Rampant by Saskia Walker

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises / Harlequin Spice
Pages: 368

(Release Date:  April 1, 2010)

 From the Cover:  Possession is only half the fun…

The moment she arrives at her rented vacation cottage nestled in Scotland, Zoë Daniels feels it—an arousal so powerful she's compelled to surrender to the unusually forceful carnal desires…with nearly anyone who crosses her path. Crawford Logan, the boat builder with the wayward grin. The devilish restaurateur Cain Davot, who seems to know more about Zoë than he lets on. And even her sexy neighbor Grayson Murdoch, whose eyes delve deep into her soul as he explores every inch of her body.

Yet there's something unsettling about the way the locals watch her, something eerie about these overwhelming encounters. Zoë knows she's not quite in control of herself and begins to wonder if there's any truth to the legend of Annabel McGraw, a powerful, promiscuous eighteenth-century witch who once owned the cottage, and whose spirit t is rumored to affect anyone who stays there. Zoë doesn't t believe in anything that even hints at the occult, but t now strange visions are turning frightening…and only y one man's touch can bring her back to earth.

Zoë Daniels is a Londoner who works in a high powered law office, and she keeps the whole thing running.  She's good at what she does, but she needs a vacation, in fact her body demands it.  Her sister, Gina, finds a cabin in a remote location far from the everyday pressures of her life in Carbrey, Scotland, a little place known to the locals as Her Haven.  It's said to be inhabited by the ghost of a witch, and Zoë can feel the pull of magic as soon as she enters the cabin, if she wasn't a skeptic, if she thought it was real.  But, soon enough, it proves to be.

Grayson Murdoch, outsider in the community, who has purchased the adjoining cabin.  He has moved to the community to find out more about Her Haven and it's mysterious ghost in the visage of Annabel McGraw as well as to keep tabs on the local coven master, Cain Davot who is rumored to be involved in at least one death.  It is also rumored that Cain is very powerful warlock and that he may be trying to resurrect the spirit of his lost lover, Annabel, hung and burned during the hunt for witches, long ago.  All he needs is a willing (or even unwilling) body.

When Gray meets Zoë, it makes Annabel's spirit come alive, as well as Zoë's long denied need for passion.  What scares her is not knowing if Annabel is the only reason for Gray's passion or if Zoë is the true object of his desire?

Rampant by Saskia Walker was a steamy hot quick read.  It tells the story of a young woman, Zoë Daniels, in need of a much deserved rest, and she hasn't quite dealt with the death of her mother three years previous.  Her mother dabbled slightly in the occult, more of a hippie, and Zoë remembers all to well picking up and leaving, off the chase the next ghost story.  When she arrives at Her Haven, one of her first experiences in the mysterious reflection of Annabel McGraw in her mirror.  She soon discovers that Grayson Murdoch, the extremely sexy prof that lives next door, would like nothing better than to have entrance into Her Haven to try to see the ghost for himself.  But Annabel has other plans for the two newest inhabitants of Carbrey, and when the spirit moves them, the pages heat up.  Cain Davot is not what he appears to be, having made a deal with the dark side, and he's infecting the local coven with his madness.  He'd like nothing better than be bring Annabel back, but again, Annabel has other plans, and revenge is in the works.

Rampant was a hot spicy read, with steam that stings the fingers, even blush worthy in places on my part, as the pages flew by.  There is something for everyone found in the pages, ghosts, psychic energy, witches, warlock, and magic that zinged from page to page.  There was also some graphic language as well as being sexually graphic with a tiny bit of M/M and  F/F, so if that bothers you, you might want to try something else.  It does tell an engaging story of love found and happiness sought that continues through out the story.  I recommend this novel to all lovers of steamy graphic romance, I do not believe you will be disappointed.

I received this arc ebook from Net Galley and Harlequin Enterprises.  The opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Release Day! Burned by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast

HOUSE OF NIGHT SERIES
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Pages:  384

(Release Date:  April 27, 2010)

From the Cover: 

When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the flames….

Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird’s soul has shattered. With everything she’s ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey’s fading fast. It’s seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her.  But how?  He will have to die to do so, the Vampyre High Council stipulates.  And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left…

Enter  BFF Stevie Rae.  She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own.  The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences.  Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy for his own good.  The truth is, Stevie Rae’s hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey home but also threatens to explode her whole world.

In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it).  She’s always been blessed (if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess’s own voice, whether she wants it or not.  Aphrodite’s loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey’s fate hangs in the balance.

Three girls… playing with fire… if they don’t watch out, everyone will get Burned.

Want to read the first chapter? Click Here

Want to download the songs for the series free? Click Here

Have a peek at the awesome book trailer!


Can't wait to check this out!

Cover Alert:: Dakota Banks ~~~ Sacrifice: Mortal Path, Book Two

Publisher:  Eos / Harper Collins
Pages:  304

(Release Date:  8-31-2010)

From the Cover: 

The Mortal Path Series: What if a woman sold her soul to a demon and 300 years later wanted it back?

Sacrifice: Mortal Path Book 2

Available August 31, 2010
 
A Sumerian demon's enslaved executioner--a ravager of lives and souls--Maliha Crayne has been reborn, willing to sacrifice her immortality for a chance at freedom ... and salvation.

Now she has an opportunity to prevent the death of thousands to help balance the countless lives she has obliterated over the centuries. To do so, she must locate and destroy an evil cabal of madmen in possession of a weapon of unspeakable power--and survive the immortal assassins who are now after her blood.

But it means reverting to the old ways and surrendering once more to the darkness. And if Maliha dies before the mission is accomplished, the hell she once knew will seem like a picnic compared to the eternal torments awaiting her.

"Chilling, thrilling, and a page turner!" - HEATHER GRAHAM


"Action packed. Tons of fun. Dakota Banks slams you through a wild tale of mayhem and murder. You'll love every page." - MARIO ACEVEDO



I've been patiently waiting for this book's release. This is a must read for me after reading Dark Time: Mortal Path, Book One. To see my review, click here.

A Fabled Faerie Tale: The Princess, The Faerie, and The Champion

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a beautiful princess and many suitors came from exotic lands to win her hand.  But, our princess was a lonely princess, she didn't want to be fought over, cherished for her beauty, put upon a pedestal, valued for beauty never to know love.  Beauty is fleeting and only skin deep, and in the years to come, beauty would surely fade.

One day, as she sat alone in her tower bedroom, far above the long stream of suitors who would be challenging each other for something she could never freely give, she began to weep. With her tears, a glistening ball of light was called.  And from within the light, a faerie burst into life.

"Princess Annabell," the nebulous faerie called, beckoning the princess closer, as she grasped the young princess to her breast.  "Princess Annabell, why the tears?"  She soothed the princess, but it only brought more tears.

"Sweet Maylan," the princess shuddered through her tears, "suitors have come to sample my beauty, to keep me to locked away, without love or desire.  I don't know if I can choose to live this life.  What am I to do?"  The princess wept against Maylan's misty shoulder.

"What would you have me do, my princess?  Chase the suitors away?"  Maylan took the princess's tear bruised face in her hands, wiping them away with a brush of her magical fingertips.

"What would be the use?  Only more would come tomorrow or the day after, and in the weeks yet to come until my eighteenth birthday when my betrothed will be announced.  What choice does this life offer?"  Fresh tears sprang from the princess's eyes, realizing in three short weeks, a suitor will be proclaimed champion, and marriage to a stranger will be forced upon her.  "If I only knew that the man wanted me, not my beauty, not my father's riches, or my mother's lands, if only I knew that I was his desire...."  The princess look to the veiled faerie, maybe Maylan could be her savior.

"Maylan, please help me.  You can let me find the love that chooses me for the person beneath the beauty."  The princess showed a watery smile.  Maylan's heart broke for the tragic beauty, but the consequences of wishes often come at price.

"Princess Annabell, do you wish me to remove your beauty?  Make you plain as any commoner?  Please say this is not your desire."  Maylan begged the naive princess.

"No, Maylan, I want to become the commoner, but just for one day.  I want to meet the challengers with my beauty hidden.  Without the constraints of beauty, wealth, or land.  Will you help me?"  The princess pleaded, eyes still bright with tears.

"My princess, I can do as you ask," the baffled Maylan replied, "but I have to caution you my child, wishes may be only what they are, but if you're sure this is your desire, I will help you."  Maylan took the princess's hand in her own, and placed a bead of a wish within her palm.  "To grant your wish, simply break the bead.  For one day, you'll be the commoner with the ability to walk amongst your suitors.  But, within the bead, the truth will also be revealed.  You will be able to see into the hearts, visit their desires, know their truths.  This is the price of the wish."  Maylan's eyes bore into the princess's, making sure she understood the price.

The princess nodded, "Yes, Maylan, I know what I ask, but I do not want a loveless life."  The princess gazed at the bead, so much power in a tiny little thing.  "I'll break the bead on the eve of my birth."  The princess promised, as the mist formed a ball which grew smaller and smaller before it popped from existence.

So, the princess planned, arranged for one of her personal maids to sit in her tower room overlooking the line of suitors, while she would wonder within to find her one true champion.  The day of eve of her birth dawned and all of her careful plans were put into place, and the princess broke the bead.  She watched as the luster and curls left her golden locks to become a string mess.  She gazed into her looking glass as the beauty was replaced with a weathered skin, still a youthfulness, but a beauty that had known hard work.  Her hands became calloused, her fingernails unpainted, short and stubby, a little grimy from toiling.  Her gown replaced by a coarse gray cloak and a peasant's brown dress hidden beneath.  The princess couldn't believe her eyes.  It was still her, but another being, if her life had been born different.  The faerie's magic was harsh, powerful, and just what her wish desired.

The princess left the castle and stole among the many suitors, bucket in hand offering sips of water to the participants who had gathered.

"Mi lord, drink, it is surely to be a long day."  She said again and again, and as she looked into each face, the desires of their hearts were clearly spoken to hers.

"I desire her kingdom, I desire her riches, I desire her beauty upon my arm, I desire her body in my bed," were spoken over and over again, so many times the princess began to lose hope.  Not once did she hear, I desire to make her happy, I desire the princess for her kindness.  Her heart began to break anew as she reached the end of the suitors and there was only one lord left.  The princess offered him a sip from her ladle, and he took it in both hands bringing to his lips, but as his hands grasped the ladle, she heard, "I desire love."  The princess gazed up into the eyes of the lord, he wasn't the most handsome or the tallest or the most powerful.  His armor was worn and dusty, but there was kindness in his eyes as he thanked her for quenching his thirst.

"Mi lord, may I inquire your name for the princess?"

The lord returned, "I am Lord Renault, but I've hardly a chance to win her hand.  I'm here at my parents request, I'm the youngest of seven princes with only one kingdom to share.  Needless to say, lass, I'll return empty handed."  He grinned at the commoner princess knowing full well that he didn't stand a chance.  Look at the field before him, he may as well go home now than risk his life.

The princess could hear this in his heart as well, and she encouraged the young prince to stay, make a stand, and maybe he'd go home the proud victor.  She left the young lord to watch her leave as she made her way back within the castle walls, away from the conniving suitors with only one true hope, Lord Renault.

She  made her way back to her tower room, releasing the maid from her stay, and as night broke on the eve of her birth, she gazed into the mirror and watched her beauty return.  For the first time in weeks, she fell into an exhausted sleep knowing her heart had found her desire.

The morning came quickly and as the princess rose, she called her father to her tower room.

"Father, I know you have many splendid events and challenges arranged for the day, but I desire to choose my own betrothed.  If you love me at all, you will allow this one request."  The princess smiled at her father.

"Daughter, many suitors have come from far away lands with the hopes of winning your hand.  I cannot disappoint them, they must be given their due."  Her father chastised his young daughter.

"Fine, then allow me to chose the champion of each challenge."  And her father agreed.

With each challenge, she chose the weakest champion, the weakest mount, until young Renault stood before her claimed champion again and again.  Until the last challenge came.

The King proclaimed to the two remaining suitors, the winner of the last challenge wins the hand of the fair Princess Annabell.  And the crowd roared in the background, encouraging the two young suitors.

And the final challenge began.  Even as the princess looked on, she knew the winner of the challenge and called Prince Renault to her side, putting her hand in his worn gloved armor, and proclaimed him the winner of her hand, her life, her lands, and her riches.

The young Renault gazed upon the princess's beauty with a sadness in his eyes and removed her hand from his own.  "My princess, I would gladly claim everything you have offered, but my parents have sent me in my brother's stead.  You see my princess, my loss would not have been of consequence, but Richard is to be the next ruler of our kingdom."  He bowed and turned away with regret.  And in his place stood another, but the bead of the wish had not worn completely away.  In his heart, she heard the words that brought dread to her own, "I will be powerful, able to kill my many enemies, and I'll start with Renault."  Prince Richard sneered at his brother's retreating back.

"No," the princess cried, "if I cannot have Renault, I chose no one."  Tears filled her eyes, as the faerie's warning came back to haunt her, she had heard her champions desire, but not his purpose or his own wish.

Princess Annabell, beauty that she is, was promised to Richard as he plotted Renault's death.  But, the princess had fallen in love with young Renault, and when the time came, when the brother chose to strike the other, she fell upon the dagger, saving Renault and releasing herself from a loveless life.  And in return, she became a part of faerie, forever blessed for her selflessness, but forever cursed to love unrequited.  The King chose young Renault as the king to be crowned upon the old king's death, as he, himself, had run through Richard for bringing death to his only child.  In the countless nights that followed until King Renault's death at the ripe old age of 80, he was visited by a glowing bright light that made love to his mind, that spoke to him in his dreams where he was once again the young Renault.  The one he called his Tinkerbell faerie, tinkling faerie dust left in her wake and upon his body when he opened his eyes every morning.

King Renault was known for his kindness, loved by all in the land.  Upon his death, having remained unmarried, he passed his kingdom to his godson, Lord Locksley, but that is another story.  He was laid to rest next to the fabled beauty that gave her life for love, the Princess Annabell.

© Dottie Taylor

I just wanted to share a short story I whipped up on a whim.  It's one that I would have used as a bedtime story for my sisters.  More than once I related the stories of princesses, castles, magical and mysterious.

Earth Day 2010

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970.  Today is the 40th anniversary of that day when most Americans became aware that mankind was slowly poisoning it's own environment, choking the atmosphere with fluorocarbons, and in general, attempting to kill the one place all humanity can call home, the Earth.  As the years have passed, the United States has made a few changes to protect the environment, but many more are needed to lessen the carbon footprint left by our lives.  Here are a few things that as everyday consumers, you'll find easy to do and help in the effort to limit our carbon footprint.

1.  First and foremost, reuse, reduce, and recycle; plant a tree, flowers, greenery.  Not only are you beautifying your environment, but making it easier for oxygen reformation. 
2.  Unplug unused items such as cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, turn off unused power strips. (I'm so guilty of this, though, I've been trying to do better.)
3.  Replace incandescent bulbs in your home with florescent bulbs. (I've replaced all of ours and I really don't notice too much of a difference.  There are two types of florescent bulbs, I just make sure to purchase the ones best for indoor lighting.)  Replacing light bulbs can save about 12% on your utility bill.
4.  If you need to replace a worn out appliance, most state governments are issuing rebate checks for purchasing energy efficient appliances.  Not only do you get a new appliance, but lower your electric bill and get back some of the purchase price making an expensive proposition more affordable.  Unfortunately, still extremely expensive.  I know, my washer broke and it was going to cost more to fix it than replace it.  But, at least I purchase a water conserving front loader.  A little more inconvenient, but uses a third of the water and I recycled my old washer, giving it to an appliance repair center to use parts that were still available and to sell the rest metal for scrap.  I didn't make any money from this, the appliance center did, but at least I know that some of the appliance was put to good use. 
5.  Make sure to keep toxic chemicals from landfills, dispose of paint, paint cans, chemicals, oil, and appliance such as computers, computer monitors, refrigerators properly.  Not only are they dangerous, but the chemicals eventually leach out of the containers or appliances, poisoning the soil and ground water.  Most communities have a toxic chemical pick up day in the Spring.

Most are common sense everyday things that people can do easily without any inconvenience.

Here's a cute little video celebrating Earth Day 2010.


And of course, it wouldn't be Earth Day without a little Kermit.


And I had to add Ernie and Rubber Duckie because it's Stuart's favorite song (he's my very own demonically possessed dog).


Happy Earth Day Everyone!!