Guest Promo (LIV) Flossie Benton Rogers

Wishing a Happy Anniversary to lovely author and cyber friend Flossie Benton Rogers!
She also celebrates ONE year since the release of her fantasy novel Mind Your Goddess whose review and blurb you can also read on my blog on 3rd  December post. 
http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/2014/
Today you can read about another novel of the same author. The blurb and my review of her latest release Lord of Fire.

                                                Lord of Fire - Wytchfae 5
                                  Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Blurb

When The Hawk meets his Wytchfae, the result is spontaneous combustion.

Garnet McAnna chases the demon responsible for attacking and enslaving innocent fae familiars. She never expected to run headlong into a mesmerizing stranger known as The Hawk. Nor did she anticipate the way his masculine power kindles a womanly flame within her.

Exiled from an elite warrior's brigade, Lord of Fire Gabriel Hawk guards his heart and his solitude. He wants nothing to do with the world of men or the realm of fae. Then a beautiful Wytchfae bursts into his life, stirring desire and sparking need. Garnet is on a dangerous mission, and he can't let her face the evil alone. What else can he do but fight beside her? When she disappears, he raises hell to find her. Will he be too late? Will darkness conquer this couple or will love burn their souls into one?

My Review

Adventure, magic and a really gripping story-line.

Lord of Fire is sooooo much fun! It's got adventure, magic and a really gripping story-line! Read it for a bit of escapism! The well written story pulled me in from the beginning. Much better written than much of this genre. A really good read that I just couldn't put it down. So refreshing to find women characters who are sexy and strong. The author, Flossie Benton Rogers, managed to keep the story fresh and interesting. I also thought the setting was handled quite well. The characters are clearly defined and fleshed out, giving a vivid delineation between each. The love story at the center seems organic to the narrative, while complementing the tension of the plot at it's core. While there are moments of melodrama, they're short-lived and understood as necessary in order to move the story forward. It is worth every bit of your time.

I love the main characters. They really draw you in and make you feel you are there with them. Who are they:

Garnet McAnna - is not your usual Wytchfae. She drives an SUV. She won’t fool around with spells or other Wytchfae tools. A couple of blades and a dainty revolver with decidedly undainty shells are the proper ’tools’ to catch the demon.

Borros - “He’s a black market trader. He kidnaps familiars and uses a portal to transport them elsewhere.” His reptilian form reminds Garnet of a two-legged alligator, without the long snout but covered in a mantle of hard gray hide.

And Hawk. The Hawk. “He was dark and dangerous. Devastatingly mesmerizing. His energy pulled Garnet toward him as if they were both magnets. ”

The chemistry between the main leads is perfect: “Her flesh trembled beneath his warm touch as he brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Since we’re in this together, call me Gabriel.”

I don’t want to spoil the story for the other readers so I won’t give further details. Lord of Fire is a rich tapestry of a book, with strong complex characters and layered events, with an engaging plot, lots of action and plenty of spice.

My rating:
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Writing Tips (VII)

                                           A pantser or a plotter?

 

 Today’s post is not a tip proper. I’d like to share with you the way my stories come to life. In several interviews I had these  last two years after the release of  Shadows of the Past, I often had to answer a question: Are you a pantser or a plotter?

Let’s see first what’s the difference between the two?

A plotter outlines before sitting down to write the novel; the author has an idea about the main characters, the basic plot points and the ending.

A pantser sits down at the computer and waits to be surprised, writing the novel by the seat of her/his pants, allowing the imagination to take flight.

At first, it confused me as I’d never thought about it. I must confess that there’s a certain degree of freedom of writing as a pantser, for sure. Nevertheless, my first draft is based on an outline  that is never more than a couple of pages.  I write this draft as if no one else will ever read it. (I hear about authors who make detailed outlines of their story that reach up to eighty pages. This is a chapter-by-chapter outline, meaning the outline visualizes the reader’s way through the novel.) So, I both have an outline of my story, a brief one, of certain scenes, and also let myself led by the action development and/or ideas that are triggered along the story by certain events in the protagonists’ life.

I get the story down how I like to write it, then use a basic  three act structure to organize and tighten the story.  Following it, I outline the basic beginning, middle  and end, that is, the setup, rising action and stakes,and resolution.

The setup familiarizes the reader with the protagonists, their world and show the problems they will face.  In other words, it shows the protagonists’ life and dreams, and lets the readers see the issues and flaws they'll need to overcome. Then the protagonists have to make a choice. Their decision links, in fact, the beginning and the middle. The middle  shows the protagonists’ struggle and growth and a series of challenges they undergo. The ending, the final showdown with the antagonist, shows the protagonists challenging their enemy, trying to outwit and defeat that antagonist. By the way, I use to write the last chapter first.

To conclude, I can tell you that after giving a serious thought to this question, I may say without any thread of doubt that, while writing, I do both things. I am a pantser and plotter combined.

Let me know to what category of a writer do you think you belong to?

Book Reviews (XXXIII) Mind Your Goddess

                                          Mind Your Goddess
                                           by Flossie Benton Rogers
Blurb
Razzle dazzle -- cool jazz and hot kisses…
The Goddess Epona is breathless over a lover’s tryst with Eshigel, the dark Guardian of the Between. Before she can meet him, she must hear the pleas of her Dark of the Moon supplicants. Strange requests originate from a captive little girl and a succubus seeking revenge. Then, Epona is attacked and abducted.
Epona awakens stranded in the human realm in the Roaring 20’s. With her powers nullified, she assumes the guise of a flapper in a speakeasy. Knowing the little girl is nearby, Epona seeks to save her.
Eshigel rushes to find his missing Goddess. To gain information he undergoes a dangerous rite involving a half woman and half serpent Lamia. After locating Epona, he vows to protect his flapper Goddess from the demons set on her destruction. Can a Goddess and her dark Guardian overcome misfortune and reclaim their love?
 Buy link: Amazon.com
My Review
 Mind Your Goddess is a delightful read for fans of fantasy. And for anyone who loves a rich, original story. Suspense, romance, and humor -- this book has a heart of pure gold. Ms. Benton’s writing is a joy to read. The flow and description take you away from real world monotony, and submerge you in a magical fiction land. A strong voice in fantasy. Definitely an author I intend to follow. Mind Your Goddess is well paced and had me captivated from the beginning. I was surprised by how much I felt while reading. If you love magic and romance, faeries and mortals mingling together in the Roaring 20’s setting, then read this book, it's fantastic! The writing style was so easy to follow- the entire story just flowed so easily!
I loved Epona character. Goddess Epona, the beautiful Goddess of fruitfulness behaves like any ordinary young woman preparing to meet her lover: She hummed, flitting about her bedchamber like a hummingbird near the sweet nectar as she prepared for her visit with Eshigel. Fussing over which outfits to pack, a naughty giggle escaped her lips. But instead of the date she is preparing for, she finds herself thrown into the human realm, among fluttery people dressed in beads and shiny clothes, who laughed and danced on fast, peppy music. What is worse, she no longer possesses her magic powers. Will Eshigel, the dark Guardian of the Between, her lover, manage to find and save Eppie? Will Darla’s vengeful scheme manage to thwart Eshigel’s attempt? I hate spoilers so I won’t give more details. The author creates a world that enthralls readers and you find yourself turning the pages and somehow you can't get enough.The ending made my heart sing. My rating:

 

 Buy link: Amazon.com

1 December Romania's National Day

My best wishes to my fellow Romanians from all over the world, on 1st December, our National Day!

                                         

                         

                             
                             

Book Reviews (XXXII) His Name Was Ben

                                 His Name Was Ben
                                  by Paulette Mahurin
Blurb

Hearing the words “it’s cancer,” threw Sara Phillips’ life into chaos, until an unexpected turn of events and a chance encounter with a stranger changed everything—his name was Ben. Based on real events, Ben and Sara discover that when all else fails, healing can come in the most unexpected ways. Chilling and heart wrenching, His Name Was Ben is a triumph over the devastating circumstances and fear experienced when faced with a terminal illness. In this narrative, the power of love conquers shadows and transforms the very nature and meaning of what it is to be fully alive. From the award winning, best-selling author of, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, comes a story filled with soul and passion that will leave the reader thinking about it for days after the last page is closed.

Buy link Amazon.com

                                                                             

My Review
  I want to start off with saying  that Paulette Mahurin is an incredibly talented author. I can only hope to someday be half the writer she is. His  Name Was Ben is another wonderful novel from Paulette Mahurin. I really love her books because she tells a great story about people who are not perfect, but are doing the best they can. Paulette Mahurin writes heartfelt stories about deeply flawed and human characters and about tragedy; after all, what would a great story be without a tragic event!

As the author has done in her previous book, here again, she delivers a fascinating read that you just can't put down. Her characters are created with the perfect precision that only Paulette Mahurin can do. The story plot will keep you reading and make you hunger for more when you reach the end. I read her book, The Persecution Of Mildred Dunlap, and fell in love with Mahurin's writing. I have been waiting for another book like it, and she has come through for me. Mrs Mahurin writes stories that pull out a wide range of emotions when you are reading them.  The characters in His  Name Was Ben are relatable people.

She writes heroes and heroines that are a little different than you are used to reading about.  Sara Phillips is a likable character, and we hurt for her as she deals with the hell she’d been through, on the rollercoaster ride her life had become since the doctor diagnosed her with a fearful disease. She will need those around her as she struggles with an ugly reality, the monster in her life – cancer. Once healed from her double mastectomy, she awakens to life when meeting Ben Gottlieb, who works in the legal department at NASA. Ben is a patient, too, waiting to see Michael Zimmerman for a consultation. I hate spoilers so I won’t steal the other readers the pleasure of immersing in this compelling, touching story.

Tazz, the Rottweiler Sara saved from the shelter, is a perfect counter balance for the heartbreaking circumstances, Sara and Ben pass through.

Paulette Mahurin writes stories full of empathy, raw honesty, and grace. Her characters are memorable, the dialogue believable.  All in all the message is a positive one – fight, never give up. It’s about love, life versus living, believing in yourself and others.  I highly recommend this book. A compelling, touching story. My rating:

Buy link Amazon.com