Speak of the Devil (Demon Legacy #2)

Love paranormal romance stories? Looking for a new series to try? Check out the Demon Legacy series by J.M. Gregoire. Scroll down to learn more about the series. Don't forget to read the teaser excerpt!

About the book:
Nearly half a year has passed since Asmodeus opened the gateway allowing an unknown number of demons to spill onto our plane of existence. A fatal standoff has left Dez on her own to hunt the stray demons down and send them back to Hell where they belong. Her life has become a never-ending cycle of violence and bloodshed, further tainted by a deepening depression and a longing for the person she had to leave behind.

When Dez receives an unexpected phone call, she makes her way to the northern Arizona desert to see an old friend. Upon arrival, there is a message waiting for her from beyond the grave, and she realizes before she can go any further, she must face the one thing she’s been dreading for months. To make matters worse, the message is meant to help her mission, but it forces Dez into an impossible choice.

Only Dez can decide which road to take, but will she be able to handle the consequences of her decision? 

Excerpt:
Michael opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of absolute nothingness.  There was no light, no colors, and no sound.  Just a spacious black void.  Although he could feel the solid ground beneath his feet, there was no surface to be seen.  He glanced at his surroundings, searching for something, anything, to give himself a sense of direction and found only more of the same.  He had no idea where he was or how he got there, and more importantly, he had no idea how to get back.  The soft whisper of a familiar voice right at his ear set every nerve in his body at ease.

“Don’t panic.”  He quickly turned and came face-to-face with Deziree, and she was stunning.  When he’d arrived earlier in the evening, he noticed she looked exhausted.  It was prominent enough in her features and in the way she carried herself that it caught his attention, even through his hunger. 

“Really, there’s nothing to worry about,” she assured him.

“What is this?”

“This,” she said, gesturing around them, “is hard to explain.  We are in the ether, but not dead.” 

She slowly turned and surveyed the space around them as she continued.  “Coming here is something I believe came along with the progression of my demon abilities.”  She turned back to him.  “Do you remember the first time I met Asmodeus?  In that dream?  That’s what this is.  You and I are still in Arizona, laying in each other’s arms, and by now, you’re probably snoring.”

“I don’t snore.”

“You totally snore,” she scoffed, and then continued.  “It’s a dream state of sorts, but I am able to connect with you through it.  I honestly thought I could only do this with other demons, but here you are.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're a supernatural.  I don’t know for sure.  This is all still very new to me.  I haven’t exactly been practicing and it’s not like I have someone to turn to for lessons.”

“You seem to have figured it out well enough,” he replied.  “So, is this what it looked like when
you saw Asmodeus?  This whole black hole effect is a strange sensation.” 

“No,” she answered, “this is just here.  I think I might be able to…”  Her words trailed off and she closed her eyes for a moment.  One minute they were standing in the middle of nothing, the next they were standing in front of the familiar plush leather couch, alone, in his living room.

“Better?” she asked, a sly smile on her face. 

“Yes, much better.”

“And we’re completely alone,” she added, the smile turning mischievous.  Michael felt his teeth extend at the suggestion in her words.  He stepped forward, took her hands, and pulled them up around his neck as he tasted her mouth, their tongues dancing in an erotic rhythm.  Their kiss deepened with intensity and a small moan escaped from Dez.  Michael was reminded of the dream he had on New Year’s Eve and hoped this was not another small act of torture, compliments of his subconscious mind.  He pushed the thought back and ran his hands down her arms, down her sides, allowing his thumbs to briefly brush over her nipples before proceeding down to grasp the supple curves of her ass. 

Before his hands could reach their final destination, the sound of someone not-so-quietly clearing their throat startled them both.  Michael spun around to see his brother staring back at him with a smile curling the edge of his lips.  He was so stunned it took him a moment to realize someone else was standing with Lucas.  Michael instantly recognized her as Natalia, the murdered records keeper for the covens.  Had he not been sent to investigate her death and seen pictures of her, he never would have known who she was, as they hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting while she was still alive.

“You two really should get a room,” Lucas said as he took a step toward them.  Michael still stood there, stunned.  It took him a moment to gather himself enough to speak.

  
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About author J.M. Gregoire:

Bestselling author J.M. Gregoire was born and raised in New Hampshire, USA and despite her abhorrence for any season that dares to drop to a temperature below seventy degrees, she still currently resides there with her two children and her two cats. Always a passionate reader, her love of urban fantasy books eventually morphed into a love of writing them. She is currently working on the Demon Legacy series and has a Demon Legacy spinoff series, the Killer Instinct series, coming soon.

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The Cure (Unbounded #2)

About the book:
Even When You CHANGE, Some Things Remain the Same . . .

Erin Radkey’s life has altered completely since her Change made her one of the Unbounded. Yet she has learned the hard way that some things never change.

Greed. Over the centuries the long-lived Unbounded have divided into two groups, the Emporium who craves money and power and will do anything to achieve its ends, including experimenting on its own people, and the Renegades who protect humanity.

Power. Now the Renegades are close to discovering a cure that will save many dying mortals, and the husband of Erin’s closest friend is first in line to receive the formula. But Emporium agents will stop at nothing to destroy the cure—until they realize the research might be exactly the weapon they’ve been searching for.

Love. Erin’s new abilities are tested as she and fellow Renegades fight the Emporium in a struggle that soon becomes all too personal, and where lines of loyalty are blurred by relationships of the past. Everything is at risk, including the lives of her friends—and the love of Ritter Langton, the Renegade Unbounded who both infuriates and excites her.

From the busy streets of Portland to the jungles of Mexico, The Cure is a page-turning urban fantasy that will keep you riveted until the end.

Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review.

After finishing the first book in this series, the abrupt ending had me wondering what happened. The story stuck with me for several days after I finished it (I just love book hangovers!), so I knew I had to get my hands on the next book in the series. Want to know what I thought about the first book, The Change? Check out the review here.

To begin with, if you are reading the books back to back, you will initially be disappointed because the story doesn't pick up exactly where the first book left off. It actually picks up two months later. There are snippets that allow readers to find out what happened. For example, Ritter wasn't there when Erin woke from her surgery. No surprise there because that is Ritter!

This book feels the same and very different from the first book. There is still tons of action in it. The Hunters and Emporium are really a thorn in the Renegades' side. Erin however is not the same woman we saw in the first book. Her confidence has grown in the months that she has been Unbounded and she doesn't doubt her role in this new secret society anymore. She is 100% Renegade and she's out to recruit new Unboundeds to her side.

The characters must take a road trip to Mexico. This is also a reason why the "feel" of this book is so different from the first. The unfamiliar scenery as characters run through the jungle, adds a danger element to the plot. Enemies can hide so easily. If bullets start flying, it is difficult to spot Emporium soldiers in all of the foliage. It is hard to tell who is hunting and who is being hunted.

The same characters from the first book are in this second book plus a few extra. New talents are revealed that come in handy when the characters get in some sticky situations. Don't worry though, you're going to love these additions to the story.
 
Readers that love action, supernatural abilities and a hint of romance will definitely want to pick up this book. There is no sex in it, but there is some violence. It is definitely worth the read!

About author Teyla Branton:

Teyla Rachel Branton grew up avidly reading science fiction and fantasy and watching Star Trek reruns with her large family. They lived on a little farm where she loved to visit the solitary cow and collect (and juggle) the eggs, usually making it back to the house with most of them intact. On that same farm she once owned 33 gerbils and 18 cats, not a good mix, as it turns out.

Teyla always had her nose in a book and daydreamed about someday creating her own worlds. She is now married, mostly grown up, and has seven kids, including a two-year-old, so life at her house can be very interesting (and loud), but writing keeps her sane.

She thrives on the energy and daily amusement offered by her children, the semi-ordered chaos giving her a constant source of writing material. Grabbing any snatch of free time from her hectic life, Teyla writes novels, often with a child on her lap. She warns her children that if they don’t behave, they just might find themselves in her next book!

She’s been known to wear pajamas all day when working on a deadline, and is often distracted enough to burn dinner. (Okay, pretty much 90% of the time.) A sign on her office door reads: DANGER. WRITER AT WORK. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.

She loves writing fiction and traveling, and she hopes to write and travel a lot more. She also loves shooting guns, martial arts, and belly dancing. She has worked in the publishing business for over twenty years.

Scents & Senses

About the book:
Scents and Senses: Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you

Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing.
Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot.

Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.

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About author Loren Secretts:
Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood.

In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast.

As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports.

But clients’ reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…

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Excerpt:

Joy

Ever since I’ve been old enough to kick off on a condor with my own two chicken feet, I’ve been drilled to mind my own business.

Mind your own business, the first of the American Ten Commandments.

It’s not one I subscribe to, even though in our community, not minding my own business means more than social suicide; it’s a crime when we ascend above ground.

For thousands of years we deeems have kept away from the creatures running over our heads with their five-toed feet. So if anyone in my community gets wind of the risky job I’m on these days, I’m practically a goner. But that doesn’t stop me from shadowing a certain teenage fivetoe.

There’s also a totally different occupational hazard involved in this position I’ve created for myself, one I’m suffering from right now: this job occasionally makes school seem relatively stimulating. Yawn. I’ve played too many Angry Condor games to count since Starra got involved in some fantasy book a couple of hours ago and lost contact with the real world. Even if I knew how to become visible to the fivetoe eye and suddenly revealed myself, I bet she wouldn’t notice me, the cute teen perched on her windowsill.

Time simply refuses to advance, and I have to resort to counting the spider eggs cocooned in their nest on a nearby tree branch. A sudden sigh interrupts my lame occupation. There’s a starry look in the big eyes, and I notice the novel is slipping out of Starra’s dreamy grip. This is my window of opportunity! I finger the starchy edge of the book jacket and coax the book forward.

Thud. The book falls to the floor, and the movement seems to bring Starra back to her senses. At last she grabs a hoodie and sets out, probably for one of her night excursions on the Vista Del Mar Path. Are we running or biking tonight?

Running it is. I jog behind her, finding the excursion by the shoreline an improvement to watching her read. At least we are moving.

She runs for half an hour, at a speed faster than the sea turtle pace usual for fivetoes. Then she slows to a stop at a jagged rock, half-submerged in the ocean. I groan quietly and contemplate leaving. From experience, I know she’ll climb to the top of her rock and dream away. I start backing off, but when I’m some fifty feet away, I look back. Starra makes a pretty picture there, her silhouette perched high on the rock. Her long legs are tucked under her, and her head hangs back as she keeps her gaze on the stars above. If only she would let loose the heavy dark mane of hair she always twists up at the back of her neck, she would truly look like a mermaid risen from the sea.

Something pulls me back to her. I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling trouble is lurking nearby, waiting to snatch her in its net.

My chicken feet make an about face and follow Starra home as she takes the shorter route through town.

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Seed of Doubt

About the book:
Caught in a murderous nightmare, businessman-turned-fugitive Connor Bryce flees across the country in a desperate attempt to evade the police, leaving his wife and son behind. With detectives in hot pursuit, Connor must try to clear his name and uncover the truth. But with a war waging in his mind, he grapples with the realization that the impossible may actually be true: there is a battle for his mind. When temptations get blurred, there are no winners.


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Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone has wished for something that he/she really didn't mean. Driving home from work, you might wish for a cop to pull over the rude driver that cut you off and is now driving erratically down the street (or for that driver to get into an accident). Or you might wish for something to happen to a coworker who just beat you out of a job promotion. Luckily, these things are only errant thoughts and secret wishes. In Robert C. Milton's book, Seed of Doubt, Milton creates a unique story where sometimes what you secretly desire can have unforeseen consequences.

Milton's storyline is original and refreshing. I expected this book to be your run-of-the-mill murder mystery. What I read was a pleasant surprise. There's no way I would have predicted the outcome of this book. Readers know that Bryce didn't show up at Jansen's house and kill him. Later, when he's accused of other crimes, readers know that he didn't actually do them. However, the author implies that there is a chance that his character did in fact commit these wrongs. Is it possible for someone to be innocent and guilty at the same time? In Milton's world, the answer is "yes". How is that possible? Well, you have to read the book to find out!

The writing style is natural and has the perfect mix of dialogue and description. The flow of the story is like a rollercoaster. Readers hold their breathes to see how long Bryce can evade police. Every time the police get close, you wonder, 'How is he going to get out of this?' The story quickly draws readers in and keeps their attention.

The book is very realistic. After reading it a couple nights right before going to sleep, I realized that I couldn't do that every night. I would plan to read for 10 minutes before going to bed. I'd pick up the book and read until Bryce reached a "safe point" in the story. Then I'd look at the clock and way more than 10 minutes had passed. I'd put the book away, but because you can really feel Connor's emotions--the anxiety, pressure, and feelings of being trapped--my heart rate would be elevated. I had to calm myself down before I could relax and go to sleep. Good stories tend to do that--make time disappear and let you experience another person's/character's emotions.

The story incorporates multiple points of view. Since the story entwines many characters' lives, it was smart of Milton to set the story up this way. You have Connor, the police, Connor's wife, and the Mims all with important parts to play. Readers are able to see their thoughts and motives. The depth of each character helps to make all of them feel authentic.

Connor Bryce is very frustrating in this book. At first he runs from police. Stupid man! (But then, I don't know what I'd do if I were in his shoes, so I let him off the hook.) I liked how he told his wife goodbye. Sweet man! He keeps evading police when they catch up with him. Smart man and stupid man! He starts doubting himself and believing that he actually did the things he was accused of doing. Crazy man! Then he mentally beats himself up over all of his actions and poor judgment. Harsh man! Needless to say, I felt a range of emotions for this character. Readers will be able to relate to what he goes through. After all, we have all been guilty of thinking things we'd never admit or take action on. I think he needs to show himself a bit of grace and forgiveness.

This story can be enjoyed by men or women. It has elements of suspense, action, and drama. It also has spiritual undertones to it. The religious aspects don't come across as being "preachy", but it will make readers think. It will definitely stick with readers and have them thinking about it long after the finish it.

Honestly, the first 2/3 of the book are good. The last 1/3 of the book is where it gets even better. Milton decides to give readers some theories or explanations of what is going on. The explanations are difficult for the detectives to accept, and they might be for readers too. These theories are what helps to set this book apart from other mystery books. It's also what readers will remember.

Milton provides a complete storyline that will leave readers satisfied. There are a few very minor details that I wish he would have addressed in the book. First, what happened to Trace Lasser? What are the consequences of his actions? Second, how was it possible that Connor was able to do what he did?  And third, did Connor ever do those things again?

All in all, this is an impressive piece of work from a debut author. It is one that I'd definitely recommend if you want something that will get your heart pounding and your mind racing.

About author Robert C. Milton:

A poet at heart, and influenced by the writings of Stephen Crane and C.S. Lewis, Robert Milton sheds light on the struggles of man in his debut novel, Seed of Doubt.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University where he studied Science and Psychology. His poetry book, The Gray in Between, was self-published in 2006. Since then, he’s written two novels and is currently working on his third. An outdoor lover, he enjoys spending time hiking, fishing, and relaxing with friends and family. Robert and his wife, Lorrie Beth, currently reside in Birmingham, Alabama with their two dogs, Joey and Cooper.

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