My wisdom teeth have to come out!! So Book Whispers will be a little quiet for a bit. If anyone remembers a few of my posts when I had surgery in 2011, y’all know those were crazy! So while I’m on heavy medication I’m taking a break from the online world.
Peace and love, and happy reading!
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
It’s wonderful that I have been able to be part of the To Love the Highland Dragon tour! Gimpel is here for an interview, and I even have a review of the book below!
Shera (Book Whispers): Well thank you for stopping by, it’s wonderful to have you. Now time for the fun part!
In your own words introduce yourself.
AG: Once upon a time, I was a psychologist with a strong interest in mythology and symbolism. I always enjoyed analyzing dreams and hunting for hidden meanings in what my clients told me. Now I’m a writer. It won’t surprise you that I still have a strong interest in mythology and symbolism. The only difference is that now I write about them, rather than weaving them into psychotherapy sessions.
BW: How did you come up with the idea behind your dragon shifters? Not sure if I'd be willing to share the same body with a moody dragon.
AG: Shifters have loomed large in many of my books. I’ve had characters that were wolf shifters, cat shifters, and bear shifters. I’ve always adored dragons, so I figured, why not? In the story world for To Love a Highland Dragon, Lachlan (the mage) and Kheladin (the dragon) have their own personalities. Yes, they’re stuck in one form, or the other, but that doesn’t mean that the other entity doesn’t get to have an opinion. It actually gave me some great opportunities for dialogue to help my readers know more about both the mage, and the dragon. By the time I was done writing, I had the utmost respect for both of them.
BW: Did you have a favorite character to write, or do they all get your love equally?
AG: What an interesting question. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that one before. Erk! It’s sort of like being a mom with several children, and having someone ask if you have a favorite. Bottom line is you always do, but it’s terribly politically incorrect to say so—at least out loud. Probably my favorite character in this book was Kheladin. The dragon energy is just so compelling. Together, he and Lachlan truly are larger than life.
BW: Were there any particular parts that were hard to write?
AG: The hardest part was keeping modern language and knowledge out of Lachlan/Kehladin’s parts of the story. There would have been no way for Lachlan to know about anything modern, like computers or airplanes, so he had to be surprised every time, and have believable reactions to a very different world than the one he fell asleep in.
BW: There are dragons, witches, Celtic Gods, and other fun paranormal things, what mystical critters were your favorite to write?
AG: I had a lot of fun with the witches in To Love a Highland Dragon. I tried to make them stand out, so a reader would recognize them and easily be able to separate them from the dragon shifters and Celtic gods. One of the things that draws me to paranormal fiction, both as a reader and as an author, is the richness of supernatural elements. I thrive on the possibility of magic lurking in the oddest places. When I write, I can actually make it real.
BW: When you're in a writing jam, is there a particular author you look to for inspiration? One that makes you ask, "What would ‘insert author's name here’ do?"
AG: Many authors are inspirational to me. On the fantasy front, there are Tolkien, and
BW: For you personally, not your characters, between a vampire love interest and a werewolf love interest which do you prefer? (What team are you on? Team Vampire or Team Werewolf.)
AG: Team werewolf! I’ve written plenty about wolf shifters and zip about vampires, although I have had a vamp or two in cameo roles.
BW: Go wild! Let us know something funny about you, share something that's on your mind, or anything else that's important about your books.
AG: Maybe not funny so much, but a huge part of my life has been mountaineering and the backcountry. I love my long hours of solitude with a pack on my back. Many of my books have almost written themselves in my head on trips like that.
BW: What can readers look forward to from you? What are your plans for To Love a Highland Dragon, stand alone, series, or other plans?
AG: To Love a Highland Dragon was the first book in the Dragon Lore series. Book 2, Iron Maid, is complete and contracted. It should release in either early January or early February. Here’s the blurb:
Jonathan Shea is a software engineer. When pressed, he admits to being a closet witch, but he’s always been a shade ambivalent about his magic—until a dragon shows up in Inverness, and then all bets are off. Along with others in his coven, Jonathan is both charmed and captivated by the creature fresh out of legend.
Britta is a dragon shifter. Dragged from the Middle Ages by the Celtic gods, she and her dragon prepare for a battle to save Earth. The first human she lays eyes on in modern times is Jonathan. There’s something about him. She can’t quite pinpoint it, but he has way more magic than any witch she’s ever come across before.
Surrounded by dragon shifters, Celtic gods, Selkies, and a heaping portion of magic, Jonathan comes into his own fast. Good thing, too, because fell creatures have targeted him, Britta, and the dragons. In the midst of chaos, he finds passion so poignant and love so heartbreakingly tender, it will change his life forever.
On other fronts, Noreen’s Choice, Book 2 in the Wolf Clan Shifter series, releases 11/4. Here’s its blurb:
It’s 1936 in Calgary. After a terrifying experience, Noreen is frantic to escape the Garden of Eden cult, so she catches the night train north out of town. An ominous stranger, and a farmer who’s furious she slept in his barn, remind her just how alone she is in the world.
Wolf shifters, Les and Karl, eke out a primitive existence on the flanks of the Canadian Rockies. Between Hunters who want to kill them and a wildfire raging out of control, they’re relieved when their clan leader, Jed, shows up.
Jed has a surprise in his car, though. While passing through the nearest town, he spied Noreen by the side of the road picking straw out of her hair and offered her a ride. Before Jed’s car even stops rolling, Les and Karl know she’s their mate. So skittish she’s barely willing to exit the car, Noreen busies herself helping Jed and his pack mates unload supplies.
Can Les and Karl convince her to stay? If she does, will the risks she faced as a cult member pale in comparison to being mated to shifters?
Lastly, I just finished a book about demon-stalking witches. I’m getting ready to look for a publisher for it.
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent, who practices in a very isolated area high in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago.
For a complete list of Ann's short stories, novels and novella length fiction go to her website:
www.anngimpel.com
Review:
To Love a Highland Dragon (Dragon Lore, book 1) by Ann Gimpel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: To Love a Highland Dragon
A modern day psychiatrist and a dragon shifter stranded in time can’t escape their destiny, no matter how unlikely it seems.
Blurb:
In a cave deep beneath Inverness, a dragon shifter stirs and wakens. The cave is the same and his hoard intact, yet Lachlan senses something amiss. Taking his human form, he ventures above ground with ancient memories flooding him. But nothing is the same. His castle has been replaced by ungainly row houses. Men aren’t wearing plaids and women scarcely wear anything at all.In Inverness for a year on a psychiatry fellowship, Dr. Maggie Hibbins watches an oddly dressed man pick his way out of a heather and gorse thicket. Even though it runs counter to her better judgment, she teases him about his strange attire. He looks so lost—and so unbelievably handsome —she takes him to a pub for a meal, to a barbershop, and then home. Along the way the hard-to-accept truth sinks in: he has to be a refugee from another era.
Never a risk-taker, Maggie’s carefully constructed life is about to change forever. Swept up in an ancient prophecy that links her to Lachlan and his dragon, she must push the edges of the impossible to save both the present and her heart.
Dragon shifters, Celtic Gods, a dash of time travel, mages, witches, and more! There is a lot of wonderful paranormal coolness soaking the pages of To Love a Highland Dragon. My favorite part is probably the humor that each character seems to bring to the dialog. Lachlan and Maggie have great humor together. Though I think the Celtic Gods were the real stars for me. Overly arrogant beings are always good for a laugh or two.
There is a lot packed into this story, maybe a tad to much for such a short amount of pages. Gimpel still does a pretty decent job of it, so I give her an extra star from my initial 2 out of 5. What pulled me out was Maggie. Gimpel made an amazing modern and independent woman. Independent woman being key here. However, she’s all but willing to toss all of that out the window. Because she has been horny. Yep. Lachlan presses a few hard ons against her and she is toast. From there on I just couldn’t take the relationship or the love seriously. It was instalove, that readers are supposed to believe turns into magical love. Sure everything is explained, but it shouldn’t have to be explained.
This book is for fans of Dragons, gods and goddess, and so on. Pretty sure a lot of Paranormal Romance fans aren’t gong to have an issue with the love story. Probably won’t even mind the instalove, I’m just the picky type. With this first book Gimpel shows off some of her talent as an author and I’ll be looking forward to future works.
Sexual Content: Plenty of dirty humor, jokes, and some sexy bedroom scenes.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| To Love a Highland Dragon (1) | To Love a Highland Dragon (1) | |
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
This is a fun new title for the Paranormal Erotica lover! It's got a little across time romance, a historical, and it's got some spicy scenes! Look out for my review later this week, but for now enjoy the giveaway and some of my favorite quotes below.
Loup-Garou for You by Katalina Leon
Genre: Historical Paranormal Erotic Romance
Grab it: Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
Bayou Country, 1834. Aubert Marston awakens on the eve of his twenty-seventh birthday to discover he’s undergone some disturbing physical changes. His body is bigger, stronger and hairier than it’s ever been, and burns with the lust of a beast. To make matters worse, a hundred guests are about to arrive for the plantation’s annual ball.
A mysterious young woman named Corrine appears in his home, tempting Aubert to unleash the inner lycan, and family secrets from a medieval past surface. Corrine lures Aubert to a bayou camp of Cajun Loup-Garous—werewolves. Aubert’s wealth and good looks are no advantage here. He must surrender to his feral nature and fight tooth and claw against another male pack member to claim Corrine as his own.
Inside Scoop: This story contains mild bondage, southern hospitality, consensual sexual torment, female/female, male/male, anal play, cage fighting and unfettered animal lust. Enjoy!
A Romantica® historical paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
About the Author
Katalina Leon
I’m an artist, an author, mother and wife. I write for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id Publishing and a couple new publishers to be announced soon. I try to bring a touch of the mystical and a big sense of adventure to everything I write because I believe there’s a bold, kick-ass heroine inside all of us who wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook
Giveaway:
You can enter below to when a 15 dollar Amazon gift card! How great is that?
Now here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book!
Here’s a taste of what’s to come with the first sentence of the book.
With clockwork precision, in the restless hour before dawn, the oppressive leviathan of a nightmare rose form the depths, grabbed Aubert and yanked him down.
Here’s a little “tame” preview . . .
Heated sexual thoughts whirled through his mind. His jaw tensed and his legs trembled. He was tempted to open the door, grab the woman, toss her onto the bed and take his pleasure with her.
Words no one wants to hear about any kind of mysterious changes happening to them.
“You don’t understand. By sundown you will begin to change into a creature that has the cunning mind of a man and the impulses and desires of a beast. You will become Loup-Garou—a werewolf—and you will not be able to control yourself during the first stages of the transformation.”
Probably one of the single best one liners about being told you’re turning into a werewolf!
“You think I’m going to turn into a hairy wolfman?
Here’s one of my favorite romantic scenes from the book!
“I love you.” Corrine’s hand rested on Aubert’s shoulder. “in my heart and mind, you’ve always been my only choice. You’re my handsome prince.”
Lastly, I’m starting to think cats and werewolves have a lot in common.
“It’s a full moon—who needs sleep?”
All right hope everyone enjoyed! Big thanks to Katalina Leon and Paranormal Cravings!
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
So far anyway! Oh, there are a few bad eggs in there. But for the most part things are working out for me this season!
Anywho, to all of those who asked! It’s great to be back writing about my fave paranormal shows. Now, I can’t be there for all of them because I don’t have cable. This is the first overview of the fall season debut of 2013.
Then boom! Neverland was everything I hoped it could be! Right now those determining 3 episodes have been viewed. Oh, baby am I in!
Now, Pan as a villain? Paw! I scoffed at the idea last season. No really. How could the Rumplestiltskin be afraid of a boy in tights? After the first episode I realized there are no tights, and boy is Peter Pan creepy as heck! Totally agree with Hook, “Pan is the most treacherous villain I’ve ever faced.” He can go from cute and fun, to creepy and fun. His creepy and fun should never be mixed. (Plus, Pan’s facial expressions are amazing!)
The Evil Queen, AKA Regina, is still soul searching. While I believe she is sorry for some of her past actions, this lady ain’t rolling over and playing dead for no one! Which is just how I love her. There’s a hint of romance in the future for her.
Now if I went over every aspect going on, we’d be here . . . for too long. So I’m just gong to highlight two other things I’m digging.
Tinkerbell, I had my doubts. (Again.) Really, I should have learned my lesson. Her path crossed with Regina, creating a gloriously mess. Just how fans like it. There are hints to Hook and Bell’s past and I am dying for that to be revealed.
Mulan is a character I think deserves more time. She is OUaT’s warrior woman of awesomeness! When it was hinted that she developed feelings for Phillip, Aurora’s man, I thought “Ooooooo, love triangle.” Because the idea of another princess stealing another’s prince is click-clacking groovy. Then all of a sudden in one scene things get muddy!! Has Mulan developed feeling for Aurora? Or is she Bi and likes both?
Maybe I’m just reading too much into it. However, that scene! They’re doing something . . .
Lesbian princess is kind a something I’ve been waiting for . . . and anticipating a bit. However, why does the warrior woman always have to be Bi or a lesbian. Strong women can be straight too. Plus, with Mulan clearly pining for Phillip form the get-go it just seems so out of the blue. If they ran out of princesses to go for the lesbian role, let’s pick one that’s not so obvious.
Yet like I said, maybe I’m over reading it and getting excited for nothing. Surely OUaT is better than that and can give us an amazing lesbian princess. Either way whether Mulan digs Phillip or Aurora it’s cute romance and one heck of a love triangle. Well played OUaT, well played.
Yep, it’s sucked me in again! Along for the ride another season.
It doesn’t hurt that the genie is so handsome and his name is Cyrus. (For Harry Potter fans you will know why this is an added bonus of yummy.) Plus, the actress Sophie Lowe as Alice is amazing. The girl not only looks adorable and perfect in her role, she has laid to rest any negative thoughts fans have felt about her being able to pull of fighting scenes. This girl can move! When these two great characters meet up on screen the romance is perfect!
With only the first episode out so far it paints the perfect picture of what the trailers have advertised. Now Jafar joining the cast was something that made me a bit nervous. The mixing of a genie with Wonderland clearly makes Jafar an essential step in the plot line. After meeting Jafar I couldn’t imagine this series without him. The Red Queen is scary cool. However, Jafar makes her look like a little kid on the playground. Gotta love a villain that makes the other villains go “Oh, shit he’s got Darth Vader powers!” Especially as he flies away on his magic carpet.
Now Cyrus is clearly being painted as the sweet and ever hopeful love of Alice’s life. So it only the next step to add in a mysterious, and slightly ill tempered, side kick. That would the The Knave of Hearts. His hidden past is hinted at, as well as his past with Alice where she has already helped him out before. It’s all very cool and I’m looking forward to his reveal as much as Alice and Cyrus!
Usually I wait three episodes before making my judgments about shows . . . I’m in! With one episode OUaTiW has proven it’s just as fantastic as the trailer promised. There are some clear issues with time differences here, and I hope that it’s explained instead of just lost in all of the flash forward/present/back and on.
And remember, “When you really love someone you don’t need proof. You can feel it.”
All of the characters are amazing and it’s wonderful learning about there histories. You’re constantly guessing about who is good and who is bad. However, I’m not going to spend forever and a day ranting about that. No. Ichabod Crane. Ichabod. Crane.
Forget about Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad’s Mr. Crane. If Sleepy Hollow fans faithfully thought Johny Depp would be the hottest and the one-and-only-forever-forever Ichabod Crane, start doubting. Because Tom Mison as Ichabod Crane is inspiring. Man is the man hawt! Mison is an amazing actor and he manages to bring in tragic romance, humor, and scary-end-of-the-world scenes with aplomb.
Oh, yeah! In!! This show is one I will follow to the bitter end. (Or unless Fox crashes and burns. Or if they decide to cancel it because they sneezed . . . ) If you’re still on the fence check out this post that explains way better then I can as to why you should watch:
15 Reasons You Should Be Watching “Sleepy Hollow” Based Solely On The Pilot
Joss Whedon as the entire Marvel universe to play with! And he takes the standard syndicated TV approach! Why? Many fans were expecting the grandness of Cable TV. Others thought it would have the same layering and dedication that the team of OUaT puts into their universe. Me? Well I was expecting a epic cinematic experience drawn out over 12 to 24 episodes.
Honestly I tried. I gave up my NCIS slot to S.H.E.I.L.D. because I wanted this to work out. (Huge NCIS fan here!) Lazy ABC, lazy. Putting my foot down and firmly saying enough is enough. Tossing this show out like my cats hair balls vomit piles: out to the trash and fast!
Now I’ve been saying for a long time that I’d restart and finish Melissa de la Cruz’s book. To my surprise they’re making a TV series of it on Lifetime. Witch shows are some of my favorite so I waltzed on over to Hulu to partake of this wicked offering. The first episode was a wam-and-bam to my TV viewing senses. It definitely has a feel of Cruz’s dramatic drama and I was intrigued. With episode two it shows viewers that it’s settled down and fans can expect a lot of fun. Moving past the flower magic of the first episode and showing fans the serious side of witchcraft.
One of my Goodreads friends explains it perfectly:
It reminds me a lot of Practical Magic mixed with the fun side of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Hocus Pocus. :) Again, I don't mind the eye candy...
Abracadabra, I’m in! With exploding flowers, burning flowers, flower’s changing colors, beautiful people, love triangle, timid book-geek-that-was-once-awesome, a cursed family full of women with bad track records regarding men, and evil shapeshifter who this show is targeting. *cough*Vampire Dairy fans*cough* Let’s hope they keep it smart!
Phew, now that all of that is done here’s the shows that I will be adding to the mix as Hulu makes them available (The CW, I’m looking at you!) and they actually start up. Fall season only.
If I’m messing any fall paranormal shows give me a shout out so I don’t miss them.
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
It’s Paranormal time! Oh, paranormal time!
Have you guys noticed how many awesome paranormal shows are on, or soon to be on, TV lately? I’m in heaven. Once Upon a Time has picked up! (Which I will share later.) OUaT in Wonderland was fuzzy-bunnies awesome! Sleepy Hollow is the bees’ knees. And I just started up Witches of East End.
Now I’ll get into that Thursday—AKA for tomorrow—so for now let’s check out the books I’m lusting after.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Series: N/A
The end of the world happened quickly. The sun still shone, there was no explosion - just a tsunami-sized wave of human thought drowning the world in telepathic noise as everyone's inner-most secrets became audible. Everyone's thoughts, that is, except sixteen-year-old Danby.
Everyone looked like bad actors in a poorly dubbed movie. Their expressions didn't match their emotions and their lips didn't sync with what they were saying. But they were all so loud.
God-he-looks-hot-Can't-she's-my-best-friend-How'd-she-lose-that-weight-No-don't-you-dare-Oh-no-please-
The end of the world happens in the blink of an eye.
When The Snap sweeps the globe, everyone can instantly hear everything that everyone else is thinking. As secrets and lies are laid bare, suburbs and cities explode into insanity and violence. What might have been an evolutionary leap instead initiates the apocalypse.Sixteen-year-old Danby Armstrong's telepathy works very differently. She can tune into other people but they can't tune into her. With only this slender defence, Danby must protect her little brother and reach the safety of her mother's mountain retreat. But it's 100 kilometres away and the highways are blocked by thousands of cars and surrounded by millions of people coming apart at the psychic seams.
Danby's escape is made even more dangerous by another cataclysm that threatens humanity's extinction. And her ability to survive this new world will be tested by a charismatic young man whose power to save lives may be worse than death itself.
A fabulous GR friends recommended this to me. It sounds awesome. And for all you Anime fans, Kino’s Journey anyone. That one episode.
Crystal Fire by Jordan Dane
Genre: Paranormal YA
Series: The Hunted, book 2
Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.
A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.
While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese--the obsessed leader of the Believers--the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They're silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.
When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He'll need to confront his past--and the man who made him--before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.
The first book is on my “read-now” pile, which I have bought and added to my Sony Reader! Haven’t read it yet, but I want.
All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen
Genre: Paranormal YA
Series: N/A
What if your life wasn’t your own?
Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.
Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?
There are a lot of comma wake up and to a mystery life stories out there. I have yet to read one, but this one sounds fun! (On that note why is it always car accidents?)
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
What Kills Me (What Kills Me, book 1) by Wynne Channing
Genre: YA Paranormal
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: What Kills Me
The fight for survival begins.
An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.
How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?
As a paranormal junkie reader there's always one creature of the night, or the, creature of the night that is the main staple of the genre. Whether reading urban fantasy or paranormal romance, vampires are a staple. And usually paranormal fans where introduced through vampires. After a while fans might drift away from the beloved fanged hotties—or horrors depending on the fanged spin—and find new paranormal loves. For me animal shifters and witches have earned a sweet spot on my shelves. Yes, vampires might be featured, but they're just the side characters. So when I picked up What Kills Me it was exciting to have vampires as the main mystical critters. Even better was falling in love with the book and reaffirming my undying (ha-ha) love for my fanged friends.
The synopsis of the book is a bit all over the place and I thought it was going to be a poorly written adventure. So wrong! The writing is solid, and actually tops a number of books that big named publishing houses actually put out. The pacing gets the story going fast, so no awkward waiting for the book to “get going”. Channing doesn't neglect back stories, or character growth, she has the rare skill to create an engaging read and maintaining the ability to build onto the world with out pausing the book to fill readers in.
Speaking of characters, despite the mentioned growth the story is too short to setup the proper connections. At first I was excited that Channing was going to slowly build the obvious romantic couple presented. Then the next thing I know Axelia is proclaiming that she loves Lucas . . . and part of the shine died there for me. For the most part the emotions matched the book happening fast and giving readers a rush. However, the romance just jumped the gun. Build up. Like the movie Speed states: “cause you know, relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last.”
That's the point of What Kills Me. It's fun and fast, just the kind of read you need to give readers a pick-me-up after they've read to many long books or have been suffering from what I like to call reader's burn-out. Or if you just need a vampire injection of awesomeness! Sure there are some holes in the plot and mythology, but hey when something is this fun it's easily overlooked. Oh, I'm there for the ride baby! If only readers new the definite release date. Another book to show readers that indie/self-published titles are well worth the time and money!
Sexual Content: Some kissing, a few mild pervy thoughts. All in all pretty clean.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| What Kills Me (1) I Am Forever (2) | What Kills Me (1) I Am Forever (2) | What Kills Me (1) I Am Forever (2) |
Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
It’s no secret that I love Valkyries, cat shifters, unicorns, and . . . . dragons!! So when I first heard of Luck of the Dragon I was all over that! So I’m utterly happy to announce that I’m hosting an interview with the author of Luck of the Dragon, Susannah Scott. I’m part of her tour and hosting a giveaway as well. Which is just below the interview!
So here is Susannah!
Thank you so much for having my on your site today to celebrate the release of my Paranormal Romance, Luck of the Dragon!
Shera (Book Whispers): No, thank you! Well let’s get started, in your own words introduce yourself.
SS: Gladly! I am Susannah Scott. I am an author living in the Southern Missouri Ozarks with my three children and husband.
BW: How are the dragons, in Luck of the Dragon, different from other dragon shifter books out there?
SS: Some of the basic dragon shifter elements are the same, but I think the pageantry and opulence of my dragons is a step in a unique direction. Also they really with their dual natures. In their dragon forms, they are too aggressive and are forced to be loners. Alec, my 
hero, devises a sanctuary at the top of his Vegas casino to provide a hidden-in-plain sight existence for his people. I love the constant conflict of their bestial natures and their human reasoning because they are forced to co exist.
BW: How did you come up with Luciana de Luca, the leading lady of Luck of the Dragon? Most importantly, how did you come up with her name?
SS: I wanted Lucy to be a sassy, conflicted thief trying to save her family. Lucy’s brother’s gambling debts are the catalyst behind her trying to steal from Alec. Their conflicting goals and powerful chemistry create some great banter and a satisfying HEA. I came up with Lucy’s name, because she is Italian, I liked the way it sounded off the tongue.
BW: Were there any particular parts that were hard to write?
SS: The End! Seriously, no matter how many stories I have written, I always feel like I am trying to land a 727 without a pilot’s license. I usually just give myself permission to write a really bad ending and then spend extra time on it in revisions.
BW: Besides dragon shifters, are there other magical creatures that paranormal fans can look forward to?
SS: I do have a top-secret world in mind, with new set of paranormal creatures, but it is about three books away! I will say this, the creatures are magical and not shape-shifting!
BW: When you're in a writing jam, is there a particular author you look to for inspiration? One that makes you ask, "What would ‘insert author's name here’ do?"
SS: I actually go for a walk and try NOT to think about my book. The greatest work arounds seem to come to me when I am not pushing my brain for a solution.
BW: For you personally, not your characters, between a vampire love interest and a werewolf love interest which do you prefer? (What team are you on? Team Vampire or Team Werewolf.)
SS: Oooh toughie. I was a total Team Werewolf until my husband and I walked the ENTIRE TruBlood series. I heart Eric Northman now. So, I would say Team Werewolf with an Eric Northman cut out!
BW: Go wild! Let us know something funny about you, share something that's on your mind, or anything else that's important about your books.
SS: I live in a house of men. Three boys and my husband. Even the dog is male. So, I tend to buy a lot of pink and girly stuff for myself. What’s on my mind? We just moved into a new house and we are trying to get our grass in. *Le Sigh* Who new grass was so hard to get started?
BW: Grass can be a toughy too get growing sometimes! Good luck!
Can you give us a short excerpt from Luck of the Dragon with the set-up?
SS: Alec and Lucy have some really great arguments. This one in Alec’s office is one of my favorites:
Alec opened the door to face 130 pounds of fury.
“I am a respected professional and you are manhandling me and treating me like a criminal!” Luciana yelled at him.
Alec handed her the drink and sat in a deep-seated leather chair. The chair sighed with ease when he leaned back. He crossed his ankle at his knee and took a sip. “Luciana—”
“Oh, please, all my captors call me Lucy.” She glared at him. “You sound like a priest hearing confession when you call me Luciana.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” Alec chuckled and sipped his own drink, the taste of mellow corn mash and oak barrels tingling over his tongue. Alcohol did not affect dragons in the way it affected the feeble humans. He drank the bourbon purely because he liked the taste.
“Does this have something in it?” Luciana held the drink to the light.
“I wouldn’t harm you.” Alec took a second sip of his drink, and it fired down his throat to his belly in a pleasing trail.
Lucy set her drink on his desk, untouched. “I’m not the trusting sort.”
Alec gave her what he hoped was a charming look. “You can trust me. I can help you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Lucy said in a voice used to stopping cabs.
“Fine, don’t trust me, but I need you to start your appraisal tomorrow,” Alec said in a voice used to calling stretch limos.
Lucy’s face flushed. Her collarbones rose and fell under her pale skin in elegant lines.
He wanted to kiss her, to see if the zing of electricity was a fluke, or if the fates had gone mad and paired him with a human mate.
She might bite him.
He might like it.
BW: Great excerpt!
What can readers look forward to from you? What are your plans for Luck of the Dragon, stand alone, series, or other plans?
SS: Stop Dragon My Heart Around will be out this spring. It is Leo and Tee’s story. A fun, friends to lovers tale with lots a sexy bantering. Tee is part of the Las Vegas Paiute tribe so there is a cool theme of “belonging” that runs through the story too. What is means to belong to the dragons, to a tribe, to each other?
Thank you again for having me on your blog, and giving me an opportunity to connect with your readers!
All my best,
Susannah Scott
www.susannahscottbooks.com
FB/ https:/SusannahScottAuthor
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SUSANNAH SCOTT lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is the lone female in a very loud 
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Shera (Book Whispers) is an avid reader and the creator of Book Whispers. A bookworm who feels compelled to write reviews, and desperately tries not to ramble on too long.
