"Two Dark Sensual Tales of Love Among the Shadows!"
The Shadow Dwellers is a paranormal romance series in which
the human world coexists with a preternatural one. The
preternaturals consist of vampires, witches, and
were-animals, who are governed by the Council of Elders
headed
by the vampire Alexandre Saint-Juste. Book III: SHAMELESS Also sold singly in electronic format.
ISBN Disk: 1-55316-078-9
ISBN Rocket: 1-55316-921-2 The council had been subject to major upheaval when,
nearly a year ago, the rogue vampire Mikhail had
challenged Alexandre for his title. Two of the five council
members, vampires Cassiopeia, and Edward had defected to
Mikhail. Their effort had been thwarted, but the rebels had
escaped. Alexandre, Fayne (a were-cat), and Bliss (a
revenant and daughter of the world's most powerful witch,
Mortianna) are all that remain of the council. In a Colorado coffee house, eleven years after the birthday
dinner that started it all, the five friends - Vivian,
Jennifer, Shai, Melanie, and Erihn, have gathered together
for another birthday celebration, this time Erihn's. Much has happened in the intervening years. Three of the
friends have found significant others, and the ladies have
decided it's time for a new project. It's time to find a
nice gentleman who will treat their physically, and
emotionally scarred, friend in the way that she deserves. At age seventeen Erihn Spencer had been a well known
fashion model. That had ended when she'd been kidnapped by
a madman, while working on a shoot. She'd been held for
three
days before being rescued. She'd been unspeakably
brutalized and her life had never been the same. Now she
had her friends and a successful career as a romance
writer, but she would never trust a man again. She's firmly
convinced that no man would want her anyway. If she
couldn't have love, she would write about it. Her latest
novel, the best selling, Velvet Lover, featuring a
were-cat
as the hero, was a steamy as they come. As the ladies discuss their plans, Shai's lover, Val,
arrives with his good friend Fayne in tow. The gentlemen
settle in the adjoining room while Erihn rises to the stage
to recite a poem entitled "The Cat". Fayne scans the room
and peruses the group of friends. They are all beautiful
women, but it is the understated Erihn that catches his
eye. Never one to go for obvious charms, he is eager to
discover what lies behind her extremely concealing
hairstyle and clothing. Fayne's life had changed greatly over the month's following
the failed coupe. Typical of his line, his life had been
lived almost solely for physical gratification. Since he
had taken on the guardianship of the child Max, who had
been the mute vampire Edward's unwilling interpreter, his
life had been devoted his new son. Though he loves the
child dearly, fatherhood had put a major crimp in his love
life. Now with the full moon waxing and Max away on an
excursion with Bliss, he's free to explore this new found
interest. Fayne rises and with catlike grace approaches the stage to
give Erihn the kiss to end all kisses.
Erihn responds with uncharacteristic passion, but then
reality seeps in and she flees, unwilling to see Fayne's
look of pity now that he's seen her up close. Erin's last novel had been so popular that her fans had
clamored for more. The were-cat idea had been inspired by a
strange diary she'd found in Val's library. Jennifer had
offered her the use of her mountain home as a retreat where
Erihn could conduct research for the sequel in peace.
Unfortunately Jennifer had forgotten to mention the other
house guest. Erihn decides that relaxation is the order of the day, to
take her mind off the mind-blowing kiss and the man who'd
bestowed it. But even a soak in the hot tub and a bottle of
wine isn't enough to dispel that fantasy come true. Imagine
her dismay when her fantasy appears before her, in the
flesh, especially when all of hers is exposed for his eyes
to feast upon! Reality is a bit too frightening for Erihn, but her plan to
flee once again is thwarted by heavy rains and a mudslide.
It doesn't take long for her to realize that the
intimidating giant of a man is really a just big pussy-cat
(little does she know), while Fayne experiences the urge to
be faithful for the first time in his long lascivious life. Happiness could finally be in reach for this pair, however
evil still lurks in both the human world and that of the
Shadow Dwellers. Someone isn't fond of Erihn's books, and
Erihn and Fayne each possess something that one evil doer
wouldn't stop at murder to get his hands on. Will Fayne
be forced to choose between an eternity spent with the
woman he loves, and the life of the innocent child of his
heart? What will become of the Shadow Dwellers if
Elsabeth's diary falls into the wrong hands? Electric! Break out the ice water, J. C. Wilder has done
it again with this highly sensual paranormal romance.
Adding to the fun, the author's unique brand of humor
bubbled to the surface in this story as our sensual,
confident, hero's attempt at seduction is thwarted by an
innocuous cup of herbal tea. Even shnockered, Fayne is as
sexy as they come, and readers are sure to love the results
of Erihn's transformation. Hilarious! The battle between good and evil rages on, with casualties
on both sides. Sacrifices are made, but love triumphs this
round. The saga continues with REDEMPTION, also
contained in this volume. ======================================= Book IV: REDEMPTION
Also sold singly in electronic format.
ISBN Disk 1-55316-080-0
ISBN Rocket 1-55316-919-0 Devastated with grief over the death of her daughter,
Bliss, Mortianna is determined to have her revenge against
the man responsible. Not her killer, Edward, who'd already
been destroyed by Fayne, nor Mikhail, the demented elder
vampire who'd pulled Edward's strings. No, her victim would
be the man who had taken her only daughter away from her,
and introduced Bliss to the dark world of the Shadow
Dwellers. She believes that Bliss had deluded herself into thinking
she was madly in love with the vampire, Damien St. James
a.k.a. Sinjin. He'd turned her into a revenant, immortal,
so that they could spend eternity together. Mortianna's
fury had known no bounds, but Bliss had promised to leave
him if her mother would spare his life. Few would have had the power to take the life of an elder
vampire, however Mortianna was the oldest and possibly the
most powerful witch on Earth. Now that her beloved daughter
had been taken from her permanently, nothing would stop her
from destroying St. James. She sends forth her army of
minions to his Sinjin's home with orders to bring him back
to her. One is never quite sure what exactly the minions are except
small, lethal, and apparently none too bright. Instead of
returning with Sinjin they arrive bearing a revenant and a
female at that, Maeve. Maeve had travelled to Sinjin's Scottish castle to train,
but had been kept there for safe keeping following
Mikhail's
failed coupe, nearly a year ago. Both Val and Sinjin
agreed that Maeve could be a target for the demented
vampire's retribution. Val, Mikhail's maker, had taken
Maeve, as well as his lover Shai, away from him over a
decade ago. Now she was considered a likely target for his
revenge. Mikhail was not one to forget such trespasses
against him. She chafed at her captivity, but had used the time to hone
her body and mind for the day she would have vengeance
against the vampire who had killed her twin sister and
destroyed her life.
Finally she'd acquired the knowledge that she needed to end
the life of the elder from Sinjin's Chronicles of the
Shadow Dwellers. Now, all she needed was a powerful
witch
of the proper line to give her the necessary spell. Mortianna's estranged son, Quinn Montgomery had been
summoned to his mother's side following the death of his
half sister Bliss. An unwanted male child, the first-born
Quinn had been cast aside in his infancy, along with his
father. He'd been raised with love by his father and
stepmother, and yet a hole existed inside him. He'd longed
his entire life for the love of his birth mother, the love
she'd lavished on Bliss. Quinn realizes that Mortianna has become unhinged, when he
arrives to finds her beloved daughter not buried, but
enshrined in a glass coffin, two months after her death.
She'd sent for him to aid her in her revenge. This he would
not do. Yet when the minions arrive, apparently with his
sister's former lover in tow, he can't walk away. Furious at her minions' mistake, Mortianna demands that her
son prove his worth by killing the revenant. It is his last
chance to win his mother's love, but for Quinn the price is
too high. A powerful witch in his own right, Quinn has
based his whole life on the Wiccan Rede. He is incapable of
harming an innocent. He defies Mortianna and liberates
Maeve, earning his mother's contempt once more. Quinn intends to return Maeve to Sinjin's home and then
wash his hands of her. Yet he is inexplicably attracted to
the fiesty woman. He doesn't understand it. For one thing
she isn't his physical type, and for another he suspects
that she is only interested in his ability to perform
spells. He also considers immortals an abomination. Strike
three. Tell that to his wayward body!
Tell that to his wayward heart as well. By the time they
arrive he's half in love with her already. Mikhail, though blinded and badly scarred following the
confrontation at the stones, has not given up on his hopes
of becoming head of the Council of Elders. He sends his
consort Gabriel to Mortianna to enlist the aid of the
witches in his cause. The witches had heretofore maintained
independence from the council. However Gabby offers their
leader the one thing she wants most, the delivery of Sinjin
into her clutches. Upon their arrival back at the castle, Maeve immediately
realizes that something is not right. Sinjin's protective
wards are absent. She and Quinn find the elder vampire in
the catacombs, entranced and apparently dying. Quinn
recognizes Mortianna's work. It was the spell Maeve had
sought to destroy Mikhail. He hopes that by witnessing the
effects, Maeve will turn away from her thoughts of revenge.
But she too has a hole in her heart, a hole left by the
death of her twin and her abandonment by her remaining
family. Can Quinn fill that empty space inside her, as he
is beginning to feel she is filling his? Is he powerful
enough to stop Mortianna and Mikhail for having their
revenge? J.C Wilder continues to show the depth of her writing
abilities. While Maeve and Quinn are without a doubt the
most passionate couple in the series to date, their
relationship satisfies a deep seated need that each carries
within. This reader found them quite endearing. The story
also carries the moral that hatred and vengeance will
ultimately destroy the bearer of those emotions. How true. Mikhail has been thwarted once again. Edward is gone, but
Cass is still at large and ready to make her own bid for
Alexandre's position on the council. Be on the lookout for
SINS OF THE FLESH, Book V of the Shadow Dweller's
series, in November 2001. Copyright 2001
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted December 7, 2001
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