Category: Shifters, Weres

Release Day Blitz for Suncatcher – Smilodon Pride Book 2 by Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus (Author and Character Interviews, exclusive excerpt and giveaway)

Sunchaser Release Blitz Banner

Smilodon Pride, Book Two
Genre: Paranormal, Adventure
Length: Novel

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words got lucky and not only are the authors here today but the 3 main characters as well!  We cornered them all and gave them some questions to answer and this is how it turned out!

From the authors, Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus:

  • Will we see more of the siblings interacting in this series?

Yes, we absolutely will. This book had a little scene with Roan’s and Connor’s sister Deirdre having her first appearance in person. The next book in the series, ‘Moonstealer’, will be mainly about her, but there will be some interaction with her brother Connor from ‘Softpaw’. As the series progresses, we plan to bring all of them together more closely, with more interaction between them until the three storylines converge altogether.

  • Will we learn more about Martin?

Eventually, his past will be revealed and he will even be able to turn back into a human. But there’s no miracle cure for him – it’s going to be a piece of work for the entire pride.

  • Will we see more about the twist at the end of the first book with the judge?

Yes, of course. All three storyline are connected and will merge at some point over the course of the series. As it stands for now, the next book after ‘Moonstealer’ will return to Paris and continue Connor’s and Michel’s storyline. Though we also plan to have something of a poll for our readers once ‘Moonstealer’ is out, to see how and where they’d like the story to continue. The way we have set up the series, with three initial storylines that will eventually converge into one, we have several options on whom to put the focus on in future books. So while we will continue with the overall storyline as planned, there’s definitely going to be reader input involved.

From the characters, Betsy, Roan and their wolf friend, Martin:

For Betsy: How does it feel to be human amid non humans? How scary, small…wild…is it?

  • Betsy: First of all, let me thank you for having us here today. It’s such a rare thing that I can talk freely about those things. So how does it feel? Oh my. It’s exciting and scary at the same time. I may have lived my whole life in that small town, but I was always so curious about the world and the internet opens up so many opportunities to bring the world into your home, and into your mind. I think all things considered I was reasonably well prepared for the challenges. Although most of the facts in my novels turned out to be garbage, really, the general idea of what to do and not to do was right. What they really don’t prepare you for is the shedding. And the smell. Those huge predators can get really smelly and they are so HARD to wash. *laughs*

I think what annoys me most is how useless I sometimes feel. In the books, they never mention how squishy you feel, with my soft skin and with no claws or proper teeth. But then I remind myself of all my useful skills and just carry on. Roan says I think too much anyway. *laughs again*

For Roan: The exact same question and also how hard also was it to pose as a human?

  • Roan: Yeah. Hi. Really, I don’t mind living as a human for a little while. I even like my human body. It’s the humans who tend to annoy me, especially when there are many in one place. I feel boxed in, and that makes me want to shred them, which is generally frowned upon.
  • Betsy: *frowns at him*
  • Roan: See? Exactly. *laughs* No, seriously. Human life if so tedious and planned. It’s boring to know exactly what you will be doing next month or even next year. But Betsy’s okay. It’s a bit weird to have a mixed-species-pride, but then again – I don’t really give a fuck. We’re cool.
  • Martin (from the floor): Arf!

What made you rescue the wolf?

  • Roan: Stupidity? Yeah, that. It was foolish, unnecessary and a typical spur of the moment decision. Do I regret it? Obviously not. I love my stupid, stinky mutt!
  • Martin (from the floor): *groans, but doesn’t even look up*
  • Betsy (whispers): He’s got a conscience, but don’t tell anyone.

For all of you…what do you think keeps you all together?

  • Betsy (looks at both Roan and Martin): I think our skills and personalities compliment each other really well. I provide the social aspect and the knowledge of the modern world, Roan does the fighting and hunting and brooding and Martin reminds us how happy the simple things in life make us.
  • Roan: Uh… I don’t know? And I don’t really care, either. I mean, it works, why question it? Stupid question.
  • Martin: *sits up with a giant doggy grin, threatens to lick Roan’s face*
  • Roan: NO! Down! Get off me, you…!

Synopsis

Roan has pretended to be a human for long enough. He needs to get out of town and roam the land, as any proper werecat should.

The last thing he wants is his conscience insisting he should save an abused werewolf from a traveling circus first. The very last thing he expects is the local sheriff’s daughter having the exact same idea – and beating him to the punch.

Their rescue goes spectacularly wrong, and suddenly Roan, Betsy and their crippled wolf find themselves fleeing across the US for the Mexican border, chased by the police and vengeful circus fey alike.

Sunchaser is a non-romance, road-movie-ish urban fantasy adventure novel about a werecat drifter, a wide-eyed human girl and a defective werewolf learning that sometimes, family really is the ones you didn’t pick.

Exclusive Excerpt

Roan let go of the human shape he had been holding onto. Usually, it took a little effort to shift, but this time, it felt like the human just flowed out of him like water from a broken jug. His cat body took the place of his human one in less time than it took for Betsy to blink. Finally on four paws again, Roan shook himself and breathed in deeply. The scents of the wilderness washed over him, exactly the feast he had been imagining. Subtle aromas of plants and dry earth and fine trails of prey. The bright smell of jackrabbit was strongest. Not far from here at all.

“Gosh, you are just magnificent, you know that?” Betsy’s voice startled him.

He hadn’t even noticed she was still there. It was odd since her scent was the strongest around, warm and special. He couldn’t even put a name to it. It was entirely her. And entirely familiar, he realized. He hadn’t paid attention to it because it had been near him constantly. It was a scent he had come to associate with things being right.

She was looking at him, her eyes shining with honest awe. It made him first stand up straighter and then stretch languidly, putting his grace on display. Then he walked over to her to gently rub his nose against her cheek, taking care not to poke her with his sabre teeth. Yeah, maybe Martin was impressive, but he didn’t make her give such a breathless little laugh like she did now. The touch of her fingers as she trailed them down his neck wasn’t casually petting, but as reverential as it should be. A deep purr reverberated through him.

Then he pulled away.

There would still be time for a thorough scratching later. He jumped up onto a rock, striking another majestic pose in the moonlight for Betsy, before he disappeared into the night.

Sunchaser Book Cover

Buy Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0H6JIO/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M0H6JIO/
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01M0H6JIO/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01M0H6JIO/

Giveaway

Prizes: 2 ecopies of Softpaw, Smilodon Pride, Book One

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Start your journey with Book One in the Smilodon Pride series:

Softpaw

Connor’s life used to be the dream of any cultured werecat. He spent his days in Paris’ gay quarter with comfortably little real work, playing the piano, surrounded by art, fine food and good friends. Now, a feral vampire preys on the prostitutes of ‘his’ quarter, killing the boys of the Marais one by one.

When Connor invites a newly arrived hooker to stay on his houseboat, the last thing he expects is Michel to be a member of the Brigade Criminelle – a troubled, hunky rookie cop sent undercover to explore Connor’s connection to the murders, picked mostly because he had been a boy of the Marais himself, not so long ago.

Hiding their true natures becomes a problem for both when their initial attraction becomes much more than they ever thought possible. But in order to bring down the serial killer and maybe have a chance at making their relationship work out, one of them will have to take the first, critical leap…

Softpaw Book Cover

Buy Links

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GU4WWYG/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GU4WWYG/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-softpaw-2054902-145.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/635900
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/softpaw-osiris-brackhaus/1123795331?ean=2940153018201#productInfoTabs
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/de-de/ebook/softpaw

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/softpaw/id1113949196?mt=11

About the authors

Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus are a couple currently living their happily ever after in the very heart of Germany, under the stern but loving surveillance of their cat.
Both of them are voracious but picky readers, they love telling stories and drinking tea, good food and the occasional violent movie. Together, they write novels of adventure and romance, hoping to share a little of their happiness with their readers.

Beryll
An artist by heart, Beryll wrote stories even before she knew what letters were. As easily inspired as she is frustrated, her own work is never good enough (in her eyes). A perfectionist in the best and worst sense of the word and the driving creative force of the duo.

Osiris
An entertainer and craftsman in his approach to writing, Osiris is the down-to-earth, practical part of the team. Broadly interested in almost every subject and skill, with a sunny mood and caring personality, he strives to bring the human nature into focus of each of his stories.

Website: http://www.brackhaus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Osiris-Brackhaus/100011014541510
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brackhaus

A Paul Review: To Catch His Mate by JD Walker

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

to-catch-his-mateA young mix cat shifter cub comes to a campsite tired and hungry.  Smelling food, he investigates further.  There, a man sees the cub collapse before him and gives him something to eat.  The cub shifts into a human boy.  The man makes like nothing unusual happened.  He takes the boy in, names him Felix and raises him as his son.

Felix Cotter grows up and moves to Atlanta.  As an insurance investigator, he uses his were senses to help get the truth for his employer.  He is assigned a case where safes are being cracked and robbed in almost impossible to get into places.  While he investigates, Felix finds the scent of the culprit strangely enticing.  When he catches his man, he will be glad the case is over but upset that the man behind this alluring scent will have to go to jail.

Tyler Panterone has recently been laid off.  When he went out with a couple of other guys who had also been laid off, he changed into his panther form.  The men use this to blackmail Tyler into a string of robberies to steal jewels for their boss.  Seeing he has no other choice, he does so.  That is until he is caught one night by Felix.  He explains to the handsome investigator his tale of woe.  While Felix wants to find a way to keep Tyler out of jail, Tyler himself is half resigned that he will be doing time or worse, outed as a shifter.  To complicate matters, Ben, the man who raised Felix, is suffering from health problems.  Will Felix and Tyler find their happiness amongst their problems?

I really wanted to like this book more than I did.  The romance aspect came across alright.  The shifter part of the book was standard fair.  The mystery aspect of the book however fell flat for me.  The author leads you right to the suspects at the first opportunity.  And I figured out the surprise reveal way too early in the book for my tastes.  Granted this is not primarily a mystery novel but I would have liked better development of that part of the story.

The cover design by Written Ink Designs is alright for the book.  It has Felix’s white tiger shifted form and a young man in a contemplative pose in the bottom half. 

Sales Links

JMS Books LLC

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Book Details

EBook, 123 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  March 30, 2016 by JMS Books

ISBN:  9781634860673

Let’s Go Legend Tripping with Wolf’s Clothing by E.J. Russell (giveaway and release tour)

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Wolf’s Clothing (Legend Tripping) by E.J. Russell
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Wolf’s Clothing

What do you do when you finally prove the existence of the otherworld, but the ghosts kick your ass?

For Trent Pielmeyer, the answer is run like hell—away from his hostile family, away from the disbelieving cops, and far, far, far away from anything that smacks of the supernatural. After seven years’ captivity in a whacked-out alternate dimension, he is so over legend tripping.

When Christophe Clavret spots Trent in a Portland bar, he detects a kindred spirit—another man attempting to outrun the darkness of his own soul. But despite their sizzling chemistry, Trent’s hatred of the uncanny makes Christophe hesitant to confide the truth: he’s a werewolf, one of a dwindling line, the victim of a genetic curse extending back to feudal Europe.

But dark forces are at work, threatening more than their growing love. If Christophe can’t win Trent’s trust, and if Trent can’t overcome his fear of the paranormal, the cost could be Trent’s freedom and Christophe’s humanity. Or it might be both their lives.

Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/wolfs-clothing-legend-tripping-novel

About EJ Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com
Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author
Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Wolf’s Clothing, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 15, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A PaulB Review: Eternal Circle (Sirius Wolves #3) by Victoria Sue

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

eternal-circle-by-victoria-sueIt has been five months since Darric has passed and the remaining members of Orion’s Circle are still dealing with the loss.  Aden has probably been most affected as he is carrying Darric’s child.  Entering his fifth month, Aden has two more to go.  As before, he is being hidden away except for the most senior members of the leadership pack so that the pregnancy remains a secret.  However, outside events always complicate matters.

Blaze, the leader of Orion’s Circle, is still trying to integrate werewolves into the military establishment.  But Darric’s death weighs heavily in his mind.  Since he first shifted, he promised his mates that he would always protect them.  However, he failed in protecting Darric.  Now he must make sure that Aden and Connor are safe from harm.

Connor, meanwhile, has his own concerns.  The empath of the group he is suppose to know what others are feeling.  However, his powers seem to be disappearing.  Instead of feeling other people, he is using cues and thinks he knows what they feel.  He wonders if this is a temporary setback or if his powers are fading permanently.

As Orion’s Circle and the military begin to roll out a publicity campaign to sway people’s opinions about werewolves, it becomes evident that someone within the leadership group has been supplying secret information.  The only suspect they have is a wolf that used to be Aden’s friend and has been causing trouble with other pack members.  No matter what has gone on in the past, Aden cannot believe that Kellan has seriously betrayed them.

When an explosion injures Connor and a young boy, Blaze uses his alpha power to heal the two.  However, this has unintended consequences and bring unwanted attention to the werewolves.  An enemy from the past uses this situation to his advantage and places the remaining members of Orion’s Circle in jeopardy.  Will Aden and the rest survive to see the birth of their new pup?

This third book in the Sirius Wolves series is just as tension filled as the previous two.  As the three men deal with the death of their partner, they must move forward.  Being pregnant, Aden feels almost helpless as events unfold.  He must think of his unborn child first.  Blaze must contend with the human government as well as issues that deal with his pack.  Connor is worried that Darric’s death may have affected his powers and might not get them back.  Add to this someone who wants revenge on this group for past slights.  The resolution is a bit contrived but keeps with most tellings of mythology.  I look forward to the rest of the series.

The cover art by E Connors has a shirtless man in front of a cloudy night sky.  It is a decent cover that keeps with the theme of the covers of the rest of the series.

Sales Links

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Book Details

EBook, 143 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  September 24, 2015

ISBN:  978-1-944054-05-2

Series:  Sirius Wolves

A VVivacious Review: The Alpha’s Revenge by Shane Keleher

 
Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5

the-alphas-revengeJustin meets Parker one night in a bar and is instantly intrigued. Little does Justin know that that night marks the end of normalcy for him, for come tomorrow he will faced by the fact that werewolves are real and he is one of them.
 
Parker’s family is a family of hunters so he knows that the thing that attacked Justin is actually a werewolf but he finds it hard to tell Justin the truth because Justin is turning out to be more than a one night stand for him.
 
This is the first romance book I have ever read that would have been much better for me had it had less romance and more focus on the story. In hindsight this story would have worked out better if it didn’t have the romance tag attached to it because I personally could not get behind Justin and Parker. They seemed forced, it was almost as if you could feel the presence of a third entity directing the events in this story.
 
This story has two journeys one is the journey of Parker and Justin and the other is Justin’s journey as a werewolf.
 
I loved Justin’s character and I really liked how he handles the rapidly changing status quo of his life, as much of the story is from Justin’s point of view you really get to dig deep into his character. Also since you are mostly in Justin’s head it makes the werewolf aspects of this story much more interesting. The story of Justin being turned into a werewolf and how he comes to terms with his new identity is the best part of this book and I loved it.
 
In most werewolf romances that I have read werewolves are not the traditional monsters they are considered to be. So for me reading a story in which werewolves are monsters was a change and I liked how the author handled that facet of this book. Also I loved werewolf Branson, I was really impressed with his character and he was one character I wanted to know more about, also I loved the interactions between Justin and Branson. They shared an interesting dynamic that I would have loved to see explored more.
 
I didn’t really like the couple of Justin and Parker as it never made much sense to me. Their initial attraction seemed forced and the fact that I found the sex scenes in this book extremely boring didn’t help matters afterwards. I don’t know what it was about the sex scenes in this book but they just seemed so dry, they read like a laundry list of steps to be followed during the course of sex. So yeah for me this couple just didn’t work.
 
Also the fact that we only get Parker’s POV a few times in the beginning made me feel a little distanced from his character. Since the story actually involves both of Parker’s older brothers’, Colin and Max, as well the fact that we don’t get to see their relationship from Parker’s POV kind of hinders the story. I for one really wanted to understand his relationship with his brothers better because that particular aspect of this story is like a bag of worms just threatening the well-being of this story.
 
Overall I feel this book would have worked out better as an adventure-verging-on-a-thriller story then it did as the romance it was forced to be.
 
Cover Art by Ginny Glass. I liked the cover, it sets the tone for the book quite well.
Sales Links
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Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 181 pages
Published September 8th 2016 by Loose Id LLC (first published February 2nd 2014)
ASINB01LVZXHB8
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Paul B New Release Review: Unsafe Exposure (Hidden Wolves #4) by Kaje Harper

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

unsafe-exposure-by-kaje-harperWildlife artist Dylan Shore is accompanying his sister Frankie as she being Northwestern University.  He decides to go to the zoo to see if he can find anything interesting to draw.  Sitting at the wolf exhibit, a group of young men come up to him and ask why he did not pay respect when he came into pack territory.  Thinking his only way to prevent from being killed by this gang, he runs.  While he can outrun most everybody, these four not only keep pace but are actually gaining ground.  Only when a car pulls up along him does Dylan find an actual escape route.  He jumps in the car and they put the gang behind them.

Alex is a statistician doing medical research in Chicago.  As fourteenth in the Seattle pack, he is the lowest ranking werewolf there.  When he sees a strange werewolf running from members of the Chicago North pack, he decides to give the man a break, hoping the others don’t recognize him or his car.  After all, as a low ranking visiting wolf, you don’t want to piss off your hosts.  As he gets to know Dylan, there are two things that surprise him.  First, Dylan is a gay werewolf.  Second, Dylan has no clue that he is a werewolf.  It is no wonder that Dylan does not understand pack protocol.  With members of the Chicago North pack after both of them, Alex must now educate what it means to be a shifter.  But when both are captured and taken to a military research facility, Alex’s mission changes.  Now he must keep both of them, along with a young shifter boy, alive in order to escape.  When the escape occurs, it will have far reaching consequences for the werewolves not only across the country, but the world.

I have enjoyed Kaje Harper’s Hidden Wolves series from the start.  This is the fourth book (not counting two  interlude titles) to the series and as such should be read in order in order to understand the over-arching story lines. The series is a bit darker than most shifter series.  The emphasis is on pack politics and hierarchy, along with doing what wolves need to do to advance.  In fact, Aaron calls his mate “eleventh” during official pack business.   They are human wolves.

As for this book,  I like that the first part of the book focused mostly on the new characters that are introduced here.  There are mentions of the leader of the Alpha Council and the alpha of the Chicago North pack but do not play a major role until later.  In fact, the main characters of the previous books do not appear until two thirds of the way through the book.  Simon and Paul’s two kittens (both of whom think that they are wolf pups) make a cameo as well.  I await the next book in this series.

I like the cover by Winterheart Designs.  It has our two young men causally dresses as if going out in the Chicagoland area.  Below them is the skyline for Chicago.  Above them are wolf eyes watching out over the scene.  This fits the model of the other covers in the series.

Sales Links

MLR Press LLC

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Book Details

Ebook, 393 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  September 9, 2016 by MLR Press

ISBN:  978-1-944770-32-7

Series:  Hidden Wolves – add to your Goodreads shelf here:

A Free Dreamer Review: Pendulum (Kingdom of Night #1) by L.C. Davis

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
pendulum-by-l-c-davisRemus Black is still reeling from an abusive relationship that stripped him of everything — including his desire for love. Now all he wants is a fresh start halfway across the country, but his new roommate is determined to draw him into his strange world of chains, half-naked men and the infamous Lodge, a BDSM club as lavish as it is secretive.

When Remus is entered into the Lodge’s annual Alpha’s Pet contest against his will, he finds himself thrown to the Wolf Pack, the very type of men he needs to avoid. What’s worse is that the wolves immediately label him a submissive, something he swore he would never be again. Things get even stranger when “wolf” turns out to be far more literal than Remus ever imagined. When both the next-in-line for Alpha and his outcast brother claim Remus as their own, the entire pack is thrown into chaos.

Can Remus learn to embrace the power of submission and choose between the brothers before their rivalry tears the pack apart, or will the tension between them unravel his own sordid past?

I’m a bit torn about this book. I pretty much hated the first 40% or so. That part was something around 2 or 2.5 stars for me.

At first, Remus is a horribly annoying doormat. He has no spine and never, ever stands up for himself. It drove me nuts. At least Remus is aware of his lack of spine and we do get a good explanation later on. But at the time, I just want to shake some sense into the boy.

Then Sebastian shows up. He’s your typical badass, growly Alpha Dom. He got on my nerves pretty soon. I didn’t like how he coddled Remus. It seemed belittling to me, taking away all his choices and taking advantage of Remus’ lack of self-confidence.

Things got interesting when Victor, Sebastian’s twin, showed up. Where Sebastian seemed to be all muscle and little brain, Victor was a master at mind games. He was a very intriguing character. I think that’s about the time I started to get more invested in the story.

After a while, questions start getting answers and mysteries start unravelling, uncovering some very interesting world building. Everything became more and more intriguing and suddenly I really, really had to know what was going to happen next.

The ending is a very mean cliff-hanger, leaving us with even more questions. It’s a very open ending. I have a feeling there won’t be a real resolution until the end of the series.

Long story short, the beginning was very, very weak. It took about 40 or 50% for me to get invested in the story. The second half was really good, though, full of suspense and mysteries.

Cover art is fitting for the story and eye-catching.

Sales Link

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 434 pages
Published April 10th 2016
ASINB01E46Y2U4
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesKingdom of Night #1

A MelanieM Review: Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

wriggle-and-sparkleLynn is a kraken shifter in every way: detailed, tenacious, resilient, and hard-working. Also possessive, vain, arrogant, and demanding. It makes him an excellent agent for the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Security and Investigation—and impossible to work with, as the long list of partners who have transferred away from him will attest.

His newest partner is a unicorn, possibly the worst type of paranormal for work that often turns ugly and violent. Everyone knows unicorns are too delicate for such things. Then Anderson proves to be a unicorn like no other, the kind of partner Lynn has always wanted—the kind of partner he wishes was more. But if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that the only thing harder to keep than a partner is a lover.

Warning: Contains tentacle porn

I’ve read many different types of stories from Megan Derr but never a love story between a unicorn and a kraken. So Wriggle & Sparkle was a definite first.  But as expected Megan Derr delivers not only a wonderful offbeat romance but several unusual cases for these partners at the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Security and Investigation to solve.

Its all about the Wriggle and the Sparkle, as in Lynn the kraken and Anderson the unicorn.  Neither will fit your idea of what a typical kraken or unicorn should be,  In fact they don’t fit most of the paranormal world’s idea either.  Lynn is a gender shifter, sharp dressing, detail oriented crack detective…who can’t keep a partner for longer than a flick of a tentacle.  His newest matchup?  Anderson…a slutty, sparkly unicorn who goes against what most unicorns (and the paranormal world) think unicorns should be.  He’s also snarky, intelligent, and appreciates the finer points of the kraken in front of him.  Things start to spark and sizzle immediately between the two, but peculiar cases both pull them together while pushing them emotionally apart.

This is a collection of cases so it doesn’t always flow as naturally as I wanted it too from chapter to chapter but as I have a tendency to like that format it didn’t bother me as it might others.

I loved the natural history that Derr created for her kraken species.  Its fascinating and Lynn comes with a sibling who has an important role in his life and in this story. The fluidity and naturalness which with Derr folds her background and world building works so well here that I found myself believing in her krakens and unicorns wholeheartedly.  Even down to the tentacle sex.

This is not my first story with tentacle sex.  The way Derr handles it feels exactly right to the species involved and the body type they are in at the moment.  Yes, these are shapechangers with all that entails.  I have to admit most of the time with such disparate species I tend to roll my eyes a bit.  Not here.  Derr more than makes her case for interspecies love and then seals it with a resounding “hell yes”.

Along with layered characters, as I said there are some interesting paranormal cases to solve.  Some weird, some heartbreaking…but all will command your interest.  I easily could have had several more to read about.  But then again I feel that about about almost all of Megan Derr’s stories.

The reason why is here on display.  Its her attention to detail.  In compiling a natural history for her kraken, very little is left out, right down to offspring and incubation.  I loved that.  It pulled me in and let me connect emotionally to the couple and the events as they occur.  From the dialog to the clothes to the very hot sexy scenes, Lynn and Anderson were a couple I found I could fall in love with and root for.  Which I did all the way to the end of the page.

I think you will do the same.

I highly recommend Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr.  Its romantic, suspenseful, intriguing and fun.  And of course, sexy.  Check it out for yourself.

Cover art by Aisha Akeju works for the character of Lynn and the story.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

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Book Details:

ebook, 260 pages
Published August 10th 2016 by Less Than Three Press (first published January 2014)
Original TitleWriggle & Sparkle
ISBN139781620048221
Edition LanguageEnglish

Its Release Day for The Pill Bugs of Time (Offbeat Crimes #2) by Angel Martinez (Guest Post)

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The Pill Bugs of Time (Offbeat Crimes #2) by Angel Martinez
Pride Publishing
Release Day: September 20

Cover Art by Posh Gosh

Buy It Here

Pride Publishing

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have some of the Paranormal Officers from Offbeat Crimes and the 77th Precinct here to answer questions for our readers:

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Questions for Paranormal Officers: Time in a Bottle

We’re back with the officers of the 77th Precinct for another series of questions in the squad room. Actually, we’re amazed they let us come back…

If we could bottle time travel and put it up on a shelf so you could pick any period in history for your travels, what time would you choose?

Wolf (wolf cursed into human form): Before humans got here would be good.

Shira Lourdes (stress telekinetic): But then you’d still be human in a time when there aren’t any humans. Or would you, since there weren’t any? Maybe since there weren’t, you’d be a wolf again or—

Greg Santos (waterfowl empath): Shira, stop. Please. Time paradoxes give me a headache. If I had to pick a time? Maybe Ancient Egypt? That was a pretty cool time.”

Carrington Loveless III (skim-blood vampire): You’d have to be more specific, Greg. The Egyptian Dynasties covered over three thousand years.

Santos: Picky. Whenever they built the pyramids, then. I’d want to see that.

Loveless: I’ve actually thought about this—

Edgar (the neon raven): So fucking surprised! All of us!

Loveless: Thank you for the input, Edgar. As I said, I’ve thought about this, how I love the elegance of the Regency period or the excitement of the Renaissance, but then I think about how filthy and diseased those periods were. No vaccinations, no antibiotics, no proper medical facilities.

Amanda Zacchini (post-cognitive): Carr, you’re a vampire. You don’t have to worry about that crap.

Loveless: Sanitation-wise it was still awfully filthy.

Vance Virago (humidity-challenged firestarter): Damn it, why do you have to be such a fucking pansy vampire? We couldn’t get a badass one. Oh, no.

Zacchini: Carr’s pretty badass when he needs to be. Shut you pie hole, Vance. I’d wanna be a cowboy. You know, an Old West one.

Virago: Manda, you can’t be a cowboy! You don’t have a—

Jeff Gatling (apportation of fruit): Vance, seriously. You do not want to finish that sentence. Manda would be an awesome cowboy. Or a gunslinger, ’cause who always has the highest firing range scores? I think I’d want the forties. After the war. I could be a private detective in LA. Humphrey Bogart. Jake Gittes. That kind of thing.

Kyle Monroe (talent absorber) calls out from the back of the room: Forget it, Jeff; it’s Chinatown!

Gatling: Funny guy.

Vikash Soren (unclassified paranormal talent): I think I like the idea of seeing where we’re going instead of where we’ve been. Some point in the future. Provided the Earth is still inhabitable.

Monroe: Make sure you take your zombie-hunting gun. Never know, right? I think I’d go medieval. Yeah, yeah, I know, Carr, disease and filth. But some pretty cool stuff going on. People learning stuff again, figuring shit out.

Soren: And people were shorter then.

Monroe: True—hey! Shut up.

Blurb

the-pill-bugs-of-timeRelationship and communication issues plague Officer Vikash Soren, but those are nothing compared to facing stick-throwing tumbleweeds, pill bugs and…time travel?

Vikash Soren, the perfect police officer except for his odd paranormal ability, never seems to lose his temper. Always serene and competent, he’s taken on the role of mediator in a squad room full of misfits. But on the inside, he’s a mess. Unable to tell his police partner that he loves him, Vikash struggles silently, terrified of losing Kyle as a lover, partner and friend.

But life in the 77th Precinct doesn’t leave much room for internal reflection. A confrontation with a stick-throwing tumbleweed in Fairmount Park leads to bizarre consequences involving pill bugs, statues and…time travel? If Vikash manages to survive the week and stay in one point in time, he might be able to address normal things like relationship problems. He just needs Kyle to have a little more patience. Maybe a few centuries’ worth.

Publisher’s Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

Pre-order Date: 9th August 2016
Available exclusively to Pride Publishing: 23rd August 2016
General Release Date: 20th September 2016

 

Offbeat Crimes series