Interview with Author Jerri Drennen

Greetings, funky fresh guys and gals! I'm very pleased to welcome author Jerri Drennan to MNtR today! We'll be chatting for a bit about the fun and wild super-agent world of Her Man Flint, Drennan's latest book release, as well as about some of her upcoming projects (here's a hint--romantic suspense with all the trimmings of excitement!). Many thanks to Ms. Drennan for visiting today, and a very hearty welcome! So without further ado...

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MNtR: Can you tell us a bit about Her Man Flint---Twitterstyle (140 characters or less)? ^_^

Jerri: The stories about two ex-lovers forced to work together to exonerate the other of murder and in the process learn to trust again.

MNtR: The cover of this book reflects perfectly the fun, frenetic, saucy tone of the story and its cast. How did the theme and tone of this tale come about, given its relative difference to some of the more serious romantic suspense you've written in the past?

Jerri: Actually, Her Man Flint was my very first romantic suspense. The last few stories I've written have a more serious tone.

MNtR: Main characters Adriana and Flint make for the perfect international agents--effective and deadly. Do you have any favorite secret agents or spies from pop culture?

Jerri: James Bond of course and on a more fun note, Austin Powers.

MNtR: Along with Flint, some of your other heroes are strong, intense agents of justice. And like Adriana, your heroines can more than keep up! Can you tell us what draws you to the these powerhouse, lawful characters?

Jerri: I'm like men and women of justice on television so I guess it's not a stretch to want to write about these types of characters. Though, I have to say, I love my cops and agents to be flawed, as you can tell by Flint.

MNtR: Your writing slogan is, "Heroes packing more than just handguns." A very accurate descriptor of your previous works. ^_^ Can you tell us about some of the heroes you have in mind for your future books?

Jerri: Right now I'm working on my Z series. Ex-Navy Seals who work for a private security group. Think Blackwater. More on the realm of your typical romantic suspense with blackmail, murder plots and revenge.

MNtR: Are there any other genres or tropes that you've not yet written stories for, but would like to try your hand at?

Jerri: I have to say I found my passion in writing romantic suspense and I'm going to stick with it.

MNtR: Thank you so much for stopping by today to answer my questions!

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Author Bio

Jerri Drennen was raised on a farm in a tiny town in Minnesota where the winters were long and being stuck inside awarded her the opportunity to read and tell stories. Years later, after moving away from family, marrying her husband of twenty-five years and having their four children, she started writing when her youngest was three. Eleven years and many manuscripts later, she has one contemporary romance and three romantic suspense novellas with Samhain Publishing, a category romantic suspense at The Wild Rose Press and two action-adventure romances at Liquid Silver Books. Now, she's trying her hand at self-publishing.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Her Man Flint

By Jerri Drennen

If James Bond and Cleopatra Jones had a daughter, Adriana Kent would kick her ass.

Everything Adriana knows about being a top-notch, undercover agent she's learned from her partner, Flint Morgan, in and out of the sheets. That is, until he's caught between those same bed linens with another woman. Heartbroken, Adriana refuses to forgive him. But when 'the other woman' is found dead in Flint's apartment, she steps up to prove his innocence--he might be a womanizer, but he's no killer.

As Adriana closes in on a suspect, she's kidnapped and sent overseas to a sadistic prince who collects women like priceless pieces of art. Now this tough as nails agent finds herself playing the helpless courtesan to a man hell-bent on breaking her spirit. Flint arrives in the nick of time, dressed as a harem girl, fighting off randy guards and surly camels to rescue Adriana so they can fly back to the states to find a way to exonerate him for murder. 

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

Hi hi! This is but one stop on the wild ride organized by Bewitching Book Tours. Click here to check out guest posts, interviews, reviews, and more!

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Review: A Love by Any Measure by Killian McRae

Title: A Love by Any Measure
Series: n/a
Genres/Themes: historical romance, epic drama, social class differences
Author: Killian McRae

Quick Take:
Fans of sprawling, epic romances are bound to love this book. I loved the emotional buildup of the first half, but had trouble buying into the plot developments of the second. It's not for the impatient, nor for those who prefer that their main characters be without deep flaws and baggage. But by golly, it's a fascinating story.

Book Description (via Goodreads):

     August Grayson has secretly dreamt of the girl living on his family’s Irish estate since childhoods spent together in Killarney. Now a proper Lord of the British Empire, he knows that Maeve could never be more than just a distant fantasy. Still, if only... 

     Maeve O’Connor owns nothing in this world but her good name, which proves just enough to win a proposal for a marriage of convenience to a good, Irish lad. Until the wedding, however, she’s in dire straits. Rent on the cottage she and her father share is due, but there simply isn’t the money to pay. Driven to desperation, Maeve hopes Lord Grayson, her childhood-chum-turned-dashing-English-rogue, will prove lenient when she comes seeking clemency. 

     The temptation presented proves too much, and August offers Maeve a compromise: should she permit him twice as long on each succeeding visit to do whatever he wishes in pursuit of his pleasure, he will consider her rent paid. Starting with a mere five seconds, pulses soon out race the ticking clock, as August’s desires become Maeve’s own. Passion blinds them to the challenges closing in on both the Irish and English fronts, threatening to destroy the love they’ve discovered. 

     Working to bridge that which divides them, tempting fate with each stolen kiss, and torn between desire and obligation, Maeve and August must strive to overcome all and find a love by any measure...

Review:
I'm kind of in awe of Killian McRae. How she comes up with her book concepts, I don't know. But she's definitely adept at taking a simple premise and making it into something epic. She did it in her debut novel, 12.21.12 (the title of which some give a clue about the topic). Here in A Love by Any Measure, she takes the idea of a single bargain between two people, and slaps some legs on that puppy to take it across many years and many locations. Don't be fooled by the fact that there's only a line or so at the end of the blurb above that hints at complex intrigue. All told, this book is nothing if not epic.

Having a basic familiarity with Irish history during the latter half of the 19th century, while not required, provides some added import to the motivations and behaviors of the book's characters. Even without prior knowledge of the historical events, it's very clear that identity and social standing had very special importance to people of this era, for various reasons. And it's because of the status and identity that August Greyson begins the whole thread of his bargain with Maeve O'Connor.

August and Maeve's interactions in the first section of this book are positively addictive. Maeve detests the man, and yet she's drawn to him. August seems like a right jackass for even starting his agreement, and while his narrative perspective is not revealed until well into the book, his motivations are so complex, his feelings much more than might be initially assumed. I loved the interplay between the two, which lived somewhere on that thin line between love, anger, and lust. Quite compelling, emotionally turbulent stuff.

I very much appreciated that it was difficult to guess what might come next. Just when an expectation was starting to form, it'd be blown away by some unseen plot development. In the first half of the book, such twists grabbed be and kept me glued to the page. I must admit, however, that some of those same types of developments in the second half of the book made be a bit exasperated more than anything else. ^_^

As a matter of fact, I'd mentally separated the book into two halves. Whereas the first half feels more intimate and character-based, on a smaller scale and arguably more realistic, the second half is very much a huge, sensational tale. (Think The Matrix as compared to The Matrix Revolutions.) Given the relative realism of the first section, the second felt a bit theatrical, and I had trouble buying into the story and accepting that the characters would behave they did. The second half also has what I like to call "Tarantino-style" plot development; punchline first, explanation much later. (If you've seen the film Pulp Fiction, you'll know what I mean. ^_^) As such, it required a good dose of patience to get through. All told, if someone were to tell me that the two halves of A Love were in fact different books, I'd believe them in a minute.

I wouldn't count the aforementioned reservations as a reason not the read the book, however. I'd simply say that one should be patient enough to let the story unfold as it does. Overall, it's a touching and very powerful love story. It's got so much range that one is bound to be caught in some part of its spell.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I really liked it."

I thought the book trailer was pretty neat. Check it out below:

Review: Her Dear & Loving Husband by Meredith Allard (BBT tour stop)

Perfect cover for the story, IMO.

Title: Her Dear & Loving Husband
Series: Loving Husband, #1 (trilogy)
Genres/Themes: paranormal romance; (partial) historical fiction; love lost and found
Author: Meredith Allard

Quick Take:
An intensely sweet romance is tied to a riveting narrative on the Salem witch trials. Clearly, much research went into crafting the descriptions of the setting and related cultural intricacies.

Book Description:
James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties anywhere. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on.
     Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. With the help of their friends, witches Jennifer and Olivia, James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?

Review:
Before reading this book, I'd never heard of Ann Bradstreet nor her poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband." (I know: nuts, right?) In fact, there was much I didn't know about the general time frame and setting that's highlighted in Meredith Allard's To My Dear and Loving Husband--beyond the basics taught in grade school, that is. Having read the book, however, I'm riveted and want to know more.

A large portion of my newly rekindled interest in Salem, Massachusetts during the seventeenth century is due to the great amount of detail put forth in Allard's book. It's immediately and clearly obvious that the author's done her homework; though this novel is a piece of fiction, it felt almost like a first-person account of the witch trials. The book shifts between present and past through both the recollections of James Wentworth and the vivid dreams of Sarah Alexander. I love that such vividness can be created about real historical events, even when the character recounting the experiences is fictional. Likewise, the fact that the main character that "experienced" this place and time is...other...was seamless and...well, it worked magnificently.

It's hard to think of this book as a typical paranormal romance, really. The fact that the main character qualifies as paranormal (the description doesn't specify what, so neither will I! ^_^) is almost secondary to the love story itself. In this tale, the paranormal aspect used more as a way to magnify the loss and suffering that James was forced to endure. Heck, the romance is actually quite chaste and innocent for the most part, because the emotional struggles of both James and Sarah are the focus. I really dug that; it's nice to sometimes get away from the love-scene fest of many other books.

The paranormal slant is also used as a means of putting the fervor and hypocrisy of the witch trials into a new context and setting: present-day Salem, Massachusetts. I found the parallels well-drawn and relevant; again, even though a paranormal bent is added. James at one point notes the oft-heard quote, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Throughout the first half of this book, I had a hard time figuring out how this story would extent into another book, much less a trilogy. Now, I don't care; I just want more! :o) Her Dear & Loving Husband is paranormal, romantic, historical, and dramatic, but it's more than any of those parts, and excited about delving into more of the characters' struggles in the as-yet unreleased follow-up, Her Loving Husband's Curse.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I really liked it."


This has been a tour stop by Bewitching Book Tours. To see what other coolness lurks about for Allard's book, click here.

...or click the image.

Interview with Author Reena Jacobs

And a lovely morning to you, good sir, good lady! Today I have the considerable pleasure of a visit from author Reena Jacobs, whose latest book, I Loved You First, was released on July 29, 2011. It's a book about unrequited love, with all of the complexities that come along with it. She talks a bit about the origins of the book and her own thoughts on unrequited love.

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MNtR: It's not too often that we get to have stories that realistically address LGBT in an everyday context. What drew you to writing a story like this?
RJ: I feel like such a fake when I talk about this, but Seth originally wasn't gay. He was just a straight guy who was a major jerk and womanizer. Throughout the story he was supposed to learn "the errors of his ways." In fact, my original outline was entirely from his viewpoint, exploring his growth.
I hate to say this but when I started thinking about male sexuality, I totally copped out. Even though I've written the male perspective in the past, I turned into a coward when faced with raging boyish hormones. The media makes being a hormonal male seem terribly uncomfortable. What in the world goes through a boy's mind? What's happening with his body? :)
Well, I opted for the female perspective. I still kept many of the original plot points, but flipped them to reveal Alex's point of view instead. And of course, Seth pulled me aside and said, "I have something to tell you, Author Lady... I'm gay."

MNtR: Ah, unrequited love. Have you ever had to go through a situation in which your affections for someone else were unreturned? Did that person know it?
RJ: Not exactly, but I've certainly had my heart broken a couple of times. They knew or at least had a pretty good idea. I'm a little on the verbal side. Think Candor from Veronica Roth's Divergent. That's me. I've been trying to temper myself with a few Amity qualities, but it's like telling someone with Tourettes to control the tics. Hold it back too long, and eventually you're going to see an outburst.

MNtR: Do you have a favorite couple from literature or film that was involved with a case of unrequited love?
RJ: Forrest Gump and Jenny. Just thinking about them makes me want to watch the movie again for a good dose of laughter and tears.

MNtR: One awesome thing about this book is the cast of very real, flawed characters, from Alex and Seth to the dorm residents and jocks and campus queens. Were they developed before you began writing I Loved You First, or did they flesh out as you wrote?
RJ: Trinity was the only one I knew as a person before I started I Loved You First. She has her own series I've yet to finish and plays a role in the last book of the Striped Ones series, which is yet to be released. So we've been buddy-buddy for awhile now.
I developed a character sheet for Alex, and Seth had a personality from the original outline. Others said, "Here I am! Love me or hate me." And I said, "Fine" and wrote them the way they presented themselves.

MNtR: Would you consider this book "Young Adult"? Was it written with a specific audience in mind?
RJ: I believe it works in the YA genre. However, I classify it as New Adult. I wrote it with those between the ages of 16 - 24 in mind. I didn't think I was groovy enough (or maybe it's gnarly these days) to write a YA story, but college was an area I thought I could handle since I've been in and out of school all my life.

MNtR: What kinds of stories do you most like to read? to write?
RJ: My tastes are varied. Paranormal romances were my favorite for the past 5 years or so, but I've burnt out on those. Lately I've been itching for some YA dystopia. I've been trying to be patient, but I'd really like to start the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. As far as writing? I haven't really settled into a genre yet. I just write whatever chases me in my dreams.

MNtR: Are there any types of genres, subgenres, or story conventions that you have not yet attempted but would like to write?
RJ: I've been thinking about some light sci-fi. All the talk of steampunk over the last year or so has me interested in gadgets. I'm thinking of a futuristic/alternate world where cybernetics is a part of life. :) I have an inkling of an idea and some scenes playing in my mind but no major plot has presented itself yet. I keep telling myself to wait... finish some of the stories and series I've started.

MNtR: Rock on. Thank you so much for answering my questions, it was a pleasure to have you by.
RJ: Thanks for having me, Alisha.

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Thanks again to Reena Jacobs for an awesome visit. She's written in a range of genres, but for a contemporary fiction piece--"life as it is"--you should definitely check out her latest piece, I Loved You First. Here's a little blurb from the book:

     Alexandria (Alex) Carmichael guards two secrets close to her heart. One—she’s in love with her best friend, Seth. Two—he’s gay.
     As a freshman in college, Alex looks forward to fun times with her best friend. When Seth decides cycling through girlfriends is the way to fit in with the straight crowd, Alex must make a choice: watch Seth give his affections to another while her heart breaks or come clean with her feelings and risk losing his friendship forever.
     I Loved You First is a new adult love story told through the eyes of an African-American/Caucasian student who takes a journey of self-discovery while watching her best friend come to terms with his sexuality. Turn the pages and find a message of hope, new beginnings, and positive change.




You can find Reena on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer, Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles, and Smashwords.

Review: A Tale of Two Goblins by H.P. Mallory

Title: A Tale of Two Goblins

Series: Dulcie O'Neil, #2

Genres/Themes: urban fantasy, fairy protagonist, dream stalking

Author: H.P. Mallory

Excerpt: first chapter (from author site)

Quick Take:

Dulcie does it again! This installment delivered on every promise made by its predecessor; it was above all fun, engaging, and charming.

Book Description (via author site):

     Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy working in law enforcement for the Netherworld. When Knight Vander approaches her with a case regarding comatose victims, she agrees to help him, imagining the most difficult part will be combatting her attraction to him.
     But, what Dulcie isn’t betting on is the fact that the case becomes personal when she learns all the victims are somehow linked to her.
     When her best friend falls victim to the Dreamstalker, Dulcie must do everything in her power to ensure her friend’s survival, including associating with criminals and accepting the fact that desperate times do definitely call for desperate measures.

Review:

I was so excited to pick up and read the second book in the Dulcie O'Neil series by H.P. Mallory, having enjoyed the first one so much. As with book one, the cast is the big draw. Technically, there aren't that many figures to keep track of--which is fine by me. It means more face time for the fab five (Dulcie, Knight, Trey, Sam, and Dia). ^_^ Dulcie in particular is in fine form: she's a magnetic character, with different facets to her personality that provide plausible and engaging expression in scenes both light hearted and somber.

I get the sense that the author is deliberately keeping a steady pace in revealing her fictional world and in progressing the broader story arcs. I like that! I can see the series continuing to thrill with new elements and twists, even several books down the road (and geez, I HOPE there will be a "several books down the road" to speak of!).

This book deals with a creature that stalks and terrorizes people's dreams. As such, there are a few dream sequences, some of which are meant to be ambiguously identified ("Is this someone's dream?") and others which are very clearly nocturnal reveries. In one, the dreamer is even consciously observing her own dream. The devices used for these sequences could've been confusing as flip, but instead worked out wonderfully and intriguingly. 

Honestly, the third book cannot come soon enough ("soon enough" is August 2011, by the way...but still so far off!!!); I simply must know how the cast of characters develop and fare in their respective conundrums. A Tale of Two Goblins more than proved that the Dulcie O'Neil series will be one to look out for in the future. Moreover, it's put Ms. Mallory on my auto-buy list, for sure!

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

"I really liked it."

Guest Post: Author Gabrielle Bisset

Today at MNtR, I'm proud to welcome author Gabrielle Bisset for a vampified guest post! When I first saw the cover of her book Vampire Dreams and read its synopsis, I knew I absolutely had to read the story. Having since done so--and having enjoyed the experience exceedingly--I'm so excited and pleased that Ms. Bisset is able to visit! This time, she brings along her two main characters from Vampire Dreams for an amusing, enlightening and charming interview. Enjoy!

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Thank you Alisha for having me at My Need To Read. With me are Brandon and Arden, one a vampire for centuries and the other a newly sired vampire.

Gabrielle: Thanks for joining me today, you two.

Brandon: It’s our pleasure, Gabrielle, isn’t it dear? (turns to Arden.)

Arden: Yes, thank you for inviting us! It’s so nice to sit with you again, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle: How has life been since you turned Arden, Brandon?

Brandon: (brings Arden’s hand to his lips.) Every day is like I never believed it could be. I can’t thank you enough for bringing us together.

Gabrielle: You’re very welcome.

Arden: Is it true that you first saw us in a dream? That sounds so romantic! (giggles)

Gabrielle: Yes. I dreamed the entire first scene where you’re being chased and Brandon saves you. Amazing what dreams can become, don’t you think?

Brandon: That’s fascinating. And why do you think you dreamed of us?

Gabrielle: I don’t know, Brandon. I remember it was a Wednesday night and I had just finished watching The Tudors. That’s where your name came from, incidentally.

Brandon: From one of the Tudors? Was it that corpulent Henry Tudor? Henry VIII? (looks down at himself) I look nothing like him, thankfully.

Gabrielle: No, your name came from another character on that show, Charles Brandon. Let’s just say I have an adult crush on the actor who plays that character. (shows them a picture on her phone)

Arden: Ooooooh! He’s very handsome, Gabrielle. But my Brandon is better. (turns to Brandon, who seems unimpressed by the picture on the phone, and kisses him on the cheek)

Brandon: So I can thank this person for you bringing us together? (one eyebrow cocks suspiciously)

Gabrielle: Well, yes, I guess you can. Let’s just say he inspired me. Arden, how has life been since you’ve become a vampire?

Arden: It took some getting used to, but now the sleeping during the day is second nature to me. And every evening when I awake, Brandon is right there next to me. I couldn’t be happier!

Gabrielle: I’m so happy for both of you. And what about Vasilije? Have you heard from him lately?

Brandon: (scowling) No, but I know he’s never far away. As my sire, he’s connected to me through blood, just as I am to Arden.

Arden: He’s so touchy about Vasilije, Gabrielle. I just think of him as something like my uncle...an uncle who is manipulative and dangerous, of course. He’s like the family member you hope won’t come to visit, but you know eventually, he will.

Brandon: Vasilije’s problem is that he’s a hedonist. Everything is pleasure for him. (Arden takes his hand in hers and squeezes.) Sorry, but I don’t think there have ever been two vampires more different than he and I.

Gabrielle: I understand.

Arden: I think Brandon understates how much he loves pleasure, Gabrielle. (winks)

Brandon: I only take pleasure in you, my love. For me, there is no one else. (takes Arden’s face in his hands and kisses her)

Gabrielle: I’m so happy to see that you’re still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship. I hope it stays that way forever.

Arden: You don’t plan to write a sequel where we break up, do you?

Gabrielle: No, you don’t have to worry about that. The other two novellas in the trilogy Vampire Dreams will appear in will involve other men and women from the Victorian Period. One involves a couple and some light BDSM—that’s entitled Love’s Master—and the last one involves a young woman and a Russian diplomat—that story is entitled Masquerade.

Arden: BDSM?

Gabrielle: (grinning) That’s for another time. For now, thank you for sitting down with me today, and I hope you remain as happy for all time as you are right now.

Brandon: Thank you, Gabrielle. You will always be our favorite author. And our favorite matchmaker.

Gabrielle: Thanks guys. And for readers who want to know more about Brandon, Arden, and Vasilije, here is the beginning scene I dreamed from their novella, Vampire Dreams:

Excerpt:
     She could hear his feet as each one solidly hit the ground behind her. His stride much longer than hers, he was coming closer with each step.
      If he caught her...
     The pounding of her heart hammered in her ears as the blood pushed faster and faster through her body. Up ahead, she saw a door ajar in a rundown building. If it was empty, she might be able to hide and hopefully escape from the pain of what awaited her if he captured her.
    She slipped through the doorway, but her cape caught on the doorknob, costing her precious moments. As she worked to free herself, she heard his footsteps slow down to a walk, a sign he was as sure as she he’d won.
    Free to run once more, she turned and ran headlong into the chest of a man who stood silently watching her.
   “Please save me! He’s coming for me!”
    Without a word, the man took her by the arm and led her to a table near the far wall. With his hands on her shoulders, he hesitated a moment and then spun her around.
     His voice deep, he said, “Place your hands on the table and bend over.”
    Unsure if she’d chosen a fate as horrific as the one she’d fled from, she did as she’d been told and waited in terror for what was to come.
    The noise of her stalker entering the building caused her to turn her head, but the voice behind her sternly warned, “Face forward.”
     She felt hands lift her cloak and skirts, allowing the cool night air to hit the bare skin of her thighs. The feeling at once thrilled and shocked her, and she instinctively stood up to cover herself.
    The man behind her forcibly pushed her back toward the table and leaned over her to whisper low in her ear, “Trust me,” as he pushed his body firmly against her backside.
    “Hey you! Where’s the girl who came in here?”
    With his hands on her hips, the man who gave her no choice but to trust him pushed his hips toward hers and thrust toward her still clothed body to simulate sex, complete with throaty groans.
    “Hey! I asked you about the girl who came in here!”
    Never looking back, Arden squeezed her eyes closed and waited for the attack she feared. Instead, she heard the man whose body continued to meet hers bark, “Go away! This whore’s mine!”
    Indignant at the use of the word whore to refer to her, she started to push herself up but his hand held her by the neck and forced her to remain still on the table. A sound like a hiss came from her protector and the other man hurriedly ran out of the building.

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...whew! That's some dream. Many thanks to Gabrielle Bisset, Brandon, and Arden. It was lovely seeing the two vampire lovebirds again. ^_^ If you want to found out more about their tale, you can find Vampire Dreams at Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.


For more on Gabrielle Bisset, visit her blog at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/ or email her at gabriellebisset (at) gmail (dot) com.

Today's post is part of the Bewitching Book Tours current tour for Vampire Dreams. For more info on the other participating blogs and their tour stops, visit BBT's site (here).