Mark of the Bear

(Hades’ Carnival #2)

Author:  N.J. Walters

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Release Date: 4/16/13

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Bought (Samhain)

Description

When the devil wants a deal, there's no bowing out gracefully.

At twenty-nine, Hollywood scream queen Kellsie Morris is acutely aware the clock is ticking on her career. Luckily, the one big role she needs to pad her retirement fund has just come through-the story of an immortal, shape-shifting warrior trapped in a carnival run by the Devil's minions.

When Kellsie arrives on set, she can't resist climbing aboard an amazingly realistic carousel bear-and finds herself flung into a world where the horror is real. As real as the heat radiating off the half-naked hunk in her arms.

Marko has waited an eternity for the chance to free his goddess, the Lady of the Beasts, and his fellow warriors from an ancient curse. But once he lays eyes on Kellsie, he knows to the bottom of his soul that his purpose is to protect her life.

But in this hellish game, it's the Devil's move. And there's no predicting when and where the final, brutal stroke will fall-and which lover will pay the ultimate price.

Warning: This book contains a heroine who's a screamer-in and out of bed-and a warrior who gives a whole new meaning to "method." After reading, please use caution when standing up. Your knees may be weak.

Review

NJ, seriously!?! It had to end like that? :( I am so dying for the next book to be out now!!! This was another great read! This series is quickly turning into a favorite for me. It's unique and interesting. The story just sucks you right in and if you’re like I was, you won’t come back out until you’ve read the very last page.

Once again I LOVED the two main characters! There’s always something really special about NJ’s characters that instantly makes me fall in love with them and I think Kelsie may be my very favorite heroine of hers. I mean, she’s the freaking scream queen! Very cool! But then again I’m a horror movie nut, so she’s extra interesting to me. And Marko, well let’s just say there is something VERY appealing about a big cuddly bear that turns into and equally big hunky guy! Best of both if you ask me! ;)

I really like the other characters too! It was nice to get to see Aimee and Roric again. I can't wait to see who is next and I'm kind of more excited about who the next heroine will be. I mean a graphic novelist and the scream queen? These hunky shifters know how to pick 'em! ;)

If you enjoy a fast paced romance with hunky shifters, kick ass heroines and creepy but entertaining villains, this series is for you! You don’t necessarily need to read these in order but I recommend it because you’ll get the full story having read both! I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and pretty much anything else NJ decides to write because her books are always fantastic!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Hades’ Carnival #1)

Author:  N.J. Walters

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Release Date: 1/15/13

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Bought (Amazon)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author’s Website: www.njwalters.com

Description

Aimee Horner lives and breathes her career as a graphic novel illustrator, but she never expected it would invade her dreams. In recent months, worsening nightmares have pulled her into the darkest corners of Hell.

On a rare night out with friends at a traveling carnival, she finds herself strangely drawn to an abandoned carousel adorned with vividly exotic animals. One steed, a massive white tiger, is a temptation she can’t resist. The moment she climbs upon him, her world changes forever.

More than five thousand years ago, Roric and his fellow shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms, a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the horrors of Hell.

With one special woman’s touch, he has a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If he is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken, and Hell will have no claim on his soul. The only hitch is his blazing attraction to Aimee. If only he could trust that she isn’t merely a distraction sent by Hades—luscious bait to lure him from his mission.

Review

I absolutely loved this book! I knew before reading it that I would enjoy it but I had no idea how much I until I finally got to read it! I’ve been a fan of this author for a while now and I really enjoy all that I’ve read but this is most definitely my favorite!!! The concept is very interesting; I love the whole idea of these immortal shape-shifters who were made by a goddess, only to be imprisoned because of Hades wanting to use them in his fight for power. I love books with aspects of Greek mythology and I have to say, this is one of my favorites ever! Oh and the crazy carnival theme, with the demons being the ones who are running it, that was pretty creepy! Everything about it is pretty much awesome!!!

Aimee, the heroine in this story, is a graphic novel illustrator and a loner so she rarely leaves her house. You’ll find out more about why she’s a loner when you read the book. Roric, the hero, is an ancient shape shifting warrior who has been imprisoned in his Tiger shape, between dimensions and unable to actually be a part of the world but was able to see time pass the whole time. These two characters fit so well together! Who better to be with a beautiful tiger shape shifter than someone who can and has drawn him in all of his magnificence? Aimee is one of my favorite heroines ever! The girl is 100% Bad Ass! There is one particular part, the first big fight scene actually, when she really kicks butt! I literally yelled out loud (my husband thought I lost my mind) because it was that cool! J And Roric, oh man! If I had to choose one favorite Paranormal creature/character type that is my very favorite, I would pick tiger shifters! There’s just something about the idea of a big beautiful cat turning into a big beautiful man!!! And Roric is definitely that! ;)

This was a fantastic read! The story was great, very well written, and the characters are some of her best! I loved her descriptions, of the demons and Hades, of The Lady of the Beasts and the shifters, even Aimee's art work, it really pulls you into the story and helps you see what the characters are seeing and feel what the characters are feeling! I can not wait for the next book in this series, I’m so looking forward to seeing where the author takes these wonderful characters! If you love paranormal romance, read this book! I kid you not, you will LOVE it!!!

Night of the Tiger

(Hades' Carnvial #1)

To win the battle for his soul, he may have to sacrifice the woman who set him free.

Aimee Horner lives and breathes her career as a graphic novel illustrator, but she never expected it would invade her dreams. In recent months, worsening nightmares have pulled her into the darkest corners of Hell.

On a rare night out with friends at a traveling carnival, she finds herself strangely drawn to an abandoned carousel adorned with vividly exotic animals. One steed, a massive white tiger, is a temptation she can’t resist. The moment she climbs upon him, her world changes forever.

More than five thousand years ago, Roric and his fellow shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms, a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the horrors of Hell.

With one special woman’s touch, he has a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If he is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken, and Hell will have no claim on his soul. The only hitch is his blazing attraction to Aimee. If only he could trust that she isn’t merely a distraction sent by Hades—luscious bait to lure him from his mission.

Product Warnings

This book contains an ancient curse, an imprisoned goddess, a graphic artist and the hot shapeshifting immortal warrior who turns her life upside down while they battle Hades and his minions for their immortal souls. There is also plenty of hot sex between the heroine and her hot, shapeshifting warrior. Just saying.

Hi NJ! Thank you so much for stopping by! I am SO excited to be able to interview you since I’m a big fan!!!

1 Tell us 3 things about yourself that we can’t learn on the internet.

Thank you so much for having me at Book Lovin’ Mamas. I’m so thrilled to be here.

Three things you might not know about me…

2 What or who inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always loved to read, especially romance, but it was my husband who encouraged me to write. Without his support I might never have written my first book.

3 Where do you get your inspiration for your stories and characters?

That’s a question I get asked a lot and the answer is—everywhere. It can come from magazines, books, television, a snippet of overheard conversation or, occasionally, seemingly from out of nowhere. Often it may come from the combination of two seemingly unrelated ideas.

My book Christina’s Tapestry was born when two ideas collided. I’d been wanting to write a ménage a trois book for a while and had the heroine in mind. Then I was in a bookstore and happened to pick up a book on Medieval tapestries. My mind started asking the “what if” questions. What if there was a magic tapestry that brought women to a medieval-like world? What if they had the choice to stay there or go home again? And what if women were in short supply in this world? From there the story and series evolved.

4 I’ve read quite a few of your books (actually a lot), which of your series is/was your favorite to write?

Now that’s a tough question. I think my favorite is whatever I’m currently working on because that’s what I’m passionate about at the moment. I’m always trying to improve as a writer and make each book I write better than the last one. I think that’s important.

Of course, Annabelle Lee will always be special because it was my first published book. The Tapestries series and the Legacy series are also very special because they’re the two series that readers seem to love the most.

5 Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite books?

That would be a very long list. I love Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, Suzanne Brockmann, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, J. R. Ward, Shelly Laurenston, Laurann Dohner, Nora Roberts… I could go on and on. There are so many wonderful writers and I love discovering new ones I haven’t read before.

6 Could you tell us a little bit about this new series, Hades’ Carnival and how you came up with the idea for it?

The idea for the Hades’ Carnival series came about a few years back. I was on one of my yahoo groups and someone posted a quiz—Which carnival ride would you be? I did the quiz and, no surprise to me, I would be the carousel. It got me thinking about carousels and the animals on them. I imagined a carousel with more exotic animals than the normal horses. Then the “what if” questions began. What if they were really shape-shifting immortal warriors? How did they end up trapped in their animal forms on a carnival ride? Who owns the carnival? How would they be freed? All these questions led me to write the four book Hades’ Carnival series…

More than five thousand years ago, seven shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms as a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the god Hades and the horrors of Hell. Now with one special woman’s touch, the remaining warriors have a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If the warrior is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken and Hades’ will have no claim on his soul. But the warrior is not only fighting to save his soul, but that of the woman who freed him.

7 Do you ever base your characters on real people?

No. I may take certain aspects or traits of real people, but all my characters are their own creation, and they’re very real to me. J

8 What was the hardest scene to write in Night of the Tiger? The easiest scene?

I didn’t really have a hardest or easiest scene to write in Night of the Tiger. My writing doesn’t work that way. I sit at the computer and the scenes unfold and I simply write them down. I’ve often said that all I do is take dictation. That’s just the way it works for me. Sometimes I get emotional when I’m writing and a scene will even make me laugh or cry. That’s when I know the writing is really going well.

9 Do you have anything you want to say to your readers?

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who has ever read one of my  books. Thank you for allowing me to delve into different genres and stretch myself as a writer. Your continued support allows me to write full-time and it’s the best job in the world!

10 And now one just for me. Will you ever go back to your Shadow Ryders series? I miss them. L

I love writing the Shadow Ryders. Unfortunately, that series has not been popular with many readers, which makes it difficult for me to leave more popular series and spend the time necessary to write the next book. I know I will go back to them someday, but I just don’t know when. I find that those readers who have read the Shadow Ryder books are as passionate about them as I am. I haven’t forgotten them, but it will be a while until I get back to them.

Thank you so much for being here today NJ! It was a pleasure and I can’t wait to read this new book!!!

It’s my pleasure. I hope you enjoy Night of the Tiger!