom: I really appreciate the detail you have put into your mythology--I find it fascinating. Where do you think the series will go next? Are you contracted to write more books?
Christa: Currently, I am working on the third Blood-Vine novel. This is Traian’s story, Bound By Obsession. The most important thing about this book is that Tray ends up in a huge dilemma. He will have to make a difficult choice: family or his mate. I intend to have this story published through Liquid Silver Books again since, at this time, they have the other two stories, but I am not contracted for the book or on a deadline to turn it in. However, I am hoping to have it completed soon for a late fall release.
On top of that story, I have been working hard on a stand alone title. It features Sevastian, a cousin to the siblings in the Blood-Vine series.
Twimom: I for one hope to see Bound By Obsession in the fall! For those not familiar with your other works, can you tell us about your books/series?
Twimom: Sounds like a lot of fun! Christa... Look at the time! I have enjoyed chatting with you and I still have more questions. Can we continue the interview tomorrow?
Christa: Sounds like a great idea.
Twimom: Thank you Christa for stopping by.
Dear Readers: Be sure to come back tomorrow when I continue my interview with author Christa Paige. ALSO - on Friday I'll have my review of her latest Blood-Vine book.
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