Emma Holly is one of my favorite erotic fiction writers. Ms. Holly pulls no punches and leaves no ground uncovered. As a straight woman, I was a little shocked and a bit uncomfortable when I first read her. But the more I read, the more comfortable I became. She writes for all of us; hetero, homo, lesbian and bi. She makes no judgements and instills in us, the reader, the sense of love and longing of one character for another, equally, with no regard for sexual preference, or perhaps, despite said preference.
I just finished Cooking Up a Storm, a decidedly sexual feast the likes of which I've never read before. This was not my favorite of Ms. Holly's ventures, but it has it's moments. The main character is a young, repressed woman on the verge of losing her family restaurant. Enter Storm Dupre`, a chef extraordinare, with a penchant for bringing out ones sexual independence. Armed with a menu of nothing but aphrodisiacs, his job is easy. Unfortunately, his heart gets in the way while trying to free the restaurants owner of her own repression.
This book is loaded with bondage, bisexuality, multiple partners, voyeurism and exibitionism. Definitely not for everyone, but for you more adventuresome readers, give it a try.
Another book to try is Strange Attractions. This one is the first of Ms Holly's books that I read. Charity, a high school dropout, has the chance to go to college for free. However, she must move in to her eccentric benefactor's mansion and play by his rules. Dr. Grantham is a physicist, enthralled with the unattainable and tests his students to see how long they can hold back from what they desire before they break.
Denied desire, BDSM, homosexuality, and mutliple partners. You don't have to actually partake in any of it to enjoy the story.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Kresley Cole- Immortals After Dark
Immortals After Dark
Kresley Cole
Nikolai Wroth-
Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his Bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn’t enjoy a heartbeat or breaths and is consequently weaker than natural born vampires. He wants his Bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.
Myst is known throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, part chillingly fierce warrior, part beguiling seductress who can “make you want her even as she’s killing you.” She has devoted her life to protecting an ancient, powerful jewel and to fighting the vampires, and she now sees a way to torment one—for with Wroth’s heartbeat comes consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her.
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience first hand the agonizing, unending lust she’d purposely, boastingly, subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come back to him?
A Hunger Like No Other Book One
Lochlain MacRieve-
A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her...
After enduring years of torture from the vampire Horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy...
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents--until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae--and their notorious dark desire--ebb as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all consuming desire...
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be...?
No Rest For the Wicked Book Two
Sebastian Wroth-
A vampire soldier weary of life. . .
Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.
A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him. . .
When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she’s unable to complete a kill.
Become competitors in a legendary hunt. . .
The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity--as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world--to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?
Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night Book Three
Bowen MacRieve-
A brutal Highland werewolf. An exquisite young witch.Immortal enemies . . . forbidden temptations.
Her breathless kiss haunts him.
Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed—until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.
His slow, hot touch is irresistible.
Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It’s rumored that no one can tempt Bowen’s hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.
No deed is too wicked for her seduction.
If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul—or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?
Not That Innocent (Anthology) Fourth Installment
Murdoch Wroth
A brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time . . .
Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden--the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure.
A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him. . .
Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
Dark Deeds at Night’s Edge- available May 2008 Book Five
Conrad Wroth-
A vampire warrior consumed by madness,trapped in the lair of an otherworldly temptress only he can see.The beauty wants him gone—the warrior can’t leave.Let the games begin…
Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina in the early 1900s, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with powers, but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away any trespassers—until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.
To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. There only Conrad can see the dancer with wild raven hair—who seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature inflames him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.
Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi and claim her completely, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?
Dark Desires After Dusk- Available June 2008 Book Six
Cade-
A ruthless demon mercenary. A lovely young halfling.
In the dark, he'll find her.
A seductive beauty he can never have, yet can't resist...
Cade of the rage demons will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.
A tormented warrior she should fear, but can't deny...
Raised as a human, Holly Ashwin never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon’s wicked touch.
Surrender to dark desires...
Yet just when he earns Holly’s trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs—and claim his heart?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
JR Ward
JR Ward is one of my all time favorite authors. She is relatively new but more than well worth the time to read. The folowing is from her website. You may follow any link to learn more about this amazing woman.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood
JR Ward
“In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race.”
Dark Lover
Wrath- “The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed- orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead…Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both…”
Lover Eternal
Rhage- “Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover—for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. Her faith in miracles was lost years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…”
Lover Awakened
Zsadist- “A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.
Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…”
Lover Revealed
Butch- “Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him...”
Lover Unbound
Vishous- “Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pre-trans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.”
Lover Enshrined- release date: June 3, 2008
Phury- “Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished. As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.”
The Black Dagger Brotherhood
JR Ward
“In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There also exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race.”
Dark Lover
Wrath- “The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed- orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead…Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both…”
Lover Eternal
Rhage- “Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover—for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. Her faith in miracles was lost years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…”
Lover Awakened
Zsadist- “A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.
Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…”
Lover Revealed
Butch- “Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him...”
Lover Unbound
Vishous- “Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pre-trans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.”
Lover Enshrined- release date: June 3, 2008
Phury- “Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished. As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.”
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Laurell K Hamilton
Who can write a blog about Paranormal Romance and not start the list with Laurel K Hamilton? Well, not me anyway. LKH’s Anita Blake & Meredith Gentry Series’, however, are not for the faint of heart. Anita is a tough as nails necromancer that carries a Walther PP9 (just like James Bond) and is carrying on an affair with several of her paranormal cohorts. Now, I know that sounds really promiscuous, but if it’s really bothering you, she has her reasons. First, she’s part of a Triumvirate; a trio that holds, as yet, untold powers. She also happens to be the female counterpart to a werewolf leader, a vampire much older than she is bound to her and she has inadvertently adopted a leopard pack. She’s acquiring vampire attributes and must cater to them. It’s really quite interesting how it all plays out. The Anita Blake Series, sixteen books so far, is so absorbing, you find yourself finished with one book way too early and craving the next.
Now the Meredith Gentry Series comes from a seriously strange and fertile mind. Meredith is Princess and heir to the throne of the fairies. Not those cute little winged girls you’re thinking of. Oh, no. Her aunt, the Queen is immeasurably sadistic for starters. In order for Meredith to take her place on the throne she must give birth to an heir herself. However, the only ones allowed to impregnate her are the queens own guards. To make matters worse, her cousin, the Queens’ son, stands to inherit in her place if she doesn’t become pregnant. Through all sorts of twisted court intrigue and a palace that moves its’ walls at will, Meredith will keep you rooting for her and hoping your favorite guard is the father of the next heir. Only six books so far, but I’m sure there are plenty more to come.
Now the Meredith Gentry Series comes from a seriously strange and fertile mind. Meredith is Princess and heir to the throne of the fairies. Not those cute little winged girls you’re thinking of. Oh, no. Her aunt, the Queen is immeasurably sadistic for starters. In order for Meredith to take her place on the throne she must give birth to an heir herself. However, the only ones allowed to impregnate her are the queens own guards. To make matters worse, her cousin, the Queens’ son, stands to inherit in her place if she doesn’t become pregnant. Through all sorts of twisted court intrigue and a palace that moves its’ walls at will, Meredith will keep you rooting for her and hoping your favorite guard is the father of the next heir. Only six books so far, but I’m sure there are plenty more to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Latest Merry Gentry Book
