Author Feature: Mary Firmin

Welcome to The Wormhole.

It is my pleasure to feature:  Mary Firmin 

and her book Deadly Pleasures.

Amazon Product Description:

"Megan Riley has bigger things to worry about than the fact that her neighbor has just been found dead. 
Her engagement has just ended, and she is once again on a quest to find Mr. Right—or at least Mr. Right Now. Tired of emotional ties and ready for a new adventure, Megan and her three best friends make a fateful decision. They hire hunky stripper Michael Harrington as their timeshare boytoy—unaware he is the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders. Suddenly, they find themselves involved in a complicated murder investigation led by a handsome detective who is focused only on finding the twisted serial killer before he strikes again. But who will be the next to die? Megan, the hardworking real estate agent; newly divorced Kathleen; Alex, married to a wealthy businessman; or Rachel, the spurned wife of a hot Hollywood screenwriter?
Following her own investigation, Megan takes a wild ride through L.A.’s bondage parlors, hidden sex clubs, and the extravagant lifestyles of the rich and famous; soon she discovers that her quest for adventure has abruptly transformed into a dangerous game of life and death."

Mary Firmin Bio (from Amazon)

Mary Firmin was born in the North of England, emigrated to Canada, then traveled to Florida where she owned and operated an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. She moved on to Santa Monica, California where she worked in Real Estate Sales and eventually became Vice President of a large firm on the West Side. She began her writing career by attending many classes at local colleges, including UCLA, and then moved on to private writer's groups. As active members of a Southern California Yacht Club, Mary and her husband traveled up and down the California Coastline for years, and spent many days on Catalina Island. Upon moving to the Desert, Mary wrote a society column for a Palm Springs newspaper. It is from these experiences she forged her characters and the story of Deadly Pleasures. This book is a fun, casual read with a little romance, some deviant sex, and a sick serial killer. It is sure to keep your attention to the very end. Mary's loving husband, Bill, passed away this year. She has three children, one gorgeous grandchild and lives in Rancho Mirage, California. Mary is now working on her second book in this series, Deadly Secrets.

For those of you who are wanting more...Mary has stopped by for an interview:

Q. When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?

A. I think I had ideas of being a writer when I was a child. I loved writing compositions and no matter what they were about I always ended with ‘and then I went home tired but happy.’  I have never used that sentence since.  And I loved to read. I always had a book in my hand. But it wasn’t until later in life that I had the time and opportunity to follow this dream. I did not have a lot of formal education so I educated myself by going to writer’s classes, seminars, conventions, and writers groups.  Always in a writers group!

Q. How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

A. A multitude. I worked for Bell Telephone in Canada; I taught dancing in Canada, moved to Florida and owned an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Later I arrived in California (when I ran home to mother) where I continued to dance and teach in Hollywood.  After this I married my first husband. We had three children and I took up real estate. Eventually, I ended up as vice president of a large firm in Santa Monica, and general manager of residential sales. One day while talking with my friend we decided we wanted to be on the Tonight Show, so we figured the only way to do that was to write a book. We checked the UCLA catalogue and found a class advertised as “How to Write the Bestseller.” It was right up our alley. We attended that class and found our mentor, Marjorie Miller. She taught the Bestseller class, and then invited us to join her private writers group in Westwood. Many published authors came out of that group.  Both my friend and I fell in love with the process of writing and it became my life’s work, at first part time, and then full time. I am most happy when I am writing. Obviously, we did not make it to the Tonight Show. Yet!!!

Q. How long does it take you to write a book?

A. Before Deadly Pleasures, I had written Voodoo Fire, a thriller about Haiti, with zombies. But it was not fashionable then like it is now.  I started a vampire book after that but everyone told me no one was interested in vampires. Ha Ha. So I dumped that book. When I wrote the first version of Deadly Pleasures, the “powers that be” told me I couldn’t have four women. And then came ‘Sex in the City’ and then came ‘Desperate Housewives’. It seems they may now be ready for Deadly Pleasures -- I hope.  For Deadly Pleasures I probably spent three years writing it. I found my voice while writing this novel. I hope to complete my next book, Deadly Secrets this year.

Q. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

A. I try to make my writing feel invisible so the reader can glide over the words and actually see what I am describing and feel the feelings I am trying to evoke.  But I do love to write descriptions of the sky, mountains, the sea, and people.  I think the reason I try to keep it simple is because I do not want the writing to interfere with the reader’s pleasure.

Q. Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

A. Actually, the hardest thing to do is START. Usually, once I sit down and put my thoughts to what I want to accomplish in a scene, it’s hard to get me away from the computer. I have always chosen to write at night when there are no distractions. But since my husband passed away last year I can work any time of the day and night. Harold Robbins, (and who can forget Harold Robbins?) gave me the best advice, he said we had to ‘put ass glue on our chairs and not get up until we had five to ten pages written.’  It does not have to be perfect – just on the page. Since writing is mostly re-writing, nothing can happen unless you have the first words written down, then you can fiddle with it, rearrange it, and even omit it. But you must START.

Q. Where do you get your ideas or inspirations for your characters?

A. Of course there are only so many personality types, and often my characters do sound like people I know. But mostly, they all have a little piece of me in them. How else could I describe their feelings, fears, and emotions? My next book is about a country club in the desert so all my friends and golf partners are nervous.

Q. How do you decide what you want to work on?

A. I pick a subject I would like to learn about. I was fascinated with Haiti and the real source of zombies. I was also interested in the political situation. With Deadly Pleasures, I wanted an interesting killer. I was interested in bondage and S&M. but I knew very little about it. I never practiced BDSM but I was intrigued with the why of it. My husband and I had a whole lot of fun researching the information. We hit a lot of porn shops, read some pretty obnoxious magazines, watched videos, and with the help of a psychiatrist friend delved deeply into the mental process and the psychosis of sado-masochism. I read a lot of true crime and tried to figure out the motives of killers like my Bondage Murderer. It was fascinating!

Q. What books have most influenced your life?

A. As a girl it was always Nancy Drew and any kind of mystery I could get my hands on. I moved on to Agatha Christie, I adored Miss Marple and Mr. Poirot. I was so taken with Death on the Nile that in later years I talked my husband into going to Egypt. It was not the best time to travel there but we did. We sailed down the Nile in a boat similar to the one in the movie. We visited the hotel where the action took place. What a thrill. I also loved Sherlock Homes and of course Charles Dickens not always by my choice. Raised in England we were reading at a very early age so I had lots of time for Jane Austen, Emily Bronte. Etc. Now, I absolutely adore Thomas Harris the author of Hannibal and Red Dragon.  I treat Red Dragon as a text book, because the art of building suspense in this book is absolute genius.

Q. What are you reading right now?

A. I am reading books to review for my friends. I have just finished The Naked Room, by Diana Hockley, Also A Dangerous Harbor, by RPDahlke, Forgotten Burial: A Restless Spirit by Jodi Foster. I have just begun Memoirs from the Asylum by Kenneth Weene. My taste in books is eclectic. And I also bought Trick of the Dark by Val Mc Dermid, a British author of mysteries.  I love Jackie Collins. I can always count on being entertained.

Q. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

A. I love to dance, which is not surprising, I also play golf but I am not very good at it. I just keep slugging away. I absolutely adore spending time with my grandson who is seventeen months old and is experiencing EVERYTHING for the very first time. It is very exciting. I do lunch a lot.

My latest obsession is with Twitter. All my writer buddies are tweeting and re tweeting each other.  It’s a blast. My list of followers grows every day.

Q. What is your favorite comfort food?

A. That’s easy. Chocolate, milk or dark, but never white chocolate.

Q. What do you think makes a good story?

A. Something, anything that keeps the reader’s interest, has a fascinating beginning, a competent middle, and a satisfying ending. I do not like nebulous endings. I like things to be all wrapped up neatly. But then again, I don’t like to have it all explained away. I like funny, I want to laugh to ease the tension. I love descriptive passages that are not too flowery and overdone. I am pretty easy to satisfy. I just love reading.

Q. Who is your favorite author and why?

A. My favorite author is Thomas Harris, the author of Hannibal and Red Dragon.  His sense of pace and building to a suspenseful ending is genius. I have read Red Dragon many times. I use it like a text book. I do love Dan Brown, I really like the way he takes things that we think we know, and then turns them upside down.  He makes us believe.

Q. What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

A. Red Dragon, by Thomas Harris.  I also loved both movies they made of the book.

Fun, random questions.

Dogs or cats?  Very hard – dogs.

Coffee or tea?  I’m English, tea.

Dark or milk chocolate? Mmmm, milk.

Rocks or flowers?  Flowers.

Night or Day?  Night. I am a night person.

Favorite color.? Black.

Crayons or markers?  Markers.

Pens or pencils? Pencils.

You can buy a paperback copy by clicking HERE.

You can buy the kindle version for only $.99 by clicking HERE.

Stop back this week for the review!

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.  Happy Reading.

Bandit Creek Author ~ Sherile Reilly

Welcome to The Wormhole.

It is my pleasure to feature Bandit Creek author Sherile Reilly and her book Spunky.

About Sherile Reilly

Unlike her heroine, Sherile Reilly has never had to fret about hanging up her tap shoes. Trained as a singer and a pianist, she devoted her expertise to teaching sixth graders and learned as much from them as they learned from her. Sherile is now pursuing other passions, writing and painting. She’s had numerous showings of her art and her work has been selected as ‘Best in the Show’. She lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband Ed.

...and now that you want to know more about her...Sherile has stopped by for an interview:

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I first realized I wanted to be an author when my husband and I were driving in Montana. I’d been reading a Judith Duncan novel and I loved the emotion. I wanted to write characters that a reader would love.

How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

When I wrote my first novel, I was teaching school and writing at night. My fifth and sixth grade students inspired me. I had fun reading them the stories I was writing. They were quick to offer suggestions.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

When I write I must have an outline. I want to know what will happen next. Once I know the sequence of the story, I can write it and enjoy the emotion.

Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

Reading books puts me in the frame of mind for writing. As a child, I devoured Enid Blyton books. I loved the children’s adventures and the settings—ancient castles, secret passages and caves.

What are you reading right now?

I’m always reading a variety of books. I just finished a novel about one of the Canadian Prime Ministers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier by Roy MacSkimming. Such novels are a wonderful way to learn history.

Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

My inspiration for writing comes from thinking about characters with flaws and problems. How does each person find a solution to his or her problems? How does a character grow and change and become a better person?

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

When I’m not busy reading, I paint. Recently I had 25 paintings in the show and sale at the Leighton Center. Juggling art and writing is a big job, but I love both of them and don’t want to stop doing either. I guess I’ll have to give up watching television at night.

I have a special place in my heart for Spunky; she’s outspoken but honest and loyal.  You can read Spunky by clicking on the following link.

http://amzn.com/B007D6ES0C

Other books in the Bandit Creek series can be found at the following:

http://banditcreekbooks.com/books/

Tap dancing and riding her dilapidated bike are ten-year-old Sarah Crawford's, better known as Spunky, favorite activities.

After moving to Bandit Creek with her mom, Spunky discovers the old lady in the basement apartment dislikes both her and her dancing.

While practicing her tap steps in the garage, Spunky devises a wonderful scheme to raise cash for a new bike. However, disaster strikes when she is accused of theft and her great money-making plan is squashed.

Just when Spunky thinks that Bandit Creek is a horrible place to live, she's forced to defend her beliefs and her whole world changes. She discovers the town may be more exciting than she ever realized.

You can buy your own copy by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!

Happy Reading.

Review: Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blurb:
When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes.

But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn't seem so bad.


My thoughts:
     I enjoyed this story from the start.  Fast paced, mysterious and twisting.  I love the idea of mind readers.  This is a wonderful YA paranormal. 
     Jacqueline Gardner has created a host of wonderful characters, my favorite being Rory - the science geek.   The good guys were your average teens - not flawless and invincible.  The bad guys too were young, but perfectly cruel and evil.  She has set those characters in a realistic high school setting.  I was cringing at the school interactions - I still remember high school and the author's descriptions were spot on.  
     The plot is intriguing and mysterious, with enough twists to keep you reading.  The story was fast paced and nicely written.  There was a little bit of romance with the "new boyfriend"  for Bridget (Terrance) but I kept holding out for a budding romance between her and Rory. 
     The mind reading/mind control aspect of the book was well done.  I liked the way the author twists the ritual (no spoilers - so that's all I will say).
     This is a clever and creative story that shows the depth of the author's imagination.  I can't wait for book two.

Blog Tour: Interview with a Jewish Vampire by Erica Manfred

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature:

Erica Manfred and Interview with a Jewish Vampire.

Erica Manfred is a freelance journalist, humorous essayist, and author.   Her most recent book is the novel, Interview with a Jewish Vampire. She’s also authored two non-fiction self-help books, including most recently He’s History You’re Not; Surviving Divorce After Forty. Her articles and essays have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The New York Times Magazine, Ms., New Age Journal, Village Voice, Woman’s Day, SELF, Ladies Home Journal, and many other publications. Erica lives in Woodstock, New York with her Chihuahua, Shadow, and her daughter, Freda. Brought up by Jewish parents who spoke Yiddish but avoided religion, she got her Jewish education at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation which welcomes Jews from all backgrounds, from atheist to Orthodox, to vampire. Her website is www.ericamanfred.com, or visit www.jewishvampire.com

Interview with a Jewish Vampire

by Erica Manfred

The last thing zaftig middle-aged journalist, Rhoda Ginsburg, expected when she signed up for JDate was to fall in love with a vampire. But when she meets drop-dead gorgeous Sheldon, a Hasidic vampire, she falls hard. She rationalizes that he may not be alive, but at least he’s Jewish. 

She learns that back in the nineteenth century Sheldon was a rabbi who was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula, an anti-Semite who got his kicks from turning Orthodox Jews into vampires because then they’d have to drink blood, which isn’t kosher. 

Soon after she meets Sheldon, she discovers her beloved mother, Fanny, is terminally ill, so she comes up with the crackpot idea of getting Sheldon to turn Fanny and her friends, known as “the goils,” into vampires. 

Once she becomes a vampire, Fanny tires of her boring life in Century Village, Florida, and, seeking thrills, she goes clubbing and disappears into the nightlife of South Beach in Miami. When Fanny and her goil posse  “go rogue” and start preying on the young, Rhoda and Sheldon must track them down to keep them from killing again. 

Interview with a Jewish Vampire turns vampire lore on its head, proving that not all vampires are young and beautiful and it IS possible to be undead and kosher.

Excerpt:

We had met through JDate. I was a Jewish divorcee of forty-one who claimed to be thirty-five and might be considered zaftig if you defined that liberally. He had been dead for a long time but I didn’t know that right away. I just thought he was pale. An undead double for Jeff Goldblum, he was tall, slender, with a mischievous smile, flashing green eyes and long black hair. His incisors were kind of pointy when he smiled and his skin was pasty white, but that didn’t put me off. Everyone looked pretty sallow in the dead of winter in New York City. I immediately wondered if I could drag him off to my lair later that night.

Despite the fact that I had a pretty face, I didn’t get a lot of action on JDate because I had checked “a few extra pounds” in the body size box. “A few” was an understatement, which is why I always met dates at night in bars. I wore black and got there first so they would see me sitting down. My face was a lot slimmer than the rest of me. Jewish guys were the worst when it came to weight—and everything else. Only a Jewish supermodel who ran a law firm was good enough for the Jewish princes I met on JDate.

I was perched on a barstool too teeny to accommodate my rear end, which spilled over the edges. I peered at everyone else's barstools and felt worse seeing all those visible edges. I decided that from now on my goal in life would be to sit on a barstool and be able to see the edges. I tugged on my low-cut tunic top trying in vain to hide the bulges between chest and crotch which seemed to have a mind of their own, ballooning out despite my best efforts. At least I was showing some cleavage, my best physical attribute. He rescued me from what was rapidly becoming a severe fat attack.

“So, you’re a journalist…” he said, putting his elbow on the bar and turning towards me. I had listed that profession on my profile. “Do you have a tape recorder with you?” he asked, not realizing I suppose that tape was so last century and reporters now carried digital recorders.

“Why do you ask?” Men had asked me a lot of strange opening questions on first dates but whether I had a tape recorder was not one of them.

“I would like to tell the story of my life.” He leaned forward and gave me such an intense look I had to turn away. “Would you be willing to interview me?”

No, I wasn’t interested in the story of his life. I was interested in getting to know him in a more biblical sense. I figured he was just another narcissistic celebrity wannabe. As a writer I was constantly getting hit on--not by attractive men--but by people who thought their lives were so fascinating they would make surefire bestseller material. All they thought they needed was a writer to tell their story which, of course, I would be thrilled to do on spec because they didn’t have any money. None of them realized that writers are not charitable institutions.

“You will want to write my story,” he said urgently, “You’ve never heard anything like it before. It will make you rich and famous.”

“Sure, sure. So what’s so special about your story?” I asked wearily, disappointed that he was only interested in my writing skills, not my body.

“I’m a vampire,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Sure, and I’m the Queen of the Damned.”

“What will convince you?” he asked.

Bandit Creek author Brenda M. Collins ~ interview

Welcome to The Wormhole!

It is my pleasure today to host Brenda M. Collins.

She is a Bandit Creek author and her recent release is

Witch in the Wind.

Beverly, I really appreciate your kind invitation to chat with you and your readers today about my debut novel. I'm so excited about the recent release of Witch in the Wind, which is a (sweet) paranormal romance with mystery elements.

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

My mother, concerned that I had so little interest in reading as I entered my teens, bought me my first category romance novel. That’s when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up – a romance writer. From there, my tastes expanded to mystery and fantasy. Witch in the Wind starts out with a murder but comes to life with witches, warlocks, a canine familiar and even a magical dimension I created called The Otherland.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

As often happens, life got in the way of my writing dream and it’s taken me more than two decades to circle back to it. But I’ve finally done it!  Before that I had a very successful career in the senior management ranks of the international business and high tech world.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

It took me ten years, and lots of classes and workshops, to write the first two manuscripts while I was learning the craft,  but only ten months to write Witch in the Wind. I guess I needed a deadline to really get my butt in the chair, as they say. I’m lucky that my debut novel is part of the Bandit Creek eBook Series so, along with the deadline, I had the support of more than 30 fellow authors. Their excitement is contagious as you’ll see if you catch up with our authors on Facebook.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I dream my scenes before I write them. Honestly! I've been a lucid dreamer from early childhood.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

I need to get enough sleep. LOL. And, contrary to what most writers find about writing in the morning, I'm a night hawk. I have to clear the decks of all my other chores during the day and then I sit down late in the afternoon and the creative juices start to flow. I do my best work from 8pm to midnight.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

The easy answer is my imagination but to dig deeper I'd say it's my heritage. I was born and raised on the island of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic.  Its history dates back to the Vikings and leans heavily to Irish, who believe in everything from fairies to leprechauns, four-leaf clovers to banshees,  and  have all sorts of rituals to ward off evil spirits or bad luck. There were still Gaelic speakers in Newfoundland well into the 20th century and, like the Irish, we love to spin a tale!  Until I started researching for Witch in the Wind I didn't realize there was a little-known yet long-established tradition of witch lore in Newfoundland culture.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

It goes back to the dreams—if I dream it, and it still appeals to me that evening when I sit at my computer, then I start typing. I also tend to be very verbal—another family trait, I'm afraid—so I discuss ideas with my friend and critique partner, Roxy Burroughs. She's more advanced as a writer than I am, so I value her advice.

My former work colleagues are still adjusting to—what appeared to them to be—my sudden decision to quit my day job to become a writer. Yet every one of them comments on what a positive difference it has made. They tell me my eyes sparkle when I talk about my story, that my enthusiasm washes over them in waves, and that I seem years younger. That's what following your dreams will do to you. I don't regret the long wait to follow my passion because I believe I am the sum of my experiences—both good and bad, they are what will feed my stories now, although I am so happy to be living this life at this time.

May I add that Witch in the Wind is available on both AMAZON and  SMASHWORDS, if your readers are interested reading an excerpt? And if they are interested in finding out when my next story is coming out they can follow me on TWITTER @bcollinswriter

I'm currently working on a collection of short romantic stories with award winning author, Roxy Boroughs, which is coming out next month. I know magical people from The Otherland will continue to slip through the portal to the mortal world for more adventures, and, of course, Marcus and Avy will have a role to play in resolving the situation with the Witches Council at some point.

Thanks again for having me Beverly.  

More ABOUT Brenda M. Collins

Brenda Collins has wanted to write romance since she was twelve years old. At the age of twenty, she spoke to an editor in Toronto, Canada, who expressed an interest in her story; however, she soon realized it takes more than an idea to be an author. She joined a number of writing groups to learn about ‘the craft’ and completed two mystery manuscripts. When the Bandit Creek opportunity arose, Brenda jumped on board immediately. The story that emerged started with a murder, but it came to life with witches, warlocks, a “familiar” and a magical dimension called The Otherland.

To help her fellow writers develop strong business skills, Brenda has published articles, and delivered workshops to hundreds of writers, on career planning, professional networking and presentation skills. Her most recent article is scheduled to appear in the 2013 Writer’s Market (Brewer, R.L., ed. F&W Media Inc.).

Brenda is currently working on a collection of short romantic stories with award winning author, Roxy Boroughs, which is coming out early this summer. She promises magical people will from The Otherland will continue to slip through the portal to the mortal world for more adventures. And, of course, Marcus and Avy will have a role to play in resolving the situation with the Witches Council at some point.

If you enjoyed Witch in the Wind, please help other readers find it by recommending it to friends or writing a review on Amazon. Follow Brenda on Twitter. For upcoming titles, keep an eye on her Amazon Author Page.

Witch in the Wind 

Bandit Creek has a new magical dimension, The Otherland.

When murder strikes in Bandit Creek, and the victims aren’t who they seemed, powerful guardian warlock, Marcus Egan, is sent from The Otherland to investigate. What he doesn’t expect to find is Avalon Gwynn, the grieving daughter of the victims, who has no idea she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch. And Avy’s pent up magical abilities have just been set free in the mortal world.

Can Marcus catch a killer while making sure Avy doesn’t bring Crow Mountain crashing down on the town—destroying Bandit Creek for the second time?

Review: The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle

The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle


Good Reads Book Blurb:
Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant. 

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, naked selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure. 

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?


My thoughts:
     This was my first Krista Holle story as well as my first selkie story.  I am a fan of paranormal and was excited about it.  Krista Holle did not disappoint.  This story is clever and intriguing, bitter and sweet.  

     

     The author has built a world that is both realistic and fantastic.  The old-world, historic feel paints the perfect setting for the story and she has created a colorful and mysterious legendary background for the selkies.  The writing is vivid and detailed, assuring that the reader can visualize both the characters and the setting.  It has romance, but not a lot of sexuality; the intimate moments in the story are left to the imagination of the reader.

    

     The characters captured me and the creativeness and uniqueness of the story held me.  Eamon is a selkie whose ideals and sense of self are seeped in his belief in honor.  He is young and reckless.  At the start he is out for revenge, but then falls in love.  He believes that to be true to Kait he must give up the sea.  Kait is bewitched at the start by Eamon's lure, but falls in love with him.  This is their story, of their love and willingness to do whatever it takes to prove that love.  


     This story is carefully created, nicely paced and well-written.  I would easily recommend it to others.   I read purely for the entertainment and enjoyment of the story and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to discover what this book had to offer.