This had so many wild elements to it. It also introduced new important characters to the series as well as moved Emma’s role as the main Supe Detective in a more matured, and more complex personality. She’s settling into that world, and shifting her perspective.
The respective wolf shifter houses, the vampires remain otherworldly, with aspects of their lives and histories still hidden and evolving here.
Infernal Enchantment is a fascinating aspect of the story. And I don’t think the author is through with it, even though the book is over.
A gruesome case of grave robbing lands on Detective Constable Emma Bellamy’s desk. But is there more to it than meets the eye?
Being the sole police detective in London’s Supernatural Squad is no easy task. I have to navigate my way through a world teeming with supernatural creatures, from vampires to werewolves and everything else in between. My inexperience might count against me but my own shocking supernatural abilities will stand me in good stead – especially when I’m confronted yet again by the gruesome spectre of death…
A vampire has been mysteriously killed in the centre of the city.
Werewolf graves have been plundered for their bodies.
And I think I might be developing an ill-advised crush on a certain black eyed vampire Lord.
Infernal Enchantment is the second book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series. If you like dark twisty mysteries, smart heroines, and the faintest touch of slow burn romance, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s mystical adventure.
Black Flagged (A Lights Out Novel) by Emma Jaye is a book that had me waffling over the rating because Black Flagged is actually two different novels, one that’s a tad more successful than the other.
Unfortunately, the better one doesn’t really have much of anything to do with racing but rather with past murders, current murder attempts, and the mercenary brotherhood, the orta, which are the featured elements and characters of Emma Jaye’s other series, Lies.
While that series is severely darker than this (and comes from a different perspective), much of this story is about Dren’s character, his code , and utter allegiance to the orta, and his brothers in the organization. Who we meet, and interact with, enough to make us understand a tiny bit about what that must entail. Dark, dark, dark.
I was intrigued by Dren Elezi the orta janissary, the orta (mercenary brotherhood ) and the whole fact that the Neumann family had this criminal history to them. That Walter Neumann, CEO of Neumann Industries , owner of Neumann F1 is also one of Europe’s top illegal arms dealers. Really, that needed expounding on.
And that Karl Neumann, the nephew, aka Karo, was a thief, homeless, and has a murky history . There’s so much here and yes, it all went into the plot, making for a lively and often chaotic storyline. I really enjoyed it.
As far as Karl Neumann, the one the readers have come to know. The arrogant, bully of a driver everyone has grown to hate in every book, race by race, through the same repeated “episodes “, this is where Jaye does a great job at incorporating her story back into the Lights Out universe.
We get , each scene , word by word, as they have played out , over each other book the same way but now flipped, and with a startling twist.
There’s a new backstory , a perspective we’re now seeing to Neumann’s action’s , often repugnant interactions with the other drivers. And it puts Neumann in a whole new light. Not only his actions, but how they are seen and appreciated by his owner/family. It’s all about the strategy, maneuvering for publicity, and positioning for success. For himself, primarily, and the team.
It’s especially true when revisiting the scenes that had Lennox in them. That dynamic was so incredibly tilted towards Lennox as the one being victimized. Having it flipped around and visualized through the lens of Kurt puts an astonishing spin on things. Where it realistically comes down outside of both is probably somewhere in the middle.
Jaye has some strong racing elements here. The racing is well researched. I was fascinated by the information about how the race bays were set up according to team finishes. That the worst place team had a “walk of shame “ past all the other teams to get to their section of the building on the track. That has to rub it in constantly that fact you and your team suck that year.
And there was that infamous race where one driver goes up in flames. Kurt gets the blame. But this time we see that race from inside the car. Big difference.
However, just as we’ve gotten settled in a racing mentality with Kurt, the team, and the strategy, Jaye whisks her storyline around and into the direction of murder and sabotage.
That’s a great tale in itself. But it becomes a whole different story. Their romance, the orta, the mystery, the sexual nature of their relationship, and even Kurt’s background is more tightly coupled together here than it is with the racing aspect.
Eventually, all the threads roll back, not to racing itself but we do get back to business, but not without a few more surprises with Lennox.
With all these many plot lines, well researched facts, and great elements, I’m not sure why it doesn’t work together more smoothly than it does. Black Flagged, as entertaining and as wild a ride as it was, still feels like two separate journeys. A race and then another for the emotional connections and romance factor.
That ending doesn’t quite work either. There’s a two – year contract to deal with, then a new contract. It’s feels very rushed and inconsistent with the way the rest of the book and series has been handled.
I liked Black Flagged. I would have loved it if the author could have decided what story that wanted to tell exactly, a race story or a new orta themed book. What’s occurred is a combo of the two, neither successful completely.
Will a Black Flag end love before it leaves the starting line?
Dren is a mercenary, not a babysitter, yet protecting an F1 “bad boy” from his own recklessness is his next contract. The media darling everyone loves to hate is annoying as hell and a target both on and off the track. Staying close is the only way to protect Karl from himself and others, but the forced proximity reveals the man behind the uncaring, flippant mask. In public and private, Karl craves attention, but it’s not Dren’s job to provide it. But Dren can’t help falling for Karl’s provocative passion, and he shouldn’t because when the contract ends, he’ll return to the organization that holds his soul.
Karl avoids people he can’t trick, charm, or buy, and his new bodyguard falls into that irritating category. But before he knows it, Dren’s imposing presence becomes his seatbelt in the rocky, perilous world of F1 because there’s genuine concern and interest behind the gruff exterior.
When a fiery crash gets Karl suspended for dangerous driving, can the pair find his mysterious enemy before Karl loses his career and Dren?
This M/M romance from Emma Jaye features an arrogant F1 driver with a hidden past and a bodyguard who is in way too deep. Set in the high-octane world of Formula 1, it features fast cars, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, a HEA.
Each book in the Lights Out collection is a standalone story, and the books can be read in any order.
Hello, I’m Dr. Gale and I’ve been asked to think of twenty random things that people might not know about me, so here goes.
My Doctorate is in Security Usability of AI processes in Authentication and Transmission Programs. I received it when I was just twenty years old.
My middle names are Wesley Arthur. Wesley is my father’s name, though everyone calls him Troy. I think that may be a Stingray thing, but I’m not sure. Arthur is my maternal grandmother’s maiden name.
I learned to write code when I was four and a half. I built my first computer when I was seven.
I was the youngest person ever to enroll at my University College, I was twelve years and seven months old.
From the age of 8, until I was about 14, I was actually quite chubby. I burned all the photos.
My Mama calls me Ilmari, my Papi calls me Blue, short for Blue-Eyes.
The first time I tried to surf a telephone line I was six and a half years old. I eavesdropped on my Great Grandmama’s neighbours but then my Papi caught me and I came back to my own body so fast that I knocked myself out. Which was kind of embarrassing.
This will surprise Chivis, but I can actually ride a horse. He isn’t the only city person that’s done great outdoors stuff. I also ski pretty well.
I took up running when I was 13, mainly to impress a guy I liked at my University.
I have dated precisely four other people prior to meeting Jake Chivis. That’s not counting casual flings. Two guys, and two girls.
I am 6’ 2” tall.
Yes, I am a natural blond.
Yes, I wear contacts. No, they aren’t tinted, my eyes are genuinely this color.
I speak five languages, English, French, Suomi, Catalan and Malay Chinese.
I’m an Aquarius.
My favourite place in the world is Kotka in Finland. It’s where my Great Grandmama and Aunts lived and it’s so beautiful it takes my breath away.
I was actually born in Mauritania, in a war zone, to be precise, but my birth was registered in New Haven, New York State. I have joint American/Finn nationality because my mother was born in Finland.
My Great Grandfather studied in England and was one of the very first pilots for the Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the R.A.F. He was decorated for gallantry and outstanding service during the First World War. In spite of knowing this, I still hate flying.
My shoe size is 10 and a half. Or 11 in American.
I have a serious thing for tall, shy, part-Native-American Arson Investigators.
Blurb:
Mari Gale’s life has been a whirlwind since meeting Jake Chivis. A new job prospect and his mother’s health preoccupy him, so when Jake invites him on a date he’s ready to cut loose. Their night out turns into a nightmare when a fire breaks out in the basement of the bar and they barely escape.
Soon Jake learns that the horrific accident is being investigated as a possible homicide, and it’s not the only case. Detective Inspector Cordiline of the London Met hints at spontaneous human combustion, but as far as Jake knows, SHC doesn’t exist.
When Mari looks into a group called Birthright, he finds a connection to the victims of the fires and Jake risks himself to go undercover at the shadowy organization. The race is on to determine the truth before Jake becomes the next target.
Length: 103,000 Words
Format: eBook Pairing: MM Heat Level: 4 out of 5
Price: $5.99
Elemental Evidence Series Info:
Former Detective Jake Chivis is a Fire Elemental who uses psychometry to see the past. Doctor Ilmarinen Gale is an Air Elemental, a human/cybernetic interface, able to infiltrate even the toughest information systems. Together they find out just how potent a combination Fire and Air can be when it comes to solving crimes.
Amid murder, conspiracy and a world that views them with suspicion, and sometimes contempt, Jake and Mari circumvent the conventional. While the police aren’t always appreciative of their methods they can’t deny the results.
When they aren’t busy consulting for the police, figuring one another out is their next big mystery. One that proves as frustrating as it is passionate. Between hunting killers and avoiding competing government agencies that want the two of them working on their side, they just might have enough time for love.
Excerpt:
Was that flirting? Was he flirting with the guy? Jake tried to rein those thoughts in but he couldn’t help it. Mari had a habit of flirting, but it had never bugged Jake before. Jesus, they’d managed to go to one bar for an hour and already he was devolving into Neanderthal territory. He realized something else. It had never really bothered him when he and Alex had gone out and his ex had spent all night coming on to strangers. Then again, he’d known Alex was doing it to get a rise out of him. That was not Mari’s way, at all.
“You want another drink?” Jake asked, by way of keeping himself from hauling Mari out of there and grilling him about whether he wanted to sleep with Mr. Whips and Tattoos. They had to step to one side as a sweating, agitated-looking guy pushed by them on the stairs in an obvious hurry to get down to the basement for some chastisement. Though he looked chastised enough already, in Jake’s opinion.
“If you do,” Mari said, then exhaled a huff that might have been regret and might have been relief. “Unless, of course, you just want to put me over your shoulder and carry me out, Mr. Caveman. I wasn’t giving him the come-on. So you can stop looking daggers. And don’t deny it.” He pointed a slender finger at Jake as he opened his mouth. “I could see you thinking it. Yes, he’s very cute, but he’s not really my type. I do like his toy box though.”
Jake snapped his mouth closed then pushed a hand through his hair and let out a sigh of his own. He had always pitied guys that acted like possessive jerks and here he was being as transparent as glass, all but snarling at anyone who got too close to Mari. “I’m sorry. I was aiming not to be obvious. I’ll try and refrain from clubbing you over the head and dragging you out by the hair.” He managed a sheepish grin.
“In that case, it would be my pleasure to have another drink with you, Chivis.” Mari chuckled, slipping a hand around the nape of his neck and towing him in for a brief, firm kiss.
They made their way back up into the bar and as they were weaving their way through the crowd, Jake heard someone shout, then screaming coming from the direction of the basement.
The red and gold lighting seemed to be flickering and Mari yelled, “Can you smell something burning?”
Jake noticed the smell just as Mari was saying it, and turned his head. A curl of pale smoke was winding up from the basement stairway, not thick but noticeable.
“Shit!” He grabbed Mari’s arm. “Get out of here. Hurry.”
Jake gave him a push toward the front exit then shoved through the crowd, trying to get to the stairs.
Originally hailing from Detroit Michigan, Bellora now resides on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida where a herd of Dachshunds keeps her entertained. She got her start in writing at the dawn of the internet when she discovered PbEMs (Play by email) and found a passion for collaborative writing and steamy hot erotica. Soap Opera like blogs soon followed and eventually full novels. The majority of her stories are in the M/M genre with urban fantasy or paranormal settings.
Sadie Rose Bermingham:
A storyteller since before she started school, Sadie also enjoys reading, photography, live music and long walks on the beach. Sadie has worked as a bookseller, a pedigree editor for the racing industry and a local and family history researcher. Originally from the north of England, she has been working her way across the UK ever since. She currently resides on the south east coast with her long term partner, where she hopes to buy a mobile home and establish a whippet farm.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 