Review: Wolf Flight by Vivian Arend

 The Particulars: Paranormal Romance, Samhain publishing, available in Print and Digital
The source: purchased at allromance
The grade: B+
The blurb:
Tad Maxwell’s workaholism serves to keep his bush-pilot company in the air, and his inner werewolf in check. In the two years since he discovered his heritage, he’s resisted the longing to test the power of his wolf side. It would mean compromising his human principles.

Then Missy Leason re-enters his life. Ten years ago, their teenage attraction never went beyond hand-holding. Now their chemistry is off the charts, pushing him closer to the step he’s not sure it’s safe to take, especially with a human.

But Missy is more like Tad than he realizes. She’s wolf too,and a wolf pack is a dangerous place to have secrets. Missy’s Alpha has sniffed out her carefully hidden Omega powers. Her first response: run from the corrupt Alpha’s plan to make her his mate. Step two: get to Tad, and hope like hell his untapped powers are strong enough to negate her own.

Every touch with Missy is hot, hot, hot, but even finding out she’s pure wolf doesn’t solve Tad’s dilemma. Is she using him, or are they truly destined mates? Only one thing is certain. He will defend her to his last breath—on his terms. Even if it means losing his life.

The review:
This is Missy and Tad’s story. This isn’t the first time I read it, but I fell in love again with them. 

It was fascinating to get a glimpse, albeit brief, into how another pack worked.  It showed what good Alpha’s Keil and Robyn was.  But it was equally fascinating to find out about Omegas. What they could and couldn’t do.  I was also intrigued by the concept of First Mates, and the dangers that held.

The plot was gripping, I enjoyed the mix of romance and suspense. As Tad and Missy fumbled through the first step of their relationship, both of them were uncertain, and struggled with their secrets. But, it made it oh so much sweeter when they started to work together to defeat the bad guys.
In fact, my only problem with this book is that the Whistler alpha felt a bit predictable. Both in how he acted, and how he was described. .

WWW Wednesday Jan 30th

This meme is originally from Shouldbereading. All you need to do to participate is answer the following questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What are you planning to read next?

 

Right now, I am reading Arcs. Lots of lovely Arcs by favorite authors. :).

What are you currently reading?

Mountain Echoes by C.E Murphy.   I have love hate relationship with it. I love the book, but I hate that the series is almost finished.

What did you recently finish reading?

Wolf Nip by Vivian Arend.  This another Arc, it is out Feb 14 and my review should be up sometime next week. Heart of Darkness by Lauren Dane.  This wasn’t an ARC.  I heard good things about it, so I thought I would read it. I liked it, but I wasn’t wowed.

  What are you planning to read next? 

I’ll probably re-read something. Either the Bloodhound series by Moira Rogers, or The Summer Country by James Hetley.   ( If I can find my copy. I keep forgetting were I put it..)

 

 

Review: Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend

The Particulars:  Paranormal Romance, Samhain Publishing, available in Print  and as e-book.
The Source: Purchased at All romance. 
The Grade: B+
The blurb: 
Talk about getting your signals crossed…
Robyn Maxwell doesn’t care that her brother has to cancel out on their backcountry ski trip. She can do it alone. The fact she’s deaf doesn’t make her survival skills any weaker. The chance to get away from it all and relax in the Yukon wilderness is just what she’s been craving.
Meeting wilderness guide Keil at the cabin starts cravings of another kind. Keil’s one hot hunk of ripped, tasty male. Now she has to deal with raging hormones as well as strange questions about wolves and mates and challenges to the death. Keil was trying for a nice reflective retreat before challenging for the Alpha position of his Alaskan pack. He wasn’t planning on meeting the woman destined to be his mate, or finding out she’s not aware she has the genes of a wolf.
Between dealing with his accident-prone younger brother, a deaf mate with an attitude and an impending duel to the death, his week—and his bed—is suddenly full.
Far from the relaxing getaway any of them had in mind…
Warning: Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘talking with your hands.’ Includes dangerous use of sarcasm and hot nookie in a remote wilderness sauna.

The review:

I love Vivian Arend’s Granite Wolves series, and  I have been intending to review them for awhile.
It was a delight to re-visit the pack again.  

The setting in wilderness at the border between Alaska and Yukon felt believable.  I could almost feel the cold air, hear the sound of skis flying over the snow covered lake.  And it felt utterly logical that there was a werewolf pack in the area.  

Normally, I don’t like instant love, but Ms Arend managed to make Robyn and Keil’s romance feel very believable. Part of the reason was that she allowed them to get to know each other before making love.  Another part was that she gave Robyn time to adjust to the fact that werewolves existed.

I loved the banter between Keil and TJ, although Keil wished TJ wasn’t there occassionally.  

I just wish it had been a bit longer, but that’s the greedy reader in me. LOL!

Anticipated February releases

Cat got your tongue?
Tessa Williams is looking to make her mark outside the family business, and the unusual landlocked paddle wheeler she spots in Haines, Alaska, strikes her as the perfect location. Only the owner is being difficult, refusing to sell. Still, she’s sure that replacing her written queries with a little in-person charm is all she’ll need to shortly have her Eco-tour B&B on the road to success.
Local wolf-slash-owner of said vessel, Mark Weaver, isn’t hanging on to the landmark building out of spite. There are more reasons for holding back the sale than are easily explained on paper. A face-to-face meeting to resolve the matter only confounds it—when Mark recognizes Tessa as his mate.
But she’s a cat…and cats don’t do insta-mates.
The sexual attraction between them isn’t in question, just everything else. He wants her. She wants twue wuv. His wolf can’t figure out what the holdup is. Her cat thinks the entire situation, and the pack, are rather amusing.
Somewhere in here is the beginning of a beautiful relationship—if they don’t drive each other mad.
Warning: One hyper cat, one laid-back wolf. Inappropriate use of permanent markers, and a heaping side dish of cat/dog jokes. Shenanigans (read: nookie) in front of a roaring fire. Spiced liberally with sarcasm. Enjoy!


You can never go home again.

Joanne Walker has survived an encounter with the Master at great personal cost, but now her father is missing – stolen from the timeline. She must finally return to North Carolina to find him – and to meet Aidan, the son she left behind long ago. 

That would be enough for any shaman to face, but Joanne’s beloved Appalachians are being torn apart by an evil reaching forward from the distant past. Anything that gets in its way becomes tainted – or worse. 

And Aidan has gotten in the way. 

Only by calling on every aspect of her shamanic powers can Joanne pull the past apart and weave a better future. It will take everything she has – and more. 

Unless she can turn back time… 



“Lauren Dane always delivers a steamy, exciting ride,”* and she does it again in her new novel of two lovers fighting for their lives against a rising threat, and a passion that’s just as dangerous…

In the wake of the Magister’s rampage, chaos rules. Left reeling, the Others and the humans scramble to create a some sort of unity in the face of growing unrest and violence from anti-Other hate groups federation—and ruthless PR guru Molly Ryan is the witch who can do it. She grew up in the human world but there’s nothing left for her there. She’s lost her PR firm, her friends and she’s decided to put all her fight toward aiding the Others in this dark, new reality. If there’s anything left for her there, she’s going to fight for it. But Gage Garrity, one of the few Others who survived the massacre, fears that the crusade will expose Molly to greater dangers than ever before.

Now, together, with magick on their side, they’re on the road in a desperate struggle to unite a torn world. From state houses to television news to legislative conference rooms across the country, they’re fighting the good fight. And it’s bringing out a passion in both of them they never expected—one as volatile, intense, and all-consuming as their relentless battle for world unity. A battle that could be their undoing

I had forgotten how wonderful it feels

Yesterday, I went into town with no special plan. Which turned out to be a good thing, since it turned out there was something wrong with the Red line, so I travelled two stops, got off, walked towards the green line. And, when I was almost there, I remembered that there was a store selling office supplies. I went there, and discovered that they had really good prices.  Including on A5 hardbound notebooks ( normal price: 12 dollar. The store’s price: 6 dollar).

When I came home later in the afternoon,  I picked a notebook and a pen ( which is fastdrying, which means no smudges <3) and sat down to write. And.. the words flowed. I got 14 pages in 2 hours. ( 1 page= 100ish words)  I had forgotten how wonderful it feels when the words just pours out.   Yes, it is *rough*, and I already know what I need to add in some places, but… my inner editor is silent ( or at least muted). Which makes a big difference when it comes to feeling the joy in writing.

And the words continued to flow today. I got another 14 pages written, although during a longer time period. This, together with the extra 8 pages I wrote last night puts the total page count at  36 ( which doesn’t match my count which was 38…. Eh. Doesn’t matter. I am happy 😀 )    Also, I added a wordcount  meter, which currently shows 4000 words ( since I know my rough estimate is a bit high.)  But… it is 3000 more words than I had on Friday, AND I am solidly writing new material now :). ( Also, after type in it will probably be at least 1000 words longer. Which is a bit mindboggling.)

Charity Saturday: Help Save Lakota Babies’ Lives

Normally, I would post this tomorrow, except the campaign ends in 10 hours.. So, I am posting it today.


Reading the Indie Go Go campaign page is heartwrenching.  


From the Indie Go Go campaign: 


THE ISSUE – It’s difficult to convey the  human challenges that people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota are facing.  The infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths of babies under one year old per 1,000 live births.  The IMR on Pine Ridge is 300% higher than the national average – the highest in the US.  Moms face racism, poverty and psychological challenges.
WHY I STOPPED FILMING TO RAISE THIS MONEY:  After years of research regarding the history and reasons American Indians have the worst health disparities in the US, Kitty Farmer is producing a documentary film, What’s in the Heart – Can’t be Taken. (trailer)
“The statistics on Indian health are heartbreaking – American people have no idea the unimaginable and preventable suffering our American Indian neighbors are enduring.  It’s as if we’re talking about a third world country.” 

That was unexpected

Last night, I had one of those moments were several previously unconnected pieces suddenly fit.   And it all came from three lines.  I knew from the beginning of the first draft  that she would get an offer to stay in Korun.

While writing the first draft, I also realised that  one of my older ideas about an apprentice Einavalir ( justicar) would fit seamlessly in the world of Korun.

But what I hadn’t known was how these two ideas was connected.  In a way, Trollkungens dotter is a prequel describing the events that led to the founding of the Justicars.    I am not sure I’ll write about the founding itself, though.

 

Tweakings and things

So. I decided to change theme, since the old one was too bland for me.  I settled for this one, since it offered me the opportunity to add a background image.  I knew exactly which one too. This photo of a cat saint statue that I took in Lisboa a 3-4 years ago. Except… the blogposts cover the intresting part. Oops. So, here’s the photo 🙂Image