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BY MOON RISE – Tielle St. Clare
Falling in love with your boss is never a good thing, and when your boss is a werewolf, that only complicates matters. Though not a werewolf herself, Caitlin has worked faithfully for the pack and Luc for three years. Three years of secretly being in love with Luc and keeping those feelings repressed. Three days away from Luc’s mating ceremony, where he will wed his were-bride, and disaster strikes. After a viral outbreak is said to have connections to the hotel Caitlin and Luc are staying in, the hotel goes into full lockdown quarantine and for the next 48 hours no one can leave their rooms. It wouldn’t be that much of a problem except the moon will be full during that 48 hours and Luc won’t be able to control the change. An emergency call to the pack leader, Fallon provides the solution. The only way to keep the wolf in Luc at bay is for him to have sex, and Caitlin is the only available female. Willing to do anything for the pack, but also glad for one night to revel in her feelings, Caitlin agrees. Can she keep her heart separate as she gives her body to Luc?
Tielle St. Clare’s story may be compact but it sure packs a punch. Hidden desire, intense passion, and forever love are all expertly presented in a matter of pages. With as much heat packed into this small package, one can only anticipate the next heat wave from Ms. St. Clare.
DREAM WALKER – Patrice Michelle
Scientist Erin Stein was in trouble. For three long years, she has been working on proof that time-travel is possible, but now that her research is completed, her life is in danger. Her only ally is a man she’s never met named Kian. For the past month, Kian has been emailing her trying to convince her that her research would have dire consequences, but she didn’t stop. Kian had also offered his assistance if she’d ever found herself in trouble, which she was now. Kian is not what he seems, though. He has knowledge of Erin’s project that only she should know and he seems to be able to read her mind. A mind filled with erotic fantasies brought on by his mere presence. Can she trust Kian with her life, her research, and especially her heart?
Fast paced and on fire, DREAM WALKER is a fantastic sci-fi short story. From start to finish, Ms. Michelle keeps you captivated with intense action and passion.
ONE NIGHT STAND – JC Wilder
For a vampire, New Orleans was a great place to live. New Orleans on Halloween was the perfect night for vampires to walk unheeded among humans. It’s also the night Rachel, a vampire, decides to overcome her shyness and have a one night stand with Lucius deVille, the hottest vampire in New Orleans. He’s supposed to be leaving New Orleans soon so Rachel thinks it will be the perfect one night of passion with no strings attached. However, once things get started, the strings start tying up and the one night stand theory gets tied up as both Luc and Rachel encounter a connection that cannot be denied. But is it strong enough for more than one night?
The indulgence of New Orleans is the perfect backdrop to this sensuous vampire story. Who wouldn’t want one night with such a hunky hero as Luc, and the promise of more? Break out the fan! I love it when vampires experience human emotions and situations and JC Wilder’s vamps are no exceptions. Bring on the fangs!
TAIL OF THE TIGER – R. Casteel
The monster creator was dead. Cedric Deverone, Jr. couldn’t have been happier to know that his “father”, the Frankenstein-like scientist, would no longer be around to experiment with cloning and create other monsters like Cedric himself. Cloned from Deverone, Sr. and a dying vampire, Cedric was a day walker and constantly struggled to hold the vampire demon at bay. Going through his father’s files, he’s shocked to discover there are other failed experiments living on Deverone Island. Knowing how lonely his own life has been as a “monster”, Cedric rejects his current life to go and live with the others on the island. Who he encounters is like nothing anyone has ever seen. Kat is a beautiful woman with the body of a human, but with tiger skin from waist down and a tail. Cedric is drawn to Kat despite her strange appearance, or maybe because of it. Just as they begin to fall in love and have hopes for a future away from the “normal” world, jealousy and a cataclysmic event threaten to devour their new love and their very lives.
Certainly the strangest of the anthology stories, TALE OF THE TIGER is no less captivating. Reminiscent of the Island of Dr. Moreau with an erotic slant, R. Casteel writes with a vivid imagination yet touches on some of today’s current scientific fears. Despite its strangeness, TALE OF THE TIGER is a great addition to the book.
DRAGON’S LAW: MACE – Alicia Sparks
Like her sisters before her, Elenora is to be the virginal sacrifice to the dragons in order to ensure her villages’ protection. Elenora has other plans. Tied to a stake but with a magical plan to escape and kill the dragon, Elenora faces the black beast with no fear. Just as she releases her bonds to implement her plan, a red dragon attacks the black. With no way to escape, Elenora can do nothing but watch the two dragons fight. With a crushing blow, the black brings down the red but not before the red’s tail spikes slashes her shoulder and she passes out. She wakes to find not only herself alive but the red haired man she’d seen just before blacking out. She assumed his valiant effort to save her from the dragons was the cause of his current state of unconsciousness and injuries. Elenora vows to take care of him until he wakes as payment for his bravery. Her vow of caretaker is sorely tested as his virile body and the dragon poison in her body entice her to think and do things no virgin should even know about. What will happen to the village since she wasn’t sacrificed? Can she keep herself from falling in love with her mysterious red haired knight?
DRAGON’S LAW: MACE is one erotic romp in fantasy land. Alicia Sparks writes fantastic sensual conflict…I want her…I don’t want her. You almost expect to see the hero secretly plucking the petals from a daisy. Wonderful characters and beautiful imagery makes DRAGON’S LAW: MACE my favorite of the bunch.
TAMING JACK – Angela Knight
Jack Ramsey was a man on a mission, but that mission was putting his job and life on the line. A traffic cop, Jack was doing everything possible to bring his sisters rapist and killer to justice but he was overstepping police bounds and shutting out his girlfriend, Lark in the process. Help comes from an unexpected alien lifeform in the shape of an elderly woman in pink and her lap dog. Help, however, that doesn’t come without a price, and when, once again, Jack’s life is in danger, his only salvation is the woman he left behind.
A story of tragedy and redemption, TAMING JACK is not without interesting sci-fi twists and turns. Angela Knight infuses energy and passion in this highly charged short story. This just goes to show how sometimes the line between good guy and bad guy can blur without a deep rooted love to back them up.
ELLORA’S CAVEMEN: TALES FROM THE TEMPLE II starts with a bang and never fizzles out. Each story is great in its own right, but put together makes one awesome read. Each author has written short, yet complete stories which aren’t easy to do. They leave no question unanswered and no stone unturned with these fantastic shorts. This is a perfect way to showcase some of Ellora’s Cave’s top talent. ELLORA’S CAVEMEN: TALES FROM THE TEMPLE II is not to be missed. My only question now is…when will III be out?
Reviewed by Tina Burns
for The Road to Romance
June 8, 2004
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