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Showing posts with label Ellora's Cave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ellora's Cave. Show all posts
Friday, July 19, 2013
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Sidney Bristol
Today I welcome back one of my favorite peeps, author Sidney Bristol. She’s here today celebrating her new book release, The Harder He Falls, the second title in her So Inked series from Ellora’s Cave. Take it away, Sidney...
Hello, and thanks so much to the ever lovely and beautiful Jen for hosting me ON MY BOOK RELEASE DAY!
I’m sorry, that was a little too much excitement, wasn’t it? I’ll try to tone it down, but I make no promises.
The second book in my So Inked series from Ellora’s Cave releases today. The series focuses on a team of female tattoo artists slinging ink and making a name for themselves in Texas. The Harder He Falls is the second book in this series and follows one of the shops owners, Kellie, as she makes some hard decisions, faces down her worst nightmare and finds love in the arms of a man she never expected to win her over.
But that’s the sales pitch. Why don’t we talk about something fun?
Did you know there are different styles and even schools of art when it comes to tattoos? While most tattoo artists can do all types of tattoos, everyone has something they’re naturally good at. Well the girls at the So Inked tattoo shop are no different!
With The Harder He Falls I wanted to dig into the well-known Japanese elements of tattooing we see everywhere. From t-shirts to phone cases to even your underwear, tattoo art is showing up in all sorts of new places and a lot of it harkens back to the art brought from Japan by artists like Ed Hardy, Yakuza gangsters coming to America, service men stationed in Japan and tourists.
Almost every culture has a history of tattooing unique to them. From geometric designs dating back to the first humans, to markings to denote tribes and designs to evoke the power from the art, tattoos have said a lot about us since the earliest of days.
Japanese tattoos are a language in and of themselves, that isn’t always appreciated by its American audience. Each traditional element can be manipulated, combined and placed to call upon different powers, mean something specific or say a particular thing about the wearer.
For example, a Koi fish depicted swimming up water means that the person is overcoming something. Combined with other flowers, elements or symbols, it can become more specific, speaking to the fragility of life, persevering through a rough time, etc.
While a lot of the American tattoo culture revolves around images and embracing your own meaning, Japanese tattoos come with a rich culture, even a heritage of being part of that language. I’ve always admired the Japanese style tattoos, but could never settle on something that spoke to me and meshed with the tattoos I currently have.
Tattoos are often a love them or hate them choice. Which side of the line do you fall on? Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of the first book in the So Inked series, Under His Skin!
About the Author:
It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.
GIVEAWAY: Ms. Bristol is offering one (1) a digital copy of the first book in the So Inked series, Under His Skin to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. To enter, please leave a comment answering Sidney's question “Tattoos are often a love them or hate them choice. Which side of the line do you fall on?" Contest is open to anyone, except where prohibited by law. Contest open from July 19, 2013 until July 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM EDT. One (1) winner will be selected at random from the comment entries. Prize will be emailed to winner directly by author. I am not responsible to items lost in the mail/email system.
The Harder He Falls, So Inked #2
The Harder He Falls, So Inked #2
Ellora’s Cave; Coming soon to Barnes and Noble & Amazon
A woman who doesn’t have time for love…
A hot night full of hotel-destroying sex was all Kellie wanted from her client-turned-sex god. Between family and work, there isn’t room for love, just hot, sweaty lust. An arrangement for mutual gratification is exactly what Kellie wants, but every kiss, each mind-blowing orgasm twines her heart around a man she cannot have.
A man building a new life…
Quinton’s assumptions about the So Inked shop owner are turned on their head after one session under her tattoo machine. Kellie’s not the vandal he’s looking for, but she’s the woman he wants. In his bed, on the desk or under the stars, he’ll take her any way he can get her. But Quin has secrets and someone is out to destroy him. Someone who has their sights set on Kellie now.
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Excerpt
Kellie shifted on the wooden bench, still restless. The evening breeze was cooler than normal thanks to a cold front blowing in. It was ridiculous that dropping into the nineties was considered a cool spell, but in the height of Texas summer, you took what you got. She swept her hair up into a knot and tipped her head back. The slight dampness of her skin, courtesy of the ever-present humidity, was a small price to pay for being able to sit outside. She’d shed the formfitting dress for jeans and a tank top and felt more like herself for it.
“How hot does it get here?” Quin plunked down their dinner and sat on his side of the picnic table. Behind him the food truck was starting to pack up.
“Can’t handle the heat?” It was too much to ask that the man be able to cope with everything. He’d sat through the tattoo yesterday without complaint, being a heat weenie wasn’t terrible.
His brilliant blue eyes stood out in the dim illumination of the parking lot light. “When you have A/C, why should you?”
“You do realize that it’s going to get at least ten degrees hotter and stay there, don’t you?” She unwrapped the tacos and inhaled the spicy aroma of peppers and onions mixed with tender beef.
Quin made a show of wiping his forehead with a napkin. “I’m going to melt.”
“Why the hell are you still here then?”
He hefted his burrito and wrapped the tortilla tighter. “Family.”
She nodded, understanding that reason above all others.
They descended into companionable silence while they ate. The garbled sounds of a Tejano station melded with the distant sounds of Highway 75 and the light street traffic up and down Greenville Avenue.
“What are you so wound up about, doll?”
Her head snapped around. Quin watched her with one brow arched.
“What?” she asked.
“Your knees are bouncing and you keep looking around. Are you expecting someone I don’t know about?” He glanced over each shoulder.
The bubble of anger swelling in her breast burst. It wasn’t Quin’s fault she was suffering from a case of bitchitis.
Instead of snapping at him, she put her taco down and massaged her temples. “No, I’m just sitting on too much energy and not enough time to expend it.”
“Ah.” He nodded as if he understood. “We used to call that the fight or fuck stage.”
It was her turn to quirk a brow at him. She shivered despite the heat. He had a point; one or the other would help. “Fight or fuck stage? What did you used to do?”
“First I was in the Marines, then I used to fight MMA, semipro.”
Her eyebrows crept upward. Mixed martial arts? She saw Quin in a whole new light, and when she looked at him in this proverbial light, he looked damn good. Fighters came with their own set of issues, but as an MMA hobbyist herself, Kellie had to admit that her bad boy draw was sitting across from her. Growing up around the gym meant she’d become more than competent in a few martial art forms. As an adult, branching out into the grappling, wrestling and more violent aspects had given her a much needed outlet.
Kellie grabbed her drink, the cup covered in condensation, and gulped it down to get moisture back in her dry mouth.
“Why’d you stop?”
“I got hurt. Fractured a few vertebrae. Everyone was amazed I could walk after that. Realized there was little to no chance of me coming back from the injury, so I switched over to training. I like it.”
“Do you train around here?” An invisible fist clenched her heart. There had been a time when she would have known the different gyms, who trained where, which ones were worth going to and so forth.
Quin didn’t answer immediately. He chewed his food without haste and took a drink before replying. “I’m transitioning locations. Parting with someone. It’s a little messy.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Yeah, I’ve been there. I’m lucky to have Mary as my co-owner. The guy I worked with before her was a man-child.”
He snorted. “Man-child?”
“Yeah, you know. Frat boy types.”
He tilted his head back and laughed. “That’s a good one, doll. Man-child. I’ll have to remember that.”
The pet name slid over her nerves as if it were sandpaper. “Do you have to call me that?”
“What?” He blinked as if he had no clue what she was talking about.
“Lay off the doll crap already.”
He shrugged. “You look like a doll.”
Her scalp itched and her hand balled into a fist. “You think I look like a whore?” she growled. Moments like these she felt as if she were a passenger in her own body. The urge to do something, or even the man across from her, had her muscles too tense and her nerves strung too tight.
Quin jerked his face away from his cup. “What? No. That’s not what I meant. You’re attractive and exotic-looking. You look more like a doll than a real person.”
Heat crawled up her neck and she was thankful the parking light was their only illumination. It was the most convoluted compliment anyone had ever paid her, and it turned her on even more. She folded her taco wrapper into a neat square.
“You realize the term china doll is what men called Asian prostitutes and war brides?”
“The fuck—no. No, that’s definitely not what I meant. Hey, guys probably hit on you all the time. I figured I had to be a little creative.”
She rolled her eyes. “At least you don’t talk to my boobs.”
His gaze dipped to her chest and her nipples perked up at his inspection. She squeezed her thighs together. This was ridiculous. She was not an animal in heat ready to throw herself at some random guy.
“Well, in their defense, most guys probably only come up to your chest, so it’s not entirely their fault.” One side of his mouth kicked up in a roguish smile.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, blame it on me because I’m tall.”
“It’s not your fault you’re tall. It’s their fault they’re short.”
Her phone buzzed against her hip. Conversation forgotten, Kellie dug it out of her pocket and unlocked the screen. The home-care provider always texted her when Grandma finally went to bed. She breathed a sigh of relief when nothing else was mentioned, which meant the day had passed without incident. She had all night before she would need to go home and face those troubles. For now she was her own woman.
“Everything okay?”
She glanced up from the phone. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
“So you moved here for family. Wife? Girlfriend?”
“None of the above.”
He was unattached and available. She went very still, the possibilities running through her head.
Quin cleared his throat. “My schedule right now doesn’t lend itself to dating.”
Even better. She laid her palms on the rough wooden surface of the table. “Neither does mine.”
His stillness echoed hers. A predatory awareness came over him, but she wasn’t prey. “That’s a shame.”
She looked him over, even as he did the same. He wouldn’t be the first client she slept with, she wasn’t a saint. But neither did she know him.
“Excuse me.” The food truck cook had walked up on them without either noticing. “I need to load the table, sorry.” He smiled and wiped his hands on the dirty apron.
Kellie swiped the napkin across her face. Had she really inhaled the burrito? Judging by the sad remnants left, yes she had.
“That’s fine. Thanks for the food.”
She rose, gathered up her trash and tossed it in a recycling bin, then leaned against the front of Quin’s truck, out of the way while Quin lent a hand to their cook and helped load the table. Too many thoughts spun around in her head, she needed a minute to get her head screwed on straight, but she wasted those watching Quin’s arms and the way his t-shirt stretched across his back. She pretended she hadn’t been staring when he headed for her, perching her elbows on the hood and leaning back. The truck’s grille pressed into her back but with her elbows perched on the edge, it thrust her breasts out. As if she needed to draw any more attention to them.
Quin’s gaze roved freely over her body and she could already anticipate his strong touch. He would be an energetic lover, but would he be gentle? Or rough? Did he always have to stay in control? Because sometimes she liked to put a man through his paces.
“I can’t tell what you’re thinking and I’m dying to know.” He stopped less than a foot away.
She smiled slowly, already having a pretty good idea what his answer to her question would be. “I was wondering if you would like to get a room?”
Labels:
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Review: Shades of Moonlight by Stephanie Julian
Shades of Moonlight
Author: Stephanie Julian
Release Date: May 17, 2013
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Lucani Lovers #6
ISBN: #978-1419946561
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Erotic
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Wolf shifter Race Aragon knows Mara Marrucini is meant to be his, in bed and out. And he’s not about to let anyone or anything get in his way of protecting her and her baby. She’d been the prisoner of a madman and has the emotional scars to prove it. Now that she’s free, he’s going to make damn sure she gets to live her life—with him at her side.
Mara adores Race. He’s the first man to make her feel like a woman. To make her feel protected. His touch ignites her desire but she fears for his safety. Her presence in his life puts him in the crosshairs.
But with her son’s life on the line, Mara trusts no one but Race to keep them both safe. And to care for her heart—always.
What B is talking about:
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The first glimpse we’re given of the potential for a relationship between Race and Mara comes at the end of book 5, Grace in Moonlight, which I also recommend. It is a sweet little tidbit about the future mates, and sets up their interactions in Shades of Moonlight nicely. As is common for Ms. Julian’s shifters, Race’s attachment to Mara is evident from the very beginning of her time with the versipelli (“skin shifters”), even if he doesn’t understand it. One my favorite things about this story is that Race doesn’t really care why he feels so strongly for Mara, he simply throws himself into an endearing devotion to her happiness and well-being. Mara similarly trusts Race when she hardly trusts anyone else, and worries that any contact with her will put him in danger.
The ongoing build up to war with the “Malandante” (evil descendants of the Etruscans who care only for money and power) provides plenty of action throughout the series, Shades of Moonlight included. An unwilling former breeder for the Mal, Mara lives in fear for the safety of both herself and her infant son, Arin, and worries that her time with the wolves is a temporary arrangement at best. Arin, meanwhile, has a special gift of his own that throws the shifters, as well as their deities, into a further state of alarm. And if all that wasn’t enough, Race is confronted with a crisis close to home that puts his and Mara’s faith in one another to the test.
I’ve had the privilege of following the Lucani Lovers series for a long time now, and I believe it is a fine addition to the collection of any fan of shifter erotic romance. As a novella-length story, Shades of Moonlight advances the tension between the wolves and the Mal, while telling the story of an unlikely pair of misfits discovering a loving and undeniable bond with one another. Neither Race nor Mara believes they’re good enough for the other, but they can’t resist their mutual attraction, either. It isn’t logical, but it’s extremely romantic and absolutely sexy. While this story can stand alone, it is better when read within the series, as quite a few of the secondary characters already have novels of their own. While fairly simple in its execution, this story has plenty of action and sensuality to make up for it. Sometimes, the best parts of a narrative lie in not having to worry about all the details in favor of simply enjoying the story as it is, and Shades of Moonlight does that and more just fine.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Friday, March 8, 2013
Author Guest Post: Avery Aster
Today I have Ellora’s Cave erotic romance author Avery Aster here at That’s What I’m Talking About. (Insert crowd roar here) Avery lives in New York City and has started a new series called The Manhattanites. Avery is here to share a bit about the first book in her debut series, Undressed. Please help me welcome Avery...
Avery! I have two questions for you before you get started with your post today. Your debut novel; Undressed, is the first in the series. Tell us a little bit about the book.
Avery: I started working on the series about two years ago. There are three full length novels coming out in 2013 and two more novels for the series in 2014. The Manhattanites focuses on relationships. Each novel may be read as a standalone and are written in third person. In The Manhattanites you have three women and one gay guy who grew up together in boarding school. They’ve moved in to NYC to go to college and the series picks up when they are all in their late twenties. The characters are outspoken, successful, wealthy, vulnerable, and all looking for true love. The novels celebrate their experiences while they holiday, climb the corporate ladder, and pursue their romantic interests.
Twimom227: What has the reader response been like to the first book in the series?
Avery: Undressed is well…dirty and funny. One reviewer said it was mommy smut to the max and the most intimate novel she’d ever read. I was shocked because it doesn’t have any BDSM. She said it was because the heroine; Lex Easton was sexually aggressive, smart and thought a lot about sex. Readers have enjoyed Lex’s internal dialogue. I’ve found that if readers have a sense of humor about sex, then they’ll love this book.
An excerpt from Chapter Four: Adrenaline Junkie’s Temple of Doom
Now is an appropriate time to start popping Xanax. Lex tried to settle her stomach from the car ride as she stepped away from the roadster. The dried clay left a film over her shoes with each step. The tarmac, situated at the island’s highest peak, overlooked the village, the palace and even Sicily. She walked over to the edge of the cliff to clear her head. Inhaling aromas from lemon trees, farmed fruits and a briny ocean tang engulfed her senses. As she relaxed her shoulders, the scent put her in a peaceful mood. For a second, she forgot about her worries.
Lex noticed Massimo already at the plane and hurried herself over.
The single engine jet encased in a carbon fiber material, although undersized, was striking. Similar to the prince’s sports car.
Cupping her hands around her eyes, she pressed her face to the window to see a tiny cockpit. “Where’s the pilot?”
“Right here.” He held out the keys, walking around the plane’s right side, smirking, and posing as Indiana Jones on the last crusade. She hoped they weren’t heading toward the Temple of Doom. Massimo rivaled Mr. Jones in hotness, she prayed not in adventure.
“Do you have a pilot’s license?” she asked, unsure they taught aviation at The Royal Millionaire Playboy Making Academy.
“Sì, signorina.” He shook his head poking fun at her.
“I’m serious. Show me your license please?” Lex held on to the plane’s door as if it were a gate to hell. Christian Dior, get me outta here.
Massimo closed the distance between them in response. “Give me your hand.” Not waiting for her to respond, he grabbed her mitts from the door. “Bella, you are shaking,” he noticed and secured his fingers around hers, massaging her palm into his.
Strong hands. “You may call me Lex, not Bella. This isn’t Twilight.” She didn’t care for paranormal.
“Lex,” he whispered in a soothing voice meant for sarcasm, but his tone turned her on. Pillow talk fabulous, he continued, “You are in good hands. I fly, race, sail. I have licenses for many things. Per favore get in.” He held the door open as she stepped up. “Here, let me help you,” he proposed as his large square hands grazed under her ass, sliding her into the cockpit.
“Watch it!” Lex’s tits hardened in stark arousal. Light as air, is how she became when he more or less threw her into the cockpit. “Ahhhhh!” She screamed. Massimo’s gentle intent was overlooked as she bounced when he lifted her up high.
“Scusi,” Massimo apologized. Taunting her, he hung in the doorway and stared down over her—as if they were in bed together. And he’d spread her legs and thrust upon her. But he didn’t. He gave her a confident nod, self assured she wanted him.
I hate you. Flabbergasted into silence, she ogled him as he clicked her seat belt in. Mortification erupted as he slipped his hands under the straps grazing her erect nipples. Not because he touched her—hell he could do more, more, and more as he desired. But because Massimo confirmed to them both she was aroused. She wanted him. Her mouth spoke fuck off but her body danced fuck me. “You’re copping a feel.”
“Just making sure my passenger is in—nice and tight,” Massimo confirmed as he straightened (and rubbed) her legs. Stepping down, he uttered, “I would hate to see those long, sexy legs fall out, dropping you into a shark’s mouth somewhere over the Mediterranean.”
“Ha! Your airplane humor is lost on my American wits.” She pulled on the straps, showing she managed fine without him. His focus on her ass, breasts, and safety reminded Lex what she’d been missing while working away, building Easton Essentials. A man—a fifty two inch chested, six foot three standing, brown eyed, black haired, hundreds to billions dollars rich, hung as a horse, cocky, conceded, alpha man.
He went around to his side and hopped in. The cabin packed tighter compared to the race car as Massimo’s arm jammed up against hers. He nudged her and joked, “Do you see room for a third person to fly us?” Familiar with the dashboard, he slammed the door and worked the instrument panel.
Lex half closed her eyes thinking about him touching her again—and again. I hate him.
The control panel lit up, resembling Manhattan’s downtown skyline, welcoming his command. When Lex’s conscious returned to Earth post I Hate Him Please Fuck Me City and her tongue sharpened, she bleated, “Most fitting for you, Prince Massimo Tittoni, to be flying this plane.” He’d been in charge since the get go. Massimo exuded many extraordinary talents, so much so it pissed her off and turned her on at the same time.
“Meaning?” he prodded as the jet started lunging them forward.
“You’re an adrenaline junkie.” She crossed her hands over her chest, covering her aroused nipples which he’d become aware. “They have support groups for you guys back in the States—Adrenaline Addicts Anonymous.”
This man loved everything high tempo—race cars, big business, rich lifestyles and his many poolside lovers. It scared her for reasons familiar. Her father died the same way. He lived life in fifth gear to the point no one returned without getting hurt.
You junkies never settle down.
Her ears popped as they took off. She peeked out the rattling window, surprised she enjoyed the prince’s flying much better than his driving. Hidden under her Tom Ford sunglasses, she hid her exhilaration from zooming over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Shades shimmering in cyan, turquoise, and ultramarine blended into the waves below.
She tried to take in the thin air supply without hyperventilating from the thrill, convinced she’d come in her seat if he hit an air pocket.
More about Undressed
Content Warning: due to graphic sex scenes, strong language, suggestive themes, mature humor, and just about everything your mother ever told you not to do--including wearing a see-through dress, this novel is for adults only.
Milan's notorious playboy, Massimo Tittoni, seems to have everything--Lamborghinis, exotic women, palaces throughout Europe and business success. Ramping up his fabric company to go global with a new apparel brand, he ruthlessly stops supplying fabrics to the American client who inspired the collection. But once they meet, what's he willing to give to get her in his bed?
Upper East Side designer Lex Easton will be damned if she'll let an Italian stud muffin knock her down. So what if she named her favorite vibrator after him. With Fashion Week approaching, she'll do whatever it takes to secure the fabrics she needs to become the next Diane von Furstenburg-- even sleep with her rival. But when she arrives in Europe the paparazzi chronicles her every move and she finds herself in a situation never imagined. Lex's Louboutins stilettos are dug in deep to win this war. All's fair in love and fashion!
Avery Aster's super-glossy debut novel is loaded with passionate escapism, pitting American ambition against Italian tradition. Erotic romance fans who appreciate extended sex scenes, witty banter and glamour mustn't miss Undressed.
Inside Scoop: Though the hero and heroine remain monogamous, their Prada-wearing friends indulge in a ménage a trois and other fashionable sexual fun and games.
The Manhattanites is a series of full length novels focusing on relationships. Each book may be read as a stand alone and features a HEA w/ closure for the couple's story. If you've enjoyed TV shows like Girls (HBO), Dirty Sexy Money (ABC), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS) then you'll love this series. Avery's characters are over the top. They have raunchy sex, speak their minds and the plots are twisted. (In a good way!)
Thank you so much for stopping by today, Avery.
You can purchase Avery's debut story at Amazon
and other ebook retailers.
and other ebook retailers.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Review: The Bigger They Are...
The Bigger They Are...
Author: Stephanie Julian
Release Date: March 23, 2012
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Lovers on the Fringe #2
ISBN: #978-1419939549
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds
About the book:
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Andy Lohani is in a serious funk. The Yeti shifter is looking for love, or at least some loving, and when he meets Jenna Durham one dark night, sparks fly. She’s beautiful, sexy and hot for him. Getting her in his bed is job one. Unfortunately, she’s Normal and he’s really…not.
Accountant Jenna Durham doesn’t believe her brother’s crazy theories about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. But she agrees to check out a bar in northern Pennsylvania where her brother says Bigfoot hangs out. At least she’s getting an expenses-paid weekend away.
When Jenna meets seven-foot blond and blue-eyed hunk Andy, she realizes she owes her brother one hell of an apology. Because she has a huge crush on the Abominable Snowman. And what he can do between the sheets is not something a girl could soon forget. But if she wants to keep him, she might have to give up her Normal life for one on the Fringe…
What I’m talking about:
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It seems to Jenna Durham that she is always helping out her twin brother, Joss, when he needs money, and he always needs money. So when instead, he asks her to check out a remote location in Pennsylvania because Bigfoot may live there, she isn’t certain what to do. She adores Joss, but isn’t quite ready to believe that the supernatural world is real.
Jenna decides to take up Joss’s job offer and finds herself in the middle of nowhere, sitting in her car, parked in front of a rundown shack. When Andy, a giant blond god, strolls out of the structure and up to Jenna’s car window, she is ready to follow him anywhere. And Andy wants two things 1) to get Jenna away from the building that doubles as a bar for the “Fringe” beings (supernatural creatures) and 2) to get Jenna into his bed.
Overall, The Bigger They Are... is an enjoyable and fun story that doesn’t take itself seriously. The novella is full of quirky sci-fi references (which bodes well for a nerd-girl like me!), sexual innuendo, slap-stick humor and more pop culture references than I can count.
The first half of the story primarily focuses on Andy and Jenna getting to know each other via light banter. Although the humor had me chuckling out loud and the pop culture references were fun, after a while the constant references to comics, movies and TV programs began to crowd the flow of the story. And since I didn’t know all of the references, I felt like a third-wheel in their discussions.
However, the flow of the story changes about midway through the book when Andy and Jenna sleep together. First - they are HOT! I love Ms. Julian’s ability to write a sexy, erotic scene. Then, with the introduction of Joss’s friend, Mike, the storyline really picks up. And the uncovering of the “truth” to Jenna is highly entertaining (Andy is a Yeti shifter after all!). I breezed through the second half of the story and wanted to continue on. (Did I get a hint that maybe Joss’s story would be coming up soon?)
The Bigger They Are... is a FUN read! The story is full of humor and is highly entertaining. I recommend you pick up both novellas from the Lovers on the Fringe series for an amusing and enjoyable time! I will leave you with one of the many humorous pop culture references in this story (and definitely my favorite):
She was a clone living with other clones on the Death Star while Andy and his friends hung out on the much cooler Millennium Falcon.
My Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Reviews from the Series
Size Matters
Size Matters
Friday, February 10, 2012
Review: Supernaturally Kissed
Supernaturally Kissed
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Release Date: Dec. 29, 2011
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Frostbite Series #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Ghosts harass and annoy Tess Jennings to save their souls. Sometimes she helps them. Other times she ignores them. But one ghost will give her no choice.
Kipp McGowen, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, will stop at nothing to gain her help, including using his ghostly charms to seduce her.
Tess must help solve the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid, because solving the case will save Kipp. But a bigger problem presents itself. Tess is falling in love with a ghost. Now she must decide. Keep Kipp forever or find the killer…
What I’m talking about:
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Tess is a little different from the rest of us - she sees and communicates with ghosts. She usually ignores their plight, or if she stops to listen, she tries to send them on their way to the “other side” quickly. That process has always worked for her until she meets Kipp - he is different from any ghost she’s met before. He remembers his life and acts like a “normal person.” Kipp implores Tess to help him catch the man who killed him while he was tracking down the killer of a young girl.
Right from the start, Kipp reminded me of Patrick Swayze’s character in the movie Ghost - bothering Tess until she acknowledged him and did his bidding. It didn’t hinder the story, but rather made me chuckle.
I will tell you right up front that I spent a lot of time during the first half of so of this book trying to figure out how Kipp and Tess could have a happy ending. First, I thought maybe he wasn’t really dead like Reese Witherspoon’s character in the movie Just like Heaven. Then I wondered if she would die too. Or *gulp* would there not be a happy ending? I just couldn’t see how it could possibly end well.... with him a ghost and her, well, not. Let me reassure you that this concern is addressed AND once the story got rolling, I was so engrossed that I didn’t really care.
I loved how my emotions were tugged around in this book. For example, several times my heart raced with Tess’s frustration when she tried to explain the truth to Kipp’s partners. I was waiting for one of them to put her in the looney bin.
I did get annoyed that Kipp and his best friend and former partner, Zach, didn’t have a problem putting Tess in potentially dangerous situations. For as “protective” as they are supposed to be, time and time again they pushed her into doing things that had the potential to kill her. I was especially upset with one scene when the partners pushed Tess into dressing like a slut and had her attempt to pick up a man who could have been Kipp’s killer. Not cool. And Tess could be a pushover. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to do some of these things - like go undercover at the bar.
As I mentioned, this book really held some great emotional components. Kipp and Tess had some very touching scenes - I was especially impacted by Kipp’s words when he told Tess that dying was worth it to meet her (sounds corny when I write it, but it was very touching). There was constant tension in the book caused by the threat that Kipp would *poof* off to heaven - or whatever the afterlife brings - once the mystery of his murder is solved.
As the story approached its climax, I got very anxious something bad was going to happen to Tess. She was “alone” in the woods at the site of a buried body... come on! I was screaming at her for leaving the officers and at the police for letting her go. Although it was pretty obvious who the “bad guy” was, it was still suspenseful and once again, my heart was racing.
At the conclusion, when Tess spoke to a parent of a murdered girl, I was in tears. What a gift to receive - parting words from beyond. And I liked how the author portrayed her parents - they accepted Tess’s gift without judgement.
Overall, Supernaturally Kissed was predictable at times, but a sweet and suspenseful story. Although not a true “HEA,” Ms. Kennedy left hope for the future, and she has written the start of what I predict will be an exciting series. Although I was fixated on how it would conclude, I am glad it wasn’t a cliched ending.
My Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday Snippet #76
Roped Emotions
by Elise Hepner
Ellora’s CaveSeptember 14, 2011
“What in Christ’s name…”
I must be hearing echoes from the town nearby, where Mother sells her herbs and braided goods. No one ventures this far toward my tower because Mother’s gone to great lengths to see that they don’t—bear traps are her new favorite method of discouragement. Once one life is claimed, I imagine word spreads fairly quickly to stay away from the area. Why then are there hoof beats that make my head pulse with a slight pain?
There’s no understandable excuse I can delude myself with any longer. Before I can focus on the consequences, I swing my head out the window into the oppressive, humid summer air. Just the very top of his head is visible, his hair brushing past his cheekbones, glowing from the sunshine and shot through with gold. Never have I seen a color so close to my own before—not that I see many people.
For a few moments I can’t quite come to terms with his presence and it’s not for a lack of staring that my pulse inevitably echoes inside my head like an overbeaten drum. This is my chance. Mother won’t be back for quite some time with her wares. He’s circling the tower, slouched over a horse who looks a bit like a nag. Certainly not a proper horse for a man with such fine clothes in gorgeous colors and sumptuous fabrics.
There’s no going back from this moment. It’s a certainty that makes my teeth chatter in a wash of cold fear, despite the heat, and my hands clasp around my middle as I try to hold myself together. He hasn’t looked up yet, more intent on studying the free-standing structure than noticing my shadow plastered across the grass. My mind is desperately working out what I’ll cry out to him. Even as my throat closes with an infusion of happiness that makes me rock on my feet.
“Excuse me?” A tentative question I’m not sure he will hear because it can’t be any louder than a frightened whisper. “Sir, you’re really not supposed to be here.”
Somehow, I’ve managed to make this part louder because he glances up—and his slack-jawed expression is a blow to my chest. He possesses the most gorgeous cobalt blue eyes. Underneath my ribs, the pain grows until taking a full breath is hard. Mother is right, he hasn’t even overcome his shock as my heavy plait of hair rests down the stone side of my prison. He’s not to be trusted.
What am I thinking? He won’t even come near me to aid my escape and his eyes are swamped in confusion—and there’s a flash of unreadable emotion that I refuse to question. He must leave here now and I must somehow convince him to bring no one back with him. I won’t be paraded around for anyone’s amusement. This man has made a mistake coming here.
Yet, there’s still a part of me that grips the windowsill until my palms are numb and that clings to the hope that he will at least acknowledge me. So long since I’ve had any kind of normal conversation. One that didn’t revolve around my hair, my rules or my mother’s day. Won’t he say anything? I’m as trapped by his thick silence as I am by the beauty of his face.
“Please, you must go and tell no one about what you’ve seen. You shouldn’t have ignored the traps. They are there for a reason.”
I don’t know how I’ve gotten that all out because my main focus lies on the foreign stirrings of heat in my cheeks as the pulsing sensation twists lower in my abdomen. What is happening to me? With a certainty that surprises me, I find myself clenching my thighs together, only to have the subtle touch of flesh-on-flesh be more than I can bear. He has yet to take his gaze from mine and a shudder slips up my spine.
“How long have you been here?” His voice carries the strain I hold back and I’m slightly put at ease that at least we are on similar ground. “Who did this to you?”
“For a man who is about to leave, I don’t believe it matters.”
The words barely tumble out of my mouth before I clamp my hand over my lips. I hadn’t meant to be so harsh and instantly regret it. He is so handsome—and these sudden urges, they are overwhelming and confusing to the point where I wish to completely remove the problem. My lips part in an apology and I watch a jovial grin span from ear to ear as he laughs at me until I can’t hear anything but the frantic beat of my heart.
Who is this man? Now he stares at me with a playfulness that washes a wave of goose bumps across my flesh. He doesn’t seem offended, merely amused at my suggestion that he leave. To further that fact, he quickly dismounts and ties his horse to a nearby tree branch. While I can only stare at the way his tight riding boots and breeches hug his muscular body from his calves all the way up to his perfectly rounded buttocks.
Though I’d learned of desire from my mother—and all its wicked principles—I never expected it to rear its head in my lonely, simple world.
However, now my life spirals out of control quickly enough that I tilt back against the wall to my left and watch with trembling hands. This mysterious man climbs the wall of my tower as if it had been built to be climbed so easily—without any aid from my hair. One strong, sun-kissed hand and booted foot at a time. When he offers up his hand to me to pull him over the side, what choice do I have? Even a man that strong would eventually grow tired and plummet to his death—and I want him tucked close to my body, not on the ground.
“I was beginning to wonder what it took to get some assistance.”
He softly grunts and clasps my hand hard enough that I gasp as I shift my weight to pull him over the side. Muscles I didn’t know existed inside me burn with sharp pain from disuse because of my isolation. His touch radiates heat all along my arm. If it wasn’t for his precarious situation, I would fight to pull away on instinct—but as it is, he manages to throw himself into my home with as much grace as a charging boar—and he trips, falling on top of me and sending us to the hard, stone floor.
His surprisingly soft hand brushes the hair out of my face and lingers, gently stroking, down my cheek. Should I be frightened? Probably. At the moment I can’t bear the thought that my first sincerely gentle touch from a man would be anything but special. His sharp leather scent surrounds my tingling skin.
“Isn’t this a day for surprises?” His gaze cuts through all the fear inside me and his mouth holds the subtle curve of a half smile. “I should move myself off you, this isn’t proper at all when we’ve barely been introduced.”
Yet he doesn’t move an inch.
A realization whips through my mind and would have left me on the floor if I wasn’t already pinned there by a gorgeous man who touches me with such reverence I might weep. When will this happen again? After this twisted, meandering path of fate, there is no doubt I will be alone again—and I want a loving memory to cling to at night when my old fears tighten my chest until I can’t breathe. This is a choice I can make for myself. And I won’t live the rest of my ordinary, sheltered life not knowing true passion when it burns across my skin.
“They call me Rapunzel.”
“Samuel.”
His inviting smile lights up my whole world.
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