Review: Taken by Fire by Sydney Croft

Taken by Fire

by Sydney Croft

(ACRO # 6)

Erotic Paranormal

I am so sad to see this series end. It really doesn't have to! There are still so many stories that they could create! Please, please, please! Or maybe write a spin-off series??? Something!! That's the end of my fangirl moment.

Taken by Fire is mainly the story of Stryker. He has such a cool power, he can affect basically earth, so watch out you don't piss him off or you may cause an earthquake! He is assigned to kill Melanie/Phoebe, the chick with two personalities that killed Akbar in the forest at the end of the last book. He watched as his friend burned in front of him, so this mission is personal for him. He wants to squeeze the life out of her!

Except once he finds her she explains to him about her dual personality. Can he believe her? There are actually two people living inside her body thanks to an Itor experiment, Phoebe is the bad one, and Melanie is the good one. Phoebe is out most of the time and has abused Melanie for a long time. Phoebe is the Itor agent, Melanie doesn't know anything. They each have a different power, Phoebe is fire, Melanie is ice. And yes, they find out that she's Alek's daughter (head of Itor), which of course makes Dev change his plans and decide to just bring her in, not kill her. She is his sister after all.

She needs sex to recharge her powers and when they find themselves in a situation where he needs her to get them out of a bind, he is the only choice for sex. After that first time, which was rough, she admits that even though her body might've not been, she was actually a virgin, and yes, Oz's prediction comes back to mind "You will marry a virgin."

He quickly starts developing feelings for Melanie, and after those first few rushed times, which were still pretty hot, there's more of a connection between them. Can I just say that even though this book was just a tad less creative in the sex department, at least with the main characters, they still had some hot scenes. They joined the mile high club and almost brought down the plane with both their powers; the back of an SUV after playing and training with her powers; he sits down at the kitchen table to have dessert *THUD*

So yeah, I liked the main characters in this one. I felt bad for Melanie, I hated Phoebe she was a total bitch! And let me warn you, Phoebe does get a little rough and there might be some scenes where you can't believe they went that far with what she was allowed to do, but that was still ok with me.

Now let me get to my favorite characters of ACRO. In every book, Creed&Annika and Dev&Gabe&Oz were also reason enough for me to keep reading. Their side storylines are amazing in my opinion. I did feel a lack of Creed and Annika in this book, we didn't get a lot of time with them and I missed them. Annika is pregnant, Creed is stressing out about Oz's vision that she would die if she has his child, Annika is pissed at Stryker for sleeping with Akbar's killer. But we didn't see a lot of Creed/Annika time.

Dev... He was my favorite character in this book! He is so intense, emotionally raw and devastatingly hot! Gabe is actually more the romantic and wants more from Dev than a booty call. Dev has to learn to cope with that and to give Gabe what he needs while still dealing with the takedown of Itor and his newly found sister(s) in ACRO's custody. Some of the best sex, and almost sex scenes in this book are Dev & Gabe's. Oh.My.Gawd!!!!!! HAWT! That's all I got to say. You have to read it! And yes, there is a threesome in this one! Oz gets to have a body for just one night!!!! *THUD*

The last two or three chapters of this book had me in tears... constantly. I cried for everyone! I'm tearing up again now. It seemed like there would be no resolutions or happy endings for anybody, and my heart was breaking. It was a great ending! Full of emotion, full of action. The ACRO family is all there. But I still don't want it to end! I can't let go!

Favorite quotes:

"I'd miss my own crowning to be the King of England to be with you." - Stryker

Because he's yours, Oz whispered in his ear, even though he remained where Gabe could see him across the room. Always was - I just kept him safe for you.

"We're all a bunch of goddamned heroes." - Stryker

"You be safe out there, Gabriel. You hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you. I think I finally fucking hear you," Gabe whispered in his ear. "When I finish, I'm going to fuck you into the mattress."

Purchase from Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Stephanie Tyler!

 

UTC is thrilled to have Stephanie Tyler here today with us! We are a huge fan of her ACRO books who Tyler writes under the pen name of Sydney Croft with fellow author, Larissa Ione. And there is no way I can resist a romantic suspense book either! So without further ado, let's get to know Stephanie Tyler some more! For more information on Stephanie, please visit her website for the latest news!

What is your writing process? Do you do a lot of research for your novels before you start or as you go along?

Both. I’ve researched the military aspects for a long time, so I have a lot of that under my belt, but I’m always refreshing my knowledge – and there are always new aspects to learn with each book.

You write with Larissa Ione under the pen name Sydney Croft. How did Sydney Croft come to be?

You can read the full story here, all the way to the left titled, Meet Sydney. http://www.stephanietyler.com/meet.php

But basically, Hurricane Katrina was the impetus for Sydney Croft  I like to think of it as something wonderful that came from something tragic.

How is the writing process different when writing with another author and when you're writing alone?

I’ve only written with Larissa and I don’t think I could ever write with someone else, so I don’t know if my experience would mirror anyone else’s. That being said, writing with Larissa is the easiest, most fun experience I’ve ever had. There’s just something about working together with her that makes it a joy – the words come easily, we’re excited about everything we write and the process goes incredibly quickly. And while I do love writing on my own, it’s definitely harder. Plus, with Sydney, I’m only writing half the book!

Taken by Fire was the last book in the ACRO series. Have you considered extending the series and writing more books?

We’ve always known the ACRO books had a six book arc, so no more full length books (for now, anyway – I never say never to anything). We do plan on doing some shorts and novellas set in the ACRO world.

Do you have any new projects as Sydney Croft in the works?

We have an idea for one but we haven’t started working on it. We’re hoping to be able to have it out maybe by Summer 2012, schedules permitting.

You are starting a new paranormal series The Eternal Wolf Clan. What can you tell us about it and when will the first book be released?

Dire Needs comes out March 6, 2012. But first, I’ll have an eSpecial available February 2012, titled Dire Warning, set in the world of the Eternal Wolf Clan.

The full moon is their mistress. They are predators of pleasure and pain. Feared by humans, envied by werewolves, the Dire Wolves are immortal shifters, obeying no laws but their own bestial natures. Once they were many, but now only six remain, a dangerous wolfpack forever on the hunt…

Rifter leads the pack, embracing the lifestyle and ethics of an outlaw biker even as he battles an ancient enemy who has become a new, powerful force. But with his Brother Wolf raging inside him, howling to be unleashed, he needs to satisfy his hungers. And when he meets a drop-dead gorgeous blonde drinking alone in a bar that caters to both human and inhuman, Rifter’s primal instinct is to claim her.

Gwen has her own desires, long unfulfilled. She hopes a passionate night with the leather-clad, Harley-riding biker will ease her suffering. The seizures that have wracked her body her entire life are incurable—and they’re killing her.

But none of that will matter if Rifter can’t stop the growing threat to them all — trappers who are determined to enslave humankind and use the Dire wolves as part of their nefarious plan.

You can find out more information here as it becomes available:
http://www.stephanietyler.com/next.php#paranormal

Night Moves is the fourth book in the Shadow Force series and Kell’s book. What can readers expect from this new release?

Night Moves, which releases October 4th, is definitely a buddy book – Reid plays a huge role in Kell’s life and in his book, so I really feel like it’s both their books. There’s lots of action in this one – lots of danger that brings together all the Shadow Force Operatives to fight an old enemy of Dylan’s – and Teddie’s enemies as well. But Kell’s up for the challenge.

Here’s the blurb:

Anything can happen under the cover of darkness.
Kell Roberts has walked the thin line between life and death for so long that it now feels like home. He is a soldier, a survivor, and a loner. Still, Kell cannot turn his back on the beautiful woman caught in his firefight against the drug lords of Mexico. She says her name is Teddie, but Kell senses there’s much more to her story—and it’s about to pull him into a mission he didn’t sign on for: keeping her alive.

Teddie Lassiter knows this lean, mean rescuer just saved her life, but the steel glint behind those soft gray eyes seem to be hiding something deep. The men after Teddie are deadly, but the man who holds her life in his hands and tempts her with his wicked touch is even more dangerous. He could make her dream about living and loving again. And if they can survive, maybe, just maybe, they can stop fighting the world and each other—and simply surrender.

You can read an excerpt here:
http://www.stephanietyler.com/books/moves.php#excerpt

We definitely understand your fascination for military heroes. What inspired you to write stories about these men?

It was several things – a grandfather who served in the Navy, my daughter being sick and still such a survivor. I wanted to write about men and women who had incredible courage and honor. Military heroes fit that bill for sure. And this seems like the perfect place to throw in a quick shout out for SEAL OF MY DREAMS, an anthology about Navy SEALs that will benefit these incredible military heroes. It’s a collection of novellas from many wonderful, talented authors and it’s being published by BelleBooks in both e and print on November 11th of this year – and the best part is that all proceeds go to veterans medical research! For more information, you can visit my website and Sealofmydreams.com – I believe by October 1st there will be excerpts from all the stories up.

What is one quality all heroes should have?

They need to have incredible honor, which keeps their moral compass pointed in the right direction. They have to make hard decisions about right and wrong, but they do so with the greatest good in mind.


On to questions about favorites! If you could spend the day with only ONE of your characters, who would you pick and why? What type of activities would you do?

Ender!!! I would go with him on one of his missions. Or maybe I would let him help me deliver some justice to some well deserving people. Heeheehee.

Fill in the blanks

I would have a one night stand with . . . If I wasn’t married? Ender! You know, before he met Kira..or Viggo circa Lord of the Rings.

I would marry . . .Zoo. All over again. And I’m not just saying this so he keeps cooking for me…

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Stephanie is graciously giving away TWO copies of her newest release, NIGHT MOVES. Winners have the option of getting their prize as print or Kindle. Open to everyone! Winners will be chosen via Random.org. Good luck!

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

Mind Spill: My Bookish Boyfriend

He is with you 24/7. He doesn’t complain when you buy too many books. He doesn’t even take up that much space either. Sound like the perfect boyfriend?

Oh, yeah right! Who am I kidding? This person doesn’t even exist!

But what’s almost as good as the perfect man is the perfect ereader.

That’s right, folks. Whether you have a Kindle, a Nook, a Sony ereader or whatever, the digital age is here! Ebook sales have skyrocketed and it’s no wonder! You don’t have to pay for shipping. You don’t have to wait. And the device doesn’t take up much space!

I don’t know about you, but I take my reader with me everywhere. He’s like my little boyfriend. Don’t laugh now because I love my ereader so much that I’ve named him. In fact, all of us are UTC have an ereader and have named them. So to spread our love for the little guys that bring a little slice of heaven in our hectic lives, we’ve decided to share our obsessions with you!

I’ll go first! I got my ereader last Christmas and have been using it every day since. I have a Sony Touch (6 inches, because really...size matters *winks*) and buy ebooks A LOT. My ereader goes by the name of BASTIAN. Ever read Kresley Cole’s No Rest for the Wicked? How about Lisa Kleypas’ Devil in Winter? If you have, then you’re familiar that both heroes are named Sebastian, which is how my reader got his name! My obsessions with both authors have caused such an impression on me that I couldn’t help by spread the love!

There’s also a little thing I like to do with my ereader and it’s PIMPING IT OUT! Jackets, skins, you name it! I love it! Here’s what Bastian looks like right now:

Alright, let’s move things along and check out Francesca’s Tablet.... 

I was a stranger to ebooks until about a year and a half ago, when I started reading them first from my Blackberry and then my HTC Android phone. They were great and I was happy, but... I'm spoiled, so my boyfriend gave me a Samsung Galaxy Tablet (I got the 7" version) this last Christmas and he hasn't seen me ever since! LOL Well, not exactly, but he does seem to think that I have my tablet AND my ipod (that's my other book boyfriend for audiobooks) attached to my hands and ears. I LOVE it! I actually don't like going back to reading actual books! And as Annie already said, we have named our ereaders, so let me introduce you to V. *snickers* The name comes from my sexy Vishous from JR Ward's BDB, and since books are also my drug of choice, the name also comes from the vampire blood in the show True Blood, better known as V.

V is currently looking badass in a worn-in leather jacket.

And as I said before, I do have an ipod bookish boyfriend, this is Angel. This is actually more of my husband, and this version 2 because the other got so much use it finally wouldn't work anymore. So this is now a 64GB ipod touch. I got it for myself at Christmas and I've gone through 4 sets of earphones since. Hmmmm

Angel actually goes around naked! LOL I hate ipod covers so the only thing covering my husband is a clear screen protector.

They both have provided me with endless pleasure ;)

Now you have to meet Suz's Kindle!

I actually discovered ebooks a while ago and was forever reading off my computer, which is a bloody nuisance but it wasn't until around March this year that I got a kindle so....

Meet Kendra, she is full of adventure, humour and more smut then you can shake a stick at. That's right Kendra is my Kindle. Unlike Annie and Fran mine is a girl, she is way too smart and useful to be a man and yes I am talking about her as if she is a real person, you may see a grey tablet when you look at her, but for some reason when I envision Kendra I see Queen Latifah

I have nooooo idea why, and I think I may have a screw lose some where along the line, but there we have it!

Kendra is a modern woman/kindle; she is practical I can fit a lot of books in a very small space and has anyone else found that ebooks are that bit cheaper most the time? And she is also stylish, today Kendra is sporting a rather stylish apple green leather jacket and if you open her up she has got a colourful bookcase skin on. She calls it Bohemian Gypsy, all she needs now is some golden hoops and she is all set

Join in the fun! Let us know why you love your reader and if you want, you can post pics/links in the comments below! We'd love to see them!

And the winner is...

The winner of Vonda Sinclair's giveaway is:

LIBRARY LADY

Congratulations! An email has been sent out. Winner has 72 hours (3 days) to claim their prize. You've got random.org to thank for your win :)

Stay tuned because we have some really great international giveaways coming your way! Thanks to all that entered!

HOTTIE OF THE WEEK: ANDREI ANDREI

It's that time again! Moanday is here and I've got a good one for you this week! Hottie of the Week is ANDREI ANDREI and he's is smokin' hawt. Some of you may already know that in my head i've cast him as Adrian Vogul from J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series. Just some metal and he is downright lickable! In this first pic, he kind of reminds me of Vishious too but he just needs a little more bulk. Anyways, enjoy everyone and try not to drool too much while your at it :)

 

My absolute fave pic of him!

Review: Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson

Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul #1)

by C.L. Wilson

Fantasy Romance

This book just proves adage "Don't judge a book by its cover," the cover may look like your teenage sister has just got hold of photoshop for the first time but what is inside was fantastic. I really wish I had started reading it when I first bought it at the beginning of the year, instead it has been languishing in my kindle.

Set in a fantasy world full of the Fey, dark mages and magic, Lord of the Fading Lands introduces us to Ellysetta Baristini the adopted daughter of a master woodcarver and considered plain, awkward and more then a little strange by most. Ellie is fascinated by the Fey and their King, Rain Tairen Soul but never expects to see him in anything but poetry and art, but he is visiting Celiera for the first time in a thousand years as he hears his one true mates cry of pain and is determined to find her.

This book had a mixture of two of my favourite genres fantasy and romance, I really enjoyed it. The writing was fantastic and drew me effortlessly into the world the C.L. Wilson has created. It is a fantasy world with a medieval feel to it with kings and queens and magic in it, it also revealed enough of the history to give you the feel of the world without bogging you down in too much detail.

But what has made me like this book most was the characters of Ellie and Rain. I am not normally a fan of books with Fey in them I tend to avoid them and leave the Fey for YA readers and make a grab for shifters and vamps instead, but Rain may just change my mind. He's mad, bad and a little crazy but you have got to love a guy who raises a woodcarvers daughter to Queen of the Fey and daring any one to say differently. The character I liked most though was Ellie, I could feel her bewilderment and uncertainty at her sudden rise in life and I admired her courage for just getting on with it with no moaning.

What was also fantastic was the growing storyline about the rise of the dark Eld mages who are slowly taking over Celiera through an insidous and silent campaign of fear and corruption, I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens next.

This was a great read which I had trouble putting down a good mixture of fantasy and romance that I have feeling is going to be one of my new favourite series.

Battle of the Covers: Fallen Angels

We're back for another edition of Battle of the Covers! This time we're looking at the covers of J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels!

For all of us at UTC there is really only one choice!  The US covers!

What are your thoughts?





USA                                       UK


USA                                       UK


USA                                       UK

So what do you think?? 

Cast your votes below and leave your comments!