Guest Post + Quickie Giveaway - Ward Against Death by Melanie Card

From my review post earlier today, you know that I really, really liked the debut offering Ward Against Death from new author Melanie Card.  Well I am now very excited to be the first stop to host Melanie as she kicks off her blog tour with Entangled Publishing. 

Welcome and take it away Melanie....

 

Thank you Jules for inviting me to be your guest today. I’m so excited to be here.

Today I’d like to introduce the hero of my debut novel WARD AGAINST DEATH. One of the things I love about writing are characters who pop up and demand a story. Not all of my characters are like this, but my hero, Ward, knew what he wanted from the start.

He showed up one night when I was watching Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hallow. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Ichabod Crane was so quirky and endearing (and he got the girl at the end of the movie!) At the same time I was pondering the question: in what situation would a necromancer be good instead of evil? (Yep, sometimes I think about the strangest things).

In answer to my question and inspired by a quirky Ichabod Crane, Ward showed up. Edward de’Ath the Fourth, to be precise. He comes from a long line of de’Ath necromancers who, through their magical abilities, study the dead and work to maintain the balance between life and death.

Like Ichabod, Ward is lanky, shy, and determined to make something of himself. He believes in hard work, study, and keeping his word. He’s sweet and compassionate. The kind of guy you want to hang out with and who has your back when you’re in trouble. But he also has two dark secrets.

The first is that he’s mystically blind, unable to see or sense magical energy, which means he never quite knows what he’s doing when he casts a spell. And the second is that he’d rather be a surgeon.

Unfortunately for him, surgery is consider desecration of the human body and is illegal. But all Ward dreams about is saving lives instead of studying death and while he became an apprentice physician, he can’t help but explore surgery.

When the book opens, Ward has been caught studying surgery and expelled from his physician’s school. He’s now forced to fall back on the family business of necromancy. If only that was the end of his troubles.

Thanks for joining me today. Ward was a fun hero to write and I hope he’s a fun hero to read about.

What are some of your favorite heroes and why do you love them?

Melanie, thank you so much for including One Book Shy on your tour.  I love hearing how characters introduce themselves to their authors.  It's been a treat having you here as well as getting the chance to enjoy Ward's story.  I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Readers:  Connect with Melanie:  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Goodreads / MelanieCard.com

 

Melanie and Danielle from Entangled Publishing have generously offered one lucky reader at One Book Shy a chance to win their own copy of Ward Against Death in a quick 24 hour giveaway!  Thank you very much ladies and good luck readers..

• Must have a US or Canadian mailing address.
• Must answer Melanie's question from her guest post.  Leave a comment with your answer and your email address.
• Drawing ends tonight at the stroke of midnight PST (7/29/11 - 11:59:59)
• Winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning email notification.
• One entry per person.

Ward Against Death can be found at  The Book Depository and Amazon as well as many other book retailers. 
 
 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Ward Against Death by Melanie Card

TITLE:    Ward Against Death
AUTHOR:    Melanie Card
INFO:    E-book, Fiction, 264 pages
PUBLISHED:   Entangled Publishing, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

FROM GOODREADS:    Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.


But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive.

MY TAKE:    What a fun story!  This was a quick read that I really enjoyed.  It's one of those books with a world that you become immersed in and don't want to surface from.  

Debut author Melanie Card has created an intriguing tale that draws the reader in immediately and doesn't let go.  Her characters are rich and engaging.  Ward is what most of us would want in our hero:  he's smart, sensitive, loyal and hard-working.  His values and sense of fairness really add to his appeal.  His interaction with Celia is priceless.

Celia is a real gem.  She is good and bad as well as hard and soft.  She is such a delightful mix that poor Ward doesn't know if he's coming or going.  I loved it!  Their chemistry is quite apparent from the start and just builds as the adventure progresses.  The author has done a lovely job of giving the reader glimpses of their sexual tension and attraction without delving too much into that aspect.  I do want to mention that I think this book is definitely more appropriate for older YA readers and adults as the characters are no longer kids themselves.  Some of the situations might be a little mature for the very youngest readers of the YA genre.

I had a hard time trying to classify this tale.  It's adventure, fantasy, paranormal, romance, thriller and so much more.  Most readers will find some element that appeals to them ~ no matter what genre they choose to label it as.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Be sure to check back later today as the fantastic Melanie Card will be stopping by One Book Shy to share some thoughts on her book and her hero Ward.

There is also some talk in the air about a Giveaway....

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Please Stand By

We are experiencing technical difficulties.......

Bear with me as I have been without Internet for almost a week. Now that I have that fixed, I found my laptop cord chewed in half by my little rodent of a dog.

I apologize to the authors and publishers expecting a post right now. The new cord is on the way. The posts are written; they just happen to be residing on a dead laptop. I will have them up soon.

Thanks for your patience.

Review - Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

TITLE:    Touch If You Dare

AUTHOR:    Stephanie Rowe
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 383 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    He's just about the hottest warrior she's ever seen...


Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who's on a mission-especially when he's a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed by the way Reina's magic touch can soothe his dark side.

But when Jarvis's attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price...

Enter the nonstop, action-packed world of Stephanie Rowe's love stories-you'll never think of the manly arts in the same way again.

MY TAKE:    Stephanie Rowe is a new-to-me author who has acquired her newest fan.  I will definitely be looking for more books from her in the very near future.  I already have the first book in this Soulfire series ordered:  Kiss At Your Own Risk.  This is very much a stand-alone story although the background info really made me want to run out and get the first book immediately. 

Touch If You Dare was a fast-paced, fun read for me.  I jumped right into it and didn't put it down until I'd finished every last tantalizing word.  I really enjoyed the characters, especially those of Jarvis and Reina.  The author is quite adept at making the reader like these people, even if they have some very rough edges.  I must admit that Nigel is another of the men that I would like to see have his own story.  He needs some love too.

The humor-infused plot moved along quickly and had some very interesting twists and turns.  It was a very sexy and steamy read that had quite a lot going for it. 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review + Giveaway - How to Seduce a Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling

TITLE:    How to Seduce a Scoundrel

AUTHOR:    Vicky Dreiling
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 396 pages
PUBLISHED:   Forever, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Blog Tour

FROM GOODREADS:  When Lady Julianne Gatewick realizes the rake of her dreams thinks of her as practically his sister, she decides it's time to get even. The charming Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield, is every lady's fantasy, but he's determined to evade virgins and their matrimonial traps - especially his best friend's sister.

Hawk reluctantly agrees to be Julianne's guardian for the season, but he's having trouble resisting his gorgeous ward. Worse still, she's taunting him by flirting with every scoundrel in London - and he's sworn to protect her! Certain she's learned her tricks from the authoress of that scandalous publication "The Secrets of Seduction", Hawk sets out to uncover the writer's identity. But he never expects to find the formerly angelic Julianne behind the mask - and between his sheets.

MY TAKE:    I read and reviewed the first book in the series How to Marry a Duke back in January and completely fell in love with Marc and Julianne's characters.  In fact I mentioned Marc aka Hawk, as being one of my favorite secondary characters in that story.  When I was offered a spot on this blog tour, I jumped at the chance to finally get to find out how Julianne would snag her Hawk.

Vicky Dreiling is a master at setting the scene.  Her descriptions of the ballrooms, the park and various locations throughout the book help the reader imagine they are right there with the characters.  One of my favorite scenes is near the beginning of the story when Hawk and Julianne are waltzing.  The author made time stand still for the reader as well as the dancing pair with everything appearing very clear in my mind's eye.

Humor is an element that I look for in a good story.  I don't mean the knee-slapping, hee-hawing laughter type, but the subtle tongue-in-cheek quips and situations that make the reader grin and want more.  The first book had this quality and Vicky has kept that undercurrent alive in How to Seduce a Scoundrel. Witty dialogue abounds without ever feeling silly or contrived.  It fits the personalities of the players perfectly.

If you haven't read How to Marry a Duke yet, you will still enjoy this story immensely.  It does well as a stand-alone read, but I highly suggest you try the first book as well.  Strictly because it is also a treat.  I'm already counting down the days for the next installment: How to Ravish a Rake.  It will feature Hawk's roguish younger brother Will and Julianne's quiet friend Amy.  Another shower of sparks awaits!

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 

Vicky Dreiling and Forever Romance are generously offering THREE of you avid readers a chance to get your own copy of How to Seduce a Scoundrel.  Entry is simple:

• You must be 13 years of age or older
• US and Canadian residents only
• No PO Boxes
• Leave a comment on this post answering Vicky's question from her guest post earlier today.  Be sure to include your email address.
• Drawing will close at midnight 7/29 PST.
• Winners will have 72 hours to respond to email notification.
• One prize per household of this title.

Good luck and...

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Guest Post - Vicky Dreiling with Courtship Regency Style

 

I am pleased to welcome Vicky Dreiling back to One Book Shy today as she tours with her latest novel: How to Seduce a Scoundrel.  Vicky visited with us back in January when she brought the first book in this series How to Marry a Duke to our attention.  Today Vicky is sharing her thoughts on what dating may have been like during the Regency era.

Courtship Regency Style

by Vicky Dreiling

In Regency England, courtship had prescribed rules that both ladies and gentlemen were required to follow. Today, the rules of dating are far more nebulous and fluid. One might believe that dating is simpler in today’s times since men and women aren’t bound by specific rules and rather chaste encounters prior to marriage. But there can be comfort in knowing what specifically is required in matters or courtship. In fact, I think part of the reason the how-to book The Rules was a bestseller is because women found comfort in having boundaries for behavior on dates.

Let’s take a look at some of the rules for courtship in the Regency.

1.Prior to asking a lady to dance, a gentleman must first request an introduction, if he does not know her.

2.A gentleman could pay a short call on the lady who captured his affections. He might even demonstrate his interest by bringing her a posy.

3.The gentleman caller was required to take his leave after a maximum of twenty minutes, making the call something of the precursor to speed dating.

4.The couple was always chaperoned in order to protect the young lady’s reputation.

5.Another courtship ritual involved taking a lady for a drive along Rotten Row during the fashionable hour.

6.A young, single lady must avoid being overly familiar and certainly blatant flirting if she is to protect her reputation. I bet more than a few ladies broke that rule!

7.A couple might continue their courtship through correspondence. However, once again, they must observe the rules and gain permission from the young lady’s father or guardian.

8.A couple might continue their courtship through correspondence. However, they must observe the proprieties and gain permission from the young lady’s father or guardian.

9.A gentleman could not break an engagement, without loss of respect from others. His only hope, if like Edward Ferrars in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY the ardent gentleman regretted a rash proposal. His only hope was for the lady to “cry off.”

10.Some high sticklers, such as the anonymous author of The Mirror of Graces, warned against handshaking (shocking!) and most certainly kisses. But I like to imagine some of these smitten couples managed to circumvent the rules by stealing a kiss or two.

What were some of the rules of dating others handed down to you? Do you see any similarities between Regency courtship and modern dating?

~~~~~

Thank you so much for sharing these tips with us Vicky. Congratulations on this great new book and best wishes for continued success!  I do hope you'll be checking in with us when How to Ravish a Rake is finished...hint hint

Vicky Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. Frequent business trips to the UK allowed her to indulge her passion for all things Regency England. Bath, Stonehenge, and Spencer House are among her favorite places. She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle. That unfortunate incident led her British colleagues to nickname her “Trouble.”

When she’s not writing, Vicky enjoys reading, films, concerts, and most of all, long lunches with friends. She holds degrees in English literature and marketing. A native Texan, she shares her home with her daughter and a spoiled mini-lop rabbit that lives in a slightly gnawed cardboard cottage.



She lives in Texas with her family and loves to hear from readers. Visit her at
www.vickydreiling.com,  Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
 

To read an excerpt from How to Seduce a Scoundrel. check out THIS PAGE.

 

Attention beloved readers  -  you may want to keep your eyes open for my glowing review post later today.  There may be something available that is almost as valuable to you as my opinion.....

 



 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Blog Fest 2011 Giveaway

Join us July 15 through July 17....

 

 

 Today is the start of the 2011 BlogFest, hosted by A Journey of Books.  Hundreds of bloggers are participating and will be offering various prizes just for stopping by.  I am giving away a $15.00 giftcard (actually I'll buy you a book up to $15.00 USD) from    This is a fun event where you can find great new-to-you blogs and possibly visit some old friends.  As a special treat and bonus, you can visit the tracking page to help you remember which blogs you've been to.  The kicker is that each blog you visit and mark off on that page will also provide you another entry into a special drawing!  So you have many, many chances to win some lovely prizes.   The rules to enter my drawing are simple:

• You must be a GFC follower
• 13 years or older
• Open INTERNATIONALLY - wherever The Book Depository ships
• Drawing ends 7/15 at midnight PST
• Winner will have 72 hours to reply to notification
• Fill out FORM below
• Extra entries are available but NOT required - see form
• IF we reach 1000 followers, I will add a second prize

 While you're here, be sure to enter my other giveaways currently running. I am giving away 3 copies of Vicky Dreiling's "How to Seduce a Scoundrel" and 5 copies of Karen Essex's "Dracula in Love". That's a lot of bookish goodness being given away this weekend!

I am #134 on the BlogFest list.  You can continue on the hop by either going to A Journey of Books or by choosing one of the next blogs on the list: 135 One Hot Mess with Laura Harner

136 Paranormal Wastelands

137 Patricia Leever

138 Practical Frugality

139 Preternatural Primer

  
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Paradise Rules by Jimmy Gleacher

TITLE:    Paradise Rules
AUTHOR:    Jimmy Gleacher
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 292 pages
PUBLISHED:   Gallery, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    TRUE OR F A L S E ?



It’s only a week into summer break and already seventeen-year-old Gates has . . .

a) Hustled millionaires on the golf course

b) Tried to stop his mother from having a(nother) nervous breakdown

c) Promised to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Mel . . . which would be great if he hadn’t already lost it to his forty-year-old godmother

d) Almost killed a man


Yeah, Gates has a lot of secrets, but he’s determined to keep his heart true. When he’s not swinging golf clubs like a pro, he reads pulp fiction to old folks at the retirement home. And despite his occasional slip-ups—drinking before noon and sneaking glimpses through his sexy godmother’s open negligees—Gates only has eyes for Mel. But she knows he’s hiding something, and she’s beginning to lose her patience.


Just as Gates is about to spill his shameful secrets, he gets tangled up in a golf club scandal that jeopardizes his dreams of a normal life. He’s never been a fighter, but this time he finally pushes back at the world—which could have been a breakthrough but turns into an epic fail. Probably because Gates fights back dirty. Now his life is on the verge of ruin, and he’s got no one to turn to for help.

Or so he thinks. Because what Gates is about to discover might hit him with the most amazing shock of his life.

MY TAKE:    This was a fun book to read with quite a few laughs and definitely some groans thrown in.  Gates isn't a bad kid by any means, he just doesn't always think with his brain.  (Of course that describes how many 17 year old males?) 

The characters that populate this book are very well written.  Many of them come across as people that we might have in our own lives.  Gates is a very sympathetic kid as he really does have a great heart.  He loves his girlfriend Mel and really does try to do things right by her, it just doesn't always go well.  The fact that he goes to the retirement home on his own and has a close relationship with an old man there is one of his bright spots.  Some of his choices in other areas shine a light on his age and his homelife.

Gates' mother is pretty much useless.  I flat out didn't care for her at all.  Then we have his godmother who is a real piece of work.  Alicia is just wrong wrong wrong - on many levels.  I won't delve into it as her issues are a large piece of the story.  It is a very interesting part she plays. 

The plot moves along quickly and it really isn't until close to the end of the book that I figured out where it was going.  The author does a nice job of keeping the intensity up and the action flowing.  I enjoyed how everything played out and I do hope that Mr. Gleacher is working on a sequel.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley

 

TITLE:    Queen of the Summer Stars
AUTHOR:    Persia Woolley
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 488 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    In a country simmering with witchcraft and unholy alliances, Guinevere joins forces with her husband, King Arthur, to gain control of Britain's warring knights. She presides over fabled heroes-including Gawain, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde-and treacherous villains, including Morgan le Fey and Lancelot. Vibrantly human, she reigns as a woman poised to discover the true peril and promise of the human heart. The second novel of this Arthurian trilogy plays out the history and myth of the round table, brought to life through the words of an extraordinary queen.

MY TAKE:    I read this series several years ago when it was first published.  I loved it then and I love it just as much now.  I am very pleased that Sourcebooks has chosen to reprint this classic tale with the gorgeous covers that just add to my enjoyment (again) of the story.  Arthurian tales are one of my favorite sub-genres.  My mom started me on The Knights of the Round Table at a very young age and I have never been able to pass up one of these stories.

Persia Woolley began her trilogy with Child of the Northern Spring.  In that book we meet Gwen while she is remembering her childhood as she is riding to her wedding.  We learn about this independent and intelligent girl ~ one who is really rather far ahead of the times. 

As we join Guinevere in this second installment, she is dealing with the impending death of Igraine, Arthur's mother.  We are with her through loss and battles that are both personal and Britain's.  The author brings to us in vivid, living color a woman who tried to balance who she was on the inside with who the King and country needed her to be on the outside.

I love that these books are written from Guinevere's point of view.  It is refreshing to see the female side of this epic tale.  The fact that this Gwen is portrayed as anything but the simpering twit that so many of the versions make her out to be is a treat.  Woolley uses a more modern speech than some might expect for a historical fiction.  I found this to be helpful as it is easy to get bogged down in the correct dialogue and phrasing when reading these type of stories.  The tale moves along a very nice pace due in part to this change of verbiage.

I won't go too much more into the details of the plot.  It's a treat to be enjoyed yourself.  This series is on my all time favorite list and I think it will be on yours as well.  I highly recommend it.  Sourcebooks will be coming out soon with the third book:  The Legend in Autumn - keep your eyes open for it.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Men in Kilts! Sourcebooks' HOT July Steal

I couldn't resist passing on this information I received from the fabulous Danielle at Sourcebooks.  It is in regard to one of my favorite things to look at, dream of and read about: 

Men In Kilts

 There’s just something about kilts…  Scottish Highlanders are among historical romance fans’ favorite heroes, and Sourcebooks has its own batch of tough warriors (with a soft side, of course) for readers to enjoy! This week we have a FABULOUS eBook deal: 5 of our readers’ favorite men in kilts, for ONLY $0.99!   Go to Sourcebooks to find out where to get your copies.  Offer ends July 18.   

Awaken the Highland Warrior

by

Anita Clenney

A man from another time…

Faelan is from an ancient clan of Scottish Highland warriors, charged with shielding humanity from demonic forces. Betrayed and locked in a time vault, he has been sleeping for nearly two centuries when spunky historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently wakes him.

She’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him, and if he’s not careful, she’ll uncover the secrets his clan has bled and died to protect…Could he be the treasure she’s been seeking all her life…

When Bree inherits an old treasure map, she discovers a warrior buried in her backyard. But the warrior isn’t dead. Bree shocks Faelan with her modern dress and her boldness, and he infuriates Bree every time he tries to protect her.

With demons suddenly on the move, Bree discovers that Faelan’s duty as protector is in his blood, and that her part in this fight was destined before she was born. But nothing is ever what it seems…

Highland Hellcat

 by

Mary Wine

He wants a wife he can control…

Connor Lindsey is a Highland laird, but his clan’s loyalty is hard won and he takes nothing for granted. He’ll do whatever it takes to find a virtuous wife, even if he has to kidnap her…

She has a spirit that can’t be tamed…

Brina Chattan has always defied convention. She sees no reason to be docile now that she’s been captured by a powerful laird and taken to his storm-tossed castle in the Highlands, far from her home.

When a rival laird’s interference nearly tears them apart, Connor discovers that a woman with a wild streak suits him much better than he’d ever imagined…

The Highlander’s Sword

by

Amanda Forester

A quiet, flame-haired beauty with secrets of her own…

Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent, until her brother’s death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught between hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot’s insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.

She’s nothing he expected and everything he really needs…

Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France. MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith. Arriving with only a band of war-weary knights, MacLaren finds his land pillaged and his clan scattered. Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila’s fortune as the answer to his problems…but maybe it’s the woman herself.

 

Wild Highland Magic

 by

Kendra Leigh Castle

She's a Scottish Highlands werewolf, but no one's ever shown her how to use her powers…

Growing up in America with a father who hates his own nature, Catrionna MacInnes has always tried desperately to control her powers and pretend to be normal. Now her father has brought her and her sisters to Scotland to reunite with the pack they fled years ago…

He's a wizard prince with a devastating secret…

Bastian an Morgaine has found sanctuary among the MacInnes werewolf clan but no relief from the soul-searing curse that haunts him. The minute Cat lays eyes on Bastian, she knows she's met her destiny. In their first encounter, she unwittingly binds him to her for life, and now they're both targets for the evil enemies that are out to destroy their very souls…

Highland Rebel

by

Judith James

Amidst the upheaval of Cromwell's Britain, Jamie Sinclair's wit and military prowess have served him well. Leading a troop in Scotland, he impetuously marries a captured maiden, saving her from a grim fate.

A Highlands heiress to title and fortune, Catherine Drummond is not the woman Jamie believes her to be. When her people effect her rescue, and he cannot annul the marriage, Jamie goes to recapture his hellcat of a new wife...

In world where family and creed cannot be trusted, where faith fuels intolerance and war, Catherine and Jamie test the bounds of loyalty, friendship, and trust...

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Guest Post and Giveaway - Dracula in Love's Karen Essex

 Dracula In Love

Today I am very pleased to welcome author Karen Essex to One Book Shy.  She is on virtual tour right now with her latest book, Dracula In Love.  I was thrilled to get a chance to read this book.  Karen has written a post about one of the very things that I mentioned in my review yesterday ~ "Female Power".  Take it away Karen.........

 

Dracula’s Women: Restoring Female Power to Vampire Lore



By Karen Essex

I want to state outright: I revere Bram Stoker. His seminal novel, Dracula, was a brilliant creation, a haunting and harrowing story, especially considering that so much of what we now know as the “vampire” sprang from his brain. His fantastic book has spawned thousands of variations in movies, books, graphic novels, illustration, and on and on. But when it came to the women, he wrote like a man of his time, constructing the typical paradigm of bad girl (Lucy Westenra who succumbs to the vampire’s seduction) versus the good girl (Mina Harker who does not). The vampire’s seduction was a thinly veiled metaphor for—yes, you guessed it—sex.

My ambition for Dracula in Love, told entirely from Mina’s perspective, was to turn the original story inside out and expose its underbelly or its “subconscious mind.” I wanted to give Mina and Lucy rich, full lives, as well as plausible inner lives, that made sense with the era in which they lived, but also reflected the breadth of women’s desires.

I did extensive research into the late Victorian era but I also wanted to research the history of blood-drinking creatures that evolved into the vampire. Surprisingly, my research turned up a wealth of information that became a major theme. I knew that vampires had a long, rich history dating back to pre-biblical times. What I did not know was that many of the original blood drinkers of myth were female, symbolic of feminine magic and power. I decided to illuminate these historical sources for the vampire, and while doing so, revisit the lost landscape of female magical power.

As I dug deeper into world mythologies, I became fascinated by these bloodsucking goddesses and monsters. These are the true bad girls of mythology—the fearsome Indian goddess Kali who punished and possessed her enemies by drinking their blood; the vengeful, child-eating, blood-drinking Lamia of Greece and North Africa who so captivated the pre-Raphaelite artists popular in Stoker’s day; Lilith, Adam’s first Mesopotamian wife who drank blood in vengeance; and the blood-lusting warrior fairy queens of Ireland. I wanted these sultry sirens in my book, and by God, I did get them in there!

So if the original blood-drinkers were females, then why did Stoker create Dracula as a male? For one thing, mythological stories rarely follow a straight line. Myths are reinvented in every culture, adapted to the needs and beliefs of the people and the times. Through the millennia, concepts of vampires shape-shifted. They were thought to be spirits of women who had been witches; angry plague victims risen from the dead; victims of crime come back to suck the blood of the perpetrators; and succubi who visited men in the night, draining them of their life force (the male spirits who did similar harm to slumbering females are known as incubi).

Then, in what might be construed as a strange twist of fate, to accommodate the Victorian mentality, writers like Mr. Stoker turned the predatory vampire into a male, giving him the supernatural power, with women becoming his victims. The Victorians lived in fear of unleashed female sexuality. To their minds, women were pure and innocent creatures who must remain protected, shielded from worldly life. If women succumbed to sexual lust, ordered Victorian society would combust.

Moreover, sex is power, which was the very last thing the Victorians wanted women to possess. As someone who has made an exhaustive study of women’s history, I cannot think of any period in which women were thought to be as frail as during the Victorian era. I’m certain this was a reaction to the vocal and persistent cries of feminism that escalated as the 19th century came to its end.

As a result, suddenly it was the male vampire roaming the foggy, narrow streets of London threatening lovely young ladies like Lucy Westenra who succumbed to Dracula’s kiss, or the more pious Mina, who resisted him. With Dracula in Love, it was my joy and privilege to infiltrate the original story and promote anarchy. I wanted to turn the old paradigms upside down, and return the ladies to that place of power, lost somewhere in the centuries since Lilith and the Lamia roamed the earth taking their bloody revenge, causing men to quake with fear, and maybe, just maybe, quiver with a tinge of excitement.

~~~~~

Karen, thank you so much for stopping by One Book Shy to share your thoughts with us.  This was a fascinating peek into the thought process behind the book. 

Readers, you can catch up with Karen at her website,  her blog or on Facebook.

I hope you have all enjoyed the sneak peeks at this intriguing story.  Now I have another lovely treat for you!  5 lucky readers will each win your own copy of Dracula In Love!  That's right, FIVE winners!!!!!  Lots of exclamation points!!!!!!!

• Must be 16 years or older
• US residents only
• NO PO Boxes
• Must fill out the FORM below
• Contest ends at midnight PST July 19th
• Winners will have 72 hours to respond to winning email
• Prize will be shipped by publisher
• One prize per person/household

I'd like to thank Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours  for including me and One Book Shy on this book tour. 

Be sure to stop by the other blogs on the tour to find out what they have to say about

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.