Sunday Wrap Up: Week ending June 29, 2014

Please be sure to comment for your chance to win the giveaway this week~~info is below!

Louise E. Rule Interviews Michelle Gent for The Review's Author Interview

Michelle Gent was born in Wirksworth, Derbyshire in December 1964, the eldest of three children.

Michelle decided to take a year off work to produce her book Deadlier...Than the Male.

On amazon.co.uk the product description for Michelle's book says:

Deadlier…Than the Male is set in and around Mansfield in the heart of Sherwood Forest, England and takes the reader into a dark and dangerous world where werewolves not only exist, but exist alonside humans - undetectable until just before the human becomes the victim.

Werewolves do exist and they exist alongside our society; they have their own rules and hierarchy, they hide in plain sight and have done for millennia.

This is a werewolf tale with real BITE - Twilight for grown-ups!

Michelle Gent

Hello Michelle, welcome to The Review's Author Interview

May I ask you what was your inspiration for writing Deadlier…Than the Male, and why that title?

At the time I started writing Deadlier, I was working as a Door Supervisor (bouncer) at a nightclub in town. I do like to 'people watch' and that job was the perfect opportunity. The moon was travelling across the sky above the rooftops over the road from where I was working and I could imagine someone leaping from rooftop to rooftop, silhouetted by that moon and that's really where the story started.

I wanted a story that could encompass five hundred years or so and an immortal legendary beast was the perfect vehicle for my character.

The title comes from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'Female of the Species'. I wanted a strong female character, scared of nothing, kiss-ass and powerful in her own right. The silly, soppy dependent characters that need a male to lean on irritate me. Yes, it's great if you have someone you can lean on, but relationships that smack of desperation leave me cold so I wrote the book I wanted to read.

The cover for your book is very striking. Book covers are really important, so did you have any input in to how the cover of your book should look, and did you have a preconceived idea of what you wanted?

There are two covers for Deadlier - the first was done and donated by a friend of a friend in exchange for the credit to him in the book. That's a street scene of the town where the story is mostly set.

I did have a preconceived idea for the cover but the first artist I commissioned made an awful job of it to the extent that I cancelled the commission. Then Pixeldome came up with his picture.

The second cover was done for me by a film director friend. He suggested the cover, I loved it and we went with it.

Come check out the cover and the rest of this fab interview right here!

Anna Reviews: Dancing with a Devil by Julie Johnstone

Please see link below for details on how to get your name in the draw for a free copy of this book!

To write credible, heart-warming romance is an art. It requires the author to breathe life into the protagonists, lifting them above the cardboard cut-outs that so often litter this genre. I therefore approach this genre with certain caution, hoping always for the best, but finding myself quite often disappointed. Dancing with A Devil is as far from a disappointment as it is possible to be. Ms Johnstone brings to life two wonderful characters that I, as a reader, very quickly invest in. From that first sensual scene in which young Audrey decides to gamble it all by openly showing her affection for handsome Lord Davenport, to the last page, I am utterly hooked – so hooked that I decided to skip my planned hot tub soak as I wasn’t sure if my Kindle (or I) would survive an unexpected submersion in water.

For characters to grip you, they need a backstory – not from babyhood on, but sufficient detail must be given for us to understand why they act as they do. Lady Audrey Cringlewood is twenty-two, as yet unmarried, and has an anything-but-loving relationship with her father who just wants her off his hands. He doesn’t particularly care who she marries as long as she does so quickly. Audrey, having witnessed her parents’ loveless marriage, has promised herself she will marry for love – or not at all. Her father is having none of that, but so far Audrey has succeeded in evading his marriage plans. Time, however, is running out.

Audrey’s dead mother – and her sad life – casts a long shadow over pretty, vivacious Audrey, in many ways a girl who scoffs at the more ridiculous rules of the ton, no matter that she is as conscientious as any other young woman when it comes to preserving her reputation. And then one day Audrey meets Lord Davenport, and what begins as a flirtation very quickly develops into something else – at least for Audrey.

Trent Rutherford, the Marquess of Davenport, is a man who has promised himself never to love again. A disastrous previous relationship left him with a broken heart and a deep mistrust of women. Most understandably, but to say more would be to reveal too much of the plot. But Lord Davenport – Trent to his friends, among whom I now include myself – is helplessly attracted to Audrey, entranced by her honesty and forthrightness, by her beauty and her generous, warm personality. Unfortunately, he cannot commit. He is willing to act her protector, but shies away from admitting he loves her, thereby causing Audrey quite some heartbreak.

To see the review and comment for your chance to win a copy of Dancing with a Devil, click here.

Rob Reviews: Caratacus: Blood of Rome by John Salter

“Legionaries! Form Testudo! Don’t question me soldier, or you’ll be on latrine duties for a month. Why are we here you ask? For the glory of the Emperor of course, do I have to remind you?”

In 43 AD the Roman Legions land on the coast of Britannia. For the Romans Britannia is a dour, forbidding land, cold and rain sodden; its warlike tribes had proved too much for even the legendary Julius Caesar a century before. Only the promise of lands and booty convinces the near mutinous legions to follow their commanders over the treacherous channel between Gaul and Britannia. During late summer the ships of the Claudian invasion set sail.

We first see the invasion through the eyes of Centurion Varro. Varro commands an elite unit of horsemen, who act as scouts for the 2^nd Augusta Legion under the overall command of Legate Vespasian. As soon as possible Varro’s cavalry unit fan out to gauge the lay of the land. It becomes clear that the warriors who had weeks before watched the coast had been dispersed due to reports of the mutiny. The Legion lands unopposed but the landing has been observed by one who will become an implacable enemy: Caratacus of the Catuvellauni tribe.

The Catuvellauni had their seat of power in an area of modern Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. They were warlike and fierce and were one of the dominant tribes in Britannia. It was the Catuvellauni who had formed the nucleus of resistance against Caesar. The tribe was ruled by Caratacus and his brother Togodumnus. A third brother, Adminius, had been previously exiled. It was Adminius who had appealed to Emperor Claudius for help in his restoration as king, helping supplying Rome with intelligence and a “justification” for the invasion.

Avoiding warbands Varro and his squadron rescue a child sacrifice, destined to be burnt alive in a wickerman. They return the boy to his grateful tribe where Varro meets the tribal healer called Brenna and begins a relationship with her. Brenna can see the benefits of Roman civilisation and wants to find a way of avoiding the bloodletting that is sure to come from resisting the invading legions. Her wishes come to nothing, however, with the brutal ambush of a supply train between the landing site and the Legion’s forward fort.

Returning to the Legion, Varro and his comrades bring news of a large force gathering, commanding a crossing of the Medway. Eager for a decisive victory, Vespasian launches an attack. The Britons aren’t lacking in courage, but they are lacking in armour, tactics and discipline. Despite their strong position they are hurled into retreat.

Find out some more about this intriguing book at Rob's review and get ready to read!

To see last week's wrap up, simply click!

Anna Reviews: Dancing with a Devil by Julie Johnstone

See the instructions below for giveaway details

To write credible, heart-warming romance is an art. It requires the author to breathe life into the protagonists, lifting them above the cardboard cut-outs that so often litter this genre. I therefore approach this genre with certain caution, hoping always for the best, but finding myself quite often disappointed. Dancing with A Devil is as far from a disappointment as it is possible to be. Ms Johnstone brings to life two wonderful characters that I, as a reader, very quickly invest in. From that first sensual scene in which young Audrey decides to gamble it all by openly showing her affection for handsome Lord Davenport, to the last page, I am utterly hooked – so hooked that I decided to skip my planned hot tub soak as I wasn’t sure if my Kindle (or I) would survive an unexpected submersion in water.

For characters to grip you, they need a backstory – not from babyhood on, but sufficient detail must be given for us to understand why they act as they do. Lady Audrey Cringlewood is twenty-two, as yet unmarried, and has an anything-but-loving relationship with her father who just wants her off his hands. He doesn’t particularly care who she marries as long as she does so quickly. Audrey, having witnessed her parents’ loveless marriage, has promised herself she will marry for love – or not at all. Her father is having none of that, but so far Audrey has succeeded in evading his marriage plans. Time, however, is running out.

Audrey’s dead mother – and her sad life – casts a long shadow over pretty, vivacious Audrey, in many ways a girl who scoffs at the more ridiculous rules of the ton, no matter that she is as conscientious as any other young woman when it comes to preserving her reputation. And then one day Audrey meets Lord Davenport, and what begins as a flirtation very quickly develops into something else – at least for Audrey.

Trent Rutherford, the Marquess of Davenport, is a man who has promised himself never to love again. A disastrous previous relationship left him with a broken heart and a deep mistrust of women. Most understandably, but to say more would be to reveal too much of the plot. But Lord Davenport – Trent to his friends, among whom I now include myself – is helplessly attracted to Audrey, entranced by her honesty and forthrightness, by her beauty and her generous, warm personality. Unfortunately, he cannot commit. He is willing to act her protector, but shies away from admitting he loves her, thereby causing Audrey quite some heartbreak.

There is very little not to like about either Audrey or Trent, but Ms Johnstone never falls into the trap of making them one-dimensional. Audrey and Trent struggle with their feelings, with the constraints of the vigilant society that surrounds them, with the expectations of their family and friends. Dancing with a Devil is a novel where the strength of a third person narrative is very obvious: both Trent and Audrey have distinctive and persuasive voices, and the novel gains depth by allowing us insight into both their heads, to their desires and fears.

Any good romance requires obstacles. Ms Johnstone has provided Trent and Audrey with more than their fair share, and the plot twists and turns like an aggravated viper – which is why, of course, I decided to do without my bath. Demons of the past have to be confronted, nasty characters in the here and now must be avoided, and fortunately for Audrey and Trent, they have a supporting cast consisting of cousins and aunts, of former spymasters and loyal friends.

Dancing with a Devil is set in Regency London. The author has chosen to build her story round her characters rather than the historical setting, and as the central plotline is both universal and timeless, this works quite well. Sufficient detail is provided for me to know what period I am in, and while there are some minor faux-pas (such as referring to a brunch) on the whole I perceive the historical context to be correct – in particular as to the somewhat suffocating (and hypocritical) conventions of the time. There is a rather amusing scene with a half-deaf chaperone and her rather listless attempt to ensure Audrey is never out of her sight or hearing. Doesn’t work too well – to this reader’s delight! Ms Johnstone has a driven prose and excellent dialogue. Descriptions are precise and convey a sense of time and place, from the starched cravats that adorn the gentlemen to the grimy underbelly of post-Napoleonic Paris. But mostly, it is Audrey and Trent, two people who have grown into almost tangible beings.

Ultimately, this is a novel about a young girl who listens to her heart and is brave enough to show the recipient of her affections what she feels – despite risking rejection. It is about a man who doesn’t dare to believe in love and so refuses to accept what his own heart is telling him – until it is almost too late.

As I said initially, to write good, credible romance is an art. Clearly, Ms Johnstone knows just how to do that, combining great characters with a plausible plot. Brava, Ms Johnstone!

The author has also so graciously gifted a free copy of Dancing with a Devil to one lucky winner! To enter the draw, simply comment below or at this review's associated Facebook thread.

About the author: Julie Johnstone is a successful writer of Regency romance, a genre she came across more than a decade ago in an airport gift shop. When she isn’t writing Regency, Julie will try her hand at paranormal, and in between all that writing and the needs of her family, Julie attempts to find enough time to keep in touch with friends and stay fit. Read more about Julie on her website. You can purchase her book at Amazon US or Amazon UK.

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Anna Belfrage is the author of five published books, all part of The Graham Saga. Set in the 17th century, the books tell the story of Matthew Graham and his time-travelling wife, Alex Lind. Anna can be found on Amazon,Twitter, Facebook and on her website. If you would like Anna to review your book, please see our submissions tab at the top of the page.