Unwrapping the Kiss - Is a Kiss Just a Kiss or Is it Much More?

The final book in the Vamp City series by Pamela Palmer has finally released. OF BLOOD AND PASSION is an exciting, action-packed, thrilling, edge of the seat nail-biter but oh, has it some great kissing too. If you haven’t read this series yet…do…it’s amazing!

When I think of a kiss though, I’m reminded of one of my favorite songs…As Time Goes By, originally written for the 1931 Broadway musical EVERYBODY’S WELCOME by Herman Hupfeld, but made famous in CASABLANCA when sung by Dooley Wilson. Just as Ilsa can’t forget that song, she can’t forget the kisses she shared with Rick…but is a kiss just a kiss, or is it more?

There are so many types of kisses to be shared—sweet kisses between a parent and child, friendly kisses between friends, and those sweet, inviting, tender, yet hesitant kisses between lovers, which can turn into turbulent, fiery, passionate, and enthralling experiences of which love songs, and romance novels are written.

So when you and your lover come together as one, lips teasing, and caressing before becoming locked together, tongues entwined, and then your bodies eventually wrapping around each other in rapture…time melts away. Passion flares, and the more you kiss, the more the passion builds. 

Wow, that’s some mighty fine kissing…right? Have you ever wondered why it is we kiss?

When reading a good romance there’s nothing more inviting, scintillating, and teasing to our imaginations than a good first kiss, a breath-stealing seduction kiss, or a farewell kiss making our hearts ache with desperation.

Well, I was fascinated to learn that women and men kiss for different reasons…at least scientifically. It seems a woman kisses a man so she might collect information about him as a possible mate and a man kisses a woman…well, he does it to woo her into his bed. Why doesn’t that surprise us, ladies?

Kissing has special effects on the brain as it stimulates all the senses. A kiss allows us to see, smell, taste, hear, and of course, feel our partner.

She kisses him to collect information and he kisses her to seduce her.

Both sexes kiss to become emotionally closer. It seems our lips have a large number of neurons, which pick up even the slightest of messages. When our lips touch and take in all this amazing information, five of the twelve cranial nerves then escort these intense sensations to the brain by way of the spinal cord, brain stem, and thalamus to the somatosensory cortex. 
Perhaps that’s why a really hot kiss can send shivers down our spines, eh? Amazingly enough, a vast majority of this brain region is devoted to processing sensations from around the nose and mouth, which gives our lips and tongue their exquisite sensitivity.

Kissing affects more than just our senses though, it also boosts our blood pressure and increases our pulse rate. It dilates our pupils, deepens our breathing, and raises levels of oxytocin in our brains which is the chemical associated with attachment, trust, and bonding. But kissing also lowers the levels of cortisol in our bodies which reduces stress. So kissing not only brings us pleasure, enables trust, and creates attachment, but it also relaxes us. 

Sounds good to me!

Kissing can and will create an emotional bond for both sexes. But what a woman collects from kissing a man goes far beyond sight, smell, taste, and touch, she also obtains essential data about certain genes in the immune system and by using this information can decide subconsciously whether or not a man will make a good mate. Wild, huh?

Perhaps that’s the reason so many women say that a first kiss tells it all.

So what about a man? What is behind his wanting to kiss?

Well, he collects a bit of information too…it seems the scent of a woman’s breath can tell him about her fertility. Isn’t biology grand? But the main reason for him kissing a woman still lays grounded in his desire to seduce her. It seems men prefer wetter kisses because his saliva is loaded with testosterone and by transferring it to a woman, he can create a sexual craving in her. The sloppier the kiss, the more testosterone the man transmits and in turn, the more she’ll desire sex with him.

Nature sure does make it hard for us to say no, doesn’t it?

In the end though, both agree that a good kiss brings a man and woman emotionally closer together. A good, tender, passionate, sensual, and sensitive kiss can lead both to decide each might be a suitable partner, spouse, and co-parent. On the flipside, a bad first kiss can kill a possible relationship faster than poison—a very good reason not to eat garlic and onions on a first date. Like I said…it’s all about that first kiss.

Over ninety percent of people around the world kiss but even in cultures where men and women find kissing disgusting, lovers instead lick, rub, suck, nip and blow on each other’s faces prior to making love. Nearly all kinds of other creatures kiss too, or caress around the mouth. Bonobos, our closest chimp relatives, kiss with a deep tongue kiss. Dogs lick. Moles rub noses. Elephants put their trunks into one another’s mouths. Albatross tap their bills together. So throughout nature, kissing is natural but in the end, a kiss can be the start of something wonderful. So perhaps a kiss isn't just a kiss but wonderfully, so much more...

“The kiss started out tender, a caress, a promise, before slowly catching fire. Within moments, his mouth was plundering hers, and hers his, flames bursting to life all down the length of her body and deep, deep inside. Her breath grew ragged, her flesh burning as his lips trailed across her cheek, and down to the base of her neck.”

                                 –OF BLOOD AND PASSION by Pamela Palmer

See what I mean?

Happy Reading Everyone!

   

   

Unwrapping a Review of OF BLOOD AND PASSION, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer

So tell me, did you read the first two books in the Vamp City series by Pamela Palmer? I love this paranormal romance series. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. The world of Vamp City is a place of magic, horror, and lost salvation. A BLOOD SEDUCTION unnerved me for weeks, and A KISS OF BLOOD left me yearning for more and for answers to so many questions…but it’s finally here! Or will be next week. OF BLOOD AND PASSION, the final book in the Vamp City series by Pamela Palmer is releasing on July 14^th and my darlings, it is most certainly worth the long wait to find out what happens next. Nope, you won’t get any spoilers out of me, so don’t ask.

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for OF BLOOD AND PASSION:

They call her the last sorceress: Quinn Lennox, the only hope of the vampires who are trapped in Vamp City watching their dark otherworld slowly die. But an ancient curse shackles the magic Quinn needs to save not only the vampires she’s come to call friends, come to care for, come to love, but her beloved brother as well.

Arturo Mazza, the ruthless vampire who once betrayed Quinn, and has since waged a steady and relentless war upon her heart, vows to help her break the curse. But when the mission requires them to face Cristoff Gonzaga—the brutal and vicious vampire to whom Arturo once pledged undying fealty—Quinn must find a trust in Arturo that will test the very foundations of her soul.

~*~             ~*~             ~*~              ~*~           ~*~

Quinn and Arturo, as well as Micah and Kassius, have teamed up to protect Neo and his underground railroad for humans escaping Vamp City, find a cure for Zack who is suffering a magic sickness, and to form some plan to save Vamp City. Quinn understands she holds the power to save and restore Vamp City and although at one time, she had no desire to save it, now she fears its demise and the deaths of her new friends. After trying to restore the magic and failing, something miraculous is beginning to happen—many of the vampires are regaining their souls and with them, their respect and caring for humans and Slavas.

Arturo is hoping his old friend and master, Cristoff, will regain his soul as well so the evil vampire will cease his search, and destroy mission against Quinn, the woman Arturo has come to love. Although Quinn is still wary of Arturo’s loyalty to her over that to Cristoff, she puts her trust in him once more. She just hopes her trust is well placed or everyone in Vamp City will die…or worse.

Pamela Palmer created a terrifying, brutal, and sadistic world in Vamp City. While reading A BLOOD SEDUCTION, I couldn’t help but wonder how such a sweet and romance minded writer could conjure such ultimate evil. After reading A KISS OF BLOOD, I knew that within the crumbling magic of Vamp City, there lies a world of honor, goodness, and caring, which just needed the right person to bring it out into the light. Quinn Lennox is that person. Arturo had begun to emerge from his not so likable persona whom we first met, and we began to admire and even fall a little in love with the not always nice vampire.

In OF BLOOD AND PASSION, we get answers to questions brought up in the first two books, even as more questions emerge but which are brilliantly answered as well, and then with a final battle we learn who stands honorably with Quinn the sorceress, and whether or not Vamp City can be saved.

Pamela introduces us to more new fabulous secondary characters, as well as new aspects of this magical city, new dangers, lots of action, angst, and edge of the seat nail biting excitement. This is an amazing adventure with an incredible ending.

It’s been over two years since the release of the second book in the series, A KISS OF BLOOD and frankly, I was beginning to think we’d never learn what happened to Quinn, Zack, and Lily but the wait is nearly over for everyone, and thank you, Pamela, it was worth the wait.

I highly recommend that if you are already a fan of the Vamp City novels, you will want to grab a copy of the final book, OF BLOOD AND PASSION by Pamela Palmer as soon as it’s available. If you’ve never tapped this amazing series, start at the beginning and be prepared to have your hair stand on end a bit, be fearful to turn out the light after reading, and to be blown away by the intensity and creative world that is Vamp City.

Each book has held its own power, life force so to speak, its own magic, but I think OF BLOOD AND PASSION might just be the best one of the three. Yes, it gives us answers. Yes, it gives us an ending and closure but more importantly, it brings us what we look for in any romance…it brings us a complete and total feeling of satisfaction when it’s over. I’m actually sad to see this series close, but the feeling I felt at the end made it…magical.

Happy Reading Everyone!

OF BLOOD AND PASSION, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer, self-publish, release date – July 14, 2015, available in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. (I'll get the other links for you on release day)

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, 
remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Unwrapping a Review of WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warriors novel by Pamela Palmer

WULFE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer, the last of the Feral Warrior series is available TODAY. Such joy because Wulfe finally gets his HEA but such sadness as we say farewell to the sexiest heroes ever to grace the paranormal romance genre.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for WULFE UNTAMED:

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release...

The most enigmatic and tortured of the Feral Warriors, Wulfe is haunted by the quiet beauty of a human woman who no longer remembers him. Once a captive of both the Mage and the Ferals, Natalie stole a piece of his heart before he took her memories and sent her safely back to her fiancé. But now the Mage are threatening her again, and Wulfe will risk anything to protect her.

Natalie Cash is stunned when she's saved by a wolf who shifts suddenly into a splendidly built, if badly scarred, man, a man with the kindest eyes. Swept into a world of intrigue and danger beyond her comprehension, she turns to the powerful Wulfe, finding a passion she'd only dreamed of. But when time runs out, they must trust one another and surrender to a wild, untamed love.

*                        *                      *                     *                     *

If you’re like me, and have been reading every book in this series, then you know what I mean when I say that Wulfe is finally here!

Wulfe prefers to fight like a warrior but when his heart is captured by a beautiful human female, he's at a loss as to how to keep from falling in love. He healed her and she was kind to him despite his scars. He saved her by stealing her memories of a horrific time and her imprisonment by the Ferals, but he can't let her go. Unable to keep from checking up on Natalie Cash after clearing her memories of the Mage attack on her, her brother, and their friends, Wulfe visits her often in his wolf form and hopes her life is a good one even as he knows she misses her brother, Xavier, who is safely living at Feral House. As much as he wants her to have a happy life, he can’t keep from being jealous of her boyfriend.

Then during a visit in his wolf form, Mage warriors attack Natalie’s home. Their intent is to take not only Natalie but Wulfe, too. His main concern is not his own safety, for he is no longer immortal as it is so with the other Ferals since the black curse was set upon them by Satanan through the evil Mage, Inir, but he only thinks of Natalie’s safety. They barely escape with the aid of the other Ferals and the Ilinas, too. Now Wulfe fears he's done more harm than good for he shifted in fronted of Natalie, undoing all the good he did to save her life the first time.

Life for Natalie is about to change for the deadly, and Wulfe will do anything it takes to protect her even if that anything is sacrifice himself to save her.

OH. MY. HEAVENS. What an amazing end to an incredible series. Filled with action, heartache, angst, and of course, incredibly sexy warriors and the women they love, WULFE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer does not disappoint but instead thrills us, fires up our desires to see victory, and a happily ever after for Wulfe and Natalie as well as all the other Ferals.

I’m so sad to see the end of the Feral Warriors but I hope that Pamela will treat us to something similar in the future. Wulfe has always been a favorite for the readers because he’s the most wounded, the kindest, and the one we all most want to hold and heal his wounds of the body and the heart. I cannot be happier to have him have that chance with Natalie. We don’t actually get to know Natalie until she and Wulfe interact in HUNGER UNTAMED after being attacked by the Mage at Harper’s Ferry in the big battle at the end of RAPTURE UNTAMED, but I never gave up hope that Pamela would bring her back to heal Wulfe’s heart. 

Wulfe is the Man!

I’m not going to say any more than that because it is in WULFE UNTAMED that we experience falling in love, second chances, and the huge Happily Ever After we’ve all been hoping for the Feral Warriors and their beloved mates since Lyon first brought Kara to be the new Radiant.

I highly, highly recommend WULFE UNTAMED, book 8 in the Feral Warriors series by Pamela Palmer to anyone who loves a fabulous love story filled with angst, action, and cheer-filled moments followed by loving moments of resurrection and surrender. Wulfe and Natalie are fated for each other like no other couple in this series has been and that’s saying a lot coming from me because I’ve loved every couple and every book. Wulfe and Natalie are the best Happily Ever After in Feral House. I shall miss the anticipation of a new Feral Warriors novel but thankfully, they all live on my shelves and I will visit them many times over. GO FERAL!

Happy Reading Everyone! If you haven’t tried this series, do. It’s incredible!

WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warriors novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, available NOW in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Special Unwrapping: Cover Reveal of WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior Novel by Pamela Palmer

Feral Warrior Fans have been waiting such a long time for Wulfe’s love story.  He deserves every little bit of happily-ever-after that he achieves … but Pamela Palmer doesn’t make it easy on our wolfishly hunky Warrior! In fact, every single one of the Ferals is in danger of losing their immortality … and their lives.

Brief Synopsis for WULFE UNTAMED:

Wulfe knows the end-game is approaching.  The Mage are preparing to free the Daemon plague and Wulfe’s own small strain of Daemon heritage has been awakened. Worse yet, the beautiful human he once rescued needs saving again. Though Mage sentinels are the ones after Natalie Cash, Wulfe knows his heart is what she really should watch out for. He’ll do everything he can to protect her…and keep his distance. Running for her life while trying not to fall for this gentle, wounded warrior, Natalie’s world’s been turned upside down. But when the Mage begin to free the Daemons, it becomes clear that the Ferals’ only chance of defeating them is for Wulfe to use Natalie to harness the dark forces-and risk becoming evil in the process. The future of the world hangs in the balance, but can Wolfe endanger the woman he loves to save her?

Excerpt from WULFE UNTAMED:

“It’s me, boy. This might hurt, but I’ve got to staunch your wounds.”

Her fingers pressed gingerly, burrowing through Wolf’s fur, as she sought the site of the stab she’d seen him take to the shoulder. Warm blood coated her fingers and she knew she’d found it. As gently as possible, she pressed one of the shirts against the wound, then started searching for any others.

“Poor guy,” she whispered. “You chose the wrong night to come see me, but you probably saved my life.” She needed to get him to a vet. The beautiful animal made no sound, gave no indication of consciousness. He might be alive, but for how much longer?

Something skittered across the floor downstairs, stopping her heart for another moment. Why hadn’t they followed her upstairs? For that matter, how in the heck had she fallen asleep on the guest bed in the middle of an attack on her house? None of it made a bit of sense. The last thing she remembered was hitting one of the nasties with the lamp and the other one grabbing her. Had he hit her, then? She didn’t hurt anywhere. Somehow, she must have stumbled up here and passed out.

As she probed the dog’s side, she felt more warm blood and knew she’d discovered another wound. If only she could see them. If only she had a flashlight. Or…a camp lantern. Yes. Her camping supplies were stored in the closet in this room. Rising, she dug the lantern out of the bottom of the closet and turned it on only a little, bathing the injured animal in a soft glow.

He had blood everywhere. Her gut cramped. How was she supposed to know how much of the blood was his and how much belonged to the men? They’d been dressed so strangely, like some kind of foreign army, in matching blue tunics. And swords.

She pressed tee shirts against the two wounds she’d found so far, knowing she had to find the others, yet wondering what she was going to do with them if she did. She only had two hands. And no telephone or suturing supplies.

“Hang on, Wolf. Just hang on for me. Sooner or later, they’ll leave and I’ll be able to get you to a vet. What are they doing down there?” She heard something roll across the hardwood foyer. Roll. Suddenly she remembered the way they’d broken down her front door and relief left her on a hard exhale.

“It’s not them, it’s the wind. Of course, of course.” Leaping to her feet, she stroked Wolf’s head. “This is going to hurt, boy, but I have to move you if I’m going to get you help.”

She scooted around to his back end and, as gently as she could, lifted his hips and lowered them again a few inches out from the door. Moving to his head, she did the same, back and forth, a few inches at a time until she nearly had him far enough from the door to open it. Once more should be enough.

Sweat beading on her brow, she took a deep breath, squatted at his tail, and lifted his hips one more time.

Suddenly, her hands were empty, the dog just…gone…exploding in a spray of colored lights.

Natalie fell back, landing on her backside, then stared, jaw dropping, as a man appeared out of thin air…a huge, naked man lying on the floor right where the dog had been.

She crab-walked back, the bed catching her in the shoulder blades. This isn’t happening.

The man groaned and began to stir. Natalie tensed, her heart pounding violently in her chest as she pushed herself to her feet, then sank onto the bed when her legs refused to hold her.

Slowly, the man sat up and leaned back against the door, his muscular body marred by half a dozen stab wounds, one on the shoulder…right where the dog’s had been.

This isn’t happening. Dogs don’t turn into men. They don’t!

But even as the argument roared in her head, her gaze took in the sight in front of her. The man was built, his waist narrow, his abs ripped, his biceps as thick as tree trunks, one adorned with a thick golden armband with what appeared to be the head of a wolf. His shoulders were easily half the width of her sofa. Her gaze continued up, reaching his face, and her heart clenched. Scars crisscrossed the flesh every which way, tugging down one of his lips, cutting across one eye. His body might be prime, but his face was made for nightmares. Within that ruined face, eyelids lifted revealing dark eyes that turned to her, contracting on a sheen of pain, radiating a dismay so raw it almost made her ache.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Natalie.” His voice was low and urgent as he struggled to his feet, grimacing. Towering over her—he had to be a full seven feet tall—he watched her with eyes filled with the same intelligence, the same gentleness she’d seen in Wolf’s. “I would never hurt you.”

She was shaking, her pulse racing, her stomach cramping from shock. But not from fear. Because as she stared into those dark eyes, she saw only truth and honor and kindness. And, odd as it was, she recognized the essence of the dog in the man.

“I would never hurt you,” he said again, his voice throbbing with sincerity and desperation that she believed him.

“I know,” she told him.

And she did.   

-  WULFE UNTAMED

P.S. -- I’m so very much looking forward to Wulfe’s story, how about you?

WULFE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, scheduled release date – January 28, 2014 – available for pre-order at Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

***click links to pre-order this book now.

Unwrapping: Review of A KISS OF BLOOD, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer

A little over a year ago, May 2012, I brought you my review of A BLOOD SEDUCTION, book one in the Vamp City series by the extraordinary Pamela Palmer. That story left me shaking in the dark, yet yearning for more from Quinn Lennox and Arturo Mazza and the intensity of life in Washington, V. C. - Vamp City. Well, tomorrow comes the release of book two, A KISS OF BLOOD, and it was well worth the wait. 

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review. 

Blurb for A KISS OF BLOOD: 

Only one woman can save vamp city . . . 

One of the few humans who managed to escape the deadly twilight world of Vamp City, Quinn Lennox vows never to return. But the vampires want her back, for only she has the power to renew the magic of their crumbling world and free the vampires trapped within. 

When the dangerous and all-too-seductive Arturo Mazza comes for her, Quinn knows she can never trust him after the betrayal she suffered at his hands. But with her beloved brother's fate hanging in the balance, and her own power beginning to emerge, she chooses to risk all on yet another perilous journey back to Vamp City. And though she tries to deny it, her heart begins to hold hope that even a ruthless vampire can learn the meaning of true love . . .

 

                                   *                 *                  *                 *                  *

 

As we learned in the first book, Quinn Lennox – a human from the outside world, Washington, D.C. – is most certainly the only person who can restore the magic that allows Vamp City to exist. If she is incapable of restoring the magic, Vamp City will crumble, fall, and cease to exist, killing all inhabitants within its magic bubble. Quinn doesn’t care one way or the other whether the magic fails having experienced the evil contained within, but now her brother, Zack, is ill and restoring the magic may be the only way to save him. 

When Traders track her to her apartment, she discovers that Arturo, having told her he’d set her free, had in fact lied to her once again. Her friendly neighbor is not a quiet writer but instead a vampire sent to spy on her and according to Arturo, protect her. Quinn doesn’t need or want Arturo’s or Micah’s protection. But if they are the only ones who can help cure Zack, then once more she has to venture into the hell that is Vamp City and once more put her trust in Arturo Mazza – the vampire who lied, betrayed, and relinquished her to the monster who is Cristoff.

Arturo missed Quinn. He checked in on her as often as possible to make sure she was safe, but he missed her all the same. He understands her feelings of betrayal and worries he’ll never gain her trust back. She’s deep in his thoughts, and her humanity has cracked the cold, hard shell that had developed around his heart. He promises that he will never allow Cristoff or anyone to harm her again, but will she trust him? 

Quinn travels back into Vamp City in A KISS OF BLOOD.  The reasons for her return are selfish on her part. She is desperate to save her brother, find Lily and return her to the human world, and learn the secret to her power - her ever-growing power. Her return sparks more than the discovery of new powers she hadn’t any idea of possessing, it sparks feelings she never thought she’d have towards anyone in Vamp City – not even Arturo. 

A KISS OF BLOOD by Pamela Palmer is intense and fraught with dark images, danger lurking at every turn of the page, and moments when we’re pushed to the edge of our imaginations. But then again, we’re also given a look at a side of the Vamp City inhabitants that lends us to believe that there is good in anyone if it is just allowed to be unleashed. This sequel to the intensely dark, A BLOOD SEDUCTION, shows us a somewhat kinder, more caring side of Vamp City and one that shows redemption is possible. Pamela conjures forth characters of all means paranormal that we come to care about and hope to see more of in the rest of the series. I think I’m quite in love with Micah and if I weren’t already eager for Arturo and Quinn to admit their love for each other, I’d be wanting Quinn to be with Micah. We’re left with a cliffhanger and more questions that need answering, but eager for the next in this astonishing and creative series. 

I highly recommend, A KISS OF BLOOD, book two in the Vamp City series by Pamela Palmer to anyone who read the first book, A BLOOD SEDUCTION – that is a must. I also recommend both books in this amazing paranormal series to anyone who has yet to experience the dark and terrifying world of Vamp City. This incredible series drives our imaginations to the dark places of our minds that we never knew existed, and hope desperately, that they actually don’t. 

Happy Reading Everyone! 

A KISS OF BLOOD, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, release date – June 25, 2013 in print and ebook formats.
***For Amazon purchasing information, click on cover below. 

                                                                                                  

Unwrapping: Review of A FOREVER LOVE by Pamela Palmer, book two in the anthology, VAMPIRES GONE WILD

Monday, I gave you lots of reasons to put the anthology, VAMPIRES GONE WILD, releasing February 12th from Avon Impulse, on your to-be-read list with my review of Kerrelyn Sparks, V IS FOR VAMPWOMAN but now I'm going to give you some more with my review of the second novella. The second book in this fabulous anthology is A FOREVER LOVE by Pamela Palmer and this one is going to be an intricate part of her new Vamp City series.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for book two in VAMPIRES GONE WILD -
A FOREVER LOVE by Pamela Palmer:

Trapped in Vamp City, Lukas has been unable to return to the beauty who stole his heart. But now that she's stumbled into his world, it will take every ounce of cunning he possesses to keep her alive.

                                                 *                         *                       *                       *                        * 

The Vamp City series is one of the most amazing, dark, gritty, dare I say - terrifying new series to come along in a long time. Pamela Palmer has conjured an alternate world that overlays Washington, D.C. called Washington, V.C. - the V.C. is for Vamp City - a dark, dilapidated mirror image of our beautiful, life-filled Nation's Capital. Parts of which remain in a state that time has forgotten where some travel remains by horse and carriage and yet others use vehicles brought through the magic. This is a place where screams of terror rent the night, sadistic creatures feed on fear and sex, and humans are toys as well as food. Created by a sorcerer's magic that's beginning to crack and crumble from the inside out, only one woman may hold the secret to preventing the invisible walls from falling permanently, destroying everything inside and putting the human race in jeopardy.

Elizabeth Bryant is a teacher and a human. She lives her life in Washington, D.C as a normal person always hopeful that the man she loves will some day come back into her life but, after two years, she's beginning to lose hope. Lukas Olsson is the man who claimed her heart and the eight months they spent together was the happiest time of her life but he disappeared suddenly without even a farewell. She feared it had all been one-sided - her side - and that he was lost to her forever until one morning, when everything she knew and believed was turned upside down as she walked to school with her best friend.

Lukas Olsson is caught inside Vamp City. Before the magic began to fail, he was able to move freely between the two cities which was how he met and fell in love with Elizabeth. The night the magic first failed he'd been inside Vamp City and now he cannot leave until the magic is restored. No matter how great his desire to return to Elizabeth, he's caught with no way to tell her the truth about his whereabouts, or himself. Suddenly, luck, or perhaps misfortune, has delivered Elizabeth through a sunbeam and into his arms.

Lukas and Elizabeth are reunited in a world of constant danger. Elizabeth learns the truth about Lukas, that he's a vampire, and the truth about herself. Those eight months of passion and love may, or may not, have been what she believed for now she has learned that she had been, in truth, a slave to Lukas. He fed on her, both blood and pleasure, and she's not thrilled about it. Now trapped in Vamp City with no choice but to put her trust, and her life, in Lukas' hands, Elizabeth soon discovers that her love is too great to ignore and hopes that it's true for Lukas, too.

Pamela Palmer never ceases to amaze me with her Vamp City world. Perhaps it's because I grew up around the area where this story takes place. I know the streets, the atmosphere, and am able to place myself in the environment but her Vamp City stories affect me so greatly that I end up dreaming about them once I've read them. At least this one allowed me to sleep. *wink* Yet, I still ended up pulled into it so intensely that my dreams consisted of Vamp City, only this time without too much of the horrors.

A FOREVER LOVE, a Vamp City novella by Pamela Palmer is gritty and dark, yet reinforces the belief that love transcends even the toughest barriers. Lukas and Elizabeth have a love that survives their differences in being, in time, and in space. Lukas, who has live a thousand years loves Elizabeth more than she can believe. Lukas tells her: "With you, it's different. It's as if I've always known you. It's as if you were made just for me." "Without you, my heart stops singing. My soul goes silent." I rarely quote the books I review but when I do, it's because the words themselves touched me as greatly as the story.

I highly recommend A FOREVER LOVE, book two in the anthology VAMPIRES GONE WILD, to anyone who has read A BLOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City novel, or anyone who hasn't been brave enough to read it but wants to know what it's all about. A FOREVER LOVE by Pamela Palmer is an intricate installment in the Vamp City series for it gives us glimpses into the camaraderie amidst those of Vamp City trying so desperately to save the city and their lives. It gives us an additional insight into Arturo who is beginning to prove himself to be less and less a bad guy and one who surely has a heart beating beneath that tough exterior.  This series is one for the true lovers of paranormal romance!

Friday, join me for a double review of the last two stories in this anthology - FIRST DATES ARE HELL by Amanda Arista and BLOOD AND WATER by Kim Falconer.

Happy Reading Everyone!

VAMPIRES GONE WILD, an anthology featuring stories by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer, Avon Impulse, release date - February 12, 2013, ebook formats.

                                                         Vampires Gone Wild (Supernatural Underground)

Unwrapping: Review of A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer

I am a huge fan of the Feral Warrior series by Pamela Palmer, I admit it! I have read every book and novella in this series. I recommend them to anyone who asks and so when I got the chance to read an eARC of the newest release, A LOVE UNTAMED, I leaped at it like I'd come into my own animal. 

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for A LOVE UNTAMED:

The newest member of the elite Feral Warriors brotherhood, Fox is eager to prove himself on the frontlines of battle against the Daemons. When paired with the legendary Ilina warrior, Melisande, he expects the fierce beauty to quickly fall under the spell of his quite considerable charm. Instead, he finds himself spellbound by a woman who's his match in every way.

Beneath Melisande's brittle exterior lies centuries of pain and a violent hatred of all shape-shifters—a hatred that slowly crumbles after they're caught in a deadly and cunning Mage trap and she glimpses a surprising depth in her far-too-seductive partner. Their survival demands unconditional trust—and their salvation surrender to a wild, untamed love.

                                     *                        *                          *                         *                          *

Kara, Lyon's mate and the Radiant, is missing. Without the energy provided by the Radiant, the Feral Warriors will eventually die but it's also their love for her that has them searching for her. Fox is new to the group and questions his own worthiness as the originals attempt to weed out the new members that may have been marked by their animal spirits from the worst of the line rather than the best. Partnered with Jag, Olivia, and the Ilina warrior, Melisande, Fox is unsure of his abilities and his need to keep focused while Melisande's presence strives to draw his attention away from the mission to find Kara.

Melisande has no use for any shifter or any Therian but especially wants nothing to do with Feral Warriors. It is only when she discovers that her worst enemy, Castin, is among the newly marked Ferals that she willingly offers her services in finding the Radiant. Not overly thrilled with being teamed with Fox, she puts up every defense to keep her growing attraction for him from distracting her.

Despite Fox and Melisande's determination to ignore their attractions, Fox begins to see the Ilina warrior woman as a challenge and Melisande begins to feel her old needs and desires return and knows that giving in to her sexual needs will serve to make her stronger not weaker. When lost in the Labyrinth together, they need each other's skills and strengths to survive and eventually grow closer. Melisande begins to feel the walls around her guilt and her tortured memories crumble beneath Fox's endearing charms. If they survive the Labyrinth, if they find and rescue the Radiant, what then? Will Melisande go back to being the cold warrior woman and will Fox remain a Feral once the others discover the battle being waged inside him between his animal spirit and a darkness that has attempted to mislead him every step of the way.

I was very surprised at the turn this installment of the Feral Warriors took, but pleasantly surprised. In the past books, the story centered almost entirely on the pair for which a mating was imminent but in A LOVE UNTAMED, the story took many directions at once. I liked this very much. I liked that we were able to understand Kara's fears and trepidations. We feel Grizz's angst over not being worthy of having been marked and discover his interesting past and then are hopeful of where it might lead him. We come to understand Melisande's tortuous past while Fox endears himself to her, and us, through his patience even as an internal battle rages within and visions from the past become something he fears trusting.

A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer is unique even for a Feral Warrior novel. It's action-packed as Melisande and Fox journey through the Labyrinth created by the Mage sorcerer, Inir, taking on task after task in an attempt to locate Kara, the Radiant. It's emotion-filled as Fox fights against his growing intolerance for what his animal spirit is telling him and his fear that perhaps he wasn't the one worthy of being marked. It's passion-filled as Fox slowly tears down the walls of self preservation that Melisande has built around her heart after having survived torture and rape only to live with the guilt of her Ilina sisters' deaths. As well as what she did in the name of vengeance.

Melisande is a hard character to like. She's always been there to protect Ariana, her queen, and the secrets that protect her sisters but she's cold and unbending in her treatment of the Feral Warriors. I know many readers don't like her, but I've always found her admirable. I was quite happy when, at the end of ECSTASY UNTAMED, it was obvious that Fox was attracted to her. I wanted Melisande to find her happily-ever-after and Fox is just the charmer to give it to her.

My only disappointment in A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. The story leads us through so many adventures, giving enough bits of information that if a reader were to pick up this Feral Warrior novel as a first read, they would quickly catch on to who and what the characters and story are about - until they reach the end. Had I not known of the mating ritual from previous installments, I suspect I would have been a bit lost. In the end, I do have to highly recommend A LOVE UNTAMED by Pamela Palmer to anyone who has read even one of the Feral Warrior novels, however, if you're going to read one, read them all and then read, A LOVE UNTAMED. Fox is definitely worth it.

Happy Reading Everyone!

A LOVE UNTAMED, a Feral Warrior novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats.


                                                                                            

Wacky Wednesday: The Re-Emergence of the Alpha Hero

Cover Reveal for Pamela Palmer's
next Feral Warrior Romance
 coming in December -
Fox - now that's an Alpha!

Over the years that I've been reading romance novels, I've seen the heroes and heroines go through many changes but I am so very glad to see a re-emergence of the Alpha Hero.

In the beginning, the heroines were more genteel and fearful, more submissive and unwilling to cause trouble for fear of retribution. The heroes were Alpha males that took what they wanted from whatever female was available  -  hence romance novels easily lived up to their nickname bodice rippers.

Then along the way, the bodice rippers fell away to heroines who began to fight back a bit. A heroine began to make herself known as someone who wasn't going to submit so easily, who sought to win the hearts of their Alpha men and change them for the better - a very strong bad-boy conversion leveling the playing field a bit. Unfortunately, this led the way to a Beta Hero emerging who at times was too laid back, too easy going, and a bit reluctant to go after what he wanted from his now emerging Alpha Heroine.  I think we still want our men to be real men even if they help around the house and change diapers.

I'm very happy to say that over the past few years, I've read more and more novels from the romance genre that can boast not only a heroine who can give her hero a run for the money but strong Alpha heroes that aren't afraid to show their more gentle side even as they continue to be real men. I like that combination very much.

Whereas the Regency hero remains somewhat the same with his nobility and arrogance guiding his manner toward women, we are seeing Regency women with more spunk and attitude. Women who decide what they want and go about getting it without concerning themselves as to what society might say. It's within contemporary and paranormal romance that I'm seeing the most wonderful changes occur. Strong heroes emerging from men in uniform, strong heroines who have alpha careers who carry over that strong confidence into their relationships with their men. Paranormal heroes and heroines with skills, talents and mysterious powers that put them on an equal playing - or battle - field.

Pamela Palmer's Feral Warrior series is a great example of Alpha Heroes and Alpha Heroines who stand up to each other in both protective instincts and steamy passion. By the way, Pamela's novella, HEARTS UNTAMED, which first appeared in the anthology BITTEN BY CUPID is going to be released as a stand alone in September so if you'd like to read one of her fabulous works to get a taste of the Feral Warriors, so that you may experience them in all of their Alpha glory, this is a good one to start with - be careful though, you'll get hooked, I promise.

By the way, in tribute to our real-life heroes, our military troops, Wendy Corsi Staub is planning to send along some autographed copies of her books to the troops for the holidays and she is asking for messages to give thanks. If you'd like to send our troops a special thank you message, please CLICK HERE to go to the post on avonromance.com. Thank you, it only takes a moment and you'll lift the spirits of someone who is doing their duty to keep us safe and free.

How about you? How do you like your Romance Heroes - Alpha strong, Alpha with a touch of Beta, or all Beta?

Happy Reading Everyone!
Announcement: TINA is the winner of the THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER Giveaway - congratulations to her and I hope everyone will read this wonderful collection by these four fabulously talented ladies.  xoxo

                                                              
Hearts Untamed: A Feral Warriors Novella (Originally appeared in the print anthology BITTEN BY CUPID)

WINNERS of A BLOOD SEDUCTION by Pamela Palmer ANNOUNCED!

I want to thank Pamela Palmer once more for allowing me the privilege of combining my writing talents with hers to create the post for this awesome Giveaway! You are not only a fabulous author but a wonderful friend and true lady of grace. Thank you! xoxo

I also want to thank everyone who joined in the fun and bravely told their stories - we definitely DON'T think any of you are nuts! Thanks again for visiting the blog and entering for a chance to win 1 of 4 copies. All of you are such nice people that I wish I had a copy for each of you but unfortunately, Avon didn't give me enough to do that so only 4 of you can win. Of course, any that go unclaimed will be given to a second round of randomly selected winners from the original entries.  ; )

The Lucky Winners of A BLOOD SEDUCTION by Pamela Palmer are:

TANYA

PHYLLIS M

SHELLEY B

GLORIA

All of the Winners have been notified by email
so please check your mailboxes
including SPAM folders so you don't miss it.

You've got until the end of the day
on Friday, July 20th to contact me
or I give your print copy away to
one of the other entries.


HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!

 

Wacky Wednesday: A BLOOD SEDUCTION Creative Excerpt + Multi-Giveaway!

It's Wacky Wednesday and have I got a GIVEAWAY for you!! It's a Multi-Giveaway of 4 copies of A BLOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City novel by Pamela Palmer!! Avon sent me plenty to share with you and so to add to the fun, I thought I'd do a little creativity of my own with Miss Pamela's permission, of course.

You might remember, I've featured this unique and extraordinary novel twice before, once in review and again in a fabulous interview with Pamela Palmer. She's such an awesome writer that I can't resist showcasing her and her works. If you're not familiar with A BLOOD SEDUCTION and Pamela Palmer, feel free to check out my REVIEW and my INTERVIEW but then hurry back because I've got some fun in store for you and that awesome giveaway!

Blurb for A BLOOD SEDUCTION:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see--and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her--any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission--his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City...

                          *                     *                   *                    *                    *    

**The following creative excerpt is a combination of my creativity and Pamela Palmer's, I will in no way change the excerpt from the novel, A BLOOD SEDUCTION, I will only create the introductory lead-in. I hope you enjoy both parts and thank you, Pamela, for allowing me to do this.

                          *                     *                    *                     *                   *

Quinn's thoughts had not swerved from the task at hand even as she worked to appear normal as her fellow humans moved in blissful ignorance around her. She'd gathered information and supplies but now waited for the right time to return to Vamp City to find Zack. The guilt of leaving him behind to whatever circumstances he might be suffering made her insides roil to the point of nausea. She had to get back to him. She had to find him and lead him back to the real world. The real world which once upon a time seemed filled with dangers, worries, and evil but now only seemed tame in comparison to the horrors that she had faced in Vamp City.

"This is Amanda Raven with breaking news regarding the number of unusual disappearances that are now coming to light in Washington, DC." The pretty brunette news anchor remarked from the flat screen television. Quinn had been staring past the pedestrians on the street below who were strolling along totally unaware of the dangers that lurked nearby. She'd forgotten she had left the television on as she watched for shimmers.

"Kate Landers, the Chief of Police for the city of Washington, DC is about to address the situation, one it seems that no one has been aware of  -  until now." Quinn glanced at the screen just as the picture shifted from the pretty Amanda to a blond-haired woman in a white uniform standing at a podium. She had black epaulets and a gold badge pinned above her left breast pocket. Quinn recognized her as the Chief of Police.

Quinn folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the windowsill as she listened to what the woman had to say.  "It's come to our attention that over the past few months there has been an increased number of reports concerning tourists that have gone missing while in the city. In the past, we give these reports a normal investigation time but when nothing is found to indicate foul play or any other criminal behavior, it's usually assumed to be a case of the person having gone missing voluntarily. We've long had a history of visitors to our fine city coming here specifically to blend into the citizens and disappear for whatever may be their own reasons. However, the number of tourists and private citizens who have been reported missing has increased three-fold and is now becoming a matter of concern to all of us."

A grumble rose from the group of reporters in attendance as they attempted to ask questions but Chief Landers raised her hand. The group quickly quieted and waited for her to continue. "We have no actual evidence of any criminal activity or foul play in regards to those who have gone missing." She took a deep breath before she continued. "The missing are every day persons who simply don't return from work, shopping, a luncheon date with friends and in one case, a young woman who disappeared from the street in front of her house when she took a bag of trash to the dumpster."

Another annoying grumble rose from the group but again Chief Landers quieted them with a raise of her hand. "Until we know more about these disappearances, we ask all citizens, visitors and day workers to please be on alert to anyone or anything strange and if you witness anything at all suspicious, please alert the authorities as soon as possible. We'd like to get to the bottom of these disappearances and wish to keep our citizens, visitors and residents safe. Thank you. I've no further information at this time. I'll turn it over to ..."

Quinn clicked the off button on the remote. The screen went dark and the Chief's voice disappeared. She dropped the remote into a nearby chair, turned to face the window once more and sighed. She ran her fingers through her loose hair and cringed.   --  Amy Valentini

Staring at the traffic on the street below, she wondered for the umpteenth time if she shouldn't call the FBI. After all, she knew where those missing people had gone. She could tell them exactly what had happened to them. She could send them in to rescue them all, including Zack.

Except she wasn't an idiot. They'd never believe her, at least not until she pulled one of them through a sunbeam. The bigger problem was that she knew vampires well enough by now to know that no human could possibly be a match for them. No one. Taking others with her into that world was as good as signing their death warrants. Or consigning them to slavery for the rest of their lives. At least she knew how to get in and out. She'd gotten Zack into this mess. It was up to her to get him out. And Lily, too, if she could find her.

If only the damn worlds would open again! 

 ---- Pamela Palmer, A BLOOD SEDUCTION, page 81.

About the Author:

Pamela Palmer grew up in an Air Force household as her father was an Air Force pilot. She dreamed of being an astronaut as a child. She graduated Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and began working for a major computer manufacturer. She eventually turned to writing after having married and given birth to two children. She has also written under the name Pamela Montgomerie. As Montgomerie she writes historical time travel romance novels, while as using her real name, Palmer, she writes dark paranormal romance. For more information about her and her books, please visit her website.


NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!

Having read my contribution and then Pamela's excerpt from A BLOOD SEDUCTION, I am wondering if YOU have ever experienced or known something that you wanted to tell the authorities or anyone about but feared being thought of as having a screw loose, crazy or frivolous??

I'll start it off by admitting that some months ago, I was out with the dog one night, it was raining slightly and the sky was very cloudy. I noticed that there were the first of the fireflies flitting around in the trees and sparkling in the darkness. I glanced up toward the tops of the trees. There I saw a bright light that I thought was a firefly only the small light suddenly expanded into a very large, very bright capsule (pill type) shape that was solid brightness with no blinking lights. Just as I wondered what it was, it suddenly sped off into the clouds. I looked to the other side of the house but it was gone. It was then that I realized there had been absolutely no sound either. I told my hubby, he told me it was probably a helicopter. I know it wasn't a helicopter because shortly thereafter, the choppers started flying around as if they were looking for it. I thought about calling the sheriff's dept, or Quantico Marine Base since it's just north of us but then decided not to as they would probably never believe me.

So now it's your turn - I've told mine, you tell yours or just comment on the excerpt - either way, you will be entered to win one of four print copies of A BLOOD SEDUCTION, A Vamp City Novel by Pamela Palmer.
That's 1 of 4 copies, folks.  PLEASE leave a valid email address - if I can't contact you, you cannot win.  COMMENT + EMAIL ADDRESS = ENTRY

This Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end Friday, July 13th (yep, you got that right!) at 11:30PM EDT.  Four winners will be selected at random and notified by email (that's why the email address is important) and the winners will be announced in a special Saturday post. Good Luck!

Happy Reading Everyone!   THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who visited and entered. Good Luck.  : )

A BlOOD SEDUCTION, a Vamp City Novel by Pamela Palmer, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook format, original release date, May 29, 2012.