DAUGHTERS OF PERSEPHONE I & II
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Available: July 13, 2010
Erotic Fantasy Romance
Purchase at: Resplendence Publishing

Cover Summary:
Aja Bokinan, of noble blood, is the Thousand Year Empress who has grown to adulthood in exile. Throughout the Empire, women are banned from public life, have no legal rights, and have become little better than property.

In an attempt to kill off the royal line and end all resistance, Aja is kidnapped by a General who intends to inject her with a lethal virus, hoping she will infect her family and Women of the Blood everywhere.

Kyr Aram, is a smuggler and secret resistance fighter. He must find a way to protect Aja from both the General and a traitor on his own ship who wishes to see her dead. With the Thousand Year Empress, he gets more than he bargained for.

My Review: EXILE is an introduction to a hierarchy where women inherit the powers. Over the course of time unrest begins to play havoc among the men and some will fight the female leadership till the bitter end, splitting the races up in the Coalition and the Resistance. The Empress and her three daughters have escaped their exile and this is where I meet one of those daughter; Aja and a ship’s captain; Kyr, who is trying to avoid an encounter with the Coalition.

Julia Rachel Barrett plunges the reader in an escape and from there on out it is a constant evading of traitors and enemies. If there is one thing that grabbed my attention it is the compelling set-up of a pre-dominant female hierarchy and the scheming for the freedom of the Empress and her daughters. Throughout the story much information of the race’s history and current situation is conveyed via Aja herself. This provided a natural and accessible way for me to understand what happened in the past, how it affected the here and now, and what dangers their inherent powers present.

This is but the first story in an overarching storyline but in EXILE the thrill of the chase; will they, or won’t they make it to safety created some dire circumstances. The fact that Kyr and Aja needed to get to safety also spiced up the romance, which alternated between endearing and fiery but also had a few bumps in the road. The back story and world building took away pages from the romance which made the chemistry between Aja and Kyr work but the depth of emotion poured out of them by the end wasn’t something I could surrender completely to. If the romance would’ve been given a bit more room or pages it would’ve become all the more credible regarding the trust issues and the sharing of powers.

Aja was the stronger character in EXILE, just as her race intended her to be. She is a Seer, born and bred of the Blood. She knows her duties but it is fueled by an inner compassionate force and she took me in to her culture, which I enjoyed to the fullest. Now Kyr is a born and bred hero, a leader, strong, capable and fierce if need be and his charisma alluring. Aja was flanked by Kyr, who became her consort in every way and together they were a likable couple.

Julia Rachel Barrett’s imagination concocted an intriguing world, a new culture and customs that isn’t intricate but holds everything to make it come alive on the pages. I’m always up for a good battle where I can cheer for my team, live the tension, feel the passion ignite between two people and receive a romantic high at the end, and while I gotten some elements in a better dosage then others this author has just started in this novella series.

With EXILE I received a story that contains an intriguing start to the Daughters Of Persephone series!

First a big thanks to ROOB for inviting me to blog. I’m so happy to be here, and am giving away a set of my books, Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall, to a lucky commenter.
First a question: When a person gives their life for something, it’s often considered the ultimate selfless act. So what happens if someone gives up their… death?

I can remember exactly when I was piecing out the ideas for the first book in my Shadow series, Shadow Bound. I was sitting on my bedroom floor, in pajamas, brainstorming. I had sticky notes. And I think I was talking to myself out loud. A mythology book was open and I recall passing an entry for “banshee”. Something clicked in my head and so I stopped there. The boundary between life and death has always interested me, and so using a banshee as my heroine had all sorts of possibilities.

But I still couldn’t get a handle on her. I needed to know more. I had to know how she came to be, how she was conceived. As a world-building exercise, I wrote what is now the prologue of Shadow Bound. You can read it here
 
In it, a mortal woman seduces a fae lord of Twilight, the land between the mortal world and the Hereafter. She names him Shadowman, but to other people he’s called the Grim Reaper, aka Death. His duty is to courier souls across his faery realm upon their deaths. Twilight is the place of magic, of nightmare and dreams.

Then I understood that my banshee, Talia O’Brien, has one foot in each world, and therefore has a unique perspective on both sides of the veil. Except Talia doesn’t know what she is; all she knows is that when she screams, the Grim Reaper comes. Shadow is her refuge; she can hide herself in it and blind others with darkness.

When Shadowman trespassed into the mortal world, he inadvertently let a demon, the Death Collector, cross as well. In the mortal realm, The Death Collector offers immortality to anybody who wants it. All a person has to do is give up their death (and their soul) to get it, becoming a wraith.

Enter Adam Thorne, Shadow Bound’s hero. His brother Jacob made this hideous trade. Jacob has become a monster and now has to feed on other human beings to retain any semblance of humanity. At first Adam wanted to save Jacob, but long years of work and misery have made him just want to kill him. But Adam can’t. Jacob is immortal. Adam needs somebody who can call Shadowman to cut Jacob out of the world—he needs Talia. He gets a lot more than he expected. A sleeping beauty and a badass rolled into one. And watch out when she screams. You can read more about Adam and Jacob in a special prequel excerpt here
 
I sold Shadow Bound out of a contest. When I spoke to my future editor, she told me about a new program for debut authors that the publisher was initiating—Dorchester’s Publisher’s Pledge. I was very honored that Shadow Bound was selected for this program. First, the program includes a letter from my editor in the front matter of my published book. It also includes a money-back guarantee to readers, encouraging them to try a new author. I was thrilled to be included, and utterly blown away when she also made the second book in the series, Shadow Fall, a Publisher’s Pledge title too.

The second book in the series, Shadow Fall, centers on Custo Santovari, a character who was introduced in Shadow Bound. Well, tortured is more like it. And he’s tortured some more in his own story as he tries to save Annabella, a ballerina who has lured a wolf out of Twilight. Annabella is about to make her debut as the principal dancer in Giselle. But as in a dream, the story of her ballet transcends to fairy tale and is enacted both on the stage and in fae Twilight. She is seduced by the magic, and yet must master it.

Here are the back cover blurbs for both books:

 

Shadow Bound


Death

Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths

Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue

Adam Thorne founded the Segue Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.

Twilight

This is the place between life and what comes after—a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.

 

Shadow Fall


Sacrifice

Custo Santovari accepted pain, blood, even death, to save his best friend. But a man with all his sins just isn't cut out to be an angel.

Mystery

One moment he's fleeing Heaven; the next, he's waking up stark naked in Manhattan. In the middle of a war. Called there by a woman who's desperately afraid of the dark.

Shadow

It gathers around Annabella as she performs, filled with fantastic images of another world, bringing both a golden hero and a nightmare lover.

Wolf

He pursues her relentlessly, twisting her desires even as she gives herself to the man she loves. Because each of us has a wild side, and Annabella is about to unleash the beast.

Author’s bio:

Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall. Stories have always been a central part of Erin Kellison's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature, and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction. She lives in Arizona with her two beautiful daughters and husband, and she will have a dog (breed undetermined) when her youngest turns five.

You can contact Erin though her website, http://www.erinkellison.com/ where you can also sign up to receive her newsletter.

****Giveaway****
International, begins 7-27 and ends 8-3-2010. Erin Kellison has been extremely generous and will giveaway both SHADOW FALL & SHADOW BOUND to one commenter. Leave a [meaningfull] comment to be entered and a way for us to contact you. 
 

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 6, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1402236522
ISBN-13: 978-1402236525
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Book #1 in Elven Lord series
Main Characters: Dominic Raikes & Cassandra
On sale at: link to book at Book Depository Store

Summary:
If his powers are discovered, his father will destroy him...
In a magical land ruled by ruthless Elven Lords, the Fire Lord's son Dominic Raikes plays a deadly game to conceal his growing might from his malevolent father, until his arranged bride awakens in him passions he thought he had buried forever.

Unless his bride kills him first...
Lady Cassandra has been raised in outward purity and innocence, while secretly being trained as an assassin. Her mission is to bring down the Elven Lord and his champion son. But when she gets to court she discovers that nothing is what it seems, least of all the man she married...

Then Dominic and Cassandra together discover an unspeakable evil, one that threatens the destruction of the magical realm they would give their souls to save...

Leontine's Review: Kathryne Kennedy has again managed to bring a world to the reader that is brimming with wonderful fantasy ingredients like elemental magic. It’s incorporated in many facets of this world I ventured in from buildings to social structure creating a fully realized setting. And not only the magic enticed me again, there’s a game with rules that transforms England and its inhabitants in to pawns for the all powerful Elven Lords to play with. With an easy flowing writing style I absorbed the back story of how the Elven Lords came to play a cruel game, to concur land and possess the King for their own court...

The first thing that grabbed my attention was how quickly and effortlessly Kathryne Kennedy seemed to create a world, give me a concept of how cruel the Elven Lords were and how they keep immortal boredom away with their games. But with the suppression of the English people the Rebellion against theElven Lords rises. From the first page I could feel the darker tone of this fantasy romance and I couldn’t wait to meet the main protagonists. In such a darker setting I always experience the joys in life and romance all the more intense. What I got was a hero that had me at hello.

Dominic Raikes is the Elven Lord Mor’dred’s bastard son, with strong magic flowing in his veins he is the kind of leading male that carries a story by the sheer force of his presence and personality. He is a leader; stern, aloof, distant, in control, and sometimes he gave his all not to be liked. Still, as the story progressed I got a revealing look at another side of him. The side that surfaced when he let go of his rigid control. A gentle, compassionate side that emanated a hunger to give and receive affection. He mesmerized me, enveloped me in his personality of reasoning, emotional highs he tried to keep in check so others might be safe. Everything about him seduced me and I could understand Cassandra’s reactions so well to his person.

Cassandra is trained to be a spy and would infiltrate enemy territory by marrying Dominic. She is a combination of righteous fire for the Rebellion yet also innocent. Wise but also inexperienced and challenging Dominic in all the right ways for him. Courage, intelligence but also kindness and a certain vulnerability is part of her personality. From the beginning the arranged marriage is very convincingly portrayed in their distance of emotions. Though Cassandra has been trained for years to be a spy for the Rebellion, once married, that swiftly seems to dwindle in the storm of emotions her new husband evokes. Both Dominic and Cass cannot afford to fall in love with each other, but love is an unstoppable force, which alters the scheming games profoundly. The romance did have a few bumpy moments in going from the distant, arranged marriage to Cass and Dominic realizing their feelings for one another. Once the romance took over, written in the moving prose of this author, I had no trouble anymore to completely surrender myself to the love that was blooming.

While I was pulled in to the romance, got comfortable with the world Kennedy created the plot took a bit of time to fully come to effect. Suddenly there were interesting twists and turns that gradually increased the tension of whether or not the good would vanquish the evil. I was sandwiched between a developing romance and a plot where the stakes were so very high, so much stood to lose and my hunger to devour the pages grew to a pinnacle till the very end. Leading up to that end this story contained it all but the actual fight did not entirely deliver on the promise throughout the story. I didn’t get that moment where tension piques, would they or would they not make it, and then that sweet, intense rush of relief. After the personal battles were fought I thought that the ending was nonetheless surprising and unconventional. Kathryne Kennedy made the solution work both in romance as in plot and at the same time spiral the epic battle between the Rebellion and the Elven Lords in to very exciting new grounds. One I can’t wait to explore further! 

The prose of Kathryne Kennedy speaks to me as I envision her world in my mind’s eye. The romance was something I reveled in, it was both charming, sweeping-of-your-feet romantic and toe-curling sensuous. Romance Fantasy is very addictive when it’s coming from Kathryne Kennedy’s incredible imagination!!

Quote Dominic:
“You must live,” he whispered to her. “For without you, I am done. Done and done with this torment that I have been living. You cannot bring such light to my life and then take it from me, you hear? Damn it Cass, do you hear me?”

Quote Dominic:

Dominic leaned over a crenel, not far from Ador, the stone cool and rough beneath his hands, the solid feel of it helping to anchor him to the earth again. Helping him to lock the horror of the cavern back into the small box in his mind that protected his sanity. But he could not do the same with his feelings for his wife. He’d admitted it to himself and her, and now he could never go back to feeling nothing again. She had breached his defenses, and he would be vulnerable. And he would do anything to keep her safe…and happy. Fie, he hadn’t considered the concept of happiness for so long, he wasn’t sure if he could even offer it. “I would change the world for her if I could,” he whispered to the deepening night, to the stars, to that God of hers that she would no longer believe in. Not after today. Ador’s sigh sounded like a great bellows, tingeing the air with the scent of sulfur and smoke. “I have waited long and long to hear you say those words.”

Salome at Sunrise
by Inez Kelley
On Sale Date: Jun 21, 2010
Category: Fantasy Romance, Romance, Shifters
eISBN: 9781426890253
Connected novel to Myla At Moonlight
On sale at: Carina Press

Cover Summary:
Bryton Haruk sets out on a suicide mission to stop the bloodthirsty Skullmen from terrorizing the war-weary Land of Eldwyn. Consumed by guilt over the death of his wife, Bryton seeks revenge and reunion in the afterlife with his lost love. His purpose is determined, his bravery unmatched, until the queen casts a spell to save Bryton from himself.

Salome is that spell. A bird-shifter, she can harness the earth's breeze and take the form of a beautiful, innocent woman. Her challenge is to harness Bryton's pain and guide him to peace. She entrances and irritates him, tempting Bryton from his mission. Even as he gives in to the passion between them, Bryton insists on mounting a solo attack on the brigands' compound, and Salome fears her love won't be enough to save him...

Leontine's Review: First of all, while SALOME AT SUNRISE can be read as a stand-alone I recommend reading Myla At Moonlight first to experience the full impact and character development of the core cast. Salome At Sunrise contains similar elements such as the heroine is created from a spell, soaring romance and an adversary who needs to be defeated in order for peace to settle in the land of Eldwynn.

It all begins with Bryton, he is the kings Might and Law but revenge burns bright in his soul for the skullmen and drives him to reckless behavior. The once easy-going charmer that Bryton was is gone and instead I found a bitter and angry man who is consumed by guilt and revenge. It actually shocked me a bit to find him this way and it instantly fired my curiosity what happened to him. In those first chapters I got it that something happened to his wife which fueled his recklessly pursuit of these Skullmen but to get the whole picture was a step-by-step progress.

Bryton eat, sleeps and breaths honor. He is a charmer, easy to laugh or make other people laugh and deeply loves those close to him. Still, none of these character traits were on the forefront in his own story. Bryon is grieving with a depth of true love lost and the portrayal of his character made me want him to find joy and love again. The progress of grieving and falling in love again with Salome had a few minor bumps in the road for me. Bryton grieved so intense for Katrina that at some moments it was hard to surrender myself to the attraction simmering between Salome and him. Bryton and Salome had a push-pull situation going on where Bryton did most of the pushing and Salome did most of the pulling.

Salome is created from a spell to bring peace and healing to Bryton. Salome is innocence personified but quickly learns to show her fiery side to Bryton. Her innocence and inner fire is what gives humor to their verbal sparring, sometimes Bryton would say something and would mean in figurative and Salome would pick it up literally. Salome gradually learns the ways of this world and while she keeps her wide-eyed moments of innocence, by the end of the story you know she is a woman to be reckoned with!

The Skullmen also played a significant role, not only as the adversaries, but also as the personal tormentors of Bryton. I heard via the characters of their malicious deeds and for the greater part of this story there were no actual encounters, which delivered the feeling while reading the story that their threat was a distant one. I never felt Bryton and Salome were in any danger most of the time and this only changed after two thirds in to the story.

Salome At Sunrise is a road trip romance that gives way for moments filled with many dialogues, finding out about the diabolical acts of the Skullmen and a budding passion. The focus of the story was on the main characters and their developing feelings. Salome’s center of attention was Bryton, trying to let him find inner peace and healing again. This progress contained desolate moments of pain and guilt combined with tender moments of humor and forgiveness. The romance was endearing and sweet as it was passionate and raw. Inez Kelley has a knack for making me feel all that her characters are going through, not only the main characters but also the supportive ones, as Myla and Taric also have some page time.

Inez Kelley has a lush voice creating beautiful descriptions of the backdrop allowing me to envision this world in the mind’s eye next to letting me absorb the emotions zinging between the H/h. Both elements easily let me immerse me again in the story told. I was encompassed by the all-or-nothing ending of the story and the love that crested in those scenes. SALOME AT SUNRISE is romance with a capital R, containing light fantasy elements and two characters who are a match for each other in heart and spirit. 

Quote:
Bryton rolled, his eyes open, staring at the star-strewn sky. His steady rising chest belied the thunder of his heartbeat but Salome heard it clearly. He turned his head, his gaze locking with hers. Heat arced between them, not the scorch of summer or the sting of fire but a low, brewing storm that gathered strength and power. One wing twitched and she blinked. No clouds darkened the night sky but a primal tempest was coming. It would not sway the trees, it would not feed the earth. It would affect only the two of them, and the outcome would sizzle with the kiss of lightning.

Quote:
The thought of Salome with another man, any man, soured his tongue. He couldn’t deny it, he wanted her. But it wouldn’t be right and she didn’t even understand why. How do you explain love to a magic spell? How do you explain the difference between raw, hard-core sex and making real love? How could he make her understand that he was afraid he’d lose Katina all over again, this time in Salome’s arms?

~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~
Inez Kelley has been so generous to add a giveaway to this review!! *woohoot* All you have to do is leave a comment to win an e-copy of SALOME AT SUNRISE. The winner will be randomly drawn on June 25th 2010. The winner will be e-mailed :)

“Myla by Moonlight” by Inez Kelley

Buy from MBaM
Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60504-660-0
Length: Novel (E-Book)
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: September 8, 2009
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Cover Summary:
Magic bites…

Created at Prince Taric’s birth, Myla is a spell, an enchantment designed to appear and protect him when he needs it most. She has always been content to do her duty…until one night of forbidden passion leaves her longing to experience life—and love—as a mortal woman. Yet the risk is too great. Even if her blood runs as red as his, she can never give him the one thing he needs: a child.

Taric’s blessing—and his curse—is knowing the kingdom’s future depends on his producing an heir to continue the bloodline. His bond with Myla has always been that of protector and protected. When it suddenly becomes something much more, he unwittingly sentences his people to certain death.

An old enemy is plotting to destroy all he holds dear: his lands, his people, his father, and his lover. And this time, even if they fight tooth and blade, their shared magic may not be enough to save them…

Warning: This book contains a shape-shifting bodyguard, sizzling sex scenes, supernatural lilac mist, swordfighting and heartbreaking sacrifices. No jaguars were harmed in the writing of this story.

Leontine's Review: MYLA BY MOONLIGHT is my introduction to author Inez Kelley and she delivered a calling card for an endearing, passionate romance with a different twist. The fantasy element is light and easy to understand, the story gradually increases in intensity and a battle becomes utterly personal for the Segur men.

Taric is crown prince of Eldwynn by birth, he is without a doubt charming in every way but also fierce as the warrior he is to protect the country he loves. Responsibility and duty due to his station alters with humorous bantering and an innate sensuality. The interaction he has with those around him and the choices he makes all speak of his in-charge attitude, his compassion and his ferocity. Every aspect of his character made Taric the kind of hero I could instantly like. He emanates the good qualities of a future king which didn’t surprise as I got to know his father who raised him, Balic.

Myla has been Taric’s magical guardian from the moment he was born. Her loyalty and protection lies first and foremost with Taric. There isn’t much, if nothing, she wouldn’t do for Taric. Her warrior side clashes with her blooming feminine side as new feelings stir. Myla is fierce as she can be gentle, she is curios and playful but never underestimate her, she would kill in order to protect the center of her world; Taric.

The intriguing twist in MYLA BY MOONLIGHT is definitely the origine of Taric and Myla’s relationship. Myla is created from a spell Taric’s mother casted at his birth to protect him. Myla can fight like a warrior, shapeshift, turn in to purple mist and return to Taric’s body where her conscience resides in a scar. They’ve known each other throughout Taric’s whole life and what niggled me the first part of the story was the fact that there is no reason given why Taric and Myla’s feelings change from charge and guardian in to that of sexual attraction and love. While Taric questions himself too no true answers were given and it was something I really missed at the conception of this romance. It felt like the balance between them as man and woman was off. Still, those niggling moments were mostly experienced in the beginning and short-lived because whatever the reason for this change of the emotions blooming between Taric and Myla was, it's undeniable present. This was also due to the writing style of Inez Kelley, her prose often sucked me in to the moment of passion, angst, humor or the friendly bantering between friends.

I couldn’t and wouldn’t deny the pull of Inez Kelley’s, at moments, lyrical voice; her world isn’t complex and her cast of characters small but so very likable. Yet what shined through were the times she could describe sceneries or emotions vibrating between people which made me completely surrender to moment. The struggles of an impossible love raises the stakes considerable with all the dangers and feelings that go with it. This is what matters most to me, whether or not I can feel the love blooming between two people, and Taric, together with Myla, gave me their sweet passion, their pain and tears but also their strength. The erotic moments increased along with the intensity of romantic feelings and in the end there was an erotic scene that blasted sensual heat and singed the pages.

When I think of the supportive characters two immediately come to mind; Balic, the king and father, and Bryton, the friend and captain. They are the kind of characters who enrich a tale because of their ties and their love for the main couple. Bryton infuses this story with his teasing humor, friendship and loyalty. Balic gives his unconditional love of a father, his support and wisdom, aside from the fact he is also king with all the joys and worries that come with the territory.

One of those worries is the battle that rages, a villain seeks revenge and it festers in his heart and soul. He will do all in his power to extinguish the Segur line. Again, the plot isn’t intricate but the evil actions and back story, the unfolding events that take place, it all drives towards a conclusion where I could only feel! I was there in that tower with the key characters turning the pages in bated breath how it would all solve and Inez Kelley held nothing back in the end. Gradually the author pulled me in to her world, had her characters tug at my heart strings and it emanated undiluted love in the end. An ending where everything culminates and I had to reach for the tissues as I lived and breathed every moment with them.

With MYLA BY MOONLIGHT the love shined in all its facets, that of a parent for his child, the love between two friends and at the center of it all the encompassing love of two heartmates, the love off Taric and Myla. I inhaled it all as the voracious romance reader that I am!

Quote:
I want. I burn. I love. She had always loved him but now, now she knew the difference between a woman’s love and the love of duty. One was a pale shadow of the other. A single thrust joined them. Her gasp echoed into his kiss and her eyes flew open. Burning. Filling. Possessing. Her body shuddered at the invasion, gripping tightly. Taric’s own gasp locked his eyes with hers. One word reverberated from his spirit and into hers, an unbreakable link between them. It brushed her essence in a whispered baritone. “Mine.”

~~~~~The Giveaway~~~~~
Inez Kelley has been so generous to add a giveaway to this review!! *woohoot* All you have to do is leave a comment to win an e-copy of MYLA BY MOONLIGHT. The winner will be randomly drawn on June 18th 2010.