#TellTaleTuesday #TwelveDaysToLove

Title: Twelve Days to Love

Author: Christine Young

Genre: Historical Romance

Book Heat Level: 3

Buy at: Amazon

Read First Chapter

TAGLINE

Archer Steele shows up at Calanthe Durand’s failing plantation with an alligator over his shoulder, intent on doing everything and anything to convince the beautiful Miss Durand he is worthy of her love.

BLURB: Twelve Days to Love

When Archer Steele shows up at Calanthe Durand’s failing plantation with an alligator over his shoulder, Cali thinks she’s never seen a more handsome man. During the war she had to defend herself and her servants from both union and confederate soldiers. Independent and self-sufficient, she vows to never marry. 

But Archer Steele has different ideas. The first time Archer sees Cali in town, he feels an instant attraction. He decides he will do everything and anything to convince the beautiful Miss Durand he is worthy of her love. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, he gives her twelve gifts in hopes she will fall in love with him. Yet they are faced with challenges they must overcome before Cali can commit to a marriage.

EXCERPT: Twelve Days to Love

“When that window shattered, I thought the world was comin’ to an end. The glass was everywhere, rain pelting into the room. I was terrified, and he was there, helping, knowing just what to do.”

“He took charge. Just like he probably commanded his men during the war.” Cali understood that truth. She’d seen her share of troops stay at her home and listened to the officers giving orders. Some had been upstanding gentleman while others were ruthless, taking what they wanted and leaving nothing behind.

“Well, without him, Miss Cali, we would have lost furniture, paintings...”

“Many valuables.”

A vase that had been given to her mother and father as a wedding gift crashed to the floor, but she’d been able to save other objects when Archer raced outside to board up the windows for a second time. Sam had followed, and together they finished the job.

“More tea?” Daisy rose from the table to retrieve the teapot.

“Yes, that would be nice. We should get started on that fabric we bought in the French Quarter before the storm. Sam needs shirts, and we both need a couple new serviceable day dresses.” To Cali, sewing was cathartic. She could sew all day if she had enough fabric. Alas, she could only afford material for everyday needs.

“I’ll get right to it. Do you have any fashion plates you want to look at, or do you just want to use old ones?”

“Old ones will do. Don’t have the time or the desire to sort through the latest fashions from Paris.” Cali hadn’t looked at fashion plates since before the war when a dressmaker had created all her clothes. That was such a long time ago. She knew Daisy would be laughing inside. Daisy asked the same question every time they made dresses, and her answer never varied. They didn’t have any updated fashion plates to look through.

“Let’s finish this cup of tea then get started. I’ll clean up the kitchen, and you can sort through the material.”

“I’ll meet you in the sewing room.” Cali added a lump of sugar to her tea and a bit of milk before sipping thoughtfully.

Daisy was silent, but Cali watched her deep brown and intelligent eyes as they peered over the teacup. What matchmaking scheme was Daisy conspiring now? Or was she paranoid? Fancying things she shouldn’t be imagining.

“Penny for your thoughts? Daisy asked.

“I was thinking the same, wondering what you were dreaming up. I don’t want you scheming a way to get Mr. Archer here. If he comes of his own accord, then fine. I’ll figure things out, but don’t entice him here. And I’m not going to seek him out.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” Cali sipped the last bit of tea and grabbing another biscuit, she started for the sewing room.

Cali knew Daisy would mull that over in her mind, and she also knew she was still trying to figure a way for Archer to come to her. Ignoring the disarray in the sewing room, she rummaged through the bolts of fabric, accepting the fact most of what they bought was appropriate for Sam’s work clothes and not dresses.

“My goodness this place is a mess.” One of the windows that shattered during the storm was located in this room. Under normal circumstances this place was bright, sunshine filtering inside. Today it was dark and so dreary it sent a shiver down her spine. She rubbed her arms, warding off the chill then spun on a heel, leaving the room.

A few minutes later she was back, putting mosquito netting over the now open window. A cool breeze flowed through the opening.

“Why, Miss Cali, that was brilliant.” Daisy stood in the doorway seeming to admire Cali’s handiwork.

“Thank you.” Cali set about straightening the room and cleaning up debris from the tempest. A few branches had found their way inside as well as leaves and mud.

“Good thing the new bolts of fabric were put in a safe place before the hurricane hit.” Daisy removed the netting and tossed a branch and some leaves out the window.

“Doubt if we’re going to get much sewing done today. This place is a jumble. I’ll go downstairs and bring up a couple of mops and a pail of soapy water.”

In the kitchen, Cali put a few pots and pans on the stove to heat the water to room temperature before locating two buckets, and other paraphernalia needed to clean the sewing room. It had been a couple of weeks since the hurricane, and they’d had so many chores around the house, this was the first time she’d thought of this particular area of the house. Of course, when you need to sew new clothes, that’s when you remember how the storm tore that chamber apart.

“Miss Cali...” Sam stood in the doorway.

“Oh my! Her hand flew to her chest. You scared me. Guess I was lost in thought.”

“Sorry, but there is someone here to see you.” Sam cleared his throat, stepping aside.

“Mr. Steele? Whatever...? I didn’t expect you.” Her hand on her throat, she tried to swallow while she was thinking he was even more handsome today than he’d been the last time she saw him. His dress was casual. He wore buckskins for pants, along with a white shirt and a leather jacket with a small amount of fringe. He’d pulled his dark hair back and tied it with a leather strap.

KEYWORDS

Historical, Romance, Regency, England

SOCIAL LIINKS

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http://christineyoungromancewriter.com/

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#MysteryMonday #TheTalisman

The Talisman by Christine Young

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level:

Buy at Amazon

Blurb: The Talisman

The Talisman

Running from a marriage that lasted one night, Dr. Moriah McKeown discovers the land she has settled on is coveted by determined and lawless men. Yet the proud young woman who once vowed never to abandon her home has second thoughts when her adopted children are threatened. Her only recourse is to enlist the aid of a dark, dangerous gun for hire. 

Haunted by the past and a betrayal he will never forgive, Ian Civanovich uses his fast gun and his reckless courage to forget the faithlessness of a woman in his past. He will trust no female--nor will he rest until the threat hovering over Moriah McKeown is put to rest.

This is a wonderful tale, full of action, emotion and a bit mystical at times. Enjoy this one.

Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More 4 Cups

EXCERPT: The Talisman

Buffalo Creek, 

South Dakota 

1895

Hot, dry air scorched the prairie grass. Sweat slid along his spine. Danger clung to every whisper; seemed to swirl and grow with each passing second. Ivan Civanovich watched the woman below. With deadly purpose, he studied the lady who had hired him--the woman who had bought his gun and perhaps death.

"Reckless courage," Ivan mused. 

"Si Senor, she does have what you call a great courage, but I don’t know about the reckless part. She is always so very careful," Pedro said. 

"I’m a dangerous man, Pedro." 

"This is why she hired you."

"The lady has no business hiring men like me. She’s a woman. She is supposed to nurture lives."

"She needs you to keep the bad men from taking the land away--our home," Pedro said.

Ivan pushed the tip of his hat back from his brows. From his vantage point, he considered the woman while she hung the freshly laundered white sheets on the line. A strange shudder swept through him, his muscles tensing with the sudden feeling he knew this woman, had known her forever. The sensations were too strong, the feelings too acute, and it troubled him because knowing her was impossible.

Her hair, a wild mop of red curls, battled with the stiff, hot wind rising off the prairie. The breeze and her hair flowed in undulating currents between the lines, threatening to tangle themselves in the wire. She bent over at the waist, giving him a perfect view of her backside while she toyed with something on the ground. Seconds later she picked up the object of her curiosity, turned it over in her hands then tossed it aside.

He didn’t like to think about what could happen to her in the next few weeks. She’d advertised for a gun for a hire. She didn’t know what she bargained for, and he’d bet his inheritance she didn’t have any idea what kind of trouble she’d purchased. 

When she looked up the hill, his grin widened. She couldn’t see him, but her shoulders tensed and she sucked air. Her hand touched her forehead, shielding her eyes from the blinding sunlight. She scanned the horizon, turning a complete circle before she stopped.

"Good," he said, "she is cautious." 

"She knows someone is up here," Pedro announced. 

"She’s got more starch in her drawers and the stiffest backbone of any woman I’ve ever seen." Ivan whistled through his teeth, his eyes intent and focused upon the woman.

"Si." Pedro agreed. "She sure enough does but her heart is made of spun gold."

Ivan wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. Beads of sweat dripped down his back. His gaze swept across the barren landscape then followed the line of trees that bordered the creek. He lifted the glasses to his eyes and turned his attention to a spot about a mile north of her ranch. The railroad wanted easement rights. So why wouldn’t she sell to them. "Spun gold, huh." He dropped the binoculars, letting them dangle from their strap around his neck.

"Si, boss."

"I see." Ivan leaned forward, resting his forearm on the saddle horn.

Ivan wasn’t sure he understood. Women had a lot of fine qualities, many of which he didn’t want to live without but a soft, feminine heart shouldn’t be deciding life and death matters. 

Spun gold.No, he’d never met a female with a heart of gold, spun or otherwise. He’d never known a woman who wouldn’t betray a man for a piece of gold. Save one, he amended, and his best friend had married her. Alexi Popov had his trials too. He had kidnapped Angela and spirited her away to his home in the Crimea. In the end though, he gave up his title, his land, and most of his wealth for Angela. He followed her back to America and married her.

This is a wonderful tale, full of action, emotion and a bit mystical at times. Enjoy this one.

Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More 4 Cups

#RomanceSunday #ThePurrfectPredicament

Title: The Purrfect Predicament

Series: Australian Shifters book 3

Author: Angel Castle

Email: jazzgenie@hotmail.com

Genre: Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

BLURB: The Purrfect Predicament

Shifter twins, Andy and Hamish, are shocked to discover they have to share a mate. A bigger shock is in store for them when they finally track down their mate. But things are not as they first appear.

Juniper is in hiding form a vicious hit man by taking on a male identity. Opening her back door she discovers a huge, brown panther. But letting the clearly tame, big cat in, leads her to be kidnapped by two sexy brothers.

Juniper learns there is more to the brothers than meets the eye, but can she take the risk of placing her life and heart in their hands, or will her past hunt them down and destroy them all?

EXCERPT: The Purrfect Predicament

This is not good, not good at all!Andy Brown paced outside of the café by the north docklands of Sydney Harbor. The cooling autumn breeze coming off the bay felt refreshing. Not that he took any notice—utter panic clenched his chest.

Every shifter gets one chance at a true mate in a life time, considering his kind lived three to four hundred years; it was a hell of a long time to wait. So many shifters went through their entire lives without ever finding their special someone.

He and his twin brother Hamish had just hit their eighties; not even into their first century, and now this.

Andy turned, staring at the café door. Nestled within, eating hot chips and sauce, sat his true mate. His Panther roared to life at the scent of the man he'd bumped into as they'd passed.

It had to be a mistake, the fates had it wrong.

"It can't be a guy…I'm not gay!" Oh Goddess what to do?The food he just purchased, he tossed on a table and fished out the mobile phone from his jeans pocket, jabbing the speed dial button for his brother's number.

Hamish answered on the second ring. "What? I wanted iced coffee, no low fat crap."

"I've found my mate! What am I gonna do!?"

"First, calm down, and next, go get her dimwit."

"No…I can't…I can't!"

"Andy calm down, why can't you? If it's your true mate, you have to."

"No, there's a mistake, m…my mate's not what it seems." Damn, he couldn't even bring himself to tell his own brother. They shared everything; they didn't keep any secrets between them.

"I'm just signing for the shipment now; I'll be there in a moment. Keep an eye on her and don't lose track."

The line went dead.

Their cousin, and Alpha of Black Town, River Black, had sent them down to pick up a shipment of diamond-head cutters for their Earth moving company.

He paced again; his Panther was agitated not caring about the gender of his 'mate.' His cat was far more interested in getting to him and mating.

It made his stomach roll, damn. I'm not gay, I'm not. I love women! Where the heck is Hamish?

The urge to go back into the café and take another peek at his mate, rode him hard. Maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him? His hand settled on the door of the café, ready to push it open, but stopped at the sound of Hamish's blue Ute.

Andy turned to watch his brother's car roll to a stop outside the curb of the dock. Hamish climbed out, but his calm collected swagger as he strode forward didn't help matters. Hamish's brown eyes regarded Andy, no doubt amused at his flustered state.

"So where is she?"

Andy growled low and threatening. "Heis in there." There! It was out. He'd told his brother.

Hamish's left eye brow quirked up in surprise. "He?"

"You're not deaf, my mate is a he! This is so screwed, I'm so screwed!"

"Hummm…" Hamish rubbed his chin. "Just take some deep breaths or something. Let me check this out, which one, is uh, it?"

"He's wearing a black baseball cap and blue patterned shirt and has a scent like orange lilies."

Hamish shook his head and walked into the café.

#Sci/FiFantasySaturday #StraightToHeaven

Title: Straight to Heaven

Author: Christine Young

Email: achristay@aol.com

Genre: Paranormal/Historical Romance

Book Heat Level: 4

Buy at:

Amazon

BLURB: Straight to Heaven

Running from demons, Alexandra McMurdie stumbles into Forbidden Ground where up is down and elements of nature are contested.Though a strong independent woman in the twenty-first century' she is unprepared for life in the 1800s. Her first sight of the formidable James Lawrence makes her heart skip a beat, giving her cause to reconsider her desperate need to find a way home.

Born with a silver spoon, James’ life was torn apart during the War Between the States. Moving west he vows to put the life he once knew in the past. When he discovers a half-frozen woman near Gold Hill, his heart begins to thaw. His love for Alexandra and his need to keep her from a man who has pursued her through time might cost him his life as well as hers.

REVIEW: Straight To Heaven

5/5 Stars 

Are you ready for adventure, love, time travel and more? This novel has it all and will NOT let you down. Christine Young's "Straight to Heaven" is about Alexandra McMurdie, a girl from our modern 21st Century, who stumbles into a time-traveling vortex as she's running for her life. It is there, in the 1800s, where Alexandra doesn't expect to find someone like James Lawrence. 

All I can really and truthfully say about this novel was that I loved it. Every minute of it; every raced heartbeat as Alexandra and James connected, discovered, fought for themselves - for love. I'm a huge fan of time-traveling with a pinch of love and adventure, and Ms. Young delivers. I enjoyed the dialogue between Alex and James throughout the novel SO much. James Lawrence was probably by far, one of my favorite characters in the entire novel of "Straight to Heaven." Ms. Young offers a developed world, well-rounded and developed characters - with an exciting and fantastically romantic plot.  

This story grabbed my attention from the moment I started to read the novel, and held my attention to the very last page (and even so, left me wanting only to read more about James and Alex.) I was so sad to have the novel end, leaving behind such fantastically creative characters. 

"Straight to Heaven"offers a new look to the Western States after the Civil War with the twist of time. 

If this novel doesn't send you "Straight to Heaven"- I'm not sure what will. 

I HIGHLYrecommend this wonderfully romantic novel to anyone who enjoys danger, adventure, and of course - a bit of Time Travel ;) 

Well done, Ms. Young! 

REVIEW

https://lizgavin.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/straight-to-heaven-blog-tour-review/

EXCERPT: Straight to Heaven

Jacksonville, Oregon 1868

Midnight...the witching hour, a time to ease one's conscience and look to the next world for answers. Wild tales of a vortex told by the Native Americans where up was down and large was small, intrigued the valley settlers. One had only to expect the unexpected and it would occur. A ball could roll up hill but not down. No one ventured through the vortex unchanged, simply because the site defied the human mind. Here there were no limits set and no boundaries defined.

Mysterious tales ran rampant among the Native Americans. Fantastical stories portrayed visitors from other ages, other worlds, and even other dimensions passing through time and stopping here for a moment of rest before continuing their journey. Difficult to comprehend, impossible to believe unless one met his fate head on at the appropriate hour. Midnight. When spirits roamed the earth, anything could occur and anyone could vanish.

Midnight...an hour to be wary of, to remain at home and hopeit passed by without illusions floating on the stairway, of distinctive flickering in the candlelight, or a hesitant knock on the door from some invisible apparition. No one would wander out at this hour or challenge another, unless faced with no other choice.

Captain James Lawrence had sworn to uphold the law. Tonight, he might have to venture into the unknown; meet any challenge. He might stumble upon an innocent unsuspecting traveler, perhaps encounter a miracle and find a path straight to heaven.

The deserted countryside lay as a freshly painted picture bathed in the moonlight, and the crystal ice that coated the laurel trees shimmered, sending prisms of light toward the heavens. Even February's freezing rains paused as if paying homage to the hour.

Midnight.

James watched the moisture hover in a mindless drizzle of mist; low lying clouds floated and swirled in gossamer veils near the earth, entwining themselves in the manzanita and laurel, around the blackberry bushes, and the fields of grasses and weeds that dotted the hillside.

"Not tonight. Not again..." He pounded his fist against the railing, hoping he heard wrong.

From the west, James Lawrence could hear the low baying of hounds and the steady beat of horses as he stood on the porch of his home surveying his land. Charles Majors would bring his hounds, six of them, merciless in their intent, and trained to hunt man. They did not give up and he'd never known them to fail.

"Son of a bitch!" he said fiercely, "not tonight!" His fist landed squarely on the wooden beam holding up the roof. He stared into the night, cursing the situation. Duty and honor in the forefront of his mind, he knew he would join the posse.

Soon the men would stand at his porch expecting him to mount and ride with them. They were law-abiding men from town. A couple of them owned stores, some panned for gold. One was the saloon owner and another owned the town newspaper. He owed the community, knew he couldn't avoid this responsibility. If they would only come without the dogs, the nightmares might stop.

He rubbed his temples and wished the hammering within would vanish, but the pounding hooves grew louder, the hammering worse. His muscles flexed and as a brittle tension radiated through him, he held his breath, purposely waiting.

Staring into the cold night, he reflected on another time. A time during the war when the dogs had hunted him and they had come so perilously close to his heels. Now, on this moonlit night, even his home offered him no protection, no safe retreat. They came to him for his help—for his expertise. James shivered, yet the sensation wasn't caused by the cold.

He had hoped they wouldn't call on him again, but now it seemed as if the trail lay fresh and in his direction. He hated the look in a man's eye when cornered with nowhere to go; loathed the utter despair that accompanied it.

And the fear.

"Poor wretched soul," he said. "He'll know what hell feels like before the morning sun rises."

REVIEW:LibriAmoriMiei

My Review:

It 's a wonderful romance with an incredible time travel, a romantic love story, two charming characters, lots of suspense and a little adventure.

To escape an assault Alexandra falls into a strange vortex and finds herself living in 1868. She is a strong and independent woman of the XXI century and it is not easy for her to adapt to the mentality and to the limited means of 1800. While trying to survive, she meets James and she falls in love. But their love story is full of difficulties, James  has many open wounds suffered during the civil war.

I really liked the style of this author, she knows how to capture the reader's attention, once you start it, it's really hard to put it down. Her stories are full of magic and she is able  to create atmospheres full of suspense.

This was a truly engaging and delightful read. The story had a good pace, the plot was clever and the dialogue was witty.

  I highly recommend this book!

REVIEW:

Straight To Heaven by Christine Young

Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press

Genre: Historical, Time Travel

Length: Full (389 pgs)

Heat: Spicy

Rated: 4 stars

Review by Poppy

A solid entry into the time travel genre.

James, an honorable man who was left damaged by the Civil war makes a wonderful hero. His honor is indisputable, as shown the by the way he devotedly takes care of his young, orphaned niece, Jessie.

Alexandra is a sweet woman who is pursued through time by a villain who wants her for his own. She unexpectedly falls into a vortex when running from him in 2015 and finds herself in the past, just following the end of the war between the states.

The villain, Sean Cassidy, is truly reprehensible. And single minded. All he wants is Alexandra, and he doesn’t care what he has to do to get her.

I enjoyed watching Alex trying to find her way around the past. It’s remarkable how many little slang sayings make no sense out of context, like when she wants to keep James from the treehouse where she and Jessie are talking, and gives as her reason that “it’s Grand Central Station” up there. Of course, the way women behave now and how they were expected to behave in the late 1800s was also an issue. Ms. Young does a good job painting the past through Alex’s eyes.

The romance between James and Alex is bittersweet, since Alex intends on returning to her own time. But neither can help falling for the other and it’s sweet and heartbreaking and helps both James and Jessie to heal from their emotional wounds.

The only “complaint” I had with the story is that James is so good and Sean Cassidy is sobad. I wish James had been more flawed and that the villain had a few redeemable qualities. Oh, and the other thing that made me a bit crazy is how the author seldom referred to him as simply “Sean” and mostly called him by his full name, Sean Cassidy. Not only did it feel a bit odd, but every time it happened I ended up picturing him as the teen idol from my youth.

Overall, though, Straight To Heavenwas a well-written, interesting book that should appeal the time travel romance fans. And it should certainly touch your heart. It did mine.

San Francisco Review of Books: 

Book Review: 'Straight To Heaven' by Christine Young

A solid entry into the time travel genre.

James, an honorable man who was left damaged by the Civil war makes a wonderful hero. His honor is indisputable, as shown the by the way he devotedly takes care of his young, orphaned niece, Jessie.

Alexandra is a sweet woman who is pursued through time by a villain who wants her for his own. She unexpectedly falls into a vortex when running from him in 2015 and finds herself in the past, just following the end of the war between the states.

The villain, Sean Cassidy, is truly reprehensible. And single minded. All he wants is Alexandra, and he doesn’t care what he has to do to get her.

I enjoyed watching Alex trying to find her way around the past. It’s remarkable how many little slang sayings make no sense out of context, like when she wants to keep James from the treehouse where she and Jessie are talking, and gives as her reason that “it’s Grand Central Station” up there. Of course, the way women behave now and how they were expected to behave in the late 1800s was also an issue. Ms. Young does a good job painting the past through Alex’s eyes.

The romance between James and Alex is bittersweet, since Alex intends on returning to her own time. But neither can help falling for the other and it’s sweet and heartbreaking and helps both James and Jessie to heal from their emotional wounds.

The only “complaint” I had with the story is that James is so good and Sean Cassidy is so bad. I wish James had been more flawed and that the villain had a few redeemable qualities. Oh, and the other thing that made me a bit crazy is how the author seldom referred to him as simply “Sean” and mostly called him by his full name, Sean Cassidy. Not only did it feel a bit odd, but every time it happened I ended up picturing him as the teen idol from my youth.

Overall, though, Straight To Heaven was a well-written, interesting book that should appeal the time travel romance fans. And it should certainly touch your heart. It did mine.

4 **** – Sweetly romantic time-travel

** I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review **

I’m a huge fan of time-travel and an avid reader of historical romances so my expectations were quite high before I read this book. I think that might have been a negative factor in my enjoyment of the book. It took a while for me to connect with the story and the characters. However, once I did I had a good time with the book.

The author does a very good job with both the main and the supporting characters. The plot is well-written and the suspense builds up to the climax in the end. My reason for not rating it with five stars is that I like my heroes a bit on the flawed side and James Lawrence is too sweet for that. Also, the love scenes were good but felt a bit rushed. As an author of erotic romances I was a bit disappointed in them.

All things considered, though, this is a very good book that I recommend for those who enjoy time-traveling and sweet romance.

AMAZON (I’ve posted the review on Amazon but it hasn’t gone live yet. I’ll include link here as soon as it becomes available).

#Friday'sFeaturedTitle #TheFullMoonRises

The Full Moon Rises

Courtney Rene

EMail: ctnyrene@aol.com

Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 2

Buy at:  Amazon, Barnes and Noble

BLURB: The Full Moon Rises

Life as a shape shifter is not as easy as it would seem, especially not for Abigail Staton. Being a teenager and a shape shifter is even harder, not to mention being one of the last remaining females in the two competing wolf clans and the only girl in her new schools. Striving to find where she belongs, gets sidelined when an old threat to the wolves resurfaces. The clans are forced to come together in a semi-truce, and the already dominant males become even more controlling in trying to protect their own as well as their secret. Abby finds herself in the middle yet again, but this time, she will need both clans in order to survive.

REVIEW: The Full Moon Rises

The Full Moon Rises

Courtney Rene

978-1-62420-239-1

By Jeffrey Ross 

5 stars out of 5

The Full Moon Rises: A howl In the Night Book 2 by Courtney Rene continues the dramatic life of Abby, a nearly seventeen-year-old shapeshifter who tries to balance her wolf and human “selves.”

This unique coming-of-age narrative details Abby’s struggles with her own special nature and the patriarchal wolf clan to which she belongs-- and climaxes as she confronts the wolf-destroying group The Hunterz.

A successful strain of feminism persists in this second book of the Howling as strong-willed Abby exerts her emerging personality and successfully defines her relationships with humans and shapeshifters.

I only hope a third book is in the works for this gritty, naturalistic, and enticing series.

EXCERPT: The Full Moon Rises

Fear trickled down my spine. How close were they? I needed to run. I needed to get inside. I turned my head to see how far to the house it really was. It was a long way. Could I run to it fast enough? Could I outpace the danger?

I decided to take the chance. I jumped to my feet and in the same breath, bolted for the house and the back door. I ran like I was being chased,and for all I knew,I was. I ran so hard my chest hurt. I pumped my arms as I ran. I ran so fast I hardly felt the cool grass on my bare feet. I hurled up the stairs and in the same motion threw open the door and fell inside. I slammed the big door closed and bolted it.

I dropped flat on my back on the floor and gasped for breath. My heart beat like it was trying to get out of my chest. I settled a hand on my chest and tried to slow my breathing and my heart.

I was almost back to normal when the overhead light winked on and blinded me.

"What the hell is going on? Abigail? What are you doing down here?"

My father, of course, towered over me. It had to be him, of all people. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light and I squinted up at him. I didn't get a chance to answer as his eyes were focused on my feet. My mud and grass covered feet. Oh crap, I was in trouble. My slowing heart picked up speed again.

"You were not just outside, were you?" he asked. It was not a question. It was a statement said with deadly calm. He already knew the answer. He just needed to say it out loud.

Since I was happy to have made it back inside alive, I wasn't all that afraid. Well,maybeI wasa little because who wouldn't be? He was a big man with a bit of an animal temper. I answered him, "Yes."

He bent over me, grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up to my feet in a single motion. He didn't let go of me,though, oh,no. Instead,he pulled me up off the floor so my feet were no longer touching it and I was level with his face. He asked with that same calm, which was completely contradictory to his actions at the time, "Why were you outside, Abigail?"

I swear I about peed myself. I half wanted to run back outside. At least the danger out there would have probably killed me quickly. "I…I wanted to run in the forest. I couldn't sleep. I thought the run would wear me out."

It was the truth, the whole truth,and yet, I doubted he believed me. There was something in his eyes that told me he didn't.

With extreme gentleness he set me back down on my feet. He turned away from me and said, "Go to bed. I don't want to look at you right now."

"I'm not lying to you," I said.

"We will discuss it in the morning," was his only reply.

"Fine, don't believe me," I said. I held my head up and proudly left the room. Yes, maybe going out in the middle of the night hadn't been all that smart, but it wasn't for any bad reason. I wasn't sneaking to meet anyone.

I snorted at that thought. Heck, if I wanted a guy right then, all I had to do was crook my little finger in his direction and he would come running to me. I didn't have to do any running, not with the way I smelled. Thethought made me crinkle my nose. Smell, such a simple thing, but it grossed me out. I wanted to smell good in a conventional way, not a hormonal way.

I didn't really want a guy anyway. Did I? Derek's face flashed in my mind. No, no. I didn't want him. He was a controlling ass and,heck,he didn't even believe in love. I didn't want him. Even telling myself that, though, I knew I was lying. Maybe what I needed to remind myself was that I didn't want to want him.

I flopped back into my bed, dirty feet and all. I didn't care. I'd get the sheets changed in the morning. Part of the reason I didn't want Derek was that my parents wanted me to. It was a stupid reason, but that was a big one. I was the keeper of my own destiny. No, he was not suitable. Just no.

Stupid Derek and his stupid gorgeous face were my last thoughts before I finally allowed sleep to claim me.

REVIEW:

Title:  The Full Moon Rises

Author:  Courtney Rene 

Rating:  5 out of 5

Reviewed by Angelia Amos on Amazon

I was so excited to see that Courtney Rene had written the sequel to A Howl in the Night. The Full Moon Rises doesn't disappoint as we learn more about the complicated world of shape shifters that Abby has been thrust into. Abby leads us through her new world determined not to let the male dominated families keep her on the sideline as a new threat arises threatening all of them.