Vane Cynster takes refuge with his elderly godmother to avoid getting caught in a storm, only to find one of her guests is her niece Patience Debbington. Intending to leave when the weather clears he finds himself intrigued by that young lady, and when his godmother asks for his assistance in a matter necessitating a longer stay, he agrees. Vane realises he has met his match in Patience, and the vow he made no longer seems important.

Patience thinks Vane is arrogant and presumptuous just like every ‘elegant gentleman’ and while his kisses leave her wanting more, she knows he is bound to be unfaithful just like her father. She has no intention of being caught and definitely not by a known rake like Vane.

I really enjoyed this book but I have to confess I am a sucker for an alpha male! The author  manages to bring alive the early 19^th century and I have no problems imagining the time as she describes. The story moves along well with a good sub plot involving a thief and a ‘spectre’, as well as the main plot line involving the two main characters.

Vane is definitely an alpha male but Patience is no shrinking violet either. Get your fan ready because with what goes on behind closed doors you will definitely need to cool down!

While this book is the second of a series involving the Cynster family, A Rake’s Vow, and indeed all the Cynster books can be read on their own. However, once you have been introduced to the Cynster men you will want more and more and more…. fortunately there are a lot of them!

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Pioneer Woman is just such a book and I actually ended up reading it because I follow the author’s blog. Ree Drummond is a lady who loved the trappings of city life, going out and having fun, but when she fell in love with an honest-to-goodness cowboy her whole life changed. Ree is not afraid of making fun of herself, has the most delicious recipes, takes amazing photographs, has four great kids and is still crazily in love with her husband. That’s a criminally brief summary of Ree and her life and I urge you to visit her site (http://thepioneerwoman.com/) because her writing is both funny and thought provoking. I’ve kept up with her for several years now and I hope she never stops!

So what started on her blog as a series of individual posts, about how she met her husband and the changes that happened in her life, eventually turned into regular updates and then subsequently a book. The original online series was called The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels and I believe it was also first published under that name.

The book takes us right from the circumstances that led to her meeting her Cowboy to the end of their first year of marriage, and it amazes me what they went through to get there. Her writing is sharp and witty and she is not at all afraid to portray herself in the worst of conditions. There are moments of reflection and laugh out loud incidents as she experiences the journey from being engaged to a cattle rancher, to being his wife (oh my goodness, their honeymoon!), and then to being a mother.

Every time she talks about her husband (we only know him as Marlborough Man) and children, you can feel the abiding love and adoration she has for them. It was such a treat to finally read this sweet, funny and engaging love story, I was disappointed when it ended!

You should absolutely go out and buy this, even if you have never seen the blog as it’s a great read and a wonderful love story about Ree and her cowboy, the enigmatic Marlborough Man.

Oh, and you never do learn his name

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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The Ghostwalkers are an elite team of men and women who have been physically, psychically and genetically enhanced, often without their consent.

On a Mission to rescue hostages in Mexico, the last thing Ghostwalker Kane Cannon expects to find is Rose Patterson – former Ghostwalker, fugitive and pregnant with his child.

Forced into a breeding program by Dr Whitney, Rose escaped with the help of Kane after she was impregnated by him. Now Kane has found her, he is not going to let her or his unborn child disappear again – despite the fact that Rose seems to trust nothing and no-one.

I discovered this series about 6 weeks ago, read them in order and Ruthless game is the ninth in the Ghostwalker series (not that they are difficult to put down or anything!!!) It would be so easy for the books to become repetitive and indeed there is a formula to all the books (which works well), but Christine Feehan manages to keep the story in each book fresh and I do not feel like I am reading the same stories at all. The plot surrounding Dr Whitney unravels a bit more with each book and is as integral to the series as the individual Ghostwalkers.

This book moves along at a faster pace than some of the others and while the relationship between the main characters is obviously the focus of the story, there is a lot more involvement with the rest of the team and much more action. I feel like I have got to know all the team members rather than just the main characters and cannot wait until their stories come out. As with the other books, the male lead is smoking hot and the sex scenes are even hotter.

I do not want to spoil it by giving too much away but at the end of the book we do start to get some idea of what the next generation of Ghostwalkers will be like.

If you have not read any of this series yet, do! Start from the beginning however, because although the story could be read as a stand alone, the reader may become confused by the underlying plot threads. Reading the series in order has definitely made it much more enjoyable and I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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Stay tuned for her reviews and you can also follow her on Twitter!

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It’s an astonishing read; brutal, gritty and full of the reality of those who are fighting a war, even in a futuristic setting.  I can’t wait for Exogene, the next book in the series which is due out in March! If you need more convincing then read my review and then decide.  Either way, T.C. McCarthy was kind enough to agree to being my next victim author for Irreverent Questions.

On with the irreverence!

What would you be or want to be (or still are), if you weren’t an author?
A dog who belonged to a good family, with kids. That way I’d sleep, eat, and play all day (when I wasn’t pooping).

Do you have any rituals or processes before you can start writing?
Yes. I put the kids to bed and then set my alarm for 4 AM so I can get up early enough to have peace and quiet. Ugh.

Describe your working environment right now (desk, sofa, bathroom, etc.)
I built my own office by renovating an empty room in our house; we were using it for storage and I thought it was time to make it more useful. The two pictures; one is how my space looks right now at 5 AM – dark and out of focus. The grey splotch under the desk is one of my dogs, who is in the other picture, and who keeps my feet warm.

How did you celebrate when your first book was published?
I knew I forgot to do something. Crap!

Whose opinion matters most to you?
This is a fantastic question, and I’d line them in this order, from most to least important: 1. Editor, 2. Reader, 3. Agent, 4. Me.

Do you get fully dressed to write?
I’m in my boxers as I write this, and the manuscript for my next novel is open in another window – so, no?

What gets you in the mood or inspires you to write?
Positive reviews, negative reviews, the news, and just about anything you could think of. The mood is always there. But the inspiration can come from anywhere, and it’s just important to keep my mind open so I can recognize inspiration when it presents itself.

Who would play you in the film adaptation of your life?
Either John Malkovich or Steve Buscemi.

What is the weirdest comment you’ve had?
That the genetic soldiers are ”male fantasy female supersoldiers.” Uh…no. I don’t fantasize about bald sixteen year olds, and I think this comment says more about its author than it does me. The choice of girl genetics was made to (a) convey a sense of gloom, that future society deteriorates to the point where it replaces women in combat with mass-manufactured girls, and (b) it just seemed really creepy. We get a better look at this society in books II and III. The curious can Google “male fantasy supersoldiers” for more information…

What is the best experience you’ve had with fans?
Fan mail from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan vets who convey a simple message: that I got it right.

How do you deal with negative comments?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it’s an honor to be part of the literary or genre debate. I’d rather get negative comments than no comments. So I ignore them when they’re motivated by something other than honest criticism, absorb them when they have value, and try to be grateful that I have a shot at writing novels.

Do you have pets, and if so, describe them?
See the answer to the third question, above! I have four dogs and three kids, so it gets insane around here.

What is your favourite type of music?
I listen to Irish folk, Russian folk, and a lot of punk, shoegazer, and anti-grunge.

Slippers, socks or barefoot?
Barefoot. All the way, barefoot.

Thanks so much to T.C. McCarthy for taking part, and if you want to know more, visit his Website, Facebook or Twitter!

Pictures provided by and used with permission of T.C. McCarthy

Irreverent Questions is BookThing‘s fun, new feature where we ask a series of random questions that popped into Grete’s curious head. If you are an author and would like to take part, please get in touch!

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Whether you’re lucky in love or still waiting for The One, we’ve got something guaranteed to inject a little romance into your Valentine’s Day this year …

February 14th sees the launch of Piatkus Entice, our brand new eBook-first romance imprint. With new titles each month from authors including Eloisa James, Laura Wright, Sarah MacLean, Mariah Stewart and many more, Piatkus Entice will be a one-stop-shop for romantic fiction, offering readers everything from virile vampires to fairytale endings, ravishing rakes and so much more besides.

The website is now live at www.piatkusentice.co.uk. Have a look around the site, then follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up to the Entice newsletter for the latest romance news straight to your inbox.

Since I’ve fallen in love with my Kindle, I’m really excited about this new imprint and especially looking forwards to reading more Eloisa James and Laura Wright.

Be still my heart, Piatkus, you are Enticing me

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World Book Night 2012 is just around the corner, and there’s some cracking genre literature included, including the excellent Iain M. Banks!

Why not visit the site, sign up to give away copies of the books, get people involved and spread the word!  Here’s the full list of books this year.

• Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
• The Player of Games, Iain M. Banks
• Sleepyhead, Mark Billingham
• Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson
• The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
• The Take, Martina Cole
• Harlequin, Bernard Cornwell
• Someone Like You, Roald Dahl
• A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
• Room, Emma Donoghue
• Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
• The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
• Misery, Stephen King
• The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella
• Small Island, Andrea Levy
• Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist
• The Road, Cormac McCarthy
• The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
• The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Maggie O’Farrell
• The Damned Utd, David Peace
• Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
• How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff
• Touching The Void, Joe Simpson
• I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

Check out the World Book Night site, get involved, help people discover the joy of reading!

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While the mere mention of the categories probably conjurs up interesting and gratuitous images, what attracts me most about Michaels’ writing is her characterisations.  I love that she can create three very diverse and interesting characters, bring them to life and then set them into a story that not only makes sense but is also compelling.

While the story is obviously very adult and erotic, it’s also very well written and the love scenes well envisioned and tasteful.

Lily is a sheer force of nature. Dominant to her husband Riley, her love, compassion and awareness of her husband’s needs is amazing, as well as her understanding of his attraction to his best friend Nick.  She is the one that realises the attraction is reciprocated and also the one that makes it possible.  She does make mistakes which makes her all the more human but she is truly a brilliant character.  I loved Riley and his sense of humour; being submissive doesn’t mean he’s a walkover and is the perfect foil between his wife and his best friend.  Nick is very different, more serious and has his feelings for Riley well locked up.  It was great seeing him unfold, learning to hope and trust.  The three share so much and the relationship just made perfect sense to me.

It’s a very simple story but one full of emotion, passion and love.

As I’ve said before and will probably say again, I’m of the opinion that love comes in many forms and isn’t or shouldn’t be defined by social norms.  I think that message is what I love most about Tere Michaels’ work.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

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I loved the premise of the Lords of Deliverance series; Four siblings, born of a demon and an angel, almost brought the ancient world to ruin and as punishment, were cursed to be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  Technically it’s three horsemen and one horsewoman which was actually another facet I loved.  The end of days will come but how soon depends on if the seals they were cursed with are broken.  They fight on the side of good as long as their seals remain intact but should the unthinkable occur, they turn evil and will side with the bad guys, unleashing the full terrible force of their natures.

As this was the first book by Larissa Ione I’d read, I didn’t realise this series is actually a companion set from her main one called The Demonica.  This also explains why I felt some names or characters were important and should have some deeper meaning for me.  It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of Eternal Rider though and just made me want to catch up on the other series.

I loved the way Ione smacks you right in the face with one of the Horsemen’s seals breaking, just as you started liking him.  It was just enough that you hope the remaining three and their uneasy allies can find a way to restore him before he destroys everything.

This book is Ares/War’s story and I absolutely loved it.  Ares is a complex character with layers to his personality and can be quite a scary individual.  Even as Ares, he is drawn to battle and tries to keep to himself as his mere presence can cause fights to break out.  A lonely immortal existence but one he accepts for his part in the ancient war that nearly brought the world to its knees.

Cara is a human that I could identify with instantly, having a love of animals that borders on the paranormal.  On the verge of bankruptcy and mourning the death of her father, she still can’t turn away an injured dog that was run over.  She has the ability to heal animals and was her calling in her father’s vet practice, but lost all confidence in herself.  Discovering the dog had been shot catapults her into a confusing world where nothing is as she thought it was, least of all that the dog was actually a Hellhound and now bonded to her.

Both characters brought something different to the book and made it whole, even with the large supporting cast.  I loved their interplay and interactions, often making me laugh as Cara is feisty and definitely a modern woman.  It was a pleasure seeing them grow in personality, both individually and as a couple.  They complement each other perfectly and also made for some very hot scenes.  You may need a fan if you are a blusher!

The pace of the story was fast, often with no let up and the action scenes were exciting and well written.  I was so engaged, I couldn’t put the book down and by the end I felt breathless.  The teaser for book two at the end had me reaching for it and am very thankful I had it waiting!

A really interesting and exciting take on the Four Horsemen mythos and a series I can’t wait to read the rest of!

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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With a unique perspective on e-publishing, he is the bestselling author of the acclaimed In Her Name Science-Fiction series.  You can read the first book for free (yes free!) although in all honesty, I would buy the Omnibus of the first Trilogy instead, as after I finished the first book, I had to read the rest.  You can read my review of the first book, In Her Name: Empire, if in any doubt!

Right, on with the irreverence!

What would you be or want to be (or still are), if you weren’t an author?
Wow. That’s really a hard question to answer. I’ve spent so much effort on becoming a full-time author, I’ve never really thought about any alternatives!

Do you have any rituals or processes before you can start writing?
Tea and dark chocolate, followed by trying to get the cats off my keyboard.

Describe your working environment right now (desk, sofa, bathroom, etc.)
An old second-hand computer desk, a Gaiam ball-chair (I tried it for grins and have kept the stupid thing), along with my MacBook Air and Thunderbolt monitor. And usually a cat. Or two.

How did you celebrate when your first book was published?
You know, I don’t even remember. I think I collapsed into an exhausted stupor, because I had literally spent the entire winter scanning over 1,000 pages of the manuscript (this was for the In Her Name omnibus edition) into the computer, then editing the bugger. All while working a full-time job. But it sold three copies the first month. Yeah. Celebratory unconsciousness.

Whose opinion matters most to you?
My wife’s. The reasons should be obvious!

Do you get fully dressed to write?
I generally have clothes over at least 25% of my body. What parts are covered, however, can vary wildly.

What gets you in the mood or inspires you to write?
The possibility of starvation. My writing is our primary source of income now, so if I don’t do well, we don’t eat. That’s a great motivator!

Who would play you in the film adaptation of your life?
Probably Bill Murray.

What is the weirdest comment you’ve had?
That would have to be from one of the negative reader reviews of In Her Name, I think. People who leave negative reviews often provide some valuable insights, and I read those very closely. This particular one – no spoilers! – was just so far off the wall that it had me laughing the entire day.

What is the best experience you’ve had with fans?
When we were on our big RV road trip this summer and stopped in Pennsylvania on the way home. A couple of fans took me and my family out to dinner, and we had a great time. I also have to say that some of the emails and reader reviews I’ve gotten have been amazing, humbling, warm-fuzzy experiences in themselves. Most readers have no idea how important their words are for authors, and those sorts of things have gotten me through more than one tough spot on the way to where I am now.

What do you value most?
My family comes first, although I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t spend as much time doing things with them, especially the boys, as I’d like. Writing – or the other things that come with it as a profession, including social media, answering irreverent questions, etc. – takes a lot of time. In my case, sometimes ten or twelve hours a day, every day. Of course, that’s not as much as the twelve to sixteen hours I was taking out of every day when I was writing and had a full-time job on top of it.

How do you deal with negative comments?
Embrace the horror! As I noted earlier, I read them carefully for any potential nuggets of wisdom. Some readers have provided very valuable critiques. Once I’ve analyzed them for anything that might help me improve my work, I forget about them. Even the very best books ever written have gotten bad reviews (in some cases, quite a few!). It just comes with the territory.

Do you get requests for free stuff?
Actually, no, because I tend to give away a fair amount of stuff (well, books) for free. IN HER NAME: EMPIRE is free as an ebook just about everywhere you can find it, and I periodically also offer some of the other books free (mainly through Amazon, which is my biggest income source). I do giveaways every once in a while, too.

What do you do to relax?
Usually reading, watching movies, or – on infrequent occasion – playing games on the PS3. Learning to relax is actually something I’m still doing, because for most of the last three years I’ve worked like a dog and rarely had any time to indulge in anything but my day job or writing.

Do you have pets, and if so, describe them?
We have two outrageously spoiled Siberian cats, Nina and her big brother, Sasha. Along with two teenage boys, they keep things lively (and hairy!) around here.

What are your preferred conditions for writing, i.e. silence, background noise, TV?
It varies depending on what mood I’m in. Sometimes silence is what I need. Other times it might be movie theme music from James Horner. Still other times it might be Lady Gaga or Pearl Jam.

What is your favourite type of music?
Again, it’s a mix. I’m a child of the 80s, so most of the music I like is rooted in that era. But I also enjoy a lot of the pop (if that’s what it’s even called anymore) sorts of stuff now like Gaga, Kesha, Leona Lewis, and others. I’m not a complete musical fossil. Yet.

Do you have any phobias?
I don’t particular care for heights, like being up on a ladder or looking down into the Grand Canyon. But being in aircraft doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I love flying in helicopters with the doors open (or off). Most cool.

Do you find the time of year makes it easier or harder to write, are you inspired by spring or delayed by the summer heat for instance?
All I can say about the time of year thing is that I hate winter. I don’t like being cold, I don’t like cold and yucky weather. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and this four seasons stuff is for the birds. I’m counting the days until our boys are off to college and we can go full-timing in our RV, following the good weather!

Slippers, socks or barefoot?
Barefoot when it’s warm, socks when it’s cold. And I still have my eyes peeled for that special pair of pink bunny slippers…

A huge thank you to Michael for taking part in our new feature and you can find out more from his Website, Facebook and Twitter!

All pictures used with permission of Michael R. Hicks

Irreverent Questions is BookThing‘s fun, new feature where we ask a series of random questions that popped into Grete’s curious head. If you are an author and would like to take part, please get in touch!

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