Poetry has long been given a short drift. This, of course, is not news to anyone who loves or writes poetry. But what many people may not realize is that not all poems chant, or rap, or even drone dry sounding words. Epics and other stories from ancient times were forms of poetry or verse. This is because it is easier in the oral tradition to remember the story to pass down from one person to another, if there was some rhythm or beat to it. So here is a set of short poems that honor the roots they came from. And there is not a dull line in the bunch.

Ilona Heged?s enjoys science fiction, vampires, and horror stories. This is also the direction of her poetry takes her. She has illustrated and published this book herself. I can see why. It is very unusual and that, in itself, is what makes Unearthly Companion such a delight. But the collection of those readers who would enjoy this work is sadly small. Major houses, and even some small publishing houses, do not see selling a minimum of sixty-five thousand books to make back the cost of printing it. I do however hope Ms. Heged?s will take her work to various Science Fiction conventions, Filk Song gatherings (folk songs sung about sci-fi, horror and fantasy characters, places, and ‘cultures’), and the Speculative Poet society. I am sure she will find, if she has not already, an interested audience for her work.

Each poem is presented as a mini story: something very close to the oral tradition from which poetry emerged. The work is also "Westernized" in that there is a beginning, middle, and end. Her first poem/story “Ghost Story” is a delight. It incorporates a twist that some may see coming, but will still enjoy.

The story/poem “Deal” will leave you in shivers. “Do Not Jack Me In” will bring a rueful smile. Her poems cover the gamut of subjects and ideas. Nothing is safe from her probing pen. This is one wonderful work that has been printed and has thankfully not been left in the dark drawer.

I do, however, have one quibble. I found it distracting for her to have placed, after any poem that was published before, the date and year of publication. It interrupts the flow. I am not by any means suggesting she not show that her work is copyrighted. But an asterisk by the title and a bibliography placed in the back could have easily taken care of it. As I've said, it is a quibble of mine. Get Unearthly Companion and enjoy the stories. For even better enjoyment, read them out loud.

Reviewed By Nancy Louise
© April 2006

I've never been to Australia, but Romona Hilliger has given me some wonderful images in her book, Hunting with the Wolf. Don't let the title fool you: this book is a member of what I like to call 'mainstream romance', without a hint of paranormal flavor. I enjoyed it anyway, even without the things that go bump in the night.

Buck Daniels is criss-crossing the Australian Outback, black rage and a thirst for revenge whipping him along the beautiful landscape on a hunt for the man who raped and murdered his wife. Misinformation and dead leads always leave him one step behind the killer, and as time goes on, his frustration mounts to a killing rage. Buck gets a bit of shock when a young woman comes to him for help. For the first time in a long time, Buck has someone other than the ghost of his wife that needs him. Revenge races through his blood, but he cannot turn his back on the damsel in distress. He isn't sure if it was a good idea, or a bad one, but she's with him now on his hunt and she's not leaving.

Megan Ducass, traveling with friends through the Outback so she could get the photographs she needs for a contract she picked up, is running from a broken heart. Due to the bitter betrayal of her fiancé, and subsequent embarrassment, she filled her life with her work: wildlife photography. When she has a bitter clash with one of her travel companions, she storms off in a cloud of pain and embarrassment yet again, and straight into Buck. Buck was a man of dark secrets and a sexuality she couldn't ignore. Megan manages to get a ride with Buck; finding out too late that traveling with the mysterious man is bad for your health. An ambush on their camp one night drives home the fact that Buck is a lot more than he seems. But the thrumming desire she feels inside herself whenever she looks at him, and the visible fight he has to keep from touching her, give them both something to think about.

When the end comes, will they take what they're offered, or will they part ways and deny themselves the prospect of loving again?

Ms. Hilliger brings Australia to life with few words; painting breathtaking landscapes that made me feel like I was there. Her characters are believable, and I couldn't help but like them. I really enjoyed reading Hunting with the Wolf, and I think you will too.

Reviewed By Marissa
© August 2006

I am sure everyone has heard the saying that blood is thicker than water. In some cases that may not be true. Families are not always the big happy families everyone likes to believe they are. Friends can fill in the spaces where families should be for some people. When they are true friends they can become even more of a family to you than your real family. The Reward by Beth Williamson, shows that friends can and will help through thick and thin, when family can't or won't.

Malcolm Ross y Zarza had lived most of his life in the shadows. In the Calhoun house there are no shadows; it was filled with love, laughter and play; all those things that he no longer knew how to do. He once thought that having people think of him as a vicious outlaw had its advantages because they left him alone. The days when Nicky had run with his gang of outlaws were over especially now that Nicky had married her bounty hunter, Tyler Calhoun. Now that Nicky and Tyler had started a family of their own with the birth of their baby being with Nicky and Tyler made him even more aware of his loneliness. It was time to leave and Texas was calling him home. He didn't want to think about what he'd find when he returned but it was time to face the demons from his past: his own family.

As Leigh O'Reilly stood looking at the dead cattle around the poisoned water of the small creek on her ranch she realized it was just another "accident" in the long series of accidents that have plagued the Circle O ranch in the last two years. She wished yet again that her old friend Malcolm were there to talk to. He had been her best friend, her confidante and her first and only love. His leaving fifteen years earlier had broken her heart but she'd grown up and married Sean O'Reilly. It was a good marriage, Sean had taught Leigh everything he knew about ranching, so that when he died he left the ranch to Leigh. There was no way that she was going to let someone steal her ranch or rule her life. She was going to find out who was behind all these not so accidental "accidents".

When Malcolm returns to the home he swore never to return to, he decides to take a job on a neighboring ranch before letting anyone know of his arrival. The foreman of the Circle O offers Malcolm a job at the ranch not realizing that Malcolm is an old friend of the owner, Leigh O'Reilly. He finds that things have changed: his mother is missing, his father is dying and his stepmother and half-brother are running Rancho Zarza. The biggest change is his feelings for Leigh. At eighteen his feelings were no more than the beginnings of love. Now Leigh is not fifteen any more but a mature, beautiful woman. A woman that makes him want all the things that he has only dreamed of and never thought that he could have.

As he begins to dream of having a home, a family, he finds that his dreams may be taken from him before he can make them come true. Someone is trying to not only ruin Leigh's ranch but they are threatening her life. Can Malcolm face his old fears and hatreds? Can he make peace with his dying father? Will he be able to solve the mystery of what happened to his mother? Will Leigh and Malcolm find out who is behind all the trouble on the Circle O?

If you have been following Beth Williamson's Malloy-Calhoun family saga you will not be disappointed in her newest book. The Reward is Malcolm "Hermano" Ross' story. This story shows how love, compassion and understanding can make family of friends and how envy, greed and hatred can make enemies of family. The chemistry between Malcolm and Leigh make this a sweet love story. If you love tenderhearted bad boys, Malcolm is your man. Leigh is a woman who is strong enough to be running and defending a ranch but also insecure enough not to know that she is an attractive woman. Malcolm is man enough to know what he wants and he wants Leigh. The sparks flying between these two make The Reward a real pleasure to read.

Reviewed by: Tammy Adams
© November 2005

Cheyenne McCray is one of my auto-buy authors, for the simple reason of her great writing style. She creates characters anyone could be drawn to, and such is the case with the main character in her newest book, Seduced by Magic.

Cooper Ashcroft is an accomplished D'Anu witch, but as she is practicing a spell alone on the beach one night, she is approached by a mysterious stranger. She casts a spell of gray magic at the wizard but he reflects it back at her, sending her into the mysterious Otherworld. Fifteen months later she is still creating spells everyday trying to reverse the spell that trapped her in this piece of Otherworld. The bad thing is that not only is she trapped but there are other Fae trapped with her. She has had no luck at all in freeing herself and the others imprisoned with her. One morning when she starts her spell she feels different; different in a good way. However when the spell is finished, she is knocked to the ground by a good-looking man coming out of a circle of light. She doesn’t know weather to be happy she has a good looking man in her company or to be upset her spell didn’t release them.

Tiernan A D’Danann is no regular man; he is a Fae Warrior. A warrior summoned by Silver, Copper’s sister to help fight the Dark Demons. Returning home to the Otherworld to get ready for his upcoming marriage, he finds things are not as they should be for him and his future bride. He has known from the time he was a child many centuries ago that the family legacy was his to bear. As a Lord and the only heir to the House of Cathal, he is expected to strengthen his house with a good union and produce a boy child to continue the family lineage. But no suitable bride from a powerful house has been born until eighteen years ago. He is of the same mind of Airill, and has no wish to mate with her as she is so young compared to him. Hoping to return to San Francisco to aid his fellow warriors in stopping the Balorites and Formori from releasing Balor’s body and souls, and to find a solution to his and Airill’s problem he postpones the hand fasting for six weeks. Flickers of light in the forest catch his attention. As he approaches it, it surrounds him and yanks him forward from the forest. In the next moment he finds himself hurtling through the air towards a petite figure at the other end of the light. Shock courses through him as he recognizes the woman as Copper Ashcroft.

After Tiernan fills Copper in on everything that has happened since she went missing, he finds himself drawn to this woman even more than her pictures did at Silver’s home. Now more than ever she is determined to find a way to release them. Day after day she keeps trying different spells, and day after day she and Tiernan are growing closer and closer. Escape, and the right spell, are their only hope to return and help fight the demons of the Underworld and the terrifying dreams Copper keeps having of evil waiting to be unleashed. But can she get them out before it is too late? Can Copper help Tiernan find the solution he needs and return home or will she be everyone’s downfall?

For me, Cheyenne McCray has done it again with Seduced by Magic. She created a world that was so easy to be drawn into with Forbidden Magic. A world that is a pure pleasure to revisit, a world that is only enriched by the love, strength, honor and sense of duty that both Copper and Tiernan show through out this story. Not to mention the fire-hot sparks that strike between them. This book is a prime example of why Cheyenne McCray is on so many people’s auto-buy lists. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Chey’s dark sexy world of magic, buy Forbidden Magic and if you have, get ready for a return visit to a world of hot sex, fast action and dark seductive magic with Seduced by Magic.

Reviewed By: Tammy Adams
October 2006

Children are one of the most precious gifts that we as humans are given. Most parents will do anything, or risk anything, for their child. But there are some people who see that same child as a means to an end, be it continuing family status, name or power. Then there are those special people who just don’t care about those things, not even whether that child is their blood. All they see is a child: the precious gift that they are, to be loved, to be cared for, protected. The same people who are more than willing to take that child into their hearts. JJ Massa’s Family Doctor is that kind of story.

Bernadette Reeves and her 12-year old son Tayler are in yet another doctor’s office, in yet another hospital in the hope of finding the answer to Tayler’s mysterious illness. But when her hopes are dashed again, Bernadette is desperate enough to try anything. So when Dr Marc Fontenaux is brought in to consult on Tayler’s case she doesn’t object even though Marc is an Ob-Gyn doctor.

Marc may be an Ob-Gyn doctor, but that isn’t all he is and he understands more about Tayler and his condition than any other could. Also Marc is the first man that Tayler really has connected, with not only as a doctor but as a father figure. Abandoned by both her parents and Tayler’s father when she became pregnant, Bernadette has spent all of her time making sure that Tayler comes first.

When Marc tells Bernadette that Tayler is sick with “a doggy disease” and that he is half werewolf, her response is “You’re telling me my baby is a dog”, and thinks things have gone too far. When Marc proves to her werewolves exist, she passes out on the floor. When she gets over the shock, her first thought is that she should have been told. Anton should have told her when she informed him that she was pregnant so she could get the proper medical care for Tayler.

Marc feels the same way; no male should ever abandon his pup or not provide proper care. Even though Marc knows Bernadette is his mate, his main concern is getting Tayler the medical care that he needs and there is only one person for that: his brother T Paul. T Paul confirms that Tayler is seriously ill and will need long term care.

Bernadette is overcome again at the response of the Montgomery clan. For the last twelve years it has been just her and Tayler. Tayler’s father Anton de la Rosa ran out on her after a one-night stand. When she told him about Tayler he wanted no part of her or the baby. Even her own parents shut her out when she refused to give the baby up. Now there seem to be people willing to take not only Tayler into their hearts but her also.

Tayler’s health is only an issue for Bernadette but for Tayler’s father too. Anton de la Rosa is looking for a way to hold off a challenge for leadership of the de la Rosa pack and one way to do that is the old laws. Especially the one saying that a pack leader can’t be challenged if his only male pup is ill. So by any means necessary he is going to take possession of Tayler. Of course, the challenging faction are equally determined that that isn’t going to happen.

Bernadette is Marc’s mate. That makes Tayler Marc’s pup and that makes them family. The Montgomery family will band together to do whatever it takes to protect their own, even if that means a war between the Montgomerys and the de la Rosas.

First, I have to say that I love the Montgomery family, JJ Massa has created such a diverse group of characters and yet she seems to bring them all together in such an effortless manner that you can’t help but love them. What all the Montgomery family books have in common is the strong family theme. Family is everything and children are there to be loved and cared for. Give me a book with that in it and you are just about guaranteed a winner but add in Ms. Massa’s ability to draw you into the story with such feeling, there is no doubt that you have a winner.

Family Doctor isn’t just another werewolf story about a werewolf finding his mate with hot love scenes, though it is that. It’s more a love story between a family and a child. This family comes into this child’s life showing him that it’s okay to be different, that not everyone is the same. Indeed loving him in spite of those differences because each child is special in their own way.

Reviewed By Theresa
© October 2006

Over the years, I must have seen twenty versions of the "punish the thief with bondage" stories. The general gist is this: he walks in to find himself being robbed; he captures her and does what he wants. Justice is served. Or the flip-side--the thief captures her. But this is a slightly different take on the old standby. How often do you know the thief you walk in on?

In Thief in the Night, Delly Alexander isn't your ordinary thief. Once upon a time, she was an Olympic contender. But something had happened in her life to draw her into a life of crime. Something had happened in her life to draw her away from her one-time friend, Neal Cadogan. What could it be? Whatever the secret is, it is the key unlocking the mystery of Thief in the Night .

So, ten years after the last time he saw her, what is Neal to do when he catches Delly--should I say tackles her?--in the middle of robbing him? He has an advantage too, since his car trouble means he walks home instead of alerting her with the sound of his car.

So Neal how does Neal react? First he catches her, overpowers and pulls out the hand cuffs. But then, he unmasks her. And that's where the surprises start.

With only thirty-six pages of story, I'd better not reveal any more. Let's just say that they had a prior acquaintance--and they do more than have a little reunion. This is a nice little story. The chemistry between Neal and Delly is so tangible you can feel it coming through the pages. There's not much wasted space; pretty much everything has to do with them and their past, present and future. If you like a little bit of a thief walking on the wild side--with a twist, of course--you'll be delighted with Tracy Cooper-Posey's Thief in the Night .

Reviewed by Maîtresse
© November 2006

It's ironic that slavery can be a fantasy--it certainly is one of mine!--and that getting out of slavery can also be a fantasy. (There's no accounting for taste.) Or more specifically, the fantasy is finding a hero to defend you from the cruel Master who slaughtered your village, took your people as prizes of war and who made your last five years into a life of hell. Even more specifically, the fantasy is finding a hero with a little something extra--he's not just a hero, he's a shape-shifter.

In Arrik Varkas Drakon's case, he is not only a man who happens to rescue a damsel in distress; he is a Drakon lord, which is a mythological creature whose lineage is comprised of man and dragon. And the woman he rescues--Eartha--is a runaway slave of Hameon of Gradoc.

Fortunately in this brief short story (forty-seven pages), we do not have to share Eartha's time with Hameon, but the little we see of him does a fine job of justifying Eartha's willingness to beg protection from a complete stranger she meets in a bar. Cloaked in shadow, and bigger than life (bigger than more things than you could shake a stick at)--all seven feet of him--Arrik promises to be a figure of mystery.

N. J. Walters nicely presents the mythology in the preface, so we don't wander through half the story trying to figure out what is going on. If there's a problem, it is one that is common to so many romances: the hero doesn't exactly have an equal foe. Like so many romances whose focus is, well--the romance--the conflict is too easily gotten out of the way and is somewhat anti-climactic. Then we can get back to the story we care about: the hero and heroine. In Drakon's Treasure , the romance is the thing. If your thing is lonely, possessive shape-shifter rescue-dragons with seriously long life spans, you're going to find Drakon's Treasure to be a treasure in itself.

Reviewed by Maîtresse
© November 2006

Just a week ago, on October 21st, I read about how there was an eighteen percent drop in crime in D.C. due to cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Eighteen percent is just a drop in the bucket, especially in a crime-mecca like D.C., but up till now, between federal and local law enforcers in the daily course of operations of their variety of crime task force units, cooperation across the agencies has been mostly imaginary. It's not that suddenly everyone is cooperating across the board; but there is improvement. It is still the kind of city where a story like At Her Command could actually happen.

Much of the humor of At Her Command stems from the left-hand-not-knowing-what-the-right-hand-is-doing syndrome. Much, but not all. Much of the humor also derives from characterization. Not that this is defined as a comedy; this is a romantic suspense that is written with a wry comedic slant. But, I am getting ahead of myself, as usual. The plot has DEA Agent Dominique Petracelli going undercover as a Domme, dealing with her abrasive partner Gus Meyers, and learning how to handle a crazy quilt of submissive clients.

Frankly, the submissive clients are a hoot--they're a fascinating batch of oddballs. And then, of course there's her first client ever, Dalton C, a man to whom Dominique is tremendously attracted. And no wonder--Dalton is six feet four "with the impressive shoulders and chest of a linebacker" -- somewhat of a challenge for her to Domme for her very first time. She's working undercover and ironically has no clue that the sexy Dalton C. is a policeman, who, on his own time, is investigating the death of his partner.

So we have two different agencies that haven't a clue they're in each other's stakeouts. It makes for very interesting dynamics, especially when the volatile chemistry between Dominique and Dalton is flipped a hundred and eighty degrees from their actual tendencies. At Her Command is a very entertaining read.

Reviewed by Maîtresse
© November 2006