Tanya Contois's Blog, page 18

Ebook: Acidalia The Beginning of KallosAuthor: Khelsey Ja...

Ebook: Acidalia The Beginning of KallosAuthor: Khelsey JacksonFiction, Paranormal, This review may contain spoilersI was given this novella for an honest review from the authorSummary: When Acidalia knows her end is near, she is forced to say goodbye to her life as well as Sean and Ian Hunter. Her final wish is they be there for one another after she is gone..The ReviewI was so moved by this short novella, I balled for ages afterwards, I Love a story to have a happy ending normally but I am so in awe of how Khelsey has written this novella, that it is one of my favourites for this year, it may be short but it sure did pack a lot in, I am really looking forward to reading Kallos, it is next on my list, I bumped it up as I need to read how the boys get on after such a traumatic loss and whether they find their true soul mate, I love how Khelsey has written the characters in this novella, she made me feel really sorry for them, yet have hope in my heart that everything would turn out OK, I will be recommending this one to all my friends, 5/5
Buy linksAmazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Acidalia-The-Beginning-Kallos-ebook/dp/B009AYNV76/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347743432&sr=1-1&keywords=acidalia

Review of Shifted Perspective by J. Bridger

What does one do with the world's lamest ability?
Being able to sense earthquakes. Sharp hearing and an even sharper sense of smell. Once a month transforming into... a Cocker Spaniel.  With green eyes. And fluffy ears.
Team Jacob eat your heart out. If this was going to happen to him, why not at least be a Doberman, or a Rottweiler? Like being a teenager wasn't enough fun already.
Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it  is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he's anxious to be rid of.
He didn't realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a host of ironclad rules he hates. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world. Worse, Caleb's floundering to keep his secret from Joanna. And dealing with his cousin, who likes to go to dog shows...as a contestant. And her "bestie," Penny, that she blatantly tries to match-make him with.
Now Penny has dragged him into investigating something out there that is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest.

I found Shifted Perspective immediately engaging and was drawn into the story right away. Caleb is an easy character to sympathize with. Even if he does eat dog food. (OK, that was only ONCE.)
I found it a good blend of humor and drama, with a satisfying tangle of friendships and suspicions. As well as interesting plot twists. Who else is crazy enough to go hunting a psychopathic werewolf with a super-soaker full of silver nitrate?
How do you think you would fit in inside of a world filled with shapeshifting wolves and mastiffs and alphas and betas when all you were was a part-time Cocker Spaniel who only wanted to be human again?

Her Demonic Angel by Felicity Heaton promo and giveaway

Her Demonic Angel, the fifth book in Felicity Heaton’s Her Angel romance series, is now available, and to celebrate the release she’s holding a fantastic giveaway at her website and she’s also giving away the first book in the series, Her Dark Angel, for FREE at selected Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and Apple iBookstore sites. You can find all the links for the FREE book, including a sample, at the following page: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/herdarkangel/ Find out how to enter the Her Demonic Angel international giveaway (ends September 23rd) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download an 8 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Her%20Demonic%20Angel Here’s more about Her Demonic Angel, including an excerpt from this long angel romance novel. Her Demonic Angel
Felicity Heaton
A demonic angel with a heart of ice, Veiron walks a dark path with vengeance on his mind. Nothing will sway him from his mission to destroy his master... until he risks his life to enter Hell once more to save a mortal female. The fiery beauty makes him burn with hungers he must battle and needs he cannot deny, tempting him to surrender body and soul to her. Erin is convinced her refusal to do the Devil’s bidding will see her die in a terrifying realm straight out of her nightmares. The last thing she expects is the lethally sensual warrior who breaks into her cell and awakens the darkest desires of her heart and a fierce longing to know the heat of his caress. Pulled into an incredible world where war is set to ignite and darkness is on the rise, Erin races with Veiron to escape the Devil’s legions in a journey fraught with danger and filled with passion that flares white-hot. When Erin is faced with a life-shattering realisation and an extraordinary destiny, will their love give them the strength to battle both Heaven and Hell or will they be parted forever? Her Demonic Angel is available from:Amazon.com Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00995OSTQ/ Amazon.co.uk Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00995OSTQ/ Apple iBookstore US: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781909306301 Apple iBookstore UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781909306301 Apple iBookstore Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781909306301 Apple iBookstore Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781909306301 Kobo Books: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781909306301Author’s Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Her%20Demonic%20Angel Her Demonic Angel – Excerpt It was the Devil who took her.

Erin was sure of it.

It was the Devil who had come in the dead of night, entering the bedroom of her loft apartment like black mist to take her as she slept.

And he wasn’t red all over or had hooves and horns like in movies or fables.

He was immense, with skin as black as coal, eyes that shone red like car brake lights and the wings of a dragon curling from his back.

He had brought her here to a fiery, broken and inhospitable land where perpetual tormented screams chased every shred of calm and peace from her soul and the air was so thick with the stomach-turning stench of sulphur that she couldn’t breathe.

It was Hell.

At first, Erin had thought the whole event was a vivid and disturbing nightmare, worse than any she had experienced before, but she had hurt herself on one of the shards of black rock that formed the floor and the three walls of her cell and she hadn’t woken.

And then they had hurt her too.

The Devil had come alone at first, entering her cell to glare at her in silence and ignore her pleas to tell him what he wanted with her. Not a word had left his wide black lips. The only time she had gained a response from him was the one instance she had felt brave enough to stand up to him and had tried to force him to speak. Then, he had bared sharp crimson teeth at her and hissed. She had fallen on her backside trying to escape him, afraid that he would attack her, and had cut her palms and scraped the soles of her bare feet as she had crab-crawled away from him.

Now, he no longer came alone.

Now, she no longer feared him.

She couldn’t muster that emotion whenever he visited her. Fear had given way to anger, leaving her brave enough to face death in order to get some answers.

Two other smaller but similar creatures accompanied him. None of them spoke. They didn’t even flinch when she hit them in an attempt to make them talk and tell her what they wanted with her, bashing her fists against their thick limbs and the granite band of stomach exposed between their red-edged black chest armour and the strips that protected their hips. She wanted to punch them in the face but they towered over her, at least three feet taller than she was. Several times, she had struck them hard in the groin but each had only gained her pain rather than satisfaction. They were quick to retaliate, slamming meaty arms into her stomach and sending her crashing into the rough black walls of her prison.

Each visit lasted only fifteen minutes or was it longer? She had lost track of time in this hellish place. Minutes seemed like hours.

Erin was too tired to hit them now. Hunger had set in she didn’t know how many days or weeks ago and now she was so weak that her head swam and she spent most of her waking hours hallucinating about food. Petrified pained screams rang in her ears as she sat near the open wall of her black cell, staring wearily into the hazy fiery distance. The black jaw-length jags of her hair hung across one side of her face, stinking of boiled eggs. The smell had invaded everything. Her small black sleep shorts and tank top, every inch of exposed dirty skin, and her mind too. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the jagged wall behind her, too tired and hungry to sleep, using all of her strength to keep breathing.

They would come soon.

She hadn’t seen them in what might have been a day.

There was no sky in the view from her cell. Just an endless black vault above her, and fields of lava and brimstone as far as the eye could see several hundred feet below.

Erin inhaled slowly and smelled steak.

She frowned. Steak. She swore she could smell it.

Someone had invented a new form of torture. The scent of juicy frying meat wafted through the huge open wall and before she could consider what she was doing, she was standing at the edge of the floor and staring down into the glowing abyss. Hot air battered her as it rose from the inferno below. Her vision swam from the heat and her hunger, causing the sheer cliff face to wobble and distort.

Her mouth watered.

Her stomach growled.

The door at her back opened and she turned sharply. Her foot slipped on the loose stones at the edge.

Before her gasp could escape her lips, a man was holding her with one arm snaked around her back, bending over her. She stared down, wild eyes watching the rocks bouncing off the endless black cragged cliff and disappearing into the fiery river below. Her heart hammered erratically against her chest and she instinctively grabbed the man’s arms, desperate to save herself from following the rocks and afraid that he might drop her over the edge.

“Careful,” the man whispered close to her ear, his voice deep and exotic, sending a strange hot shiver through her. He righted her, kept one hand on her arm and led her away from the edge.

Erin stared at her handsome saviour, mind racing to catch up with everything that had happened in the past few seconds. He still held her arm, his smile perfect though lacking emotion and golden eyes bright and alluring. She couldn’t take her eyes away from them and the longer she stared into them, the more relaxed she felt.

His sensual smile widened and he released her arm, preened the longer tendrils of his black hair back from his face, and then frowned at his hand. Touching her had dirtied it. His expression curled into one of disgust and he turned his back on her.

The heavy compliant feeling that had been building inside her disappeared in an instant and the delicious scent of food assaulted her.

Her gaze snapped to the door and the source of the tempting smell.

The Devil.

He stood there flanked by the two smaller creatures like him, his glowing red eyes fixed straight at her over the head of the elegant man now strolling towards him. The two of them couldn’t have looked more different to each other. The Devil was a beast, black-skinned and huge, his massive dragon-like wings furled against his back, and his body barely covered by crimson-edged obsidian armour. The man was all dark beauty and refinement, dressed sharply in a black suit that highlighted his pale, flawless skin and glossy black hair.

The man waved his hand and the Devil held something out to him.

A tray with a very elegant domed silver plate cover on it.

Erin realised her mistake.

Not the Devil, but a servant.

Erin stared at the man as he took the tray from the beast she had thought was the Devil, removed the cover with a flourish, revealing the most amazing and mouth-watering food she had ever seen, and turned to hold it out to her.

Tempting her.

He was the Devil. Her Demonic Angel is available now from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Apple iBookstores and direct from the author. It will soon be available for Barnes and Noble Nook too. Find all the links, a fantastic 8 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also how to enter the Her Demonic Angel giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Her%20Demonic%20Angel Books in the Her Angel romance series:Her Dark Angel (Her Angel romance series book 1)Her Fallen Angel (Her Angel romance series book 2)Her Warrior Angel (Her Angel romance series book 3)Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel romance series book 4)Her Demonic Angel (Her Angel romance series book 5) About Felicity Heaton:Felicity Heaton writes passionate paranormal romance books as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too. If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, Felicity Heaton’s best selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series she writes as F E Heaton or any of her stand alone vampire romance books she writes as Felicity Heaton. Or if you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try Felicity Heaton’s new Vampire Erotic Theatre series. In 2011, five of her six paranormal romance books received Top Pick awards from Night Owl Reviews, Forbidden Blood was nominated as Best PNR Vampire Romance 2011 at The Romance Reviews, and many of her releases received five star reviews from numerous websites. If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.ukBlog: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheatonGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton 1 e-copy of Her Fallen Angel being given away. The giveaway is international and to enter leave a comment sharing which of Felicity Heaton's books is your favorite AND your email address. Anyone who doesn't include their email will not be entered into the giveaway.

Ebook: Project ELEAuthor: Rebecca Gober & Court...

Ebook: Project ELE
Author: Rebecca Gober  & Courtney Nuckels
Fiction, paranormal
This review may contain spoilers
Summary:
Millions have already died, and thousands more are perishing daily. As a last ditch effort to preserve the human race, the government implements Project ELE. With the earth heating at rapid speeds, all remaining survivors are forced to turn to F.E.M.A. shelters to wait out ELE's wrath.Fifteen-year-old Willow Mosby's life, as she knows it, ends the moment she walks through the shelter's door. Willow has to quickly adapt to the new challenges that shelter life demands, which includes making new friends and working a full time job.
Soon after making an interesting discovery, Willow and her friends start exhibiting strange abilities. Seeking answers, they embark on a mission to find out what these new abilities mean and whether they are a gift or a curse.
This new adventure can send her world crashing down around her. The question is: Can Willow survive the fall?
From the authors of Night Marchers comes a new apocalyptic series with a paranormal twist.
The ReviewOMG, This is a book that I could not put down. These ladies sure know how to write a book, the plot was amazing, How they came up with the idea I will never know, but WOW, this book had me in tears, it had me laughing, it had me on the edge of my seat, It was really well written, I thought I was there, Willow went through loads during this book, I loved the relationship she had with Alec, it was so sweet, The friendship with Claire and Connor,  glad she found someone to be friends with, she really needed some, I won’t say too much, but I will say that was one hell of an ending, great way to keep us wanting more, Thankyou so much ladies, I will now be sat waiting patiently until the next one, I am getting it for my daughter to read now, she is going to love it, I would highly recommend this 5/5
Buy LinksAmazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Project-ELE-The-Series-ebook/dp/B008R523K0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347725460&sr=8-2&keywords=project+ELEAmazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Project-ELE-The-Series-ebook/dp/B008R523K0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347725532&sr=1-1

Review of Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison

Fire: It is Kaye Brand's power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she's been selling herself to the highest bidder - money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future. As one of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiance, Ferrol Grey. War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change...



Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison is the first book in this thrilling new series. The novel starts at a fast pace and does not slow down at all. The character of Kaye was exactly how I prefer heroines to be - strong willed, tough, and not afraid to defend themselves or anyone they care about. The way Erin Kellison developed the relationship between Kaye and Jack Bastian was wonderfully done and the villain was so wicked that he gave me chills. I am eager to see what Erin Kellison has in store for book two of this exciting and dramatic new series.

http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Kissed-Shadow-Erin-Kellison/dp/1420118978/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347467118&sr=1-1&keywords=fire+kissed+by+erin+kellison

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-kissed-erin-kellison/1106494857?ean=9781420118971

Review of Never After by Jason Macumber

Never After by Jason Macumber is a completely thrilling and somewhat twisted take on fairy tales such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood to name a few.When I began reading Never After I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it but as the book progressed I found that I enjoyed reading this author's spin on the Snow White tale. The pace of the book was perfect, not too fast or too slow and each character was so interesting and different. This book has many graphic moments which make it suitable only for mature readers.

Jason Robert Macumber Never After (The Ever After Chronicles).

 The world of fairy tales is twisted and corrupted. Two years after her entrapment and torture at the hands of the Seven Deadly Trolls, Snow White now works as an assassin for hire. Rude, crude and with her princess status long revoked, she has become a dark angel for the Ever After's damsels-in-distress. A game of cat and mouse soon begins when two of the Deadlies, Pride and Wrath, return to exact revenge on the fallen princess for the murder of their brothers. Armed with her trusty dagger carved from the magic mirror, Snow finds herself drawn into a conspiracy that involves an ancient relic from beyond her world's borders and the destruction of her world. Taking perversion to a whole new level, NEVER AFTER is an estrogen-filled romp to save the Ever After as Snow slices and dices her way through beloved characters leaving no talking animal safe!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author Links: FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/jrmauthorpage?ref=hl

Book Link: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/jasonmacumber/NeverAfter.htm l

Link to tour at Main Site: http://www.virtualbooktourcafe.com/3/post/2012/07/never-after-by-jason-robert-macumber-the-ever-after-chronicles.html

Genre: Dark Fairy tale/Fantasy (Warning: Extremely Mature Content)

 Publisher: Melange Books

 Release Date: July 31, 2012

Author Bio: (No Picture Available)

Jason Macumber has been writing since he could first hold a pen, weaving stories so grand his teachers would usually have to pull him back down to earth on more than one occasion. After beginning his writing career in the Young Adult genre, he found that the medium did not suit his more mature tastes and tones that were dying to rip free from the far reaches of his mind. Thus, Snow emerged and became a force to be reckoned and the Ever After Chronicles was born. He is currently living in Florida where he is finishing his graduate degree and punching out the sequel to NEVER AFTER in the company of his three dogs and one mischievous cat.

Schedule:

August 13 - Introduction at VBT Cafe' Blog
August 15 - Interviewed at Lovely Reads
August 17 - Interviewed at Mass Musings
August 21 - Fun Facts & Author Fav Recipe at Writing Innovations E-zine
August 23 - Guest Blogging at Wise Words
August 27 - Guest Blogging at Immortality and Beyond
August 29 - Book Feature & Excerpt at BK Walker Books Etc.
August 31 - Review & Guest Blog at Waiting On Sunday To Drown (Guest Blog on Playlists for Book)
September 5 - Review & Guest Blogging at A Book Lover's Library
September 7 - Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
September 10 - Reviewed at All Things Books
September 12 - Interviewed at From The Mind Of Omegia
September 14 - Character Interview at The Bunny's Review
September 17 - Guest Blogging at The Golden Pen Review
September 19 - Reviewed at Turning The Pages
 September 21 - Review & Guest Blogging at Words I Write Crazy

Ebook: Learn to Love MeAuthor: Sinead MacDughlasFiction, ...

Ebook: Learn to Love Me
Author: Sinead MacDughlas
Fiction, Thriller
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: Despite her secret past, Emily O'Shea was finally living a normal life. There had been some arguments with her husband, Trevor, lately, but no marriage is perfect. At least the column she writes for the local paper is going well...that is, until one of her interviewees goes missing, and a monster from her past resurfaces. Within a week Emily's life spins into chaos. Missing girls, a telephone stalker, murder, a monster, and an intense ex-lover; it's turning out to be one hell of a summer! Her husband is acting erratically, her boss is threatening to pull her column, and the police suspect she's the muse for a murderer. Can Emily save her marriage, her job, her life and her sanity? More importantly, are her darkest fears justified? Does Emily already know who the killer is and, if she does; can she do anything to stop them?
The ReviewWell, I was expecting not to enjoy this so much because I do love my paranormal but this was so much a thriller I was hooked and could not put it down, I felt so Sorry for Em in the beginning but I soon realized that she is a strong willed woman, who really had my respect by the end of the book, I was still guessing who had done it towards the end, I was totally shocked when he was revealed, I really did not see that coming especially with all the twists and turns in this book, if you want a great thriller that has you guessing right up to the end, then this is the one for you, I was abit upset at the ending, I was kinda hoping for a different ending but Em had her reasons, which  I could totally understand, but still she deserved someone, I would highly recommend this to all my friends, 5/5
Buy LinksAmazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Learn-To-Love-Me-ebook/dp/B008UYQNJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347305453&sr=8-1&keywords=learn+to+love+me Amazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-To-Love-Me-ebook/dp/B008UYQNJ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347305564&sr=1-1

Ebook: A Higher CallingAuthor: Willow CrossFiction, Paran...

Ebook: A Higher Calling

Author: Willow Cross

Fiction, Paranormal,

This review may contain spoilers

I got this as a gift from the author for an honest review

Summary:

A daughter’s mistake.

A mother’s wrath.

An impossible choice.

Sophie’s plans were simple: Leave the supernatural behind and raise a child of her own creation. For twenty years life couldn’t have been better, until the day her daughter showed up on her doorstep bloodied and bruised. They say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” But the wrath of a mother, whose only desire was to protect her child, is unfathomable. Those pure of heart can rest easy. However, if you carry the slightest tinge of darkness, beware the Higher Calling.

The Review
I love how Willow writes and this book is no exception, just the prologue had me hooked, I wanted to be Sophie, to be able to dish out punishment to all that deserve it, must be awesome, I am never sure about books that contain Nephilim, but I loved this one and I really can’t wait for book 2, I would love to know what “Sophie’s Choice” will be, I would highly recommend this book, 5/5

Buy linksAmazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/A-Higher-Calling-ebook/dp/B00890ZAD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347301327&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+callingAmazon.co.ukhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Higher-Calling-ebook/dp/B00890ZAD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347301484&sr=8-1

Behind the story: A guest post by Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles

Hello to you all, and many thanks to Tanya for inviting me to do a guest post! My novel, The Song of Achilles, is a retelling of the myths surrounding the Greek hero Achilles from the perspective of his best friend and lover Patroclus. I like to think of it as equal parts love story and adventure.

I have loved the stories of the Trojan War since I was a child. My mother used to read them to me at bedtime and I was entranced not only by the exciting action, but by the people themselves. Unlike most books I had read, the characters felt stunningly real—fully imagined, tragic, and utterly human. I can still remember my shock at realizing that the first line of Homer’s Iliad—“Sing, goddess, of the terrible rage of Achilles”—was about the hero.

As I grew older and began studying these stories in earnest, I kept returning to Achilles’ rage, and in particular to that terrible moment in the Iliad when Patroclus, Achilles’ closest companion, is killed. In poetry so vivid it sears, Homer shows us Achilles’ reaction: obliterating grief followed by wrath so huge no amount of vengeance can satisfy it. I was deeply moved, but also a bit mystified. Patroclus isn’t a major character in the Iliad; far from it. We see him always with Achilles, but in the background. He doesn’t speak until nearly halfway through the poem. So why is Achilles so upset? Who is this Patroclus?

Answering that question took me ten years, but it was worth every minute. The more I researched the more I found myself drawn to this fascinating man: an exile, a healer, a loyal friend, the only ancient hero called “gentle” in the Iliad. Homer tells us the end of his story, but I wanted to know the beginning.

I also found myself being drawn deeper into Achilles’ own tragedy, especially the terrible choice that he is given by the fates: to live a long and happy life, or die young and be famous forever. Achilles chooses the latter, and goes to war knowing he will never return, that he is gambling every human pleasure for cold posterity.

As I was writing, I made myself a promise: that the story, however it turned out, would not be only for people who knew the ancient stories. When Homer was composing, his poetry was intended for everyone. I was passionate about trying to honor that heritage—to write a story that could engage both myth-lovers and myth-newcomers alike.

These stories are more than three thousand years old, but they don’t feel like it. We may have guns and planes now, instead of spears and chariots, but we have the same hopes and fears, the same loves and losses. In knowing them we know ourselves. Thank you so much for reading; I hope that you might enjoy this book as much as I have loved writing it.

Review of "Until There Was You" by Jessica Scott(This boo...

Review of "Until There Was You" by Jessica Scott

(This book is set to be released October 8, 2012.)
Captain Claire Montoya is a dark-red-haired, loyal army officer who is  trying to get her team ready for deployment. However, there are a few problems:
-Training for sending troops to the scorching desert is taking place in the frigid mountains of Colorado. She's freezing her butt off.
-Command (in typical Upper Management style) places a higher value on Power Point skills and Equal Opportunity training than on combat effectiveness. She feels that such a command climate creates bad leaders who end up doing stupid things that get people killed.
-And then there's Captain Evan Loehr. Evan is a West-Point-bred and by-the-rules captain who has "practically got ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ tattooed on his ass." He causes Claire no end of (more than one kind) of frustration.
Here's a little excerpt as she tells her oldest friend and fellow army captain:
“Sarah Anders, get ready to meet Captain America himself.”
“You know him?”
Oh yes, she knew him. Many a long night in the tactical operations center downrange had been spent fantasizing about those shoulders, along with other parts of his anatomy.
Stupid hormones.
“Wring out your panties, honey, he’s not someone you want knocking on your door.”

What Claire can't see is that he also has a soul-searing secret that has welded him into the man he is.
And underneath her tough exterior, Claire has reservations and defenses herself. In an argument with Evan, Claire states:
 “Being a soldier is the only thing I’ve ever been good at, and no matter how hard I try, I’m always screwing things up. Nothing we do matters.”
But Evan knows: “That’s not true. You matter.”

At first I thought the story was going slowly, and I was getting frustrated at the tension build-up and then break-off. (But I'm a man; we're kind of like that.) But it definitely fits with their characters as well as their military careers and command responsibilities. The fuse maybe a slow-burn, but when it explodes...
I also enjoyed the side characters: Claire's oldest friend and fellow army captain Sara Anders, who's husband died in Iraq. And Reza Iaconelli, the heroic SFC with a drinking problem that even the strategic use of pineapple juice can't help.

I found "Until There Was You" wryly humorous in unexpected places, but most of all very emotionally powerful.