Red by Jordan Summers

Jordan Summers blends Little Red Riding Hood with Future with fair success.

War is brewing in a near-future world where murder is all but unheard of and the existence of creatures known as the Others has yet to be proven.

Gina Santiago has earned the nickname of Red because death and mayhem tend to follow her around in her job as a member of an elite tactical force charged with protecting the world.

Her current case isn’t sanctioned – she is on her own, but can’t let the death of the woman found in the desert go without finding justice for her. Her search leads her to a sleepy border town in one of the many Republics that the world is now broken into. And now it seems that Gina herself has a secret to hide – even if she doesn’t know what it really is.

Morgan Hunter can’t believe that Gina has waltzed into his town and is poking around. A member of the tactical force finding out the secret of his little town would be disastrous. And Gina is good enough to sniff out the truth. The only way to keep her from finding out their secret is to keep her close.

Red and Hunter soon find themselves fighting an almost animalistic attraction to one another. And once Gina becomes the focus of the killer they are looking for, it becomes impossible to keep their hands off one another. And the resulting sex is quite satisfying.

Secrets are revealed, and the murderer is brought down, ending the book on a satisfying note. Characters and situations are introduced that would be perfect in their own book, but I’m not sure if the author is planning a series or not. The world-building is certainly there to support more.

What wasn’t satisfying was the big reveal. Gina’s secret dovetails with Morgan’s, but the revelation seemed rushed to me. It is all explained in too few pages and the resolution comes to fast. I think the book would have been better served by being a bit longer and having Red agonize over the truth a bit more than she did.

Ecstasy by Jacquelyn Frank

Jacquelyn Frank delivers a great story in the first book of her new series, The Shadowdwellers.

At one with the darkness, the mysterious Shadowdwellers must live as far from light-loving humans as possible in order to survive. Yet one damaged human woman will tempt the man behind the Shadowdweller throne into a dangerous desire.
Worlds Couldn't Keep Them Apart
Among the Shadowdwellers, Trace holds power that some are willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realm of Shadowscape, but instead he is drawn to everything about her-her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.
After a terrifying car crash, Ashla Townsend wakes up to find that the bustling New York she knew is now eerie and desolate. Just when she's convinced she's alone, Ashla is confronted by a dark warrior who draws her deeper into a world she never knew existed. The bond between Ashla and Trace is a mystery to both, but searching for answers will mean confronting long-hidden secrets, and uncovering a threat that could destroy everything Trace holds precious .

Trace and Ashla are great characters and Ms. Frank has developed her world building to an art. The parallel dimension that Trace lives in is realistic and believable, and Ashla’s addition to that world is interesting.

Trace is fighting a traitor to the rulers of his country when they crash into the store that Ashla is poking around in. Sorely hurt, Trace manages to kill his opponent, but without Ashla’s healing skills, both the traitor and the plot would have died with him. She should not have even been in Shadowscape, but luck is on his side.

Ashla has no idea that she has been in a deadly car crash and her actual body lies in a coma in the Earth dimension. She can only imagine that she is the survivor of some very strange catastrophic event that has left New York empty and silent. She never dreamed a dimension such as Shadowscape even exists. Then suddenly, two men appear out of the eerie street and crash through the window of the shop she is currently in. Having seen no one else in weeks, Ashla is stunned. But she can’t stand by and let the warrior who survives the fight die, despite knowing that he is bound to look at her healing gift as some kind of demon’s curse.

Together, they must find a way to save the royal twins from the assassin’s latest plot and figure out why and how Ashla is in Shadowscape.

I really enjoyed the book. Ashla and Trace caught my full attention immediately and the action kept me reading longer than I should have at times. The world is fully developed, with plenty more interesting twists and turns to be explored in future books. The relationship between Ashla and Trace is well done, with plenty of page heating sex.

There was only one small issue I had with the book. Early on, the possibility of Ashla being a sub was introduced. However, in the rest of the book this is pretty much ignored. I expected a bit more Dom/sub relationship and the exploration of that new side of Ashla. I was disappointed that after having introduced the possibility, the author chose to go with a more traditional relationship between an alpha male and his mate.

Warrior by Angela Knight

What can I say – Angela Knight once again delivers a fantastic read. Well worthy of 5 stars.

In the 24th century, anyone can leap through time at will. To police the time jumpers, the Temporal Enforcement Agency has established a precinct in time. Galar Arvid is a genetically altered warlord and agent who's been sent back to 2008 to save a pretty Atlanta artist from a Xeran time traveler who intends to kill her for profit. What Galar doesn't count on is the powerful desire Jessica Kelly ignites in him. But could a romance between them work? A three-hundred-year chasm separates them and, even if they dart through time, there's still a maniacal killer on their tails.

Galar is the alpha hero that woman dream of. He is big, strong, protective, dangerous…tender, loving, sexy, and smart. He is capable of bring Jess to screaming orgasm one moment, and killing to protect her the next. He is one of those men who screws up, and knows it – and then goes all out to fix the problem.

Jess is a modern day artist, but when a creature from the future attacks her, she doesn’t turn the other cheek – she fights back long enough to allow the gorgeous Warlord Galar and his team to save her. But when she wakes up in the future, she isn’t so sure that she is ready for this whole time travel thing. And she can’t go home, because she can’t change history. Then she finds out that her former roommate is a bit more than she seemed. And she has passed on some rather interesting powers, and problems, to Jess.

The characters are engaging, the story well-paced, the locations and action well depicted and the sex is as hot as hot can be. I can’t think of one thing that detracts from this story.

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald

The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've never read Sandra McDonald before, but based on some reviews, I decided to pick The Outback Stars up. I'm glad I did.



I love both SF and Romance and am delighted when the two are well blended. Ms. McDonald does that pretty well.



Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is recovering from the injuries and horror of her former ship blowing up and is bored to tears waiting for a berth on another ship. Her actions on The Yangtze earned her a medal and a bit of an advantage with at least one higher up - she cashes in on that advantage to get the berth that opens on the Aral Sea, even though she is warned it isn't a happy ship.



Boy is that an understatement! The Aral Sea has more bullies, incompetants, unhappy people than you can shake a stick at.



Sergeant Terry Myell is just trying to survive long enough for his term to be over so that he can get out. But he has gotten on the bad side of a bully with a lot of power and friends. And he is determined to get Terry.



Jodenny is put in charge of Underway Stores - and Myell. The department is a complete mess, the people are lazy, arrogant, or just plain ignorant for the most part. Jodenny has her work cut out trying to bring the department in line, and determined to help Terry in spite of his reluctance to be helped. Of course falling in love with one of her Sergeants isn't exactly in her best interests...or his, but never the less it is happening. A chance meeting planetside, and a startling, accidental discovery will only cement the feelings between the two. Although they do try very hard not to break the fraternization rules, a dangerous situation pulls them even closer.



But more is going on than meets the eye and once again, Jodenny finds herself thrown into the role of hero. And the final resolution includes a wedding.



I enjoyed the book a lot. It kept my attention, entertained me, and even threw a curve or two I wasn't expecting. The only quibble that I have is that there is a lot of Australian Aborignal religion/philosophy/symbolism that was a bit confusing at first, but eventually smoothed out quite a bit. I did find myself re-reading some of these parts right away because I didn't really grasp some of the concepts the first time.



I'm going to pick up the next book The Stars Down Under, and I expect to be just as entertained as I was with this book.






View all my reviews.

Do you support the right of any human being to marry the person they love?

I Do - Anthology
In support of marriage equality
Multiple Authors Edited by Kris Jacen
ISBN 978-1-934531-71-6 (ebook); 978-1-934531-70-9 (paperback)
Release Date: January 2009
Cover Artist: Alex Beecroft

Available At: All Romance Ebooks (ebook), mobipocket (ebook), Barnes & Noble (paperback)

20 stories of love and commitment

Published By: MLR Press, LLC
ISBN 9781934531716
Word Count: 84166

http://www.mlrpress.com/ShowBook.php?book=IDO21001

Do you support the right of any human being to marry the person they love? The right to say 'I Do' to a life of commitment and sharing with the that one special person? We do.

We hope that marriage will soon be a dream that everyone can share. That's why the following authors of LGBT fiction have donated stories to this anthology, in aid of Lambda Legal Fund's fight for marriage equality:

Tracey Pennington, Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, Storm Grant, Lisabet Sarai, Sharon Maria Bidwell, Jeanne Barrack, Marquesate, Z.A Maxfield, P.A Brown, Allison Wonderland, Erastes, Zoe Nichols and Cassidy Ryan, Emma Collingwood, Mallory Path, Jerry L. Wheeler, Moondancer Drake, Fiona Glass, Lee Rowan.

Alex Beecroft: Desire and Disguise
"You were strolling down Sodomite's Walk, checking out the talent, Mr. Digby. Forgive me for not realizing you were even more abysmally stupid than you look."

Robert Digby's marriage is failing. Overhearing two gentlemen discussing a place where 'talented ladies' may be found in abundance, he resolves to find solace there, only to be taught a very different lesson. An 18th Century tale featuring a frustrated haberdasher, a skittish horse, a bevy of beauties, a very rude lieutenant and a wooden leg.

Charlie Cochrane: The Roaming Heart
"Hamilton and Bowe's names were linked to a succession of leading ladies, members of the nobility and, in one case, a foreign princess."

Alasdair Hamilton, Toby Bowe and Fiona Marsden are the hottest properties in post-war English film. Shame that Fiona believes what she reads in the gossip columns ...

Fiona Glass: Salad Days
"Tim had finished the carrots. He searched around for something else to keep his hands busy and found he'd picked up the fennel again. Holding it firmly this time he began to slice into its bulbous flesh, imagining it was Ed's smoothly handsome face. Him, jealous?"

A fennel bulb causes havoc between two lovers in this 'kitchen-sink' style romp.

Jeanne Barrack: Finally Forever
"Easy, easy. Nothing is wrong, I promise you. I just wanted to let you know that, are you sitting down? Are you alone?"

When Manny and Rafe met they knew they were destined to be together. Manny made the move believing it would be forever. Then fate stepped in and their dreams were dashed. Now, they may have that chance again. But will fate continue to thwart their plans?

P.A. Brown: The Mistake
"My mother always said I'd end up in a bad way. Who'da thought the old bitch would actually be right for once?"

When recently unemployed Rusty Donaldson let's his stomach overrule his common sense and let's himself be hustled off the streets of WeHo he's hoping to make a quick buck to fill his stomach. He's not expecting to end up handcuffed to a motel bed in the presence of a cop who's way too hot for anyone's good. Officer Hank 'Hawk' Wilson is after big game, but ends up falling for the last thing he expects -- a suspect.

Erastes: The Snow Queen
"Everything wonderful happened when it snowed."

Everything wonderful happens when it snows. Josh loves the winter. He wishes his heart were ice after Sam died, but when he meets Sean he feels it threatened by an unexpected warmth.

Tracey Pennington: Lindorm's twin
"He shivered, thinking of the rustle of scales over flagstones, trumpets announcing the arrival of a king, and ravens waiting and watching for their legitimate prey — the dead."

Evil magic stripped Stefan of everything that he possessed or was. It forced his lover Andor to become something he was not. Now that evil has returned twice as strong as it was before, and only these two men--who have lost everything but each other--can defeat it forever.

Clare London: Outed
"I don't see that my sexuality affects your ability to open a drawer and pick out some cutlery," I snapped.

Guy said afterwards it was a relief to him that someone finally said something, but did it have to be Auntie Queenie's apparently artless comment, right in the middle of her eightieth birthday celebration tea?

Sharon Maria Bidwell: Swansong
Neil's voice whispered through the darkness, but like the soft breeze that had finally wound its way through the house, the sound of the man's voice no longer contained the quality of a whisper spoken in a funeral home, but that of a lover's sigh.

Richard believes what little love he had in his life has withered but before she died his darling Gloria unlocked her silent throat. Now the time has come for Richard to sing his own song, to face the future, to make the right choice.

Lisabet Sarai: Making memory
"Jack was all for waiting until we were married, but I brought him around to my way of thinking. Why deprive ourselves, I asked him, when we're so sure of what we want?"

In mid-October, the isolated Maine hamlet of Spruce Point is the last place Boston executive Nicole Stewart wants to spend the night. However, a flat tire leaves her no choice. Maggie Benson, owner of the Bellweather Inn, offers Nicole a bed, a home-cooked meal, and a sympathetic ear. As the women share their memories and their sorrows, sharing their bodies becomes natural, almost inevitable.

Storm Grant: Lust in Translation
"Yeah, that's me all right," Justin said. "Dr. Rent Boy, Ph.D."

A dedicated cop rescues a stoned-out hooker leading to sex, drugs, and a blinding reaction. It's a hard road from false arrest to true love.

Marquesate: Code of Honour
"Meet me. Here. Twenty-one hundred hours. Alone." Sergent Roux cocked one sarcastic brow. "Do you understand?"

When Joe Evans joined the French Foreign Legion at twenty, he would have never imagined that becoming a man entailed more than becoming a tough soldier.

Lee Rowan: Wedding Announcement
He'd faced gunfire, terrorists, disgrace, and a very determined murderer, but he would sooner tackle any or all of them at once than make this call.

Kevin and John had been through hell together and separately, in the military and after it. But for Kevin, telling his father the truth was more unnerving than anything he'd ever faced on the battlefield.

ZA Maxfield: Tango and Temptation
"Well then I'm going to shove off.. If you want to fuck me, I'm there. If not? I have to get married and I don't have time for shit like this."

Gabriel Aimar lies about where he's from. Xander Farmington lies about what he wants. Neither man can deny their passion because when they dance, sparks fly. A contemporary story of hard choices and harder…other things…all choreographed to the sexy rhythm of the tango, the traditional dance of desire.

Moondancer Drake: True Love
"I've seen you run a party for two hundred, short staffed, and have everything go off without even a missing crab puff." Shona kissed Kai's forehead. "If you can pull that off, you can do it all."

Some wishes come true. But not all miracles come without hardship. Shona and Kai finally have the baby they've dreamed of for years, but soon discover that bringing a child into a less than perfect world will test their own love for each other.

Mallory Path: Rules of the Game
"If I'm able to get both your hands off the headboard, then I can do anything I want. Whatever I want."

The problem with unspoken agreements is that they're unspoken. Charlie and Noah have done everything under the sun--almost. When words fail, Charlie must come up with a new way of finding out what his partner really wants.

Emma Collingwood: Semi-detached
"It's a big world out there, Thomas; no point squeezing all the colour out of mankind by pressing people into monochromatic moulds."

Is gay marriage a matter of equality, commitment or the right choice of wallpaper? Thomas has never really thought about it, but at the end of the day, it's all about knocking down walls.

Allison Wonderland: Holy Macaroni (and Cheese)
I know we were only six years old at the time, and I realize that first graders aren't exactly famous for their fashion sense, but it was our wedding day, after all.

Twenty years ago, two first grade girls got married. To each other. The pair dared to tamper with tradition, eschewing all the trappings of a conventional wedding: the gown, the groom, the gaggle of grumpy, frumpy bridesmaids. They imagined that one day they would live in a house made of candy, like the witch's dwelling in the story of Hansel and Gretel, but without the witch, of course. And while their dream house remains just that – a dream – the knot they tied is still secure, and their marriage has outlasted the Ring Pops they exchanged at the ceremony.

Jerry L. Wheeler: Templeton's In Love
"His lips looked soft and warm, exhaling a ragged passion as familiar to me as my own. All I had to do was lean forward a few inches and throw myself off the cliff again."

Tom and Stan broke up when Templeton's music stopped. Ten years later, Templeton is playing again. Is he in love? After all this time, are they? Can a kiss and a song glue together two broken hearts? Find out in this poignant tale of loves and losses over linguine in an Italian restaurant in Denver.

Cassidy Ryan and Zoe Nichols: Better than beautiful
Just two more months, then there would be no more hiding; no more lies.

For two years Becca and Charlotte have been forced to keep their relationship a secret for the sake of Charlotte's career. In just two months Charlotte will retire from the catwalk and they will be free to marry and live together openly. But Charlotte has been keeping a secret that could ruin it all.

All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to the Lambda Legal Defense to fight Prop 8 in support of marriage equality for all.

http://www.mlrpress.com/ShowBook.php?book=IDO21001

NOTE: Please feel welcome to circulate this info to show your support for equality.

Also note the print editions will be available by or before the end of January (anticipated date is the 21st).

Dark Nights, Dark Dreams by Savannah Russe

Savannah is a new to me author - I wasn't in the mood for vampires, but I found this book and decided to try it.

I like Savannah's style - I'll probably pick up the Darkwing books when I feel like vampires again. The characters are well written and realistic, and the story was interesting with a mix of romance, paranormal, and thriller.

Sam is a psychic who has tried hard to hide her gift. But the CIA is on to her, and sweeps her out of the Middle East and gives her no choice but to join a new unit to investigate crimes with a paranormal bent. Joining her are Frankie a Wiccan, Aurora an animal communicator, and Rina a voodoo priestess.

They are assigned to work with Bear - a foresnic investigator with the Department of Defense, who thinks the paranormal is a bunch of bunk.

Assigned to investigate the theft of a body from Arlington cemetary, Bear and Sam hit it off on a personal level that leaves them both breathless. The problem is Sam doesn't want to reveal her talent. And Bear refuses to admit that someone is stealing bodies to create Zombies.

Can Sam and Bear come to terms with their feelings? And can the team stop the grave robbings?

I'm such a pushover

My brother from Florida comes up every Christmas and stays for a couple of weeks. So we all got up yesterday and decided to go out to breakfast. Which was very enjoyable. Then on the way home, my brother spots a Sprint store.

"You know, we have enough credits to upgrades our phones again."

"I don't really have the money for it right now," was Mom's reply.

"Yeah, so? I'll pay for the upgrade. C'mon mom, I really want to go see what they got."

I'm sitting in the back seat, shaking my head and laughing at the two of them. No way I'm upgrading right now, but I know damn well they will end up going back and looking and then upgrading.

So around the block we go. Luckily it is very early, and we are the only ones in the store. We examine phones, and prices, discuss getting Mom something with a full QWERTY keyboard so she can text easier, Michael wants something real basic – BTW, Mike pays for a second line on his account for Mom – has since he moved to Florida. They finally pick out what they want and then all the paperwork starts and transferring of data, and blah, blah, blah.

During which time, I get totally bored and start playing with some of the phones and reading every pamphlet in sight. If I had known we were going to stop, I would have taken a book and the rest would not have happened…..

As Mom and Mike are finishing up, the salesman asks if he can get anything for me today – I swear that NO was supposed to come out of my mouth – Honest! Instead:

“Yes, I’d like to upgrade to the Samsung Instinct, get a Bluetooth earpiece, a car charger for the phone, and upgrade my account to include internet access for it.”

Needless to say, I’m still trying to figure out half of the damn phone. It has a touchscreen, so no keyboard except the one on screen. I can read my email, check out webpages, text message, take photos, Gawd only knows what else – and oh yeah – make phone calls.

I really need to keep a book handy.
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