Friday, November 30, 2012

Book Tour for A Christmas Carol by Em Woods & Charles Dickens (Author Interview & GIVEAWAY)

Hello! Em Woods here...I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays so far. I know here with my crew it's a hectic, hectic time. Parties, dinners, school, work, etc. Add in shopping with the crazies (I think I might go online this year? Hmm...) and you've got a recipe for disaster. LOL!

So, rambling aside, I've been invited here to chat up my newest release coming this Monday - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and myself. Yep, he's billed on the cover as well. This is for Total E Bound's Clandestine Classics line where the original text is left alone (it is hard to improve on a great story) and I work my magic to create the romantic erotic story line.

I think it bears repeating - over and over - that A Christmas Carol is a truly inspiring story. I try to read it every year and I have to confess that my bookshelf pride and joy is a 1908 copy I stumbled onto at a garage sale a few years ago. However, each time I join Dickens on his journey, I wondered at the reasons behind Scrooge's behavior.

What would drive someone who obviously had family to act so awful as to drive everyone away, and keep them away? To me, those reasons could be just as fascinating as the delightful story Mr. Dickens told. Before I wrote a word of the additional storyline, I fiddled around with those reasons. Was it Marley? Was it the fiancé? Should the story be about the loss of a woman? A man? A family?

Or were there deeper social and personal issues to Scrooge's behaviour? Maybe it was Marley...or maybe Marley was a contributor. I love the way A Christmas Carol turned out, with Marley and Scrooge and a new character, Alex, who I think you will love as well.

AND NOW TO MY INTERVIEW WITH EM......

TSP:  Knowing what you do today, would you have done anything differently with your writing career?
EW:  Honestly, no. I think I am in a pretty good place. I have a good readership, a great publisher, and a group of writer friends (the Story Orgy) that I wouldn’t change for anything. I am however trying to figure out the social networking side of promotion. I’m awful at promoting myself. lol

TSP:  What does your writing space look like and do you keep any inspirational items around you while writing?
EW:  Let’s see…my writing space is very typical, I think. I have my desk, lamp, writing technique books (I love Dwight Swain!) and notes scattered or stuck everywhere. I do have pictures of my two of my best friends and my kids and hubby on top, but alas, there are no “inspirational” pictures…my desk is on one side of my living room so that I can be near my kids while I write.

TSP:  How do you get yourself in the holiday spirit when writing a  holiday-themed book in the middle of summer?
EW:  Lots and lots of Christmas music! Which is a problem now that it is the holiday season because I don’t want to hear a single note!

TSP:  What book are you proudest of and why?
EW:  That is a hard question. And the answer is three-fold. I am so proud of Not Anymore because it is my first, which is an incredible task in itself. I am very proud of my last release Holding On because it was very personal to me and it makes me happy to think people will read and love that story as much as I did. Lastly, I am proud to have given my spin on A Christmas Carol because Charles Dickens is an amazing writer and I loved the challenge of writing similar to him.

TSP:  Besides its synopsis, what do you want us to know about your unique take on A Christmas Carol?
EW:  A Christmas Carol is an amazing story, with a wonderful premise. My take on Christmas Carol is one that filled in the whys that felt missing. I loved unfolding Scrooge’s story from his childhood to when we leave him with his happily-ever-after. I hope the readers will enjoy it and take away the same sense of happiness.

TSP:  When you picture the main characters of A Christmas Carol in your head, which actors do you see?
EW:  I have to admit I am always disappointed in the movies that depict Scrooge as an old, old man. I prefer to think of him as someone distinguished but crotchety because of his temper. I see Harrison Ford as Scrooge and Dermot Mulroney as Marley…and, as you’ll see in the story, the third main character Alex would be Richard Gere. Distinguished, regal, masculine.

TSP:  What books do you have coming out next?
EW:  I had a lazy second half of the year, so I’m not slated for any releases yet, but I have three stories that I am working on for my publisher that I’m sure they are tapping their toes over, waiting on me.

TSP:  How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself? Do you have an eReader yourself?
EW:  I credit the digital revolution wholly for my career. Total E Bound is a mostly digital publisher and all of my stories have released that way. I love eReaders. I love their portability, their privacy features…and I do have one myself. I have the Kindle Fire, which I have to fight my two kids for if I want to use it.

TSP:  My site is all about favorite things, so what are your favorite things/the things you can’t do without?
EW:  The stock answer is my kids and hubby are my favorite things. But…once you get past them, my absolute favorite can not do without thing is my Samsung Galaxy SIII. I do everything on that thing. My schedule, to do lists, shopping lists, email, fb, pics, and recently I found a kick butt app that will let me write on it in a pinch. I am definitely one of those people that everyone jokes about freaking out if they lose their phone. That’s me. A close second is my laptop. LOL.


Love at first sight is a beautiful thing, but sometimes, true love waits a lifetime to shine...and then needs a little help from the Three Ghosts of Christmas.

As a young man, Ebenezer Scrooge felt the sharp pain of loss and resolved to protect his heart from all others, taking solace in his gold and silver. Years of discarding his own emotions, and those of anyone around him, has turned Scrooge cold.

When deceased lover and partner Jacob Marley pays miserly Scrooge a late night visit, pride and disbelief buoy Scrooge's courage. As the fabled Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come arrive to show Scrooge the error of his ways, they also give him brief glimpses of a love so strong it has stood the test of time.

In an inspiring tale of change, a deep-seated need flares to life, leaving Scrooge without a doubt that love and family are what really matter at Christmas.

EXCERPT:

Scrooge straightened upon his chair in the counting room, Marley hunched over his work at his own desk. Spirals of dark hair had escaped his pigtail, brushing the pale skin of Marley’s neck. Scrooge clenched his fist to prevent the overwhelming need to touch the expanse of skin exposed.
What has your attention, sir?” Marley’s dark eyes rose to meet Scrooge’s stare. “Is Townsend’s ledger complete?”
Feeling himself properly chastised, Scrooge dropped his gaze to the columns of numbers scratched on paper before him. They all blurred together, disappointment colouring his vision. Scrooge berated himself silently for the failing. He knew to get his work done. He knew it as surely as he knew the last lump of coal had fed the fire near to an hour ago, and there’d not be another until the morn. “Nearly.”
The scrape of chair legs along the floorboards signalled Marley’s rise from his stool. Heavy footsteps preceded Marley’s declaration to their clerk that they needed to speak and privacy was of utmost importance. Then wood met wood and metal clicked as Marley locked the door. The rustle of cloth rasped against Scrooge’s hearing as he kept his gaze on his desk, feigning work.
I’ll ask again. What has your fancy, Ebenezer?”
Scrooge shivered at the authority of the question, at the harshness in Marley’s tone. “You, sir.”
His partner’s footsteps were lighter, nearly imperceptible, as he crossed the room to latch the shutters on the window. Softer still when Marley returned to his stool. “Then come show proper attention where it belongs.”
The only light in the room was thrown from a candle on Scrooge’s desk, and it left Marley’s face in shadows, sending another shiver along Scrooge’s spine. He cast a glance around, though he knew no one else occupied the room but he and Jacob.
You dare leave me waiting?”
Scrooge leaped from his seat, heart pounding, sweat tracking a crooked path along his spine. He stood rooted to the spot where his feet had landed on the floor. “No! Jacob, Sir. No! I…but it is still mid-day.”
Then best you be quick about it.” One eyebrow rose, daring Scrooge to challenge Marley.

AUTHOR BIO:

All about little ol' me? Hmm. Okay, the normal stuff first. I currently live in the Midwest near Detroit, Michigan with my husband and two sons who are six and three years old. All three keep me on my toes. I work in the automotive industry making sure all the parts inside the car look pretty along with handling all the paperwork that goes along with that (you'd be amazed at how much I have).

Not so normal stuff now. I am an eclectic soul, having lived in three out of the four corners of the United States. I can count as personal friends people from many walks of life (dare I say, some are family too?). I think this is what allows me to see past the things that make us different to the things that make us alike. Hence, I am a person who will accept anyone for what they are, almost to a fault sometimes.

I love angst (as you very well know if you've read one of my stories). I adore digging into an issue, touching on it and those people it effects, and then giving it a happily-ever-after. Research is probably one of my favorite parts of writing. Finding out new facts, meeting new people while I do that…asking them questions they would never expect.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Em is giving away a digital copy of A Christmas Carol.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.
-To be entered, leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas movie, along with your email addy.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 12/8.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday.....


Hello all, it's that day of the week where we learn new things about each other and discover new blogs along the way.  We also help each other by becoming followers of one another.  Normally that following would be through GFC (which would be great if you'd still take a few seconds to do), but with that being eliminated for certain blogs (a big boo-hiss to that) I now ask that you follow through a RSS Feed (or Twitter, FB, or email) which you can find to the right.  I want to thank all of you ahead of time who choose to become a follower and make sure to let me know in the comments if you're new so I doubly make sure to follow you back.  And now for this weeks get to know me question....

Q: Activity! Who is your to-die-for book crush? What do you think they look like? Add an image to make us all happy.


A:  My book crush waffles between Qhuinn and Vishous from JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood.  They're both supremely sexy with issues that I long to hug (or other comforting things) right out of them.  I've used photos of actor Steve Bacic (who's also drool-worthy) when asked a similar question.   So here he is again.....



Book Tour for Not His Territory by Annabeth Leong (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

It's Friday and today we've got werewolves to party with.  Annabeth Leong is here talking about her newest release, Not His Territory, as well as giving all commenters the chance to win a copy.  So give a big welcome to Annabeth.....
A big thank you to the Scarf Princess for hosting me here today! I very much appreciate the chance to talk about my werewolf novella, Not His Territory.
I used to write for my sister. I'd work by hand in a spiral-bound notebook in the morning and leave the book on the coffee table when I left for the day. She'd get home later and read my new pages, and we'd repeat the process through an entire draft.
Not only was that time among my most productive as a writer, it formed some cherished rituals. For example, my sister liked to read while playing music to set the mood. Eventually, in addition to writing for her, I suggested soundtracks she could put on while she read. Often, searching for that music would help me define what my work was about.
For a werewolf story, I could go for the obvious: Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf," or Shakira's "She-Wolf." The problem is that then I'd be letting the theme of werewolves blind me to the themes that really caught me while I worked on Not His Territory.
To me, the werewolf represents truth and passion that can't be held back. These burst forth despite efforts at restraint or the rules of polite society.
Both the hero and heroine of my story are bubbling with plenty of suppressed emotion. The hero has made a life and career out of following a legalistic system that doesn't respect his instincts and passions. The heroine can't get her ex-husband to leave her alone, despite numerous appeals to the legal system. Their meeting makes them both desperate to escape the confines of life as they know it.
If I were playing music director for my sister again, I'd give her songs about the longing for escape, the hope for something better, and the blossoming of irrepressible passion. I'd give in to a couple of references to howling, but for the most part, I'd try to resist the obvious.
I'd tell her to listen to Anna Ternheim's "To Be Gone" to get the ache the characters feel at the beginning. The always-passionate strains of the blues would speak for their initial attraction — Bonnie Raitt's "Love Me Like a Man" for her and "Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys for him. In "The Killing Moon," Echo and the Bunnymen portray the confusion and menace of uncertain outcomes, and Cut Copy's "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found" describes the lost sensation that comes when love forces change, for better or worse. Eventually, things do come to a head, and I'd choose Florence and the Machine's "Howl" to express the madness and thrill of an inevitable erotic encounter. Finally, because this is a story with a happy ending, I would let Elbow take it home with "Mirrorball," a sweet song of the wonder of new love.

After a devastating encounter with an illegally shifted werewolf, a wounded Raul Silva slumps on Chandra Williams’s doorstep, begging for refuge. As an investigator for the legalistic Werewolf Council, Raul’s been sent to look into instability in the local pack. Chandra’s presence makes him want to succeed at his mission for personal — not professional — reasons.

The Werewolf Council disapproves. Chandra is strictly off-limits for Raul according to both the traditions and laws of the werewolves. But after a life devoted to upholding principles, Raul’s instincts and desires are boiling to the surface. Can Raul resist Chandra, or will he break with everything he stands for to pursue a woman who is not his territory?

EXCERPT:

"Can I take off his marking? I'm glad it kept you safe, but I'm not his territory. It's not his house. I pay for it."
Raul's eyes took on a strange weight. Chandra shivered, too aware of his body. 
"I wish it were that simple."
"Why isn't it? I can buy spray paint and cover up his mark."
"A territory dispute must be resolved on the full moon in the ancient way."
"The ancient way?"
"A challenge. A battle for control. It's done in fully shifted form."
"Well, I'm not a werewolf. What am I supposed to do?"
"We're set up to be self-policing. Your ex shouldn't be behaving the way he is. Marriages to humans are somewhat frowned upon and are supposed to be done with full knowledge and consent on the part of the human. This obviously wasn't how he did it with you, since you know nothing of our customs. A human has good reason to be wary of marrying one of us, though. Werewolf law often resorts to the ancient way for final arbitration. A human is at a disadvantage in any dispute with one of us. It's much easier when we keep to ourselves." Both of Raul's hands gripped the tablecloth now. Chandra wondered what part of this upset him so much.
"So you're saying he shouldn't have married me.""Not if he planned to treat you this way." Raul's voice came out as a snarl.
"I mean, because it breaks werewolf law."
"It's not that a werewolf can't be with a human," Raul said. His emphasis on the words "be with" sent a chill down her inner thighs. "It just needs to be done properly." Now Chandra grabbed her own handful of tablecloth. She needed to figure out how to get free of her ex, not become distracted wondering what Raul would consider the "proper" way to be with a human.
"Okay, well." Chandra's voice shook. She forced herself to look at a spot on the wall beyond Raul. If she looked directly at the man, she'd be off on another fantasy before she knew what hit her. "Since that's water under the bridge at this point, isn't there any way to dispute his claim on my house?"
Raul's hand brushed hers. Chandra jumped. "Another werewolf could dispute on your behalf. I could do that for you. If you wanted. I owe you my life as it is."
Chandra waited for him to move his hand away. He did not. She went on speaking anyway, despite the bolts of arousal shooting through her lower belly. "And what then? Am I—I mean, my house—is my house your territory if you win?" Her arms trembled. The idea of being his territory sounded medieval to her brain, but her body loved it. Enough that she involuntarily crossed her legs and squeezed them together, further igniting the heat between her thighs.
"In theory," Raul said slowly. "I suppose so. In practice, only if you want it to be." He smiled. "I'm a werewolf, not a caveman."

BUY AT:   BREATHLESS PRESS  |  AMAZON UK  |  AMAZON  |  ARe


AUTHOR BIO:

Annabeth Leong has written romance and erotica of many flavors -- dark, kinky, vanilla, straight, lesbian, bi, and menage. In addition to Not His Territory, Breathless Press published her werewolf story, “The Arcadian Cure,” in its Ravaged anthology. She particularly enjoys playing off myth, legend, fairy tales, and fantastic history. She believes passionately in freedom of speech, rights for people of all sexual orientations, and freedom of religion. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island, blogs at annabethleong.blogspot.com, and tweets @AnnabethLeong

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Thanks for reading! I'm giving away a PDF copy of Not His Territory to one reader of this post. Simply leave a comment in response to the following:  Name a song that makes you think of werewolves.
You have until 12/3 to respond. Please leave your email address in the BODY of the comment, so I can contact the winner. For more chances to win, check out the other stops on my tour.

Book Tour for Tasting Fire by Shelly Holt (Author Interview & GIVEAWAY)


Fans of the paranormal will enjoy today's guest, Shelly Holt and the interview she gave me.  She's also here today discussing her new release, Tasting Fire, as well as giving away a Starbucks gift card to those of us with a coffee addiction.  So let's welcome Shelly.......

TSP:  How did you get where you are today with your writing career and would you do anything differently?
SH:  I originally set out to write YA and I wrote several books that were ultimately rejected by traditional publishers.  I realized that my writing wasn't the problem.  I simply was writing in the wrong genre.  I did a tremendous amount of research to find out what was selling and came to the conclusion that paranormal romance was doing well and was a good fit for my writing style.  
I  decided to self-publish Tasting Fire well before I finished writing it.  I knew the book was fully marketable and I would have no problem finding a publisher for it, but I wanted more control over my own book than a traditional publishing house would offer.  The downside to the control was the responsibility.  I am personally responsibly for every aspect of the book.  I would have done it all the same again in a heartbeat though.  My cover is beautiful and quite unique.  If I had gone with a traditional publisher, I would have had no say it it and had to take my chances.  I did pay for professional formatting for the book and believe it was a very wise decision.
At the moment I am wearing hat number three, which is publicist.  I have written a wonderful, intelligent, sexy, adventure, but if nobody knows about it, what good does it do?  I have spent the past three weeks doing publicity for Tasting Fire and will probably spend the next month or so doing more.

TSP:  What is an average writing day like for you, and while writing do you have any inspirational items around you?
SH:  My day depends on where I am in the process.  Remember, I am self published so I wear all the hats, writing, editing, proofing, and publicity.  During the beginning phases back in March of this year I was doing research.  I learned a tremendous amount of information about the Asian Snow Leopard and its habitat.  I also read up on the cultures that live in the Himalayas.  I would do my housework in the morning and the afternoons and evenings were spent reading up on information that I would need to build my back story.  After that, I began the writing phase.  I was pretty much on the same schedule and will admit I overdid it a little.  I sometimes would write for 10 hours a day, everyday of the week.  The third phase was editing and copy proofing. It was my least favorite.  I must have read the book at least 500 times by now and yes I see snow leopards in my sleep.  I also had to be really careful about when I proofed my manuscript.  I was very careful not to proof late at night, when I might miss errors.  I think it actually took me longer to proof it than to write it.  
Inspirational items?  Behind me is a decal on my wall that says “Live the life you have imagined”  I think that says it all!

TSP:  What can you tell us about Tasting Fire and are there any actors/actresses that remind you of your main couple?
SH:  From my Amazon blurb......
Shape-shifters have always walked the earth. Shrouded in myth and folklore, hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting. Advances in modern science are now about to reveal them to the world. Kai Tenzin is the self appointed leader of the Pari people. He and his kind evolved from the most reclusive predators on earth, The Asian Snow Leopard. They live and hunt in the most fearsome and rugged terrain known to man, the Himalayas. As a young man, Kai left his small village where the mountain touches the heavens, determined to do anything to protect his people. When he is forced to enlist the aid of the beautiful American scientist Dr. Rae Hales, the last thing he expects to find is a woman who will ensnare his heart and endanger them all. Their action-packed adventure will take them around the world to discover the truth behind the legends and reveal the future of humanity.
Tasting Fire is not your average paranormal shape-shifting romance. I created a plot that revolved around the hypothesis that if there were shape-shifters, how could they realistically come to exist? I researched methods of bacterial transmission and eventually came up with the idea that if shape-shifters throughout history were caused by an infection, it would have to be difficult to catch, otherwise everybody and their grandmother would be a shape-shifter.  That was how I decided to make the infection come from a thermophilic (heat loving) bacteria that lives only in hot springs around the world.You can't catch it from another shape-shifter, but you can inherit the condition from your parents. This method of transmission gives rise to the many different mythologies of shape-shifters that have evolved from every culture on the planet.  
As Dr. Rae Hales, my heroine surmises “if the Pari are real, doesn't that mean they could all be real?” (Hint ...more sequels) I treat shape-shifting in the books as a medical condition. It has significant physical, social and economic side effects that arise from the condition and the thrust of the book deals with that.
There is no magic in Tasting Fire by design. This forced me as a writer to develop a strong plot and create fully developed characters. There is humor, adventure, passion, and intelligence. Tasting Fire is not a light read. If you want a book where the hero and heroine fall into bed within the first two minutes of meeting each other, than this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a rich, textured story, full of world building and character development, and if you want to lose yourself in an intelligent, romantic, sexy, adventure, this is your book!
As far as casting my book, I would have to nominate the sexy Yul Kwon from Survivor to play Kai Tenzin. Dr. Rae Hales would have to be played by the lovely Scarlett Johnansson.

TSP:  What do you have coming out next and are there any genres that you haven't yet written in that you'd like to try your hand at?
SH:  Book two in the Tasting Fire series.  It will take place about thirty years after the events in Tasting Fire and its heroine will be a half human, half serpent shape-shifter.  My desk is currently covered with information about the Naga which are a mythological race that are part human and part serpent.  The Naga have been worshiped in India for thousands of years and many clans are proud to claim ancestry from them.  
I would love to try my hand again at YA.

TSP:  How has the digital revolution affected your career and do you have an e Reader yourself?
SH:  My career is just starting so it has effected me quite positively, I would have never been able to self publish without it.
I have a Kindle, but it's two years old and I am hoping for my birthday which is in just a few weeks to upgrade to a Kindle Fire.  I love my Kindle, I noticed my practice seems to be to still buy reference books in paper, but fiction is all on my Kindle.

TSP:  My site is all about favorite things, what are some of your favorite things/the things you can't live without?
SH:  I'd have to say my coffee maker and my computer, and of course my Kindle.  Since you also like to review other media, I'll share some of my favorite movies and T.V. shows.  I am really into Dr. Who, and will watch endless reruns of Sex and the City.  Among my favorite movies are Xanadu and Tuck Everlasting.


Shape-shifters have always walked the earth. Shrouded in myth and folklore, hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting. Advances in modern science are now about to reveal them to the world. Kai Tenzin is the self appointed leader of the Pari people. He and his kind evolved from the most reclusive predators on earth. They live and hunt in the most fearsome and rugged terrain known to man, the Himalayas. Kai leaves his small village where the mountains touch the heavens, determined to do anything to protect his people. When he is forced to enlist the aid of the beautiful American scientist Dr. Rae Hales, the last thing he expects to find is a woman who will ensnare his heart and endanger them all. Their action-packed adventure will take them around the world to discover the truth behind the legends and reveal the future of humanity.

EXCERPT:

“My name is Kai Tenzin.  I was born in a village high in the Himalaya mountains of Tibet.

I am a Pari.  My people are born with the ability to transform into the animal you call the Asian Snow Leopard.  The Pari have been among you since the dawn of human civilization.  We have seen humanity at its worst.  We have watched from the safety of our mountains, as human tyrants unleashed their destructive fury and let the blood of the innocent flow freely over the land.  For centuries we have cowered in fear of what horrors the human heart would unleash upon us if discovered.  We always strived to know the animal within us, but we always considered humans to be the true beasts.  We feared you and did not wish to know you.

I am guilty of that crime more than any others of my kind, and yet, I personally have seen human compassion in action.  When it does happen, it is an act of such profound beauty, that the darkest place in the universe, namely, the human heart, can not hide the infinite luminescence that shines forth.  You have it within each and every one of you to be a shining flame that brightens the darkest night.  We should have had more faith in that.  I should have had more faith in your humanity and my own.  Instead, I chose to help my people to continue to hide in darkness.  

We stole from you the chance to know us and hid where only hate and fear can grow.  For that I apologize and can only ask for your forgiveness.  I stand here today, humbly begging you for a second chance.  If we possess the courage, together, we can open our hearts to each other.

AUTHOR INFO:

My name is Shelly Holt and I live in the middle of the harsh and unforgiving Mojave desert. I write my stories looking out of a window that shows sweeping desert views. Outside is a barren and severe landscape, yet inside my head lives a world filled with exotic shape-shifters come to life, pulled from the pages of myth and legend, ready to entice and seduce any reader brave enough to take them on.

It's funny, I never wanted to be a writer!  In 7th grade English, we were given an assignment.  We were told to write an original poem and turn it in the next day.  I was determined to turn in not a good poem, but a great poem.  I spent the whole night working on it instead of watching my favorite show, The Waltons.  (Hey! it was 1980.)  I turned it in the next day.  Apparently, I succeeded a little too well and was accused of copying it from a book. (1980 remember, no internet yet).  The teacher stated and I quote "this is too good for a seventh grader, where did you copy it from?"  Well, I didn't write for 30 years after that. In my 40's, after a life changing move to rural Nevada as a caregiver to my father, I realized I needed a way to earn a little money on the side.  I did some research on the internet and read all about a certain little book, about a certain little college student and a handsome billionaire with some ahem! (issues.)  I decided after reading that book, I could do that, and Tasting Fire was born. I'll admit it's been strange revisiting a talent buried deep inside for so long, forgotten, but apparently not lost. It's been an important journey and one I am quite thankful for and excited to see where it takes me.

Shelly Holt

P.S. Mr. Jordan, I really did write that poem!


**********GIVEAWAY**********

Shelly will be awarding a $20 Starbucks GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-A winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 12/12.

Review for Tasting Fire by Shelly Holt


Shape-shifters have always walked the earth. Shrouded in myth and folklore, hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting. Advances in modern science are now about to reveal them to the world. Kai Tenzin is the self appointed leader of the Pari people. He and his kind evolved from the most reclusive predators on earth. They live and hunt in the most fearsome and rugged terrain known to man, the Himalayas. Kai leaves his small village where the mountains touch the heavens, determined to do anything to protect his people. When he is forced to enlist the aid of the beautiful American scientist Dr. Rae Hales, the last thing he expects to find is a woman who will ensnare his heart and endanger them all. Their action-packed adventure will take them around the world to discover the truth behind the legends and reveal the future of humanity.

********************

Tasting Fire has a premise that totally wins you over.  It's an intriguing storyline with a likable hero and secondary characters, numerous action-packed scenes, and a well thought out mythology.  Throw in a few steamy sexual interludes and you have a story that gives its readers a bit of something for everyone.

The story itself had a few problems though.  The writing style doesn't allow the reader to truly get into the character's heads.  The narrative seemed to be from the outside looking in which was unique but gave an off feeling.  The mythology, while creatively well-written, slightly overwhelmed the story at times and pulled me out of the story's forward momentum.  The story also chaotically jumped from location to location causing a speed bump in the narrative.  These are small quibbles though courtesy of an immensely likable hero.

Kai is the main reason I enjoyed this story.  It's not often that an Asian character is made the hero of the story.  It was refreshing seeing this and I applaud the author for creating this unique and super sexy hero. Having snow leopards be shifters is also unique as well as the medical reasons behind it and the reasons for their extinction being both of this world and otherworldly.  

These facets combined to make an intriguing start to a new series that I have faith will further evolve into something special.  With the author's talent at writing memorable heroes, I look forward to who I'll be able to drool over next.

My rating for this is a C+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.