Cate Masters explains why "Every woman is a goddess!"

Every woman is a goddess!

At least, every woman should be treated like one! That’s the premise of my new series, The Goddess Connection. In each book, the heroine will be somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is. Something every woman should do!

The first novel to kick off this series is The Magic of Lavender, available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Lavender-Goddess-Connection-ebook/dp/B005237580/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306147122&sr=1-1

and Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61378

In The Magic of Lavender, the heroine Jocelyn Gibson doesn’t become aware of her family ties to the realm of magic, or to the Goddess Iris, until she buys an old bed and breakfast. All she wants is a quiet life, preparing special dishes made with lavender, but before she can have it, she has to first deal with a few demons and goddesses. How could she know the inn sat atop powerful ley lines that would cause a battle to erupt between the forces of dark and light?

Here’s the trailer:


Blurb:
Jocelyn Gibson forgot about the realm of magic. But it never forgot her. Gram always told her: don’t ignore your magical gifts, it will insult the family. But Joss didn’t realize her gifts included channeling the energy of powerful ley lines. Or that her family included a goddess. Family connections come in handy when the Lord of the Underworld kidnaps local vet Eric Hendricks. He’s an amazing lover, but Joss didn’t know she loved him until too late. With a little help from the Goddess Iris, Joss defends the new life she’s forged, and helps save the town of Boiling Springs from destruction. Once Eric escapes Hell, can she stop loving him to keep him safe?

Excerpt:
Feeling useless, he poked at the logs in the fireplace. The flames leapt higher, and he crouched to stare into the fire. He should be used to it by now—the fact that everyone had a family to share the holidays with. Everyone but him. And Joss. His awareness of her heightened to a sharp keenness. He tried to dredge up a memory of Karen, but the vivid image of Joss in the kitchen blotted it out. He shouldn’t just sit here. He should go home. But then Joss would be left to finish up all alone.

As if in a dream, he moved to the kitchen doorway. “Need any help?”

Dishes and food warmers crowded the counters. She glanced over and flashed a humorless smile. “No, I’m fine.”

Then why didn’t she sound fine? She sounded upset. He moved closer, needing to do something, anything, to erase whatever pained her.

She fumbled containers into the fridge. “Why don’t you go relax? You’re welcome to put on a new CD, maybe sit by the fire. Before you go home.”

He didn’t want to do any of those things. He stood dangerously close, fighting the urge to touch her hair, run his hands down her back.

With wide eyes, she averted her gaze, her body tense as she moved to the sink, picked up the towel and dried a glass. “It’s supposed to dip into the twenties tonight, so if you need to get going now, then—”

He slipped the towel from her hand. “I live three minutes from here.”

"Right.” She slid her gaze away, but turned toward him, opening to him. To the possibility of him. “But the snow…”

Only inches away, the heat from her body zapped the slate of his mind clean. He operated on impulse. On need.

In a breathless rush, she asked, “Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Mm hm.” Every course of the meal brought his taste buds to life as never before. His senses still vividly alive, he traced her collar bone with one finger.

“Eric…” She inclined her head toward his hand.

The motion, slight as it was, made his pulse race. Hearing her murmur his name ignited his senses. His heart revved in his chest like a race car engine ready to explode from the startling line. “Don’t send me away. Please.” He touched his lips to her forehead, then her nose.

Her breath smelled of coffee and cranberries, and something more enticing—herself. “You’re making it difficult to, but…”

His mouth hovered near hers, just out of reach. “Don’t say no,” he whispered.


The honey gold of her hair caught the light, and she appeared illuminated from within. Parting her lips enticingly, she searched his face.

It wasn’t a no. It was enough of a maybe that he closed the space between them. The feel of her soft lips and sweet-tasting tongue moving against his made him shudder with tantalizing release.

You can find more info at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/05/magic-of-lavender-contemporary.html

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com

Cate Masters talks about "A little wrong can make it right"

It is my pleasure to welcome Cate Maters to THoR for the next four days.

A little wrong can make it right
Did you ever love someone despite everyone’s warnings and objections that “s/he’s all wrong for you!” I did. In fact, I married him! And this November, we’ll celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary. *grins*
Maybe that’s what inspired me to write Just the Right Amount of Wrong. I had been working on this story, off and on, for several years, and finally hit the right combination. The title came to me in a flash, and then I reassembled the story to fit in various elements – a Latino hero, an interesting story about an agricultural experiment in a small North Carolina town.

And so, Just the Right Amount of Wrong came together, hopefully in the right way, lol. It’s steamier than what I usually write – these two knew exactly what they wanted, and that was each other!

Here’s the blurb:

All wrong? That’s what Sara Mullaney’s parents always said about Ravelo Pena. She’s starting to believe it. After dumping her years ago, he’s back in town. And threatening to ruin her business plan designed to help local farmers. When he’s fired for trying to help her, she realizes he’s still the same old Rav. And she’s finding it hard to keep her hands off him. Can the right amount of wrong make the perfect combination?

And an excerpt:

He steered onto a gravel road that climbed a long hill. A blacktop driveway stretched toward a secluded A-frame log home. It could hardly be called a cabin. Its tall windows reached several stories high. A generous deck wrapped around it, with an opening for the stairs leading from the parking area. Sunlight poured through gaps in the clouds and through the branches of towering evergreens surrounding the house.

She felt her mouth gaping, and snapped it shut. “You live here?” His job must pay better than I thought.

“Yep, for now. Me and Frodo.”

“Your roommate’s a hobbit?” she deadpanned.

He pulled the keys from the ignition. “A cat, actually.”

Assessing the stairs ahead, she frowned. “But there are too many steps. You should have just taken me home.”

“You need to stay off that foot. Keep it propped up. You need me,” he said softly, “to take care of you.”

Right. Because he had a sudden protective urge? Probably brought on by his business proposition.

His smug smile as he climbed out irked her, but she couldn’t fault him for her injury. The blame lay squarely on herself. She’d always made an idiot out of herself around him. So focused on him, she couldn’t see where she was going. Just like today.

Just the Right Amount of Wrong is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Just-Right-Amount-Wrong-ebook/dp/B0050W9P9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1305466976&sr=1-1

and Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59805

You can see the Casting Call (who I envisioned in these roles, a very fun blog series I started), and read the first chapter on my blog. http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/05/just-right-amount-of-wrong-contemporary.html

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com

What is your favourite author quote and why?



Thursday ~ 16th June 2011

This week affiliate author, Amy Romine, asks the question - "What is your favourite author quote and why?"

This is a great question, Amy, and here are a few of my favourites :-

Nora Roberts

"Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice."

Oscar Hammerstein

"All the sounds of the earth are like music."

Oscar Wilde

"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal."

"Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much."

Aesop

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

 

Groucho Marx 

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. "

Confucius

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

Charles Dickens

Minds, like bodies, will often fall into a pimpled, ill-conditioned state from mere excess of comfort.

Toni rounds up her visit talking about...

Write What You Know

As a retired accountant, I can assure you there's nothing you can fictionalize about accounting, nothing romantic, nothing suspenseful unless the bank account refuses to balance, and nothing mysterious that isn't illegal, so when I first started writing, I looked elsewhere for ideas. Old houses, new houses, spooky houses all became settings for my novels, and my characters are all composites of people I've known.

Then one day I saw a young man crossing the street in the rain. He reminded me of the temp I once interviewed and hired to relieve me of timecard duties while I worked year end close. His sparkling eyes set the hearts of even the happily married women aflutter. He was polite, efficient, and knew his job. Next thing I knew, the temp found his way onto the pages of my WIP, and my novel Temp to Permanent was born.

Carina Carrinton's advertising agency reflects her good taste, and like all successful businesses, she has the latest electronic equipment needed to get the job done. Carina just isn't expecting the temp agency to send her a man with no apparent skills to replace her ailing secretary during the busiest week of her career.

Greg Lawless soon proves to Carina he knows his way around an office. Any office. So why does he refuse to boast about his skill? And clam up about his past?

I had a plethora of workday experiences to draw from, knew all the petty games employees pay, knew how a wave of illness could bring the accounting department to its knees and how to reconcile and replenish the petty cash, but when I began to plan the scenes needed to force Greg into Carina's arms, he refused to go.

Much as he'd like nothing better, Greg's firm adherence to proper office conduct prevents him from making moves on his boss, so I had to find a way to cool Carina's rampant longing for him. I created a business arena conducive to office sabotage and gave her cause to distrust him. The settings they visit outside the office -- Old Town, Anthony's and Tom Ham's Lighthouse restaurants -- are favorite hangouts of mine. I often see the bridge over to Coronado in my dreams. And Greg's old Volvo? We're on our fifth Volvo, and the one I drive is older than his.

A friend of ours detailed food for a baker of Oriental cookies, so the details that went into Carina's proposal for B&B were all things our friend had urged his employer to do, like letting other bakers use their cookie machine to avoid down time.

Like Greg, a daughter's ex saved enough to put himself through law school by working in the oil fields off Texas' shore. It's fun to put people I've known in my novels. It's the next best things to visiting with them again.

Only Carina and Larry are products of my imagination. She's one classy lady, the kind of woman we'd all like to be. And Larry? Sorry, he's a slime.

Here's a link to the Desert Breeze website, where Temp to Permanent is available for download.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok

Thank you Toni for your invaluable advice these past few days.  Best wishes with your books.

Toni talks about submissions today

Wait. Wait. Don't Submit.

Not yet, anyway. You have a few more things to do before you drop your manuscript in the mail or attach it to an email to a publisher.

You do want to submit a clean manuscript to an editor, don't you? A manuscript free of typos and mistakes?

Then slow down. Even the most careful writer's eyes play tricks. Give your manuscript another look.

Authors see what we think we wrote instead of what is really on the page. A Beta reader is priceless In these days of less editorial help and more dependence on the author to get it right. Pay him or her well. If a friend is your reader, send candy. Often.

What has a Beta reader done for me?

• Caught the time I gave the heroine three hands.

• Caught repetitive phrases.

• Caught the hero about to walk through a locked door.

• Caught when my heroine's eye color changed from blue to brown.

• Caught the heroine hiding behind the sofa where I'd carelessly left her.

Okay, perhaps you're a more experienced writer and would never do any of these things. Ever typed its when you meant it is? Ever get confused about whether you want to type pen and pin? Can't remember whether to type sit, sat, or set? Every author has words they stumble over. Some of mine are lose or loose? Aught or ought? Further or farther? There or their? Then or than?

Seems then or than is a tough choice for some authors. While recently judging contest submissions I continually encountered the incorrect use of then and than. Use than when making a comparison. Example: This looks more like a burn than a bruise.

Never use then when comparing things. Another example: I'd rather go than stay.

The copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White I keep by my computer reads, "Here logic supports established usage: one thing differs from another."

Do not use than to make comparisons, even though other writers seemed determined to do so. They are wrong. Here's a common mistake: Using different than when the writer should have used different from.

Someone not emotionally involved with your manuscript is more likely to catch the use of the wrong word. I recently saw where the writer wrote patients instead of patience, completely changing the meaning of the sentence.

Your fingers do not always type what you intended for them to type. My mother always insisted two heads were better than on. Where your writing is concerned, several pairs of eyes do the most good. Have a critique partner go through your entire manuscript looking for word choices, missing quotes and typos. Ask a third person to do the same thing. You of course were the first person, and you will also be the last, for on your shoulders falls the ultimate responsibility of seeing that you got everything right.

A Beta reader soon learns if you're prone to type our instead of out, and should point out where you've used the wrong verb tense and are guilty of point of view shifts. It's so easy to slip into someone else's head and so hard to spot those slips. A trusted reader should question the use of any word she doesn't understand. Make it her job.

Never ever rush a manuscript to print. Writers get careless, especially through the second half of the book. If you're pushed for time, edit the second half of your novel first. You'll be glad you did.

Now that Desert Breeze Publishing has released Law Breakers and Love Makers, and Temp to Permanent, another romantic suspense, will be released on June 1, I'm hard at work editing my next release, Decisive Moments, a dark romance due out in time for Halloween.

Here's a link: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-113/Toni-Noel-Law-Breakers/Detail.bok

And a link to Law Breakers and Love Makers' five hearts review:
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/breakermakernoel.htm

Congratulations on the 'fab' review :-0

Toni Noel tells us "Why I Write Romantic Suspense"

Why I Write Romantic Suspense

Writing romantic suspense is far more complicated that writing a simple romance. The writer has to remember to sow seeds of doubts, plant red herrings, and delay solving the mystery to allow the hero and heroine time to fall back in love.

I like to think of myself as a juggler, trying to keep the threads of three or more stories going at the same time. Internal and external conflict, the villain's goal, the hero and heroine's desire to be alone, even in a crowd. Toss an idea up here, a clue there, see who notices, and how that character reacts.

The real reason I write romantic suspense is because this genre has so much more to offer the reader, scary hooks, more reader involvement, events that reel the reader in from the first page, a hero to die for and a heroine who quite possibly might. Then there are the story questions -- What if they get hurt? Or killed? -- in addition to the usual questions: Is the heroine ever going to get kissed? And what's keeping him from falling in love?

Some mystery writers write the chapters as ideas come to them, and later spread the completed chapters out on the floor to decide what order to place the chapters in the finished book. That method might work for a mystery or thriller. It won't work when there's a budding romance involved.

In the romantic suspense novels I write, one event must follow the next and the next in the order required to tell the story, solve the mystery and watch the couple fall in love. Plotting these novels is like carefully shuffling two decks of cards. One deck represents the mystery, the other the romance. All the events must be seamlessly merged or the reader will be drawn out of the story and will likely throw the book across the room. Or delete it from her e-reader, a new and very real threat.

I write the kinds of stories I like to read, books about real people facing danger while falling in love, a kind of double jeopardy. And yes, I'm a true believer in romance. If my hero and heroine face death before morning, they're certain to want to spend their last night on earth in each other's arms.

I once became so enthralled reading a romantic suspense by Karen Robards I experienced chest pains, but no way would I put that book down. I just slipped another nitroglycerine tablet under my tongue and went right on reading. The author of Heartbreaker did a superb job of reeling me in, then keeping me hooked.

Law Breakers and Love Makers, released by Desert Breeze Publishing last October, is a delightful romp through some frightening scenes, a fun read. You won't need nitroglycerine under your tongue to read this novel, but you will need to hold onto your seat. Once the rollercoaster ride starts, it doesn't stop. And just when you think there's no way Zoe Westmore will get out of her final predicament unscathed, she surprises you.

In Temp to Permanent, someone is entering the heroine's business after hours and disrupting her work. Can she share her concerns with the new temp, or is he the one causing her loss of sleep? If the temp is responsible for her business worries, why is she falling in love with him?

The hero believes someone is out to run the heroine's business in the ground and is determined to prevent it. He's also determined to keep his hands off his lovely boss. Does he succeed?

Here's a blurb: Can a secretive temp and a business woman expecting full honesty from her employees find happiness in each other's arms? Carina Carrington hopes so. She owns a successful advertising agency and the respect of her peers until someone starts sabotaging her business. Is Greg Lawless responsible, the skilled temp filling in for her ailing secretary? Carina has visions of spending the rest of her life with Greg, not sending him to jail. Then a dangerous old flame kidnaps her and Greg must unlock the key to his identity and find his boss before time runs out for her.

Visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site to download the book and find out what happens next.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-113/Toni-Noel-Law-Breakers/Detail.bok

And visit Toni at her web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com

Please welcome Toni Noel

When Inspiration Strikes

Inspiration is sometimes a writer's fickle friend. One can never depend on when it will strike, or whether it will show up at all.

I've been inspired by the strangest happenings, by the most unlikely characters, and at the most unexpected times. Most often, it's when I'm down on my knees pulling weeds, with no pencil or notebook handy on which to jot notes. For me, I need to be otherwise engaged for inspiration to visit me. Perhaps it's a left-brain, right-brain things, something I've never tried to master.

Another place new ideas come to me is when I'm standing over a steaming iron. The perfect bit of dialogue comes to me at the most unlikely times, sometimes in completes scenes or conversations, at other times only one perfect line.

These examples differ from the environmental inspirations I get for novels, like the boarded up house I drove by in Mission Hills that inspired Decisive Moments, my dark novel being released by Desert Breeze Publish in time for Halloween. Why was a house boarded up in that upscale neighborhood? I wondered. I saw no evidence of fire and, except for those ugly boards covering the windows, the house appeared in good repair.

I tucked the incident away in the back of the mind, only to have it come back to puzzle me at odd times. I began to wonder what if. What if a photographer wanted to photograph the inside of that house. Would that be permitted? Why not? Does the owner have a good reason for keeping that house closed? Is he hiding something from his past? Is it a secret? Something damning from his past? If so, my novel will need to be dark. What is the owner like? Is he reclusive? A successful business man with a secret?

See how quickly a story is born? I have an affinity for houses. My first published novel, Law Breakers and Love Makers was inspired by a hostess' new house. Her party was memorable, her home forever memorialized in my novel. While enjoying her delicious buffet I envisioned bad guys climbing over her lower wall and later asked if I might use her unusual rural home for the setting of a book. Amused by the idea, she readily agreed.

Blurb:
Zoe and Jon’s situation would be funny if the two of them were not so darn scared. Ten years earlier Zoe’s father, a judge, secretly forced Jon out of her life. Now a deputy sheriff for the County of San Diego, his response to a tripped security alarm brings his high school sweetheart back into his life. A rash of home invasions, foiled burglary attempts, and a homicide keep the couple on their toes, but Jon’s prompt responses to her calls for help give Zoe time to resolve the mystery of their forced separation and rekindle their romance.

A personable young man I once interviewed and hired for a temporary job in the accounting department inspired Temp to Permanent, my June 1st release. The applicant had great skill, an accounting degree, and the self-confidence to ignore all the female employees panting after him. I paired the temp in my novel with a struggling business owner desperate to meet deadlines despite the unexpected illness of her secretary. She does not need the distraction of a heart-stopping man. His resume leaves a lot out, but she soon discovers he has all the needed skills. And more. Writing Temp to Permanent brought back all the hours spent in an office, some of them boring, most of them fun.



Visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site to download the book and find out what happens next.  http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com

And visit Toni at her web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com

Zee's review ~ David Russell's Self’s Blossom

Title: Self’s Blossom

Author: David Russell

I first want to note that I loved Selene’s character. This woman is not your average shy-but-coming-into-her-own character. She is anything but shy. Selene is super confident about who she is and is not afraid to say so. She knows that she has an amazing body and has worked hard for it. Her attitude is unapologetic and her self confidence really shines off the pages. One might be thinking, ugh what a snob; I’d totally hate to read about a character like that. Selene is an honest character, sometimes too honest, and she knows who she is and likes herself… what is not to like about that.

I love that Selene went on vacation alone for the holidays. How many of us women can take a trip alone, or even dine alone in the very city we live in? But as I read I realized that traveling alone makes room for an adventure, an experience of a lifetime, that which would be tainted or not had at all if she has not taken the plunge to go on holiday alone. I can’t get enough of her independence!

I also like the way Selene doesn’t dwell on her mistakes. When she falters from her master plan and has an experience with a man at the beach, she quickly realizes that it was a mistake and brushed it off, moving forward from him and the encounter altogether with not a hint of gilt or self-loathing. This is something I think more women, including myself, should learn how to do – completely forgive ourselves for mistakes without beating ourselves up about it.

Russell has an amazing eye for detail and writes with a certain flair that makes you believe you are standing next to the author while he paints his story, having it all unfold slowly but with great satisfaction. Russell did a fantastic job at setting up the story, leading me exactly where he wanted me to go, without any confusion. Russell also has fantastic insight to a woman’s mind. Reading Selene’s thoughts, plans, and take on her life is very pure and honest. It’s like reading the things we say in our heads but never dare to utter aloud.

Self’s Blossom is a fantastic hit. Definitely a strong 5 of 5. If you are in the mood for a different kind of heroine, and new kind of story, Self’s Blossom is the way to go!

I can't tell you how much I am going to miss Zee's fabulous monthly input to The Heart of Romance with her wonderful reviews.  Thanks to Zee, I have discovered many authors I may not have considered otherwise.
I'd like to wish you all the best  for the future, Zee, and hope you'll pop in from time to time to say 'Hi'. 

Zee's Review ~ Vigilant by Michele Hart

Title: Vigilant
Author: Michele Hart
Publisher: Book Strand Romance








I must say that this sequel is even better than Hart’s fantastic Luminous Nights. The opening pages throw you straight into a kidnapping scene on a subway-like cab car. You can instantly tell that the bad guys are trying to take a woman named Yadira for the purpose of their boss selling her off to the highest bidder. Then you have Weber, our beloved I-Marshal, who is there to make sure that is exactly what doesn’t happen. When the kidnapper is shot dead, the victim taken into custody and the entire subway car blown up with over 100 people dead, … that is when the adventure starts to happen.

This is a fast paced novel, full of action, plotting, and intrigue. People are not who they say they are, and nothing is as it seems. Vigilant kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, not sure who to trust or what will happen next. I honestly believe fact paced, action adventure romances from Hart has become her bread-and-butter writing style. I just can’t get enough of it.

I loved the push and pull between Weber and Yadira. Neither can trust one another, yet they can’t afford to tackle Brinolis alone. Yadira can’t shake the thought of seeing Weber murder the love of her life on that subway car. She hates Weber but knows that he is also trying to protect her from falling into the hands of a slave-trader. Weber is very attracted to Yadira, but he can’t afford to get lost in his thoughts of her or else they can both be dead.

I cannot wait to read more from Hart. She is an amazing author and I declare Vigilant to be another hit in her serious. Vigilant is beyond 5 stars!

Please come back on Monday for Zee's final review for The Heart of Romance.

Zee's Review of Hermes Online by Rose Anderson

Title: Hermes Online,
Author: Rose Anderson
Publisher: Siren Publishing, Inc.







Have you ever been through a bad break up that leaves you feeling empty and undesirable? If you have then you can certainly relate to Vivienne, our protagonist, in Hermes Online. It was bad enough that Vivienne caught her long time boyfriend cheating on her but she was floored when her now ex-boyfriend accused her for his indiscretion because she is dull in bed. I know, the nerve. As you can imagine, Vivienne is feeling quite bad and her confidence is all but lost. Only the love of a good man can take away that level of pain, and thankfully for Vivienne, her journey will end in the arms of the man of her dreams.

Anderson completely won me over early on in the novel. First, I love the format of the book. There is a lot of email correspondence between Vivienne and her mystery man, and even some instant message and Skype calls. Anderson makes it so easy to follow the dialogue that I never once felt lost or confused as to who was doing the talking, and was able to enjoy the story unfolding without any interruptions. I was also very amazed at the story itself. There is a huge (but not unrealistic) transformation between Vivienne at the beginning of the novel and the person she grows into by the end of the book. I love that Vivienne, although scared, took risks. Sometimes when women get hurt, it is easy to be angry and bitter and never take anything more than a calculated chance, but Vivienne did the opposite, refusing to stay in her miserable state when she finally found a man worth taking risks for. Vivienne is a strong, well rounded heroine, and I enjoyed reading about her journey very much.

I will warn that as with many Siren novels, there is a bit of steam to this book. But, as a romance novel reviewer, I find that seduction scenes just aren’t satisfying if the emotional component of the story is missing, but Hermes Online definitely has all aspects that make up a fantastic can’t-put-it-down novel. Hermes Online gets my highest rating, 5 of 5 stars, and is guaranteed to set this summer on fire!

Please come back and read Zee's review of Title: Vigilant, Author: Michelle Hart Publisher: Book Strand Romance