Category: Vampires

A MelanieM Review: Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Seeing Red- ScorchedDown the twists and turns of the London alleyways, where Chinatown meets the highstreets, lies a small venue where unknown rock bands often play to crowds of less than one-hundred.

Isaac is nineteen, living on the sofa of his best friend’s brother – Eric – after his bible-loving parents tossed him aside because of his sexuality. After two years of struggling to make sense of his life, Eric and Charlotte convince Isaac to attend Red’s gig; an up and coming rock band with a small cult following.

All hell breaks loose and Isaac is left injured, with the whereabouts of his friends unknown and his body crippled on the ground. It’s then that the four members – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss – aid Isaac by infecting him with a ‘magical’ virus that grants immortality in exchange for consuming blood.

The ‘Paranorm’ world is exposed to Isaac. Vampires, werewolves and warlocks lurk in the depths of the city he has lived in his entire life, but he won’t become one with the night until he completes his nine-month transition, leaving him in the hands of the band and at the mercy of vampire politics.

This story is part of the Omega Moon universe, but is a standalone tale.

Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton represents both a new author and a new universe for me.  I had not read any other books by this author so I was unfamiliar with the Omega Moon universe that this story is set in.  That said, its true you don’t have to have read the other novel to be able to understand or enjoy this vampire tale of romance as it has very little to do with the werewolves of the Omega Moon story except for one thin plot thread.

I think what I enjoyed best about this story was the format and interesting manner in which Isaac is turned into a vampire.  Its not an automatic process but one that takes nine months…sort of like birthing a baby. And it moves forward in increments of time just as you mark it off in a baby’s book.  I liked that sort of progress chart.  Funny, sort of ironic in comparison.  At least I hope that’s what the author was going for.  It marks the changes, inward and outward, that Isaac, really a 19 year old,  has to go through.  And that includes vampire royal politics, his old conservative family who kicked Isaac out, and so much more.  Like puppy love and maybe the real thing.

I very much liked the four members that made up the band Red –  Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss.  Each individualistic enough that I wanted more of each and didn’t get enough  pages of this story to satisfy my need for that.  Kyle?  Adorable.  And Troy?  Yes, another favorite.  Moss…darkness you want to follow down every alley.  But Nicolai?  He is most likely the weakest link here yet that’s the one that Orton pairs Isaac up with.  I just couldn’t see it.

But I won’t spoil the story for so much happens that is coming as Isaac changes and matures.

But what did hold me back? Some of the more florid language.  The pulsating members…yes…the purple prose that turns a sexy scene into something that starts me giggling instead.  Luckily it wasn’t in every sex scene or I wouldn’t have made it through the book, but in enough that I snorted and snickered in certain places when I should have been fanning myself and that brought the rating down.

Still Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton had some very interesting elements as well as characters that I enjoyed.  Love a vampire romance, like a new twist or two on the vampire culture and romance?  Pick up Seeing Red: Scorched by T.C. Orton and see what you think about his  idea of vampire love and HFN relationships.  Then let me know…I’m curious as to what you think about it too.

Cover art represents Isaac well but this model is everywhere.  Cute but really overused these days.

Sales Links

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published May 6th 2016 by T.C. Orton
ASINB01F9WHM5E
Edition LanguageEnglish

Its Volume 1 of the End Street Detectives by Amber Kell and RJ Scott (Recap Tour and Giveaway)

Series Recap Tour & Giveaway

Amber Kell & RJ Scott

 End Street Volume 1

Authors: Amber Kell & RJ Scott
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Buy Links
 
Paperback Links
 
Blurb

The Case of the Cupid Curse


Sam Enderson is a human detective who inherits a building from where his Uncle used to run a detective agency. He finds himself working for paranormal creatures despite his resolve to stick with humans only. To supplement his income as a new PI Sam rents out rooms in the large house.

 

Bob is a vampire and turns up on Sam’s doorstep to rent a room. Sparks fly and Sam is attracted to the vampire despite himself.
Sam is cursed by a witch, and has two cases landing on his desk. Werewolves, annoying ghosts and a grumpy gargoyle are enough to drive Sam mad. But somehow in amongst all of this he has to find a missing fae and a missing shifter child.
The Case of the Wicked Wolf
Naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha make up the intricate story in the race to rescue the missing children.
Sam and Bob have more than just the case of one lost child to handle. Not only is Shelby Hartman missing, but other paranormal children have disappeared. The race to rescue the children is hampered by naiads, humans, sirens and a challenge for Alpha.
Hartman Hunter is desperate to find his daughter. He turns to the demon Danjal Naamah for help. The problem is that Danjal is the only person Hartman has ever lovedóthe man he let go for the sake of the packÖ
“…With stories that are written by more than one author, there are sometimes gaps in the flow of the writing. There are none here. The writing flows smoothly and seamlessly I wouldn’t be able to tell you who wrote what. The world describe within the story was easily imagined as where the characters….”

 

Author Bios

 
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
 
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author nameótwo things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
 
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
 
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
 
 
E-mail: amberkellwrites@gmail.com

 


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. 
 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
 
The last time she had a weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.
 
mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts
www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

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Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio – Online Stories

Pauls Paranormal Portfolio Header

Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio – Online Stories

Welcome back to another edition of the portfolio.  It’s been a while since we chatted but as they say, life gets in the way.  In this edition of the portfolio, I would like to highlight three online stories that I have been reading.  These stories are considered to be in progress and are updated according to the author.  All these stories can be found on the Castle Roland (castleroland.net) web site.

The first story is a fantasy story by AB called The Chronicles of Valana:  Shadowlands.  Marco and Lucas are ten year olds living in Manhattan.  Near their home is a demolition site for the Artifacts Museum.  One day while playing in the rubble, they find an ancient medallion.  They are transported away from New York and land in the middle of a forest where a knight approaches them.  The pair escapes the knight but use of magic.  Clearly not in their own world, the pair set off to find out where they have landed and if there is any way for them to return home.  On their journey, they discover that one is an elven prince and the other a “talker” who can act as a translator not only of humans but animals and nature as well.  The pair must now travel to the elven lands to fulfill their destiny of saving this strange world in which they have entered.

The second story is The Prince of House Vladd by Arthur.  Peter is celebrating his fifteen birthday.  His father takes him to a birthday party in his honor.  When he arrives to the mansion where the party is being held, he finds out there is more to this world than just humans.  Peter is actually Prince Piotr, heir to the vampire House of Vladd the Impaler.  Peter is a daywalker, a vampire who can go out in sun.  His father tells Peter that he will be the next leader of the Vampire council with the princes of the other vampire houses as his guardians.  Peter sets about learning his way but there are those who believe Peter is an easy mark.  Peter and his guardians must defend against this threat.  In book two, a religious demagogue has been elected president and is starting a crusade against all non-conforming people.  Peter, his mate and their son must escape before forces reach them and bide their time in Latin America. 

The third book is not a paranormal book but deals with the apocalypse.  The Day of N by Kyle Aarons tells the story of seven scouts ages eleven to twelve who are out at a camp out with their scout master Scott Korbal.  They are biking near where they are camping when there is a flash in the distant sky.  Scott’s bike blows a tire and he takes a tumble, breaking his arm and several ribs.  The boys notice several mushroom clouds in all directions along with missiles flying upward as an apparent counterstrike gets on the way.  Scott knows that he must get the boys to safety as quickly as possible.  He also realizes that without medical help, he is more than likely going to die soon due to his injuries.  As a former special forces ranger, he is determined to impart his knowledge to these young men about the new world that they live in before his time is up. 

I hope you find these stories as engaging as I have.  If you have your favorite online paranormal stories please share them in the comments section.  I would like to keep this limited to story sites and not author blogs where story previews are often shared and later published.  Until next time…

Paul

A MelanieM Review: Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (Offbeat Crimes #1) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

limegelatinandothermonsters_800Kyle Monroe, his irritating new partner, and their fellow freaks at the 77th Precinct must learn to work together to stop a vicious murderer that might not even be human.

Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.

Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.

Previously published, I somehow missed this the first time around and now got to enjoy a new adventure into the creative mind of Angel Martinez with Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters, the first in her Offbeat Crimes series.  Its another wild lollapalooza of creatures and mysteries thrown together and it starts with the 77th Precinct, also known as the “Island of Misfit Freaks”.  Its the precinct where any paranormal cop with a non-useful talent gets stuck, aka…the reject pile.  One cop can hear the unhappiness of waterfowl, another? Well, they’re not sure what he is or does.  He just is.  One’s a ghost who’s job is to maintain coffee pot and he’s bad at it.  And so it goes at the 77th Precinct.  Then we arrive at our main couple.  Kyle Monroe, on the short side, although he maintains he’s average who absorbs any paranormal talent nearby without control.  And Vikash Soren who’s at first reticent about why he’s been transferred…until he connects with Kyle and all hell breaks loose.

Half the fun and the charm of a Angel Martinez story is the inventiveness and down right quirkiness of the characters involved.  A cop that hears the unhappiness of waterfowl?  Thats sort of amazing and something I can picture as are all the other inhabitants of that Island of Misfit Freaks.  I grew downright fond of them all as the story progressed and I got to know them better.  Another?  The mysteries, murder cases actually, that the squad must investigate.  Often horrible, its a wonderful avenue for personal exploration for the reader as well as for themselves.  And it works beautifully here.  I enjoyed seeing the case being solved as much as I enjoyed the romance progress too.

As this is the first in a series, its a HFN which is fine.  There is so much more exploring to do as far as the Precinct and the characters go.  I can’t wait.  If the supernatural, the paranormal, murder mysteries, and romance is something you are looking for, here is a story that combines all of them to my delight.  That its written by Angel Martinez just seals the deal.  I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Posh Gosh really doesn’t relate as well as it should to the story line.  Its just ok.

Sales Links:  Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 91 pages
Expected publication: August 16th 2016 by Pride Publishing (first published May 24th 2015)
ISBN139781786514691
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesOffbeat Crimes #1, Tales From The 77th Precinct

Cover Reveal for Amber Kell & RJ Scott’s ‘The Case Of The Guilty Ghost’ (Cover Reveal and Giveaway)

Cover Reveal & Giveaway

Authors: Amber Kell & RJ Scott
 
Cover Art: Meredith Russell
 
Release Date: September 23 2016
 
Series:
 
End Street Vol 1 – The Case of the Cupid Curse #1, The Case of The Wicked Wolf #2
 
End Street Vol 2 – The Case of the Dragon’s Dilemma #3, The Case of the Sinful Santa #4
 
The Case of the Purple Pearl #5
Blurb
 
Bob is lost in grief, Sam is fighting for his family, and there is no middle ground. Can their love survive?
 
Bob is grieving over his brother’s sacrifice. Guilt ridden and devastated, he buries himself in vampire mourning and pulls away from Sam. When Bob’s family demands Sam faces the consequences for his part in Ettore’s death, Sam is left to deal with them alone.
 
Ettore is in the Aset Ka waiting room, next in line for the ceremony where his soul will be torn from his body. But a shocking discovery makes him second guess his entire existence and the choices he has made.
 
A forgotten past binds Theodore ‘Teddy’ McCurray Constantine III to Ettore and when the curse tied to Ettore is broken by his death, Teddy’s past returns to him with a vengeance.
 
A royal family in denial, a demonic curse, and long forgotten love, leaves no time for Sam to take a breath. Is it too late to save the vampire kingdom?
 
Author Bios
 
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
 
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
 
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
 
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
 
 
E-mail: amberkellwrites@gmail.com


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. 
 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
 
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.
 
mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk
www.rjscott.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts
www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott
twitter.com/Rjscott_author
www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

Giveaway

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