PnR! PnR! My Kingdom For PnR!! - My Search For Read Worthy Paranormal Romance

Ok...so I haven't written a book review in AGES! Why...because it's been eons since I've read anything that really and truly drew me in enough to want to write about it. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a huge fan or the written word, especially romance, and especially paranormal romance. I can read tons and tons of books which I do, rarely am I not reading something. But here lately I find myself reading purely because of the compulsion to read. When I don't have a book to read, I feel like something is missing in my life. This brings me to my latest quest, the quest to find a great Paranormal Romance!

So this is what I've decided to do, I'm going to give you the most recent ones that I've read, and then I'm going to give you some of my past faves. So let's get to it shall we!

I'm going to start this party off with one of my serious go to's LeTeisha Newton

Fairy Dragmother Collection - LeTeisha Newton

This is a two book collection comprised of the books A Wolf Like Mine, and Howl at The Moon.

Let me start by saying that Sister LeTeisha Newton is constantly on the Kindle rotation! How she's able to crank out some of the singular best romance novels that I've EVER read is beyond me, but she does it! Not only is she a talented writer, she's able to move fluidly from one type of romance genre to another without missing a beat!

My favorite style is her PnR. After all it was through that genre that I first met her. The Fairy Dragmother Collection is no exception.  This book came at the perfect time for me, I had recommended this book for my holiday reading list, but I actually hadn't had time to sit down and give it a read; so glad I found the time.

A Wolf Like Mine

Ayana Morris, with her friends Sean and Fonda, who happened to be the same person, built Morris Communications from the ground up. When famed designer Missy Clove offered them an exclusive job on a privately owned island resort they knew they were making it to the big times. They just didn't know what was in store for them. 

Ethane Hemming, multi-billionaire, recluse, and brothe to Missy Clove took his job as the alpha of the Southern Clan seriously. That for the last three months he had been able to lay with a woman succesfully irritated him to say the least. His mating heat was upon him and his chosen mate, Grace Alder, was on her way to appease his needs. He claimed her irrevocably, only to find the woman in his arms was Ayana Morris. 

Collin found the situation laughable until he caught sight of Fonda. As beta and historian of the clan he was never to have a mate. But something in him wanted the man in front of him, no matter if he was in Drag or not. 

Sean found himself in the middle of a paranormal storm and only he seemed to have the wherewithal to take it on head first. Now all he had to do was make Ayana ready for the ball and she'd have her happily ever after too. A Fairy Drag Mother's work was never done!

Howl at the Moon

Tatiana has been in love with her boss Clyde since the moment she met him three years ago, but when she finally has him, she realizes her fantasies were much better than reality. She’s slipped into friends with benefits mode, and he’s no Prince Charming.

Sleeping with Tatiana has awakened Clyde’s dormant wolf, and now they both have to come to terms with his new side, and the unimaginable desire brewing between them.

It’ll take a Fairy GodMother, and some help from a smart mouthed angel, to make this couple see Happily Ever After!


Note From Me To LeTeisha - Sister Gurl, one of the very first books of yours that I read was a PnR. Just so you know, you set the bar pretty high. I hope that someday you re-visit some of those old friends and continue their stories. You'll always be at the the top of my list. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your worlds and your family of characters with us! Smooches!

Next on my list is a new writer that helped me in my desperate time of drought. Her name is Destiny Flores. Sister Gurl, thank you for renewing my faith in paranormal writers in the year of 2018. It's good to know that it still lives.

I actually read two books by Destiny that I enjoyed greatly. Let's start with the first one, titled...

Argent

It was a day of joy and sorrow.

A day of laughter and pain.

It was the day the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt was brought forth to the world. As her cries filled the palace, everyone gasped with joy.

Then gasped in horror.

The first and only heir to the Egyptian throne was a dark skinned child!

This caused consternation amongst the people of the palace. Both the Pharaoh and his wife were olive-skinned and brown eyed. Their offspring however was cocoa skinned with the most piercing of silver eyes.

'What is the meaning of this?' The Pharaoh roared harshly at the midwives and his exhausted wife. Had his wife been cheating on him? But with whom? There were no dark skinned people in his land. No Moors. But what could explain this inconsistency with nature?

“Answer me woman or I shall rip your tongue from your mouth”.

'My...my Lord, I know not what....I am...'His wife trailed off and moaned. Whether in pain or in horror, she could not differentiate. How had she birthed a child of the Moor? She had never lain with any man other than her husband. But who would believe her? She moaned again.

The Pharaoh clenched his fist and looked round in despair. What was he to do? He knew in his hearts of heart that his wife had not cheated on him but he was feared by all as a ruthless ruler. If he did nothing his people would think him weak. He stared again at his wife who looked down, fear plain on her face. Oh how he loved her. He truly could not cause any harm to fall on a single strand of her hair. Not by him or by anyone else. What he would do was deal with the child instead. They could always have another child. The thought that any other children of theirs might come out looking the same flitted through his mind but he pushed it away. That was a problem he would deal with later.

'Guards! Seize this abomination from the midwives and drown it in the River Nile. It is clearly something of the devil and should be killed instantly.'

The midwife shuddered as well at his words. The eyes of the child had truly been of another world. Maybe the gods, maybe the devil, but of another world she was certain. She looked down at the spot the guard had pointed to regarding the death of the child and tears blurred her eyes. She sat there for a minute crying softly.

Then she heard it. The cries of a baby.

The baby finally floated to the top and blinked once at her. Her eyes had turned back to normal, or as normal as silver eyes could look. The midwife stood there not knowing whether she should pick up the child or run as any sensible person would do. Then the baby smiled beatifically at the midwife and that seemed to determine her fate.

'Angel, demon or magician, you are still a baby. And you deserve to be loved'. With this, the midwife picked the baby up and cuddled her to her skin. She looked round furtively to make sure no one had seen all that had happened then scuttled off in the opposite direction of the palace.

Amour Vampire

They say true love holds the biggest risk, and that black and white are bitter enemies. But to you, darling, you were the biggest mystery, the most unspeakably desirable thing that I was evermore certain. Ah, but see, you were an angel that fell in love with something....something not human. We enjoy the night, the darkness, where we can do things that aren't acceptable in the light. Night is when we slake our thirst. And you must know my darkest secret. Not only my lust, but my profound and retched thirst for you.

Excerpt:

As fingers slowly drifted up her back to her neck, Annabelle sighed slowly to herself. She felt lips following the trail and latching themselves to her shoulder before sucking deeply. This tore a moan from her mouth. She was slowly turned over and felt the same lips kissing slowly, almost lazily to her left breast. She held her breath as they got closer and soon felt a warm tongue lapping at her hard nipple. She gasped and opened her eyes wildly and saw...

Nothing.

Oh God, Belle sobbed silently to herself looking around. 

It was the dream. 

Again. 

The same dream she'd had the day before and two days ago. She touched herself and felt wetness. What was happening to her?

With all of this said, I'm going to leave you with the books that are next on my TBR List! Actually the first is a box set. I've finished the first three in the series and now I'm on to the last. The series is titled The Vampire Prophecies Collection (A Paranormal Romance Collection) by Martha Woods.  I would have to tell you that the series is pretty good so far! I kind of feel like I'm on a roll!

Next Up Minion by L.A. Banks, there are 12 books in the series. An author that I truly admire, Seressia Glass, shared this on Twitter. There was no way that I was going to pass this up!!! This will be my first read from L.A. Banks.

Last but not least, Beast, by Pepper Pace. This one came up after I searched something else on Amazon. Truth be told, this book looks a whole lot better.  I'll definitely let you know!

That's all for now my Bibliophile Friends. Here's to all of the wonderful reading that you can handle!

Much Love, Pandora Esperanza

Hot Picks For Your Holiday Stocking Stuffers -Weatherspoon, Newton, Lucas, and Lindemann

Happy Holidays to all my Lovely Bibliophiles! If you're anything like me, you've waited until the last minute to start your holiday shopping. (Confession - I'm late doing my shopping EVERY SINGLE YEAR! Don't judge me) Well, I'm about to give you what I think is the ultimate book list to warm up these cold nights.

I won't be doing a book review, as some of the titles I haven't yet read myself; however, all of the authors listed have not ONCE failed in delivering work that deserves recognition in the world of romance. I hope that you're able to find something yummy off this list to help fill the stockings of your friends as well as yourself. So here we go!

1. REBEKAH WEATHERSPOON - WRAPPED
GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, ROMANTIC COMEDY | SERIES: FIT TRILOGY | COMING SOON
Following a painful divorce, all pastry chef Shae Kenney wants for Christmas is one good date that doesn’t end in disaster. When Aidan Meyer, a smoking hot hunk from her past, matches with her on a dating app, Shae asks Santa for the strength not to screw it up. But when one perfect date with Aidan rolls into a second date, then a third and a fourth, Shae’s fear of heartbreak might just sabotage one of the best gifts she’s ever received—real love.

***This sweet Christmas novella features are plus-size beauty who is a master of all things cupcakes and tarts and a bespectacled tech guy who just wants to sweep her off her feet.***

~I just need to add, if you haven't read the other books in the Fit Trilogy, you neeeeeeed to add them to this list! You have been duly warned *wink*

2. LETISHA NEWTON - ****A 2-Book Collection for a Fierce Price****** GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, PARANORMAL

A Wolf Like Mine

Ayana Morris, with her friends Sean and Fonda, who happened to be the same person, built Morris Communications from the ground up. When famed designer Missy Clove offered them an exclusive job on a privately owned island resort they knew they were making it to the big times. They just didn't know what was in store for them. 

Ethane Hemming, multi-billionaire, recluse, and brothe to Missy Clove took his job as the alpha of the Southern Clan seriously. That for the last three months he had been able to lay with a woman succesfully irritated him to say the least. His mating heat was upon him and his chosen mate, Grace Alder, was on her way to appease his needs. He claimed her irrevocably, only to find the woman in his arms was Ayana Morris. 

Collin found the situation laughable until he caught sight of Fonda. As beta and historian of the clan he was never to have a mate. But something in him wanted the man in front of him, no matter if he was in Drag or not. 

Sean found himself in the middle of a paranormal storm and only he seemed to have the whereawithal to take it on head first. Now all he had to do was make Ayana ready for the ball and she'd have her happily ever after too. A Fairy Drag Mother's work was never done!

Howl at the Moon

Tatiana has been in love with her boss Clyde since the moment she met him three years ago, but when she finally has him, she realizes her fantasies were much better than reality. She’s slipped into friends with benefits mode, and he’s no Prince Charming.

Sleeping with Tatiana has awakened Clyde’s dormant wolf, and now they both have to come to terms with his new side, and the unimaginable desire brewing between them.

It’ll take a Fairy GodMother, and some help from a smart mouthed angel, to make this couple see Happily Ever After!

~LeTeisha is my GURL!! This Lady right here can writer her butt off!! Sister Gurl, if you get a chance to read this, I looooove your PnR!! Much Love!

3. I.T. LUCAS - DARK STRANGER THE DREAM (CHILDREN OF THE GODS SERIES) - GENRES: EROTIC ROMANCE, PARANORMAL

Syssi's paranormal foresight lands her a job at Dr. Amanda Dokani's neuroscience lab, but it fails to predict the thrilling yet terrifying turn her life will take. Syssi has no clue that her boss is an immortal who'll drag her into a secret, millennia-old battle over humanity's future. Nor does she realize that the professor's imposing brother is the mysterious stranger who's been starring in her dreams.

Since the dawn of human civilization, two warring factions of near-immortals – the descendants of the gods of old – have been secretly shaping its destiny. Leading the clandestine battle from his luxurious L.A. high-rise, Kian is surrounded by his clan, yet alone. Descending from a single goddess, clan members are forbidden to each other. And as the only other immortals are their hated enemies, Kian and his kin have been long resigned to a lonely existence of fleeting trysts with human partners.

That is, until his sister makes a game-changing discovery – a mortal seeress who she believes is a dormant carrier of their genes. Ever the realist, Kian is skeptical and refuses Amanda's plea to attempt Syssi's activation. But when his enemies learn of the Dormant's existence, he's forced to rush her to the safety of his keep. Inexorably drawn to Syssi, Kian wrestles with his conscience as he is tempted to explore her budding interest in the darker shades of sensuality.

Kian and Syssi’s story culminates in Book 3 of the series: Dark Stranger Immortal, and the characters embark on a new adventure in book 4:Dark Enemy Taken

~I will tell you, this is my first go round with I.T. Lucas, and I am in love! I just downloaded book three and as soon as I finish this post, I'm diving back in!

4. RENEE LINDEMANN - JAX'S HOLIDAY - GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE

Holiday Titus is a busy nurse practitioner of an in-patient hospice at an upscale nursing home. As the creator of the program, she wears multiple hats to provide her patients with top notch care at the end of life. There is zero time for love or dating. 

Jax Pierce is the devastatingly handsome son of terminally ill Emma Pierce. He visits his, Me-Me everyday, much to the delight of the female facility staff members. He is polite, gentle, and brooding. His dark blue eyes conceal a painful past but that pales in comparison to losing his beloved Me-Me.

Emma Pierce is dying. The cancer is robbing her body but her brain remains sharp. She can see the attraction between her nurse, Holiday and her son, Jax. She wants nothing more than to have the unlikely duo confront their fledgling feelings before she takes her last breath. Jax arrived late into her life but he is a most treasured son. She won’t be around to help him fight the demons. However, Holiday’s strength and love could help her son process his grief while keeping the demons at bay.

Can Holiday remain professional in spite of her growing need and desire for Jax? Can Jax grieve for his mother and allow his feelings for Holiday to blossom into something wonderful? Will the demons allow him the love of a good woman? Or will moral obligations and a haunted past ruin their chances at love?

~Renee Lindemann is another author that's new to me, but I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Lovin' It! E.V. Evergreen - The Awakening (Divine Essence Chronicles) Book 1

The "Kindle Shuffle" is one of the best tools that I've found to this point for finding new authors, but I think I just scored big time on Twitter.

I've been on Twitter since just about the beginning, first with Pandora's Caja, then with the one that I created for my blogger personal Pandora Esperanza. While I try my best to follow others that have the same interests as me, the one thing that I always do is cruise through the accounts of people that follow me, like, or re-tweet my tweets. Recently I connected with an new author E.V. Evergreen. We hit it off and I do what I do best. I went to my Kindle App and downloaded her romance novel The Awakening (The Divine Essence Chronicles Book 1).

I'll be honest with you, this is going to make a beautiful series! It has the potential to be very powerful. For this to serve as book one in the series, it serves it's purpose, it lays down a fabulous foundation for all that it to come. It gives a good look into the heroine, Celéste, and the hero, Marcel. BUT it doesn't give so much away that there won't be goodies to discover in subsequent books. I also have to tell you that Celéste's character is all that and then some to me because...Oh, noooooo, I'm not going to give away any spoilers!!

I loved the book from the first page! It's a fairly quick read, fast paced action with a hint of the steamy "good good" that with more than likely occur in Book 2, Branded (The Divine Essence Chronicles). 

E.V. has one other book to her credit, Their Forbidden Rose. (Which I downloaded already *wink*). 

Bravo to E.V. Evergreen!!

To Sister Gurl E.V. - I LOVED IT!!! I Cannot wait to read the sequel! I'm a die hard PnR junkie, and I could see this being a movie or a television series. If this is your first work it is a killer first work. Brava! Brava!

Here's a sneak peak into The Awakening (The Divine Essence Chronicles, Book 1)

Much Love, 

Pandora Esperanza

"No one can choose their bloodline.
No one can choose their destiny.
In this world there was true evil, evil that only a select few could see.

Marcel was one of those few. Though his beginnings were less than ideal, the 22-year-old Hunter quickly made a name for himself. With a vow to protect the weak, hunt all that goes bump in the night, and silver axe clenched in his fist; Marcel seemed unstoppable. That was until he met Her.

20-year-old Celéste de Chevalier always thought her parents didn’t want her. Reared by her grandmother in the city of New Orleans since she was a newborn, ancient blood runs through her veins.


But there was something more here." E.V. Evergreen

Siren Allen - Erotic PnRomance With Just Pinch Of Pixie Dust

My faith just might have been restored in my Kindle App. If you read a post that I put up a few weeks ago, you know that I was NOT at a very good place with my Kindle App...yes our relationship had hit an all time low. I decided to try a query that I haven't tried in a minute, "BWWM Paranormal Romance". IR PnR is one of my favorite genres. The search yielded a book titled Cinderella and The Wolf Prince.

To this point I hadn't come across any works by Siren Allen; I'll have to tell you, this is a great place to start!

Allen puts a truly beautiful spin on a very familiar fairy tale. What struck me most about Allen's version of the tale is that she was written her heroine with way more bite that in the original. Yes, there have been quite a few romance/dark romance re-tellings of popular fairy tales, but this story is one of the few worth reading.

There will never be any spoilers on this site, but I can tell you that Allen writes complete story lines with very well developed characters. The pace of the story is pretty quick, but it will hold your interest.

THE PRINCE

Wulf St. Jamison is a cursed prince who’s finally found his princess. Or, at least, he thought he had. After spending one night in his masked woman’s arms, he awakes to find her missing from his bed and from his life. No one seems to know who she is or where she came from. Was she real or just a creature his broken mind conjured up?

HIS PRINCESS

Cinderella Dupont only has two more weeks of servitude before she’s free to claim her inheritance and leave her hateful stepfamily behind. After playing the role of obedient daughter for so long, she craves one night of pleasure. She finds that in the arms of a handsome stranger, only to find out later that he’s the prince.

THE HUNT

When he shows up at her door, she assumes he’s figured out she’s the woman behind the mask. That’s not the case. He’s there to hire her – the most powerful tracker witch in the land, to help him find the woman he’s searching for.

Unable to say no to the prince, she pretends to help him search for the woman he claims he’s unable to let go. Working by his side, day after day, she finds herself falling for him and toying with the idea of telling him who she really is.

Will he forgive her for her deception?
Or will her stepmother’s vile declaration turn him against her forever?

Allen's work in Cinderella And the Wolf Prince was so good to me, I have to confess that I went on...ok...I'm still on a Siren Allen "Book Binge".

From Cinderella and the Wolf, I moved on to Into The Darkness. (This is a spin on Rip Van Winkle) I continued to be happy with Allen's writing. You know sometimes you get lucky with one book, but the next one isn't very good, not so here. Siren's characters are neither all good, or all bad. She allows them to embrace both sides of themselves, the Yin and Yang, the light and the dark. Her heroes and heroines compliment each other, especially in their shortcomings.

"Once Upon A Time…

There lived a witch by the name of Celeste Dubois, who was tired of her sister witches disturbing her eternal slumber with their cries. Lately, they all called out to her with the same plea, ‘stop Rip Van Warren, the witch hunter’. Unable to ignore their cries, she lures Rip into her world, where she keeps him as her prisoner for twenty years. She had every intention of torturing him for those twenty years. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

For twenty years Rip Van Warren is held captive by a beautiful bayou witch. He should hate her. However, their time together has made him rethink his vendetta against witches. All of his life he thought magic was evil. Celeste has taught him that it’s a gift to be treasured, almost as much as he treasures her.

When an unexpected threat enters their lives, Celeste is forced to send him back to his own world in order to protect him. He awakens in the middle of the swamp, confused and dazed. His memories of the last twenty years are foggy. Yet, there’s one person he’ll never forget, the witch he left behind. He’s desperately seeking a way back to her. However, the witches of New Orleans aren’t willing to help a famous witch hunter.

Will the dark witch and the dark hunter have their happily ever after?
Or will he return too late to save the witch he loves?"

We're coming up on the Christmas Holiday so of course I moved onto Allen's Fantasy Diary Series, that begins with Christmas Fantasy. This was it, I was done! At this point I knew that no matter how many books were in this series, I was going to read all of them!! I'll leave excerpts from all three books in the series down below. All I can tell you is that this series is about demons and the women who love them.

If you're looking for a special gift for your friends who love to curl up with a glass (or a bottle, after all it is the holidays) of wine and a great read, do them a favor and get them this series!

To Siren Allen - Please please tell me the next book in the series is Adora's story and maybe one of the "Winged Ones"! I know which one I want!! But I won't say it here!

That's all for now Ladies and Gents! I'll hit you up later with more reviews!!

Much Love,

Pandora~

From Book 1: One bite was all it took. 

It’s that time of year again. Alyssa Blakely is busy writing in her fantasy diary, filling it with all her forbidden, sexual fantasies. The star: her very sexy boss, Devin Jordan. Too bad for her, he’s never given her a second glance. 

Or so she thought… 

After a steamy kiss under the mistletoe and a night of wild sex, Alyssa has the bite to prove just how wrong she was. 

Devin Jordan has found his mate. The only problem: she’s human. He’s not. Can he prove to her that his inner beast can be both naughty and nice? Or will her fear of the unknown and a threat neither of them saw coming keep him from claiming her? 

~Christmas Fantasy Excerpt~ 
#TeamDevin 

Devin took a deep, calming breath. Alyssa was off limits. Even if she were single and interested in him, he still couldn’t have her. It was too risky. She made him feel things he wasn’t used to. He didn’t know if he could handle touching her without hurting her. 

Hurting Alyssa was something he would never do. He would just have to endure her presence. He would take pleasure in the shy smiles she cast his way every now and again. He would enjoy the laughs they shared while working late some evenings. He would maintain the professional relationship they had, even though he yearned for a taste of her. 

Devin turned and placed his back against the window. He stared at the door that separated him from the woman he desired. A piece of metal and space was all that separated his body from hers. It would only take a couple of strides for him to reach the door. 

One pull on the door knob and he could send it flying across the room. Then he would be face to face with the one woman in this world that made him wish he wasn’t a beast with a conscience. If he had no conscience, he would take her, now, against his desk, against her desk, against the wall, on every damn hard surface in this building. 

He would make sure she enjoyed it. He would make sure he pleased her so thoroughly that she wouldn’t even think of leaving him, even when she found out that he was not the man he pretended to be. Devin sighed, but that would never happen. Because though he was a beast, he did indeed have a conscience 

That conscience kept her safe from him… for now. 

~Dark Fantasies: Book 2 of the Fantasy Diary Series.~

One kiss was all it took.

Between work, family and her ex-boyfriend, Ashley Blakely is completely stressed out. She doesn’t have time to write in her fantasy diary or compete in the annual ‘fantasy wish’ competition her and her sisters have going. The only thing she wants for Christmas is normalcy.

All hope of a normal Christmas… or life… fly out the window the moment she’s kissed by Kelan Grant. Now she’s swept up in a whirlwind of romance, seduction and danger. She wants no part of this new life. Yet once she finds out that her sisters and her best friend are in jeopardy, she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even allow herself to be kidnapped and handcuffed by a devil in disguise.

Dr. Kelan Grant always keeps his word. The moment he lays eyes on Ashley, he vows she will be his for eternity. He doesn’t care that his brother is mated to her sister and wants to keep their real heritage a secret from the Blakely family. Kelan will do whatever it takes to claim his bride.

Kidnapping her is the easy part. Winning her heart is going to take some strategic planning. But between the dark angels stalking him and Ashley’s constant need to break every item in his home, Kelan is having a hard time romancing the woman who he feels already belongs to him.

Will he get the eternity with Ashley he’s envisioned? Or will his enemies snatch her from his grasp and awaken the monster he tries to hide?

***A look into book two – Dark Fantasies: Ashley and Kelan’s story.***

Dear Diary, 

I haven’t written to you in a long while. I’ve been so busy with, well, life. But now I have something juicy to share and I’m not allowed to tell anyone else. Of course Alyssa knows, but she’s going through a few changes right now so my new protector won’t let me see her. My protector is who I’m writing to you about today. 

You see, I’ve been kidnapped. No, don’t panic, it’s not anything to get upset about. At first I thought it was. When he first took me I was pissed. But I’m slowly learning that this beast who calls himself my mate is simply a big softy, who wouldn’t harm me no matter how many times I tell him to f**k off, and I do tell him that a lot. 

Anyway, we’re kind of hiding from these angel assassins right now so I figure, why not take advantage of this situation and use it to do some research for my erotic romance column. I already have the title for the column picked out: ‘How To Seduce A Vampire.’ My readers are going to love it. 

Of course, my protector isn’t talking to me right now, the big baby is mad at me for breaking his brand new television. In my defense, I did tell him I was going to tear sh*t up if he didn’t release me. He actually tied me up, can you believe that? 
Oh, well, I guess in order to get what I want I’ll just have to walk around the house naked. 

I’m sure he’ll pounce. He’s a predator and I’m going to pretend to be the prey. Once we get rid of all these pesky assassins, I am going back to my regular life. Mr. Big Bad Vampicus – that’s what I call a mix between a vampire and an incubus by the way. Anyway, Mr. Big Bad Vampicus is just going to have to find himself another mate. An independent girl like me and a domineering beast like him would never work out. 

Xoxo Ashley 

One look was all it took.

Their eyes met and at that moment, she knew she’d have to kill him.
He’s Jackson Nolan, a playboy demon. She’s Tinsley Dubois, a demon-killing witch. Killing him should be easy. Problem is, there’s a chance he might be her mate. And every time he stares at her, she has an insane urge to show him that she can be just as wicked as he is.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time for that. The world is falling apart around her. To save it, she has to do what she was created to do: kill Jackson and his brothers. But, when allies become enemies, Tinsley realizes that Jackson may be the only one she can depend on.

He’s never wanted a mate.
And though he’s found his, his feelings hadn’t changed. He doesn’t want Tinsley as his life partner. But, he’d gladly accept her as his mistress. Underneath him, she won’t be able to kill him and his brothers like she’s prophesied to do. Underneath him, she won’t be able to lead her squad of dark angels to his doorstep.
Underneath him, she won’t be able to utter curses that could destroy him and his inner beast. However, when he finds her all alone, bruised and battered, having her under him is the last thing on his mind. He wants to protect her, avenge her. He wants to destroy those who seek to hurt his witch. Even if it means destroying those he once called friends.

Finding a mate hadn’t been his plan. Now that he’s found her, he’s not letting her go.
Problem is, how does he convince a demon-killing witch, that he’s a demon worth loving?
** For adults only! **

Summer's Coming To A Close, But The Hot Reads Keep Coming! Heather Killough-Walden, LaShawn Vasser, and Chevelle Allen

Shout out to all my bibliophiles out there! It's time for me to catch you up on what I've been reading and my picks for I really, really think should be added to the infamous #TBRL. So here we go! Let's start off with some Heather Killough-Walden.

A few days I got the shock of my life! I was sitting on my porch reading my most recent Kindle eBook, and out of the blue the name Heather Killough-Walden came to mind. Heather is the writer of one of my favorite paranormal romance series, the "King Series". I had read up to book 5 and much to my chagrin, what I thought was book 7 was really book 8! I had totally missed several installations on the series and now a new was had just been released. I automatically warmed up my Amazon One Click finger and purchased book 7, 9, 10, and 11. Then it was time to get to work!

I wish I had time to walk you through all of the books that I just read, but that would be a bit much; however I am going to talk about The Nightmare King, book 11 in the series.

First, let me start by saying that if you're a series kinds of reader, then Killough-Walden is an author that you need to keep in serious rotation. One of the things that I enjoy about her series is that each book can be read as a stand alone. The min characters story lines are complete, even though there is a cliff hanger that leads you into the next book in the series. From the first book she tells us that there will be 13 Kings and Queens, but trust me when I say that each story is a fresh look at so many of the types of characters that you may come across is the realm of the paranormal. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but if the Nightmare King as as Killough-Walden has created Him then bring on the Nightmares!!

Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy - Giving The Black Dagger Brotherhood A Run For It's Money

Listen, you know I have this thing going on with my Kindle where I submit a query, it spins its little Kindle wheels and spits out choices for me. Once again I put in a search for interracial paranormal and one of the titles that it gave me was Absolution by Susannah Sandlin. I was riveted from page one!! This is one of the first PnR that I've ever read that I think is on par with J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and that's saying something.

For those of you that don't know me, you wouldn't know that J.R. Ward was one of the first PnR writers that I got into. In my opinion she sets the standard for PnR writers. You know have some frame of reference for the gravitas of me saying that Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy is on par with J.R. Ward's BDB.

Anyhoo!! My only problem was that Absolution is book two in the Penton Legacy series. So as soon as I finished with book two, I had to turn around and grab book one Redemption. Again, I was not disappointed. Reading book one let me know that Susannah was not just a "One and Done", she's the real deal. And yes I have already downloaded book three in the now five book series, Omega.

So what is it about these books that I enjoyed so much? I enjoyed that they are a fully thought out, well crafted series of stories that only leave you wanting where the author wants to leave you wanting. This PnR has all the steamy "Good Good" that we've come to associate with the romance genre, but the "paranormal part of it is written so beautifully that we forget that it's "para" and it just feels "normal".

Do yourself a HUGE favor and start reading this series if you haven't already. Here's and excerpt from all of the books in the series.

Susannah, thank you for this series! I just downloaded book three and I'm over the moon to see what's going to happen next!! P.S.  - this is purely personal, I have fallen in love with this series, but...could you please put an Africa American female as the love interest in one of them? Please! Please!

Happy Reading All!

Much Love!

PENTON LEGACY #1 REDEMPTION

For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war.

In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive—until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries.

Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?

Starting The Year Off Right! My Faves (List 1)

I know we're almost to the end of the first month of the new year, but there's still time for me to give a list of books that will keep your TBR List fat and happy for the next few months. I'll start with my top picks and then follow-up with my honorable mentions.

1. Rebekah Weatherspoon's
    So For Real

Let me start by saying Rebekah! Gurl! I love you and your writing!!! Please, please don't ever STOP!
*Whew* with my "Fan Girl" rant now over let's talk about Rebekah Weatherspoon's So For Real.

So For Real is the third book in the Sugar Baby novella series. This book went live on November 1, 2016. There are very few series that make me bite my nails while I'm waiting for it, but this is one of them. I just had to find out what was going on with the main characters Kayla and Michael! We have gone on a funny, sexy, loving journey with them and of course I wanted to see that happy ending. As expected Rebekah did not disappoint. Her writing is filled with well placed humor, pop your ovaries "good good", as well as creating characters that you will cry with and root for. Well done Sister Gurl!!

"Even the best laid plans can go completely off the rails…

After pulling off the perfect wedding, Kayla Davis, now Kayla Bradbury need only sit back and enjoy her wonderful life with her amazing husband, internet billionaire and NBA franchise owner, Michael Bradbury. The two are so head over heels for each other that finding creative ways to extend their honeymoon a whole year seems like the only logical next step in their fool-proof plan for happiness.

Too bad life has other ideas for the newlyweds. With personnel hiccups in her small business, a husband balancing dual CEO responsibilities, and news that there will be not one, but two unexpected additions to the Bradbury crew, Kayla needs to totally reconfigure her life if she has any hope of keeping things afloat." - Rebekah Weatherspoon 

Spending A Little Time With Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians

There's no better feeling than stumbling across you next great read, unless it's the joy of finding out that it's only book one on in a series of 10!! I am still doing my happy dance!! My state of euphoria is the direct result of finishing book one in Dianne Duvall's book one in the Immortal Guardians series, Darkness Dawns. The last paranormal action/romance series that grabbed my attention like this, was the Black Dagger Brotherhood  by J.R. Ward.

Darkness Dawns has everything that you could want in a paranormal series, plenty of action, hot immortals, and plenty of steamy Good Good! But the foundations for all of that deliciously decadent icing is a solid story.

There are a few reasons that people choose to read romance. There are those that only want the sexual aspect of the writing, which is fine, but then there are those that enjoy the finished product of  carefully developed writing craft, THAT is what a real die hard romance reader wants. THAT is what makes Dianne's writing special, and THAT is what makes me want to sink my teeth into the next in the series.

Book one, Darkness Dawns, sets the stage for all stories that will come here after.

"Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . .

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect." Dianne Duvall

I am looking forward to continuing on my journey with these beautiful Immortal Guardians.

Also! Dianne has a new book about to drop! Rendezvous With Yesterday from the Gifted Ones Series (Book 2). It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

"Modern-day bounty hunter Bethany Bennett helps her brother track two fugitives to a forest outside of Houston, Texas. But what should have been a routine apprehension of two bail skippers spirals out of control and ends in violence. After Beth and her brother are both seriously injured, a mysterious figure suddenly looms over her. And, when the smoke clears, Beth finds herself not only in another place, but in another time.

As Lord Robert, Earl of Fosterly, attempts to identify and track down the nameless enemy who has been plaguing his lands and people with violence, the most peculiar woman stumbles into his path. Small, vulnerable, yet possessed of a bold, fiery spirit and wicked sense of humor, she persists in dubbing Robert and his men members of something called a medieval reenactment group . . . until she sees his castle and labels herself mad. It seems bounty hunter Bethany Bennett has come to him from the future, bringing with her laughter and chaos, swiftly winning the hearts of his people and inspiring within him a love he thought he would never experience again. But when Robert discovers a way for her to return to her time, will the love they share be enough to keep them together?"

Much Love,

Pandora

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series and The Gifted Ones series. Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews).

Dianne's books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and/or Amazon Bestseller lists. The first book in Dianne's new series The Gifted Ones, A Sorceress of His Own, was released on June 2, 2015. A prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that won awards in the Lone Star, Where the Magic Begins, Southern Heat, Picture This, Book of Your Heart and Suzannah national writing competitions. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, will be released in 2016 and is a time travel romance.

In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.

When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she loves to create in her books.

Going Back To My PnR Reading Roots With J.R. Ward's, The Story of Son

If I tried to count all the books that I have read in the last 5 years I would probably lose my mind, and that's putting it mildly. I've always had a passion for reading, but life got in the way. Being a full-time wife and a mother of four, working full-time, trying to go back to school and finish my degree...all of it left no time for the relaxation and solace that a great book has always provided.

But then my life changed, my husband at the time decided that he was leaving, leaving me, leaving us. Please don't feel bad about it, I don't any more, but at the time, I was a broken mess. Suddenly I had a need to be able to find a safe place, that safe place was between the pages of books.

One of the first authors that I picked up was J.R. Ward, and the book was from her Fallen Angel series, book one, titled Covet. I will never forget the day. I had left work and was wandering through the Gallery Mall in Center City Philadelphia, while making my way to the train and I stopped at a book store called Books-A-Million. There was this super, super helpful employee whose name sadly escapes me. I told her that I was looking for something good to read. She asked me if I knew what kind of genre that I was interested in and I simply said I have no clue. She looked at me with a glint in here eye and said, "I think I have just the book for you." She showed me the display that contained all of the Fallen Angel books that were out at that time and she hands me the book. She said, "This is book one in the series, the author is AMAZING! Her name is J.R. Ward and I promise you will fall in love with her."

She asked me to stop back by and tell me if I liked it or not. Now this was before my fascination with e-readers so I was still buying paper backs. I made my way to my train, found my seat and started reading. By the time I reached my stop I was hooked!. I think I read through Covet in about two days. Needless to say I made my way back to Books-A-Million and went in search of the young lady that helped me, I didn't think she would remember me but she did. She smiled at me and simply said, "Well...."

She knew I was hooked just as she had said. Well, to make a long story short, I read through that series, then polished off all that had been published the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. (I have also read The Bourbon Kings as well.) So about little less than a week ago I was browsing through my Kindle app and I came across a title of hers that I wasn't familiar with it was called The Story of Son, which was originally published in 2008. It's a stand alone read that was originally included in the Anthology Dead After Dark, which also includes works by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Susan Squires, and Dianna Love.

The Story of Son blew me away...there's something to be said for picking up a read by an author that you know will not fail to pull you into what lies between the pages. Even though I am never with out something to read, there are times when I don't want to start something by an author that I've never read. I want warmth and familiarity, it's like coming home. I curled up on my couch with my blanket and my steaming cup of coffee and let me self be swept away.

All I can say is thank you J.R for always giving me what I need, when I need it. Beautiful story. Maybe there will be a sequel? Just a thought.

Much Love,

Pandora

Heather Killough-Walden - New Release, Snow King

There are very few  authors that I follow with a vengeance and Heather Killough-Walden is one of them. This isn't the first time that I've written about her work, and I'm sure that it won't be the last. The book that started it all was book one in the King Series, "The Vampire King". Flash forward to present day, and we arrive at the 8th king in the series, "The Winter King".

There's something very comforting in knowing the book you're going to read is going to be stellar, even before you open the cover.

There are 13 kings in the series, which is good for us because that means that we'll be able to enjoy this series through five more installments. (If we go by the information in Goodreads the 9th installment will be "The Demon King") Killough-Walden does not disappoint. This King, who's name is Kristopher Scaul is a powerful Alpha Male as are all of the King that we have met thus far, and they all know that as in the game of chess, their Queen is more powerful and that they will do anything to protect them. The only problem is that they have to find them first. Kristopher finds his queen, her name is Persephone Glacia Nix (Poppy), all he has to do is convince her; easier said than done right?

There was however one thing that made Poppy near and dear to my heart, it seems that Poppy is a Sister! I could be wrong, but that's what I gathered from the following:

“He opened his eyes and swung his head towards the door.  Two women were walking in, one with dark skin and black hair, and the other with lighter skin and multi-hued brown hair.  The latter had her back to him, but her scarf was an extra-long knit number filled with so many colors, it grabbed his attention as much as the words she’d muttered.  He found himself sitting up straighter, his breath held, his attention fixated – waiting for her to turn around.  And then she did. And his world went tumbling." - Snow King by Heather Killough-Walden

I hope that I'm right, but if not, it could never take away from the beauty of this story. Here is an excerpt from "The Winter King"

“If you believe anything I tell you, believe this. You are my queen, therefore, you are my world. You are the most important piece on the chessboard. Everything I do from here on out will be about you. I will eat, sleep, and drink you. I will breathe you. And I will stop breathing without you… If you go, the game is lost.”

Far beyond the easy reaches of the mortal world lies a kingdom of ice and snow. Its glacier mountains reach the horizons of eons, and its cold, hard oceans paint the vastness of its world. It is terribly harsh, and terribly beautiful, and there is only one man capable of ruling from its frozen throne. He has ruled there alone for more than a thousand years.

But the Thirteen Kings are finding their fated queens, and though he’d all but lost hope he would count himself amongst their lucky numbers, the moment she walks into view, his frozen heart and soul are rekindled with by a fire that will melt through anything, even him.

Persephone Glacia Nix – “Poppy” – is a human warlock who has forced herself to fit in with the mortals around her, despite her inherent differences, despite her secret longings, and regardless of the very different way in which she sees the world. Her empathetic nature makes life better for others, but difficult for her. She’s come to accept this as the curse that accompanies the gift of understanding. However, when Kristopher Scaul approaches her on a dark street in a dark city on a cold night and introduces her to a world she at last feels “at home” in, Poppy must finally decide whether to continue faking it in the mortal world – or take her place on a second frozen throne, in the lonely but beautiful Kingdom of Winter."

The Winter King is the eighth anticipated novel in the Big Bad Wolf spinoff series, The Kings, by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Heather Killough-Walden.

Now available at eBook sellers everywhere.

If you haven't had the opportunity to read Heather's other books in the King series PLEASE, PLEASE read them! I promise you you'll be hooked!

Much Love,

Pandora

Christina Mandara - "Good As Dead" Is As Good As It Gets!

It's been a good while since I had the chance to indulge myself in the reading of a seriously good paranormal romance. Good As Dead was the PERFECT choice to end my drought! Author Christina Mandara, writer of Erotica, BDSM, Bondage and More as she defines herself, knocked it out of the park with this one! This is the first of Christina's works that I have had the supreme pleasure of reading, but it definitely won't be the last.

Please Tell Me There's a Sequel!! Chosen by Sienna Mynx

I told you in my last post that Chosen by Sienna Mynx was going to be one of the books that I would be reading over the next few weeks. All I can say is DAMN!! THERE HAS GOT TO BE A SEQUEL!!

First let me start by saying that this isn't the first book written Mynx that I've read. But this is the first book that I've read that seemed to come to its end wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with a matching ribbon as most romance novels do, and then with one sentence, it exploded in my face! I sat there stunned and shocked, mouth agape, and silent. My mind was shouting, "I didn't see that one a commin'!"

Interview with Author LeTeisha Newton, A Romance Addicts Best Friend

Between my Nook and the Kindle App on my phone I keep my romance addiction fed on a regular basis. One of the best features of e-readers and book apps is that they will make suggestions for you based on the books that you have purchased/read. After finishing up a read a few years ago, the book Theirs To Claim by LeTeisha Newton was suggested. I thought to myself, "Ok, why not, what could it hurt." After that, I had to do my utmost best to read everything that she had written to that point.

Now here I am with the great pleasure of bringing you an exclusive interview with romance author LeTeisha Newton. One of the few authors that I can say is worth burning the midnight oil over. Shifters, Greek gods, espionage, or just good'ol sexy fine hunk of man sweeps woman off her feet or in some cases it's the lady that sweeps that man off his feet *wink*.

Thank you Le'Teisha for hanging out for a bit with me on Foot Notes, (The Last Word) Book Reviews By Pandora Esperanza. 

PE - How did you decide that you wanted to focus your writing in the IR/Shifter/Paranormal romance area?

LN - To be honest, I’m not just an IR romance writer. I’m just a romance author. Fantasy and Paranormal romance were my first loves after reading books by Anne Rice and Christine Feehan. I loved vampires and werewolves. I loved the idea of forever with them being the forgone conclusion; you just had to survive long enough in their world to make it there. There wasn’t a question of if your man was right for you. You knew he was perfect for you. You just had to get over yourself and the situation. I loved that, and wanted to write that. IR came in later, because I tend to write the relationships I’m normally in. I wrote what I knew, and then realized it was a hot genre. A little bit of a shock, I assure you.