The Woman
Hayden Panettiere is not only our “She-roe,” she played one on TV, too! In one of her most memorable roles, Panettiere portrayed a high school cheerleader with regenerative powers on the hit NBC show, Heroes. This wasn’t the first time we had seen her on the small screen, as she had recurring roles as Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live and the leukemia-stricken Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light. Continue reading
“Look out, vampires—here come the Nephilim.
The popularity of different genres tend to rise and fall in waves, and few have ridden a higher crest recently than vampires. That may change with D.M. Pratt’s “Age of Eve,” which introduces an ancient supernatural being that is probably new to most readers.
You don’t have to know the backstory to Nephilim to be drawn into this page-turner. All you need to know is that they are mentioned a couple of times in the Bible, and that they pre-date human existence on Earth.
What makes Pratt’s novel work, however, is not the Nephilim, but the way she incorporates them into a carefully constructed mystery thriller.
As the title suggests, it’s all about Eve, a magazine writer living in modern day New Orleans. She lives an unextraordinary life. She’s unmarried, and her best friend Cora is a “trust fund baby” with lots of free time and money.
Eve’s life gets significantly more interesting when she’s assigned to cover a party for her magazine. An unexpected encounter with a handsome stranger turns into what appears to be a one night stand.
But that’s just the beginning of a journey that will take her through the world of Cajun voodoo, intriguing family secrets and, of course, Nephilim.
Pratt measures each element so the book never leans too heavily on one aspect. In fact, Age of Eve is at its heart a solid mystery.
Pratt’s strongest attribute is the use of incredible detail, whether it’s the description of the mansion that plays a central role in the story, or even one of the several romantic scenes.
Almost all of the plot twists are a surprise, but none of them feel forced. Instead, they help ratchet up the intensity while keeping you guessing how it could end.
Creating a book for a series is not easy because the story must be able to stand alone while also laying the groundwork for other adventures to come. If Pratt stopped at “Age of Eve,” the reader could be completely satisfied. Fortunately, Pratt has left the door open for readers to be seduced by the next installment. With any luck, soon the Nephilim will be the new vampire.”
-Jeff Favre, NetGalley
“I loved it!! D.M. Pratt did a wonderful job bringing the feeling of New Orleans to life in this book. Her writing was so descriptive that I could close my eyes and right away I was there in the story right next to Eve. Pratt had me hooked from the beginning. I was so intrigued with who this mystery man was that put Eve’s head into a spin that I stayed up all night!! Pratt is great at building suspense and the ending was definitely a surprise. I did not want it to end. I can’t wait until the next two books come out. I’ll be looking out for them.”
-Kristen Taylor, NetGalley
I have to say that the sex scenes REALLY WORKED. I was so pleasantly surprised that it really added an edge and momentum to the story line . . . This book contains sex, magic, mystery, fallen angels, southern America, love and a race against time to save the person you love AND yourself then you really need to read this book! I GIVE THIS BOOK A 5/5 STAR! IT’S A MUST READ AND A BOOK YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE ON YOUR SHELEVES. – BenjaminofTomes.blogspot.com
AGE OF EVE reads fast, it paints vivid pictures, it engages the reader’s emotions and passions, it draws you in to a very unique intrigue and it goes places you don’t quite expect . . . the book is billed as a romantic thriller — It is very romantic and it is very thrilling, delivering wholeheartedly everything is says on the tin! – Spacehunter, Amazon
“This book contains sex, magic, mystery, fallen angels, southern America, love and a race against time to save the person you love AND yourself…you really need to read this book! I GIVE THIS BOOK A 5/5 STAR! IT’S A MUST READ AND A BOOK YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE ON YOUR SHELVES.”
-Benjamin, NetGalley
“I’ve grown totally tired of vampires, ghosts, and witches, so it’s nice to see that someone has come up with something new. Actually, it’s something as old as time itself. If you don’t know, Nephilim are creatures mentioned in the bible that existed before humans. But they’re still around, wreaking havoc. I love that the main character has to battle these Nephilim, not only for her survival, but to save the whole world. The high stakes makes it super exciting. I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve read in the genre that involves Nephilim—to me, they have way more possibilities than vampires, literary-wise. Let’s hope this is a trend.”
“I’ve been a fan of erotic novels for a long time, but they’ve started to all sound the same. If you’ve read one sex scene, you’ve read them all. That’s not the case here, however. For starters, there’s realistic characters and a totally imaginative plot. And the sex scenes are as exciting and arousing as any I can remember. And you never knew when they were going to pop up, which made it even more fun. I can say that this would be the right book if you’re into erotic fiction, science fiction, or just plain old good fiction.”
-Rebecca Susan, Amazon
“Inventive and lush with a captivating storyline ripe with biblical archeology and metaphysical layers that carries you straight to end and has you waiting for the next tale.”
-Teia Collier, NetGalley
“Oh my gosh. What the actual hell was this.? And I mean this in a good way. I’m sitting here completely shocked and amazed at just how much I grew to enjoy this story, the plot twists, the history, the everything. I can’t wait for the next book since the ending was absolutely crazy! The writing style reminded me of The Night Circus. Really beautifully descriptive . . . stick with it to the end. It would just absolutely blow your mind. I’m itching for book 2, and when it’s complete I’d want to buy it for my bookshelf.”
– Zoel Peters, NetGalley, Zoela Books
LOS ANGELES (February 28, 2013) BroadLit, a multi-level media company, is bringing the world of vintage and new romance content to women through its new line of licensed TruLove® products using images from nearly 100 years of True Love and True Romance Magazine covers and content. Continue reading
Dear Second Acts;
This is a hard thing to write about, but here goes. I met this guy who, how should I put this, likes to be dominated. We met in a Whole Foods Market about two months ago. We’re both really into natural foods and cooking, etc. But this guy is big and strong and rugged…not submissive in any way. Anyway, we hit it off…we have a lot in common and he really makes me laugh. And things were good in bed too. But then one night, while we were, you know, doing it, I was on top and he asked me to tie his hands to the bedpost. At first I thought he was kidding, but he kept asking, then begging. So, I tied him up. Then he asked me to do whatever I wanted to him. But all I wanted to do was to continue making love. So he said, okay, fine, but to also slap him in the face while we were doing it. So I did, but he said it wasn’t hard enough. So I slapped him harder and harder until tears were streaming down his face. But the weirdest thing was that the sex kept getting better and better. He liked it and I guess I liked it too. When it was over, his face and my palms were bright red. Very weird. He is coming over this weekend and I’m a little afraid of where this whole thing is headed. If he shows up with a suitcase of sadomasochistic paraphernalia, I’m not letting him in. Even though I think I kind of want to.
Confused and Aroused in Portland
Dear Confused and Aroused;
Holy bondage, Sweetie! Welcome to the mysterious world of pain and pleasure. I should say right up front that I am not a psychologist or even a pseudo-psychologist. I don’t even play one on a pseudo-TV. The stock answer here, of course, is that as long as you are consenting adults, and neither of you are truly hurting the other, there is no abnormal sex. That said, though…holy dominatrix, Batman! Just because one of you wants it, that doesn’t mean the other is compelled to provide it. So far, you seem intrigued, but what if he asks you to do something that really freaks you out…something that makes you truly uncomfortable? In short, be prepared and willing to walk away. Make that run away.
Cynthia
By Cynthia Amas of Second Acts Dating Service
This “advice” column is the result of art overtaking life. When author Julia Dumont created her leading lady, Cynthia Amas, for her Second Acts novels, she had no idea how domineering her character would become. Cynthia, a man-challenged matchmaker, insisted on writing her own dating advice blog. Julia tried to explain that fictional characters don’t usually write advice blogs for real people, but Cynthia was undaunted. The result is not your average dating blog, but it’s just as funny, irreverent and delightfully crazy as Cynthia. Should you take her advice? Read on and decide for yourself.
Everything surely is coming up roses for Anne Hathaway in her career, which in the last few years has earned two Oscar nominations—winning this year for Les Misérables.
Her personal life is equally hot as well ever since she married actor Adam Shulman in 2012. Continue reading
By Julia Dumont
Cynthia Amas, match-making guru to everyone but herself, has just opened the new offices of her highly personalized boutique dating service in Hollywood, CA. One of her new clients–a gorgeous, well-connected, uber-rich widow–comes in search of a new lease on life in the form of no less than a social and sexual reawakening. The story moves across the endlessly entertaining landscape of Los Angeles–from an astonishing erotic art exhibit to a decidedly intoxicating voyage with a wildly attractive crew of love and lust seekers via a luxury yacht up the Southern California coast.
Cynthia’s best friend Lolita and her ever-mystifying pack of talented dogs are back along with Paloma, Cynthia’s beautiful young assistant, a passionate new import from Dublin named Seamus O’Brien, baddest-of-bad-boy ex-lovers Max, and superstar screen idol Jack Stone…all seemingly hell-bent on complicating the matters of the heart beyond belief. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s lovably eccentric mother has run off to Italy with one of the biggest philanderers in Hollywood.
Throughout it all, Cynthia attempts to maintain a long distance affair with her own possible once-in-a-lifetime true love match, but as she encounters the sensual on-the-job temptations of a life in the romance business, it all seems to be slipping through her fingers.
Your first book in the Second Acts Series is called Sleeping with Dogs and Other Lovers. How did you come up with that title? Read More
Julia Dumont is not my real name. I have a secret life, which is why I have to keep my true identity hidden. My fellow university professors would never understand why a very serious literary professor such as myself would ever confess her addiction to reading romance novels, much less to her passion for writing them. Read More About Julia.
In the music world, THE super couple—now married for nearly five years—is Mr. and Mrs. Carter, better known to millions of fans as Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
It’s hard to say which of these talented artists is the bigger star, but it’s easy to see how they wound up together. It was a clear case of mutual admiration between a native New York tough guy and a Texas belle. Continue reading
