A MelanieM Release Day Review: Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

It’s dangerous diving for secrets.

When a mega company threatens to take over his family-owned business, programming prodigy Adam Preston escapes the stress with a much-needed vacation in the Dominican Republic. There he meets attractive, intelligent, insightful Jonah James, a scuba dive instructor, and what starts as a holiday fling soon blossoms into much more.

But Jonah has a secret: ten years ago he woke up on an island beach with no idea how he got there… or even who he is. Their paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. When Jonah’s memories come crashing back like waves on the sand, will it be Adam clinging to the proverbial life raft, or will the two men find a safe harbor to ride out the storm?

I’m such a fan of the Dreamspun Desires series from Dreamspinner. Here in Forgotten Paradise Shira Anthony plays with the person with amnesia trope, another staple in those romances (still is). Who can resist a MC with a forgotten past? The mystery man! That just screams romance and a history that will come thundering back at some point to break up or threaten whatever couple is the focus. Readers love that, myself included.

Here its Jonah who washed up on the gorgeous shores of the DR ten years ago, almost a tabula rasa. Since then he’s built a life and been happy…almost, except for those pesky headaches. Then Adam Preston comes along with his own basket full of problems hoping to push them aside for a brief holiday of fun in the sun.

The author is so familiar with her location that it jumps to life on the page, the water so blue, the suns shines so brightly I’m surprised I didn’t have to wear sunglasses to read my Kindle. It’s clear she has great affection for that location and the DR in general. So it makes sense to put Jonah there as well. It gave him and Adam a firm foundation for their tentative romance and friendship. That’s needed for when things start to come crashing down.

I have to admit, for the first portion of the story, Adam represents the more fully realized of the two characters, and not just because Jonah is missing 10 years of his memory. Adam’s personal baggage is laden with the fear of failure to his family, duties, self worth, things most people can relate to. That he’s so stressed out he’s unable to unwind? Well I think there are many out there who could relate to that and Adam too.

Jonah represents a bigger question mark and that’s not just the void where 10 years should be. I liked that Anthony had him seek help for his amnesia, that he wasn’t content to ride out his life with a 10 year blank spot (sort of). I didn’t quite believe that. Especially once all of Jonah’s memories came back and then when we switch locations. Its then you realize this Jonah is far more interesting than the one you meet on the island. Turns out you do need the more than just the sweetness here.

The second half of the story deals with the repercussions of the recovered memory, not only for Jonah but for everyone he left behind and Adam as well. It’s a far more intricate and interesting story, as it deals with a past Jonah as well as the one he became. I almost wish there had been more of this but then I can hear the complaints that we didn’t get enough of the couple before to connect with so I guess there’s just more I’d want, a common refrain.

There is one element there irritates me and I can’t go into it here without a huge spoiler but it deals with a best friend of Jonah’s and an action of his. To me how it was handled still feels all wrong. But that’s just me.

Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony is another lovely romance from the Dreamspun Desires series. You get a HEA for a great couple and a visit to a paradise that will make you want to book a flight immediately.

Cover art by Bree Archer goes straight to paradise with the theme.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, Dreamspun Desires #32
Expected publication: April 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635332036 (ISBN13: 9781635332032)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Shira Anthony on Inspiration, A Family Trip and her release ‘Forgotten Paradise’ (guest post and giveaway)

Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Available for Purchase at

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Shira Anthony today. Shira is talking about the inspiration behind her latest release Forgotten Paradise and has brought a wonderful giveaway for all the readers as well. Welcome, Shira.

✒︎

My Little Piece of Paradise by Shira Anthony

Thank you, Melanie and all the crew here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, for hosting me today! I’m offering up a fabulous December Diamonds Cupid merman ornament to one lucky winner in the US who comments on one of the blog tour posts, or a $10 Dreamspinner Press Gift Card for winners worldwide, so be sure to comment below by answering this question: what is the most romantic place on earth? Once you’ve left your comment, click on the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post and you’ve snagged yourself an entry!

April 15^th is release day for my 20^th published book, Forgotten Paradise! It’s hard to believe I’ll have published twenty this month, let alone a single book. Much as the Blue Notes series was inspired by my experiences as a professional opera singer and before that, as a violinist, my Mermen of Ea series was inspired by my travels aboard our catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen. Forgotten Paradise is no exception.

The concept for Forgotten Paradise was born on a family trip to the Dominican Republic in the winter of 2015. My entire family—my parents, my sister and her family, and my husband and kids—spent a week at a gorgeous resort in the southeastern part of the island, about 45 minutes south of Punta Cana. My husband and I dove every day in clear turquoise waters with some of the most incredible fish and aquatic animals I’ve ever seen.

The first part of Forgotten Paradise takes place in a resort in the DR much like the one we stayed at, complete with immaculately tended gardens, ponds with birds and fish, an enormous swimming pool, and a beautiful white sand beach where you can dig your feet into the sand and sip on a pina colada to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. There, Adam Preston escapes for a week in paradise and meets the charming Jonah James, a scuba instructor at the resort. But Jonah has a secret: he doesn’t remember anything before he woke up on a Punta Cana beach 10 years before.

I hope you’ll enjoy finding out who Jonah really is and that you’ll be able to imagine the sand between your toes as you read Forgotten Paradise. I’ll leave you with the blurb and a short excerpt from the book and, of course, the Rafflecopter. Be sure to leave your comment before entering! And good luck! –Shira

Blurb

It’s dangerous diving for secrets.

When a megacompany threatens to take over his family-owned business, programming prodigy Adam Preston escapes the stress with a much-needed vacation in the Dominican Republic. There he meets attractive, intelligent, insightful Jonah James, a scuba dive instructor, and what starts as a holiday fling soon blossoms into much more.

Excerpt

WHILE HENRI washed down the patio, Jonah hung the last two wetsuits and sprayed down the rinsing bins. Small rivulets of sand and water streaked the painted concrete.

“I can finish,” Henri told him.

“Thanks.” Jonah walked over to the benches and retrieved his BC and regulator from a hook. “I owe you a drink.”

Henri laughed. “Good thing they’re free or you’d have to take out a loan.”

“Meet you at Giuseppe’s in an hour?” Jonah hung his gear inside the staff room.

“Not tonight. Got a date with Viola.” Henri stopped spraying for a moment and gestured toward the office. “It’s our six-month anniversary.”

“Six months? Impressive. So what’s for dinner?”

“Sushi,” Henri said. “At Yumi.”

“You’re taking her all the way to Punta Cana?” Jonah chuckled and slapped Henri on the back. “Must be love.”

“A man does as he does.” He winked and added, “I borrowed Torey’s car.”

“A man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do,” Jonah corrected. Henri’s English was damn good, so Jonah enjoyed teasing him the few times he made mistakes.

“So how about you?” Henri asked with a crooked grin.

“Me?” Jonah knew where Henri was going, but he wasn’t going to bite on that particular topic.

“You’ve been here a few weeks now. Met anyone interesting?”

Jonah shook his head. “If I had, I wouldn’t be telling you about it,” he teased.

“Fine. To be that way.”

“Be that way. Not ‘to be.’”

Henri laughed and headed over to the counter, where Viola was working on assignments for the next day’s dives. “The guests think I’m sexier when I get things wrong.”

“You wish.”

Jonah pulled the elastic from his hair and ran a hand through his still-damp curls. He waved at Viola. “Have fun tonight!” He slipped on his sandals and headed down the path to the staff dormitories. He’d only made it to the towel-return shack when he noticed a man standing in the middle of the intersection of two paths, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Perfect,” the man muttered.

“Lost?” Jonah forced his gaze up from the dusting of reddish hair on the man’s nicely defined pecs.

He looked at Jonah with warm brown eyes. “That obvious?”

“Happens a lot,” Jonah reassured him. “Where’re you headed?”

“Dive shop. Although by now, it’s probably closed.” American, judging by the accent. East Coast. A hint of New Jersey but polished so it was barely noticeable.

Jonah glanced at his watch. “You have another ten minutes.” He pointed the way he’d just come. “It’s about a hundred feet that way. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” Jonah offered the man a reassuring smile. “Took me a few days to get my bearings.”

“My mother used to tell me I’d lose my way in a shower stall.”

Jonah chuckled. “That bad?”

The man nodded.

“I could think of worse places to get lost with you,” Jonah quipped, immediately regretting it. The man’s lean body was far too interesting, especially given the no-fraternization policy Jonah had signed when he was hired. Not that the hotel had ever fired someone for taking a guest to bed, but Jonah felt more comfortable following the rule. It made things easier. Celibacy was safer. Flirting was downright dangerous.

The man flushed. Even more interesting.

The man quickly regained his composure. “Do I know you?” he asked.

Jonah also got that a lot. “I’m sure I’d have remembered you,” he said truthfully. It wasn’t every day he met a redhead, let alone one this attractive.

“My mistake.” The man offered his hand. “Adam Preston.”

“Good to meet you, Adam.” Jonah shook Adam’s hand. Strong grip. Confident, but not overly so. “I’m Jonah. Jonah James.”

“I’d better go,” Adam said. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“I hope so.” Jonah watched as Adam headed toward the dive shop. No fraternization, he reminded himself with a sigh. Maybe it was time to rethink the celibacy gig.

Rafflecopter Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94916/?

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Take Two by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be-ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life.

Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together—a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.

Take Two by Shira Anthony is a different sort of story then the ones we’ve been reading lately from this author. Far from the action/adventure or fantasy epics of recent releases, this romance of lovers trying to find their way back (or at least one) to the magic that was once theirs brings me back to the tone of the Blue Notes series and the books where I found Shira Anthony.

Lovers reunited is a trope I adore, especially when its one lover trying to win back his true love. That the lovers here are older makes this story just a tad sweeter and more perfect. Sam knows he screwed up big time (how much he’s yet to realize) but he know he wants Wesley back. The story is all about Sam’s doing what it takes, physically rearranging things like schedules, growing emotionally, whatever, to get Wesley back. Things do not fall into place, although it seems as though its going to happen that way at first. Life is never so accommodating and Anthony is well aware of life’s foibles and whimsy.

Wesley too has a bit of relationship blinders on, ones that anyone whose had relationship issues or problems will recognize. Whether its with current relationships or ones in the past, the author realizes that the need to see what we want to see rather than what’s really occurring is a strong overriding emotion. Its an authentic need and a thread that runs throughout the story. And as we are pulled into Wesley’s turmoil of a life and his mixed-up inner emotions, we wonder what’s it going to take to bring Wesley to take his blinder’s off and …boom…we’ve fallen in love with both men and their problems.

Of course, it helps spectacularly that Shira Anthony has set her story on Bald Island, NC a place the author is intimately familiar with. A lifelong sailor herself along with her husband, the scenes on the water, in and around as well as on Bald Island are vividly and lovingly described because she feels that way about the place. It shows. I wanted to grab a plane, car or boat and head there myself. There’s a sea rescue too that’s as white knuckle as they come. Yes, that’s authentic as well.

I think that’s why this story reminded me so of the Blue Notes story. Where those were focused on the musical world that Anthony was a part of for so long, Take Two is surrounded by another element in Anthony’s life, that of sailing, the water, and North Carolina. Her deep love and knowledge of all three shines bright here as music does in the Blue Notes series. That made me hope that perhaps another series could be coming. There is a secondary couple here. I would love to see where their romance takes them. Plus the Barbary Pirates need exploring right?

Things I haven’t mentioned? History and pirates! Yes to both! I loved learning about the pirates of North Carolina and definitely wanted more, along with the humor that the author threw in to go along with it. There’s some wonderful giggling moments here, along with a few ‘laugh out loud’s too. Ah, me. Wonderful characters, lovers reunited, sexy scenes, sailboats, and pirates! Argh, me hearties! This romance was everything I wanted and more.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is missing several elements. I like the script. But where, oh where, is Bald Island, NC, the sailboats and the pirate ships?

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Expected publication: September 9th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773853 (ISBN13: 9781634773850)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Love Sails After Its True Heart with Shira Anthony’s Take Two! Release Day Special Blog and Tour Stop!

Take Two_FB BannerFINAL3

Take Two by Shira Anthony

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art by L.C. Chase

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Shira Anthony here today on her Take Two video tour. Welcome, Shira!

~~~

Thanks so much, Melanie and Scattered Thoughts, for hosting the Take Two video tour! Throughout the tour, we’ll be making video stops on one of my favorite places at the North Carolina coast and the location for Take Two: Bald Head Island.

Take Two is a second chance at love story set during a movie shoot. It’s a sweet and sometimes funny story about love that won’t quit, and includes anachronistic pirates, silly dialogue, and general mayhem as action star Sander Carson, a.k.a. Sam Carr, tries to woo back his estranged husband, pirate expert and history professor Wesley Coolidge. You can find all the videos after they’re posted on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6nv628KGwo&list=PLPthSb07JAMhidI3zIKcD6FLK5wTrnjV_

I hope you’ll enjoy this lighthearted romp and that you end up believing in second chances! The book is now available for preorder at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, and all the usual suspects. -Shira

TakeTwo_headerbanner

Blurb

Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life.

Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together–a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.

Excerpt from Chapter Two

The entire scene was surreal. Gorgeous boat, beautiful scenery, good wine, and me by my lonesome. In the grand scheme of life, it certainly wasn’t the worst outcome. Still, he wished he wasn’t alone.

He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and tapped the preset for Carl. If they couldn’t be together, at least Wes could describe the alternate universe he’d just stepped into for him. It took a few seconds for the call to connect, and Wes imagined the signal snaking its way down through Florida, then skimming the waves to the southwest, across the Gulf of Mexico, and over to Guatemala.

“This is Carl Stephens. I’m unavailable to take your call at the moment. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able.”

Figures. Wes shook his head and disconnected the call. He’d catch Carl another time. He didn’t want Carl to feel guilty about the change in plans. It wasn’t as if he was suffering here in North Carolina anyhow. He replaced the phone in his pocket and glanced up at the fly bridge again. Why not? He’d never been particularly shy, and he figured he’d feel more comfortable hanging out with the crew instead of pretending to be some pampered Hollywood celebrity. He refilled his glass and headed up the stairs.

The fly bridge was every bit as Wes had expected. Sleek, with the newest instrumentation, radio, and radar. The seats and console were white, as was the rest of the yacht, and the panoramic view was impressive. The captain sat facing the console, only the top of his head visible over the high-backed leather chair.

“Impressive.”

“We aim to please,” the captain responded without turning around. His clipped British accent reminded Wes of a young Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia. “Are the accommodations to your liking?”

“You mean the presidential suite? I only wish I could spend a month or two sailing the Caribbean in accommodations like that.” He sighed.

“I might be able to arrange that.” The captain spun his chair around so he faced Wes. Except he wasn’t a captain, and he wasn’t British at all—

“Sam?” Wes knew his jaw had just dropped to the deck.

Sam Carr—no, Sander Carson, Wes reminded himself—grinned back at him. It was too easy for forget that the Sam he’d married no longer existed. “That would be me.” The British accent was gone, replaced by a hint of a soft southern drawl. Well, at least that was authentic.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Wes demanded.

Sam appeared entirely nonplussed. “Is that any way to say hello to your husband?”

“Ex-husband,” Wes corrected.

“Not for another 46 days and seven hours.” Sam leaned back in the captain’s chair, causing the thin fabric of his T-shirt to stretch tight over the muscles of his chest. He looked better than Wes remembered. No doubt he had some expensive fitness coach he worked with every day to manage pecs like that. His bright blue eyes were as disarming as they’d always been, the hint of stubble on his strong jaw only made him look more attractive. Like a movie star. Which, of course, Sam—or Sander—was.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Wes said, trying to ignore the jab to his gut at the reminder that their divorce would soon be final. “Why are you here?”

“I had a few days off from shooting, and I thought I’d take her out for a spin. They delivered her last week, and I haven’t had a chance to—”

“Wait a minute. You mean she… this is your boat?”

“Yep. Bought and paid for,” Sam said with pride.

The pieces began to fall into place. Marv leaving suddenly. The shoot in North Carolina. Sam wouldn’t have had anything to do with Carl’s boss’s change in plans, but he’d have known whom to call to find out about Wes’s plans. And Jeffrey. Shit, he remembered where he’d heard that name before: Sam’s personal assistant.

Total setup.

Wes made a mental note to read his secretary, Viv, the riot act when he got back to New York. Which would be very soon, if he had anything to say about it. She didn’t usually handle the details of his personal life, but she had access to his Outlook calendar. Come to think of it, she’d been asking him a lot of questions about his personal life lately. And she’d always loved Sam.

Everyone loves Sam.

“This isn’t going to happen, Sammy,” he told Sam. “I’m outta here.”

“Contract?” Sam said as Wes turned to head downstairs.

“Contracts can be broken.”

“You never read the fine print, do you?” Sam was clearly enjoying this.

“What have you done?” Wes glared at Sam.

“I didn’t do anything. The studio’s attorneys, though….”

“You set me up.” Stating the obvious. Sam was a hell of a lot smarter than he appeared. And way more devious. “What do you want from me, Sam?”

Sam tilted his head to one side and rubbed his chin as if he were considering the question. “You haven’t figured that out yet?” he asked.

Wes wouldn’t dignify the question with a response.

“I want you, Wesley Warren Coolidge. What else?”

Buy Links

TakeTwo_headerbanner

About Shira: Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found at the Carolina coast aboard Land’s Zen, a 35’ catamaran sailboat, with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Want to hear Shira sing? You can listen to an excerpt from a live recording of Shira performing Tosca on her website: http://www.shiraanthony.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/tosca-visse-darte-exceprt1.mp3

Where to find Shira:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: www.shiraanthony.com
E-mail: shiraanthony@hotmail.com

Love a Romance Story? First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony is Just the Thing (excerpt and giveaway)

Gonna Marry Me A Billionaire:

First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony

Buylinks: Dreamspinner: Amazon: All Romance: Barnes & Noble

Thank you Melanie and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting the First Comes Marriage book tour! For those readers who may not already know, First Comes Marriage is the second book in the brand new Dreamspun Desires line of gay category romances from Dreamspinner Press. Be sure to read to the bottom of the post for an excerpt from the book, as well as the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a dozen red roses for your sweetheart or yourself!

The Dreamspun Desires line takes its inspiration from the classic romances and features well-loved romance tropes. You’d recognize these setups from the old Harlequin style books: forced marriages, enemies to lovers, mistaken identity, and the one I used in First Comes Marriage, the marriage of convenience.

There’s one other classic trope in First Comes Marriage, however, and it’s one romance readers will immediately recognize…. Poor character falls for rich character, and vice-versa. It’s a trope rooted in dreams of living in enormous mansions, traveling all over the world and in style, and being able to buy whatever we want, whenever we want.

I had a ton of fun creating my billionaire playboy, Jesse Donovan, one of the two main characters in First Comes Marriage. On the surface, Jesse is a confident businessman who runs his family’s boat building business. We’re talking big boats. Very big boats, including commercial shipping vessels. Under the surface, Jesse is slightly geeky and very sweet. But he doesn’t show that side to just anyone.

Enter my poor boy, Chris Valentine, a struggling novelist who works as a barista at a coffee shop in New York City. Chris is very different from Jesse. He’s a bit of a nonconformist and he isn’t overly impressed with money. Chris immediately likes Jesse when they meet, but he doesn’t jump at Jesse’s million dollar offer to enter into a fake marriage with him.

Creating the universe Jesse lives in was a lot of fun. Jesse’s family’s mansion is in Connecticut, built on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I modeled it on a gorgeous Connecticut mansion with a storied history. Tudor, with lots of personality, Windmere, as the Donovan family named the estate is a beautiful place. Flowering trees and bushes grace the sprawling grounds. There are formal and informal gardens. There’s a stable for horses, a small beach, a tree-house of sorts that any adult would be happy to live in, a coach house and cottages, and even a family cemetery.

Inside, the house is classic, with several wings in which the inhabitants and staff live. There’s a magnificent conservatory with high glass ceilings and huge plants, there are libraries filled with books, including a collection of expensive old books.

Against this backdrop, Chris is a bit overwhelmed. But that’s the point: his view of Jesse’s idyllic life is the jumping off point for their relationship. Chris soon discovers, however, that although Jesse might not be the “poor little rich kid,” he’s down to earth and has experienced his share of pain and loss over the years.

The classic category romance is all about escaping from reality. What better way to escape than to spend a few hours immersed in a world few of us will ever experience? I’ll leave you with an excerpt from First Comes Marriage which will give you a sense of the strange new world Chris walks into when he comes to live at Windmere. I hope you enjoy it! –Shira

Blurb:

Their marriage was supposed to be all business….

When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!

Jesse’s in a pinch. To keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal: in exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million-dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?

~~~~

Excerpt from Chapter Seven

The setup: Jesse needs to marry because his grandfather’s will says he will lose control of the family business to his stepgrandmother, Wenda, if he doesn’t marry within a year of his grandfather’s death. Jesse and Chris have just tied the knot in Manhattan and are headed to Connecticut to Jesse’s estate, Windmere.

The limo turned off the main road a moment later, and they waited as a large gate swung open to admit them. A high brick wall surrounded the property, obscuring the house.

Huge oaks dotted the grounds, and the long drive wound through thickets of flowering bushes and lush green vegetation. Underneath the immense trees, daffodils and tulips poked through the dirt. A winding creek made its way across the property and disappeared into a forest of evergreens and bushes. Jesse opened the windows, and the bright scent of freshly cut grass wafted in.

“This is Windmere,” Jesse said, his expression one of true pride. “We have a few minutes before we get to the house, so I guess we’d better go through a few things.”

“Sure.”

“If Wenda’s here,” Jesse said, “we’ll need to keep up the act.”

“Okay. You’re the director,” Chris quipped. “What’s the scene?”

“Just be yourself. The only backstory you need to know is that we met at one of your readings a few months ago.”

“And you? Mr. Bachelor of the Century?”

“Yes, well, that one’s a bit trickier,” Jesse agreed. “I just figured out that I’m bisexual.”

“You… what? I mean, I thought—”

“I’ll tell her that,” Jesse quickly interposed.

“Ah, okay,” Chris said, relieved. Because if he knew Jesse might actually be interested in something more than playacting, it would make things even more complicated. “Got it. And?”

“And that’s it. It’s none of her business who I marry.”

Chris was about to point out that, in a sense, it was Wenda’s business, but at that moment the limo rolled past the dense trees to reveal the house. Only “house” wasn’t exactly the word for it.

A sprawling Tudor-style mansion with steeply pitched roofs, dark half timbers and white stone beneath the eaves, mullioned windows of every shape imaginable, and high chimneys, with a herringboned brick façade on the lower floors, Windmere was both imposing and beautiful. Chris stepped from the limo and stared at the building while the rustling leaves from the huge weeping willow that overhung the driveway made a sound much like the brush of a hand over a stringed instrument. The faint scent of the ocean wafted on the breeze.

“It’s amazing,” Chris said at last.

~~~~

All about Shira

Shira Anthony is a complete sucker for a happily-ever-after, and rarely reads or writes a story without one. Never a fan of instalove, Shira likes to write stories about real men with real issues making real relationships work.

In her last incarnation, Shira was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as “Tosca,” “Pagliacci,” and “La Traviata,” among others. Her Blue Notes Series is loosely based upon her own experiences as a professional musician.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 36’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Interested in hearing Shira sing? Here’s a link to a live performance of Shira singing an aria from Puccini’s “Tosca”: http://www.shiraanthony.com/wp-conten…

You can subscribe to Shira’s monthly newsletter for updates, free fiction, and subscriber-only contests here: http://www.shiraanthony.com/newsletter/

~~~~

Where you can find Shira

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: http://www.shiraanthony.com
E-mail: shiraanthony@hotmail.com

~~~~

Giveaway:

First Comes Marriage is all above love and romance, and Shira’s grand prize is a dozen red roses for your sweetheart (or whoever you think deserves it!). First prize is a $10 Dreamspinner Gift Certificate. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~

Blog Tour Information

A MelanieM Review: First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Their marriage was supposed to be all business….

Jesse’s in a pinch: to keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal. In exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?

A Dreamspun Desires title*

While I was gobbling up every book I could read growing up, among those countless paperbacks included untold numbers of romance novels, from the gothic to the regency to the contemporary. My parents upper garage has shelves still lined with hundreds of yellowed paperbacks whose covers mirrored that of the one Paul Richmond designed for Shira Anthony’s First Come Marriage. This is the first novel from Dreamspinner’s new Dreamspun Desires Romance line, with tales and covers guaranteed to bring back memories of those stories you may have read and loved so well. I was so eager to dive into the story and find out what Shira Anthony and Dreamspinner had in store for us all. Happily, I discovered a familiar and wonderfully romantic story certain to warm your heart and make the time fly joyfully by!

Shira Anthony picks that age old theme of a marriage of convenience (yes, a favorite of mine) and transforms it within the M/M genre. I especially liked that she kept many of the old romance novel features…like a will clause, a specific time frame…moving within that prescribed romance novel format. It might seem similar to Harlequin and other romance publishers yet the author makes it her own with her characterizations, locations and dialog.

Taken outside of the prescribed romance novel format some of the character choices might have one snorting…a tad. But remember the trope this story is mirroring with affection and those small irritations fly away as they did back when I was reading the original stories. It was a conscious decision to take these romance novels as what they were…an adult wish for the best happily ever after, a contemporary Cinderella Story and if you have to take quite a few leaps of faith? Well, so be it.

Chris Valentine is a struggling writer. He’s sweet, adorable and clearly in need of someone to love him. Along comes wealthy Jesse Donovan, in need of a spouse in order to maintain control of his company. The men and their romance unfolds sweetly, gently and with the misunderstandings popping up as they should. I liked both Jesse’s stepmother and Chris’ mom. From the moment I picked it up, the story just flew by, bringing up all those happy memories of the romance stories of the past and intermingling them with this sexy, cheerful new M/M HEA from Shira Anthony and Dreamspinner Press.

I can’t wait to see what the next story in this series brings. This is just so much fun! Romance, sexy men, and a HEA! You just can’t go wrong. Pick up First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony, the first in the new Dreamspun Desires series from Dreamspinner Press. I think you’ll be as delighted and entertained as I was.

Cover artist: Paul Richmond does justice with total affection to those wonderful romantic covers of the past right down to the design. Great job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Link to come

Book Details:

ebook, 262 pages
Expected publication: January 15th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleFirst Comes Marriage
ISBN139781634768443
Edition LanguageEnglish

*Dreamspun Desires is a series from Dreamspinner Press: “Dreamspun Desires are contemporary category romance novels, complete with your favorite heartwarming heroes, captivating plots, and exotic settings. These titles are all about happily ever afters that leave you with a satisfied smile for days.”

Cover Reveal for A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy (excerpt)

COVER REVEAL!

Authors Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy have teamed up to write a red-hot action-packed thriller!

A Solitary Man coming from Dreamspinner Press November 6th!

A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy
Published by Dreamspinner Press

Excerpt

Evan pressed the button on his phone to connect. “Freddy? What did you find out?”
Fred laughed. “For this, I’m going to exact a price.”
“You mean the keg I sprang for at graduation doesn’t get me a freebie?” Evan shot back.
“We’ve been out of law school for how many years now? Eight?”
“Nine this year,” Evan corrected.
“Credit’s no good anymore,” Fred answered. “I’m thinking dinner at Ivy at the Shore next time you’re in LA. On you, of course. Including a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.”
“For that,” Evan said with a chuckle, “this had better be good.”
“It’s good. And it was hell to get.”
“Okay, okay. Dinner on me. Assuming you and Margie put me up for the night,” Evan replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing your McMansion.”
“Deal. Took a little digging. Seems your mystery man did some undercover work for the FBI.”
“And?”
“My buddy in the US Attorney’s office wouldn’t give details, but word is Constantine got fed up with the bullshit after a case went bad somewhere down in South America.”
“Drugs?” Evan asked.
“No. He dealt with human trafficking. Specifically, child sex trafficking. My friend says the guy’s good. He tried a few cases where Constantine was the government’s key witness. Knows his stuff. Works his ass off and gets into his work. I got the impression sometimes he gets a little too close.”
Now that was interesting. “Why?”
“Seems the guy’s rabid about protecting kids.”
“Any idea why?”
“Nothing anyone would tell me,” Fred replied.
Evan leaned back in his chair. At least Xav wasn’t a slacker, but it didn’t make Evan feel any better about the prospect of bumping into him at work. “Anything else?”
“Constantine grew up in LA, went to school in Boston.”
“Boston?” Even more interesting. So much for his initial assessment of Xav as a broceanographer.
“Yeah, you’ll love this.”
Evan could almost hear Freddy’s grin over the phone.
“He did undergrad at MIT. Mathematics major. Master’s in criminology from U Penn with an emphasis in cryptology. The FBI was probably falling all over itself to recruit him.”
No shit. This just got better and better. “What the hell’s a guy with that kind of background doing in North Carolina?”
“I could ask you the same question,” Fred shot back. “Of course, if you decide you want your own McMansion….”
“You couldn’t pay me enough to come to work for you,” Evan joked. Fred was serious—they’d had this discussion a half-dozen times before.
“Try me.” Fred paused for a moment and then asked, “This personal?”
Evan had no intention of telling Fred he’d slept with Xav. “Not personal.”
“’Cause word has it he’s gay,” Fred said. “Out but not advertising.” When Evan didn’t take the bait, Fred added, “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”
Evan shook his head and sighed theatrically. “Don’t even go there, Freddy. You know I don’t mix business and pleasure. I just want to know what I’m dealing with. That’s all.”
“You can’t bullshit a bullshitter, man.”
“Thanks for the help,” Evan said, foreclosing the topic. “I’ll let you know next time I’m out your way. Tell Margie she’s a brave woman.”
“Always do. Laters. And make sure you get your sorry ass out here soon.”
“Will do.” Evan disconnected the call and rubbed his mouth. Mathematics major at MIT and a master’s from U Penn? No wonder the FBI had recruited him. And he’d pegged Xav for a surfer! What the hell are you doing in Dare’s Landing, Xavier Constantine?

About A Solitary Man

Sparks fly when Chance meets tall, sexy Xav at a Wilmington bar and they have the hottest one-nighter of their lives. But Chance doesn’t do repeats, Xav seems detached, and they go their separate ways without a word. Two months later, when closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild meets Dare’s Landing’s newest deputy sheriff, Xavier “Xav” Constantine, Evan isn’t only wary. He’s irritated as hell.

Xavier is a former FBI agent turned deputy sheriff who is hot on the trail of a South American child prostitution ring. Evan is fighting to put an end to rampant cocaine trafficking and chafing under the thumb of an election-hungry boss. When someone tries to kill the thirteen-year-old witness who holds the key to both their investigations, they’re forced to work together as they put their lives on the line to protect him. As Chance and Xav collide in heat of a sweltering North Carolina summer, dodging bullets and chasing bad guys isn’t the only action going on.

Pre-order A Solitary Man from Dreamspinner Press!

About The Authors

Meet Shira Anthony

Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.

In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies.

Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.

Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 36′ catamaran sailboat, “Lands Zen,” at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.

Shira looks forward to meeting you at Gay Rom Lit!

About Aisling Mancy

Aisling is an author who lives, most of the time, on the West Coast of the United States. Aisling writes adult fantasy, adult LGBTQIA romance, and fiction for gay young adults ( C. Kennedy).

Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Aisling doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Aisling contemplates such weighty questions as If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Aisling can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary.

Aisling looks forward to meeting you at Gay Rom Lit!

Find Aisling on her blog, Twitter @AislingMancy, Facebook, Goodreads, and
Aisling does respond to emails because, after all, it is all about you, the reader

A MelanieM Review: Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

This is the final installment in the Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press.

With Running with the Wind, Shira Anthony brings her Mermen of Ea Trilogy to a close and what a ride it has been! From the moment I met the endearing Taren, I was hooked on this imaginative saga of discovery, loss and love. From a simple seaside tavern where we find the young slave,Taren, who is ignorant of his true nature as a merman, through the pirate ships, tumultuous relationships and discovery of a divided Mermen culture, Anthony has built a deeply layered and magical universe to go along with her complicated fantasy characters. That a series of relationships is built upon the plight of a divided people and the renewal of a culture who had lost its way just gives this trilogy added depth and heartfelt angst. The author’s world building is equal to the creativity shown with the characters, all of whom she made it easy to fall in love with. And cry over.

Writing the final story, whether to a series or trilogy, is always tricky. Readers have built up certain expectations in their mind that they bring to any final installment and meeting those high expectations is almost always impossible. How does Running with the Wind measure up to mine? Pretty darn well.

We have multiple couples and their relationships to bring some closure to, in one case its two couples in one. That would be Taren Laxley who is also the reincarnation of the Ea priest Treande and his lover Ian Dunaidh, captain of the Ea ship the Phantom, who is also the reincarnated Owyn, Ea priest and lover of Treande. We get both the past and the present with these two. And then there is Odhrán and Bastian, who natures I won’t reveal here but these are two powerful characters, so much so that I almost think they “stole” the story away from Taren and Ian. I loved the slow development and revelations that occur with these two. They surprised me, confounded me and I thought their part of this tale was among the most powerful of elements.

But the Mermen of Ea also includes the unforgettable Jonat Rider, and Vurin, and so many others. Anthony’s creations are so well developed that you come to care for them all deeply throughout the course of the series and their various fates pull at your hearts at the end of the story.

As stated, the final story, especially one with as many plots as found here, has much to tie up and the narrative got a tad crowded along the way. The colony had to be brought back to its true destiny, a huge evil had to be overcome, and some of our major characters had transformations to go through in order to survive and win out at the end. I did find that some passages dragged on a little too long for me but the battles at sea and on land were vividly described, painfully believable and suspenseful. The air and sea felt charged with energy and the drama was everything I could have hoped for and expected of this writer. And yes, I cried some too.

A truism that most writers recognize and address in their stories or fables is that a price is almost always extracted from each hero/major character who uses a ancient or forbidden power. Somewhere towards the end of a tale, the hero will have to pay a profound personal cost that is the consequence for the use of magic. That happens here in Running with the Wind but not to the extent that I think the readers were lead to believe would happen by the events leading up to the last battles. Some will be happy about that and others will be let down that the price Taren pays is more of a tap to the wrist then a major sacrifice. How a reader feels about the element will dictate how they feel about the end of this story and series. I have to admit to feeling a bit disappointed, but only a little. That is my only real gripe here.

This is a wonderful universe in which to spend hours of time. And Shira Anthony has left enough room and questions that should she ever wish t0 return to it, perhaps to see how Odhrán and Bastian and the others are getting along, including a certain King, well, I would be more than happy to journey back along with her. But if that never happens, we still have the wonderful mermen and humans of the Mermen of Ea saga to keep us happy and involved in their lives. Read them all in the order they were written. Enjoy the journey and end up happy as I did as to how it all played out. It was a wonderful ride, I loved every minute and word of it.

Cover art by Anne Cain. I have loved all the covers for this trilogy. This one is lovely as is the first one. But that second cover is so indescribably gorgeous and incandescent that this one suffers a little in comparison.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here on June 8th.

Book Details:

ebook, also available in paperback
Expected publication: June 8th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634762151
edition languageEnglish
seriesMermen of Ea #3
charactersIan Dunaidh, Taren Laxley, Odhrán, Bastian, Seria..

Books in the Mermen of Ea Trilogy are in the order they were written and should be read:

Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea, #1)
Into the Wind (Mermen of Ea, #2)
Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) finale

Its A Wrap for Those Sexy Mermen of Ea with Running With the Wind by Shira Anthony (excerpts and giveaway)

Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony
Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

My Interview with Shira Anthony

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Shira Anthony author of Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3). Hi Shira, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
• Describe your book to us.

Thanks for hosting me today! Running with the Wind is the final installment in my Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press. The series is high fantasy, romance, and adventure set on the high seas. The story follows Taren Laxley, an indentured servant who dreams of sailing aboard the tall ships that put into port in the harbor town where he lives.

Taren is kidnapped by pirates, and an entire new universe opens up to him aboard their ship, the Sea Witch. But when he falls overboard during a storm trying to save a fellow crewmember, he’s rescued by the crew of the Phantom. The ship and its captain, Ian Dunaidh, aren’t what they seem. They’re merfolk shifters, or Ea. What’s more, Taren learns he is an Ea as well.

Taren and Ian’s rocky start eventually turns into a deep and all-encompassing love. Their connection is ages old, and Taren learns he has a purpose he must serve: leading his people a safe haven where they can live in peace. The final book in the series, Running with the Wind, leads Taren and Ian and the Ea to the brink of another civil war, and their happiness is far from guaranteed.

There’s magic, magical creatures, and adventure in the books, and they were a blast to write! I hope you enjoy reading them.
• Have you ever read something that made you think differently about your genre? Can you tell us what it was?

The first real gay romance I read was back in the 80s and it was between the lines of my all-time favorite sci fi/fantasy series, Darkover, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The deep love between two men and the strength of those characters made me crave more, and eventually prompted me to take a good friend up on her suggestion that we write an MM story together (that story became Prelude (Blue Notes #4). When Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote that series, gay romance in mainstream fiction was still taboo, but the little taste of it I found there was the foundation for the genre I now love to write. I honestly can’t imagine writing anything else!
• Tell us about your character’s family life?

Taren’s parents died when he was a baby, so he never knew them. He was raised by a ship rigger, Borstan Laxley, who treated him fairly well. But Borstan pays off his gambling debts using Taren, and Taren finds himself not much more than a slave at an inn near the harbor. Later in the series, we get a glimpse back at Taren’s parents. But I won’t spoil that part!
• Compare yourself to your main character.

Wow, tough question! At the beginning of the series, Taren is a mixture of submissive slave and questioning boy. Very different from me, since I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to temper my need to speak my mind. Later, Taren grows more assertive, more like I am I guess you could say.
• Describe your past week as a type of landscape or a weather forecast.

Definitely a seascape! I’ve been so busy traveling to conventions, including Romantic Times in Dallas, Texas, and Animazement, in Raleigh, North Carolina, not to mention balancing writing, blogging, and real life work, that all I see right now is a very large ocean. In the distance? My vacation! And what an appropriate vacation for that kind of landscape: I’m spending 3 weeks aboard our catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen!

Now more about Running with the Wind….

It’s here! The final story in Shira Anthony’s Mermen of Ea Trilogy, Running with the Wind. Check out the synopisis and excerpts below and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end.

About Running with the Wind

Sequel to Into the Wind  With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Running with the Wind Excerpt

SPOILER WARNING: This excerpt contains spoilers for the first two series books!
Running with the Wind
Excerpt from Chapter One

Ian leaned over the railing as the morning sunlight warmed his shoulders. A few feet away, Taren wrapped a blanket around the shivering boy, who sat with his knees hugged to his chest. He tenderly ruffled the boy’s fiery red hair. The boy leaned into Taren’s touch and made a satisfied sound much like the purr of a cat.
Not a boy, Ian reminded himself. Bastian. An Anuki. The heavenly brethren of the Ea. A dragon shifter reborn from the ashes. True, this freckle-faced dragon child looked nothing like the full-fledged beast who’d nearly killed them the day before, but they knew little of the Anuki. Had it only been a day since Seria’s men had attacked them and they’d lost Rider to Seria’s bullet?
Ian met Taren’s gaze and his grief eased slightly. Taren smiled back, his warm brown eyes hooded with exhaustion and grief, his shoulder-length hair having dried in a tumble of waves. From where he sat on the deck, Bastian watched Odhrán, keenly interested. The sphere they’d discovered not long after the destruction of the Sea Witch—an egg, Ian now knew—had dissolved beneath the water. Bastian had been choking and spluttering when Odhrán had carried him aboard. Since then, Bastian had done little but watch Odhrán with rapt attention.
Like a baby bird watches its mother. Ian frowned at his folly. How easy it was to forget this pathetic creature had destroyed the Sea Witch and nearly killed them all. If Odhrán hadn’t killed the dragon Bastian had become, they’d all have died. And yet Bastian had been reborn.
Bastian glanced up at Taren, blinked several times, then shifted his gaze back to Odhrán, who spoke in hushed tones to one of his crew. The long blond braid down Odhrán’s back dripped onto the deck and left the back of his woolen jacket sodden. Despite the bright blue of his eyes and his youthful features, Odhrán appeared as exhausted as Ian felt.
“A moment of your time?” Ian said after the crewmember trotted off toward the stairs, leaving the four of them alone on the foredeck.
Odhrán nodded and followed Ian amidships, far enough away that Bastian wouldn’t hear.
“Do you think this is wise?” Ian asked with a quick glance back at Taren and Bastian.
“What would you have me do? Leave him to drown?” Odhrán, too, appeared weary. Ian knew he still regretted having killed the fully transformed Bastian.
“He couldn’t live without Rider.” Taren’s words echoed in Ian’s mind. Rider—Ian’s oldest friend—had taken a bullet in Ian’s stead. There’d been no time to grieve.
“No.” Ian sighed. “Rider would have wanted us to care for him.” Taren would never have forgiven him for suggesting they leave Bastian to drown, and they’d lost too much to even consider it.
Odhrán nodded curtly and turned his gaze eastward. Now calm in the wake of the storm, the water sparkled with sunlight. Nothing remained of the Sea Witch but a few bits of broken timbers floating restlessly on the waves. Later, all of the men now aboard the Chimera would gather on the deck to remember the Witch’s captain, but for just a moment, Ian could almost imagine Rider at the wheel of his beloved ship.
I’ll miss you, old friend. More than you’ll ever know.
Ian shrugged off his dark thoughts and walked back to Taren. “You should get some sleep.” He squeezed Taren’s shoulder. “Odhrán and I will not let Bastian out of our sight.”
Taren pressed his lips together and nodded. How tired Taren must be that he didn’t even argue!
“I’ll join you in a bit.” Ian pressed his lips to Taren’s warm cheek.
Taren retrieved the blanket that had fallen off Bastian’s shoulders and wrapped it around him again. Naked as Bastian was beneath, Ian caught a glimpse of the wings they’d seen when they’d discovered him on the ocean floor. No longer scaled as they’d been when they’d first pulled Bastian from the water, Bastian’s wings were now covered with feathers and shimmered red, yellow, orange, and fuchsia, iridescent in the sunlight.
“I’ll be back later,” Taren told Bastian with a barely repressed yawn. “I promise.”
Bastian’s eyes revealed little understanding. Had he forgotten everything of his former life? Perhaps he was still too overwhelmed from the shock of the past day’s events to fully comprehend his situation. He’d not uttered a word since they’d brought him aboard.
Taren kissed Ian—a fleeting kiss, but one Ian needed to reassure himself that all had not changed—before heading belowdecks to rest.
Ian met Odhrán at the bow. “He’s like a fledgling,” Ian said, inclining his head in Bastian’s direction, “watching you like a bird might his mother.”
Odhrán’s brow knitted. He’d clearly noticed it as well. “I’ve asked Garan to reinforce the enchantments on the ship’s masts and sails. There’s nothing more to be done.”
“Aye. But if Bastian threatens the ship—”
“Then I’ll be forced to subdue him. Not a prospect I relish, although in his current state, he appears far less powerful than before.” Odhrán studied Bastian once again. “For now, at least, he’s content to be in our company.”
“What do you know of the Anuki?”
“They’re much like the Ea in their ability to shift to human form. I met one centuries ago, but he was nothing like this. Not a child. But what happened with Bastian….”
“Reborn from the ashes.” Ian’s heart ached once again for the loss of Rider.
“My time with one of their kind was brief.” Odhrán stared past Ian as if remembering.
Ian didn’t press the issue. Later, perhaps, he’d ask Odhrán about that encounter. “And his memories of his life with Rider?”
Odhrán shook his head. “I don’t know. I suppose only time will tell.”
Ian clenched his jaw. The realization that Bastian might not remember anything of his love for Rider made Ian’s grief that much greater.

About Shira Anthony~

In her last incarnation, Shira was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as “Tosca,” “i Pagliacci,” and “La Traviata,” among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 36’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shira-Anthony/177484618974406
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterShira
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/anthony0564/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ShiraAnthony/posts

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 gift card and backlist book of choice. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Here is the list of prizes (also on the Rafflecopter link):

December Diamonds Wedding Mermen Ornament
(or a free download of the audiobook version of Stealing the Wind for non U.S. Residents
Geneva Nautical Wrap Watch
Anchor Cord Bracelet

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Links for the other stories in the Mermen of Ea Trilogy – now complete:

Stealing the Wind:
Add to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18216592-stealing-the-wind

buy it at:
Dreamspinner Press – https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4101
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Wind-Mermen-Ea-Book-ebook/dp/B00EHHZXVS
Google Books – https://books.google.com/books/about/Stealing_the_Wind.html?id=-RKzAAAAQBAJ&hl=en
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-the-wind-shira-anthony/1116395006?ean=9781627980531

Into the Wind:
Add to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20343872-into-the-wind

DP – https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4975
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wind-Mermen-Ea-Book-ebook/dp/B00K4PX4BS
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-wind-shira-anthony/1119434211?ean=2940149579983

Tour Dates & Stops:
1-Jun
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

2-Jun
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

3-Jun
My Fiction Nook

4-Jun
Amanda C. Stone

5-Jun
Carly’s Book Reviews

8-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie

9-Jun
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

10-Jun
Decadent Delights

11-Jun
MM Good Book Reviews

12-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads

15-Jun
Divine Magazine

16-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

17-Jun
BFD Book Blog

18-Jun
The Novel Approach

19-Jun
Because Two Men Are Better Than One

22-Jun
Kimi-Chan
Happily Ever Chapter

23-Jun
Prism Book Alliance

24-Jun
Cate Ashwood

25-Jun
Love Bytes

26-Jun
Molly Lolly

A MelanieM Review: Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

With vampire Nicolas Lambert’s marriage to a rival clanswoman only weeks away, Adrien Gilbert struggles to come to terms with his defeat at the hands of Verel Pelletier, a vampire hunter and an immortal like himself. Adrien and his former teacher, Roland Günter, begin to explore his newly acquired abilities. But without his soul’s sword, Adrien flounders.

On Nicolas’s wedding day, a two-hundred-year old secret is revealed, sending the wedding party into a blazing battle between hunters and vampires. Once again Adrien finds himself facing Pelletier’s superior strength. Just as Adrien believes all hope of a future with Nicolas is lost, he finally learns his true gift—he can turn back time. But time travel comes with a high cost. To save Nicolas, Adrien must become strong enough to use his power without descending into madness.

After the death and destruction of Blood and Rain (Blood #1), I was hoping for some resolution to some of the loose ends and ever expanding plot threads but I should have known better as Blood and Ghosts is the middle story of Shira Anthony’s Blood Trilogy. This book only ups the drama, danger, and multiple timelines these characters seem to exist in. And therein lies this story’s strengths and weaknesses.

Time travel can be an extremely tricky element in any story but especially in one where one of the main characters or perhaps more, switch time frames frequently within chapters or pages for that matter. For me, this format worked in several ways. As Adrien chases not only his enemy Pelletier through time, he is also looking frantically for his beloved Nicholas, who Pelletier has stolen away (long story, you must read the first book for this one to make any sense at all). As the search continues through multiple eras and time periods, an exhausted Adrien is carrying with him the knowledge of the future, and all the dangers that brings with it. With each change, the suspense and anxiety increases along with Adrien’s anguish and physical exhaustion. We can connect with the fact that he’s losing hope with each century he passes through. Anthony’s format serves to involve us with Adrien’s emotions and pain as the search continues even as his enemy taunts him. I liked seeing all the “different” Adriens that existed, even if we see them only briefly. I also liked getting more of a sense of history behind the various feuds and vampire/hunter lore. That also serves to solidify some of the world building laid down in the first story. But there is a downside to all this time flipping, and that’s confusion and a tendency towards density.

There are so many different eras and time periods to keep track of and with them, different logistical nightmares and ever expanding plot threads that your mind can grow tired trying to keep track of them all and how they figure into whatever current situation Adrien is finding himself in at the time. I had to refer back to my notes several times in order to figure out who was where at what time and why. I can see what Anthony was going for and its works in the long view, however, I also wished for a few less stops along the time continuum and a tighter time line for the story all together. At one point we are just jumping around way too much for us to get a feel for the “Nicholas” seen or for the other characters that are involved, there’s just not enough “time” for that to happen.

Make no mistake, there are some very cool components here. I loved all the action sequences and the stuff that happens with Adrien’s sword had me swooning with glee. It was unexpected, wildly imaginative, and vividly realized. And it also made other parts of the story pale in comparison. Now that was a battle.

And while Adrien is believably flawed, impatient, angry, and powerful, Nicholas remains a bit of a shadow character. I was just starting to get a sense of him before the traumatic events of Blood and Rain. Then nothing. I find him even more elusive here than Adrien does, and the switching of personas through the centuries doesn’t help that. I’m continually told that their love is eternal and they know it “through the blood”. But I would have wished for more showing to help me connect with the person behind all the drama and events that happen.

Blood and Ghosts is the middle story in this trilogy and it ends on a heartbreaker of a cliffhanger, one I can’t wait to see the author write her way out of. I thought it was a fascinating way to end this story as it supplies tons of questions with little answers, its thought provoking in a major way and the riddle it implies will keep you guessing until we get the answers in early 2016 which is when the final story, Blood and Eternity, will come out. If you aren’t a fan of cliffhangers, perhaps you might want to wait and read all three stories one right after the other. If you are like me and have the impulse control of a magpie, then go ahead and pick this up and see what happened after the carnage of Blood and Rain.

But if you are new to this trilogy, run back to the first story and start there otherwise you will find yourself lost in time, along with the characters here. For all vampire lovers, this is a new take on vampire lore and vampire hunters. This story and series is beautifully written, intricately plotted and heavy with elements and logistics. And yes, there’s some hot men/vampires and sexy times too. The time travel can get a wee bit wearying but hang in there, for the acton sequences and rocky journey to everlasting love worth every minute, hour, and year. Now if only I could time travel my way to 2016 and get my hands on Blood and Eternity….

Cover art by Reese Dante. I’m not a fan of this cover, not sure why. Perhaps its the models or the design color. Either way, its more of a miss than hit.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 242 pages, available in DSP paperback too
Published April 20th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press (first published April 2015)
ISBN139781634761154
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.shiraanthony.com/books/blood-and-ghosts/
seriesBlood #2

Books in the Blood Trilogy are:

Blood and Rain (Blood #1)
Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2)
Blood and Eternity (Blood #3) to be released early 2016

Share this:

Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

My Little Piece of Paradise by Shira Anthony

Blurb

Excerpt

Share this:

Sales Links

Share this:

Take Two by Shira Anthony

Dreamspinner Press Cover Art by L.C. Chase

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Shira Anthony here today on her Take Two video tour. Welcome, Shira!

Blurb

Excerpt from Chapter Two

Buy Links

Share this:

Gonna Marry Me A Billionaire:

First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony

Share this:

Share this:

COVER REVEAL!

Authors Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy have teamed up to write a red-hot action-packed thriller!

A Solitary Man coming from Dreamspinner Press November 6th!

A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy Published by Dreamspinner Press

Excerpt

About A Solitary Man

Pre-order A Solitary Man from Dreamspinner Press!

About The Authors

Meet Shira Anthony

About Aisling Mancy

Share this:

Share this:

Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

My Interview with Shira Anthony

Now more about Running with the Wind….

About Running with the Wind

Running with the Wind Excerpt

About Shira Anthony~

Giveaway

Share this:

Share this:

Forgotten Paradise by Shira Anthony
Dreamspinner Press

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art by L.C. Chase

A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy
Published by Dreamspinner Press

Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony
Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain