Marked for Life, by Jaxx Steele

Victor Bradley was raised by a tree sprite after the death of his parents. When he became an adult he moved to the city, but the pull of the forest never left his heart. He took a leave of absence to take care of the only mother he ever knew, but was it his concern for her that brought him back to the forest or was it fate?

SLAVE’s Review

Marked for Life by Jaxx Steele was a truly entertaining short story. I enjoyed the creation/build up of the tension between the hero and foe that lasted for many, many years. The change from fantasy (shifters and fairies) to a more realistic view was done incredibly. To start, I loved Raymond, our 'misunderstood’ nemesis. When he demolished a husband and wife, in wolf form, reverted to human form and reveled in it...I was hooked.

Jaxx, did what he intended to do, provide us with an entertaining story with a beginning, middle and end, but I feel that on this one he just 'broad stroked it'. That is not a bad thing in foreplay or a quickie, yet I just wanted/needed and expected more.
 

However, the story for itself had an easy flow and was an exciting tale of not just love, but retribution, honor and soul mates which is truly a beautiful thing once realized. So I rate this with 3 ½ pens. But I must say this, if Jaxx ever finds the time I would love to see what happens after the story ends with these characters.

Incursion, by Aleksandr Voinov

When the local authorities ask Kyle Juenger to hunt a shape-shifting Glyrinny spy, he can’t refuse. After all, he can use the reward to replace his paralyzed legs with cyberware, and maybe even to return to his home planet. Besides, he hates the morphs—those invasive, brain-eating monstrosities whose weapons cost him his legs.

Kyle’s best lead is the Scorpion, a mercenary ship armed to the teeth. Grimm, the Scorpion’s pilot and captain, fascinates Kyle. He’s everything Kyle lost with his legs, and he’s from the same home world. He’s also of the warrior caste—half priest, half savior. But Grimm’s been twisted by life as a merc, and Kyle’s stuck undercover as a criminal on the run.

That doesn’t stop Grimm from coming on to Kyle, or from insisting he’s more than the sum of his past and his useless legs. But Kyle has other concerns—like tracking a dangerous morph who could be wearing anyone’s face. And as if things weren’t complicated enough, Kyle can’t tell if Grimm is part of the solution . . . or part of the problem.

SLAVE's Review

What can I say about this book? INCURSION started out to be a pretty decent Sci-Fi, but in my opinion, it didn’t have the room to fully flourish. I walked away with a clearer understanding of the Scorpion (that’s the ship) than I did of the characters. So because of this I'm going to give this book a tentative 2 pens

The Last Mac Phee, by Dana Litlejohn

Patrick Mac Phee had lost everything: his family, his home, and the love of his life. He was the only one to survive the massacre of his family. During the long wait to avenge them he met Charlene and fell in love. With love in his life again he hesitates to do the duty he has patiently waited over a hundred years to do. Will Charlene be the loophole that will allow him to have love and revenge?

SLAVE’s Review

The Last Mac Phee is an incredible story written by Dana Littlejohn. I read it from beginning to end without pause. The opening, which took place in 1890 Scotland, flowed smoothly into modern day. The way she moved the main character, Patrick, from the distraught youth, to a strong, charismatic adult is flawless. Charlene, our alluring lead woman, is stunning in her simple desire to fulfill a long desired wish that takes her to modern day Scotland, completes the story. 

I thoroughly enjoyed their interaction in this brief tale of brutal deceit, redemption and long awaited true love. Now the story also had two bad guys. One appears in old time Scotland and one in modern day, and they happen to be father and son. That was my only problem with this tale. I would've liked to have gotten to know Ian (he’s our modern day nemeses) just a little more, but that won't deter me from giving The Last Mac Phee 4 well deserved pens. Oh, and did I mention that the love scene was spectacular! I read that part 3times!!  So make that 4 ½ pens.
Keep the great stories coming Dana! I look forward reading more of your work.

CBLS blog Tour: Tempting Manny, by Lacey Wolfe

Title: Tempting the Manny

Author: Lacey Wolfe

Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing

Length: 20,000 words

Genre(s): Romance

Sub-Genre(s) Contemporary

Sub-Categories: Erotic

Heat Level: Sizzling (Highly explicit sex scenes/language)

AVAILABLE AT:

Amazon / Nook / AllRomance / Secret Cravings / Bookstrand

BLURB:

Olivia’s world is torn to pieces when her boyfriend leaves her for a younger woman. But she has no time to dwell on it, she must pick-up the pieces for her children. And the first thing on her list is hiring a sitter. In return though, she gets a very unexpected surprise.

Jamie loves children. He comes from a big family and can’t wait to start his own one day. From the moment he meets Olivia and her children, he feels like this is where he’s suppose to be. But he mustn’t act on how he feels and does his best to stay professional, even with Olivia making it very difficult for him.

As Olivia and Jamie try their best to fight the way they’re feeling and figure out of it can work, her ex-boyfriend shows back up to complicate things. After a string of her own lies, can Olivia figure out what it is she really wants?

ADULT EXCERPT:

Jamie’s gaze followed Olivia’s ass as she walked toward the fridge. She bent slightly over reaching for the ketchup, and he was worried his erection was going to burst out of his pants. The way she looked at him as she headed back to her plate of food, he wasn’t sure if she was hungry for those fries or him. He had never met a woman with so much sexual desire, it was almost pouring from her veins. He wasn’t sure about the story with the ex, but that man had to be crazy for leaving.

Ketchup was on the corner of her mouth. Instinctively, he grabbed the towel, leaned forward, and wiped her mouth. Her eyes locked on his and, before he could even think twice, his hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her to him. Her mouth met his just as fiercely and opened, letting his tongue slide in. The taste of ketchup met his taste buds and the need to taste more of her sprung through his body.

Olivia gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer. His free hand took hold of her waist. His erection shoved into her stomach. The kiss was like fire and even though he knew he should be resisting, he had to keep playing. Turning his head to the side, he deepened the kiss. She tasted so good and felt even better in his arms.

Pushing her back slightly against the counter, he nudged her legs apart with his knee, pressing his thigh tightly between. His dick was so hard now, it hurt.

Her mouth left his and for a moment he almost had time to stop and think about how wrong this was, but then her tongue swirled around his ear lobe and he was gone again.

His aching hands found her breasts, full and large. He cupped them, but imagined his face pressed between them instead. Licking his lips, he couldn’t wait to taste them.

“Mr. Jamie.” A little girl’s voice called from the living room.

Frozen, he took a step back from Olivia.

“Just a minute,” he called back.

Olivia’s eyes were full of passion. She bit her lip and he could tell she was nervous, but not for a second did she regret what happened. He knew this had been very wrong and he hated what he had to say. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

A smile crossed her face when he had expected something different.

“I don’t think you are.”

Her hand reached down, touching his erection. He sucked in, now biting his lip to try a push away the urge to grind into it.

Letting her hand drop, she strutted past him to go to her daughter. His gaze once again followed her round little ass in her pencil skirt. She was right. If Morgan hadn’t interrupted them, he would have been finding out what it was like under that skirt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

You can find Lacey at the following places:

Website | Facebook | Facebook Page | Twitter

 

SLAVE’s Review

I started this book with preconceived notions thinking the story would be kind of cliché...lonely single mother, jerk of a baby daddy and a sexy male nanny (hence the term 'Manny'). My first thought was, Good Lord, why me?  but I fought against the urge to go screaming into the night and continued to read. And I'm glad that I did.
This story was actually about love, hope and personal growth with some good loving thrown in to spice things up. Olivia was a great character and written excellently. Though the ending was expected, I enjoyed how Lacey Wolfe brought it together.
I gladly give this book 4 pens look forward to reading more of her work.

Releasing the Baggage, by Dana Littlejohn

Jerri Ivory was over divorce cases, but when your boss asks you to do him a favor… During the important case, her boss is killed and she becomes a suspect all while she is trying to get to know Felix, a man her friend Linda hooked her up with. With all the chaos and mayhem going on in her life, can Felix slow her down long enough to show her they were meant to be?

 

Available at Secret Cravings Publishing 

SLAVE's Review

I have to honestly say that RELEASING THE BAGGAGE by Dana Littlejohn was INCREDIBLE. This story had my attention early on when we're introduced to the main character, Jerri. She is out with her girlfriends, and one of them states (forgive me as I quote):  "…and how will you know Mr. Right when he comes along if you haven't already checked off Mr. Maybe, Mr. I-Don’t-Know-Yet and Mr. Oh-Hell-No?" 
This story was so packed with twist &turns it reads like a modern day MOVIE-OF-THE-WEEK that will have people tuning in nightly just to see what happens next. I was CAPTIVATED and AWED with the realism of Dana's world of Deceit, Bitchery, true love and great sex (I'm sorry love-making).
My favorite part was, well, EVERY-SINGLE-PAGE. My least favorite part was THE END. I want to share the characters, their quirks and triumphs, but I'd end up giving the whole thing away. So you, my review readers, will simply have to trust me on this one. With that said, I humbly give this story and Dana Littlejohn 5 PENS, & all the refills and paper she could ask for.

Healing the Beast Within, by Jaxx Steele

                                          

Cursed for a crime he did not commit, Keith Turner had given up on love. Even after making that decision, he still spent every night being tortured. His brother Kevin was confident that they could find a way to break the curse, but it wasn’t until Keith met Marcello that he ever took Kevin’s ideas to heart.

Available Now at Phaze Books

SLAVE’s Review

I truly like reading erotic novellas that hold your attention from beginning to end. HEALING THE BEAST WITHIN by Jaxx Steele did just that on all its pages.
This was my first urban fantasy by Jaxx. With a smooth and easy flow, Jaxx gives you a little history in the beginning so you can say, “oh, okay”, then he plunged into a great tale of finding the greatest gift of all: true love.

I loved how Jaxx takes you through Keith’s first transformation, when he first gets his wings. I could feel his discomfort, his pain and the new sensations he felt too. I found Keith to be relatable. Though it appeared he had everything anyone could want, he sat on the sidelines of life longing for the one thing that eluded him: companionship.

The story as a whole was (for me) very rewarding. It only had 1 flaw. The physical aspects of the Beast were healed, too (I thought that his physical attributes were the coolest. read the story and you may understand). With that said, I give a deserving 4 ½ pens to this great story. 

The Handsome Prince, edited by Neil Plakcy

We all know the fairy tale. The handsome prince comes riding up on his white stallion and rescues the beautiful princess from her enchantment with a single kiss. Then they ride off together to live happily ever after. But what if the person longing for that handsome prince is a man himself?
Neil Plakcy's "The Handsome Prince" is a mix of traditional and contemporary stories. Each read gives us a look into a "prince's" life with its own unique fairy-tale atmosphere.

 GODDESS Review:
I really enjoyed this anthology. It is very rare that I come across an antho that every story appeals to me and this one did. There was humor, charm and handsome men and an underlay of passion and desire in these stories. I loved the fairy tale feel of each one even though they were contemporary based. The stories were cleanly written with a beginning a middle and an ending to each not often found in anthos. I had no questions at the end of these stories as they wrapped up nicely with a happy ending or happy for now. Out of the 14 short stories, the gems for me were Creiso Flats and the Big Spread, In the Clearing, The Master and Secret Service, but all in all this was a great anthology.

4 ½ pens

CBLS Blog Tour: The Vampire's Plaything

Title: The Vampire's Plaything

Author: Ashlynn Monroe

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Length: 5,000 words

Main Sub-Genre: Paranormal Romance

Sub-Categories: Light Bondage, M/F/M

AVAILABLE AT:

Decadent Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

BLURB:

What would you do if you found yourself helpless and vulnerable for the most attractive man you’d ever seen?

Zoe finds herself a naked captive of a vampire and impossible memories of two men surface in her mind. Passion overcomes her as the long suppressed need for these men turned monster’s touch rekindles something from another time inside her, and makes her a willing plaything for these dangerous but sexy creatures.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ashlynn Monroe has been dreaming up stories all her life. She started to put them on paper at thirteen, but it wasn’t until she was thirty that she decided to share them with others. She’s a busy mom with a full time job, fantastic friends, and a unique sense of humor. She’s just a regular girl who’s in love with the idea of happily-ever-after. She’s honored to be multi-published by some of the best electronic publishers in the industry. Ashlynn survives each day by dreaming up her next tale of romance.

Twitter:  Facebook:  GoodReads:  KindleGrapgh: 

 GODDESS Review:

Vampire Plaything was a quick romp into eroticisms. Benn wanted to please his master by bringing him a gift. Zoe, was exactly what he wanted and didn’t want at the same time. I’m finding it hard to tell you about the book without giving away too much. Let’s just say, for a short story, it was hot and sexy giving you what you look for when you pick up erotica.

4 pens

Goddess Fish book tour: Chosen, by Denise Grover Swank

Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma's never needed help before. And even though she's learned to trust her son, it doesn't mean she trusts Will. 

Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma's freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake's proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has. 

Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will's overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning. You can find out more about Denise and her other books at

website or her email 

Other Links:

Facebook:  Twitter:   Website:

Denise will give away a digital copy of her paranormal YA, Here, to one commenter at each stop and a $50 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter from the tour.

Follow Denise's the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better their chances of winning. Denise's tour:  

SLAVE's Review

This book captures you from the start. The chase, the boy, the chemestry between Will and Emma, it was all there. I was caught up and on board for the journey, but then it slowed down. So much so that I almost gave up on it, but I’m glad I didn’t. The Chosen rallied and exceeded my expectations turning out to be a good read.

4 pens