Review: Stealing Fate by Berinn Rae

 

She stole his fate…

Lachesis is a Fate, an ancient Greek goddess in whose hands our destinies are unraveled. When she’s not weaving fortune, she does what she wants when she wants. That all changes when she runs into the man she craves but prayed to never see again. And she'll soon discover the god of terror can really hold a grudge.

Now it’s his turn…

The most frightening of gods, Phobos is a predator who takes pleasure in terrorizing the world. After millennia of relentless searching, he finds the Fate who caused him to be cast down from Olympus. Now he plans to use every bit of his talents on the goddess to regain his lost heritage without losing his heart in the process. 

Oh wow... Let me just say Ms. Rae put an Author's Note page at the beginning and let say it is worth reading. She made me giggle right off the bat! I stole this last paragraph from her page...

There is no mythological evidence to support Lachesis and Phobos hooking up. But, there is also no evidence that they didn‘t. One of the joys of being an author, I get to ask, what if, and so their story begins...

I love her sense of adventure, of passion, her sense for going out of the box! I love how she just grabbed this story with both hands and wrote it! Ms. Rae is a delightful author with a wicked sense of humor. Let me tell you more...

Although this is a short story, there is nothing short about this story! And there is nothing missing from this story... Ms. Rae gave me a story that fueled my imagination and satisfied the inner Greek mythologist geek in me! She gave me drama, action, suspense and some sexy God loving! Or I should say some God size hating, lol. This story has it all... Family drama, relationship issues and the God of all God's - Zeus.

Lachesis, Lacey as she is known in our world, is a Fate.. The Fate that weaves the fates of others. She knows your path before you even know it... However, she can't see the fates of those closet to her... Or even her own. That kinda sucks, really, lol. But she loves life to the fullest. And she loves the one man who could be the death of her... Her heart belongs to the god of terror... Phobos. The one man, that if he gets his hands on her, would probably kill her...

Phobos, God of Terror, is a man... I mean, god you should be very careful of. He has brought men down in battle without the need for a weapon. But in the end, those that face Phobos in battle know their fate... Death. But his heart wasn't always made of hatred... No, one woman who captured his heart... Is the same woman that brought him to his doomed fate... But is there a crack in the wall he built...

Oh my gosh, these two together are awesome! Ms. Rae delivered one hellva good story! You will feel the lost love, you will feel the animosity, you will feel the hatred... You will also see true love in action... You will see evil that lurks in the shadows... You will feel the breath of death... But you will escape with your life in the hands of a man that has vowed revenge to the one woman that could be his salvation..

This book is a Must!

A writer hell-bent on making the world a little more entertaining. 

As RACHEL AUKES (that's my real name), I write speculative fiction (science fiction, dark fantasy, horror) because I absolutely love asking, "what if..." (and I like to kill people off). As BERINN RAE, I write the same stuff, only with a romantic twist. But, don't worry, because unlike in mental hospitals and online chaåçt rooms, writing under multiple personalities is okay.  Anyhoo, my life really isn't that entertaining. I could make shit up, but then that would be fiction, and you should buy one of my books for that. So, here's the real scoop on me: I was raised on a farm in Iowa where I [insert a pretentious grin here] boasted the small town’s largest (okay, and only) comic book collection. I still addicted to stories starring characters with kickassitude. I've did the college thing--both undergraduate (go Panthers!) and graduate (go Bulldogs!)--before going out into the "real" world and realizing that it's too much work and too little play. Alas, bills (and college loans) needed paid, so I joined the hordes of office zombies and made a career out of disentangling red tape and destroying TPS reports. Like I warned you, not very exciting.  But, wait! That's not all. Since you've stayed with me this far, let me tell you some personal stuff... things that I love. I love flying airplanes (preferably, the old stuff) around the countryside. Nothing beats a sunset flight. I'm sure sunrise flights are just as good, but I've never been awake for one. I fly all around with my awesomely supportive husband (yup, love him!) and my incredibly spoiled sixty-pound lap dog (love her, too, even when she wants to go outside every five minutes while I'm deep into writing mode). What else do I love? I love to read, I love to write, and I love to hear from readers. Email me (Rachel at RachelAukes dot com). Want to see what I fly to get into shenanigans? Click here to watch a super-short promo of an interview conducted by the Des Moines Register. Or, stop by my flying website: www.HalfFastAdventures.com. In case Trivial Pursuit wants me in their next game edition, here's some of my all-time faves... - TV Show: Firefly (no brainer) - Video Game: Baldur's Gate (classic RPG at its finest) - Quote: Let us live so that when we die, even the undertaker will be sorry. ~Mark Twain - Song: Space Lord by Monster Magnet

To learn more about the worlds that  creates, please go to her website and enjoy!

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!

Review: Shades of Moonlight by Stephanie Julian *Ellora's Cave*

Book six in the Lucani Lovers series

Wolf shifter Race Aragon knows Mara Marrucini is meant to be his, in bed and out. And he’s not about to let anyone or anything get in his way of protecting her and her baby. She’d been the prisoner of a madman and has the emotional scars to prove it. Now that she’s free, he’s going to make damn sure she gets to live her life—with him at her side.Mara adores Race. He’s the first man to make her feel like a woman. To make her feel protected. His touch ignites her desire but she fears for his safety. Her presence in his life puts him in the crosshairs.
But with her son’s life on the line, Mara trusts no one but Race to keep them both safe. And to care for her heart—always.

I obtained the above information from Ms. Julian's website!


For those of you that know me... and those that don't this is my little statement about short books.... I do  not judge short stories on the rush of their relationships, because they are just that - short stories. So, yes the relationships always could have been drawn out more, yea it seems like they fall in love to fast and of course the story could have been made longer... but it is a short story. So with that said.... here is my review...

First, let me say that I have followed this series all the way through and get more involved as each story is told.  Stephanie has created a world so deep that you will hear the crickets chirp in the woods, she has given so much detail to every aspect of each character and this story is no different.

Now, this is a short story so my review won't give much away because I truly think you should read this series. I can't say with a 100% heart that you could read this book out of order or alone. Don't get me wrong, Stephanie does make sure to tell you who and what has been going on so you aren't lost, but knowing the whole family on a one on one basis is better than just getting a glance into their lives.

Race has always been the elusive one... The one that doesn't give you much to work with but oh my goddess is this man - ALL man! And wolf too ;) He knows his position in the pack and he knows that above all else, family comes first. So when he requests to become protector of a woman and her baby - he is overcome with a sense of possessiveness that he is not sure how to handle... But one thing is for sure; baby and mama have this big hunk of a man wrapped around their little finger...

Mara has been through hell and back. I mean, really. My heart goes out to her from all that she has survived. Not to mention that she escaped unharmed and her baby was delivered into this world knowing love. Mara doesn't trust easily - hell she doesn't trust at all, but she’s learning that she has too.... But one man, without a doubt, she trusts - Race.  She is trying to understand more of her world everyday; but understanding it and living it are two different things, things Mara is learning how to deal with. But with a man like Race by her side, she knows she can face the world... Together. A word that she is not sure she likes...

These two are tying this story together very nicely… The more you read, the more you understand the coming war and the importance of taking care of your own kind. Mara and Race aren't the only ones in this fight but they are missing pieces to the puzzle.... Together, they will find out things that maybe... Just will be the undoing of them... Before they even get started. Can walls come down? Can love really make the world change? Will these two find out what the meaning of "having your back" really means? If you want to know, you will have to read!

To learn more about Stephanie Julian, please visit her website here....

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!

**RELEASE DAY** Review: Mistress of the Stone by Maria Zannini

Mistress of the Stone

A young woman at the helm of a pirate ship braves ghouls, ghosts and werewolves to find her father--or avenge his death.

Luísa Tavares has a list of sins the length of the Antilles, but there’s no time to repent for them now. When a pockmarked Frenchman hands her Papa’s ring—still attached to his severed finger—she orders the Coral back to the Caribbean, despite her father’s earlier warning never to return.

It’s Luísa’s luckless fate that the only man who can help her is a blasted Inglés pirate hunter who’s more dead than alive and locked in a curse he doesn’t want lifted. Worse, his feral sensuality sparks a hunger she can’t ignore.

Xander Daltry hadn’t planned on kidnapping this wild woman—or succumbing to his uncontrollable desire for her. But he needs Luísa and the moonstone she wears around her neck to rescind a witch’s spell. His sister, long dead, and others like her have been cursed to remain in the mortal plane for eternity. Only the stone can set them free.

The only way to convince the reluctant pirate queen to help him is to withhold one small bit of the truth. For if she learns who really betrayed her father, the longing in her fiery eyes could easily turn to murderous wrath…

I obtained the above information from Maria Zannini website!

I am sooo happy that Ms. Maria asked me to read this one for her!!! I have a love for her writing - as it is always invigorating, fresh, raw, hot and of course off the charts! :) Maria writes with wit and passion. She writes her character with a such a fever they will pass their story onto you. She will deliver a story that you will not forget. Maria's stories are so riveting. She gives you everything you need and more.  Let's see how this story is told...

This story is a wild story... One that will keep you turning the page. Luísa is a woman with a passionate soul. She is a firecracker! She has to be... Her father has been kidnapped (or worst) and she has been left to run the Coral all by herself; with the help of her co-captain and her crew that has her back - no matter what. But manning a ship full of men, I am sure would be hell for any woman but not for Luísa. She takes great pride in running a tight ship. But when she gets a sign that her father may be alive, she knows the crew of the Coral would fight to the death to have their true captain back. But nothing is as it seems... Luísa may be on a voyage that could be her last... But would it be worth it!

Xander, first let me say I love this name, is a man on a mission. He is trying to save the soul of his sister. Doomed by a curse that can only be lifted by a descendant of the woman who cursed them... Tracking this woman down has not been hard but proving his self worth to her - that is a different story. Xander was ready to take on the world to save his sister; but when he finally gets his hands on the woman that could save them all with just a simple stone, the dynamics of the story changes... For the better or worst... I am not sure. He can only hope he does not have to walk the plank at the end of his journey...

Oh gosh... A woman pirate, a werewolf, a long lost father, of course a deranged lunatic man hell bent on taking what's not his and a crew that would kill anyone who touches their pirate, Luísa. This story is everywhere! I welcome you to a story that blew me out the water. It has been a while since I have read a pirate book... but I will say that Maria put me through hell on this one. She put me on the ship with Luísa and her crew. I could smell the salty sea water, I could hear the randy bickering of the crew, I could see the woman Luísa wanted to be but couldn't be because of her position on the ship. She knows what she has to do - or does she... Apparently her father left out a few details about her mother and her past... That comes haunting Luísa and bringing Xander in her path... Is that a good thing or a bad thing... Well, really there is only one way to find out... 

But I will tell you that this story kicks ass! Or should I say pirate booty, lol! Luísa does not do anything half ass. So saving her father will not be done half ass either. She knows she is about to put her crew in danger no man should face but she knows that without a doubt they would follow her into oblivion. But when a past catches up with Tavares family, it is time to either pay the due or have to do something that's really really bad that you don't want to know about.... Can Luísa saved the ones that have come to mean something to her or is her world doomed.... Well, I am guessing only the Mistress of the Stone will be able to tell you what happens...

To learn more about Maria's world, go play at her place! :) Tell her Cecile sent you!

BUY NOW!!!!! :)

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!