PonyTails Book Reviews

Guest Post and Giveaway: My Dragons by Kathryne Kennedy

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:00:27 +0000

Kathryne Kennedy has won awards from the Arizona Author Association and the Colorado Romance Writers for her magical romances. She has lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives with her wonderful family in Arizona, where she is working on the next book in her Relics of Merlin series, Everlasting Enchantment. She welcomes readers to visit her her website where she has ongoing contests.

Meet My Dragons by Kathryne Kennedy

A big hello Jenn and all your readers! It’s a pleasure to be a guest at your blog today, and to meet another serious book and animal lover! After visiting your blog I knew right away which character I would be introducing from my book today. The dragon. Although many of my books feature animals—from Chihuahuas to monkeys to shape-shifting stallions—my current release features an intelligent, sometimes sarcastic, golden-scaled dragon.

I can’t help including an animal or two in my stories. They often provide that touch of whimsy or charm that make the book fun and engaging for me, and hopefully for my readers as well. When I was younger, I had a passion for horses. Although I couldn’t have one of my own, I had several friends who were kind enough to share theirs. Over the years I’ve had rabbits, dogs, cats, fish, snakes, tadpoles, geckos, birds and a crawdad or two. I currently have two little Chihuahuas that bring more joy and pleasure to my life than their 16 combined pounds should. And because I think they’re the most darling girls in the world, I had to share some of their pictures with you and your readers. The fluffy one is Precious, and the short-hair is Baggins…and they weren’t really into ‘modeling’ with one of my books. :}

In The Elven Lords series, the seven mad elven who invaded England flew through the barrier between worlds on their dragon-steeds. Each dragon is the color of the magical scepters of the elven lords, and carries a form of each particular power. Here is a glimpse at each of them:

Ador of the black scepter spouts fire.
Kalah of the blue scepter breathes lightning.
Mi’cal of the green scepter exhales a mist that creates thorny vines, a grove of trees, meadows of flowers.
Grimor’ee of the golden scepter puffs a misty smoke of illusion.
Midaz of the violet scepter can expel a fog that can turn anything to stone.
Grendl of the silver scepter spews molten metal.
Kiz’rah of the brown scepter has a roar that can cause the earth to split.

In The Lord of Illusion, we meet Grimor’ee, the golden dragon of glamour and illusion. In this scene, we see him through my hero’s point of view:

Drystan watched in amazement as a rosy hue flushed the dragon’s golden scales from snout to tail. Great wings rose and covered Camille for a moment, apparently the version of a dragon’s hug.

“You humans,” he rumbled, “have such capacity for greatness within your concept of love.” His golden eyes glanced at Drystan, who stood with arms crossed, watching the beast with as much obvious distrust and skepticism as he could display with a raised brow and a sneer.

“And weakness,” added Grimor’ee, removing his wings from around her and pointing them skyward. “We will speak again, Camille. You must promise to visit me tomorrow evening. Will you do so?”

“Yes. Yes, of course, if you wish it.”

Grimor’ee gazed at her silently, the smaller scales covering his forehead folding together as if contemplating a serious and disturbing matter. “I do so wish it.” He stretched out his wings to their full length, easily twice his height. “Now get the man from my sight before I turn him into a frog. He annoys the human hell out of me.”
She backed up as the dragon stroked the air with his wings, the cozy fireplace Grimor’ee had conjured disappearing as if washed away by the breeze he created. Drystan leaped forward and shielded her body with his as the dragon took to the air, his golden scales shining against the night sky as brilliantly as the stars twinkling above.

“You hurt his feelings,” said Camille.

Drystan sighed. “Dragons have no feelings, Camille. At least, none that remotely resemble a human’s. It is a grave mistake for you to think so.”

“Is it?” She pulled away from him, heading back toward the bridge between castle and tower. “He has never lied to me.”
Drystan scowled, trudging after her through the freshly fallen snow.

Devil take it. Could he be jealous of a dragon?

My dragons became more pivotal to the plot than I had first intended. Their interactions with humans gave them empathy and emotion that developed over the course of the series, until they fought the enchantment the elven lords had put on them, and became actively involved in the fight for England’s freedom.

Thank you so much for having me here today, Jenn! I hope you and your readers enjoyed the sneak peek into the dragons of THE ELVEN LORDS series. Do any of you have a favorite fantasy creature? Or a favorite pet? I would love to hear about it!

My Magical Best,
Kathryne

*********

Thank you to Ms. Kennedy for coming to PonyTails today to talk about your fur-babies and dragons!

The wonderful Danielle Jackson at Sourcebooks Casablanca has agreed to sponsor a giveaway of 2 copies of THE LORD OF ILLUSION . It is open to US and Canadian residents only. I will do a random selection from the entries for the two winners on March 1, 2012. To enter, please fill out the form at the end of the post.

About The Lord Of Illusion:

He’ll do anything to save her…

Rebel Lord Drystan Hawkes dreams of fighting for England’s freedom from the endless evils of the Elven Lords. He gets his chance when he finds a clue to opening the magic portal to Elfhame, and he must race to find the slave girl who holds the key to the mystery. But even as Drystan rescues Camille Ashton from Dreamhame Palace, it becomes unclear exactly who is saving whom.

For the fate of humankind lies with Camille…

Enslaved for years in a realm where illusion and glamour reign, Camille has learned to trust nothing and no one. But she’s truly spellbound when she meets Drystan–a man different from any she’s ever known, and the force of their passion may yet be strong enough to banish the Elven Lords from this world forever.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Cross-genre Madness by M.L. Buchman

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:36 +0000

M. L. Buchman has worked in fast food, theater, computers, publishing, and light manufacturing. It’s amazing what you can do with a degree in geophysics. At one point he sold everything and spent 18-months riding a bicycle around the world. In 11,000 miles, he touched 15 countries and hundreds of amazing people. Since then, he has acquired a loving lady, the coolest kid on the planet, and lives in Portland, Oregon. For more information, please visit his website.

Cross-genre Madness by M.L. Buchman

First, Jenn, thank you so much for having me aboard to chat about writing, my favorite topic (big surprise, huh?). I was totally caught by your “about you” comment regarding your own reading tastes: romance, SF/F, and suspense. I love the variety of reading across genres and across time periods, I’m currently in Westerfeld’s Leviathan, there’s a Lee Child on my night stand, and my Kindle for commuting is presently loaded with the six novels of Jane Austen.

The thing I found so amusing about your note: what’s happened to your reading tastes has happened to my writing.

I set out to be an SF/F writer and made an immediate sale to a small press. The publisher decided that the Romance Writer’s of America needed to be shown that men were interested in romance as well and dragged four of us to the 1996 RWA National Conference, even though none of us wrote romance at that time. Seven guys and eighteen hundred women, a serious wakeup call I can tell you. I read my first romance while there, actually my first 3 (didn’t sleep much), and was completely hooked.

But the more I read, the more challenging it became. Romance is not as easy to write as it might first appear, especially not to an over-confident sf writer. Let’s just say that my first two romances went in the trash can, after they were finished, and my next two went through several complete redrafts before I had learned enough. Learned enough to craft an engaging story about a happily ever after love, that is a given fact from the first scene, but can’t actually work until the last scene… That’s the biggest fun of writing. Learning how to tell a story.

But how did my first national sale end up being a military romantic suspense? Well, while I was exploring romance, I was also exploring suspense. I liked the tension, the conflict that a suspense plot naturally brings to the story. So there I am, taking a break from my most recent failed romance manuscript, happily writing away on a foodie thriller. The U.S. Special Forces are hunting America’s top television chef (eventually published as Swap Out!) and a woman flies in to the rescue. She flying a helicopter, which I know little about; a secret helicopter, which I know less about; and she’s a warrior’s warrior, which I know nothing about. And military, about which I know even less than that if possible.

Now I love writing about strong women, they fascinate me endlessly. Sure, I’m male, that’s part of it. But I look at the inner strength of the woman who foolishly agreed to marry me some years ago and I can’t help but be daunted by her strength. Stuff I know for a fact I would never survive, and I’m not just talking about childbirth, she’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. (And still she was foolish enough to say, “Yes!” when I asked. Go figure.) Actually every book I’ve ever written, except Swap Out!, is centered on a strong woman, no matter what genre it’s in.

So, with no military background of any kind, I began to research what drove the people who fight for our country, not as a tour, but as a career. And especially for the Special Forces. For them, there’s no glory, because a job well done is the one never talked about. The more I learned of them, the more I came to respect them. And the more I wanted to honor the passion they bring to their lives and their country.
So there I was, having to learn about military helicopters and warrior thinking in order to write this strong woman who was only a secondary character in my thriller. And eventually, not being too much denser than the average brick, I put the pieces together, my new-found study of the warrior spirit, my fascination with the deep strength of women, and my desire to tell a romance, and hopefully tell it well, all came together. Warrior women flying secret military helicopters falling in love with the men they deserve.

I sold the four-book series, “The Night Stalkers,” to Sourcebooks/Casablanca on a letter and a sample chapter. Then went through two massive redrafts working with the amazing editor Deb Werksman before I finally was able to tell the story I’d set out to find three years earlier.

The Night is Mine is about the first woman to fly with the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). The real-life Night Stalkers were the first over the horizon in Grenada, Panama, and Bin Laden’s compound among a thousand other exploits. They’ve died for their country on Takur Ghar, the streets of Somali and places we’ve never heard of, and never will.

And it is about the men they deserve, men who are as dedicated, stubborn, and tough as they are.
They fly together out of my desire to write in two genres landing in one, suspense and romance into military romantic suspense. My deepest hopes are that I did honor them as I intended and that you enjoy reading this book even half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks again for having me aboard.

M.L. Buchman

*********

Thank you to Mr Buchman for coming to PonyTails today! I love learning about the evolutionary writing process every author goes through.

The wonderful Danielle Jackson at Sourcebooks Casablanca has agreed to sponsor a giveaway of 2 copies of THE NIGHT IS MINE . It is open to US and Canadian residents only. I will do a random selection from the entries for the two winners on February 10, 2012. To enter, please fill out the form at the end of the post.

About The Night Is Mine:

NAME: Emily Beale
RANK: Captain
MISSION: Fly undercover to prevent the assassination of the First Lady, posing as her executive pilot.

NAME: Mark Henderson, code name Viper
RANK: Major
MISSION: Undercover role of wealthy, ex-mercenary boyfriend to Emily

Their jobs are high risk, high reward:

Protect the lives of the powerful and the elite at all cost. Neither expected that one kiss could distract them from their mission. But as the passion mounts between them, their lives and their hearts will both be risked…and the reward this time may well be worth it.

If you click the book image it will take you to my review of The Night Is Mine.

The Night Is Mine is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. From Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

The Night Is Mine by M.L. Buchman

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:13:06 +0000

From Publisher’s Website

NAME: Emily Beale
RANK: Captain
MISSION: Fly undercover to prevent the assassination of the First Lady, posing as her executive pilot.

NAME: Mark Henderson, code name Viper
RANK: Major
MISSION: Undercover role of wealthy, ex-mercenary boyfriend to Emily

Their jobs are high risk, high reward:

My Review:

I greatly enjoyed this debut romance novel by M.L. Buchman. He did a great job of bringing the world of an elite Army Air Regiment to life, with just enough technical details to make the book interesting without crossing in to the Tom Clancy realm.

I feel that the romance portion of this story fell a little short, especially toward the end. The hero never did any real courting of the heroine, even when he was pretending to be her boyfriend. The few romantic scenes were enjoyable. A couple of them were too short. If there had been more courting, I thing the end of the book would have been more believable.

There is another thing I feel wasn’t necessary, especially how it threw the heroine off track romantically. But I don’t want to spoil anything of the story, so I won’t describe it.

I give The Night Is Mine a 4 Horseshoe rating!

The Night Is Mine is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. From Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions.

M.L Buchman will be visiting PonyTails on February 3rd with a Guest Post and a giveaway! Be sure to join us!

Publication Details:

Author	M.L. Buchman
Title	The Night Is Mine
Format	Print
Length	402 Pages
Publication Date	February 2012
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-5810-7

Demons Like It Hot by Sidney Ayers

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:32:17 +0000

From Publisher’s Website

A RECIPE FOR DISASTER…

Matthias Ambrose is a demon mercenary who never took sides, until his attraction to the spunky caterer he was hired to kidnap leads him to almost botch a job for the first time in eight hundred years. Now he must protect her from his former clients, but even an ice—cold demon like Matthias struggles to resist her fiery charms.

OR THE PERFECT INGREDIENTS FOR PASSION…

Completely engrossed with planning menus and prepping recipes for her shot at cooking show fame, star caterer Serah SanGermano refuses to believe she’s on a fast track to Hades. But how is she supposed to stick to the kitchen if she can’t stand the heat of her gorgeous demonic bodyguard? As a wicked plot to destroy humanity unfolds and all hell breaks loose in Serah’s kitchen, she and Matthias find themselves knee—deep in demons and up to their eyeballs in love…

My Review:

While I read this book I enjoyed it, but afterward I did not have the drive to re-read any of it. This is the second book in a series, and I have not read the first book. I don’t know if my reaction to this book is due to the fact I didn’t read the first book.

I felt that this story was missing very important pieces. Especially about the previous mission Matthias had with Serah. Because of this it took about 100 pages before I figured out what was important to story.

I did enjoy the characters and some of the twists to the plot. I think I will read the first book in the series, Demons Prefer Blondes, and see if that changes my feelings about this book.

I give Demons Like It Hot a 3 Horseshoe rating.

Demons Like It Hot is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	Sidney Ayers
Title	Demons Like It Hot
Format	Print
Length	418 Pages
Publication Date	December 2011
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-5177-1

Mise En Place by A. ‘Jeeper’ Wade

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:14:18 +0000

From Publisher’s Website:

Sylas Hanson’s life is beginning to go the direction he always wanted. His career is flourishing and now he has married the most amazing woman he has ever met. Veronica not only accepted his relationship ideals, she embraced them. He isn’t stopping there however; he wants to open a restaurant of his own. It has been his life’s dream, now he had a plan to make it a reality… while on their honeymoon in St. Paul de Vence in the south of France. Now he just needed to break the news to Veronica.

How will Veronica react to the news that Sylas has some secrets from his past? Will Sylas be able to chase his dreams while keeping Veronica happy? What will Sylas do when Veronica reveals some secrets of her own?

My Review:

Jeeper did a great job with his follow up to his debut novella Refired. Mise En Place follows Sylas and Veronica on their honeymoon in France. Through this story, Jeeper added depth to these characters as they figure out their relationship with each other and deal with difficulties that are common in any marriage, no matter how new it is. Part of me wants another novella that follows these two, but I also really want stories about some of the other charters.

Jeeper has improved as an author from his first novella to this one. The sex scenes were extremely hot, better than porn. I could easily see in my head the scenes, and I would swear that a few times, I could feel Sylas’s hands on me. *swoon* He has found his voice as a male erotic author.

I am excited to see what he has coming up next. I hope it will be a full length novel.

I give Mise En Place a 5 Horseshoe rating.

Mise En Place is available on Kindle and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	A ‘Jeeper’ Wade
Title	Mise En Place
Format	eBook
Length	Novella
Publication Date	August 2011
Publisher	LazyDay Publishing
ISBN	978-1-6125-8034-0

My Top Ten Favorite Reads Of 2011

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

In December, Rosey from Rosey’s Reviews sent me a message asking if I wanted to contribute my Top Ten Favorite Books of 2011 after I participated in the half year Top Ten List.

It was a hard list to come up with. I strictly looked at the 16 books I had given a 5 Horseshoe rating and from those picked the books I have read more than once. I noticed that my Top Five have not changed from the first list, and like on that one the top three are easily interchangeable.

The images are linked to my review of the books. I hope you enjoy.

1. The Legend of Michael by Lisa Renee Jones

This book is number one because I have been recommending it like crazy to people! Lisa did an amazing job with her first book of her Zodius Series. (I think my mom has re-read it more than I have!)

The Legend Of Michael is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions and from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook Editions.

Publication Details:

Author: Lisa Renee Jones

Title: The Legend Of Michael

Number of Pages: 382

Publication Date: May 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 978-1-4022-5156-6

2. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

This was my first Steampunk book and what a great introduction to the genre! This is the book I recommend to those who want to get in to this genre. Meljean did an amazing job with giving her readers a living, breathing Victorian era story that relies on automation. I have not had the chance to read the second book, but the novellas are just as enjoyable!

The Iron Duke is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions and from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook Editions.

Publication Details:

Author: Meljean Brook

Title: The Iron Duke

Format: eBook

Publication Date: October 5, 2010

Publisher: Berkley Trade

ISBN: 978-0-4252-3667-6

3. 12.21.12 by Killian McRae

This is an amazing debut book by Killian McRae. She did a masterful job of weaving a contemporary story that explored the history of Egypt and the paranoid suspicion of the Mayan Calendar. If you love Indian Jones, Stargate, and Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon, you will love this book!

12.21.12 is available from Amazon in Kindle edition and from Barnes and Noble in Nook Edition.

Publication Details:

Author: Killian McRae

Title: 12.21.12

Format: eBook

Publication Date: December 2010

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-9363-0554-4

4. Cowboy Fever by Joanne Kennedy

Cowboy Fever is Joanne Kennedy’s third contemporary western romance. The primary story is a rekindled relationship story between the two main characters (one of my favorite types of romance), but the underlying plot is an amazing social acceptance and education story. Joanne shows in this story that everyone, no matter their physical or mental disabilities, is capable of great things if given the chance and motivation.

Cowboy Fever is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions and from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook Editions.

Publication Details:

Author: Joanne Kennedy

Title: Cowboy Fever

Number of Pages: 393

Publication Date: April 1, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 978-1-402-25141-2

5. On The Edge by Ilona Andrews

I greatly enjoy Ilona Andrews’ writing. This husband and wife team writes fantastic Urban Fantasy books. They write deep characters that are fun to watch grow through their stories. I knew that this book was going to be good when it starts with Rose shooting her grandfather with a crossbow.

On The Edge is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions and from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook Editions.

Publication Details:

Author: Ilona Andrews

Title: On The Edge

Format: Ebook

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

Publisher: Penguin Group

ISBN: 978-0-4410-1780-5

6. Badlands by Seleste deLaney

Badlands is a Steampunk Novella that takes place in the United States after the civil war, but it is a different world than what our history shows. Seleste wrote beautiful deep characters, and left me very satisfied with the story. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Badlands is available from Amazon in Kindle edition and from Barnes and Noble in Nook Edition.

Publication Details:

Author: Seleste deLaney

Title: Badlands

Format: Ebook

Publication Date: February 28, 2011

Publisher: Carina Press

ISBN: 978-1-4268-9125-0

7. Savor The Danger by Lori Foster

Savor The Danger the third book in Lori’s Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor series. I fell in love with Jackson after he had a night of passion with a woman he had been chasing for months and then couldn’t remember the night. While trying to protect her, he spends his time trying to convince her to do it again. Sometimes a desperate Alpha Male is fun to read.

Savor The Danger is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes And Noble in Print and Nook editions.

Publication Details:

Author: Lori Foster

Title: Savor The Danger

Number of Pages: 411

Publication Date: June 28, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN: 978-0-3737-7582-8

8. Locked In Silence by Shiloh Walker

Locked In Silence is book of Shiloh’s Grimm Series. Out of the ones I’ve read so far (which isn’t the whole series, yet), this one really touched me. I won’t spoil who the lead is, but his story is a tear jerker.

Locked In Silence is available from Amazon in Kindle edition and from Barnes And Noble in Nook edition.
Publication Details:

Author: Shiloh Walker

Title: Locked In Silence

Format: eBook

Publication Date: September 20, 2011

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

ISBN: 978-1-6092-8528-9

9. Giving Up The Ghost by Melissa Ecker

With Giving Up The Ghost, Melissa gave every woman even more reason to hold tight on to their spouse. This is the story of a woman who loses her husband in a tragic accident and a year later believes he is visiting her. But things aren’t as they seem. Make sure you have a box of tissue next to you when you read this one!

Giving Up The Ghost is available from Amazon in Kindle and Print editions. Also from Barnes And Noble in Nook edition.

Publication Details:

Author: Melissa Ecker

Title: Giving Up The Ghost

Format: eBook

Publication Date: April 2011

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

ISBN: 978-1-9358-1781-9

10. Creed’s Honor by Linda Lael Miller

Creed’s Honor is the second book in Linda’s 2011 Creed Trilogy. This series is following the Creed’s of Colorado. Linda Lael Miller has given her readers a couple, everyone can relate to, who reminds us all that home is where love thrives and that love has a stronger pull than anything else in the world.

Creed’s Honor is available on from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook editions

Publication Details:

Author: Linda Lael Miller

Title: Creed’s Honor

Number of Pages: 377

Publication Date: June 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

ISBN: 978-0-3737-7580-4

There are many other books that deserve to be on a top ten list but these are my favorites of 2011. What are favorite books from 2012?

How To Worship A Goddess By Stephanie Julian

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:10:48 +0000

From Publisher’s Website

HE’S EXACTLY WHAT SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED,

AND SHE UNLEASHES HIM LIKE A FORCE OF NATURE…

Lucy was once the beloved Goddess of the Moon, and she could have any man she wanted. But these days, the goddesses of the Etruscan pantheon are all but forgotten. The only rituals she enjoys now are the local hockey games, where one ferociously handsome player still inflames her divine blood…

Brandon Stevenson is one hundred percent focused on the game, until he looks up and sees a celestial beauty sitting in the third row. A man could surely fall hard for a distraction like that…

My Review:

This is the second book in the Forgotten Goddesses series and boy was it a scorcher! A sexy Goddess of the Moon who doesn’t mind the darkness some men carry and a Hockey player who can give her what she wants.

Stephanie Julian knows how to deliver an Erotic Romance. Plenty of hot, steamy sex and a fun story to go with it. Personally I don’t think the story was as strong as her first book, What A Goddess Wants, but it was still enjoyable.

I feel that the end of the book was rushed. Almost as if the author discovered her deadline was looming and she found an easy way out for the characters. The scene that takes place in Chimer was disappointing as a climactic scene. With a little more work, it could have been epic.

Stephanie Julian does create wonderful characters and I love her weaving in the mythos of the Etruscans. Everything from their Goddesses to the shape shifters. She also weaves in some of the mythos of other pantheons as well, like the Norse berserkir .

I am looking forward to the next Forgotten Goddesses book, Goddess In The Middle, which is due to come out in Summer 2012.

I give How To Worship A Goddess a 4 Horseshoe rating!

How To Worship A Goddess is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	Stephanie Julian
Title	How To Worship A Goddess
Format	Print
Length	304 Pages
Publication Date	December 2011
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-5150-4

The Highlander’s Heart by Amanda Forester

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:25:03 +0000

From Publisher’s Website

Fleeing into the wilderness to escape an abusive marriage, Lady Isabelle Tynsdale would sooner face down a wild boar than spend another night with her wretched husband. Battered by the elements, desperate to elude a band of attackers, and defending herself against, as fate would have it, a wild boar she is rescued by the handsome Laird David Campbell.

Campbell knows holding Isabelle captive for ransom is his best chance to temper the storm threatening to destroy his clan. The ransom of an English countess should be more than enough to pay off his debts to England and save him from an unwanted marriage. But Isabelle didn’t escape her husband just to become another man’s captive and Laird Campbell is seriously misguided if he thinks she’s going to go quietly.

My Review:

One of my favorite genres to read, other than Contemporary Western Romance, is Historical Romance. Especially Scottish Historical Romance. Scottish history has fascinated me almost as long as horses have. I was very impressed with Ms. Forester’s knowledge of 1350′s Scottish and British History and her ability to convey it during the story.

The characters were well created and one could easily believe that they lived and breathed during those difficult years of political turmoil in Scotland and on the border between Scotland and England. David stole my heart in his very first scene. He will never take the place of my favorite Highlander, but he is high up on my list.

I did find my self occasionally getting annoyed with Isabelle. Her lack of common sense about things drove me nuts. If a guy is chasing your attacker in to the fog, don’t follow them. Sit your butt down and wait for him to return or the fog lifts.

A problem with Advanced Reader Copies, is that you don’t know if repeated information has been removed. When ever Isabelle considers prayer, the reader is told how she really doesn’t believe in it. This was repeated over and over. I hope that the printed edition doesn’t have this repetition.

There was a few minor things in the story that bothered me. One was how the author waited until almost the end of the book to name the English King, and even then she only called him King Edward, not King Edward III. Through out the book he was strictly referred to as the English King.

The other issue was a historical time line. It bugged me enough to dig through my Scottish history books. The story takes place in 1355 and there is a discussion between two characters about a rumor that the captured King David II was negotiating his release by offering the throne of Scotland to King Edward III’s son John of Gaunt. According to history, in 1352 King David II was paroled and attended a parliament meeting in Scotland. At that meeting, he gave them the terms of his release, which required the Scots to declare Prince John of Gaunt as the next King of Scotland. The Scots turned it down. In 1354, a ransom of 90,000 Scottish merks to paid over nine years was agreed upon. The paying of the ransom and the offering of the Scottish throne to England play important roles in this story. The time line mistake was very minor and most people would never notice.

Even with the minor issues, I did greatly enjoy this book and look forward to the next one. Might even need to look up the first one as well.

I give The Highlander’s Heart a 4 Horseshoe rating!

The Highlander’s Heart is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	Amanda Forester
Title	The Highlander’s Heart
Format	Print
Length	448 Pages
Publication Date	November 2011
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-5304-1

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:10 +0000

From Publisher’s Website

He’s One Hot Cowboy. . .

Raylen O’Donnell is one smokin’ cowboy. He could have any woman he wants, but he’s never been able to forget a certain dark-haired girl who disappeared from his life. So when she suddenly returns to the ranch next door, Raylen’s not fixing to let her get away again . . .

And She’s Out For a Sizzlin’ Christmas

Raised in a traveling carnival, Lizelle Hanson thought all she wanted was a house that didn’t have wheels and a sexy cowboy for her very own. But when settling down’s going to take some getting used to, and catching Raylen, the hotter-than-hell cowboy next door, might just take a little holiday magic. . .

My Review:

In Darn Good Cowboy Christmas, we meet up with youngest son of the O’Donnell family. We met the oldest, Rye in Love Drunk Cowboy. I think out of the O’Donnell boys, Raylen is my favorite. He is a hard worker on his parent’s horse farm and then turns around to help others.

Liz was a fun character, a carney turned Texas ranch owner. I found myself telling the voices in Liz’s head to shut up when they tried to convince her that she wasn’t meant to live a non gypsy life style. Her excitement for the holidays and for decorating, reminded me of my own love of decorating for the holidays (a love that has gotten side tracked in my own life).

Liz and Raylen complement each other very well. They had strong chemistry and a fun relationship. I enjoyed the banter they shared and their passion sizzled off the pages.

However, there was a scene that I felt wasn’t needed in the telling of the story. Unfortunately, I find this very commonly in Carolyn’s books. The scene added very little to the story. The main point of the scene was to give the history about a specific holiday decoration. The information provided could have been done in another way, via a note with item or during one of the many conversations Liz had with her uncle.

Also, I did find myself impatient for the story to wrap up toward the end. The couple declared their love for each other, the big family event happened, and there was still another 50 pages to go. I know that Carolyn wanted to get the story to Christmas day, but the main build up of the story was to the big carnival family Thanksgiving party. To be a true Christmas story, the time line of the novel needed to be adjusted closer to Christmas so that is the important part of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story that was told. It was an enjoyable read.

I give Darn Good Cowboy Christmas a 4 Horseshoe rating!

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas is available from Amazon in Print and Kindle editions. Also from Barnes and Noble in Print and Nook.

Publication Details:

Author	Carolyn Brown
Title	Darn Good Cowboy Christmas
Format	Print
Length	379 Pages
Publication Date	November 2011
Publisher	Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN	978-1-4022-6157-2

And The Winners Are…..

Jenn Baker AKA BronwynK — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:08:19 +0000

Sorry it has taken me a few days to get this posted. I know you all have been biting your nails in anticipation!!!

I used Random.org to choose the lucky winners of Joanne Kennedy’s Tall, Dark and Cowboy and Anita Clenney’s Embrace The Highland Warrior

The 2 winners of Tall, Dark and Cowboy are….

The 2 winners of Embrace The Highland Warrior are….

Ladies, I have sent your information to Sourcebooks Casablanca and they will send you the book you won!

Thank you to everyone who entered!