One of the most common questions asked of a writer is: Where do you get your ideas from? Authors might reply with answers such as: everywhere—the news, overheard conversations, dreams, real life experiences. Creative ideas for stories arise from both within and without, blend together with the author’s unique life experiences and way of viewing the world. When she puts her words to the page, plot and characterization fuse with the writer’s voice to create a symphony unique to each author.

Have you ever wondered where an author got an idea for a favorite story? I asked five talented authors that very question—what was your inspiration for this story? For most, the end product of the book was the author’s unique creativity applied to a core real life experience. Interestingly, a…

Dear Reader:

I have a question for you; what happens when a book is just too sad to read?

I’m grappling with this particular question in the newest release from one of my favorite series and one of my favorite authors. Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon, the latest book in her Were-Hunters series, is just such a book for me.  I’m having a hard time getting through it, it’s just so sad.

Truth be told, I couldn’t wait to read this book. It’s about Fang and Aimee and I’ve been waiting impatiently for their story; so much so that I ran out and brought the hardcover.  But like her book Acheron (Ms. Kenyon’s last book in the correlating/corresponding Dark-Hunter series) the angst, anxiety, emotional and physical violence and the sadness are wearing me down.

The…

Book #19 in the Breed Series
Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Penguin
4 stars

Dear Reader:

Short Review: It’s written by Lora Leigh; what’s not to love?  If you’re a Lora Leigh fan, you’re going to love this one. If you’re new to Ms. Leigh’s writing, let me just say, I’m a fan, so I’m not unbiased.  I’m going to encourage you to give her books a try, particularly if you like strong alpha males and paranormals. If you’re not a fan, or you’ve only tried one or two of her books, I suggest you take a second look. Read the long review for why.

Long Review: Those of you who have been reading Lora Leigh’s Breed series have no doubt been waiting for Cabal St. Laurents’ story, the hero of Bengal’s Heart.  I too have waited for…

Reviewed by Stacy Ahlgren
Publisher: Signet
4.75 Stars

After a botched investigation left him wounded and disgraced, Special Agent Alec Lambert was forced to transfer onto Wyatt Blackstone’s team. This former profiler has lost his edge, buried by the guilt he feels over another agent’s death. But he’ll need all his skills when he realizes he’s getting another crack at a case that has haunted him. A serial killer known as the Professor is now using the latest e-mail schemes to lure his victims and the Black CATs are on his trail.

Samantha Dalton didn’t set out to become an online vigilante, until her grandmother was swindled out of everything she owned. Devoting herself to exposing fraud and preventing tragedies from happening to other families, Sam has gained fame and success with her website…

Two Sides to Amnesia:

A Comparison of ‘Loving a Lost Lord’ by Mary Jo Putney and ‘The Wild Road by Marjorie M. Liu

by Stacey Agdern

Loving a Lost Lord, Mary Jo Putney: 5 Stars

The Wild Road, Marjorie M. Liu: 5 Stars

Amnesia is a plot device which has been used in Romance Novels through the years with varying affects. But using amnesia doesn’t necessarily dictate either the plot or the message of a story. In fact, two relatively recent books by two different authors use amnesia to discuss two completely opposite themes. ‘Loving a Lost Lord’, Mary Jo Putney’s brilliant return to Historical Romance, uses amnesia to emphasize the idea of a return to home and family. On the other hand, ‘The Wild Road’ Marjorie Liu’s evocative 8th novel in her Dirk and…

Reviewed by: Kate Garrabrant
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
3.5  Stars

Ally Giordano is ready to leave New York City and move to San Francisco where she has her dream job teaching English to the tenth-grade at one of the most progressive and successful high schools in the country. The only down side to this is leaving her eighty-four year old grandmother Donny. Ally has always relied on Granny Donny ever since she took Ally in when her parent’s split when she was barely a teenager. But Granny Donny has been acting very strange lately. Granny has dementia and thinks she is living during the regency period in the 19th century. She wants Ally to find a duke and that is where playboy Sam Carson comes into the picture.

Sam is from England and has…