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Showing posts with label Forgotten Goddesses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgotten Goddesses. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Review: Goddess in the Middle by Stephanie Julian
Goddess in the Middle
Author: Stephanie Julian
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Forgotten Goddesses #3
ISBN: #978-1402251535
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Erotic Romance, m-f-m
Format(s): Paperback (320 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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TOGETHER. THEY CREATE THE MOST POWERFUL MAGIC OF ALL ...
Romulus and Remus are sexy werewolf cousins with an unbreakable bond. When they meet beautiful goddess Amity and save her from an encroaching demon, they discover that the three of them together are way more powerful than any of them could ever have imagined. And they're going to need that power to overcome the forces that are determined to steal Amity's magic and destroy the two men.
As different as night and day, and each an amazing man in his own right, Rom and Remy make all of Amity's deepest fantasies come true ...
What I’m talking about:
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The third book in Ms. Julian’s Forgotten Goddesses series opens with Amity Monroe letting off some steam with a coworker at a local bar. Amity is also known by some as Munthukh, the Etruscan Goddess of Health. Amity continues to use her dwindling powers for healing as a medical aesthetician - helping cancer patients and burn victims regain some of their physical appearance. It’s at this bar that cousins Rom and Remy catch the eye of Amity, and she decides it’s time to have some fun.
Rom and Remy are magical lucani - wolf shifters - on the run for years ever since their families were killed by the evil Mal (think paranormal crime family). While they are meant to fulfill some sort of prophecy, Rom and Remy only want revenge and the opportunity to kill the demon that murdered their families. Knowing that the demon is after Amity, they decide to spend time with her, hoping for a chance to avenge their family.
First of all, I want to say that Goddess in the Middle is not only the HOTTEST book in Ms. Julian’s series to date, but also the best. It is an exciting and sexy romance, full of action, emotion, and danger. I breezed through this story - hardly putting it down.
The sexual chemistry between Amity, Remy and Rom was spectacular. But it was more than that... not only was their relationship incredibly hot--from m/f pairings to full-on menage sex--it was more than sex... it was emotion. Ms. Julian does a superb job making this erotic tale more about the developing love between two men and one woman than simply hot sex. But again, the smex is smokin’!! I enjoyed that throughout the story, the cousins work through their concerns about where this threesome is heading, and all three end up with much more than a few hot nights. The story is lusty and sensual, but simply romantic.
The overall plot continues to revolve around Charun, the Etruscan God of the Underworld, and his attempts to steal power from his sister goddesses in hopes of breaking free from the underworld. Amity and her twin Kari are warned that one of them will be his next target, and certain enough Amity is attacked that night. But we witness a new side of Charun, which has significant impacts to the story arc. However, there is a new twist with the involvement of an evil, mafia-like group, the Mal. They are after Rom and Remy because of the power they hold, and they aren’t above using Amity and Kari to get what they want. We also are brought up to speed on some of the couples and changes that occurred in the first two books.
Overall, I really enjoyed how this story unfolded and played out. Sexy. Exciting. Suspenseful. I hope there is a next story soon because there are definitely some loose ends that need to be resolved. However, the book can be enjoyed by new-comers to the series. Goddess in the Middle is an incredibly erotic, unconventional, romantic love story, and it is most certainly worth the read.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
How to Worship a Goddess (Forgotten Goddesses 2)
Labels:
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Review: How to Worship a Goddess
How To Worship a Goddess
Author: Stephanie Julian
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Forgotten Goddesses #2
ISBN: #978-1402251504
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (304 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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HE'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED...
Lucy was once the beloved Goddess of the Moon. These days the goddesses of the Etruscan pantheon are all but forgotten. The only rituals she enjoys now are the local hockey games, where one ferociously handsome player inflames her divine blood...
AND SHE UNLEASHES HIM LIKE A FORCE OF NATURE...
Brandon Stevenson is one hundred percent focused on the game, until he looks up and sees a celestial beauty sitting in the third row. A man could fall hard for a distraction like that...
What I’m talking about:
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Lucy is one of the “forgotten goddesses” of the Etruscan pantheon who now lives in the United States. She, like her sister goddesses, has lost most of her powers and keeps a fairly low profile. Unlike other goddesses, Lucy still has a small group of loyal subjects, the Lucani (werewolves), who remain respectful of the old ways. She passes time running a bar for her followers and attending hockey games.
Brandon plays for the local hockey team and has been keeping an eye on Lucy. One evening, he finally tracks her down and sparks fly from the moment the two lay eyes on each other. The bond is so strong from the first moment, that Brand is able to find her again, even after Lucy erases his memories of their (very, steam hot) first encounter.
I was drawn into Lucy and Brandon’s story right from the start. The “lust/love at first site” trope worked for this story, and I didn’t feel like they rushed into things. I was glad that the characters didn’t find ways to drive apart their bond. The two “share their love” *wink* often - and aggressively, at times. Ms. Julian is an expert author of steamy smex scenes.
How to Worship a Goddess is the second story in Ms. Julian’s Forgotten Goddesses series. However, it is a spin off of sorts from her Lucani Lovers series, and as someone that hasn’t read that series, I kept wondering if I was missing references from other books. It didn’t detract from the story, but it was always in the back of my mind. However, I was a bit disappointed in how little the Involuti and to a lesser degree, underworld god Charun, played in this storyline. Both were major parts in the first book, What a Goddess Wants, and I still had questions lingering from reading that book this summer.
There were some interesting twists that I would have liked to have had more details flushed out for me. One involves a Lucani named Catene. This young woman was surrounded in mystery for almost the entire book, and once it was revealed why, I wanted to know more. I wonder if she’ll make another appearance in this series, or if she’ll become the focus in the Lucani Lovers series. Also, I wanted more interaction with Brand’s parents - I feel like there was no closure on that end.
Overall, I enjoyed How to Worship a Goddess and most certainly will continue reading this series. I have many questions about this little known (to me) pantheon, and I look forward to finding out where Ms. Julian will take her goddesses next.
My Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Author Interview & Giveaway - Stephanie Julian
Today I have the honor of bringing to you author Stephanie Julian. Stephanie is author of a number of erotic/paranormal romance stories (several of which have been reviewed on That’s What I’m Talking About). A former reporter for a daily newspaper, Stephanie enjoys making up stories much more than writing about real life. She’s happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and is the mother of two sons, who love her even when they don’t have any clean clothes and dinner is a bowl of cereal. Please help me welcome Stephanie to That’s What I’m Talking About.
Twimom: Stephanie, welcome and thank you for stopping by.
Stephanie: It’s wonderful to be here.
Twimom: First off, congratulations on your newest release, What a Goddess Wants and kicking off your new “Forgotten Goddesses” series. (Readers, you can find my review HERE.) What inspired you to discover and write about Etruscan culture and deities? Can you tell my readers a little more about the Etruscan civilization? (I had to google it!)Stephanie: Since my dad’s family is from Italy (my grandpop was from Sicily, my grandmom from Rome), I wanted to find a magical tradition that fit with my heritage. I didn’t want to do Wiccan, which is heavily based on Celtic traditions, because almost every magic book I’d read was based on this style. I knew a lot about the ancient Romans because I took four years of Latin in high school (I was pretty much a geek back then. Okay, I might still be a little bit of a geek.). But most people already have a preconceived notion about the Romans. I wanted a tradition I could play around with. And I found the Etruscans, from whom the Romans ripped off a lot of their ideas about government and religion. The Etruscans aren’t all that well known and there’s not so much information out there so I could make up stuff or mold the known details to my own purposes.
Twimom: What are your plans for the future of this HOT series?
Stephanie: There are another two books in the series contracted, How To Worship a Goddess and Goddess in the Middle. I love writing connected series and having favorite characters pop up through the stories. In How To Worship a Goddess, you’ll meet Lucy, Etruscan Goddess of the Moon, who falls hard for a hot, hunky hockey player named Brandon. Why hockey? Because I love it! In my home town, we have an ECHL team and my husband and I have season tickets. In Goddess in the Middle, Amity, Goddess of Health, finds two heroes who come to her rescue when Charun, God of the Underworld, comes after her powers. Remy and Rom are lucani, Etruscan werewolves, who’ve led brutally tough lives and find their special skills needed to save the woman they both want.
Twimom: Yes, sounds HOT! Although you author what I would classify as “paranormal romance,” I would also say you write erotic romance - do you agree? Your sex scenes are very, um... *fans self* titillating. Do you find it difficult writing such sensual scenes? How much time do you spend writing sex scenes, and how do they work into your writing process?
Stephanie: Oh, yeah. I’m definitely a paranormal erotic romance writer. Sex scenes are among the most difficult scenes to write in erotic romance because they have to work on so many levels. They have to show character development, relationship development and, to some degree, have to push the plot forward. They can’t just be sex for the sake of sex. I typically spend at least twice as much time working on a sex scene as I do any other scene in a book, just because they mean so much.Twimom: Well I for one appreciate the time and effort you put into your sex scenes! Can you tell my readers a little about some of your other books/series?
Stephanie: My first erotic romance series is the Magical Seduction series, starting with Seduced by Magic. There are currently seven books in that series and they feature the fairies races of the Etruscans. Then there’s Lucani Lovers, dealing with the wolf shifters of the Etruscan world. I also have a completely separate series, The Fringe, that dips into comedy. Size Matters is the only book out now but more are coming.
Twimom: Do you write genres outside of the paranormal romance? or would you like to?
Stephanie: Yes, as a matter of fact… Carina Press will publish Sex, Lies and Surveillance in January, a straight, hot contemporary featuring a family full of spies and the undercover agent who’s trying to dig into their secrets.
Twimom: Oh! I look forward to seeing this new book! I always like to ask authors about their reading habits... What types of books do you enjoy reading? What was your favorite read during 2010 or so far in 2011?
Stephanie: I’m always reading. I usually spend an hour before bed reading. Favorites are so hard because I have so many. In the last year, the books that I’ve kept on my bedside to read over and over again include Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke, Nalini Singh’s Kiss of Snow, Stacia Kane’s City of Ghosts (I absolutely adore Terrible), Cherrie Lynn’s Rock On and J.R. Ward’s Lover Unleashed.Twimom: I LOVE The Iron Duke - my favorite book of 2010! What upcoming 2011 release/s are you most excited to read?
Stephanie: I’m dying to read Brook’s Heart of Steel. And I’m really looking forward to Thea Harrison’s next book, Storm’s Heart.
Twimom: Stephanie, 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.
Stephanie: My pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.
You can find Stephanie Julian on line at
Her Website
GIVEAWAY: I have two (2) copies (two winners) of What A Goddess Wants to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. Thank you to Sourcebooks (www.sourcebooks.com) for sponsoring the giveaway of Stephanie’s newest release. To enter, please leave a comment and your email at the end of today’s interview. One entry per person. Winners are restricted to US and Canada mailing addresses, only. Contest open from July 27, 2011 until Monday August 1, 2011 at 9:00 PM EDT. Two (2) winners will be selected from the comment entries using random.org. You do not need to be a GFC Follower, but it's always appreciated.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Review: What A Goddess Wants
What A Goddess Wants
Author: Stephanie Julian Release Date: July 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Forgotten Goddesses #1
ISBN: #978-1402251474
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Erotic
Format(s): Paperback, e-book
I received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
From the author’s website:
IN HIS ARMS, HER MAGIC POWERS ARE ON THE RISE...
Tessa, Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn, is losing her powers and now there's an Underworld god determined to run her down. She needs a hero and fast, because only sexual energy can give her power. So she seeks out Caligo, whose sexual prowess is legendary...
AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BRING HIM INTO THE LIGHT...
Caligo is a fabled Cimmerian warrior determined to stay away from spoiled goddesses who trample hearts after they've had their fun. But there's something irresistibly hot and inviting about Tessa and he knows he's her only change to escape the encroaching darkness...
What I’m talking about:
What a Goddess Wants opens with minor goddess, Tessa, in a dream state, running from her life from a powerful god, Charun, who is trapped in the underworld and wants to consume Tessa for her powers. Tessa cannot get help from the parent gods because they have closed themselves off in their own “home plane” of existence and have been unreachable for centuries. This leaves Tessa to seek out her own protector. When a trusted friend suggests Cal (Caligo), Tessa finds herself at his doorstep, exhausted and close to being captured.
The chemistry between Cal and Tessa heats up the pages of this book to the point I thought the pages would burn up in my hands! Their attraction is immediate, each finding something in the other that has been lacking in their lives. Cal, like all Cimmerian warriors cannot feel any pain and is impervious to heat and cold. When he touches Tessa, her body heat seeps into Cal’s body and soul, leaving him craving for more. Tessa on the other hand has spent several lifetimes playing and having fun with many beautiful men. With Cal, she not only finds pleasure, but a man who genuinely cares for her well-being. And, as the two grow closer, they discover that their mutual desire is regenerating Tessa’s once-faded powers.
What a Goddess Wants kicks off a new series about Forgotten Goddesses. I enjoyed the new (to me) premise for this story and series. The books follow minor Etruscan goddesses who are no longer worshiped and who’s powers were usurped by the larger Roman deities. The book is full of new terms and names, but the world-building isn’t overly confusing. I do hope the final version (or future books) have a glossary of terms, because it was a lot to remember at times.
Cal and Tessa’s romance was a pleasure to read. As I said, the smex was smokin’ and I would definitely classify the book as erotic. Their pairing evolved seamlessly and their mutual desire tugged at my heartstrings.
The underlying plot was an interesting one, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the conclusion. I felt the way in which Tessa resolved her "problems" was a little simplistic, or that we just didn't know enough about what actually happened to her. I felt the book featured a few scenes that left me with questions -- which isn’t necessarily bad since this is the first book in a new series, and future books may give me the answers I seek. In addition, I would like to have learned more about Cal’s homeland of Cimer, and the history between the Etruscan and Roman deities. All-in-all it was a good start to a new series and I look forward to reading the next installment.
My Rating:
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
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