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Review - Blood Eternal

Blood Eternal

By Marie Treanor

Awakened by Blood, Book 3

Signet Eclipse

Mass Market Paperback

4th October 2011

Secrets don't disappear after seduction...

Elizabeth Silk is struggling to reconcile her passion for the vampire overlord Saloman and her allegiance to the vampire hunters. When a shocking vampire revolt calls Saloman away from her, she refuses to follow him.

To make matters worse, Saloman’s beloved cousin Luk has been found and awakened by one of his greatest enemies. Frenzied with bloodlust, Luk embarks on a killing spree and prepares to expose Saloman’s biggest vulnerability: Elizabeth.

But under Saloman’s regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy, no longer willing to hide their power. Rumors are swirling about attacks on humans. After Saloman joins forces with the vampire hunters to consolidate his power, Elizabeth begins to understand her role in the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could bring resolution between vampires and humans—if she can manage to stay alive long enough to play both sides….

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This is a great book.  Its a worthy conclusion to the trilogy.  I can only hope we get to meet these characters again soon.  I have been hooked since I read the first book.  They are well-written and fast paced with great characters that you really get to know and enjoy.


Elizabeth and Saloman have an unusual relationship.  Both have the power to really hurt or kill the other, even know Elizabeth is human.  By this point we have watched their relationship evolve over the course of the first 2 books.  But even here neither really feels like they deserve the other or can keep them for as long as they have together.  And this combined with the fact that Elizabeth's hunter friends dont trust him not to hurt her are the background story revolving around the bigger story of the vampire war and Saloman's cousin Luk.


This war could really be the turning point both Saloman and Elizabeth are hoping for in the ongoing relationship between vampires and humans.  Saloman wants to initiate change in vampire behavior so that the two can learn to live together and help each other.  And he spends a lot of time trying to prove how this could happen.  But he is up against his cousin, Luk, and a group of vampires that dont want to change.  If the hunters can not learn to work with him to get this matter under control, what chance does the rest of the world who is still in the dark have.

Both stories intertwine themselves perfectly throughout the book.  Leading to stunning conclusion and hope for all.  I am really looking forward to reading more from the author soon and I am extremely glad I started this series.

Interview - Marie Treanor - Blood Eternal

Please describe your novel twitter style 140 characters or less.

Finale of vampire romance/urban fantasy trilogy. Doomed love, angst, rebellion, prophecy, fighting, biting, & immortal, sensual temptation: Blood Eternal

(Well, it's under 140 if you don't count the spaces. Or this explanation :)).


What is the one thing you wish you knew before you tried to get published?

That I was good enough :)


What to you is the best part of being a writer and what is the part you wouldn't mind giving up?

The best part is being justified in living in my imagination! And hearing from readers who've enjoyed my books makes it all worth while. I'm not sure I would give up any of it, to be honest... except maybe the self-promotion, although you do meet readers that way and I wouldn't like to give that up either!


What city would you love to set a story in but the right one hasn't come along yet?

Hmmm... Maybe Moscow. I've never been there, but it always looks so exotic, and it has such an amazing history, I'm sure I'd be inspired if I just spent a few days there!


Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle?

Got to be vampires! Too easy for shifters to get caught without their clothes :). Zombies rot and they have no brains. Angels are hampered by goodness. Vampires are just stronger, meaner, more intelligent, and don't mind at all being badder - or at least mine don't!


If you could witness any historical event past, present or future what would it be and why?

Hmmm... I'd go for historical, but I'd struggle to pick just one event! I don't think I'd care for the up-close and personal view of the brutal battles that litter the important events of history. It's the personalities and the minor side-issues that interest me, like what did Scottish heroes Wallace and Bruce REALLLY think of each other? :).


Anything else you would like to share today?

I'd like to say thank you, Donna, for interviewing me! And to your readers: I'm always very happy to answer questions, either here or by email, Facebook etc, so please feel free to get in touch! Oh, and have a bewitching Halloween :)





Thanks Marie for taking the time for this interview.

*-*-*-*-*

Blood Eternal

By Marie Treanor

Awakened by Blood, Book 3

Signet Eclipse

Mass Market Paperback

4th October 2011

Secrets don't disappear after seduction...

Elizabeth Silk is struggling to reconcile her passion for the vampire overlord Saloman and her allegiance to the vampire hunters. When a shocking vampire revolt calls Saloman away from her, she refuses to follow him.

To make matters worse, Saloman’s beloved cousin Luk has been found and awakened by one of his greatest enemies. Frenzied with bloodlust, Luk embarks on a killing spree and prepares to expose Saloman’s biggest vulnerability: Elizabeth.

But under Saloman’s regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy, no longer willing to hide their power. Rumors are swirling about attacks on humans. After Saloman joins forces with the vampire hunters to consolidate his power, Elizabeth begins to understand her role in the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could bring resolution between vampires and humans—if she can manage to stay alive long enough to play both sides….

Excerpt from Blood Eternal:

Set up: An Ancient vampire, believed to be Saloman’s newly awakened cousin Luk, has gone on the rampage in the Turkish hills. Elizabeth Silk is helping the hunters to track Luk and his allies…

Luk began to run, and as his limbs stretched out, he remembered their strength and what they could do. A surge of excitement urged him to speed up, to run around the entire world and never stop. But her scent was close and sweet, and as he leapt down the final fifty feet to land right in front of her, he grew dizzy.

Startled, the woman fell back, her dark hazel eyes huge in her beautiful face. Hair the color of a long-forgotten sunrise whipped against her soft cheeks in the breeze. Blood pumped through her delicate veins. The sound and smell of it drove him to new hunger, but this was one human he’d never kill.

“Tsigana,” he whispered.

The name held Elizabeth frozen. She’d had an instant’s warning from the Ancient detector, which suddenly, after indicating his slow plod away from her, went nuts, the readings obviously failing to keep up with the speed of the vampire who leapt out in front of her a bare instant after she’d known he would.

She’d had time to press her buzzer, at the same moment it had gone off in warning. The others knew. So she backed off, giving them time to get here, holding the stake poised for the vampire’s attack that didn’t come. He stood unmoving, staring at her.

The ordinary vampire detector in her pocket was still and silent. So the Ancient was alone. She prepared to attack, targeting the spot in his chest that she needed, but before she could fly at him, he said, “Tsigana.”

If he’d said her own name, if he’d called her Jane or Esmeralda or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she wouldn’t have hesitated in the slightest. But he said Tsigana, as if he’d seen straight to her one weakness, a jealousy that amounted almost to fear of the long-dead human woman who had once held Saloman’s heart.

Her fingers curled convulsively on the stake, altering its aim by accident, and she had to readjust it. The Ancient who was Saloman’s cousin, his onetime friend and his betrayer, one of Tsigana’s three vampire lovers, continued to stare at her. She had the impression that if he breathed he’d have been panting, but weirdly, she sensed no threat from him. He lifted his arms slowly, reaching out to her with intense, weirdly unfocused longing. Understanding slammed into her like a blow.

“I’m not Tsigana,” she said between her teeth. “I’m Elizabeth, the Awakener.” And she flew at him, aware her aim was true. She summoned every ounce of strength, every ounce of power she believed in. Because she didn’t know how long the hunters would take to get here, she had to try to do it alone, as she’d once tried to kill Saloman alone. She still believed she could have slain him, using her power as his Awakener, but she’d never found out for sure, because her heart, not her body, had prevented it. There was no such prevention here; Luk was the cause of most of the unbearable pain that had haunted Saloman for centuries. He was as good as dead, and she couldn’t even regret her lack of compassion.

But he didn’t wait for her. He leapt back so fast she didn’t even see him move. Her stake sliced through air, almost overbalancing her.

“Not Tsigana,” Luk repeated. He sniffed the air.

“Tsigana is dead.” Again she leapt, this time before she finished speaking, but again he evaded her. A howl rent the air, like a dog or a wolf in agony. It had to be coming from Luk, as his distant figure leapt back up the hillside at impossible speed, the bloodcurdling wail fading with him into the night. Not because he’d stopped crying, but because he was too far away to be heard.

“Shit,” Elizabeth whispered. With shaking hand she retrieved the Ancient detector from her pocket. The pointer indicated the hill up which Luk had vanished, the display counting madly as the distance increased. Then it went dead. Elizabeth delved for her phone, just as the needle swung rapidly several degrees to the west, and the display galloped forward.

Oh, hell, he’s doubling back. He’s gotten over Tsigana and now I’m dinner.

Blood Sin

Awakened by Blood, Book 2

Even if you walk in the light, you can dwell in the dark.

Months after her dangerous encounter with vampire overlord Saloman, Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is still trying to cope with both the demands of her ancestral bloodline—which marks her as a vampire hunter — and the overpowering desire she feels for the immortal she brought back from the grave. But she is not alone in her fascination with Saloman.

When Elizabeth tracks down a distant cousin from America, she learns he possesses an antique sword that has caught the interest of the Grand Master of the American hunters. It is the ancient and mystical sword of Saloman — a treasure of vast occult powers and a prize beyond measure to both vampires and humans. Now the race is on for possession of the sword.

Even as her enemies and allies shift their allegiances and battle for supremacy, Elizabeth must decide which will rule her own perilous fate: unwanted loyalty or unholy love.

Reviews:

"An action-packed sensual read, filled with danger, romance, vampires, humor and seduction, BLOOD SIN is an unforgettable story... a delightful read and a welcome addition to the keeper shelf... this amazing series..." - 4.5 Blue Ribbons, Dottie, Romance Junkies

"Beautifully worded... Unique plot twists... Steamy chemistry and passion-filled romance... an altogether spicy read." - 4 cups. Virginia, Coffee Time Romance

"The fantastic sequel to Blood on Silk... delicious... I truly cannot get enough of...Saloman... a fascinating character, free from cliche... truly an amazing series..." - 5 Tombstones, Jennifer, Bitten by Books.

Blood on Silk

Awakened by Blood, Book 1

The debut of a seductive new series of vampires, lust, and revenge.

Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is spending the summer in Romania researching historical superstitions for her PhD. While she is tracing local folktales, one subject in particular sparks her imagination. His name is Saloman, legend's most powerful vampire, a seductive prince staked centuries ago. Now, in the ruins of a castle crypt, Elizabeth discovers the legends are real. Her blood has awakened him. Her innocence has aroused him. But Elizabeth unleashes more than Saloman's hunger.

An army of vampire hunters has amassed to send Saloman back to hell. Sworn to help - yet fearing Saloman's deadly blood lust - Elizabeth seeks to entrap him, offering her body as bait. But something stronger than dread, more powerful than revenge, is uniting Elizabeth to her prey. Caught between desire and rage, Elizabeth must decide where her loyalties lie...and what the limits are to a yearning she can no longer control.

Reviews:

"BLOOD ON SILK is sensual and thrilling, a wonderful combination of vampire myths old and new. Saloman and Elizabeth's relationship is both amazingly hot and terrifyingly complicated. Readers will fall instantly in love with the world that Marie Treanor has created. You cannot miss this novel!" --Michele Bardsley, national bestselling author of the Broken Heart series.

"A provocative read... witty, sensual and, sometimes, dark... Brimming with complex and compelling characters, sexual tension, danger, betrayal, emotional turmoil, witty banter, a thrilling plot, an enigmatic hero who is at times an anti-hero, a captivating heroine and plenty of vampires, this erotic, gothic story grabs your attention and holds it right up to the very last page." ~Dottie, Romance Junkies, 4.5 Blue Ribbons

"Praises for Marie Treanor; this book has found a permanent place alongside the likes of Anne Rice and Laurell K Hamilton." - Rating 5, Jillean, Once Upon a Romance.

Author Bio:

Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Marie Treanor has published more than twenty ebooks with small presses, (Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The Wild Rose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, Killing Joe. Blood on Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debut with NAL.

In the Awakened by Blood series, Marie is delighted to be able to bring together her long-standing loves of vampire stories and Gothic romance.

Website: www.MarieTreanor.com  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360.

Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marietreanornewsletter.

Blog: Marie Treanor's Romantic Theme Party: 

http://romanticthemeparty.blogspot.com/

Review - Spectre of Intention

Spectre of Intention

By Tonya Macalino

“Secrets, Kaitlin. Secrets.”

Kaitlin Osgood has a stowaway.

Underneath the glossy shell of the Senior VP for Countermeasures International lurks the tattered remains of the girl she once was: street rat and thief, Ashley Porter. Every day, every decision is brittle with the fear of discovery.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for the latest space elevator, she should finally be safe…

…safe from the sexy, enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell who seems to see through Kaitlin’s ruse.

…safe from the relentless, burning pursuit of master thief, Stephan Chen, the chief architect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover who haunts her still.

But Kaitlin has another secret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology, but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghosts of their intentions.

It’s a talent she must learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past cost Kaitlin her life…

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Intention-Tonya-Macalino/dp/0983630305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312914650&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spectre-of-intention-tonya-macalino/1100481815?ean=9780983630302&itm=1&usri=macalino

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This book took me a little bit to get into the story.  At first I was confused about Kaitlin's talent and what the intentions she could sense were.  And I had to figure out what was up with Ashley, the character that seems to exist mainly in her head.  Of course if I had re-read the blurb above before starting the book I wouldnt have had those issues.  However since I didnt, I was able to discover what they all meant on my own.  And I think it shows the talent and skill of the author that I was able to make sense of it though the story and what happened instead of having to be told beforehand.

Kaitlin is a very interesting character.  We get to watch her as she tries to pretend to be someone that was created to hide a former identity.  And identity that haunts her still to this day.  Jesse. her boss, who helped her recreate herself and who she feels she owes her life too is also a strong character that seems to have an interesting history, although we really dont get a lot about it.  Same with her other 2 co-workers.  We learn a little bit more about Cam, and what we know and learn lets us know that Cam and Kaitlin are good for each other.  He alone can help her accept who she is and who she was and how they can coexist with each other and her talent.

The setting is futuristic as it all takes place on a cruise ship that is the platform for a new space elevator.  A unique and interesting backdrop.  There are a lot of different stories that can come out of such a backdrop.  And this is definitely one of them not to miss.  In the midst and helping along Kaitlin's transformation you also have a potential crime and mystery to solve.  And while all items and people are contained on one vessel.  That doesnt make it easier to track down when its as big as a ship with as many different hiding places.

I really ended up enjoying the story.  And couldnt want to see what was going to happen next to Kaitlin, her co-workers and Cam.  It was well-written and took place at a good pace so there were not downtimes or boring spots in the story.  Im looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Guest Post and Giveaway - Tonya Macalino - Spectre of Intention

Where Thumbscrews Fail

In my novel, SPECTRE OF INTENTION, the main character, Kaitlin Osgood has built a highly successful career for herself as an international security consultant. When she’s not flirting with the sexy, but suspicious client or dodging a knife-wielding psychopath from her past, Kaitlin’s job is to coordinate the installation of the high-tech mass-transit security system on the ocean-bound platform for the world’s latest space elevator.

The lives of thousands are in her hands.

So how do she and her team at Counter Measures International do it? A strip-down-to-your-socks system won’t work when you are granting entry to enough people to fill a cruise ship the size of a small city. Once onboard, they’ll have access to all the butter knives they could possibly need to bring about the destruction of the multi-billion dollar transportation system.

No, Kaitlin doesn’t use “non-invasive” scans to check out what you are hiding beneath your underwear. Like any Israeli airport security professional will tell you, it’s not the weapon that kills, but the person. Kaitlin detects intentions. It is her job to call out the bad guys—before they have the chance to turn the contents of the cleaning supply closet into something lethal.

The system her team sets up includes software that watches your face for what is known as “leakage of deceptive behavior” as you answer the security questions, little micro-expressions and other bits of body language that slip past your poker face. Other portions of their systems watch the way you move through the crowd, how you hold your body as you wait in line.

And if Kaitlin’s team decides they are just too suspicious of your suspicious behavior, they ask you to step into Big Blue. And then good luck to you.

Big Blue is Counter Measures International’s ultimate weapon: the interview booth. You know you’re lying. Kaitlin’s team knows you’re lying. And they know that thumbscrews will just make you lie louder and more creatively and that eventually lawyers will get involved. So they ask politely that you please step into Big Blue. And then they sit back and wait for you to do what the whole room knows you are going to do…while Big Blue reads the sweat on your palms, the shifting of your weight on your feet, the pattern of your gaze, your response to various pictures of criminals you claim not to know, the way your brain lights up as you rearrange the truth in your head.

And let’s say you’ve mastered all the cheats for all of that.

You are still screwed.

Because Counter Measures International is cheating, too. Behind all that technological smoke and mirrors sits little ol’ Kaitlin Osgood who can see and feel with her body and mind everything you intend before you even have a chance to act on it.

Again, I say, good luck.

A Little Glimpse Behind The Smoke and Mirrors: The World as Kaitlin Sees It

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the sweep of a flashlight in the dimly lit hall. How small an action to change the comfort of solitude into the chill of isolation. I reached into my bag and palmed a small spritzer of perfume, then turned my purposeful stride up the ramp. I could feel the hot anger coming toward me, knew it would hit me full on once the bearer of all that good will rounded the corner.

The guard and I saw each other at the same time. He lowered his flashlight and for a second I thought I saw something I hadn’t seen in a half a decade: the energy of his intention become corporeal. Ghosting ahead of his own body, a raging image of the man raised his transparent fist and took a swing at me.

I couldn’t stop myself from dodging. His intention scrambled as he stared at me like I was crazy. The ghost image vanished. Probably never even there.

I kept my face blank, kept walking right past him, listened for his footsteps behind me. Didn’t hear them.

Maybe crazy was right.

*-*-*-*-*

Spectre of Intention

By Tonya Macalino

“Secrets, Kaitlin. Secrets.”

Kaitlin Osgood has a stowaway.

Underneath the glossy shell of the Senior VP for Countermeasures International lurks the tattered remains of the girl she once was: street rat and thief, Ashley Porter. Every day, every decision is brittle with the fear of discovery.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for the latest space elevator, she should finally be safe…

…safe from the sexy, enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell who seems to see through Kaitlin’s ruse.

…safe from the relentless, burning pursuit of master thief, Stephan Chen, the chief architect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover who haunts her still.

But Kaitlin has another secret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology, but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghosts of their intentions.

It’s a talent she must learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past cost Kaitlin her life…

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Intention-Tonya-Macalino/dp/0983630305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312914650&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spectre-of-intention-tonya-macalino/1100481815?ean=9780983630302&itm=1&usri=macalino

Teaser Excerpt:

If I could just try a door, get into a cabin. Were they all locked?

If I stopped long enough to try one, they’d be on me. Ahead I heard a bright, feminine laugh. I looked, a crack of light. Apologize later. I shoved my way into the room. I reached back to slam the door.

My head shattered.

Shards of pain exploded like so much glass, leaving behind a tender, exposed emptiness. My shrill gasp echoed through it.

Silence.

The footsteps from the hall followed me in. Someone grabbed my arm from behind as I stumbled forward into the over-bright room. A voice in front of me raised in disgust.

“Mak, what the fuck?! Who the hell is this chick? Are you trying to blow everything?”

I raised my head. The man perched on the arm of the sitting room couch continued to rage at the man gripping me, not giving me a second look. But I saw him, saw the changes wrought both by time and man. Hair once a tousled fuchsia, now hung straight, black to his jaw. A once slender frame filled in with muscle under that crisp white shirt. The face fuller, more sensual; the eyes still cocky as hell.

Then I felt it, the warmth of his mind touching mine. Him, sliding in, taking over my very being without meeting defense, without facing a moment’s resistance.

And he must have felt it, too, because at that instant, Stephan Chen turned to look at me for the first time in five long, terrifying years. A smile of triumph spread across his face.

“Hello, Ashley.”

*-*-*-*-*

Tonya Macalino lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with her husband and two children. She is an avid collector of folklore and folk history, far too many to fit comfortably within the pages of any given book. When not working on her latest novel, she runs a handcrafted lotion, cosmetics, and bath company. To read more of the little gems she unearthed during her research, please visit her blog at www.tonyamacalino.com.

For news and events, drop by her Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino.com

Tonya Macalino - Author Links:

Website: www.tonyamacalino.com

The Story of Place Blog: www.tonyamacalino.com/page10.php

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tonya-Macalino/e/B0058U4TJA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Shelfari: www.shelfari.com/tonyamacalino

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/tonyamacalino

GIVEAWAY

2 prize packs are being given away to 2 lucky winners Open to US and Canada Shipping Only Please

 

The Space Elevator Gift Pak includes:

SPECTRE OF INTENTION

Liftport Retro Print

Clarke City Retro Print

LIFTPORT: OPENING SPACE TO EVERYONE - an anthology of science fiction short stories and technical articles on space elevator technology

Liftport products Courtesy of Liftport Group

 

The Spa Gift Pak includes:

SPECTRE OF INTENTION

Chamomile Soap

Rose Lip Dew Wand

Cornflower Petals in Honeyed Oats Bath Bomb

Rouge of Last Light Shimmer Bar

Grapefruit Sea Breeze Bath Salts

Spa products courtesy of Rustling Sage

 

IceyBooks: Random Giveaway! Win DESTINED!

IceyBooks: Random Giveaway! Win DESTINED!: Want to win this pretty? I think its time for another RANDOM giveaway! "...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Gu...

Stuck In Books: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Stuck In Books: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop: I love blog hops! Here's mine . I'm giving away a choice of some hot October releases. Here are the choices. Carrier of the Mark ...

Beautiful Chaos, a Beautiful Creatures Novel, is up for grabs!

Beautiful Chaos, a Beautiful Creatures Novel, is up for grabs!

Recovering Potter Addict: Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway

Recovering Potter Addict: Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway: I was extremely fortunate to have received an ARC of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare for review given how few ARCs of this book were...

Review - Dreams

DREAMS

By Jacqueline Paige

A Dream series - three steamy tales of romance, suspense with unexpected paranormal flares

ISBN/EAN13: 9781463685331

Page Count: 326

Binding Type: US Trade Paper 5" x 8"

Genre: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal

Amazon

IN OUR DREAM

She’s a small town cop. He’s an inmate undercover. They meet in a dream.

Blurb IN OUR DREAM:

Jennah Best left the adrenaline packed life of being a cop on the edge for a more peaceful place. She escaped a marriage that almost destroyed her and now lives her life working for a small police station in the town of Ridge. At her age, she’s accepted that it’s too late and too much work to start all over again, until she meets a man in a dream...

While young, Dominic Palmer has always proven he can get the job done.  Or at least, that was the case before he accepted a job and agreed to go undercover as an inmate. When months go by and there’s no word from his outside contact he wonders if he’s been left on the inside for good. He’s fighting to stay alive and keep his sanity, but finds himself completely distracted by a mysterious woman he met in a dream...

FROM A DREAM

She wakes up in a dark hole, alone. He’ll stop at nothing to find her.

Blurb FROM A DREAM:

Jennah has found happiness. She wasn’t looking for it but isn’t about to give it up now that she has it. Everything she craved for years was now right in front of her--a man that makes her feel cherished, a peaceful life, and a job she enjoys. It all changes when she wakes up in a dark hole, alone, unarmed and unable to connect with the one man she’s grown to need.

Dominic realizes he is one of those men that wants the whole package of marriage and a family, and he’s found the woman to have that with. He’s going stir crazy having to stay hidden until the leader of a criminal organization is caught, but he’s more than willing to stay right here with her.

All of his plans evaporate when a vindictive criminal takes her from him as a hostage. He won’t rest until she’s in his arms again. 

AFTER THE DREAM

Brody believes he’s a normal man. Tess has felt like a freak most of her life- except when she’s around one man.

Blurb AFTER THE DREAM

Feeling less then worthy as a normal man surrounded by a team with special skills, Brody has to wonder why he’s a part of it. If it weren’t for one team mate being there, he’d transfer back to normalcy.

Tess has always felt like a freak, even surrounded by others that are different she still feels like an outsider. Only one of her team mates make her feel like an everyday person. 

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This is a great collection of stories that all begin with a dream.  And what a dream it was.  Its in their dreams that Jennah and Dominic meet.  For Dom this is something he has experienced before but for Jennah this is completely new.  When she realizes that this is not a dream and that he is real she will do whatever it takes to help him in his mission.

Which leads perfectly into the next story.  What happens when Dom's past case continue to be a threat.  In From A Dream this idea is a main cause of the current situation.  But we also get to really meet some great new characters - Tess and Brody.  While Dom has almost always worked solo Brody has always been there as a friend and to back him up.  Tess is new to the guys and has her own unique talent that comes into play in a very important way to finally close the case for good.

And a few months later we get After the Dream.  Theres a new task force around and everyone is unique in their own way.  But Brody doesnt understand why he is part of this team since he believes he is normal.  And Tess is fighting to understand her talents better hoping that she will eventually feel normal.  The two of them have had explosive chemistry since the beginning.  And we get to see how they come to terms with themselves and each other while working with their new team to stop the threat.

This collection is all connected but each story is unique and has its own ending.  None of them are really long so its really 3 interconnected novellas.  I really enjoyed them and it was great since I always want to know what happens next.  And with short stories you dont always get the sense of continuation with the characters you meet.  Also while the stories are short, you get plenty of detail and background on the characters that you really can form a connection that you want to see what happens to them and hope that it all turns out for the best.

Guest Post - Jacqueline Paige

Characters pick their own power

By Jacqueline Paige

Everyone thinks when a paranormal author sits down and plots out a story they plan which character is going to be able to do what. While that may be true in the beginning it never seems to stay that way for me, once the characters are finally free on the pages (and out of the writers head) they seem to pick their own power.

This is what happened when I started writing In Our Dream. Dominic and Jennah were supposed to only possess the ability to dream walk. They weren’t happy with just being able to communicate in their sleep, so they changed the rules and what they could do. It seemed by the end of the story they also established the rules for their abilities.

I was able to control these two characters for the most part in the first part of the short series, but once they came back in the sequel From A Dream they brought with them another character that had abilities. At first Tess was supposed to be an average female officer with a little attitude. When she first demonstrated what she could, I stopped and sat back reading over the last scene and couldn’t have been more surprised. Not to mention that what she can do it just plain cool and if I could do that my life would be simplified.

The third part of the series After The Dream I did actually set out to have several characters with different abilities or powers to go along with Dominic, Jennah and Tess— what I didn’t know until I actually typed it out was what power they would have. I decided to let them tell me what they could do.

Here are a few random scenes from the three stories that make up Dreams to give you a little example of what my characters decided they were doing.

Excerpt 1

Jennah motioned toward the warden’s SUV. “I’m going to disable that so we can go get the car and go help.”

He shook his head and cursed under his breath as he felt for the mic on his collar. “Tess, are you still on the west side.” He looked back toward the cabin. “Move in and cover me. I’m going to put the SUV out of commission.” He took two steps toward the cabin and then stopped and turned to glare at her. He pulled off his glove and hit the collar again. “She won’t, Dom! We’re well back just keeping an eye out.”

She smirked at the pleading look on the man’s face. “Dominic?”

“Why aren’t you sitting back at the house drinking tea?” He sounded out of breath.

She shrugged. “I’m not thirsty. I feel bad for almost crippling Brody and slicing him up. I wanted to stay and help in case they double back.” She kept her voice soft and pleading.

“I’m fine, just a little battered.” She heard Brody mumble. “I will. I’m going to go disable the SUV and then head for the cars.” He turned back to her. “Cover me.” She nodded and knelt down and started skimming for movement in the trees along the cabin.

“Babe, you watch his ass and then get yours back to the car.”

“Yes, dear.” She heard his exasperated sigh. 

She saw a movement in the trees and it wasn’t in the direction Tess was supposed to be in. “Dom, tell Brody to get down.” As soon as she’d said it, a shot rang out. She looked quickly toward the direction Brody had gone in. “Someone doubled back. Brody’s been hit.” She moved as fast as she could while staying low to the ground.

“Tess is on it.”

“So am I. Tell her they’re in the trees to the southeast. I’m heading to cover Brody.” She cleared the trees as she said it and ran as fast as she could toward the snow bank between her and where she’d seen the movement.

“Shit!” was the reply she got back inside her head.

“Is Brody all right?”

“He’s pissed, but will live. He says he sees you coming and you’re covered.” He growled. “I am going to kick someone’s ass when this is over!”

She smirked, but decided she’d better not comment. “Does Tess have him?”

“No. I’m heading back that way. I’ll be coming out of the bush on the northeast side.” She ducked down behind a mound of snow and looked to where Brody was laying flat and with his gun aimed at the trees across from him. “First I beat him and try to slice him, and then I let him get shot!”

Dom’s chuckle filled her mind. “He needed to be taken down a few pegs, babe. Don’t let it concern you.”

She carefully scanned the trees. “Tell Tess I’m going for him.”

“Dammit!”

She jumped up and headed straight for Brody. Sliding in beside him, she flipped and aimed her gun at the trees. “You looked like you needed company.”

He snorted and moved his weapon down the line of trees. “I could use a beer, too. Did you bring any?”

She sighed. “Sorry, small pockets.”

“Figures.”

Excerpt 2

“They had to have the things shut off, right? Wouldn’t that mess with the trucks electrical system or something?” Her eyes looked hopeful.

“I don’t know.” Motioning to Joslee, he waited for the other man to move over closer. “Get on the mic with Gray and see if whatever they made would screw up the truck if they were still on.” Joslee nodded and began talking quietly.

Tess moved over beside him and knelt down. “If those containers are moved, we may never get another.”

She was right and he didn’t like to think what would happen if they lost them and couldn’t track them down again. The idea of what the person in charge of them could do was too vast to even figure out where they might start with them. Turning he looked over at Joslee. “What’s he say?”

Looking skeptical Joslee moved back over beside them. “He seems to think the truck would be protected by the boxes of foam and copper they’d have to have lined the containers with.”

“So it shouldn’t affect me.” Tess added quietly.

Looking around for the hundredth time, Brody hoped to spot a way of getting down to the truck and back without being seen. It was impossible and he knew it. Sighing loudly, he put the mic piece back in his ear and depressed the switch. “Dom. They’re going to move out and we can’t follow from this point without being seen. Tess wants to flash down and disable the truck to slow them down.” He studied the pale skin on her face as he listened. “I don’t like it either, but unless you have the Calvary rounded up we’re out of options.” Her soft eyes pleading with him wasn’t helping him to focus on the situation. “If we lose track of this shit we’re screwed.” Clenching his jaw he nodded. “Got it.” Pulling out the ear piece, he leaned closer to her. “You go down, cut the blue hose between the truck and trailer and then get your ass back up here and clear.”

Avoiding the look of doubt on Joslee’s face, he watched her pull the cutters from the bag and secure them on the side of her belt. She checked the clip in her gun. Her special gun, that wasn’t metal or steel and would transport with her. He still didn’t like it. When she nodded at him, he turned and looked towards the truck. “Try to aim for just behind the cab.” He picked up the binoculars she’d set down and scanned all doors in the building. “Be fast, Tess.”

“I’ll be right back.”

When he turned to remind her to put her mic piece in, she was already gone. Shit. Grasping the binoculars tightly he looked at the truck. He checked in front and behind the cab, she wasn’t there. “Do you see her?”

“Yeah, she came out between the two containers.”

His head snapping in that direction he spotted the red hair. “This is the stupidest idea yet.”

“She’s okay,” Joslee reassured. “There’s no one around. She’ll get in and out before you know it.”

Raising the binoculars, he zoomed in on her. She knelt between the containers, with her eyes closed. Shit, this wasn’t the time to have the side effects that went with her jumping location. She opened her eyes and it seemed like she looked right at him. Putting in the ear piece he watched her reach for the mic switch. Shaking her head, she pulled it back out quickly and turned and looked at the container. “I don’t think she meant to land there.”

“Yeah I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Her mic doesn’t work.” Brody, scanned the building again. “Hurry it up Tess,” he muttered under his breath. 

DREAMS

By Jacqueline Paige

A Dream series - three steamy tales of romance, suspense with unexpected paranormal flares

ISBN/EAN13: 9781463685331

Page Count: 326

Binding Type: US Trade Paper 5" x 8"

Genre: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal

Amazon

Review of 5 delightful diva’s for In Our Dream

IN OUR DREAM

She’s a small town cop. He’s an inmate undercover. They meet in a dream.

Blurb IN OUR DREAM:

Jennah Best left the adrenaline packed life of being a cop on the edge for a more peaceful place. She escaped a marriage that almost destroyed her and now lives her life working for a small police station in the town of Ridge. At her age, she’s accepted that it’s too late and too much work to start all over again, until she meets a man in a dream...

While young, Dominic Palmer has always proven he can get the job done.  Or at least, that was the case before he accepted a job and agreed to go undercover as an inmate. When months go by and there’s no word from his outside contact he wonders if he’s been left on the inside for good. He’s fighting to stay alive and keep his sanity, but finds himself completely distracted by a mysterious woman he met in a dream...

FROM A DREAM

She wakes up in a dark hole, alone. He’ll stop at nothing to find her.

Blurb FROM A DREAM:

Jennah has found happiness. She wasn’t looking for it but isn’t about to give it up now that she has it. Everything she craved for years was now right in front of her--a man that makes her feel cherished, a peaceful life, and a job she enjoys. It all changes when she wakes up in a dark hole, alone, unarmed and unable to connect with the one man she’s grown to need.

Dominic realizes he is one of those men that wants the whole package of marriage and a family, and he’s found the woman to have that with. He’s going stir crazy having to stay hidden until the leader of a criminal organization is caught, but he’s more than willing to stay right here with her.

All of his plans evaporate when a vindictive criminal takes her from him as a hostage. He won’t rest until she’s in his arms again. 

  

AFTER THE DREAM

Brody believes he’s a normal man. Tess has felt like a freak most of her life- except when she’s around one man.

Blurb AFTER THE DREAM

Feeling less then worthy as a normal man surrounded by a team with special skills, Brody has to wonder why he’s a part of it. If it weren’t for one team mate being there, he’d transfer back to normalcy.

Tess has always felt like a freak, even surrounded by others that are different she still feels like an outsider. Only one of her team mates make her feel like an everyday person. 

About the Author:

Jacqueline Paige is a world class multi-tasker being a mother to five adventurous and unpredictable children, a cafe manager and having a colossal imagination that allows her to step outside of reality into a world of paranormal romance —with just a touch of suspense.

Jacqueline lives in Ontario, Canada and avoids the ever changing weather of the region she lives in by creating other worlds to fall into in her stories of all things paranormal.

Her first book was published in 2009 and since then has published ten. She is always writing and currently has more than a dozen stories in one stage or another of the writing process.

You can find all of Jacqueline’s books at: www.jacqpaige.webs.com