Sunday, December 31, 2017

Week in Review: 12/24-12/30



Books Received for Review

Devil Take Me by Karilyn Bentley

Books I've Read

Devil Take Me by Karilyn Bentley
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Reviews Posted

Wolf Hollow by Nikki Jefford
Killman Creek by Rachel Caine

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings....

* Wednesday- Promo + Giveaway for Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Friday, December 29, 2017

Review: Wolf Hollow by Nikki Jefford

Wolf Hollow
Release Date: October 14, 2017
Publisher: Self-Published
ISBN:   1976429943
ISBN13: 9781976429941
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

A REBELLIOUS OUTCAST

Cocky. Coy. Wolf shifter. Tabor is the hollow’s only half-breed, scorned and forbidden to use his powers. Constantly overlooked despite his strengths, Tabor believes Sasha is as shortsighted as the rest of the pack until she proves there’s more to her than a blindly obedient lapdog to the council.

A DUTIFUL PUREBLOOD

Spirited, stubborn, and deeply loyal, Sasha feels the pressure from her pack to claim another pureblood, yet no one is brazen enough to defy the elders and toy with her . . . no one besides a sexy, hotheaded half-breed.

AN ATTRACTION THAT THREATENS THE FUTURE OF THE PACK

Bewildered by the deceptively proud and surprisingly sensual Sasha, Tabor would risk everything to claim her. Despite her vanishing bloodline, Sasha can’t resist the charismatic half-breed even as predators threaten their pack and the elders pressure her to breed with a pureblood.

In a fantastical post-apocalyptic world, where only the strongest survive, sometimes trusting the heart is the bravest act of all.

WOLF HOLLOW was nothing like I thought it would be and almost everything I could have asked for all rolled up into one great shifter novel.

The story started off kinda slow and I wasn't totally into Sasha's fan girl ramblings about her crush on her partner Aiden. I actually didn't love Tabor at first either. I thought he was a player that was too full of himself. As I got to know them both, I found myself rooting for them and their story.

The characters were fantastic. Dynamic, relatable, stubborn, kick-ass, I could really go on. They made the story and everything else was just a bonus. The romance between Sasha and Tabor was frustrating yet enjoyable. There isn't an insta-love and the slow lead up was worth the sizzle that came when they finally connected. 

The post apocalyptic setting was interesting. The community is hidden and they have to travel to get the things they need that they can't get on pack land. We don't get a whole lot of information on how the world came to be like it is besides them talking about a disease that brought devastation, but when they go out to scavenge we do get a feel for how the people have turned out and it's not pretty for the shifters that find themselves in their grasps. 

I really enjoyed WOLF HOLLOW. It did take me a little bit to really get into it, but once I did, I was in it and wanting more. The ending brings about a new course for the pack and I am definitely interested in reading more and finding out how things turn out.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Review: Killman Creek by Rachel Caine

Killman Creek
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN:  1542046416
ISBN13: 9781542046411
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.

Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.

I usually only read paranormal/fantasy/dystopian genres, but every once in a while an author I enjoy branches out and I like to give their new books a try. That is what happened when I read STILLHOUSE LAKE, book one in the Stillhouse Lake series. I loved it and when KILLMAN CREEK came up on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it and because I loved it I am sharing it with you.

KILLMAN CREEK gives us the added bonus of getting into some of the other characters heads with multiple POVs. It was easier to understand their emotions and thinking better and added another aspect to the story—even if I wanted to kick them in the head for some of the thinking they were doing.

Melvin has escaped from jail and on the hunt for Gwen and her children. The organization helping Melvin was so much bigger than I thought it would be and I was shocked with all that was revealed about it. 

I was a little more emotional while reading KILLMAN CREEK than I was with book one and trust me, I was plenty emotional with STILLHOUSE LAKE. It was hard reading about Gwen's struggles. She was the bad guy quite a bit in the book when she shouldn't have been and my heart broke—like my heart hurt people!— with every word, accusation and emotion that was flung at her.

Again, KILLMAN CREEK is book two in a series and it is NOT paranormal or fantasy, but you should really give this series a shot. Things were wrapped up quite nicely at the end of book two, so I'm not quite sure where things will go in book three. It doesn't matter though because WOLFHUNTER RIVER is already on my wishlist.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Promo + Giveaway: Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear


Heart of the Wolf
Heart of the Wolf #1
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks |Kobo | IndieBound
Celebrate Ten Years Of Paranormal Romance From Beloved Author Terry Spear

Bella, a female red werewolf, was adopted by a pack of gray wolves as a pup. Now grown up, the alpha of the pack tries to make her his mate against her will—Bella knows she has no choice but to run away.

She makes her way as a lone wolf until childhood friend, Devlyn, comes to bring her home. On their journey back, they get tangled in up in unimaginable danger and must apprehend a werewolf murderer while keeping their identity secret from humans. The chemistry between them sizzles like never before…but they both know if they mate, Devlyn will have to fight the pack's wicked alpha…and it's a fight to the death.

As a companion to Bella and Devlyn's story, this edition includes an exclusive, brand new novella that brings the story of the lupus garou family full circle.
Excerpt #1:


But Devlyn had to make sure. She could have been any one of a number of lone red lupus garou females all across the States. Or not. Because such a shortage existed, he sure as hell hoped Argos was right—that she was their stubborn Bella.
When Devlyn saw her in the pen at the zoo, he knew. He couldn’t be angry with her for having run away—but for her to risk proving to the world that lupus garous existed? That was irresponsible and unforgivable. At least that’s what he told himself, though his heart ached to hold her close again, only this time to claim her for his own.
Devlyn stalked toward the door of his hotel suite. “All right. Let’s break our little red wolf out of jail.” The notion that she was theirs, though, struck a chord. She wasn’t theirs. She belonged to Volan. Fire burned in Devlyn’s veins with the thought. Ever since Devlyn had rescued her near the river, the wildfire in hot pursuit of her, Volan had wanted her, too.
For years Devlyn had pinned her to the ground in their wolf states, avoiding her retaliatory bites, playing with her as young wolves frolicked. He still wanted to tackle her to the ground, to force her reaction, to have her pay attention to him. But the burning desire to have her for his mate drove away any notion of having another female.
He hurried his four younger male cousins out to the SUV with Argos at his side in the freezing drizzle. The black-haired, amber-eyed quadruplets, twenty-two years of age, all itched for a fight as they clenched their fists and steeled their square jaws.
Devlyn slammed his door. “If we wait much longer, she’ll have changed and be half frozen in this weather.” He’d rescue her again. He had to. Not for Volan, but for his own greedy desires. But what to do with her afterwards? He knew what he wanted to do with her. Make her his…forever…his mate for life.
But with Volan still living, how could Devlyn hope to take her for his own? That question had plagued him every minute of the day since he’d learned she still lived.
***
Backed into the confines of the wolf den, Bella spread her arms out, slowly, in her crouched position, to make herself appear larger. “Back off, Big Red.”
He continued to snarl. She took a step forward, and shivered, but it wasn’t the chill in the air that made her tremble. The notion that the zoo staff would catch her in the wolves’ den in human form forced concern to worm its way into every pore.
Big Red held his ground.
She took another step in his direction. Her eyes remained locked onto his. He didn’t back down.
Wrinkling her nose, she bared her not-very-scary human teeth. Anything to show him she wasn’t intimidated by his posturing.
After what seemed like an eternity of an old western gunfight showdown, he turned, and trotted out of the den. She took a deep breath, then quickly followed him out. The icy drizzle coated her skin. Hoping to make her escape easily, she crossed the pen to the keeper’s door.
Locked.
Her stomach muscles tightened with irritation. Heading for the water trough, she thought to use it as a step in the moat. But it was filled to the brim with water, and she couldn’t budge it. Her frustration level mounted, but her body temperature dropped rapidly with the chilly wet breeze swirling about her.
What she wouldn’t have given for her wolf’s thick undercoat—the dense second coat of fur virtually waterproof, a thermal insulator so effective even snow falling on her back wouldn’t melt.
She hurried to the edge of the moat and considered the height of the wall across from the pen. Big Red watched her from a corner of the pen, but never made a menacing move toward her. She’d probably confused the hell out of him. She smelled like a wolf in heat, the same one he wanted to mate, but she didn’t look like one in the least bit now. Poor fellow.
She sat on the edge of the concrete, the substance icy and rough on her bare bottom. After twisting around, she clung to the edge with frigid fingers, then dropped into the moat. It was about a six-and-a-half-foot drop and, with her five-four height, easy to make. But when she turned to consider the other side her heart filled with alarm.
Whether the wall rose eight feet or ten…didn’t matter. She didn’t see any way to climb the rough concrete without foot or hand holds. She turned back to the other side. Her heart fell. She wouldn’t be able to climb out that way, either.
The cold had already affected her mind, slowing her ability to think. The shock at turning into her human form earlier than she’d planned had compelled her to panic.
Great. Just great. The next morning, the zookeepers would find a half-frozen, naked woman in the moat. She jumped at the shorter side, but couldn’t reach the top edge.
After several tries, she did what went against every instinct for survival—she gave up and yelled for help.



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USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over sixty paranormal and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008, Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world and is raising two Havanese puppies. She lives in Spring, Texas.

Find Terry and her books
__________________________________
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Monday, December 25, 2017

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings....



Warm wishes to all! I hope no matter what holiday you are celebrating this month, that it's filled with family, friends, love and joy.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Week in Review: 12/17-12/23



Books Received for Review

Traveling for half of the week. Will add any to next week's Week in Review post.

Books I've Read

Queen Mecca by Leia Stone and Jaymin Eve
Brave by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Beyond the Shadows by Amber Lynn Natusch

Reviews Posted

Touch of Ice by Aleah Raynes and Mandy Caruso

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Promo for MindRogue by Connie Suttles

* Thursday- Promo + Giveaway for The Last Wolf by Maria Vale

* Friday- Promo for The BlackWing Pirates Series by Connie Suttles

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Promo: The BlackWing Pirates Series by Connie Suttles




BlackWing Pirates Series

 


Book One MindSighted

In or out of the Alliances, sorcerers and necromancers are considered a myth--until a single, shadowy figure brings those myths to life.
In or out of the Alliances, nobody is prepared for that...
The BlackWing Pirates, a fleet of space cruisers that form a secret branch of the Alliance Security Detail, discover what a myth-come-to-life is capable of doing when this sinister aberration begins a slow and deliberate attack against the upcoming Joint Alliances Conclave.
In the ensuing chaos, where deaths are unexplained and the impossible becomes possible, the BlackWing Pirates' most effective weapon turns out to be a blind clairvoyant, who sees better than anyone when his eyes are closed...



 

Book Two MindMage

In and out of the Alliances, a new evil is on the rise--an evil whose attacks forced the postponement of the Joint Alliances Conclave nearly a year earlier.
During the attacks, some of those who fought the evil reported things that couldn't be explained--things that were considered myths--until now.
Sorcery. Necromancy. The wielding of power never seen before. The target? Every world, in or out of the Alliances.
The best hope to combat the evil? A blind man, who sees everything.





 

Book Three MindRogue

We are Or’myr; a secretive, dwindling race of wyrm dragons. For many years, we were without a queen and directionless, until my sister was born.
She was loved.
Protected.
Until the one known as the Prophet stole her away.
Our only hope to save our queen—and our race—lies in the hands of a blind man named Randl Gage.
A man who is also one of the most wanted criminals in both Alliances…

 

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Connie Suttle is the author of the Blood Destiny series, the Legend of the Ir’Indicti series, the High Demon Series, the God Wars series and the Saa Thalarr series. Other titles are scheduled for release very soon.

Connie earned her MFA from the University of Oklahoma and has taught courses at the university level. Reading (and writing) have been a constant throughout her life.

The author lives in Oklahoma with her patient, long-suffering husband and three cats. Obviously, the cats are not so long-suffering and are certainly not patient.

 

Connie’s Links

website facebook twitter goodreads Amazon icon

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Promo + Giveaway: The Last Wolf by Maria Vale


The Last Wolf
The Legend of All Wolves #1
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | iBooks | Indiebound
For three days out of thirty, when the moon is full and her law is iron, the Great North Pack must be wild.

If she returns to her Pack, the stranger will die.
But if she stays…

Silver Nilsdottir is at the bottom of her Pack’s social order, with little chance for a decent mate and a better life. Until the day a stranger stumbles into their territory, wounded and beaten, and Silver decides to risk everything on Tiberius Leveraux. But Tiberius isn’t all he seems, and in the fragile balance of the Pack and wild, he may tip the destiny of all wolves…
Excerpt #2

In which Silver, in an act of mercy, kills her former shielder

The circle of wolves in the Clearing tightens around Ronan, and for the first time since my Dæling, I am deeply grateful that I am not Pack. I am just a guest and don’t have to be part of this.
But when I start to lope away, Ti doesn’t move. He doesn’t understand what is happening, so I nip at his pant leg. The Alphas of each echelon are taking up their positions at the front of the circle. Everyone wants this over with quickly.
Opening a passage for Charlie, John nudges Ronan’s father toward his son. In its mercy, Pack law allows First Blood to Ronan’s family, so that when the Pack eviscerates him, Ronan won’t feel anything. I plant my front paws and pull Ti harder, because I really don’t want to watch Charlie rip out his son’s throat.
Ti doesn’t move.
John nudges Charlie again, but Charlie just stares at Ronan, his head cocked, his mouth open. Then his eyes roll around the circle searching for help he won’t find, because to be on Pack land as an exile is bad enough, but the only response to an attack on a pup, is a Slitung, a flesh-tearing, and every wolf shows teeth. Charlie throws himself on the ground in front of John, his feet up in the air, his hips shimmying back and forth in a clownish show of submission.
John snaps at him.
Charlie follows our Alpha around, one ear up, the other down, his mouth open in a rabid leer, until with a quick look over his shoulder, John signals Tara to drag the broken wolf away from the Pack. Tara grabs his muzzle tight in her powerful jaws and drags him off mewling. I run beside him whimpering too, begging Charlie to come to his senses long enough to do this last kindness. He seems not to even see me, more interested in the furry thing following behind him. As soon as Tara lets him go, he starts to chase his tail, barking.
Tara turns her back on him with a growl and a dismissive kick of rain-sodden soil. She heads back to the Pack, which clears a path for her. As John’s Beta, Tara has a place of honor, but she also has a place of responsibility and is expected to be right up front for the Slitung. I stick to her slipstream and push through to the whimpering Ronan.
Rubbing my muzzle against his, I turn to John, my body down, my head between my paws. I’m not sure he will accept my claim to First Blood, but I have a better chance if I at least smell like the wolf who had been my schildere but who never wanted to be my mate.
Then John’s nose bumps against mine, telling me to get up. With a quick snap of his jaws, the Pack retreats, giving us room. John is a good wolf and a great Alpha and, if given a choice, will always choose mercy.
First Blood allows for one bite only, and if Ronan decides to fight me, I doubt I’ll be able to make the kill. But after everything that has happened, the once-upon-a-time Alpha of the 14th Echelon seems to understand that his luck is not going to change again.
He lies back with his chin stretched high, staring at the mountains and the pinpoints of stars and the real world, the world of men, that he so wanted to be a part of.
Opening my jaws wide, I gently take his throat between them. It’s what we do, and it means trust me. It means I see you at your most vulnerable.
I bite down fast and hard on the cartilage tube, giving it the same fatal break I would for a deer. Ronan struggles a little, and blood spurts into my mouth. I curl my tongue against the back of my throat, because I don’t want to swallow this blood. I don’t want to be nourished by this death.
The pulse of his blood slows, but I don’t lift my head until it stops.
Before I even stumble out of the way, the Pack surges forward, eager to be done with this particular bit of ritual butchery.
I race for Clear Pond, my paws sinking through the cold, thick mud and dying sedges until I am in deep. Pushing the air out of my lungs, I sink and stay down until my own throat is on the verge of collapse, and the blood that had already started to stiffen on my muzzle and chest and legs begins to melt away from my fur. Maybe there was so much that all of Clear Pond is tainted, but no matter how many gulps of water I take, my mouth still has the sharp, metallic tang of blood, and there’s something stuck in my teeth.
I start to change, and as soon as I’m finished, I pick at the thing with my fingers until it comes loose. I don’t look at it before throwing it into the weeds. I think the change was a mistake though, because in skin, I feel the intense cold of the schist on my naked body and the icy water running from my hair down my back and the taste of death in my mouth. I can’t stop shivering. I try to get wild again, but my muscles are spasming so hard that I can’t. I lurch up on all fours and then to my legs and stumble only a few steps before collapsing again, my head on my knees.
A warm coat that smells like angelica and green corn and the earth before a storm settles around my shoulders. “Put it on,” says that quiet voice, and Ti lifts me, guiding my arms into the sleeves, and then pulls me close to his even-warmer body. He says nothing, just holds me tight, letting me shiver against him.
“I killed him,” I finally stutter.
He lifts my sodden hair out from under the collar of the coat.
“Yes, you did. And if you hadn’t, he would have died in pain and the whole Pack would have had the burden of it. Now only you do.”
Ti doesn’t say that I wasn’t responsible or that I shouldn’t feel guilty, but rather that it’s a burden worth carrying and one that I’m strong enough to bear. His faith calms me in a way that no amount of coddling ever could.
It’s one of the things I love about him….
“I can’t get the taste of blood out of my mouth.”
He doesn’t respond. I guess he didn’t hear, or knowing him, he did hear, but doesn’t think there’s any point in responding. It doesn’t matter. I settle my head back on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.
Did I say love?
He frees one arm and lifts my chin. It’s dark for my poor human senses, but he’s not like me and the nearly full moon lights up the green glow of the lucidum in his eyes.
He hesitates, his lips hovering above mine, like a boy nervously contemplating his first kiss. But I know what he’s hiding, and I stretch up as high as I can and wrap my arm around his neck, feeling the shape of his skull under the roughness of his cropped hair. I feel his mouth against mine, firm and ripe and warm and still closed.
Nuzzling the seam of his mouth, I catch his lower lip gently between my fangs, pulling him closer. I know you, Tiberius. I know the wildness that you’ve always hidden there, but I am not human and I want the untamed, inhuman sharpness of your mouth.
I let go and lick my lip before gently circling his, my breath feathering his sensitive skin.
Finally, his lips open softly and I seal my mouth around his, because this is his first kiss and mine too, and I am his shielder in all things.



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Maria Vale is a journalist who has worked for Publishers Weekly, Glamour magazine, Redbook, the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is a logophile and a bibliovore and a worrier about the world. Trained as a medievalist, she tries to shoehorn the language of Beowulf into things that don't really need it. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two sons and a long line of dead plants. No one will let her have a pet. Visit her at https://www.mariavale.com/.

Find Maria and her books
__________________________________
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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Interview + Giveaway: Air Attack by Claire Davon

UFI welcomes Author Claire Davon. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview? 

People are really not going to believe this because I seem very confident in public but I get nervous going into new situations that I am unfamiliar with. Down to the parking. If I’ve never been somewhere and I don’t know people I stress about getting there in time, finding parking, finding where to go, who will I talk to, will it be uncomfortable, what if nobody likes me or talks to me, what if I bomb, or fail, etc. etc. I went to a convention by myself recently and spent the entire drive to the hotel talking myself out of turning around and going home.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

I have very little down time. I have a demanding day job and between that and my writing and keeping up the necessary other components to being a writer I wind up not being encumbered with free time. What little I do have is either spent recharging or working with the local Los Angeles rescue group I am affiliated with.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

Seeing my visions come to life. Often my work starts with a character or an idea and I have no idea where it’s going to go (I’m a punster) and so part of the fun is taking that journey with them.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

I have to have quiet. I know a lot of writers have favorite playlists and/or songs but I can’t have music playing when I write. I think it’s because I love music so much that it distracts me if I have it on. I’m a fine multi-tasker but not when the tunes are on! Then I have to dance!

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?

I adore Nalini Singh. Her worldbuilding is amazing and the characters she creates make me want to weep with joy. I also enjoy Patricia Briggs, Marjorie Liu and Seanan McGuire. When I first started reading paranormal after a long absence from romance (I KNOW! What was I thinking?) I devoured Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan and Laurell K. Hamilton.

How would you pitch Air Attack to someone who has not heard of it before? 

Imagine an unseen world where four powerful immortal Elementals must face off against their counterparts periodically. Win, and humanity is safe. Lose, and humans pay the price. In Air Attack it is the air Elemental Griffin who must face off against Amai-te-Rangi, his Demonos counterpart. With the help of a minor goddess who has a secret of her own, Griffin and Clea set off across Europe to seek out and defeat his foe. Their growing attraction hangs in the balance—Griffin has a secret of his own and one that will change things between him and Clea forever.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Air Attack is set in? 

The Elementals’ Challenge series is in today’s world, but it’s a world where paranormal beings, including gods, fantasy creatures and shifters, exist but are not seen by humans. They are all around us but humans are unaware of them. We are incapable of seeing the beings but they exist. In this world the four Elementals, who are former humans now raised to the role of protector, each to its element (earth, air, fire, water) must periodically battle their Demonos counterparts. Win and humanity is safe. Lose and there is the possibility that the Demonos will be allowed to kill humans with impunity. The last great battle, called Challenge, which the Elementals lost, was World War II. They cannot let that happen again so when Challenge comes, they are determined to win. Little do they know there are forces at work that they are unaware of guiding their actions.

Do you have a favorite scene in Air Attack? 

Griffin and Clea go to Luxembourg and stay in a nice hotel in Luxembourg City. Out of the blue a ghost character inserted itself into the story. There are a few scenes with this stuffy ghost who has haunted their hotel (in a gentlemanly fashion, of course) that were a lot of fun to write. This is where pantsing is fun. I had no idea the ghost was going to appear and yet…he did.

Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about? 

My favorite is probably Ondine, the water Elemental whose story is told in the third book Water Fall (currently being edited). Ondine was human up until ten years ago when the old water Elemental was killed under mysterious circumstances. She’s new to the Elementals and that feeling of uncertainty, of not being good enough, resonates with me. Hardest right now is probably Thomas, the mysterious ferrokinetic overall leader of Universe in the new Universe Chronicles series I’m working on. He’s a bit of a jerk. He’s one of those characters that you just want to smack but the organization couldn’t exist without him.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you? 

In addition to continuing to self-publish the other three books that will comprise the Elementals’ Challenge series I have also been signed by Soul Mate Publishing to release the first in a different paranormal series that we are currently calling The Universe Chronicles series. This focuses on people with extra powers and is set around a fictional government agency called Universe that recruits people with powers. At the moment it looks like the first book in that series will come out mid next year but I don’t have a date yet. In addition I also have many short stories that are coming out as they are accepted and I would like to get back to the Shifter Wars series at some point (so many ideas, such limited time). I also have a chapter a month in my newsletter of a story set in the world of the Elementals but isn’t about the Elementals.

 
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Claire Davon has written on and off for most of her life, starting with fan fiction when she was very young. She writes across a wide range of genres, and does not consider any of it off limits.  If a story calls to her, she will write it. She currently lives in Los Angeles and spends her free time writing novels and short stories, as well as doing animal rescue and enjoying the sunshine.


Find Claire and her books

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Air Attack
Elementals' Challenge #2
Amazon
The last time the Elementals were defeated in a Challenge, the result was World War II—a price humans paid in rivers of blood. Griffin is determined not to let that happen again. He doesn’t need a minor goddess getting in his way—no matter how much the redhead tempts him.

Clea intends to invoke a debt of honor to gain Griffin’s protection, but she has an ulterior motive: to get within striking distance of Griffin’s opponent, who she is certain killed her brother.

She never expected to feel a spark with Griffin, disturbingly seductive as he is. In a world where everyone looks like a god or goddess, why should this one winged Elemental call to her?

Yet their attraction grows fiercer as they journey to Iceland, Luxembourg, and finally Portugal to face Griffin’s foe. But even if they prevail, Griffin is holding onto one last, deadly secret that proves the truth can survive any Challenge, but love may be its final victim.
Excerpt:

Currents of wind blew around and under them. Clea reached out to test the air. There was no need to supplement his gust with her own; he had more than enough. She cursed herself, wishing she had used her time to do more research before she had fled to the Elemental. She needed to know what Griffin’s strengths, and more importantly, what his weaknesses were. Only then would she know what to focus on and how she could help. She couldn’t lose any more family.
Inch by inch, her fear began to leave her as Griff’s strong wings beat in the currents. As they grew nearer, Griff again made the same hand motion he had before, and the sliding door pulled back.
“Neat trick.”
A rumble of laughter echoed in him.
He deposited her on the floor, landing her gently on her feet. Clea’s hands and face lost their chill in the warmth of his remote home. To her dismay, her heart was pounding and when cold left her, beads of fear sweat bloomed on her body. Griffin poured her another glass of wine from the same bottle as before, saying nothing. His wings once again folded against his back.
“That was interesting.” Small ripples danced across the red wine as Clea curved her free hand around the stem. In another moment, she would be shaking. Too much had happened too fast. “Why keep the basket?”
“He doesn’t need it to maneuver in air, but he likes to let the unwary believe what they will. Don’t underestimate Amai,” he said, steel in his tone. “The basket may look stupido, but he is ruthless and dangerous. He didn’t kill my predecessor by being a fool.”
Hoping her voice was level, Clea met Griff’s gaze. “I have learned not to misjudge anyone. Danger comes in many packages. Still, you’ve got to admit, it’s ridiculous.”
He flashed something that might have been a smile, but it was gone before she could be sure. “That’s the point. It’s a natural tendency not to take the ridiculous seriously, and he has caught many people by surprise that way. He was made into his current form by the primitive people of Mangaia, and he chooses to keep the trappings of his creation.”
Griff didn’t move, but he was in her mind, beating at her shields.
“Let’s talk, Clea. Who is Patrik?”
She opened her mouth to speak but before she had any words, there was a crack of thunder. It was followed by another one, and another, until their surroundings seemed alive with electricity. Clea’s hair floated out and Griffin’s feathers stood up. There was a fleeting impression of a hooked nose on his face, like a beak. For an instant, he looked like the half lion/half eagle that was his other form, before it faded to his normal countenance.
Wind kicked up and swirled outside the house, whipping small trees at the bottom until their branches bent close to the ground. It picked up snow, sending it coursing through the air, and bits of debris whirled in the currents. Griffin still hadn’t moved, cocking his head to one side.
“Amai’s parting shot. He can be a child,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
Griff’s power grew, almost a tangible force in him as he took in a deep breath. When he exhaled, the wind stuttered and then stopped swirling. It began churning in the opposite direction, rising away from the house. Lightning streaked down, but before it could crash to earth, Griffin caught it mentally and sent the electricity back up the path it had followed, lifting his hands as if to direct the path. In the distance, Clea heard a yelp before the storm ended as fast as it had manifested.
The buzz in her body subsided. There was no need for it yet. It may be best to keep her powers hidden until she had need of them. Amai was not the only one people often underestimated.




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