Addicted to Writing Presents Tell Tale Tuesday: Highland Magic by Christine Young

Highland Magic

Christine Young

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 3

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Buy at Amazon:

Buy at Barnes & Noble:

REVIEW:

4.0 out of 5 stars February 24, 2013 By  H. Murphy "H"

I have enjoyed this series. Strong alpha highlanders....what more could a girl want. The heroin is strong but sometimes just doesn't think....but that makes for the drama. Off to the third book.

BLURB:

Throughout the Highlands she is known as Keely, the witch woman. She is a great healer-a woman whose dreams come true. Ian MacPherson is a man who puts honor, loyalty and duty above everything. Their lives are entwined when Ian is sent by the Scottish King to bring Keely to trial for witchcraft. He is attacked and left for dead, but Keely rescues him. When he wakes, he discovers he has no memory. As he remembers his lost past, Ian finds that his need to protect the woman who has saved his life eclipses his duty to his king and country., He is a man torn between honor and duty to his country and the woman he loves.

Excerpt:

Scotland, Summer 1513:

For a moment the man's gaze met hers, bored into her heart, questioned. Blood curdling war cries rode the wings of death through the timeless night. Claymores clashed. Dark eyes the color of midnight flashed a challenge. The holy man's opponents hesitated then lunged once more.

Moonbeams reflected light from the gold chain he wore around his neck. Brown robes fell from massive shoulders. Three more enemies appeared from the trees. The priest fell to the ground, wounded by the broadside of his enemy's weapon. Motionless, he lay on her flower-strewn meadow, blood staining the grass and wildflowers, marring the colorful, summer landscape.

Keely Gray woke, heart pounding a rapid staccato. She pressed against her throbbing temples with sweat-slick palms, hoping to ease the horrific pain that always accompanied the dreams. Death--the scent of blood, fear and treachery still hung heavy in the darkened hut. The prickling sensation radiating from her spine to encompass her body was too familiar.

She listened and heard nothing.

A dark void impaled her. The usual night sounds stilled. She heard no hoot of owl, no chirp of crickets, no croak of frogs, nor could she hear the mournful sighing of the wind through the branches of the old oak trees.

Silence emptied her heart as well as her soul, leaving only an ever-present loneliness.

Keely wanted nothing more than to cuddle into her bed and pull the covers over her head. Despite the unspeakable agony deep in the pit of her stomach, she rose from her pallet. Her limbs trembling, she slipped a shapeless tunic over her head and soft-soled shoes onto her feet. As she swept past the front door, she grabbed her woolen cloak.

Light from a full moon illuminated the path. She could see, but she could also be seen, the moonlight both a curse and a blessing. Approaching the meadow she'd watched in her dreams, she slowed her pace and waited. Her fingers wound tightly around the amber pendant she always wore, her only keepsake from her mother.

The sounds and scents hovering on the wind would tell her if danger still lurked. Caution guided her. A vigilance she'd learned long ago held her motionless.

 A familiar dragging sound reassured her she wasn't alone. "Whipple?" she whispered.

A self-appointed guardian angel appeared as if from nowhere then nodded, though there was a wary cast to his faded blue eyes. "Aye, lass, I'm here. I heard ye leave your hut. I would not leave ye alone to face whatever dangerous mission awaited."

Keely waited for Whipple to close the distance between them before she spoke. "I would argue with you about your appearance here at this great hour, but I ken it would do no good. You should not be here. Your heart--"

Whipple spat. "My heart is fine."

She determinedly stepped forward, approaching the meadow of her dream, knowing she wouldn't like what she found.

"Have it your way, then." Given a choice, Keely wouldn't have come to this meadow. But she had to know the truth--had she seen the future or something happening at that very moment?

Whipple didn't reply. On his clubfoot, he followed her, his trailing leg sliding behind him with a soft swish. The hard thud of his crooked oak cane followed at a slightly skewed interval.

Together they crested the hill. Below her, she saw her dream. A priest lay on the ground, his head twisted at an odd angle. For a moment her heart stopped. She bit down on her lower lip while she studied the man.

Addicted to Writing Presents Mystery Monday and Sweet Sexy Sadie by Christine Young

Title: Sweet Sexy Sadie

Author: Christine Young

Email: achristay@aol.com

Genre: Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Buy at Amazon

Buy at Barnes & Noble  

10% of all profits made from the sale of this book will go to the World Wildlife Federation to help save endangered species.

REVIEW:

Carin for My Reading Obsession

Sweet Sexy Sadie is a quick read with a fun plot line, Sadie is researching the migration of butterflies for her thesis she meets Brody when her car overheats in the desert pretty soon the car isn't the only thing overheating. Sadie also has a stalker of a paranormal variety.

The action happens quick and without a lot of back story to have this come out novella length. I enjoyed the chemistry that is immediate between Brody and Sadie. I liked the paranormal element to her stalker and the bond that Sadie and Brody share to overcome the trials in their path to happiness.

This time of year with the kids in school you have lots of chances to sit and wait this is the perfect length book for those times and you can get in a fun love story while you are at it.

BLURB:

From the first time Sadie’s eyes met those of Brody McKenna in the hot Sierra Madre Mountains, theirs was a potent attraction—not gentle, slow, and easy, but hot, hard, and all-consuming. The daughter of a dysfunctional family, Sadie had dreams no man could wrench from her with hot sex and an all-consuming passion. She’d challenge this alpha male with all the strength she possessed. But her red hair, fiery temperament, and indomitable spirit obsessed Brody...and he knew he had to find a way to show her he was more than he appeared and convince her to make a life with him.

EXCERPT

Sadie didn't know what to make of Brody. Exceptionally handsome and charismatic, he'd made her smile the first time she saw him sauntering down the road toward her. Good lord, but he looked as if he owned the world. Tall, tanned from the sun, amber-green eyes that sparkled as if he saw some light humor in everything. He was wiry and sleek; a quickness about him surprised her. His blue-black hair was tied back with a leather thong, his chin angular.

Perhaps he did own this part of the Sierra Madres. His family seemed to own most of this town.

Her research had brought her to this place, Cactus Junction. Now the prospect of getting to know an interesting man would be an added perk. In the bathroom she slipped out of her clothes and into a tepid shower. A few minutes later she emerged squeaky clean and ready for the next part of her adventure.

Unpacking her clothes and taking out her laptop, she opened it. What do explosive experts do?  Hmmm....

Why, they blow up things. What would he blow up around here?

Lord but that sounded crazy to her. Before typing in the necessary info to pull something up on Google, she leaned back, relaxing into her chair. The wallpaper was outdated, and the old fan complimented the air conditioning. She realized she liked the atmosphere.

Enough musing. Mining in the Sierra Madres. Let's see, it says here they mined silver as early as 1521.

Sadie scrolled down the paper. Ok… Montezuma, in 1492, was already drinking hot chocolate from goblets made of gold. Maybe she should be studying this instead of her research thesis. The migration of butterflies. Once she'd thought the topic was romantic. Chasing after butterflies…

So what are they doing now? Junior drilling companies… She wondered if that was what the McKenna Clan was, a junior company. How soon was too soon to ask? Probably not on their first dinner together. Knowledge brought power and she firmly believed everything happened for a reason. Then her chance encounter in this place was not a coincidence.

This says the companies are drilling to find the ore. So… Do they still need explosives? If not, he didn't do much for his day job. Perhaps the family had millions stashed away. At first glance this hotel was theirs and Brody had told her the land this town sat on belonged to them. But millions in the Caymans? Probably not.

She closed her laptop. Then leaning back, she shut her eyes and tried to cleanse her mind of all thought. A little catnap might be in order, but her heartbeat so fast she didn't think sleeping was a plausible scenario. Eager to meet the McKenna Clan and begin her research, her body was wound tight as a rubber band ready to snap.

The bag of chips in her purse seemed to call to her just after her stomach growled its discontent. Trying to ignore the excessive calories and her empty belly, she rose and wandered to the window. Dinner would be that much better if she waited. Outside, the sun still beat down and one could see heat waves decorate the street.

The air conditioner chose that moment to blow out cold air. Sadie wrapped her arms around herself then turned the monitor down a notch.

Back at the window she looked at the street below. A man walked down the sidewalk, and as he grew closer, he stopped and shielded his eyes then gazed up to her room. Sadie's breath caught in the back of her throat and another chill swept through her. This time it wasn't caused by the air conditioner. The sight of the man sent an eerie feeling to the pit of her stomach. She stepped back in an attempt to remove herself from his line of sight.

The knock startled her away from the window. She jumped, afraid it might be the man she'd just seen but knowing it wasn't.

"Sadie? Sadie, you in there?" Brody called from outside the door. Damn, but she'd recognize his voice anywhere. A smile crossed her face. She meant to forget the stranger.

"Come in." Sadie looked back to the street below. No one was there. Once again she rubbed her arms. She felt as if a ghost had just swept through her, leaving her cold from her core outward.

"You okay?" Brody stepped inside, looking concerned.

"No, I don't think so. I…" Pausing, she hesitated to tell him what had just happened. What she'd felt. He'd think she was crazy.

Addicted to Writing Presents Romance Sunday: Storm Clouds by Tamsin Baker

Title: Storm Clouds

Author: Tamsin Baker

ISBN: 978-1-62420-107-3

Email: erotictamsinbaker@gmail.com

Genre: Fantasy Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: Rogue Phoenix Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Naylaa is United to her beautiful unicorn Bronte. She knows the legends and is waiting for the United pair that will complete their life.  When Gorvan arrives with Seinna, his United, Naylaa knows instantly Gorvan is her soul mate. But Gorvan is stubborn and scared. He wants to keep moving from town to town and doesn’t believe Naylaa about their need for one another. Naylaa must make him see it...before greed and stubbornness tears them and their beloved unicorns apart forever.

EXCERPT

A laugh bubbled out of her as Bronte galloped through the forest. Naylaa loved the feeling of his powerful body between her legs. The power, the speed and pure exhilaration that came with riding an animal such as Bronte.

“You are incredible my friend. It has been too long since we have run like this.”

I know Naylaa.

Bronte’s home was just ahead of them, hidden amongst the rocks and trees. Beneath her hands, Naylaa felt Bronte’s skin prickle.

“What is it Bronte?”

I can smell something, foreign and delicious.

The tingle of excitement and arousal that ran through him made Naylaa shudder. She had never felt that particular current within Bronte before and in turn felt her own body soften.

I need to go.

He turned without her direction and began to run. She let Bronte have his head.

“I trust you, Bronte. Take me to it.”

She knew they both must find what he had sensed and she trusted his instincts much better than her own.

Almost there.

Bronte slowed just before they reached the edge of a waterfall pool.

Naylaa jumped off his back and crouched down in the brush, just out of sight.

The black stallion didn’t stop when she did. He walked straight through the greenery and into the water.

I found her.

Naylaa heard the declaration and gasped. No it wasn’t possible.

She stood up to see if what she thought she sensed was true. If what had dragged Bronte all this way, truly was their United halves.

Gasping in shock, she saw a white female unicorn standing beneath the waterfall.

“Oh, Bronte. She’s beautiful.” She was a breathtaking sight.

The white unicorns were almost extinct and most people assumed they were gone completely, but she’d never believed that. Naylaa had always wondered who hid the last of the beautiful and rare creatures. It seemed they had found one.

“Where is your United, beautiful creature?” Naylaa couldn’t stop herself from asking. If this was Bronte’s mate, then the unicorn’s United was Naylaa’s.

Her heart began to thump harder in her chest.

“Is it really possible?”

Bronte reared up and pranced like a dancing horse in front of the white female. She was small and very beautiful when she turned to him, extending her horn. Bronte walked forward and rubbed his horn against the female unicorns in a heart breaking show of affection.

“Oh, Bronte…”

Pleasure ran through Naylaa, from her heart down to the place between her legs. She had always known she was connected to Bronte, but these sensations were new and rather strange. Her body was heating, wetness pooling between her thighs, without any stimulation.

“You’ve found us.” A man’s voice startled her and she jumped around to confront him.

The man who had calmed Bronte in the town square stood in front of her with a look of surprise and desire on his handsome face.

Addicted to Writing Presents Sci/fi Fantasy Saturday: Her Guardian Angel by Khloe Wren

Title: Her Guardian Angel

Author: Khloe Wren

Email: khloe@khloewren.com

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 4

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Guardian-Angel-Fire-Snow-ebook/dp/B00D4EDS26/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385915894&sr=1-1&keywords=Her+Guardian+Angel+by+Khloe+Wren

Buy at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-guardian-angel-khloe-wren/1115467084?ean=2940016415772

The last thing Snow Leopard Shifter Dominic expects to find at an accident scene is his mate, the beautiful Adele. But after four years of dreaming of her, there she is, right in front of him.  However, winning the heart of his lonely, grieving mate is no simple task. Just as their relationship begins to heat up, a gravely injured child, Kelly, stumbles into their lives after escaping and fleeing her abuser.  Will Dominic and Adele's bond grow stronger as they nurture and protect Kelly? Will their relationship be able to survive all that fate plans on throwing their way?

EXCERPT

Rosebery, Tasmania

Conner let loose a low whistle as Dominic walked into the station house kitchen.

"Damn, you look like shit Dom, why don't you go crash out back for a bit? I'll come get you if we get called out."

"Thanks little brother, so feeling the love right now." Dominic threw back sarcastically as he made a beeline to the coffee machine to caffeine up.

Conner sat back taking a sip from his own caffeine fix and frowned as he took in the sight of his older brother. Dominic wasn't standing tall and proud like he normally did, he appeared to be inches shorter than his actual six foot six height as he dragged his feet over the floor. His short black hair, normally clean and neat, looked greasy like it was at least a few days overdue for a wash and his face had, Conner would guess, three days worth of growth on it. They had always been close and could read each other so well that often they could communicate without using words. A very handy skill when they were out fighting fires. It also meant it hadn't slipped Conner's notice over the last few days that Dominic was getting worse, looking more wrecked each day. He was worried about his big bro, both on a personal level and a professional one. With summer and the bushfire season just around the corner, none of them could afford to be off their game. Conner set his can of Coke down on the table as Dominic sat across from him and took a long drag of his coffee.

"I'm serious Dom, something's up. Has been for couple of days. You gonna spill? Or do I have to sic Dad onto you?"

"Yeah right, like to see you try pulling that one off." Dominic said on a chuckle.

Conner watched as the humor left his brother's face--finally, they were making some progress.

"They're just dreams, Conner. I'm fine." Dominic ground out.

"Bullshit you're fine. What dreams?" Conner shot back.

"My mate turned twenty-one about six weeks ago." Dominic said as he looked straight into Conner's eyes.

"Wow, you're dreaming of your mate already? You've only just turned twenty-one this year. But hang on, why has it got you so stressed out? I thought once you started dreaming of your mate, life is all sunshine and lollipops or some shit? Did you meet her and stuff it up or something?"

Conner remembered their father had explained to them once how when a male shifter's mate turns twenty-one he would start to see her face in his dreams. As time goes by the visions reveal what she looks like from head to toe and also exposes places, people and things that she holds dear. If he hasn't met his woman by that point, he would then have enough information about her he could go looking for her. Generally speaking, fate put them in each other's path long before they needed to go searching. Dominic's deep voice pulled Conner back to the present.

"It was in the beginning. Six weeks ago it was amazing. After the first dream I felt so alive; you know how it feels after you go for a good solid run? Like that, but 24/7. And at night, every night, she's all I see. She's so damn beautiful..." By the glazed look in Dominic's eyes, Conner guessed he'd lost him to memories of his nocturnal visions. Time to pull him back, or they would be getting nowhere fast.

"Yeah, yeah, don't need my nose rubbed in it...so what changed?" He said with a smirk before taking another mouthful of his Coke.

"I'm not sure, it's like--damn it--I think she's in trouble or in pain, but I don't know how to find her. I've never seen her outside my dreams and it's still too early for me to see anything other than her. I just don't know where to start or what to do." Dominic scrubbed his hands over his face on a sigh.

"Have you spoken to Dad about it? I'm pretty sure he'd have an answer for you. He did tell us to inform him when our mate-dreams started."

"Nah I haven't. He has his hands full at the moment. You know that. Fire season around the corner, he's flat out getting everything ready, and with the Search; I mean, hell, they've only found three pairs globally. That means there are still four couples out there, including one in Australia. Would have been one hell of a surprise on their fifteenth birthdays in 2001 when they suddenly shifted to snow leopards at nightfall don't you think? It's important we find them before they lose their minds. Six years not knowing what is going on is a long time. That's more important than my mate issues."

"Bullshit bro--you're scared that's all. You know as well as I do Dad is never too busy for family. Hell, he's never too busy to help anyone who needs it, and he manages to multi-task just fine. He'll be pissed if you don't go to him for help when he finds out you needed it."

Shaking his head in resignation, Conner got up and using every ounce of his supernatural strength, he hauled his brother’s butt out of his chair. Before Dominic could come to his senses and stop him, he had him half way out the door. Pulling his arm free Dominic growled at him.

"What the hell Conner?"

"You need to go ask Dad for advice, and I want to know about how this whole mating thing works, so I'm coming along."