R. Brennan's Blog, page 30
January 9, 2012
Book Review: Hide and Seek by Aimee Laine
Hide & Seek by Aimee Laine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 of 5 Stars! A fantastic, romantic paranormal read.
Having always been interested in mythologies and lore, I was keen to get my hands on this new novel by Aimee Laine. Games of Zeus? What could that be all about? The mind boggled. So when the review copy arrived in my inbox, I jumped in with both feet. Easy to do with the way Ms. Laine sets the stage at the outset. We start on an intriguing high and the story never lets go.
Hide and Seek takes established Greek mythology, sprinkles it with a dash of paranormal, and then shakes it all up with a healthy dose of passionate romance. Tasty vittles!
Based on the legend of the cunning fox who never gets caught and the always successful seeker, the hound, Hide and Seek features the most hunky male lead this reviewer has come across to date. Tripp Fox is exactly the kind of man who gets my attention–sweet and sexy with a dash of dangerous. I bet you can't guess which side of Zeus' paradox he plays? His counterpart, Lexi Shepherd, is of course, the hound, the seeker who can find whatever she looks for.
Our star-crossed (literally) soul mates are set at opposing sides of the ultimate paradox, and must figure out a way to best the game to be together.
I absolutely loved this story. It held enough tension and drama to keep me turning the pages and the romance balanced just the right amounts of sweet and steamy passion.
The secondary characters were absolutely wonderful. They really jumped off the page, and their presence added to the beautifully described, intricate details of the story, as well as the fictional paranormal town, Rune, N.C. which was also featured in Ms. Laine's debut novel, Little White Lies.
The only thing that stopped me from giving this novel a full 5 star rating was Lexi Shepherd's character. True to her nature, Lexi is good–almost to the point of prude. Throughout the story she questioned Tripp's morals and intentions, despite his behaving quite well throughout the novel (considering he knows no matter what he can't get caught if he doesn't want to). About halfway through the novel, I found myself annoyed when she continually refused to trust Tripp or sometimes even give him the benefit of the doubt. For all we see him doing for her when in his POV, it was difficult to switch back and be "okay" with her distrust of his intentions. That being said, I did like her overall, and was rooting for her and Tripp to "make it". I just needed to remind myself she was only being true to who she is — the upstanding and morally solid hound.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, and would consider it a MUST READ for anyone with an interest in the Greek myths.
Tagged: Aimee Laine, book review, Games of Zeus #1, Greek mythology, Hide and Seek, J. Taylor Publishing, Paranormal romance, Zeus
Review: Hide and Seek by Aimee Laine
Hide & Seek by Aimee Laine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 of 5 Stars! A fantastic, romantic paranormal read.
Having always been interested in mythologies and lore, I was keen to get my hands on this new novel by Aimee Laine. Games of Zeus? What could that be all about? The mind boggled. So when the review copy arrived in my inbox, I jumped in with both feet. Easy to do with the way Ms. Laine sets the stage at the outset. We start on an intriguing high and the story never lets go.
Hide and Seek takes established Greek mythology, sprinkles it with a dash of paranormal, and then shakes it all up with a healthy dose of passionate romance. Tasty vittles!
Based on the legend of the cunning fox who never gets caught and the always successful seeker, the hound, Hide and Seek features the most hunky male lead this reviewer has come across to date. Tripp Fox is exactly the kind of man who gets my attention–sweet and sexy with a dash of dangerous. I bet you can't guess which side of Zeus' paradox he plays? His counterpart, Lexi Shepherd, is of course, the hound, the seeker who can find whatever she looks for.
Our star-crossed (literally) soul mates are set at opposing sides of the ultimate paradox, and must figure out a way to best the game to be together.
I absolutely loved this story. It held enough tension and drama to keep me turning the pages and the romance balanced just the right amounts of sweet and steamy passion.
The secondary characters were absolutely wonderful. They really jumped off the page, and their presence added to the beautifully described, intricate details of the story, as well as the fictional paranormal town, Rune, N.C. which was also featured in Ms. Laine's debut novel, Little White Lies.
The only thing that stopped me from giving this novel a full 5 star rating was Lexi Shepherd's character. True to her nature, Lexi is good–almost to the point of prude. Throughout the story she questioned Tripp's morals and intentions, despite his behaving quite well throughout the novel (considering he knows no matter what he can't get caught if he doesn't want to). About halfway through the novel, I found myself annoyed when she continually refused to trust Tripp or sometimes even give him the benefit of the doubt. For all we see him doing for her when in his POV, it was difficult to switch back and be "okay" with her distrust of his intentions. That being said, I did like her overall, and was rooting for her and Tripp to "make it". I just needed to remind myself she was only being true to who she is — the upstanding and morally solid hound.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances, and would consider it a MUST READ for anyone with an interest in the Greek myths.
Tagged: Aimee Laine, book review, Games of Zeus #1, Greek mythology, Hide and Seek, J. Taylor Publishing, Paranormal romance, Zeus
January 8, 2012
Six Sentence SINday: Typo Intended :P #sixsunday
For this week's Six Sentence Sunday posting, I decided to give you a taste of my recently completed short story for the erotic anthology FELT TIPS, edited by the sexy and spunky erotic romance author, Tiffany Reisz. I hope you enjoy. MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY.
Fair warning — this is a hot one 
Enjoy!
Body singing with molten bliss, Kara held on as long as she could. When the waves of excitement grew too strong for her to fight, she let go, her body convulsing in rhythmic ecstasy. She cried her climax into the crook of her elbow to keep the rest of the office from hearing her release.
As the throbbing between her thighs ebbed, Kara tried to calm her ragged breathing. Limbs quivering, she pushed her body away from the copy machine she'd been sprawled over, and turned to face Jacob. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force her gaze up to meet his.
Yummy, that is all I have to say to that
Thanks for stopping in. be sure to click the banner at the top and visit with the other writers posting this week. See you next time.
Tagged: #feltttips, #sixsunday, erotica, excerpt, Felt Tips, fiction, Routine Maintenance, Six Sentence Sunday, Tiffany Reisz, writing
January 1, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday #sixsunday: From my current WIP for #Felttips
For this week's Six Sentence Sunday (#sixsunday), I decided to stick with the story I posted from last week. This is a erotic short I am working on for the fabulous, Tiffany Reisz and her Felt Tips anthology.
The story still doesn't have a title (Im so bad about that), but will hopefully be completed by the end of next week.
Without further ado…
Plastering what she hoped was a laid back smile on her lips, Kara stepped into the lobby and greeted Jacob Andrews, their usual copy repairman. "Hey there."
A warm smile brightened his face. "Afternoon, Kara." He held out a small brown box. "I brought you something."
Be sure to click the banner at the top of this post and stop in and visit with some of the other participating authors this week. You never know what gems you may find.
Happy New Year!
Tagged: #sixsunday, erotica, Felt Tips, Short story, Six Sentence Sunday, Tiffany Reisz, WIP
December 28, 2011
2011 and Other Goal Oriented Fiascos: A Recap
As 2011 comes to a close, I, like many others, take some time to reflect on the past year while planning for the one coming up. What did I accomplish this year? What goals did I set and not achieve? What kept me from reaching those goals?
Depending on how you approach it, this time of reflection can be either a boon to your confidence, or a slap in your face. It's all in how you approach it. Almost any negative, if looked it in a different light, can be a positive.
Generally speaking, I am not a "the glass is half full" sorta gal, so sometimes I have to work really hard to find that positive hidden beneath the dingy negatives.
I didn't set a large number of goals for 2011, but I did have a few — some that went well, others not so much. But even those "failures" were learning experiences. You can never lose if you are learning something, right?
For example, I wrote an erotic short for a submission call, expecting to have it accepted with no issues. To my shock, it was rejected. The story didn't fit the publishers Happily Ever After requirement, so not for them.
Definitely not what I expected, but rather than wallow in the rejection, I took the opportunity to try self publishing. This is something I never would have considered if the story had been accepted. I created a cover, and managed to get the story posted and available for sale on Smashwords and other online retailer sites (iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobi, etc.). But because it wasnt, I was able to get an idea of what self marketing is all about. Self publishing the story didn't and will never get me rich, but I did manage to make $3.00 in sales in the past couple of months and that is $3.00 I would not have gotten had the story been published as I had originally intended. Now would I have a work of fiction out there with only my name on it as the author. All mine. No anthology, no busting a gut trying to get my name associated with the work like usually happens when you are part of an anthology of tales. Pretty cool to my thinking. Plus, I can say I've done it. That in itself is quite a positive for me.
So this experience I mark as a success, despite the shades of rejection sprinkled on it. One door closes, another opens.
This year also marks the launch of this blog/review site. A place for my writing and musings, as well as a place to share some of the great books I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I have a small set of loyal followers and posters and I have also managed to earn 200 twitter followers in the six months since it launched. I've also developed working relationships with a few smaller publishers for reviewing ARCs and such. Looking forward to seeing how that shakes out in the coming year.
Another success in my book. 
What about you? What goals did you set for yourself in 2011? Did you reach them? What goals are you setting for next year?
Tagged: Barnes & Noble, Calvin, Goals, iTunes, New Year, Publishing, Recap, Resolutions, Smashwords
December 18, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday: The Start of Something Naughty for Felt Tips #sixsunday
For this week's post, I decided to go with a little something I have been working on for the upcoming erotica anthology, Felt Tips, being edited by one of my favorite ever smut peddlers, Tiffany Reisz. You can find out more about this (all profit donated to charity) anthology here: http://tiffanyreisz.com/storytime
Onto the Sunday Six. Enjoy
He wore no ring, but that could be because he spent his day with his hands inside those filthy, nasty copiers. Kathy would probably have gotten his entire life story by now.
She [Kara] reached for the notebook and pen again. Speaking of…the copier guy will be here today. The beast upstairs is acting up again. Squee!
Be sure to click on the banner at the top of this post and visit with the other participants in this weeks Six Sentence Sunday. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment.
Tagged: #sixsunday, erotica, Felt Tips #felttips Anthology, Six Sentence Sunday, WIP
December 15, 2011
Where the Heck are the Reviews?
Let me start with a quick apology to anyone that is waiting on a review they had requested. With the November Nano madness, I didn't get much reading done last month. But, I am back to a rather normal existence, or at least as normal as it gets for me, so the reviews will start coming again. Just to give you all an idea of what is to come, here is a list of upcoming reviews:
Midnight Seduction and Midnight Seduction (Man Love Edition) – (anthologies)
Knockout: A Passionate Police Romance
Santa's Naughty List (anthology)
Becoming: The Life and Musings of a Girl Poet (poetry)
Dragon's Teeth
Now I just gotta get reading
Tagged: Updates
November 25, 2011
Book Review: Into The Unknown by Jocelyn Adams, J.A. Belfield and Aimee Laine
Into The Unknown by Jocelyn Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was quite looking forward to getting a chance to read this collection being I had read the three debut novels associated with the characters in each of the tales. Curious to get a feel for what the common thread would be, I dove in. The tales were short enough, that I managed to complete the collection in one evening of reading, which was actually nice with the hectic schedule I seem to have going of late.
In an effort to be fair to each of the included shorts, I thought it best to visit each individually.
Marked by J. A. Belfield:
In this short, we get a chance to see the relationship between Darkness and Light main characters, Sean and Jem from Sean's perspective. The story finds them at the conclusion of the novel with Sean trying in his werewolf chic way to propose to Jem. I really enjoyed getting a deeper look into Sean's psyche in this short and I found the plot issues really believable in an urban fairy tale sort of way, which only added to the authenticity of the storytelling. This was a sweet and romantic winner for me.
Misguided by Aimee Laine:
This tale gives us a chance to check in with Wyatt Moreland and Charley Randall where Ms. Laine's novel, Little White Lies leaves off. While the novel is written from Charley's perspective, here we get a chance to sit inside Wyatt's head. All of the other characters who brought the novel to life are also present in Misguided. A bonus for me, as it was one of the high points of the book for me. The story reads as a precursor to the second book in the Mimics of Rune series by giving the reader a glimpse at the troubles to come for the shape shifters and their FBI cohorts. Once again, I just loved the interplay between all the characters, and focus on the friendships in this story. Ms. Laine left enough teasers to get me drooling for the next book, which looks to focus on two of the shape shifters in their clan, Lily and Cael. Looking forward to that one for sure.
Tempted by Jocelyn Adams
I absolutely loved The Glass Man, so was anxiously looking forward to another visit with Lily and Liam. I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Like the other two tales, the story picks up the main characters of the authors novel at the close, and comes from the perspective of the leading man in the romantic relationship. Since Tempted is presented from Liam's perspective, the story gives us a nice deep glimpse into the Unseelie side of the fae. Liam has to deal with some internal strife that summons forth his darker nature. Everyone knows I love a leading man with a dark side, and like in the novel, Liam delivers. Suffice to say I'd let him stare me down any day. I found myself disappointed when this short came to an end.
Tagged: Aimee Laine, J. Taylor Publishing, J.A. Belfield, Jocelyn Adams
November 20, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday: The Dragon and the Raven #sixsunday
I've been spending time going through the old notebooks, and grabbed this weeks six sentence from a historical romance I had started writing when I was a senior in high school and addicted to bodice rippers. I got a giggle out of reading some of it…yanno, before I knew what an active voice was, or that adverbs were a sign of the devil I made a point not to make and edits to it, it sits as it did the day I wrote it (somewhere around 1987).
Apparently I had a darker side, even way back then.
Enjoy!
All eyes turned to see what was going on when Brutus announced that he had a special treat for them. "Excuse me gentlemen," he called out to the crowd, his vise like grip still attached to Shelby's arm to keep her in place. "Give me your attention for a bit." Brutus waited for quiet before he continued. "You will all be happy to hear that my newest addition here is ready to start working for me in the upstairs rooms. With her still being a virgin, I've decided to give the first shot at her to the highest bidder."
Be sure to hit the banner at the top to return to the main site and visit some of the other participants this week. Thanks for spending some of your Sunday with me.
Tagged: #sixsunday, bodice ripper, excerpt, Six Sentence Sunday
November 14, 2011
Book Review: Little White Lies by Aimee Laine
Little White Lies by Aimee Laine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I took this one with me to Cape Cod this August and have to say that I wasn't disappointed. I found the writer's style easy to read and the characters three dimensional and endearing.
I have to admit, I did have some trouble in the early going with this one — I had trouble following what was happening from a backstory perspective. I felt for the first quarter of the book that I had missed something or that sunstroke had attacked me on the beach and that was why I wasn't following the plot as easily as I would have expected. I think some of the secrets in the book were a little more vague than I would have preferred. Coupled with not understanding the mechanics of what living as a mimic is like, well, I felt a little lost.
The author's voice and the personality of the characters I was introduced to is what kept me reading. By the time I hit the halfway point in the book, I was completely hooked. Charley is spunky and sweet, while Wyatt is just perfectly dreamy (dating myself with that reference). The secondary characters really fill the plot out nicely.
When we get to it, the romance isn't corny, but feels genuine, and I found myself rooting for love in a way a cynic like me hasn't for some time. The covert operations kept me reading and turning the page, and while I had an idea who the bad guy was earlier in the story, I didn't quite have the full story. The plot twists and surprises were a nice bonus.
Tagged: Aimee Laine, J. Taylor Publishing, Little White Lies, Paranormal romance
