BOOK REVIEW: Keep Me by Anna Zaires

It's Release Day for Anna Zaire's Keep Me! This is one book that I have so looked forward to. And I was not disappointed.

If you have not read the first, book Twist Me, then you need to start there. Click on the title for buy links and the blog's book review! You can also read our interview with Anna Zaires.

If you've already read Twist Me and are anxiously awaiting Keep Me, then wait no more...

Abducted at eighteen. Held captive for 15 months.

It reads like one of those headlines. And yes, I did it. I stole her. Nora, with her long dark hair and silky skin. She’s my weakness, my obsession.

I’m not a good man. I never pretended to be one. She can love me, but she can’t change me.

I can, however, change her.

My name is Julian Esguerra, and Nora is mine to keep.

*For ages 17+ due to sexual content, language, and violence*

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Book Review: Keep Me (Twist Me #2) by Anna Zaires

5 Stars

“Love is for those who are noble and selfless, for people who still have some semblance of a heart. That’s not for me. It’s never been me. What I feel for Nora is nothing like the soft, flowery emotion depicted in all the books and movies. It’s deeper, far more visceral than that. I need her with a violence that twists my guts, with a longing that both demolishes and uplifts me. I need her like I need air, and I would do whatever it takes to keep her with me.”  —Julian

Keep Me picks up right where Twist Me left off. If you need a quick refresher, Julian is alive, having barely survived the terrorist’s explosion, but now healed and returned for Nora.

Nora goes with him willingly this time. After all, he might be her kidnapper but he’s hot, emits some kind of animal magnetism, and she’s been miserable without him for four months. Hey, I’d have gone with Julian Esquerra too. ;-)

But the dynamics have changed. Not only does Nora desire to go with Julian, but now the world, or most specifically Julian’s criminal world, knows about Nora, and so some additional precautions must be taken, most of which Nora is not on board with. 

For one, before they reach their new destination together, they make a little pit stop to make things…well…legal. Ah, this is the devilishly delicious part of Julian as he makes things happen and gets his own way. 

“This is exactly what I want, what I need—this deep, twisted connection that exists between us.” –Julian

Nora’s parents are notified this time right off the bat, and Julian certainly makes an impression on them. I found myself smiling at Julian as he eavesdropped via BlueTooth and provided his commentary to the reader. Yes, being in Julian's head this time is quite a treat! 

Nora settles into domestic bliss Julian-style at her new home at the compound in Colombia, resuming her painting, taking on-line college classes, and bonding with her man via martial arts training and afternoons at the shooting range.  And of course, there are plenty of hot and steamy encounters that have nothing to do with the climate or their close proximity to the Amazon rain forest.

 “I feel both empty and exhilarated at the same time, wrung out, yet invigorated by the maelstrom of emotions.” –Nora

Once again, Nora consciously questions her sanity as she embraces her love for the man that was once her kidnapper and still is a violent, illegal arms dealer. Nora must confront darkness and evil again, and this time she must also confront it in herself. In this strange twisted way, they become more like partners, closer to equals, though Julian remains in command.  But told via Nora and Julian’s alternating point of view, we see that Julian too wrestles with feeling he doesn’t believe he has and questions the changes that Nora has unconsciously made to him.

Is Julian capable of love?  Will he recognize it once he has fallen in it? And by falling, will he be unknowingly relinquishing some of the control? As Nora learns more about his past, businesses, and childhood, will it chill her affection for him or endear him to her even more with understanding? 

Meanwhile, there’s still the matter of Al-Quadar, the terrorist group who tried to stranglehold Julian into a weapons deal by kidnapping Nora and murdering Beth in Twist Me.  And when Julian’s business plans go awry, the action shifts from the bedroom to the dark and dirty details of Julian’s dangerous profession.

Who can be trusted? Who will be a captive? Has Julian's plan to keep Nora safe actually made her the perfect bait?

There’s danger; there’s deception; there’s action—both the adventure and sexual kind. There's a bit of role reversal this time, not of the sexual kind. (Come on, you didn't really think Julian would suddenly become submissive?) We see a brief return of Nora’s friends Jake and Leah as well as meet Julian’s associates Lucas and Peter, who make interesting supporting characters.

As with Twist Me, there isn’t a cliffhanger, but the story hints at what could be to come in their next adventure or stage of lives.  I know I closed the last page itching for more of Julian and Nora’s intense, insanely hot, and twisted love affair, and in 2015 we’ll get another dose with a third book, Hold Me!

Yay!!!

Stay tuned.

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Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.

Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.

In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.

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BOOK REVIEW: Torture to Her Soul by J.M. Darhower

Happy Release Day for J.M. Darhower's Torture to Her Soul! 

If you haven't read the first book Monster in His Eyes, what are you waiting for? Click on the title for buy links and the blog's book review! 

If you already read it and want the scoop on the sequel, here goes...

Torture to Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2) by J.M. Darhower

5 Stars

I have to admit I was scared to read this book. Not that the book is scary…well okay I’m sure Naz would be scary if you met him in the dark while he’s wearing those black gloves, but I was scared for how the conclusion to Naz and Karissa’s story would turn out. After all it is listed as being the conclusion. As in the end, close, finish, wrapping up—you get the definition of conclusion. But was this only the close to their story or the end of them as well?

I was tempted quite a few (read many) times to peak at the final pages. But I didn’t. 

“Just keep breathing, and it’ll be okay.”

So instead I read page by page, face in my Kindle screen while the rest of my household did chores and went about their evening. (Hey I warned them this day was coming.) Still, the lingering question remained as I read. Will this end as a romance? A tragedy? Or a tragic love story?  (Note: If you don’t want the answers, stop reading when I address those questions again. Till then you should be safe from any real spoilers. An abbreviated review is posted on Amazon and Goodreads. This is the unabridged version.)

The story picks up pretty much where Monster in His Eyes left off. Naz and Karissa are at a bit of an impasse. She hates him but she loves him. He loves her but he knows she’s hurt.  So how do they cope? What are they left with? 

“We’re a disaster, a certifiable catastrophe, and there’s nothing beautiful about the way we’re going. She’s trying to be unbreakable but I’m unshakeable. She’s going crazy, and I’m already goddamn insane. I clipped my jailbird’s wings so she couldn’t fly away from me, and then I wonder why the f*ck I can’t make her soar.”

Karissa has taken to torturing Naz with cooking shows and Tinker Bell, whether intentionally or not. 

“The woman tells me I’m a monster, but there’s a little beast in her that she unleashes from time to time.”

Naz, on the other hand, well he must work through his life and his issues. And, told from Naz’s perspective this time around, the story is largely about Naz the man.

Is he not a good man? Is he a bad man? (What’s the difference you ask? There is one perhaps.)  Is Naz even a real man at all? At least one person in his life thinks not. And the one closest to him is still trying to figure him out. 

“You’re like a caricature to me, Naz…you’re an outline of a man, a vague sketch of a person, and I’m just trying to fill in the rest of the picture…”

But Naz is no caricature to the reader.  He’s a fully developed, intriguing, mesmerizing, deep, intelligent character who sticks in the reader's head long after you’re done being in his. 

“I’m the kind of man who easily slips between the dark and the light, the kind of monster who walks along the shadows.”

Monster or not, one thing is certain, Naz is a man with fears and haunted by the past. The confident, fearless Naz that Karissa introduced  in Monster in His Eyes, is struggling with so much. He suffers insomnia, is plagued by nightmares that were once a reality, and contemplates death. A lot. Right down to the interpretation of fairytales. Others death. His own death. Yes, the foreshadowing is heavy and it contributed to my own fears—how will this all end for two characters that fell in love in the first book and, in return, readers fell in love with them?

Will Naz kill Carmela and if so will Karissa hate him even more for it? Will Ray take out Karissa if Naz won’t? Will Carmela get her own revenge for Johnny? If it comes down to it, will Naz give Karissa the “plank?” 

“I can see the curiosity in her eyes, and I have all the answers in the world, but she never asks the right questions.”

Not to worry, most lingering questions from the first book are answered. If you wondered what Naz thought or did about something in MiHE, then you’ll get the answers in this one.  Naz’s parents; the details of Santino’s death; how he felt about Karissa drugging him; the specifics of Naz’s “job;” Naz’s brand of kink—it’s all here.

The story this time is more psychological, less twists and suspense beyond the ultimate question of their fate. I did miss the mystery clues from the first book— ya know when you weren’t quite sure if Karissa was getting the double meaning in all of Naz’s….well Nazisms. But I appreciated the deepness to this one. Like Monster in His Eyes, Torture to Her Soul comes full circle from prologue to epilogue and Naz will tell you a secret in both. ;-)

So is TtHS romance? A tragedy? Or a tragic love story?  In a sense it’s all those things.

There is romance, particularly Naz and Karissa’s brand of romance. Once again there’s a trip and plenty of rough sex and a little exhibitionism this time. But there’s also a deeper level to their relationship shown, which should leave no doubt to the extent of their love—the things they are willing to accept of each other; the things they are willing and able to overlook.  

There is tragedy, much blood on Naz’s hands leaving him a damaged man who lost love and never grieved. As much as Karissa’s world was turned upside down, it is Naz who is the tortured soul, clinging to the light of the one he was never supposed to love.

So does that make this a tragic love story? For the most part I would suggest it is a love story with tragedy, but in the end love prevails.  There were aspects that made me tear up—I had immense sympathy for Naz and his loss of Maria. (Yes, Johnny I would have wanted to gun you down too.) That was tragic.  But Karissa is not Maria, nor is she her replacement. Naz may have found romantic love young and lost it young, nearly destroying him, but in the end, I did feel like Naz and Karissa’s love was more…as Naz put it— real. Right down to the ring this time. 

“What I have with you isn’t blissfully ignorant. It’s real, and it isn’t always pretty, but when it’s good, it’s good.”

They fight, they have angry sex, their age difference accounts for generational dissimilar cultural tastes, their daily habits are completely opposite. Yet inside they aren’t so different.  

“I thought at first she just didn’t see it, didn’t see what I was, but after a while I realized she saw it—she just didn’t mind it so much.”

Plus it’s Karissa (unlike anyone else he’s encountered in the last two decades) that makes him reexamine the person he is and desire to become something more. She touches him, reaches him, in a way no one else does.

“Because nobody is hopeless as long as they’re still breathing.”

 The End.

Oh wait!....There’s also a bonus scene via Karissa that left me wanting more of them—more of their life, more of their future, and of course those hypothetical children that Naz has stumped Karissa about ;-)  While this is their conclusion, I still craved more... 

 "More.
 More.
 More."

Hey, even Karissa begs for more.;-)

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2/23/16 UPDATE:  
Book 3, Target on our Backs!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anna Zaires

It's just 1 day away from the release of Keep Me, the sequel to Anna Zaire's Twist Me!  To wet your appetite for the newest installment of Julian and Nora, the blog spoke with Anna about the books. 

5 Questions with Author Anna Zaires

Q1. Twist Me was such a hypnotic read. It just pulls you into the story, and I love how you showed Nora’s internal conflict between the reality of her situation and her attraction to Julian. Where did the inspiration for the plot and the characters come from? Was it based off any real news headlines?

A. No, not really, although I’m aware of these types of headlines. Who isn't, right? Real-world stuff like this is awful, and I wouldn't wish Nora's situation on anyone. What’s fascinating in fiction is usually horrifying in reality, and real-life kidnappers are generally nothing like Julian. Having said that, I must admit that I’ve always been intrigued by captive-themed (now known as dark) romances. When I was a teenager, I discovered bodice rippers from the eighties, and I absolutely devoured them. Something about those books really resonated with me. In a way, Twist Me is a modern-day version of those novels, although it’s more psychological in nature. Nora is aware of the wrongness of what’s being done to her, and she never completely forgets the fact that Julian is her kidnapper—which makes for an interesting dynamic as she begins to fall under his spell.

Q2. Twist Me was from Nora’s point of view. Keep Me is going to be from both. How was it writing from both of their perspectives this time? Was one easier or harder to write?

A. Oh, Julian’s POV was definitely harder. While I can see bits and pieces of myself in Nora, Julian is almost my polar opposite. He’s ruthless and amoral, yet there is something about him that draws you in. It wasn’t easy getting into his head—though once he let me in there, it was quite the experience.

Book-Bosomed Book Blog: You did a great job with Julian!

Q3. Julian is dark and mysterious and he doesn’t “date,” but Nora spent over a year with him. In that time what kinds of “normal” things did she gradually learn about him that would have otherwise come naturally had he actually dated her? Does Julian ever just sit back and watch a movie, read a book? What can you tell us about Julian’s favorite things?

A. You’ll learn about a couple of those things in Keep Me. In general, though, their relationship is still developing, and I would like you to discover more about Julian alongside with Nora. Otherwise, you’ll know more than she does, and she’ll get jealous :).

Q4. Do you have any favorite scenes from either Twist Me or Keep Me?  Ones that you thought were particularly profound to Nora and Julian’s relationship or just ones that were fun to write?

A. Oh, absolutely. I think the birthday scene in Twist Me is a pivotal point in their relationship, and it was one of my favorite ones to write. In Keep Me, there are several very intense scenes, both action-wise and relationship-wise, and I could definitely feel my adrenaline surging as I was writing them. I won’t say more, so as not to give spoilers, but there is also one sex scene that is my favorite out of all I’ve written to date :).

Q5. What brought you to the decision to give Nora and Julian a third book? (Any hints about it?) And how does Hold Me play into your release schedule for 2015? Will it be before or after White Nights, which is previewed at the end of Keep Me?

A. I have a super-long blog post on this subject, actually:  http://www.annazaires.com/1/post/2014/09/will-there-be-twist-me-3.html.
As to the timing of book releases, that’s always a tricky question with me. I think I’ll play it by ear for now and see which book flows easier before I commit definitively to one book or the other coming out first :D.

Thank you so much Anna!  Both books are well done and looking forward to Hold Me as well!

 Twist Me is on sale right now for 99 cents (limited time offer). 

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You can read the blog's review of Twist Me and Keep Me. 

Keep Me is available at a discount for pre-orders and for the week of release. 
Release date September 30th.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Stone, At Your Service (Carolina Bad Boys #1) by Rie Warren

Hell on wheels meets hell in high heels.

Bad boy mechanic Josh Stone likes to get his hands dirty any way he can—the filthier, the better. Ever since his wife walked out on him and their young son, he’s only had room in his heart for two loves: the kid and cars.

Roped into playing his best buddy’s gay boyfriend during a romance writers convention, the player meets the girl who’s gonna rock his world. Leelee Songchild. Shy, bashful, beautiful Leelee who blushes at the drop of a hat yet writes hardcore smut to rival Josh’s backlist of Penthouse Forum.

The only problem is his hands are tied. Josh can’t stab his old friend/fake lover in the back even though all he wants to do is take luscious Leelee to bed, and maybe, love her. When the truth comes out, all hell breaks loose.

Too bad romance is just for books.

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Book Review: Stone, At Your Service by Rie Warren

3.5 stars

Josh Stone is a man’s man. He’s runs his family’s garage surrounded all day by boisterous men; drinks beer; and beds a different woman every Friday night. He’s completely heterosexual…oh except for the week he’s pretending to be his best friend’s gay lover.

Stone’s wife walked out on him and their son. Nicky, Stone’s paranormal romance writing best friend, stepped up and helped him out so now Stone’s returning the favor by keeping the over-enthusiastic fellow romance writers and fan girls at bay at a romance convention.  It’s all planned out and should go according to plan till Stone lands his eyes on romance writer Leelee Songchild.

There’s plenty of sexy scenes and conversations. And sexy excerpts from Leelee’s book. There’s also humor surrounding the stereotypes and lexicons of the romance writing world. It’s a light-hearted read.

Unfortunately, I never quite connected with Stone and Leelee. Or perhaps I just never felt the chemistry between them. That's not to say it wasn't a well written  story, and one that I'm sure many will enjoy. The drama revolves around the facade of Stone and Nicky’s sexuality and an agent hounding Leelee at the convention.  In the end, Stone can take away at least one acronym from his romance convention experience. He learns what an HEA stand for.

A chapter of Nicky’s story entitled Love, In The Fast Lane (Carolina Bad Boys #2), coming December 2014, is included. 

Rie Warren is the badass, sassafras author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series–a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command. Her latest endeavor, the Carolina Bad Boys series, is fun, hot, and southern-sexy.

A Yankee transplant who has traveled the world, Rie started out a writer—causing her college professor to blush over her erotic poetry without one ounce of shame. Not much has changed. She swapped pen for paintbrushes and followed her other love during her twenties. From art school to marriage to children and many a wild and wonderful journey in between, Rie has come home to her calling. Her work has been called edgy, daring, and some of the sexiest smut around.

You can connect with Rie via the social media hangouts listed on her website https://www.riewarren.com. She is represented by Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary Agency. http://www.corvisieroagency.com/Saritza_Hernandez.html

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BOOK REVIEW: Savor You by Emily Snow

The Book-Bosomed blog's rocker romance festival featuring 10 fictional bands continues for week four. Vote for your favorite and check out the others on our poll posted on the right side bar of the blog and on our Facebook page. 

On Tour with Your Toxic Sequel...this is one moving and emotional show!

Savor You by Emily Snow

4.25 Stars

Seven years earlier we meet Kylie Wolfe at the age of nineteen in a hotel room in Texas, post-divorce from her four month marriage. Enter Wyatt McCrae, dirty blonde bassist for her brother’s band, Your Toxic Sequel. He and Kylie had a fling prior to her marriage and their feelings, despite what’s transpired, haven’t gone away. But hanging in the air between them (and for the reader) is the mystery of “Brenna” and ominous blackbird tattoos that adorn Kylie.

In the present, Wyatt has caught up to Kylie once again in the Big Easy where’s she’s taken a vacation (from his band which she works for) to avoid him.  Their last hook-up was Thanksgiving, over two months prior, where they once again went their separate ways after Kyle told him she loved him.

Kylie and Wyatt have one of those on-again/off-again relationships that time can’t dissolve, but the two of them can’t seem to make work.  Or Wyatt can’t seem to commit. They are both broken and struggle with issues from their families and over their shared past. Kylie in particular struggles with the eighteen mistakes she believes she’s made, some the result of him and some not. But Kylie doesn’t think she can take much more hurt and is resolved to finally get over Wyatt. Knowing he stands to lose her, Wyatt offers her a deal of one last fling before they return to L.A., and seeking closure, Kylie takes it.  

There is an air of finality to their time together—the way they speak, their acknowledgement of the end.  Kylie wants to move on, quit hurting. And Wyatt consents, but he clearly likes the status quo. Or does he?

An unfortunate event plays to Wyatt’s hand and his chance to remind her why she doesn’t really want to give up on them presents itself.  Their time together is extended and they are offered one last road trip to retrace old paths, remember good times and bad, confront jealousies, insecurities, and fears.

Savor You is gripping, tugging at your emotions at times. You can feel the pain that Kylie and Wyatt have been through over the years and all their failed attempts to make what they have together work. They have a vicious cycle of getting together, hurting each other, making up, and repeating, and one that no tattoo can fix. This is one of those tense, angsty love affairs. There have been lies; there have been betrayals; and they are all things that aren’t brushed over lightly or easily forgiven.

Told via Kylie’s point of view, this is one story where the pain is profoundly felt. You ache for her over the women he’s had in the years they’ve been in love with each other and yet you feel their connection and attraction that makes parting once and for all so hard. Wyatt has been far from a saint but it’s also clear he cares deeply for Kylie even when he hasn’t admitted it.  This is not a light-hearted story, but there are some humorous moments and banter between Kylie’s friend, Heidi, and Wyatt’s band mate, Cal. 

By the end, timelines come together—when they had their first hook up, where, what caused the first tattoo, why she got married—and…well the reader kinda has the big picture of their pain and hurt while Kylie finally hears what she needs to, when she needs to, and a glimpse at a possible future encompasses the final scene. HFN; no cliffhanger.

Savor You is a spin-off from the Devoured series that features Kylie’s brother and Wyatt’s bandmate, Lucas Wolfe. It includes a bonus scene from Devoured. However, Savor You can be read as a stand-alone. 

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BOOK REVIEW: A Lil' Less Broken by Tara Oakes

A Lil' Less Broken (The Kingsmen M.C. #1) by Tara Oakes

4 Stars

Julia Kaegan, known as Lil, has grown up in the motorcycle club lifestyle—her father, her brother—all members of the Kingsmen MC. At sixteen, her older brother’s best friend, Jasper known as Jay, professed his feelings for her, and they became a couple. But misunderstanding split them up a few years later.

In the present, Lil gets herself in a sticky situation one night at a bachelorette party, and it’s her family and Jay that to come to her rescue. The repercussions—she must return home and to Jay who she abandoned two years before.

With glimpses into the past, the highlights of their past relationship is unfolded. I can’t pinpoint what it is specifically, but I liked Lil and Jay together from the start. Perhaps it was their sweet rooftop early beginnings. 

“‘I’m not gonna play around with this anymore, babe. You my girl?’”

Or maybe it was the tension and animosity towards each other in the present. The “big reveal” that resolves their split from the past is priceless. 

“‘I’ll show you what you think you saw baby girl…’”

And one thing I appreciated is that their arguments in the present were always productive with truths and true feelings coming out, not drug out for unnecessary drama. And the make-up sex…ah well you can read those scenes and enjoy ;-)  The real drama occurs at the very end and it leaves you with a cliffhanger and one shocking event that I didn’t see coming. And while in general I'm not a fan of cliffys, the final scenes are exciting and would make a great TV episode ending should Jay and Lil ever get their own series. Cue the dramatic music. 

Told mainly via Lil's point of view (1 chapter by Jay) and listed as a novella at a little over a hundred pages, it’s still a fully developed story (or part one of the story) and a great introduction to the MC subgenre as the author provides a glossary of MC terms in the front matter.  While there is danger, the book is more sweet than gritty or angsty (which was fine by me).

Has Jay paid off Lil’s “debt?”  Did “repaying” Jay cause an extra ride along? Was Lil’s rash decision in the past influenced by something or someone?  What are Shade and his boys up to?

Get your copy of (#1) A Lil' Less Broken 

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 Book Review of (#2) A Lil' Less Lost

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RELEASE BLITZ: Blood and Sympathy by Lori L. Clark

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

What would you do if you found yourself in love with the twin brother of the man who murdered your sister?

Claire Copeland has just graduated from high school with no plans for her future other than getting laid and partying the summer away on Devil's Fork Lake.

When her sister is murdered, Claire tries to understand why. Why the good daughter was taken, and she was left behind.

Now, she's found herself falling in love... with the twin brother of the man who murdered her sister.

Braden Sayer and his twin brother were incarcerated for murder when they were twelve years old. Braden's only connections to the outside world are through his uncle's visits and his pen pal Claire Copeland.

When Braden's released from juvie six months early for good behavior, his twin brother is less than happy about it and plots his revenge.

Now, he's fallen in love and by the time he figures out his brother's agenda, it may be too late.

****GRAPHIC LANGUAGE, SEX, VIOLENCE, AND ADULT SITUATIONS. TRIGGER WARNING - VIOLENCE AND RAPE****

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Book Review: Blood and Sympathy by Lori L. Clark

4 stars

“I know he’s blood and all, but blood is no reason for sympathy.”

Braden Sayer is the twin brother of Brogan Sayer. Implicated in Brogan’s arson scheme that killed their stepfather, Braden has also been incarcerated in juvenile detention since they were twelve. Now seventeen, Braden has his eye on early release for good behavior while Brogan has his eye on release by any means necessary.

Claire Copeland is only eleven months younger than her sister Olivia, and while their physical appearance often has them mistaken as twins, their personalities couldn’t be much different. 19 year old college student Olivia is the good girl, always intent to please their reverend father. 18 year old high school senior Claire is the “bad girl,” not above sneaking out and “borrowing” her sister’s car to party and have sex.  But it’s Olivia who puts Claire in the orbit of the Sayer brothers through a pen pal program with the detention center.

Braden and Claire are matched as pen pals. The program’s policy is to state your intentions in the beginning whether a romantic relationship is part of the correspondence and despite Claire’s affirmed intentions not to make a love connection, she does. What Claire initially does out of obligation, soon become something they both look forward to. This part of the story is sweet and shows how simple friendship can lead to love. Braden’s letters even make Claire start to tire of her partying ways and her drunk, abusive lover.

The usual stereotypes of bad boy/good girl are switched up as Braden is the good twin, virginal, and a gentleman. In contrast, Claire is the experienced one who does what she wants, not caring what others think. Braden is a real sweetie. He’s caring, he’s gentle, and he wants to do the right thing. He’s definitely one to root for as he’s rather been dealt an unfair hand. Okay, he had my sympathy. Claire is a bit of a wild card. Sometimes that made her fun, other times her reckless behavior (unprotected sex, driving under the influence) was a turn-off.

The story has a good premise and potential. The family dynamics are interesting and lend further discussions of good/bad and right/wrong.  Is Reverend Copeland really such an upstanding, holy man if he treats his daughters so differently and judges Braden without knowing him?  Look also for the theme of mirroring: Braden and Brogan’s first time experiences post incarceration; Reverend Copeland and Uncle Jeb’s alliance with the good ones in their family.

Aside from the obvious themes in the story of good vs. evil and nature vs. nurture, guilt and blame also play a major role. Events in the story unfold in ways that responsibility could be analyzed and argued.

Should Braden carry blame for his “sympathy?” Is Claire’s lifestyle and choices at fault for putting her sister in danger? Or was Olivia Copeland’s innocent involvement in the pen pal program ultimately the first chain in the events leading to her demise? Who has blood on their hands?

There were times I found Braden and Claire’s actions confusing/out of character or perhaps more plot driven than anything else. To avoid spoilers I’ll simply say that maybe Braden under-reacted and Claire over-reacted. I really felt that Claire misplaced blame, and it affected my fundamental like of her character in the end. And the ending, while complete, and technically happy, leaves open the possibility for more mayhem to come.

But judge for yourself…pick up a copy today of Blood and Sympathy. Who will you have sympathy for? 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In 2009, after participating in NANOWRIMO, Lori L. Clark began to take the voices in her head seriously. Two New Adult contemporary romance novels, Different Roads, and I Breathe You, were published in 2013, and showed early success. The Heart Knows What the Heart Wants, a romantic suspense, released in March 2014. The Dead Tree, a romantic suspense/family saga released in June 2014. Lori is a member of Savvy Authors, the St. Louis Writers Guild, and Romance Writers of America.

Lori L. Clark was born in Iowa, where she spent the first forty-six years of her life. In 2007, she loaded up a moving van and relocated to Missouri, where she currently resides. Lori's only child is a very spoiled Min Pin named Barkley. When not writing, she reads and runs. She completed her first half marathon at the age of fifty.

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BOOK BLITZ: The Force of Gravity by Kelly Stevenson

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Book Review: The Force of Gravity by Kelly Stevenson

4.5 Stars

"I blast the stereo in a vain attempt to drown out my thoughts. I don’t want to be thinking about him and analyzing every detail of first period. It makes me feel like a young, foolish girl, and I’m embarrassed that I can’t control the way my body reacts every time his eyes meet mine." 

It’s highly doubtful that Kaley is blasting 38 Special’s "Teacher, Teacher" to free her mind of the man in question since she wasn’t even born when the movie Teachers premiered in 1984. But the lyrics fit her story to a tee (yes, you must play this song at least once after you read the book). If you are old enough to remember the movie, purge Nick Nolte out of your head as Mr. Slate is your new cool teacher…

Kaley Kennedy is an 18 year old high school senior living with her parents in Arizona. On the surface, Kaley’s life seems perfect. She’s been accepted to USC in the fall. She’s dating the boy every girl at school wants and she’s known him since she was thirteen. Her long time best friend is dating his best friend, and they are a close-knit foursome.

But fun times seem to be eluding Kaley lately, and she’s getting restless with her life. Her parents are fighting all the time and they are shattering her college dreams; her boyfriend is pressuring her for sex; and her best friend is often more wrapped up in her own boyfriend and partying.

So when Kaley over sleeps the first Monday after Spring Break she has no idea her world is about to spin on its axis when she walks into math class late. Before her is not her old, cranky precalculus teacher but a gorgeous specimen by the name of Mr. Slate or “Professor McHottie” as the girls are soon calling him.

Forearms that have Kaley distracted, a body that is “cut like an equilateral triangle” and dressed like an Armani model, 25 year old Mr. Slate is mature, sophisticated, confident, refined, chivalrous, and a bit of a neat freak. Kaley feels a pull the first time she lays eyes on him. And Mr. Slate also has a fascination with Kaley.   

Meanwhile, Tommy Bradford, Kaley’s baseball player high school boyfriend, is largely your typical teenage boy. He’s sweet at times, immature at times, and horny most of the time.

“Maybe I’ve been confusing my own feelings with lust. I’ve never really experience lust before—maybe I just convinced myself that my sexual desire were actual feelings for him. Maybe I didn’t know how to separate the two. I just need to focus. Tommy’s not only one of my best friends, but he and I make sense. Way more sense. We don’t have to hide; it isn’t’ complicated.”

Does Tommy truly care for Kaley or does he just want to get laid?  Will he still be so enamored of her after they have sex?  Are Tommy and Kaley too young to really know what love is?  Is Mr. Slate a fantasy escape for Kaley’s troubled life?

Told solely from Kaley’s point of view (aside from the epilogue), Tommy and Mr. Slate’s intentions and underling motivations are a bit of a mystery, and that’s part of the page turning appeal of this novel.

This is an engaging story about a teen who must deal with some real adult issues and negotiate her way through the feelings she has for the boys/men in her life.  Kaley is a pretty mature individual for her age and life experience, focused on her grades and feeling the need for more substance in her life beyond parties, friends, and sporting events. But as her life starts to spin out of her control, Kaley finds herself holding secrets and lying to those closest to her while confiding in the one person that’s taboo to get close to.

It starts out as a bit of a love triangle. I’ll admit to initially being torn over whether Kaley was missing out on the young, carefree love in front of her and Tommy just needed to mature, or whether Tommy was hopeless and Kaley really was ready for everything that came with being involved with Mr. Slate. But then some things go down (keeping this spoiler free) and I definitely knew who I was rooting for Kaley to end up with.

The mystery of Mr. Slate’s character is slowly shed as more glimpses into his life are shown and his full background story is told. While they have instant attraction, there isn’t an insta-love with Mr. Slate and Kaley as nothing happens over night and realistic time is accounted for without the story dragging.

I appreciated that the novel didn’t gloss over everything that was at stake with Mr. Slate getting involved with Kaley —both his career and the impositions on her being kept in “the closet.”  The story has sufficient plot twists, reveals, and drama as well as deals with issues of sex, cheating, and divorce without ever feeling angsty or over the top. The pace is good and it’s hard to put down once you start reading.  It is well developed and captures the late teen years well.

Will Derek rat out Kaley for flirting with the teacher?  What’s the story behind the other women in Mr. Slate’s life? Is Avery after Kaley’s man?  Will Principal Bentley find out about what’s going on? 

A second book in the The Force of Gravity series will follow.  There is no cliffhanger, per say, but the ground is laid for the next stage in Kaley’s life and relationships. For now, Kaley has what she wants.

♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

So what music inspired The Force of Gravity? Well Kelly Stevenson was gracious enough to talk music with me and provide a playlist for the book. While 38 Special’s “Teacher, Teacher,” The Police’s “Don't Stand So Close to Me,” and Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” are a must for a soundtrack to The Force of Gravity, you’ll want to check out these songs too.

We’ll give you a hint where some of the songs tie in. Can you guess what scene is transpiring for the others?

♪♪♪ Kaley’s Playlist ♪♪♪

“Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” by Def Leopard

“Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato

“Every Single Night” by Fiona Apple

“Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top (The introduction of Mr. Slate)

“I Hate Boys by Christina Aguilera” (Chapter 6)

“Love Bites” by Def Leppard (Chapter 7)

“Hot Knife” by Fiona Apple (Chapter 8)

“Compliment” by Collective Soul (Chapter 11)

“Elastic Love” by Christina Aguilera (Chapter 13)

“I Love It” by Icona Pop (Prom dance scene)

  

 “The Art of Letting Go” by Mariah Carey

“Say Something” by A Great Big World

“Never Should Have” by Ashanti

“Hush Hush” by Avril Lavinge

"One More Try" by Mariah Carey

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Author Interview: Five Questions with Author Kelly Stevenson 

Q1.  How did you get started writing? And what is your favorite thing about the writing and/or publishing process?

A. I think my writing journey began before I could even read or write. My older sister read to me constantly. We’d sit for hours, just engulfing one book after another. We also watched hundreds of movies, playing our favorites over and over. (Back when you could actually wear out the VHS tapes!) She’s the real reason I fell in love with stories. Once I was able to read and write, my love for storytelling continued to grow. Writing was always my strength in school, and I went on to write for my high school’s newspaper, as well as write and direct several school plays. I also have a strong acting background, which has played a huge role in my writing.

My favorite thing about the writing process is probably the first draft. It’s messy and sometimes ugly, but it’s when the story first unfolds and takes on a life of its own. It’s such a high. I become obsessive during this process, thinking only about the story and my characters. My overall energy increases, my appetite fades, and a character will often wake me up in the middle of the night and I have to reach for my phone to jot down notes. It’s a madness that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I only get that experience with the first draft.

Q2. You really captured the essence of the end of high school years well—the concerns about friendships and relationships surviving after graduation, negotiating what’s real love and what’s just infatuation, decisions about losing your virginity. What do you feel are the benefits and challenges of writing in the New Adult genre?

A. Thank you! Capturing an authentic high school experience was important to me.

There are several benefits and challenges of writing in the New Adult genre. For one, it’s a new genre and it’s on fire right now! It’s great to be a part of that. I also enjoy having the freedom to write the stories I want to write. It wasn’t that long ago when there wasn’t a place for a story like this. There was a huge, empty space between children’s books and adult books. Now we have so many incredible stories because of this new genre, and it’s thrilling! One of the challenges is getting it mainstream. I think we’re getting there, but since so many bookstores and publishers are still fighting it, it can be a challenge at times to reach a broader audience. I’m hopeful, though. YA was once treated as an outcast, and look at it now! We’ll get there. Another challenge is breaking the stereotype that all NA is “smut” or erotica. I think as NA grows and becomes more mainstream, people will see the wide range of categories that are out there.

The unique aspect of writing TFOG specifically was that it’s on the young side of NA, but the mature side of YA. So it feels like the bridge between the two. I was worried it would be a challenge to target my audience, but so far it’s been beneficial. Kaley is eighteen and in high school, but she deals with mature issues that are relatable to the older crowd as well.

Q3. What was your inspiration for The Force of Gravity? Did you ever have a sexy, young math teacher like Mr. Slate?

A. I was inspired to write TFOG last summer when I was searching for a student/teacher romance novel. The common theme I found involved the couple either meeting, dating, or hooking up before they knew they were student and teacher. Don’t get me wrong, they were fabulous stories that I enjoyed, but I was thirsty for a different take on it. After searching for a few weeks, I became restless and decided to write the story I wanted to read. I wanted the male teacher to be a little older, and I wanted them to meet each other as student and teacher—I wanted my characters to have no excuses when it came to their decisions. I also wanted it to be set in high school.

I never had a sexy, young math teacher in high school, nor do I know anyone who has. But I did have one in college—and I was just as shocked as Kaley. He was good-looking, youthful, funny, and confident. I didn’t understand how he could be a math teacher. That’s where the similarity in the story ends, but I will say it did make me a believer in mathematical unicorns. ;-)

Q4. Kaley goes through a lot in the last few months of her senior year. What life lessons would you say she has learned and what has she taken away from her experience, both good and bad?

A. Yes, Kaley does go through a lot in the last few months of her senior year. She goes from living a pretty sheltered life to having every security ripped from underneath her. Her story isn’t finished, and she still has a lot to learn, but I would say one of the biggest life lessons she has learned so far is: Love is a risk. It’s something you can’t control. No matter how hard you try, you can’t force love, and you can’t choose who you fall in love with.

She also learns what most of us eventually learn—that parents are human. They make mistakes. They have their own stories, their own baggage. I think that’s the final veil that is lifted off a young person’s eyes—when parents fall from their pedestals. You can never go back to being a child after that.

Also, her friendships go from simplistic to complicated as she questions loyalties and trust throughout the book. However, Kaley isn’t always the victim, and is often the betrayer. And that’s something she has to eventually own. 

Q5. What can you tell us about the sequel to The Force of Gravity? Will Kaley and Elijah be the main focus or will it center on some of the supporting characters?  How many titles can we expect in this series?

A. I am always extremely tight-lipped about any writing projects I’m working on. If I don’t keep it private, it hinders my writing. But I will tell you this: Kaley will continue to stretch and grow in the next book as her most important relationships are tested to their limits. Also, Jace plays a bigger role.

Yes, Kaley and Elijah are the main focus in the sequel. You will see a slight shift in supporting characters, though. Kaley’s in a new environment and some of her closest friends are off to different colleges, so dynamics change.

Because I’m still in the early stages of writing, I haven’t decided on whether it will be two books or three. It depends on a certain storyline I’m working on. When I announce the release date for the sequel, I will also announce whether or not this is the last book in the series, or if there will be one more. If you want to stay informed, I will announce it on my website as well as Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you to Book-Bosomed Book Blog for the interview! Xo

Thank you Kelly for taking the time to talk with us and for delivering such a great story!

Kelly Stevenson is a professional writer from Phoenix, Arizona. She has a background in journalism, psychology, theater arts, and animal science. When Kelly is not writing, she enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her family.

Connect with Kelly via the following: 

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ava Lore

Five Questions with Ava Lore

Q1. What are your favorite real life bands and how would you say they compare to the fictional Lonely Kings of Lifeless Things?

A. Thanks so much for the questions and having me here on your blog! I love all sorts of music, so The Lonely Kings in my head are influenced by a number of bands. My favorites are early Muse through their Black Holes album, Radiohead (in the early days of my writing, at least 50% of the titles of my stories were derived in some way from Radiohead song names or lyrics), the Barenaked Ladies, Nightwish, Deadboy and the Elephantmen (sadly defunct), The Romanovs (also sadly defunct), Fallout Boy (I don't care how uncool it is to love Fallout Boy, hata's gonna hate), Bastille, Ramona Falls, Johnny Hollow, Digital Daggers, and Placebo... and about a million other groups in other genres. I genre hop like a madwoman, so how I feel about any particular band is dependent on what mood I'm in. I drew inspiration from some of the more spectacular exploits of bands I like, but in general I'd say that The Lonely Kings are more my own invention than modeled on any particular band. Their dynamic was specifically modeled on a dysfunctional family, one that needed Rebecca (in the first book of the series) to start to function properly. Their song lyrics are my own invention, but I basically listen to some of my favorite songs first, and come up with lyrics that fit the music. The song for the music video in the first book was modeled after the Digital Daggers song "The Devil Within" which I was in love with at the time. A more well-known song was "Pompeii" by Bastille, which I turned into "Atlantis" for the music video shoot in Hawaii in book three, HardRock Improv. And making this list just made me realize that there MUST be a Placebo song in book four. There simply MUST.

Q2. Rebecca and all the members of the band, even the supporting characters, are all very unique and some rather colorful characters.  What was your inspiration for them? Are they based on any real people (famous or non-famous)?

A. In that they are all probably projections of my personality, I suppose they are all based on me, haha. But seriously, I generally don't base characters on real people because they tend to become more flat and one-dimensional when I do. I learned that the hard way. Rebecca's OCD tendencies were a natural offshoot of the question I like to pose to myself before writing a romance, which is what sort of character thrown into a weird situation (such as the maelstrom that is the rock life) would have the most interesting reactions. Rebecca's need to impose order came naturally from that question. So yeah, she's the 'mom' of the group. Carter, in book two, Hard Rock Remix, becomes even more of a white knight than he is in the first book, and I think that was inspired by a story a friend of mine told me about meeting Brian Molko (the lead singer of Placebo and most beautiful man in the world, yes I said it) on the London underground once. He didn't so much 'meet' Brian Molko as watch while Brian rescued a woman from a drunk guy trying to sexually harass her, which made me love Brian Molko even more than usual. Carter definitely came from that same drug-filled, idealistic, optimistic, crushed-hope, brave place I imagine some of my favorite rock stars come from, but the rest are all my own devising.

Q3. I loved the scene where they film the music video in Hard Rock Arrangement. It’s so well described that I could literally picture the video playing out on my TV—very cool.  And how it ended with the kiss between Rebecca and Kent—a great love and rock moment.  Tell us a little about the inspiration for this scene as well as the song that accompanies it.

A. So here's something a little embarrassing: I have always loved storyboarding music videos for my favorite songs. My favorite vids are always the ones that tell a story, so I just imagined what I'd like to see in a video of the song that inspired it, "The Devil Within" by Digital Daggers. That song came up on a smart dj playlist based on the soundtrack for the movie Sucker Punch, so the noir/gothic feel of the video seemed perfect for a creepy song about revenge. The lyrics I wrote fit with the first verse of "The Devil Within" and the video flowed from there. As for the kiss, well, let's just say that Kent was being obstinate and was enjoying martyring himself a little too much, so it seemed perfectly natural for Carter to have choreographed the moment between them, since one of Carter's great joys in life is getting one over on his older brother.

Q4. So I saw that there is a new Kent and Rebecca story coming out? (*claps hands and smiles*) What anthology will it be in and when will it be released?

A. Unfortunately I missed the deadline for that anthology due to health problems (now mostly gone, thank goodness), but there is most likely another full-length book featuring the two after book four.

Q5. Book #2 is Carter’s story, book #3 is Manny’s. Is there a #4 for Sonya in the works? And if so, can you spill any details on the story/plot or teasers?

A. There is indeed! Sonya's book, Hard Rock Reprise, is coming up in the next month or two, god willing, and I'm quite excited about it since Sonya's one of my favorite characters. Her background is complex, and her relationship with her love interest in this book is fraught with past drama between the two, but I feel like it's the book in the series that is the most fun, after the first one, of course. Book 2 was much more serious, and book 3 was written during a very cold and bitter winter so it was a lot of tropical island fantasy wish-fulfillment, but Sonya's story will be a madcap, cross-country dash full of sexual tension, lover's spats, the rest of the band, and a murderous stalker. Yeah, that's right, Sonya's on the run for her life, which I imagine is going to be enormous fun since Sonya's personality is not one to run and hide. :) I hope it's worth the wait! Thank you for having me!

Thanks Ava for talking with us! Can't wait for Hard Rock Reprise!

Ava Lore is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling. She was raised by koalas and lives to corrupt the innocent. When not writing romance, she spends her time thinking about writing romance and drinking enough iced coffee to kill a musk ox. To stay up to date with her books, visit her blog at AuthorAvaLore.com or sign up for her newsletter.


Check out the blog's review of Hard Rock Arrangement and get acquainted with the series.