Sunday, February 19, 2012

Tova's Dragon Now Available


My new release from Amber Heat is now available. Tova's Dragon is fantasy erotic romance featuring an earth mage and a sexy dragonshifter. It's part of the Riding The Dragon AmberPax released on March 19.

Blurb:

Tova, an earth mage, rejuvenates through sex magic. She's on a mission to save her homeland, but her magical energy is running low--closing in on empty. How is she to know the handsome half-naked man she encounters is not only a condemned man, but also a dragonshifter? Talk about hot and steamy sex. And nothing is simple after that...

Kane has always loved Velosian women and their sex magic. Tova's warmth stirs his passions and her courage touches his heart, but he dreads telling her of his true nature, certain she will recoil. But Tova is made of sterner stuff.

Together, Kane and Tova have the power to save Velosia. If they survive, can an earth mage find happiness with a dragonshifter? In a land where sex and magic are intertwined, anything may be possible. 

EXCERPT #1:

CHAPTER 1

Once upon a time, in the land of Velosia, lived a young earth mage. Tova, for that was her name, dwelt in harmony with the plants of the fields and the animals of the earth. She felt vibrations in the earth and heard whispers on the wind, basked in the sun and gloried in the rain.

There was but one element that disturbed her. Whene’er storm clouds gathered and thunder rumbled in the distance, she trembled in dread. And when light flashed in the sky, she hid, for the lightning seemed to follow her every movement. The air crackled around and through her, and in her heart, she feared one day it would strike her dead, as it had her father.

In this time also appeared the Outlaw Kane, last of the dragonlords of Velosia, a man-beast who changed shape at will. Back from exile, he bided his time in his aerie high in the mountains, until the day Tova came seeking his help.

And so begins the tale of the Lightning Maiden and the Outlawed Dragon.

*          *          *

Seek help of the Lord of Drakkenberg. Only he can aid you. You must fly with the dragon.

Her grandmother’s words rang in Tova’s head as she climbed the path into the mountains. Why had Mutti Zee sent her on a fool’s errand? Everyone knew the dragonfolk had abandoned Velosia years ago, driven away by Bruno of Grimmdorn’s crusade against them. Until he was accused of putting the king and queen under an enchantment and forced to flee. Now Bruno was back at the head of a mercenary army, if Mutti Zee’s vision was correct. And Tova knew it was. She’d felt the vibrations in the earth.

And somehow it was up to her to save the kingdom.

Stopping to rest her tired legs, she gazed at the path ahead. It grew steeper and narrower the higher it wound into the mountains. She was glad she’d worn men’s breeches and a tunic with her sturdy boots. A gown and petticoats would be but a hindrance.

She raised her gaze to the sky. “Why me? I’m no hero.” But there was no answer, just clouds forming to her left. She shook her head. Now she was talking to herself, like mad Magnus, the village idiot.

Turning back to the path, she started climbing again. The castle was visible now, high on a cliff, its turrets silhouetted against the sky. For centuries, the dragon lords had resided in the castle, ruling the isolated mountain communities. People in those areas were known as dragonfolk, though Tova knew not why. True, dragon motifs decorated the doorframes of their houses, and rumor had it they worshipped some kind of serpent god.

Over the years, many travelers through the mountains had claimed to see large winged creatures flying in the sky at sunrise, and others swore they’d seen men and women change shape and fly into the night. Old wives tales, no doubt. On the rare occasions she’d seen the dragonfolk, they’d looked much like everyone else. But they kept apart, and visitors to the area were discouraged. It was all a great puzzle, but one she had no time to ponder. Too much was at stake and her chances of reaching Castle Novita in time to warn the king were slim at best.

A shadow blocked the sun, and she looked up to see an enormous bird silhouetted against the sky. Goddess, she’d never seen such a large raptor. It turned and the sun’s rays glinted on its shiny red-gold wings and barbed tail. Halting, she stared after it, shaken to the core of her being.

No, it couldn’t be. There was no such thing as dragons.

Tova's Dragon
by Lyndi Lamont
Genres: Fantasy / Shapeshifter / Fairy Tales / Witchcraft / Magic
Heat Level: 3
Length: Novella (20k words)


Buy Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/TovasDragon.html
http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/ / Lyndi Lamont

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Book Review Club: The Breath of God

The Breath of God was recommended to me by a friend, but I didn't have time to read it all, so I asked her if I could use her review instead. Please welcome my friend Teresa Zimmerman-Liu, who is currently in the final stages of earning her Master of Arts degree in Asian Studies.

The Breath of God: A Novel of Suspense
by Jeffrey Small

Reviewed by Teresa Zimmerman-Liu:

Jeffrey Small is a professor of Religious Studies, and the book stars a PhD student who is doing his dissertation on the Issa manuscripts, which are supposed to be located in Bhutan. The book opens with the grad student, Grant Matthews, shooting the rapids in a kayak in a river in Bhutan with his guide. The rapids are a class 5; Grant makes it through with a broken leg, but his guide does not survive. A monk from a nearby monastery saves Grant and takes him back to the monastery's infirmary. The only monk in the monastery who can speak English is also interested in the Issa manuscripts, which happen to be housed in that particular place. 

When Grant emails home about his new data to his dissertation adviser at Emory University in Atlanta, the email is leaked to the press, and a group of fundamental Christians in Atlanta stage a protest. One member of that group is a former Marine, who is not quite stable after traumas suffered in Iraq. The pastor is hoping to use the event to become leader of the evangelical political coalition and wield power in the US like Jerry Falwell used to. His inflammatory sermons convince the ex-Marine that he must kill Grant. Things get really exciting when Grant has to return to Bhutan to rephotograph the texts because the ex-Marine hacks his computer and deletes all his data. The monk in Bhutan is forced by the political situation there to take the texts and flee to India. 

I really liked the book. It has a lot of good information about the major world religions (as one would expect from a professor of Religious Studies), but it is woven into an exciting story. It also shows how important religion is to world politics and power structures. I highly recommend the book.

My thanks to Teresa for the review and for recommending the book which I am enjoying very much. FWIW, FCC, we both bought copies of the book to read on our Kindles.

If you would like more background on the Issa story, may I also recommend Jesus In India, a documentary filmed in India detailing author Edward T. Martin's "quest across 4000 miles of India in search of answers about where Jesus was during the 'Hidden Years' from ages 12 to 30". I got the DVD from Amazon, but it's also available from Netflix. I enjoyed it a lot, too. 

Linda McLaughlin
http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/

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@Barrie Summy