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This is post number One Hundred. Thanks for reading.

Got back and collapsed. Had to catch up on my sleep. Funny how you come home needing rest you didn't get on vacation. Had over a thousand emails to go through. A lot of them were the spam replies to my auto-responder. If you want to find out how many spammers are hijacking addresses just do an auto-respond and watch them flood in.

As soon as I finish the book I'm reading, I'll post a couple of reviews.

We had a really great time with Scott and Carey, but I ate too much as usual. Kathy and Carey got in plenty of shopping.

Here are some reviews from Harriet to keep you up to date on whats going on in the book world.

Amazon Ink
Lori Devoti
Juno, May 26 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9781439154274

A decade ago, her Amazon tribe killed her newborn boy because of his gender; irate with the priestess whom she believed killed her child and outraged by the silence of her warrior band of sisters, Melanippe Saka does the unthinkable and leaves. She takes her daughter Harmony with her; and is pleased when her warrior mom and priestess grandma leave with them.

Mel opens up a tattoo parlor in Madison, Wisconsin. Her idyllic life ends when someone dumps the murdered corpses of two Amazonians on her doorstep; each on a different date. Mel knows someone has given her a warning that she is the target of an unknown predator. She fears for her family especially her teenage daughter, but wonders if it is the priestess, rogue warriors, or someone even more devious. Unsurprisingly, the cops suspect her, but surprisingly her former tribe also suspects her. All this is going on with the vital need being to hire someone; preferably a female, for the shop.

This is an interesting urban fantasy starring a courageous amazon whose fumbling investigation seems apropos for an amateur sleuth as she is like a bull in a china shop once she begins her bungled inquiry. The story line is fast-paced but Mel makes it work as her actions bring the fantasy elements especially the nomadic Amazons alive and well in Madison. With a fabulous late twist, Lori Devoti sets up further AMAZON INK thrillers. Harriet Klausner

Rapture
Jacquelyn Frank
Zebra, Jul 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9781420104233

The Shadowdwellers live underground in a complex metropolis of caves and tunnels underneath the mountains of Alaska. They are the Nightwalkers who avoid the rays of the sun which destroys them with the slightest contact; they thrive in the moonlight. The war is over and the monarchy is restored. There is new hope that the race will become more honorable, tolerant and technologically advanced like the other nightwalker races.

Daenaira has been treated as a slave by her uncle and aunt for eight years, forced to wear a shock collar to enforce her obedience. The day comes when she is sold and before she leaves her aunt’s home is shocked into unconsciousness. When she awakens she is in Sanctuary, the church of the Shadowdwellers led by High Priest Magnus who enforces the law and the morals of his people. He informs Dae that the goddess Drenna gave him visions that she was to become his handmaiden. Dae takes awhile but soon trusts Magnus and finds some serenity in Sanctuary even though treachery by unknown people wanting more power has her watching her back. He has enemies who want him dead, but they had not counted on the ferocity of the innocent in love protecting like a lioness her beloved; nor the priest also in love willing to die to keep the former slave safe.

The second Shadowdweller book (see ECSTASY) is more complex and delves deeper into the culture of the Shadowdwelllers that is much different than our own. Magnus and Daenaira are a fascinating coupling as he has justifiable doubts about having a hand maiden who has the duties of a wife since the last handmaiden tried to poison him while she fears people after the torture her aunt put her through. .Unlike his former handmaiden who he had for decades and was celibate with, he can’t control his desire for the woman the goddess chose for him. Jacquelyn Frank is one of the best paranormal romantic fantasy authors writing today and is a favorite of this reviewer.
Harriet Klausner

Desire Untamed
Pamela Palmer
Avon, Jun 30 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9780061667510

Preschool teacher Kara MacAllister lives a sedate life until Lyon, leader of the shapeshifting Therian Feral Warriors, tries to abduct her He and his band of eight guardian warriors need Kara, who as the Radiant has the power to channel energy to them so that these feral Warriors can find, fight, and kill the dreaded draden energy suckers.

Kara is attracted to her kidnapper, but still wants to go home and forget about Feral Warriors even after he tells her she is almost immortal like all Therians and is the chosen one who can save the world from the energy eaters. He further insists she must perform the ritual of mate choosing to accomplish her save the world mission; she wants to say no, but realizes she has no choice.

DESIRES UNTAMED is a fast-paced, graphically violent action-packed urban romantic fantasy. In some ways the exciting thriller feels like a mystery as the Feral Warriors, their Radiant and readers struggle to uncover the identity of their clever enemy. Ironically, the “Untamed” Palmer world is developed as is the passionate relationship between Kara and Lyon; yet none of the key characters including the lead couple, come across as more than two dimensional. Still sub-genre fans who relish a hot romance inside a vivid escapade filled thriller will enjoy reading the opening of Pamela Palmer’s “Untamed” world. Harriet Klausner