Jana Deleon's Mystere Parish Series (Harlequin Intrigue)

           




Back of the Book Blurbs: 
The Reckoning (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1380):

In a tiny bayou town with far too many wicked secrets, the sudden disappearance of a six-year-old girl is a mystery Sheriff Holt Chamberlain is determined to solve. But teaming up with Alexandria Bastin is a complication he didn't expect. Nor is he prepared to collide with the dark side of Cajun culture—and his own troubled past.

The frantic search leads them to a place said to hold magic, an eerie island where Alex is also working her charm on him. At one time, he'd been forced to leave her brokenhearted. And now , dangerously close to the truth, he'll do anything to protect her from the evil that surrounds them—an evil that might hold the key to sending a little girl home.…

 
The Vanishing (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1386):
Certain death awaits any outsider who enters Cache, a mythical city said to disappear when intruders threaten. But P.I. Max Duhon won't let the Cajun superstition stop him from going there. He'll do anything to help sexy Colette Guidry and close this missing person's case, even admit how attracted he is to his client. But as their investigation deepens, Max finds himself protecting Colette from the inexplicable terrors of the bayou. This includes the specter taunting them with voodoo…and a shotgun. It seems they may have come too close to Cache and its eerie secrets—and dangerously close to each other.

 

The Awakening (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1393: 

Something is out there… watching…, and waiting.It could be a mythical creature wreaking havoc on a Mystere hotel…or a malicious vandal. It's detective Tanner LeDoux's first case and—much to his chagrin—the hotel belongs to Josie Bettencourt, once the most popular girl in town and his unrequited love. A woman who now doesn't even recognize him.  Josie's poor memory is Tanner's luck, however. He has a chance to be the strong, sexy hero who protects her and her hotel from mounting danger. Tanner's no believer in the old ways, but one stormy night, he sees something horrific he can't explain. And he knows, without a doubt, whatever lurks in Honey Island Swamp means to keep Josie from him forever!

 

 

These 3 books are a new series by Jana Deleon, released by Harlequin Intrigue over the last several weeks. They feature the citizens of the creepy Mystere Parish in the steamy bayous of Louisiana.  Jana Deleon is one of my favorite authors, and her new series has all the hallmarks of her style - a solid mystery, a little danger, and a believable romance, all set in Mystere Parish, a place of dark secrets, magical legends, and strange happenings. Each of the books is the story of one of three brothers, all fathered by the same wealthy man who was murdered twenty years ago.  They were close as boys, and as grown men they have maintained a relationship.  In the first book the eldest, Holt, reconnects with his high school love Alex, and after rescuing her kidnapped niece and reconnecting, they decide to start a private investigation agency for people with nowhere else to go.  The 2nd and 3rd books are the stories of  Max and Tanner, as both of those brothers come to work for Holt, are sent on a case, meet a woman they fall in love with, and solve the mystery. Running through all 3 books is a uniting thread of the twenty year old murder of their father, and the new clues being uncovered in each of their cases.  There is a lot more going on in Mystere Parish than is evident on the surface and I hope Deleon continues the series because I loved all of them!

This review is brief because all 3 are solid, highly enjoyable mystery-romances and excellent additions to the Harlequin Intrigue line.  Jana Deleon is great at blending mystery, romance, and a touch of the paranormal.  Her stories have well-developed characters with complicated histories.  Her settings are like an additional character, because they are so vivid and real.  When I read her books I feel like I can see, smell and hear the sounds of the swamps and the small towns. And her heroines are smart, brave and capable - a nice match to the rugged, handsome and stand-up guys of her books.  

Jana Deleon also writes humorous romances, most of which I've reviewed here, and all of which I've loved.  You need to check her out!

 

 

 

Samurai Game (Ghostwalkers #10) by Christine Feehan

Back of the Book Blurb:

In a world so dark and seductive, expect nothing less than a triple-cross in the explosive all-new Ghostwalker novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan…

In an underground club, a high-ranking public official spends his secret nights indulging in fantasies as exciting as they are depraved. For a seductive employee of the Dungeon, it’s her job to fulfill them. But she’s playing a far more dangerous game—one of blackmail, politics, and murder that reaches into the shadow world of the Ghostwalkers, and the creation of a spectacular, one-of-a-kind new weapon of defense.

But when a dictator makes his own catastrophic moves, the Ghostwalkers have no choice but to bring in two major players—a man and woman both driven by passion and revenge. Both expendable. Both with nothing left to lose.

I thought the above blurb was so inadequate, I am including the following from Publisher's Weekly:

 Feehan’s 10th GhostWalker novel (after Ruthless Game) is a suspenseful psychic romance burdened by an opening section that lacks plausibility. Azami Yoshiie and Ghostwalker Sam Johnson meet and fall in love during a lengthy attack on the GhostWalker compound. Their lust-filled introduction while in mortal danger doesn’t wash, even though both were psychically enhanced by an evil genius. Dr. Whitney used his brilliance to help create a secret military force. On the side he experimented with little girls, many of whom, like Azami, he tortured and then threw away. Now Azami is a successful software expert and Mission Impossible–level assassin, and she vows to thwart Whitney’s nefarious manipulations, which currently involve sacrificing Sam to an assault on a corrupt Congolese general. Sam doubts Azami’s loyalties, but she soon proves her worth to the team. Strongly intertwined thriller and romantic elements tip the balance in favor of the romance, which quickly turns poignant, but that initial credibility issue looms large.

Review:  Fans of Christine Feehan will not be disappointed with this 10th entry in her great Ghostwalkers series.  The story starts out fast and violent, full of conspiracy and death. After being tortured and used by Whitney as a live dissection lab rat, simply because she had no apparent psychic talents, Thorn was tossed into the streets of Japan, where she was rescued by a man who became her father and mentor.  Raised with love and trained in the way of the samurai along with her two "brothers", Thorn has grown into a beautiful and powerful woman who is also an incredibly skilled assassin.  Despite her loving upbringing, Thorn has never been able to let go of her rage against Peter Whitney - and who can blame her?  As an adult running a state-of-the-art satelllite/software company with her brothers, Thorn, now known as Azami, finds herself in the unique position of having business communications with Whitney.  She decides to destroy him, naturally.  Just weeks after turning Whitney's offer down, her company is contacted by Lily Whitney, who is alos interested in purchasing a satellite.  After Azami and her brothers arrive at the Montana (? I can't remember) compound, they and their Ghostwalker escorts are violently attacked.  Helicopters, ground troops, automatic weapons, oh my!  Amazi and Sam soon become battle buddies, fighting their way through the enemies, learning that they are both teleporters and psychic.  Sam knows she is a Ghostwalker right away, but not everyone can sense her energy, and the other are naturally suspicious of her intentions.
Before a week has gone by, Sam and Azami are engaged to be married and she has moved into his house on the compound.  And this is when things get a little....unbelievable.  When Sam asks her brother's permission to marry Azami, one of them produces a beautiful ring made by their dead father  for just such a moment.  And I found myself wondering if they travel with that ring on every business trip?  Sam heads home after Azami's brother tells him that she is waiting for him at his house, and discovers paper lanterns all over his stream and pond (when did she make, light and sail these?  When?) and she is waiting to give him a loving and traditional full body, mind and spirit cleansing.  Which I'm good with - it was quite touching.  But all of a sudden she is calling him "Sammy" - what is up with that?  Is it a traditional Japanese term of endearment to add an "ee" sound at the end of a name?  Because otherwise it sounds pretty silly, and it had the effect of snapping me right out of the story.
But I snapped right back in when Sam's foster father, General Ranier, arrives and is either working for Whitney or has been set up to send Sam into certain torture and death.  Azami is not having any of that, though, and her high-tech satellite and comms capability will give the Ghostwalker team the edge when they walk into the trap.
As with most of Feehan's stories, there is non-stop repetition of phrases and descriptions - she could easily cut out several pages worth and the story would not suffer in the least. But Feehan writes such a fun, suspenseful, sexy and exciting story I CANNOT STOP READING.  Love her, love her, love her.  And I think the reason is her incredible story-telling skills.  She creates these rich, complicated worlds that feel real.  Her characters are fabulous, flawed and likeable, and her bad guys are really, really rotten.


For more information check out the author's website at christinefeehan.net.

Dirty Little Secrets and A Dirty Shame (J.J. Graves Mystery #1 and #2) by Liliana Hart

Back of the Book Blurbs:
Dirty Little Secrets:  J.J. Graves has seen a lot of dead bodies in her line of work...

She's not only in the mortuary business, but she's also the coroner for King George County, Virginia. When a grisly murder is discovered in the small town of Bloody Mary, it's up to J.J. and her best friend, Detective Jack Lawson, to bring the victim justice.

The murders are piling up...

When a popular mystery writer shows up on J.J.'s doorstep with plans of writing his new book about the Bloody Mary Serial Killer, J.J. has to decide if he might be going above and beyond the call of duty to create the spine tinglers he's so well known for.

And passions are rising...

J.J and Jack discover each victim had a shocking secret, and the very foundation of J.J.'s life is in danger of crumbling when it turns out she’s harboring secrets of her own—secrets that make her a perfect target in a deadly game.

A Dirty Shame:  J.J. Graves is back in Bloody Mary, but she's a long way from feeling at home. Between her physical scars from being the target of a murderer and the emotional scars left by her parents, she doesn't know who she can trust. But death doesn't stop for anyone.

The first murder is grisly. The second even more so. And though things are shaky between them, she and her best friend, Jack, have no choice but to join forces and find the killer. Because the life of someone they love dearly hangs in the balance.


Review:   I'm reviewing these books together because a)I'm lazy, and b) I read these books back-to-back and loved them both.  Really top-notch romantic suspense and extremely well-written.
This is a new series by Liliana Hart featuring small town mortician and coroner J.J.Graves, who has recently returned home to Bloody Mary, Virginia after the death of her parents.  J.J. feels pressured to give up her career as an ER doctor in order to take over the family funeral home business.  After the death of her parents she learned (when the FBI came calling) that her parents had been engaged in illegal activities.

 J.J. is a great character. She is smart, strong, and wounded.  She is also a smart-ass with a great sense of dry humor.  I like her.  She has spent the last ten years in college and med school and then the ER, she has no living family, and hasn't had sex in three years.  Her parents had some kind of illegal and secret life, so the FBI is still poking around months after her parents deaths, and she feels like a pariah in her small hometown.  But she has a tight-knit support group of childhood friends, and one of them is her oldest and best friend, Jack, the hot horny sheriff of Bloody Mary.  She and Jack have been best friends since grade school, and he is her anchor.  As sheriff and coroner they also work closely together, and when a woman they've known their entire lives is found murdered, it's the roller-coaster start to a series of homicides and secrets that will affect everyone in their circle.
When a sexy mystery writer shows up asking to shadow her on the job for research, J.J.'s sleeping hormones wake up and she is soon busy making up for her three year dry spell.  Meanwhile Jack show some unexpected jealousy, and J.J. is trying her damnedest to figure out murders and men at the same time.  The ending is violent, conclusive, and a great emotional cliff-hanger, which is why I immediately started the next book.

In the 2nd book, A Dirty Shame, we learn more about J.J.'s parents and there is some satisfying romancing going on.  I'm not going to add more to that comment, because I don't want to spoil it for new readers. J.J. is literally driving back into town after months of isolated recovery at her parent's Poconos cabin, when she makes a horrific discovery.  And just like that she is back in her groove, running a funeral home, performing as the coroner, verbally sparring with Jack and avoiding his flirty innuendos and any other emotional contact as well, and pretending the harsh judgement of half the town does not bother her.
When the apparent hate crime has ties to one of their best friends, Jack and J.J. are emotionally caught up in the investigation, even as their own emotions are now out in the open.  I really love their relationship.  Jack is supremely confident and insightful, and understands J.J. better than anyone.  And she in turn trusts and loved him unconditionally as well.  She has just never in emotions and relationships before because of her family and family history.  Jack and J.J.'s teasing and flirting is witty, sexy and smart - some of the best dialogue I have read in a very long time.  The sex scenes are hot, intense and hubba-hubba worthy without being very graphic.

The setting of this series is a small southern town with a lot of personality.  Bloody Mary is a small town, full of Victorian-style houses that populate the brick-lined streets, which are named for the dead wives of Henry VIII.  The population is a mixture of rich and poor, black and white, local and non-local.  And much like the small town I grew up in, local means at least 2nd generation.  Living there for 25+ years still makes you the new guy.  As interesting as the town is, the author doesn't indulge in too much quirkiness other than street names, and the interesting locals feel normally interesting and nuts, not "quaint and colorful".

If you like the TV show "Bones" you will love this series.  There are a lot of similarities - the gritty, violent mystery, the smart verbal sparring of the two romantic leads, and the sexy personal relationship that spills over into their shared worklife.

For more information visit the author's website at http://www.lilianahart.com/.

Demon Hunting in the Deep South by Lexi George

Back of the Book Blurb:  Evie Douglass doesn’t know what’s worse—the demons secretly infesting her small Alabama hometown…or human belle-from-hell Meredith Starr Peterson, who’s made her life miserable since high school. But when the “Death Starr” is brutally murdered and Evie is the number-one suspect, she’s suddenly besieged by the evil-not-dead-enough and Meredith’s furious specter. The only way she can clear her name is to get out from under demon hunter Ansgar’s grim protection. He’s blond, breathtaking, and the most lethal of all his kin, but after years of teasing, Evie is wary of anyone who swears her plus-size self is beautiful. However, having Ansgar all over her is sparking outrageous powers Evie didn’t know she had. And she’ll face any ultimate evil to keep this sexy slayer in this dimension and in her bed for all eternity…

Review:

I won a copy of this book from an author giveaway on my friend Lisa's awesome book review blog, Modokker Book Picks at http://modokkerbookpicks.blogspot.com/?zx=bb75491281932fdc.  Check it out!

Warning:  This is one of those books that keep you reading while you should be helping your kids with their homework, working, finding out what the new puppy is destroying, or listening to your husband talking about...something.  Too bad!  Because this is one of the funniest, wackiest and most romantic books I have read in a very long time.  Lexi George has one of the strongest, and clearest voices writing today.  Her writing is chock full of laugh-out-loud expressions and turns of phrase that add such personality and humor to every paragraph.
Evie is a smart, sexy, curvy (uh, what happened to that scrawny cover model?) woman who is also shy and quiet by nature.  She has a fiercely loyal and fabulously outspoken best friend named Addy who is married to a demon hunter, and a mysterious recent past that has left her confused and lost.  Evie has been verbally abused by her bitchy former classmate, Meredith "Death Starr" Peterson, and her minions since they were children, and when Evie finds Meredith hacked to death at work, things don't look good for Evie.  Pretty soon mysterious things start happening (teleportation, fairies, sexy guys coming in to her) , and Evie thinks she might be losing her mind.  Before the book even gets to page 50, Evie has a hunky demon-hunting bodyguard who's crazy in love with her, an oddly perceptive (and hot!) sheriff investigating her for the murder of the Death Starr, a demon-possessed chihuahua and his nutty human mama, both on the run from a doggie serial killer, and the ghost of the rotten Meredith in her life.  Whew!  And then things really get going, so hold on tight.
One of the best things about this book besides the zany humor and fun, is the humanity of the characters.  Rather than cardboard-thin stereotypes, George has created people with foibles and talents, who try their best but frequently make stupid and hysterical mistakes.  There's a lot of love and a lot of heart in this book.  Add in hunky demon-hunters, violence, mayhem, deliciously hot sex, and baked goods, and you've got one delightful story.

Published in August 2012, this is the second book in Lexi George's funny, romantic series, following Demon Hunting in Dixie.  There is also a related short story in the book So I Married A Demon Slayer (reviewed on this blog).



For more information visit the author's website at http://www.lexigeorge.com/.

The Reckoning (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1380) by Jana Deleon

Back of the Book Blurb:

In a tiny bayou town with far too many wicked secrets, the sudden disappearance of a six-year-old girl is a mystery Sheriff Holt Chamberlain is determined to solve. But teaming up with Alexandria Bastin is a complication he didn't expect. Nor is he prepared to collide with the dark side of Cajun culture—and his own troubled past.

The frantic search leads them to a place said to hold magic, an eerie island where Alex is also working her charm on him. At one time, he'd been forced to leave her brokenhearted. And now , dangerously close to the truth, he'll do anything to protect her from the evil that surrounds them—an evil that might hold the key to sending a little girl home.…

Review:

Released October 1, 2012, The Reckoning is the first of a three book series by Deleon being released by Harlequin Intrigue featuring the citizens of the creepy Mystere Parish in the steamy bayous of Louisiana.  Jana Deleon is one of my favorite authors, and her new series has a great start, establishing Mystere Parish as a place of dark secrets, danger, and strange happenings. 
The book starts with a bang, when Alex is called home from New Orleans by her cousin Sarah, whose daughter has been kidnapped.  The police in their small hometown think Sarah's estranged husband has taken his daughter, but Alex believes Sarah that a stranger must have taken her.  As a psychiatrist Alex quickly prescribes something for Sarah, believing she needs help to stay calm and deal with the situation.  I thought that was a little  arrogant on Alex's part, and it took me longer to warm up to her than I would have liked.  The acting sheriff soon arrives, and it turns out he is none other than Holt Chamberlin, the man who broke Alex's heart ten years ago when he left her and joined the military.  Seeing each other again after all those years gives both Alex and Holt a shock, triggering feelings both thought long gone.  But their focus is on finding the little girl, and they soon realize that not only did her father not take her, but the kidnapper is someone local, someone they know.
They find evidence pointing to a spooky island inhabited by an old woman believed to be a witch, who was implicated in the disappearance of three little girls over thirty years ago.  When Alex was a little girl she and Sarah went to the island on a dare, and saw something so horrifying that as an adult Alex is still terrified of the place.  Adding to the creepy atmosphere is the strange, watchful presence of crows, and the sinister appearance of dolls.
Alex is a strong, capable heroine, who is focused on supporting her cousin Sarah and finding her little girl.  She is determined not to let her feelings for Holt show, believing that he has not changed much over the years.  But Holt is no longer the same boy who ran away from both Alex and his father's legacy, and as they work together their feelings are rekindled.  Getting to know one another as adults, while dealing with their still-present feelings, all under the pressure cooker of looking for a missing child created a really compelling story that had me reading way past my bedtime.

Jana Deleon is great at blending mystery, romance, and a touch of the paranormal.  Her stories have well-developed characters who have complicated histories.  Her settings are like an additional character, because they are so vivid and real.  When I read her books I feel like I can see, smell and hear the sounds of the swamps and the small towns.

The Reckoning is primarily a mystery with some romance, and the single sex scene is not graphic.  The Vanishing (#1386) will be released on October 30, 2012, and The Awakening (#1393) will be released on November 27, 2012.

Bear Claw Lawman by Jessica Andersen (Harlequin Intrigue #1363)

Publisher's Blurb:  When DEA agent Nick Lang came to town, even the toughest cases got closed. But his latest had become way too personal. He'd thought CSI Jennifer Prynne was just another no-strings fling, until a serial killer's attack left her battered, bruised and struggling to remember her past. Now, as the key to the entire case they'd been investigating for months, Jenn's safety became Nick's responsibility. He knew the murderer's identity was buried deep in Jenn's mind, but releasing it was dangerous—yet necessary. The old Nick was an expert at getting answers and moving on. But his heart told him this was one case he couldn't walk away from.…

Review:  Well, this book got off to a good, solid start and for the most part I really enjoyed it.  I liked Jenn - she is trying to pull her life back together and prove herself professionally after a tragic/embarrassing combination of losing her husband and then finding out he was a crooked cop (her last name is Prynne - get it?)  Then Nick, a rock star DEA agent arrives in town and within 12 days they have supposedly had 4 dates and Nick moved in so they could continue the incredibly hot sex.  Rather unbelievable but a fun read, even when the required obstacle-to-true-love occurs and Nick dumps her, terrified of his feelings for her.  Shortly afterward Jenn is attacked by the Investor, a homicidal criminal mastermind, and Nick is assigned as Jenn's bodyguard.  And this is about where I started getting annoyed.  First, Jenn and Nick are having all kinds of intense, personal conversations and tiffs in the Police Department.  It was hard to believe they would be so unprofessional, and harder to believe that those around them did not have a problem with it.  Second, and the larger problem for me, we learn that Nick has two sons who live with his ex-wife and her new husband who has adopted them.    Nick sees them a few times a year and is more like the Cool Uncle than their father.  But I cou1d not get past the fact that Nick has effectively abandoned his children.  Doesn't a parent have to give up his/her legal rights for another adult to adopt their children?  And Nick is so casual about it, in an I'm-a-complicated-role-playing-tough-guy-cop-who-is-not-father-material kind of way.  And I'm reading this otherwise fun book, and my fun has come to a screeching halt as I'm thinking that Nick is a spineless, whiny, douchebag, who chose to father two children and then bailed when fatherhood got too hard.  Which ended the whole sexy hero image for me, right there and then, so of course the romance is now tainted - TAINTED!   And it simultaneously pissed me off because I was really enjoying this book and I like the author's style enough to read another book. The ending was the standard HEA, although the Bear Claw PD is looking pretty incompetent when the Investor waltzes in and grabs Jenn.  I felt like the author's writing style was superior to the character-deprived hero and quickie ending.

For more information visit the author's website at http://www.jessicaandersen.com/.  I also reviewed Lord of the Wolfyn on this blog .

The Prophet by Amanda Stevens (Graveyard Queen Series)

Publisher's Blurb:

My name is Amelia Gray.

I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.

In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.

Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Review:
Love this series!  It's darkly original and creepy, with twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night holding my breath.  In Amelia Gray's world, ghosts are parasitic energy-suckers, haunting the living by leeching their warmth and energy until they are shells of their former selves.  Amelia has spent her whole life following her father's rules for avoiding contact, but falling in love with a haunted police detective has exposed her to the ghosts of his sad daughter and vengeful wife, and his murdered former partner, all of whom want something from Amelia.  As she investigates his death, she uncovers the dangerous subculture of Charleston involving a zombie-making poweder called gray dust and a powerful sorceror recently returned to town who had close ties with John Devlin's wife.
This series is notable for it's unique take on ghosts, and the fabulously original Amelia Gray, a complicated woman with a special talent that has gifted her with a life of loneliness and isolation.  Each book has a well-written mystery with nail-biting suspense and jump-at-any-sound surprises.  As Amelia slowly begins to break her beloved father's rules, she exposes herself to more danger but also learns more about ghosts and the Gray, the world they inhabit.  It is is scary, lonely, fascinating and compelling.  The atmosphere in these books is almost another character - it is like a living mist, floating around the reader and slowly enveloping her until the dark and mysterious world of twilight and Amelia Gray seems more real than anything else.  Powerfully magical, like Amelia's beloved white garden in her backyard, these books will haunt you long after the last page has been turned.

For more information check out the author's website at http://www.amandastevens.com/.

Bloodline by James Rollins (Sigma Force Series #8)

Publisher's Blurb: 

Immortality is not just within our reach—it is already here.

Galilee, 1025. A Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure, a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever.

A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for a covert rescue mission. Suspicious that the kidnapping masks a more nefarious plot, Gray must confront a shadowy cabal that has manipulated events throughout history.

And the danger is only beginning . . .

Halfway around the world, a firebombing at a fertility clinic in South Carolina exposes a diabolical conspiracy that goes back centuries . . . a scheme that lies within our genetic code. With time against them, SIGMA must race to save an innocent unborn baby whose very existence raises questions about the nature of mankind:

Could you live forever? Would you live forever?

Review:

Another great ride by James Rollins, this Sigma book is notable for introducing two new characters and for making women the focus.  Rollins has always written great female characters, strong, capable and smart, complicated and full of depth.  But this is the first book that places Kat and Lisa as the action-drivers while Painter is busy researching and Monk is home watching his young daughters.  Kat and Lisa are trying to infiltrate a fertility clinic with links to the President's family and his kidnapped daughter, when the operation goes horribly wrong.  Meanwhile, Gray is globe-trotting with Kowalski and Seichan, who has a much-expanded role as we learn a lot more about her background and see more of the person she is beneath her smooth-as-glass exterior. While the women have a different style of running an operation, they are just as fierce and action-oriented as their men, and it was a lot of fun to watch their brains and ass-kicking take center stage.  The fact that Lisa was wearing St. John while doing so was a really fun detail, one that I got a kick out of but it doesn't take away from the non-stop action/adventure/freaky science that is
Rollins' trademark style.
The new characters are Tucker Wayne, a former Army officer, and his war dog Kane, both of whom bring a rare set of skills.  There are several passages narrated from Kane's point of view, which was really unique and eye-opening.  It made me look at my dogs differently, giving me some insight into their worldview.
As the search for the President's pregnant daughter begins to overlap with the Guild and the mysterious family at the center of its powerful core referred to as the Bloodline, Painter begins to realize just how close Sigma is to unmasking the puppetmasters behind the Guild.
Kowalski is there for comic relief, Gray's interest in Seichan deepens, and although there are a lot of questions answered, the story takes a different turn at the end, leaving me both satisfied at the resolutions and curious about the new directions.
Good stuff!!

Read this 99 cent short story first for an introduction to Tucker and Kane.

+-*

For more information about James Rollins, check out his website at http://www.jamesrollins.com/.

Author Debra Kayn and a Great Giveaway!

Check out author Debra Kayn's fun giveaway - who wouldn't love a pair of cowgirl boots?!  The following is from her blog at http://www.debrakayn.com/.

Contest! If Rodeo Rebel makes it to the top 100, I’ll be giving away cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner!

Contest time!

For the next month, I’ll be running a contest. I want to get my book, Rodeo Rebel, to the top 100 at either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

If Rodeo Rebel hits the top 100, I’m giving away a kickass pair of cowgirl boots PLUS a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner…delivered to your front door. (Red Corral Picasso Cowgirl boots valued at $209.99 + Bullhide Winston Straw Cowgirl hat valued at $39.99 for a total prize worth $249.98)

How do you enter?

It’s easy!

All you have to do is tweet the contest, blog about the contest, Facebook the contest, or buy Rodeo Rebel. No purchase is necessary. If you’d like to tweet every day, you can still earn 25 points a day into the contest. If you want to copy and paste this contest on your own blog, you’ll earn 25 points. You can even like me on Facebook for 10 points. There’s lots of different ways to get your name entered. Check out the Rafflecopter widget below on all the ways to earn points, and go spread some love for Rodeo Rebel.

That’s not all!

If I make it into the top 25 in category romance on Amazon, I’ll also give away a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner. (Bullhide Winston Straw Cowgirl hat valued at $39.99) Florentine McDougal, my heroine in Rodeo Rebel, wears a lucky cowgirl hat when she rides. Wouldn’t you like one too?

Here’s the catch. You’ll have to get the word out about Rodeo Rebel. If I don’t get into the top 100, I’ll be giving away a $25 dollar gift certificate to a store of your choice as a consolation prize. So, it’s important to spread the word if you want a chance to deck yourself out in new boots and new hat. The more friends you get involved, the higher Rodeo Rebel will climb on the charts.

Here’s an example tweet!

If #RodeoRebel hits the top 100, @DebraKayn is giving away cowgirl boots + hat!  http://tiny.cc/hx93gw @EntangledPub Please RT!

Check out Rodeo Rebel at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Rebel-Sisters-McDougal-ebook/dp/B008BW9FQE/ref=sr_1_5_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339843464&sr=1-5&keywords=rodeo+rebel

Check out Rodeo Rebel at Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rodeo-rebel-debra-kayn/1111591750?ean=2940014704991

You’ll find all the ways you can earn points in the Rafflecopter widget below. Contest ends 8/8/2012