Blade by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright - Review and Excerpt

   

From New York Times Bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright, comes 

BLADE, 

a new novella in their Bayou Heat Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! 

Be sure to grab your copy today!

   

AmazonUS ~ AmazonUK ~ AmazonAU ~ Amazon CA

 Download the Free Kindle App

Author: Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright

Publication Date:  8 August 2016

Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts

Series:  Bayou Heat, book 23

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Shifter

Age Recommendation: 18 and up

Rating: 5 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

Sexy Suit, Blade was held captive and abused for decades. Benson Enterprises was desperate to use his superior blood to create super soldiers. But when he’s finally rescued, he can’t return to the Wildlands with the other prisoners. Not without the female he was forced to watch being impregnated. The female who has gone missing.

Beautiful and broken, Valli just wants to run away and never look back. But with the shocking news of her pregnancy fresh in her mind, she wonders if that’s even possible. Told by her captors that one of the caged animals assaulted her, she knows she must do everything in her power to keep her unborn child safe. But when a glorious male tracks her down and claims her and her baby as his own, will she have the strength to walk away?

        

My Review:

Blade is one of my favorite Bayou Heat novellas in a while.  I feel like the authors gave us a fresh look into the world of Pantera while still staying true the current story. When you have had a story that has gone on for 23 books, even if they are novella's it is easy for that story to get bogged down in the muck and stuck in patterns that cause each book to sound exactly the same but Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright always find a way to make each relationship feel fresh.  Each book has it's own twists and turns that carry us forward in the story without making it seem like the plot is dragging and stagnant.  I always know the when I enter the world of the Pantera I will find a relationship to love, characters that I have missed and new one that I want to know more about.  I will want to know the next part of the story to bringing the Pantera 'back to life'...which is a wonderful theme in this book.

Blade and Valli's story is one of courage, faith, love, and life.  It is the story of two people put in a horrific situation who not only over come their own personal battles but ultimately fight for each other and for their baby.  It's about taking a more than difficult situation and making just the best out of it but making it your future, about growing through it and breaking through any obstacle to protect the ones you love.

It is a theme that you will find in all the Pantera books but even more so in this one.  Valli and Blades passion and courage are beautifully written about and wonderful to read.  You will have all the feels with this one.  If you haven't read the Pantera series yet don't worry you 'll be okay to pick this one up and start here though I highly recommend going back to the beginning.  I know you're like but, but....it's 23 books.  Well, yeh, kinda.  Each of those is novella length so don't run scared, it won't take you any time to get caught up and trust me it will be so worth it.  If you are a fan of this series don't stop reading now, grab this one up and get sucked back into the bayou, you won't regret it!

~ HAPPY READING ~

  

       

   
Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold! I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

   
Laura Wright is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”  

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

       

Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright’s BLADE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

August 9^th

BFD Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

I Smell Sheep – Excerpt

Reading in Pajamas – Review & Excerpt

August 10^th

Another Book Hangover – Excerpt

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt

The Book Disciple – Review & Excerpt

August 11^th

A Fortress of Books – Review

Ruby's Books – Review & Excerpt

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt

August 12^th

Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt

Gi's Spot Reviews – Review & Excerpt

The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt

August 13^th

Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Vagabonda Reads – Review

August 14^th

Books n Wine – Review & Excerpt

Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog – Excerpt

Obsessive Reading Disorder – Excerpt

Loves Great Reads Blog – Review & Excerpt

August 15^th

Kdrbck – Review & Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Excerpt

Untamed Bibliophiles – Review & Excerpt

August 16^th

a geordielass honest blog on reviews – Review

British Book Binge – Review

Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt

Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt

August 17^th

A small girl, her man and her books – Review & Excerpt

Jax's Book Magic – Excerpt

Angels With Attitude Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

August 18^th

Angel's Guilty Pleasures – Excerpt

G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt

Novel Addiction – Review

Reese's Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 

Blade by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright - Release Day Launch and Excerpt

   

From New York Times Bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright, comes BLADE, a new novella in their Bayou Heat Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!

   

AmazonUS ~ AmazonUK ~ AmazonAU ~ Amazon Canada

Download the Free Kindle App

Book Description:

Sexy Suit, Blade was held captive and abused for decades. Benson Enterprises was desperate to use his superior blood to create super soldiers. But when he’s finally rescued, he can’t return to the Wildlands with the other prisoners. Not without the female he was forced to watch being impregnated. The female who has gone missing.

Beautiful and broken, Valli just wants to run away and never look back. But with the shocking news of her pregnancy fresh in her mind, she wonders if that’s even possible. Told by her captors that one of the caged animals assaulted her, she knows she must do everything in her power to keep her unborn child safe. But when a glorious male tracks her down and claims her and her baby as his own, will she have the strength to walk away?

      

Excerpt:

It was the prickle on the back of his neck that warned Blade he was being followed. Slowing his steps, he forced himself into a casual stroll as he checked out the streets of Bonne, Louisiana. He feigned interest in several glass storefronts that lined the town square, nodding toward the occasional pedestrian who studied him with blatant curiosity—and if he wasn’t mistaken—which he rarely was—a thread of fear. Clearly, the small town thirty miles south of Baton Rouge didn’t get many visitors. Of course, it was possible that the men stared because he was six foot four with the hard muscles of a trained athlete that flexed and rippled beneath his faded jeans and ivory thermal shirt. And the women...well, their gazes were clearly trained on his short gold hair, midnight eyes, finely chiseled features, and those wide lips that normally smiled with a charming ease, but were now pressed together with grim determination. Turning onto a side street, he thankfully found it all but deserted. The town had obviously never been a bustling metropolis, but over the years it’d faded to a sleepy village. Which meant he could deal with his stalker without unwanted attention. Maintaining his leisurely saunter, he passed by an abandoned gas station that was next to an empty lot. The breeze tugged at his short hair, chilling his skin. Louisiana had two seasons. Hot and humid. Or cool and humid. Today it was the latter. Come on, my friend, he mused to the male who was tailing him. Just another couple of blocks and we can...chat. At the edge of town, it didn’t slowly ease from commercial to residential to suburbs like most places. It just ended. As if the thick woods ahead of him refused to give way to progress. Turning, his back to the stand of trees now, he folded his arms over his chest and studied the seemingly empty street. “Show yourself, Hiss,” he commanded in a low voice.    

   

Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold! I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

   

Laura Wright is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”  

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

       

Kill Without Shame by Alexandra Ivy - Review

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Author: Alexandra Ivy

Publication Date:  27 December, 2016

Publisher: Zebra

Series:  Ares Security, book 2

Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Military based

Age Recommendation: 18 and up

Rating: 4 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

Five brave military heroes have survived the hell of a Taliban prison to return home—and take on civilian missions no one else can. They’re the men of ARES Security. Highly skilled, intimidating, invincible, and one by one, tested again and again…

Lucas St. Clair’s prestigious family had a political future neatly planned out for him—one that didn’t include his high school sweetheart, Mia Ramon. Under their pressure, Lucas gave her up. But since surviving captivity, he’s a changed man—and a crucial member of ARES Security. When he discovers a dead man clutching a picture of Mia that bears a threatening message, his fiercest protective instincts kick in, and he knows he must go to her.

Mia has never forgiven Lucas for breaking her heart, and she’s convinced her feelings for him are in the past. But it’s soon clear that isn’t true for either of them. Now, determined to solve the crime and keep Mia safe, with his ARES buddies backing him up, Lucas will have to reconstruct the murder victim’s last days—and follow a lethal trail that leads right back to the fate of the woman he still loves…


My Review:

Another great addition to this new series. After meeting the 5 members that make up the Ares Security team in Kill Without Mercy I was more than ready to see where Lucas St. Clair's story was going to lead us.

Lucas St. Clair is the estranged son of a wealthy southern political family. He's carried the weight of his families expectations and his separate desires on his shoulders his entire life, he's given up the only thing he's loved because of his family but now she's in danger and he can't stay away.

Mia has no idea what danger lurks around the corners in her home town. She's spent the last 15 years quietly building her life and trying to rebuild her heart after having it crushed by Lucas St. Clair. Now he's back telling her she's in danger and demanding to be the one to protect her but her heart will be what needs protecting the most in the end. Can they both let go of the past and create a new future or is there too much history and hurt between them and will it get her killed?

Kill Without Shame is a second chance love story that will have you wanting to smack a couple of people upside the heads and rooting for them all at the same time. I am a sucker for second chance romances and this is one of the better ones out there lately. Lucas walked away for valid although frustrating reasons but he never truly left Mia's side. Mia, while she may have been broken she never gave up. I love that through her hurt she found herself and refuses now to be any thing other than who she was always meant to be. I also loved that the person she is now is the one that Lucas always wanted. I know that may sound a little confusing but trust me it will make perfect sense when you read it and it will be an integral part to the story. Mia was always meant to be a strong independent woman and when she was given the chance she took it and ran with it.

I appreciated greatly that Lucas while having alpha male tendencies recognizes Mia's need, willingness, and ability to help. He may not like it but he learns to accept that she won't be pushed aside and hovered over either because he feels the need to protect her or because he wants to coddle her.

One of the things I most enjoy about this series is the ties that bind the 5 men of Ares. I ache for what they went through to bring them together but I love what became of it. I love that through trial they have become a family and will stand with each other through anything . I love that these guys all have that Veteran Male Alpha-ness about them but not once have any of them come across as too strong to accept or desire help and love either through a friendship with their other 'brothers' on the team or through the romantic relationship for each individual. These are strong male characters but they aren't afraid to feel.

I am also a huge fan of the fact that each book while having a thread that ties it to the past one and future ones is it's own story. The story of the relationship is the main focus and if you decided to pick up book two with out having read the first book you won't be completely and utterly lost. We do get a good look at more of what will be coming for Hauk. I am so curious about how his story is going to play out since we have seen little pieces building in these first two books. It isn't enough to make you feel like you have to read them in order but it is enough to get your curiosity moving on high and anxious for more. There are 5 guys in all at Ares so unless something changes over the next few books I think we have at least 3 more books to go and I can't wait to get my hands on each of them.

If you are a fan of Military based Contemporary Romances with a bit of suspense these are great reads and I highly suggest giving them a try!

~ HAPPY READING ~

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

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Two to Go by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright - Review

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Author: Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright

Publication Date:  19 September, 2016

Publisher: Self-Published

Series:  Pantera Security League, book 2

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Shifter

Age Recommendation: 18 and up

Rating: 4 Stars

Book Description:

**The mystery and epic romance of the Pantera Security League continue in TWO TO GO, the second story in our new, sexy Bayou Heat offshoot!** 

A Dark, Dangerous Fairy Tale

A Prisoner of Body

Once upon a time, a young Pantera female called Elyon was ripped from her family and left to roam the jungles of South America. She foraged and fought to stay alive. And by the time she was rescued, she’d grown into a Badass Beauty who could kill without mercy. The Angel of Death.
The Perfect Hunter.

A Prisoner of Blood

Cage fighter, Max is no prince charming. The human male has spent his entire life protecting his parents. With every strike, every win in the illicit matches he fights in New York City. Night after night he’s forced to shed blood and crack bone, as a slave to the men who hold his parent’s prisoner.
But when an Cinderella in black leather walks through his doors, for the first time in his life, Max wonders what is truly worth fighting for.

My Review:

Another great addition to the Pantera family of stories.  I love that Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright decided to take on the stories of the Pantera Security League.  This spin off from the Bayou Heat series has a lot of the same feel that we've come to love in Bayou Heat but I find it to be a tad darker and I have to say I like that.  I like the idea of the 6 person team that works on the fringes of two worlds.  They're clandestine, practically rouge, and each one of them has a history that will break your heart and melt it into a puddle all at the same time.

In Two to Go we meet Eylon and Max, two bad asses with broken hearts.  Max is the perfect man for Eylon because while he's been tortured and held captive for years by Pantera nemesis, Christopher Benson he has known deep love.  The love of his parents a love he has help his entire life as he waits for the chance to free them.  I loved Max's strength and the fact that even though he's spent his life in captivity he has a huge heart that is open to love.  I also love the he recognizes Eylon's strength, that he knows she can take care of herself and he gives her the room she needs to be herself but also holds her close and gives her the love that she has unknowingly craved her entire life.

Eylon is a fantastic heroine.  She's bad ass plain and simple.  She is a woman who has and can take care of herself. I loved her strength and also her vulnerability.  The only thing I can say I wish is that we had gotten more of her back story.  She has such a moving story all her own that I could have read half a book about that alone.

That's always my challenge with these and the Bayou Heat stories, I always want more.  I never feel unsatisfied with what Alexandra and Laura give us but I would never, ever, complain about getting a full length novel.  I can't wait for the next one!

~ Happy Reading ~ 

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.

I was born and raised in Minnesota. It’s where my love of all things green, wet and grown in the ground comes from. As you read above, before writing I was an actor, singer and dancer, specifically a BALLROOM dancer – an instructor and competitor as well. That work took me to many places like New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. I live in Los Angeles now, but I’m always thinking about greener pastures – literally.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Kayden/Simon by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright - Review

GoodReads ~ Amazon

Author: Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright

Publication Date:  9 August, 2016

Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts

Series:  Bayou Heat, books 21 and 22

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Shifter

Age Recommendation: 18 and up

Rating: 4 stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

ENEMY TO LOVER
Kayden is obsessed with revenge after his parents disappeared when he was just a cub. Now the gorgeous Hunter has discovered the man responsible for betraying them - Joshua Ford - and it’s time for payback. Beginning with the kidnapping of Joshua’s daughter, Bianca. But last thing he expects is to be confronted with the horrifying realization that Bianca is his mate. Will he put revenge before his chance for eternal happiness?

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Sexy male model, Simon refuses to give up his exciting life in New York City to return to the slow heat of the Wildlands. For a decade, many pantera have tried to capture the rogue Diplomat and bring him home, but all have failed. Now it’s Tryst’s turn. The hard, brilliant, and gorgeous, Hunter is the ultimate tracker. But can the admitted beast-girl of the Wildlands capture her prey without losing her heart in the process?

My Review:

I always enjoy coming back to the world of the Pantera and this time was no different.  In fact I think i can safely say that Kayden and Simon's stories easily became two of my favorite stories in the entire series.  I haven't felt this good about the couples since the first few stories when we were just becoming a part of the world of the Pantera.  Since Raphael and Parish.

After so many stories, we are up to 22 now, even just novellas it is easy to start to get lost in the world being built.  To lose the connection you made when you first began to read the series, to have things start to feel stale and replayed.  That isn't  the case with this release.  I will admit that mid way through the series I started to feel a bit bogged down by it all, never enough to stop reading them though because I truly love this world, but these two stories felt new and refreshing.  Yes, the back story is still there...the Pantera are still fighting against Christopher and his terrible actions against the Pantera, but we only got a small glimpse of that battle in Kayden  and Simon's stories.  These two books revolved almost strictly around the relationship between the two couples and I think it was much like a palate cleaner.  The will leave you feeling satisfied while still wanting more.  They will leave you invested but refreshed.  

Something else that I find keeps happening to me more and more as we get deeper into the series is that I want longer stories.  I could have had a full length story about Simon and Tryst and still wanted more I think.  I am particularly in love with their story, I am not at all let down by the story itself but wow, how amazing would it have been if they had 400+ pages instead of 75?  I am all anxious just thinking about it, and anxious in a very good way.

If you are a fan of the Bayou Heat series you will not be disappointed in these two stories!  If you are new...once again the authors and 1,001 Dark Nights pull off a perfect opener to a new world in the middle of its own story.  They give you a beautiful glimpse into something new to you with out spoiling the story for you.  You can safely read this novella with out having read the previous books but you will want to and if you decide you do want to make sure you go back to the beginning.  The Pantera have been on a wild ride for 22 books now, every book has built upon the ones that have come before it, you most definitely want to start at the beginning.  These are great books because you can pick them up anytime you need a quick read and walk away feeling like you got the entire story, perfect for your busy summer days when you just need some downtime.  If you are a fan of shifter books this series is a must read!  

~ HAPPY READING ~ 

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.

I was born and raised in Minnesota. It’s where my love of all things green, wet and grown in the ground comes from. As you read above, before writing I was an actor, singer and dancer, specifically a BALLROOM dancer – an instructor and competitor as well. That work took me to many places like New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. I live in Los Angeles now, but I’m always thinking about greener pastures – literally.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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Buried and Shadowed by Carrie Ann Ryan and Alexandra Ivy - Cover Reveal

I am super excited to share the cover of Buried and Shadowed from Carrie Ann Ryan and Alexandra Ivy with you.  

This series has some of my favorite covers and this one is no different!  Buried and Shadowed releases 

12 July 2016

 

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Book Description:

 Buried: 
 Gibson Barton knows his Pack is on the verge of something they will never be able to prepare for: a chance at freedom. Yet when he’s finally able to open his eyes to what might be his fate, it could be too late. As a submissive wolf of her Pack, Mandy Calhoun has always only watched Gibson from afar. Because of her fears, she hasn’t let her intentions toward him—or the other in her sights—be known. Oliver Dare is the Foreseer of the Ursine Pack, and knows with each vision, his death is that much closer. Yet he cannot see his own future—or that of the two wolves who have been thrust into his path. There is danger lurking in the den, and as the three learn to process their emotions and navigate their temptations, they’ll have to fight for something they never knew they had—or sacrifice it all for a purpose far greater than their own destinies. 

Shadowed:
Sinclair, Alpha of the Unseen Pack, is determined to destroy the Shifter Accommodation Unit. He understands that his people will never be free until the truth is revealed and their enemies are brought out of the shadows and exposed to the public. Unfortunately, the human female who has been secretly working with him has disappeared, and his priorities must shift slightly. He’s resolved to track her down, and not just because she has the information he needs. Mira Reese isn’t stupid.  She’s painfully aware that the sexy shifter she’s been working with has been using her fascination for him to gain access to the CDC computer system. But that doesn’t stop her from helping Sinclair.  Not when it allows her to be close to him. But after the CDC kidnaps her, she realizes that this isn’t a game. She’s a potential savior for the future of the shifters—and perhaps especially the loner wolf who stirs her passions.





New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born. Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

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I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

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Ice/Reaux by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright - Review

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Author: Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright

Publication Date:  18 January 2016

Publisher: Self-Published

Series:  Bayou Heat, book 20

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Shifter

Age Recommendation: 18 and Up

Rating: 4 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

ICE
Cammy, a beautiful, talented Hunter, has always taken her future for granted. She will mate with her best friend Rage and live happily ever after. But her perfect future explodes, quite literally. Rage has chosen another mate, and the Pantera’s enemies have struck at the very heart of the Wildlands. Now she is forced to partner with Ice, the aloof, always mysterious Hunter, to retrieve one of their own. Together they must track down the humans who attacked them, and uncover a secret that threatens the survival of the Pantera.

Can she find a way to work with the gorgeous male who stirs her most primitive emotions? And, more importantly, is a happily-ever-after still possible?

REAUX
Taken from her home when she was only 17 and forced to breed, Karen finally has her freedom back. But the chains of captivity still hold the beautiful human mother close, and when she starts to break down emotionally, she knows she needs help.
Unfortunately the only Healer she wants is the very one she can’t have.

All of his life, Reaux has been labeled a wicked mistake. With his body constantly sending out a sexual musk, he’s irresistible to females. So, the brooding Healer keeps to himself. Until he meets Karen. She needs him desperately. Not for sex, though. Just for healing.

But how can he do the work he’s meant to do, if he’s falling in love with his patient?


My Review:

I always enjoy these novella's from Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright and these two Ice and Reaux or no exception.  The stories while novella length, we are now into the 20th book in the series, (each novella is considered a book when counting)  create a novel+ length series that will have you anxiously awaiting each new 'book'.  

This is a series that you must start from the beginning, every new book builds on past stories...the romantic relationships are different in each one but the underlying story, the story of the Pantera and their enemies is a story that is constantly moving forward and changing with each story.  

The thing that I did find different about these two stories is that while I felt that the story was complete, I don't feel like I was let down or missed anything, I wanted more of each of these relationships.  Usually I walk away from the books simply anxious to get my hands on the next one, but with these two couples I want more time with them.  I wanted both of them, in particular Reaux and Karen, to have their own full length novels.  

I think one of the reasons when it comes to Reaux's book is that not only did we get a good amount of time with the couple but we also got a lot more time with past characters than we normally do and I wanted more of them as well.  I loved seeing more of the relationship with the community as opposed to just the couple.  There was simply something that felt a bit different about Reaux's story than any of the previous 19 books and even though I can't put an exact finger on it, I liked it.  

The action between Pantera and the ever nefarious Christopher and his 'group' is heating up...while the Pantera begin to call home their 'brothers and sisters' for protection they are still sending out 'troops' into the 'human' world to hunt down Christopher's labs, employees, and hopefully one day the elusive Christopher himself.  There is as always that insta-love that comes with Shifters, the fight to understand one another in the relationships with out hurting the other.  There are more twists and turn, more suspense, and anxiousness of what could possibly come next.  I found that in this book there were more heart breaking moments, and yet there were also more powerfully profound and happy moments as well.  

I am always thrilled to see how these two authors bring their stories together to make this complex and intriguing story thrive after so many books.  They manage to stick to a formula and yet make each new book and romance a fresh adventure for the reader.  This is a great series for any Paranormal Romance fans.  Each story is novella length so they can be nice quick reads and if you are starting at the beginning you don't have to feel overwhelmed at there being 20 books. I do HIGHLY suggest that if you have not read this series before that you start with book one, Raphael/Parish . This would be a great series to read this weekend if you, like me, are in the path of Snowmageddon 2016...of course it would be a good series to read no matter when, but trust me getting lost in the world of the Pantera is so much better than looking out your snow covered windows...those Pantera will keep you nice and cozy inside your house!  

~ HAPPY READING ~

About Alexandra Ivy:

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. 

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

About Laura Wright:

Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.

I was born and raised in Minnesota. It’s where my love of all things green, wet and grown in the ground comes from. As you read above, before writing I was an actor, singer and dancer, specifically a BALLROOM dancer – an instructor and competitor as well. That work took me to many places like New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. I live in Los Angeles now, but I’m always thinking about greener pastures – literally.

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter