Review: Stone and Earth by Cindy Spencer Pape

Damien St. Pierre enters Philadelphia on a mission. But despite his very best intentions of finding the all-important heirloom of his gargoyle clan, he can't help but be distracted by his intriguing new landlady, Katie Calhoun. 

This story sure packed a punch! It began with a bang as the chemistry between Katie and Damien sizzled and sparked—and it didn't let up until the end of this short story. I only wish it could have been longer. Stone and Earth demanded that I continue reading from the beginning to the very end, but by the time I was done, I was calling out for more! What could Cindy have done with just a little more space? I guess I'll have to find out in the next installments.

In this book, Cindy sets the groundwork for a complex and engaging new world. One sure to be filled with characters just as intriguing as gargoyle Damien St. Pierre and his witch mate. I, for one, can't wait to read more!

It was, in a word:

Fast-Paced. 

Interested in reading the chemistry between Katie and Damien for yourself? Visit Cindy Spencer Pape at her website or by the book here. Join me on Tuesday for my review of the second book in the series, Stone and Sea!

Clara.

Golems and Gargoyles

Most have heard of gargoyles, beings of animated stone. Much to my consternation, those weren't listed in my handy Dictionary of Mythology by J. A. Coleman (Arcturus Publishing, 2007). But this was:

Golem

an image brought to life: a servant automaton

A golem, in my mind, is only slightly different from a gargoyle. A gargoyle springs to life on its own -- that is the nature of a gargoyle. On the other hand, a golem must be created and brought to life by someone else. 

Check out these resources for interesting things about gargoyles and golems:

-The Gargoyle Wikipedia page

-The Golem Wikipedia page

-About Gargoyles

-Gargoyle Etymology and History

-The Golem myth in film and literature

-Background on Golem Legends

-The Jewish legend of the Golem

-Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 65(b) (The earliest account of a golem)

-Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions on the Artificial Anthropoid by Moshe Idel (golem tales from ancient times onward).

Coming up next: A 5-part special! Return next week to see my reviews of each of the four stories in Stone Heroes by Cindy Spencer Pape, now in paperback with Ellora's Cave! And to follow up, I'll be interviewing Cindy.

Clara.

CHERISH D'ANGELO - Top Ten Great Things about Being an Author in Today's Publishing World

1) I can finally get these voices and stories out of my head. Yes, I hear voices. Yes, I feel slightly schizophrenic at times. I can't control when a story idea comes blasting through my cerebral cortex. I see fictitious people.

2) Microsoft Word, Grammar check and Spellcheck are my three best friends.

3) I'm self-employed and self-motivated. Good thing my self likes to work.

4) I can take my work with me on holidays, all thanks to the invention of the laptop.

5) I meet such awesome people at writers' conventions. Other writers, publishers, agents, booksellers. Conventions are a potpourri of all things 'book'.

6) I meet such awesome people at book signings. Readers are so diverse and so interesting, and I am always pleased to meet people who are on the reading end. I want to know what they like, what they want.

7.    

      7) I can publish my own books as ebooks. I don't need a publisher to do this. No more wasting time waiting. I'm not getting any younger.

      8) The publishing world is evolving at warp speed and the future of writers is exciting. It's far easier to self-publish than ever before and much more acceptable. Like the Berlin Wall's demise, we have broken through the barrier that once held authors back. We don't have to wait.

      9)I get to give my books away and do Random Acts of Divineness. See my posts during my tour to find out more about RAD.

       10) I can go to work in my home office in my pajamas (which Spellcheck insists is pyjamas) and take breaks when I want to. I'm in my Winnie the Pooh jammies now. Oh sorry, did I blow your image of a romance author writing in a flowing pink negligee and satin robe?

 

~Cherish D'Angelo

 

Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

 

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

 

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherylktardif.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com. Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

 

Authors: what are some other great things about being an author? Readers: what are some great things about reading?

 

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

Gorgons

The Dictionary of Mythology by J. A. Coleman (Arcturus Publishing, 2007) describes a gorgon as:

Gorgons

3 snake-haired, winged female monsters

A glance from these monsters [...] could turn a man to stone. Their names were Euryale, Medusa, and Stheno and only Medusa was mortal.

They lived in Cisthene and were depicted as having snakes for hair, tusks like a boar, hands of brass and the hindquarters of a mare.

Of course, over time that was weeded down to being snakes for hair and eyes that would petrify you where you stood. Needless to say, I've never read a paranormal romance containing one of these creatures, though it would be interesting, don't you think? Gorgons appear in Library by Apollodorus and in Metamorphoses by Ovid.

Resources:

-The Wikipedia Page

-Medousa and Gorgones

-Gorgons in Literature

Cherish D'Angelo will kick off October as she talks about her new release! Hope to see you there.

Clara.

 

Review: She's No Faerie Princess by Christine Warren

This book, although I've owned it for years, is still my favourite paranormal fairy romance. In fact, it is the book which made me a fan of Christine Warren. And here's why: 

Niece to the Faerie Queen, Fiona seeks to take a vacation from a life of politics. To that end, she escapes to New York City despite the ban placed by the Queen on all inter-world travel. There, she meets the gruff, sensual Tobias Walker. But while she is determined to lure him into bed, he seems determined to keep their relationship on a professional level. 

The tension in this book was so thick, even closing the cover couldn't dispel it from my brain. Whenever I want a fun, sensual read, I turn to this book. Warren, as she proves with each of her books, is a master at creating crackling chemistry and ground-shaking lust between the main characters, never more so than in She's No Faerie Princess. This one should go on any paranormal romance lover's must-read list. 

In a word, this book was:

Enthralling.

Visit Christine Warren on her website here or buy the book. 

Clara.