My Review Stop on the DARK FUTURE series tour by KC Klein with #excerpt + #giveaway

DARK FUTURE Series

by KC Klein

To Buy A Wife – To Keep A Wife – Dark Future

TO BUY A WIFE (Book 1)

In a harsh land where corruption rules and women are few, cold realist Hudson Land must purchase a wife to save his farm. Instead of an auction, he witnesses the start of an execution. With his first look at a beautiful woman in years, Hudson knows he has to have her—no matter the cost. Lake, a chemist and a rebel fighter, is resigned to her death, but when some back-hill farmer rescues her from the chopping block she has no intention of simply becoming his wife. She’s pledged her life to the Rebellion and being bought for some stranger’s bed doesn’t change a thing, even if his soft caresses are damn distracting. As lies and secrets build between them, are the quiet moments they’ve shared enough to stand against two warring factions in a world where only the strong survive.

My Review:

TO BUY A WIFE is Lake's story. Yes, we meet Hudson first, but we learn what he needs from Lake—protection for his farm, his men, future children, and companionship. I feel we even get a hint of his wanting love. After Hudson brings Lake to his farm, he makes a deal with her that she may have twenty-four hours to do what she needs—something she won't tell him—but that she must return willingly to him as a wife and eventual mother to his children. Lake agrees but has absolutely no intention of keeping her promise. It's at this point that I feel Hudson becomes a secondary character. It becomes Lake's story, her journey, her mission, and eventually her fight. Hudson comes across as nothing more than a second thought, and bodyguard. When he does go after her and makes a deal with the Rebels to retrieve Lake's brother, Vonn, I felt it even before he declared it that he would easily accept Vonn into his family—I like Hudson.

Lake is a strong character, a strong female character—KC is good at writing strong female characters—but I get the feeling of Lake resigning herself to being Hudson's wife more than desiring it. There’s a bit more feeling from her at the very end of the story. The romance wasn't wholly evident in this science fiction romance.  

You're probably saying to yourself, uh oh, she didn't like TO BUY A WIFE— not at all—I liked it very much, I just would like to have seen Lake recognize the good man that Hudson was from the beginning. He was gentle with her, caring, treating her like the dove in the story he tells her. The premise of the story is intriguing. It carries a sci-fi western-esk feel about it reminiscent of FIREFLY and I like that. I just wanted to feel that Lake really was falling in love with Hudson.

As the start of this amazing series that truly does work best read in order, TO BUY A WIFE is a must read to understand what comes next. 

TO BUY A WIFE (Book 1) is currently available for FREE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, and iTunes.   

TO KEEP A WIFE (Book 2)

In the shards of civilization ruined by a global war, Lake has gotten the life she never dared dreamed of—a safe haven, and the love of a good man, her husband, Hudson Black Creek. But Lake’s hard-won happiness doesn’t last long when powerful Elders lay siege on Black Creek Manor in retaliation for a past defiance. As Lake watches everything she loves go up in flames, she sacrifices herself for the chance to keep Hudson and her brother alive. Syon, a diabolic Elder with his own agenda, will push Lake to her breaking point, forcing her to compromise—heart and soul— in order to survive.

Hudson wakes from a head wound to find that his whole world is reduced to ashes. With no memory of why he’s sacrificed everything for a woman whose name is tattooed on his chest, Hudson is determined to make his heart match the emptiness of his mind, and wipe out everything except the hatred for those who are to blame—the Elders and the wife he sought to protect.

As evil and fear spread across a war-torn land, Lake and Hudson are tested like never before, and both will have to forgive betrayals and risk greater heartbreak if they want a chance at saving their lives… and their love.

My Review:

We met Lake and Hudson in TO BUY A WIFE, and learned that a man, who has a wife, is revered with respect, envy, and believed to have great prestige in this war-torn society. We catch up with Lake, Hudson, and Lake’s little brother, Vonn, in the midst of an attack on the farm. Lake realizes that the Elders want her and will stop at nothing, and spare no one to get her in their clutches. She convinces a wounded Hudson to protect her brother, let the Elders take her, and come for her later. Things don’t work out exactly how Lake had hoped. Now a prisoner of the maniacal Syon, too much time has passed for her to believe that Hudson is ever coming for her. It’s just her again, alone to fend for herself, and her unborn child.

This story covers so much in so short a time that you will almost feel like you’re watching a film in your head. Lake was almost content to be on her own in TO BUY A WIFE, but in TO KEEP A WIFE, KC Klein weaves a wonderful story about the fear of loss, fear of abandonment, and the wonder of how love can pull back loving memories from the darkness and bring a family back together. TO KEEP A WIFE by KC Klein is the perfect finish to a couple’s story that began with a match not exactly made in heaven, but ends with a happy ending which will lead us on even more adventures.

I highly recommend TO KEEP A WIFE by KC Klein, but do be sure to read TO BUY A WIFE first because without that lead-in, the fast paced action of this one might confuse and sully the wonderful intricacy of this amazing tale. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobobooks | iTunes

DARK FUTURE (Book 3)

A woman caught between two futures…

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go travel in time to save the world–and his life. Of course, her future self doesn’t tell her who he is just sends her into the darkness and straight into an alien invasion.

…must choose between the man who has her heart…

He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting military commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way for Smith to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy–slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the desire he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman.

…or the fate that saves the world.

As Kris and ConRad struggle to trust each other in a world on the brink of destruction, they each will have to face the ultimate choice of whether to fight or die… survive or forgive.

My Review:

DARK FUTURE by KC Klein is just that—dark, and dangerous. There’s no deception in the title. The story, written in first person, takes the reader on a journey with Kris Davenport into a very dark future where danger exists 24/7 and not always just from the aliens trying to destroy every human being in the universe. This riveting tale about a future resembling TERMINATOR SALVATION without the giant machines is dark, bloody, and action-packed.

Kris is a normal girl trying to make her way in a normal life as a medical intern when suddenly she finds herself confronted with her future self, who in comparison is more Sarah Connor than Kris Davenport. Her future self tells her that she must travel to the future and save him. Who is this mysterious him? He is ConRad, the Commander of a military force located on a dark world that is the last barrier between an alien force and Earth. Kris reluctantly goes. The connection between these two is turbulent, hot, sexy, and at times frustrating but if you’ve read the first two books, everything begins to come together. The adventure Kris embarks on is none like she ever expected, and over time, she discovers a stronger self and a love that is stronger than time itself. As a time travel, it has its flaws, they all do, but KC does it up well, and this is by far one of my all-time favorite futuristic dystopian science fiction romances—ever! And I’ve read all of KC’s. This was her debut, and oh what a debut!

I highly recommend this amazing dystopian/sci-fi romance, but I warn you that although this is a romance, it is not for the faint of heart. It's a futuristic tale with lots of action but if you're at all squeamish about blood and torture, this might not be for you. If you're good with lots of action, gun battles, evil men, mysterious women and don't mind some scenes of torture, then you'll not be able to put it down. I know, because I couldn't.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobobooks | iTunes

Excerpt from DARK FUTURE:

“Mmm, you taste human. Like salt or more like … warm sunshine?” He pinned me with his gaze. His eyes spoke a primal language. Desire warred with anger; need against punishment.

I looked away. Embarrassed. Violated. His body crushed mine, suffocating in its nearness. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe without crushing my breasts against him. I always considered myself strong and physically fit, but he subdued me with barely any effort. Heart racing, I panicked.

The feeling of no control would break me—complete powerlessness always did. I used whatever weapon was available; whatever maneuvers would give me a fighting chance. This was no different. I turned my head, opened my mouth against his neck, and … sunk my teeth in.

He cursed. Grabbed hold of my shirt, picked me up, and slammed me back against the wall.

A painful whoosh came from my lungs. My vision rocked—brain swished inside my skull.

“You bit me.” He sounded shocked.

My head hurt so bad I had to blink hard to keep my eyes in their sockets. “You licked me,” I shouted back.

He assessed me, aqua blue eyes hooded with thick, long eyelashes, for what seemed like an eternity. “I will ask you one more time. Who are you?”

“I’ve told you everything.” My voice sounded desperate, tired, even to me. “I went running and fell into the dark … I’m a doctor at a hospital. If you don’t believe me, just call them. I’ve worked there for years.”

He stood still, his body hard against mine, creating an insurmountable barrier. His face so close I could see his pupils enlarge, almost hiding the hard blue of his irises. The rage in him lived and breathed. One hand ran along my scalp in a mock caress, grabbed hold of my hair and pulled.

“Liar,” his voice barely a whisper, the knife was back … shaking at my very exposed, very vulnerable artery. “There hasn’t been a hospital anywhere on Earth since the year 2075.” And in one efficient movement, he drew the knife across my throat. 

Happy Reading Everyone!

About the Author

KC Klein has lived most of her life with her head in the clouds and her nose buried in a book.

She did stop reading long enough to make a home with a real life hero, her husband, for over seventeen years. A mother of two children, she spends her time slaying dragons, saving princesses, and championing the belief in the happily-ever-after. Her debut novel, DARK FUTURE, was a 2010 Prism finalist and has been honored with a reviewer’s choice award. She’s the author of the sexy cowboy Texas Fever series, which starts off with, TEXAS WIDE OPEN, available now, and HUSTLIN’ TEXAS, due out December 2013, and also a contributing author to the fun, sci-fi romance anthology, HOTTER ON THE EDGE and HOTTER ON THE EDGE 2. KC loves to hear from readers and can be found desperately pounding away on her laptop in yoga pants and leopard slippers or more conveniently at www.kckleinbooks.com.

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Unwrapping: Santa and Mrs. Claus - A Magical Romance

Ever wonder how Santa met and married Mrs. Claus?

I love Christmas movies and even the old claymation specials like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I'm always very happy when they start running them. 
Call me sentimental but I think Christmas time is one of the most romantic times of the year perhaps even more romantic than Valentine's Day. 

My favorite holiday movies usually involve the magic of the season and a visit to the North Pole. These Santa movies tend to incite my imagination and make be wonder about such things as, are the elves immortal like Santa, do they fall in love, marry and have little elves?

But the questions that inevitably cross my thoughts concern Santa and Mrs. Claus. How did they meet? How did he woo her? And most importantly, how did he ever convince her to live at the North Pole?

Well, my curiosity got the better of me this year so I wrote a letter to the North Pole. No, I didn't write to Santa but to Mrs. Claus. I assumed it would get lost among all of the other letters to Santa or possibly opened by one of the elves who wouldn't understand that it was for Mrs. Claus but guess what? I got a reply ... color me Merry!

I was so excited to receive a response that I just had to share it with you all.  [giggle]
And I think she thought I was a kid. 

What a delightful letter she sent me!!

Of course, now this leaves me with so many more questions.

Is Santa an elf or a human who was raised with elves?

What was so special about their marriage that suddenly their little village was engulfed in a magical winter wonderland?

Does everyone there live forever? 

[Sigh] I don't suppose I could get a letter back in time for Christmas and I'm sure that Mrs. Claus is busy, so I guess I'll have to wait until next year to find out ... the rest of the story.

I do believe there's a kind of magic that surrounds the Christmas Season.  Do you? 

 

Happy Reading Everyone and busy, busy, there's only just over two weeks left before Nick leaves Merry behind to make his night long journey 'round the world.  

Unwrapping: Interview with KC Klein + Giveaway

I'm very excited today, I know it's Wacky Wednesday but this is special because we have a very special guest with us - KC KLein, author of DARK FUTURE, a sci-fi/urban fantasy romance. DARK FUTURE is her very first published novel and she's agreed to give away one e-book copy to one lucky commenter.  So I hope you will make her feel very welcome.

When I first read the back cover of DARK FUTURE, I knew I was interested but had no idea just how much I was going to enjoy this action-packed, fast-moving story.  Kris Davenport was just living her life, working hard to become a full-fledged doctor when one night her future self pays her a visit. Her life was about to change in ways she couldn't fathom. This is a once-you-start-reading-you-can't-put-down book ... in fact, I was up until nearly 5:30 AM reading it because I just had to know what happened next. I want to thank KC for sending me this fascinating, humorous yet dark and gritty romance ... it's a great read!

DARK FUTURE Back Cover Blurb:

Awakened in the middle of the night by a future version of herself, Kris Davenport is given a mission: go forward in time to save the world—and His life. Of course, her future self doesn’t tell her who he is, just sends her into an abyss and straight into an alien invasion.
He turns out to be ConRad Smith, the callous, untrusting Commander of Earth’s army and the world’s last defense. There’s only one way to know for sure if this strange woman is an alien spy—slice her throat. Except, he didn’t anticipate the heat he would feel as he interrogates the hot-tempered, warm-blooded woman. For a man whose sole focus has been survival, she’s more temptation than he can handle. But a world on the brink of destruction leaves no room for love…and time is running out.

Amy:   Without further ado, please welcome KC Klein!

KC:  First, I wanted to thank Amy for having me on her blog. I’m real excited to be here. I always love being able to talk with readers.

Amy:  It's most certainly my pleasure, KC.  After reading DARK FUTURE, I just knew I had to have you visit.  To start, I'm sure the readers would like to know a little bit about you.

KC:  I’m a mother of two beautiful girls, I work outside the home, and actually enjoy going out for a mile run. I’m also fortunate to have been married to my best friend for the past sixteen years.

Amy:  Sounds like a idealic life and now you've added being an author to it as well.  When was it that you knew you wanted to write?

KC:  I truly believe the desire to tell stories are weaved into the very essence of writers. No one would pick this career unless it was something that they were born to do. I still remember being in second grade and reading my first Judy Blume book. It was then when I realized that stories were a way of living outside of myself, and I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since.

Amy:  It's hard to escape that desire, I know.  KC, DARK FUTURE is your first published novel. Is it your first full-length work and what inspired you to write it?

KC:  Yes, it is. It took me close to nine years from conception to publication. So even though it was my first book I rewrote it over three times. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on DARK FUTURE. I think aspiring authors need to learn not to quit, not to throw in the towel even when the first love of the story has worn off.
I was inspired to write this story when, nine years ago, what I was reading wasn’t dark and gritty enough for me. So I wrote what I wanted to read, and DARK FUTURE was born.  : )

Amy:  Well, KC, I, for one, am very glad you never gave up and I agree that quitting is too easy. I like that since you couldn't find the kinds of stories that you wanted, you created your own. DARK FUTURE is very dark, gritty and as you called it, snarky! It immediately had me thinking of The Matrix and Terminator Salvation, did you intend it to be that way when you began writing it or did it just evolve?

KC:  I don’t know what I intended DARK FUTURE to be. Mostly it was me just listening to the characters in my head. In the beginning I was worried that people wouldn’t get the humor in the book, but after a while I stopped worrying. People will either find it funny or not, which is very typical of my sense of humor.

Amy: I caught the humor and appreciated it. It gave Kris an edgy sarcasm that contrasted a near innocence in the hard and rough ConRad. It was obvious he wasn't sure what to make of this woman from the past. Time travel is a difficult subject to tackle and I, for one, am always skeptical about most approaches but was quite pleased with how you handled it.  Did you research the idea or was your approach more a seat of the pants evolution?

KC:  Most everything I do is by the seat of my pants. My one secret weapon is that I keep at it. I’m like a dog with a bone. When I was writing DARK FUTURE I had to find a way of getting my modern, snarky heroine into a world that created my untrusting, callus hero. Time travel seemed the best fit.

Amy: Brava! A girl after my own heart. My favorite lines in DARK FUTURE come from the scene when Kris interrupts ConRad's workout and he, in turn, tells her she needs to workout. 
My mouth fell wide open and my brain had a hard time wrapping around the fact that he had just called me fat and stupid.
"I never said that you were fat. I said YOU - NEED - TO - WORK - OUT."  He spoke as if I was hard of hearing and ... stupid.
How about you, do you have any favorite lines from the book?

KC:  HA! I had a lot of fun writing that scene. Men are great, aren’t they? I can’t remember a favorite line, but one of my favorite scenes is when Kris is getting interrogated by ConRad when she first travels to Dark Planet. I really tried to push the boundaries in that scene. Judging by the reactions (readers either hated it or loved it) I accomplished what I set out to do. Folks, you get a sneak peek of that scene since I put it as a teaser further down in this post. So let me know what you think.

Amy: I know the scene and loved it, I hope y'all will, too.  Do you think there will be a sequel?

KC:  A sequel is always possible. I would love to write DARK FUTURE 2. I even have a title for it, The Breaking of Dawn. Of course, that was before the whole Twilight craze, so maybe not.  : )   I believe that Kris and ConRad’s daughter, Dawn, has a story to tell.

Amy:  I was hoping that was the case and I look forward to it happening.  Are you working on anything right now?

KC:  Right now, I am working on a fun, sci-fi, bodice-ripper, anthology with two other very talented authors, Jessa Slade and Erin Kellison. I do believe wine was involved when they invited me to do the anthology, but I accepted so fast they didn’t have time to retract the offer.

Amy:  Sounds like fun and I hope you'll give us a heads up when it's published. One more quick question before we get to the teaser you brought with you. If you could become any character in any book, which character and why?

KC:  Umm, I’m not sure. All the great characters I know have been through some really tough stuff, and I’m pretty much a wimp. I panic over a hang nail and wouldn’t trust myself with much more. I prefer sitting in my yoga pants, in the comfort of my own home, writing about a tortured character then actually being one. HA!

Amy:  LOL! As it should be. Thanks for being so candid.  Folks, KC was kind enough to bring a teaser from her novel, DARK FUTURE, to share with us today. We both hope you'll enjoy it enough to want to read more.

From DARK FUTURE by KC Klein:

“Mmm, you taste human. Like salt or more like … warm sunshine?” He pinned me with his gaze. His eyes spoke a primal language. Desire warred with anger; need against punishment.

I looked away. Embarrassed. Violated. His body crushed mine, suffocating in its nearness. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe without crushing my breasts against him. I always considered myself strong and physically fit, but he subdued me with barely any effort. Heart racing, I panicked.

The feeling of no control would break me—complete powerlessness always did. I used whatever weapon was available; whatever maneuvers would give me a fighting chance. This was no different. I turned my head, opened my mouth against his neck, and … sunk my teeth in.

He cursed. Grabbed hold of my shirt, picked me up, and slammed me back against the wall.

A painful whoosh came from my lungs. My vision rocked—brain swished inside my skull.

“You bit me.” He sounded shocked.

My head hurt so bad I had to blink hard to keep my eyes in their sockets. “You licked me,” I shouted back.

He assessed me, aqua blue eyes hooded with thick, long eyelashes, for what seemed like an eternity. “I will ask you one more time. Who are you?”

“I’ve told you everything.” My voice sounded desperate, tired, even to me. “I went running and fell into the dark … I’m a doctor at a hospital. If you don’t believe me, just call them. I’ve worked there for years.”

He stood still, his body hard against mine, creating an insurmountable barrier. His face so close I could see his pupils enlarge, almost hiding the hard blue of his irises. The rage in him lived and breathed. One hand ran along my scalp in a mock caress, grabbed hold of my hair and pulled.

“Liar,” his voice barely a whisper, the knife was back … shaking at my very exposed, very vulnerable artery. “There hasn’t been a hospital anywhere on Earth since the year 2075.” And in one efficient movement, he drew the knife across my throat.

Amy: Wow! You can't get more intriguing than that!!

KC and I would both like to hear what you think about the scene ... in addition, I was wondering what you would do or say if your future self showed up in your house one night. 

KC is graciously giving away an e-copy of DARK FUTURE to ONE (1) lucky commenter,  So please, include a valid e-mail address in your comment so we can contact you if you happen to be that lucky winner.  If you're worried about spam, please modify your address, example: admin.myblog AT aol.com.
(This giveaway is open only to US entries - sorry. Winner will be randomly selected from comments posted on or before Monday, Dec 12, 2011.) see my FTC guidelines for more information.

I want to thank KC for joining us today and to everyone, happy reading and GOOD LUCK! 

You can visit KC at her website, on Facebook, or at Twitter.

DARK FUTURE is available in Kindle or print at Amazon and all e-book formats at Avon Impulse.

                                         This Giveaway is now closed - the winner (mauratroy) has been notified, thanks to everyone who commented.