January 24, 2015

Book Reviews (XXXV) Weathering Rock



 Today, before presenting the review for the latest book I've just read, I'd like first, to invite you all and join me in wishing the author 
                             Happy Anniversary, Mae!   

                                          Ana Rosa


And now let's speak about this novel:                                              
                                   WEATHERING ROCK
                                                               by Mae Clair


Blurb
Drawn together across centuries, will their love be strong enough to defeat an ancient curse?

Colonel Caleb DeCardian was fighting America’s Civil War on the side of the Union when a freak shower of ball lightning transported him to the present, along with rival and former friend, Seth Reilly. Adapting to the 21st century is hard enough for the colonel, but he also has to find Seth, who cursed him to life as a werewolf. The last thing on Caleb’s mind is romance. Then fetching Arianna Hart nearly runs him down with her car. He can’t deny his attraction to the outspoken schoolteacher, but knows he should forget her.

Arianna finds Caleb bewildering, yet intriguing: courtly manners, smoldering sensuality and eyes that glow silver at night? When she sees Civil War photographs featuring a Union officer who looks exactly like Caleb, she begins to understand the man she is falling in love with harbors multiple secrets--some of which threaten the possibility of their happiness.

Finding a decent guy who'll commit is hard enough. How can she expect Caleb to forsake his own century to be with her.


A Lyrical Press Paranormal Romance

Buy the book at:Amazon
                          Kobobooks

 My Review

Weathering Rock is the story of Arianna Hart, a teacher of American history at the local middle school who, driving home late in the evening, almost runs over a horse rider.  She meets Caleb DeCardian. ”He looked to be in his early thirties, dressed in jeans, a dark t-shirt and an archaic-looking frock coat. The garment was straight out of a history book.”  Caleb introduces himself as “Retired military.” And the adventure begins. An adventure filled with secrets, curses, time travel and a lot of twists and turns.

The author, Mae Clair, weaves so intricately romance, time travel, werewolf, history in the plot. I may say it’s a cross over. A bit for all tastes. I loved Weathering Rock because it took the  werewolf/human girl story line in a completely original direction. The characters were three-dimensional, believable, the dialogue flowed naturally, and no one fell in the clearly defined box of black or white, good or evil; the flow of the story takes you away.


I LOVED the Hero! Caleb is a fabulous hero. He's honorable and compassionate and protective, very alpha in some respects but in other respects rather vulnerable. He was everything you could want in a male lead: heroic, strong, sensitive, understanding, gorgeous, brave, vulnerable, passionate, sexy, and just down right lovable. There’s only one fault – he’s one hundred forty-five years older than the heroine.
 

I enjoyed the Caleb/Rick relationship especially. Touching and filled with unexpected revelations.

Chemistry between Arianna and Caleb is spot-on. You can feel the sexual tension and the friendship/love coming off the page.

Mae Clair has a vivid imagination and is a world-class storyteller. Her fondness for history is obvious. The characters are well thought out and the way the author describes them makes it easy to picture what they look like throughout the book. I'm looking forward to her next book.

It kept me up worrying and wondering what the characters would do next, and I thought about it long after I read the last page. It had me in knots at times, and smiling like an idiot at other times..

Here’s a quotation from Chapter Two, I thoroughly enjoyed: “. . . there were no King Arthurs left in the world, just Arthurs who expected to be treated like kings.”

If you love a good romance story with mystery and excitement around every corner, you will want to read this book for sure.
My rating: 5 stars
        
                               


January 19, 2015

Guest Promo (LX) Medieval Monday

I have the pleasure of hosting today the lovely author 
                               Laureen Linwood. 
She offers us a few details about her novel:

                                           A Bit Of Heaven On Earth


Back Cover Blurb
When Gavin of Ashgrove and his closest friend are captured in a fierce battle during the Hundred Years’ War, their captors demand a hefty ransom from their fathers for their return. Robert is quickly set free, but Gavin’s father refuses to pay for his son’s release, leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison. Aided by a sympathetic priest, he escapes and returns home to England, only to find he has been proclaimed a bastard and disinherited.



With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to Kentwood, where he fostered as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a knight in his guard. The old warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed and opinionated beauty who remains a virgin after a decade of marriage.



Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first request of a marriage between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate with Kentwood—or will the temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service and honor a dying man’s final request?

Excerpt:


     Fear struck Elizabeth as Gavin’s lips met hers. A kiss! What was he thinking? She could not kiss him. She didn’t kiss anyone. Aldred’s feeble attempts over the years flittered into her mind. She stiffened in his arms.

     Her hesitation did not stop him. His lips slowly brushed against hers. The sensation was most pleasant. A ripple of heat ran through her. His hand stroked her hair. Her scalp tingled. Her body relaxed.

     Panic set in suddenly. She tensed again. She didn’t know what to do, how to respond. Yet respond she did, as if her body were no longer her own. Her knees grew watery. She gripped Gavin’s shoulders for support. He pulled her closer still. His arms wrapped firmly around her, drawing her into a muscled chest.

     And still his lips worked their magic, now nipping her lower one, teasing her. He licked the corner of her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw. Her head fell back. A shudder rushed up her spine. 

     This is heaven.

     His kisses continued along her exposed throat. She began to throb everywhere. Her fingers kneaded his shoulder. She heard a noise that sounded like a satisfied growl come from him. 

     Then his lips were gone. A shiver passed through her as the gentle breeze blew. She opened her eyes, only to meet his gazing down at her. He brushed a kiss against her temple, another one on her cheek. The slow play of his mouth began again as he caressed her. The throbbing built within her, starting an ache that clamored for a satisfaction she didn’t know how to satisfy. 

     Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, to ask what was happening. Gavin’s hand, tangled in her curls, caught them and pulled slightly, forcing her head back. His eyes glowed, a heat in them that frightened and excited her at the same time. 

     Then his mouth was upon hers, gentle no longer. She clung to him. His tongue demanded to mate with hers, taking, taking. Again and again he took from her, even her very breath, till she no longer knew where she ended and he began. His arms pinned her against him. Her breasts ached. Her bones melted. A dizziness swept across her. She wanted this to go on. Forever.

     A rooster crowed in the distance. It brought her to her senses. She broke their embrace.
  Buy  link: http://amzn.com/B00QHMH0IU


Please, visit the other lovely participants' posts at the following links:

January 16, 2015

Guest Promo (LIX) Cover Reveal


                                          COVER REVEAL
                      MYTH AND MAGIC by Mae Clair
Dear followers and fans, lend me your ears, as the great bard says. I'm thrilled to be part of a big event for my cyber friend, American author Mae Clair, and host today the reveal of a beautiful, spooky cover. The cover was designed by Kensigton Publishing/Lyrical press for her soon to be released novel. I won't keep you guessing. Facts not words. So here comes:





BLURB:


AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC. . .

Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. he left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to hius hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares - and his feelings for the woman he's always loved.


THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.

After the calluos way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn't thrilled to see him again. But strange occurances  have taken a dangerous toll on buisiness at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn't the ghostly apparition that frighten her, but her passion for the man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?
                                                 -/-/-/-/-/-/-/

MYTH AND MAGIC is scheduled to release on June 9, 2015. In the meantime, you can preorder it on Amazon  and add it to your Goodreads TBR list.

And here's a little secret. . . even though the book is releasing in early summer, the story is set during October and has a strong Halloween theme-including the climatic scenes which take place during a lavish Halloween party. June is the perfect time to scare up a new read like MYTH AND MAGIC!


About the Author:

  Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, anartist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart,she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail, and cats.
Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.net

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)