Book Review: Across Worlds: Collision

Title: Across Worlds: Collision

Author: S. A. Snow

Genre: mixed gender sci-fi erotica adventure

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

 

Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love.

Jane Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space, Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is quickly developing.

Fumbling their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes, and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces questions she never imagined she would have to answer.

Full disclosure: I am acquainted with the author, worked on the novel during its first draft stage, and received an advance reader’s copy. I have not been paid in exchange for this review.

I admit I’m not generally a fan of erotica—not because I dislike reading sexy, steamy novels but because, well, they’re often boring. (My apologies to people who write erotica). That may be a function of poor writing, unfortunately. Some authors seem to believe that if they can write good smut, that should carry an entire novel’s plot.

The good news is that Across Worlds: Collision fulfills the requirement to be hot as Hades while not skimping on excellent plot. It also features two of my other favorite elements: romance and humor, often both at the same time. There is plenty of action, adventure, and intergalactic intrigue to satisfy even someone as picky as I am. No worries, though—there is enough well-crafted sensuality to keep genuine fans of erotica turning the pages (and dog-earring a few on the way).

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435337

 

 

 

After chasing around puppies and corralling kittens, S.A. Snow flips open her BSG replicated console and enters her mysterious world of imagination. Seeking to escape the rigors of her day jobs, she enters flight mode and powers her engines full-speed ahead.

A prolific writer of non-traditional erotica, S.A. Snow grew up on a small alpaca farm high in the Andes Mountains. A lover of yoga and meditation, she spends her free time constructing alien space stations, organizing werewolf governments, and cataloging all episodes of Star Trek in order of technical soundness. A firm believer that one need not choose between Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas, she also has closely examines all Star Wars movies in order to determine which episode is more factually based.

S.A. Snow writes truth and only truth, factoring in all evidences she can find. She writes only about parallel universes she has personally visited, and believes if something about her books isn’t shocking, she’s not effectively telling the story.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/booksbysnow

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Review: Devil’s Dilemma

Image courtesy of Amazon

Happy Monday!  Today, I’m thrilled to introduce to you another one of my favorite new authors, Sirena Robinson.  I had the privilege of being one of Sirena’s editors on this book.  For a little background:  I received a chapter through a beta-reading service and honestly, my first reaction was, “It’s a bit religious.  I wonder if I will enjoy it.”  I generally don’t read the sorts of books one finds in Christian book stores.  Well, trust me, this is not your average religious fiction.  It’s intense and exciting and unusual.  I loved working on this novel, and Sirena herself is an intelligent and interesting woman.  Many thanks to her for giving me the chance to work together on this!

Sirena will be doing a give-a-way at the conclusion of the blog tour on March 1st, 2014. Five names will be drawn from the comments and each winner will receive a free e-book copy of Devil’s Dilemma. In addition, one grand prize winner will be drawn to receive a goody bag full of books from other PDMI authors.

Here is an excerpt from the novel:

Alaria turned and saw Beelzebub walking toward her. She smiled wickedly and sauntered in his direction, her heels clicking sharply, her whip—with the chain on the end—clinking against the stone floor with each step. She lifted her other hand and studied her fingers, forming a white hot fire ball with nothing more than a thought. Casually, with one flick of her wrist, she sent it at him. Beelzebub dodged, but it struck him in the shoulder, melting his suit and singing the skin beneath. Unconcerned, he brushed a hand over the wound and flicked off the ash.

“Your betrayal has not gone unnoticed, sister.”

Alaria shrugged. “Better with them than you. Millions of years of service, and still the outcast? I decided it was time to move on.”

“This was your chance to win favor with Lucifer. You’ve waited for this since the Fall. Just as we’re about to get it, you betray us and join ranks with our greatest enemy?” He hissed. “Did you really think He was going to take you back? Give you a shiny new set of wings?”

“Something like that.”

“Think He’d be brave enough to send Gabe down to Hell to fish you out of the pit?””

“I don’t pretend to know what He would do. It’s a moot point since you’re not taking me back down there.” She bared her teeth in an absolutely horrifying smile. “I’ve always liked Earth. Now that Michael is about to put Lilith back where she belongs, that frees up some real estate for yours truly.”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” Beelzebub struck out with a lightning bolt, knocking Alaria back several steps.

Alaria regained her balance and raised her whip to lash out at him. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t breathe.”

Griffin watched the exchange with bated breath. The Devils clashed violently with whips, swords, fire, and lightning. More than one demon was slaughtered just because they got too close to the fight. After several minutes, the loud crash from Michael opening a hole in the floor distracted Alaria, and she looked over long enough to see the Angel grab Lilith by the throat and carry her into the hole, the stones miraculously coming back together once he was gone. The distraction gave Beelzebub the opening he needed. He swept her feet out from under her and put one foot on her chest. He leaned down, grabbed her by her hair, and wrenched her head back.

“I’m going to make you wish you were dead. You’ll never get out of the lake, Alaria. We’re going to take turns carving you into pieces, then put you back together and do it again.” He gripped the dagger in his hand, prepared to drive it through her chest and kill the body she inhabited to send her essence back to Hell, where she would be trapped.

Before he could plunge the blade into her, Griffin raced out of the kitchen, the consecrated blade clutched in her hand. With a Warrior’s cry, she flung herself onto Beelzebub’s back and sank the blade to the hilt in his throat.

Devil’s Dilemma is available on Amazon in both e-book now and print as of 1-17.

Book Review: The Rivers Webb

Departing from my usual to review my latest read: The Rivers Webb, by Jeremy K. Tyler (published 12/2011, Untreed Reads).  This is Mr. Tyler’s first novel.

Mr. Tyler transports us to small-town Georgia, 1942.  Immediately, he hooks readers by temporarily transplanting a New York City detective to the South to solve a crime.  At first glance, this doesn’t start much differently from other novels in the same genre.  However, the characters, and the fact that everyone appears to have something to hide, draws the reader in.  Using shifting point of view, the reader becomes semi-omniscient.  Rather than revealing the mystery too quickly, one of the drawbacks of that technique, it serves to deepen the suspense.

Without making a judgment on the morality of the characters or their actions, Tyler weaves a suspenseful tale of the backlash of keeping family secrets and the nature of revenge.  The characters have genuine depth, making some of them at once thoroughly repulsive and yet surprisingly sympathetic.  This three-dimensional quality of the characters becomes particularly meaningful at the climax of the story and in the two surprise twists at the novel’s conclusion.

Although a detective/murder mystery novel is not my usual fare, I found myself enjoying the novel.  It’s a fairly quick read, with little in it to distract from the plot.  Tyler doesn’t waste precious pages on detailed description of the scenery or people’s appearances.  He focuses on the action, thus speeding the plot along.  The few specific descriptions are integral to the story and make sense in context, again advancing the storyline.

For serious fans of detective and police literature, I’m afraid you will be disappointed.  It isn’t that sort of book.  You won’t find much in the way of explaining investigation procedures in great detail.  For the rest of us, it’s a trip to another time and place, with mystery and suspense woven in.

I particularly appreciated the lack of graphic violence, language, and sexuality.  It often seems to me that authors believe their voice won’t carry above the crowd if they don’t throw in a few f-bombs and a naked orgy or two.  Thankfully, Tyler is relying on his skill with storytelling instead.  If only more authors would take that cue.

Overall, I found The Rivers Webb a light and enjoyable read.  I look forward to seeing what Mr. Tyler will bring in the future.

You can purchase this e-book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or directly from the Untreed Reads store.