Melissa Snark's Blog: The Snarkology, page 109

Cover Reveal: Cloaked in Fur by T.F. Walsh

  Cloaked in Fur
T.F. Walsh
Genre: Paranormal Suspense with strong romance elements
Publisher: Crimson RomanceDate of Publication: August 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4405-7161-9ASIN:
Number of pages: 149Word Count: 73,000 approx.
Cover Artist: Stephanie Hannus
Book Description:
As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did.
A rogue werewolf is killing Daciana’s friends, and she sets on capturing the creature.  She’ll do whatever it takes to stop the beast. The police and her boyfriend, Inspector Connell Lonescu, are starting to question her involvement in the murders, which is endangering the pack’s secret existence. But when the pack alpha kidnaps Connell, revealing the awful truth about the creature and its connection to the pack, Daciana must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.
OPENING OF CHAPTER 4
The phone’s strident ringing woke me up, and I glanced over at the bedside clock blazing5:13 A.M. Too damn early for anything.Tempted to dive back under the covers, I checked the caller ID: Connell. Crap. The previous night’s events came pouring back: me turning into a wulfkin outside the full moon, running with the pack all night, collecting my keys from the woods, and ditching Connell again. On top of that, I never retrieved the old books for the elixir. Double crap.I pushed my legs over the edge of the bed, scrunched the sheet in my fist and answered the call. “Hi.”“Where are you?” The panic in his voice turned my stomach.“At home.”“What happened to you last night?”My throat dried up as my mind whirred with excuses. “I uncovered something in my research and got stuck into it, not realizing it was past midnight when I checked the clock. I didn’t want to wake you and went straight home. I’m sorry.”“I suspected you wouldn’t come. Looks like I was right.”“Come on, Connell, give me a break. I’m working on something majorly important.When you’re on a case and spend nights in the office, I don’t give you shit about it.”“That’s not what pisses me off. It’s that you never tell me anything. Send me a message if you’re going to be late or not turn up, anything to let me know what’s going on. It feels like you’re only staying with me on until something better comes along.”“That’s not true. I only want you.”Silence.I lowered my head and stared at the dirt beneath my toenails from the previous night’s run.“I don’t want to talk about this now,” he said. “We found two more bodies this morning. The victims were located on the opposite sides of the city.” He paused. “Why would a wolf bolt across the city after a kill? They attack in packs, don’t they?”A shiver rippled down my spine, the possibility of two more dracwulf kills made me furious. There was no convincing myself the attacks weren’t related to the others; I felt the truth in my gut. Worse yet, I wondered whether the dracwulf was simply hungry or territorial, and Sandulf had to know. I flopped onto the bed and curled into a ball.When I gave no response, Connell continued. “I need you to review the reports from the previous attacks today and visit the new scenes to see if you believe it's the same animal.”I cringed at the innocent wolves who could lose their lives over Sandulf’s stupidity.“Your team can test the evidence and see if it’s the same predator without me.”“We have limited testing resources in this country, so we need your expertise to move things along.”The way he said “your” sounded full of contempt, and it pained me to hear him talk like that.“The chief wants a hunting party issued this weekend, preferably with Romania’s Animal Research Institute’s approval. He’s already spoken with your boss, Vasile.”I climbed up and paced the room, shaking my head. Typical Vasile to agree to anything the cops asked.“If I could leave you out of this, I would, but I can’t. Trust me, I tried.”“I appreciate that. Where should we meet?”“Piaţa Square. Half an hour?”“I can do that.”He hung up.A snarl ripped past my throat at the terrible start to the day. Who could blame Connell for being upset? I’d be livid if he kept avoiding me.I threw on a pair of Levi’s, boots, and a gray hooded top. The bathroom mirror reflected gray wolf eyes from my recent transformation, and already the silvery color was fading into a darker shade. I pulled every strand of my nest-style hair into a ponytail and rushed outside into the morning twilight.
  About the Author:
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
Where to find T.F. Walsh:  Website TwitterFacebook Pinterest Goodreads

Friday Free Reads: The Child Thief

"I loved this short story and so wanted more, it ended way too soon."            ~LT at Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies, Oh My!

"With Victoria, Melissa Snark created a conflicted heroin and an alpha that no one intent to challenge because of her strength of character, her willingness to serve justice, and her devotion to her pack."                 ~The Masquerade Crew

Valkyrie Victoria Storm has werewolf hunters hell bent on revenge trying to kill her. She can barely keep her own downtrodden pack alive, let alone respond to the pleas of a murdered mother. Can she set aside her differences and work with her sworn enemy to save a little boy from a Christmas nightmare?
Free at: Amazon Barnes and NobleSmashwordsAll Romance ebooks

Paris Dinosaur

This isn't funny or writing related, but I thought it was totally kick ass.

Book Review: Weaver of Dreams by Brenda Sparks

When guidance counselor Maggie O’Connell is plagued by terrible nightmares, she believes stress is the reason for her torment, but she couldn’t be more wrong. Unfortunately for Maggie, in the shadows of her dreams lurks a Dream Stalker who is addicted to the dark emotions produced by her night terrors.

Zane, a Dream Weaver from another dimension, visits Maggie in her nighttime fantasies to discover there is more than just a Dream Stalker after her. As the man of her fantasies becomes real, Maggie’s true nightmare begins.

Review:
Weaver of Dreams is a paranormal fantasy novel with a romantic subplot. The novel is difficult to quantify because it does not fit into any of the standard sub-categories of paranormal fiction. Brenda Sparks has created a unique mythology and engaged in world-building to give us a truly original story. Her descriptive language is vivid and extensive, employed to paint a memorable image of each setting within the reader's mind. Much of the imagery is quite surreal and entirely appropriate to the theme.

Maggie is a high school guidance counselor who suffers from terrible nightmares thanks to the villainous creature called the Dream Stalker who is...well, stalking her. The heroine also seems to engage in some vivid dreaming aside from her nightmares and retains accurate recollections of what she dreamed.  She is a quiet, compassionate woman who cares about her students a great deal. She has the daily burden of dealing with her odious ex-boyfriend who also happens to be her boss, and the stress of a lawsuit against the school district. Only in her dreams does she really seem to be able to cut loose, let her hair down, and express her true self.

Zane is another sort of creature, not human, but a Dream Weaver. He is composed entirely of energy and exists on a different plane of reality, able to enter and exit the human world via mirrors. Dream Weavers subsist on positive dream energy emitted by people; except when they consume negative energy and become...dun dun dun...Dream Stalkers.  

Sadly, this is not the Monsters, Inc. world. The power of screams trumps the power of laughter, and the victim eventually goes insane as a result of the nightmares. Poor Maggie...

Zane also happens to be a Peace Keeper, charged with the task of hunting the Dream Stalker who is haunting Maggie. He is good, honorable and courageous, the embodiment of all things a hero should be. After meeting Maggie, our hero becomes distracted with our heroine's charms, which results in the pair sharing some very memorable "wet" dreams. *wink wink*

Although packaged as a paranormal romance, Weaver of Dreams does not follow the romance formula closely enough to be labeled a romance novel. The hero and heroine and both introduced within the first two chapters but they do not actually meet until chapter nine. Their individual plots follow separate but parallel paths that eventually converge, appropriately enough, within a dream setting. The resulting intersection provides the patient reader with a spicy romance scene between Zane and Maggie. Dialogue is quick and light, and their interaction is highly enjoyable.

The author keeps the action moving throughout the story and provides the reader with a very satisfying ending to this exciting tale of supernatural dreaming. I'd recommend Weaver of Dreams to readers looking for a unique paranormal tale with a terrific romantic pairing.
Buy Links:Amazon USAmazon UK

Book Review: Roman's Gold by Ann Gimpel

I'm a guest reviewer over on Pruf Reads today.
 Roman's Gold(Underground Heat Book 1)by Ann Gimpel
Blurb:Travel into the future where a new law dooms shifters to life on the run, or worse. Most will be captured and sent to prison, many will die along the way, and the lucky few will find their way to the underground and the promise of safety. Ann Gimpel spins a sexy tale of danger, passion, and love in Book 1 of her new paranormal shifter series, Underground Heat.

Once respected members of society, shifters are running for their lives. In a futuristic world where resources are scarce, Kate uses her human form to work as a sex surrogate. Furious at what looks a lot like genocide for her people, she joins the shifter underground.

Devon’s been a cop for a long time. He has shifter blood, but not enough to change into anything; at least not until the police department insists on a series of infusions to make him better at tracking shifters so they can be imprisoned—or killed.

Devon’s latest assignment is Kate. From the moment he sees her, he can’t get her out of his mind. The line between hunter and hunted thins, blurs, and finally disappears. Kate and Devon defy the odds. Will their passion save them or doom them forever?

Content Notes: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Shifters, Dystopian, Enhanced Humans, Magic, Hot
Review:
Roman's Gold is a futuristic paranormal novel set in a dystopian North America where shape shifters have been outlawed and are being hunted by the government. The story is the first in the Underground Heat series by Ann Gimpel. The author packs action and a whole lot of sizzling hot sex into this fantastic novella. 
Read the rest of the review on PRUF Reads.

Author Spotlight: Brenda Sparks

Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State with her loving husband and son.  Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romances is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure.  Brenda loves to connect with readers.  Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.
Author Links:Facebook Fan Page Twitter : @brenda_sparksGoodreads   Facebook Author Page WebsiteBlog
What is your favorite book genre? Who are your favorite authors?
My favorite book genre is Paranormal Romance. I just can’t get enough of it whether it’s a true romance written for adults or a romantic YA written for teens. When it comes to naming a favorite author, honestly, there are too many to name just one.  I love Christine Feehan and J.R. Ward when I’m in the mood for a great vampire romance. When I’m looking for a sweet YA read I’ll grab something by Nancy Straight or Cambria Hebert. I actually could go on. I have a lot favorite authors I love. Show me a good paranormal story and I’ll show you an author I love.
Has anyone in particular been an influence on your writing?
Christine Feehan has definitely influenced me. It was while I was reading one of her books that the first scene for my series came to me. I feel like my writing improves when I’m reading her books.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? Who is it and why?
I love my characters, and would be quite happy with any of my heroes, should they ever leap off the page and walk into my life. But my favorite character is from the series I’m currently working on. I fell in love with Nicholai Peteroff. He is a sexy Russian vampire, who is all business on the battlefield but has the heart of a romantic poet. I can’t wait for readers to meet him in my next book, Alpha Mine.
Tell us something strange or interesting about yourself.
I find inspiration all around, in the pink and purple hues of a sunrise, the silly story told around the lunch table about a bug in a co-worker’s pants. My mind takes the ordinary and twists it into something dark and paranormal. At any given time, I have at least two stories running around my head, which can be chaotic but fun.
Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?
I listen to music for inspiration, but I become too engrossed in it to have it playing while I write. I majored in music in college, and I honestly love all types of music, even some opera, as long as it is dark and layered.
Quick quiz: ·         Favorite food? Anything sweet. (Every tooth in my mouth is a sweet tooth. :) ·         Favorite color? Purple·         Favorite animal? I love them all, really. I’ve had pet turtles, dogs, cats, rats, even a tarantula, and a ground hog. As long as it’s not a roach, I can love it.·         Biggest pet peeve? People who don’t pay attention while are driving. Dream car? Bugatti Veyron

Oh lala!

When guidance counselor Maggie O’Connell is plagued by terrible nightmares, she believes stress is the reason for her torment, but she couldn’t be more wrong. Unfortunately for Maggie, in the shadows of her dreams lurks a Dream Stalker who is addicted to the dark emotions produced by her night terrors.

Zane, a Dream Weaver from another dimension, visits Maggie in her nighttime fantasies to discover there is more than just a Dream Stalker after her. As the man of her fantasies becomes real, Maggie’s true nightmare begins.

Excerpt:
Zane glided over the tall grass, letting the tips brush the bottom of his energy as he floated through the warm air with ease. A pleasant sensation, the grass felt like something between a tickle and a massage as he went. Like all Dream Weavers, in this dimension he was pure energy that took the shape of a ball of light.

His essence flowed over the land, and he could not help but admire the scenery as he passed through. He noted the way the purple and burgundy flowers mixed with the royal blue florae to form colorful waves in the tall emerald-colored grass. Appreciating their beauty as he passed, he flowed through a copse of harlequin-patterned trees with black and white diamond-shaped leaves. The splendor of the nature around him went undisturbed until the breeze blew to send the plants swaying in a gentle rhythm and make the shiny leaves of the trees sparkle as they shook.

A tingling sensation stopped him. He recognized the sensation, had been exposed to this before; a long time ago, during his training to become a Peacemaker. This was the steady pulsing sensation created by negative energy.

Dream Weavers fed from the emotions of humans and negative reactions such as fear and anger fed them in a way unequaled by positive emotions. However, they discovered that those negative emotions were addictive, causing those of their kind who fed on them to become unstable. After only a few feedings, the Weavers developed an insatiable appetite for the negative feelings, abusing the human hosts they fed from.

His essence bobbed with anticipation. It had been decades since any of their kind defied their laws, especially the First Law which prohibited negative feedings. Their society considered it their most valued law, one meant to be obeyed above all others. As a Peacemaker, he was tasked with policing his fellow Dream Weavers, making sure they followed the laws set forth by the Ruling Council.

He needed to inform the Council about what he sensed, so they would know one of the Weavers turned rogue.
Buy Links:Amazon USAmazon UK
Check back on Thursday for Mrs. Snark's review of Weaver of Dreams!

What Not To Say....

Writing a romance novel is more than simply stringing together a string of pretty phrases, more than just kisses and moans. Words must be chosen with care to attain a delicate balance of poetry and motion. Words are crafted; love scenes forged as a blacksmith works with steel. The author sets aside her more trivial concerns, ignoring the fact that her knees hurts or her house is a disaster and strives for divinity.

Because you can only imagine how scenes would come out if the author allowed her real life concerns to intrude upon the scene—

He broke the kiss and turned his face into the side of her throat. He suckled on her earlobe and then applied a kiss to the sensitive skin just below her ear. His large hands reached the tops of her thighs, encircled her hips, and his fingers splayed across her ass. He urged her lower body forward even as his lips kissed her chest, the breastbone and the V between her breasts. Cassie whimpered and shook with frustration, wanting so much more than the safe caresses. “Tell me what you want,” Kyle groaned, voice rough.  “I want…” She opened her mouth to vocalize her desires."You to finally fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom.""Sure, honey, anything you want, baby."    Our hero plods forth, oblivious to her extreme irritation that the task had gone undone going on three weeks despite her repeated requests.

Kills the mood, don't it?

In real life, women bring up this sorta stuff because we know that our man is most amendable to pleasing us when he's thinking about his dick. Guys aren't the most romantic lot. Most of the time they just plow through our complaints and requests, but sometimes, every once is a great while, something gets done. A picture gets hung or the oil gets changed as a result of sex-requests, enough to reinforce the behavior in the female mind. Rather like Pavlov's salivating dogs. 

I guess romance novel heroines just don't need anything done. 

I've noticed that couples in romance novels never break from their sex-Olympics for a bathroom break. The heroine never jumps up in the middle of oral sex, saying, "My mouth has dried out. I need a glass of water." No one is ever too hot or too cold or just plain uncomfortable.

What's up with that?

The Onion Breaking News: 4 Copy Editors Killed In Ongoing AP Style, Chicago Manual Gang Violence

NEW YORK—Law enforcement officials confirmed Friday that four more copy editors were killed this week amid ongoing violence between two rival gangs divided by their loyalties to the The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual Of Style. “At this time we have reason to believe the killings were gang-related and carried out by adherents of both the AP and Chicago styles, part of a vicious, bloody feud to establish control over the grammar and usage guidelines governing American English,” said FBI spokesman Paul Holstein, showing reporters graffiti tags in which the word “anti-social” had been corrected to read “antisocial.” “The deadly territory dispute between these two organizations, as well as the notorious MLA Handbook gang, has claimed the lives of more than 63 publishing professionals this year alone.” Officials also stated that an innocent 35-year-old passerby who found himself caught up in a long-winded dispute over use of the serial, or Oxford, comma had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Original article here.

Scarlett Scott's Love’s Second Chance Series

REPRIEVE Love’s Second Chance, Book 1
It’s been a year since Sophie lost her husband and daughter in a car wreck but time hasn’t healed her wounds. A desperate choice leads her to Trevor, the handsome stranger who saves her life and leaves her wanting more than just a few steamy kisses.Trevor is content living the fast-paced life of a successful NYC entrepreneur. The last kind of complication he needs is a troubled woman like Sophie. But he’s immediately drawn to her even if his bachelor instincts scream for him to run.As Sophie struggles to fight her growing feelings for Trevor, she’s torn between her past and the future. Somehow, she has to find the strength to finally let go and move on with a man who is everything she never thought she wanted.
Buy Links: AmazonEllora's CaveBarnes and Noble
PERFECT PERSUASIONLove’s Second Chance, Book 2After a wild weekend of passion on a business trip, Claire discovers she’s pregnant with her boss’s baby. It wouldn’t be such a big deal—if Logan wasn’t the world’s most arrogant jerk. She decides to keep the pregnancy a secret, even if it means losing her job.It doesn’t take long for Logan to realize what’s going on and he isn’t happy Claire tried to hide the truth. To make matters worse, he and Claire can’t seem to agree on anything other than the insane attraction that keeps sparking between them. One minute they can’t stand to be in the same room and the next, they can’t keep their hands to themselves.Even as their mutual attraction heats up, both are determined to guard their hearts. Claire can’t make sense of Logan’s hot-then-cold personality and Logan wants more from Claire than she’s willing to give. Just when they begin meeting each other halfway, outside interference threatens to tear them apart forever.
Buy Links:AmazonEllora's CaveBarnes and Noble
WIN MY LOVELove’s Second Chance, Book 3
Wynne Carter’s one-night-stand with Hollywood bad boy Derek Shaw resulted in life-changing consequences in the form of her precious daughter. Years later, she isn’t prepared to face him or his questions when he returns to her small town seeking answers.
With his acting career on hiatus thanks to his wild past, discovering he has a daughter is reason enough for Derek to stick around. Spending timing with her mom isn’t too shabby either, and soon he can’t keep Wynne or her long legs off his mind.
Wynne knows a man like Derek is made for sin, not happily-ever-afters, but resisting him proves pretty darn impossible. For a while, it looks as if the unlikely pairing of the single mom and the heartthrob might make it after all. Until Hollywood wants its leading man back, and their new relationship threatens to fall apart forever.
Buy Links:AmazonEllora's CaveBarnes and Noble
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Award-winning author Scarlett Scott writes contemporary and historical romance of varying heat levels. Having graduated from swiping her older sister's romance novels to read in secret, she now crafts happily ever afters of her own. She lives in the Pennsylvania countryside with her Canadian husband and is a proud mom to their adorable but occasionally evil dog with a penchant for eating everything he shouldn't.
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Scarlet is giving away a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card when the tour ends.a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Masquerade Crew: 4.0 on the Masq Scale. The Child Thief by @MelissaSnark #fantasy #bookreview

The Masquerade Crew: 4.0 on the Masq Scale. The Child Thief by @MelissaSnark #fantasy #bookreview