Review: Badlands by Morgan Brice

Badlands
(Badlands #1)
Morgan Brice
Release: June 26, 2018
Goodreads Amazon

Medium and clairvoyant Simon Kincaide owns a Myrtle Beach boardwalk shop where he runs ghost tours, holds séances, and offers private psychic readings, making a fresh start after his abilities cost him his lover and his job as a folklore professor. Jaded cop Vic D’Amato saw something supernatural he couldn’t explain during a shootout several years ago in Pittsburgh and relocated to Myrtle Beach to leave the past behind, still skeptical about the paranormal. But when the search for a serial killer hits a dead end, Vic battles his skepticism to ask Simon for help. As the body count rises, Simon’s involvement makes him a target, and a suspect. But Simon can’t say no, even if it costs him his life and heart.

Review:
You know when Amazon recommends you a Kindle book based on your past purchases and it looks interesting and has good reviews so you buy it and then kind of forget you bought it. Then you stumble upon it again as you're scrolling through your kindle app looking for your next read so you pick it up and end up loving it. That was my experience with Badlands. I'm kicking myself for waiting to read this. I never knew I needed a jaded cop and psychic team up paranormal romance in my life. Add in the fact that it's a queer romance and it just made this book even better!

Simon is a medium that has carved out a life for himself as a ghost tour guide and mentor to psychics in need. Vic on the other hand, has fled from his previous life due to being ridiculed for his brush with the paranormal and is now going through the motions of being a homicide detective, without making any meaningful connections to his new home. I didn't really read the synopsis besides seeing that it was about a psychic. So I went into this thinking it was going to be an urban fantasy book and found myself delighted to find that it really was a paranormal romance.

I loved that the book starts with the mystery of the killer before we even get the meet cute between the main characters. And speaking of meet cutes, what an adorable meet cute it was. Sadly, all the psychic stuff and murder complicates things things between the main characters quickly. I think the reason this book was so good was that the narration switched between both main characters so we were discovering things as they did. The downside is that you kind of end up yelling at the kindle for all the stupid decisions the characters are making. I wanted to tell Simon to stop being so damned independent and I wanted to yell at Vic for thinking that being a jerk is a good idea.

The characters in this book are phenomenal but the death, ghosts and mystery are really what makes this book such a delightfully dark tale. I don't say this often because I love me a good romance but I was so interested in the mystery aspect of this book that I found myself thinking during the romance bits that the author needed to get back to the mystery and leave the sex for later. Don't get me wrong. I loved the romance between Vic and Simon! But in this case, the mystery had most of my interest. About halfway through the book, I started to get excited about all the possible adventures that Simon and Vic could have in the future if they survived this case and started to work together as partners. The possibilities are endless and I just need more Vic and Simon and their friends in my life!

I loved this book so much! It ticked all of my boxes and was a great fit for my Romancepoly challenge pick. This book was what I've been looking for when it comes to PNR/UF m/m romance books. I need more so I was very excited to learn that this is the first book in a series and that we are indeed going to get more Simon and Vic adventures. Bring them them on!

Note: I discovered while buying the other books Morgan Brice (aka Gail Z. Martin. Brice is her m/m PNR penname.) has written that this series is actually one of several companion series written under her Morgan Brice penname and as Gail Z. Martin. I'm super intrigued to see where she takes this world and how the series are going to overlap. I'm in the middle of binge reading her other Morgan Brice series, Witchbane, and it's glorious so far. Just give me all the m/m paranormal romance books, please!

    1/2

  4.5/5 Stars

 

Book 1/30

Book 1- Freedom Friars Challenge

Review: Don't Cheat Me by Jackie May

Don't Cheat Me
(Nora Jacobs #2)
Jackie May
Release: May 21, 2018
Goodreads Amazon
Borrowed via Kindle Unlimited

One month after Nora’s violent induction to the dangerous supernatural side of Detroit, she’s finally settling into her new life as the underworld’s token human. All she wants to do is mind her own business, enjoy her new friends, and stay safe. But that’s easier said than done when she’s such an enigma to everyone around her.

Thanks to her unique psychic abilities, she’s garnered a reputation for being mysterious and powerful. When the alpha of a local werewolf pack asks her to help him figure out who is stealing from him, she can’t say no, even though getting involved in pack business could have deadly repercussions.

While tangled up in a heap of werewolf troubles, Nora can’t quite shake her old vampire problem, either. Henry is practically stalking her, Parker is breaking down the walls around her heart, and Nora’s blatant fear of the blood-sucking monsters is a delicious temptation for the natural predators.

Nora’s succubus friend, Cecile, believes throwing her a “coming out” party into underworld society is the best way to solve all of her problems, but Nora disagrees. If the vampires and werewolves don’t kill her, Cecile’s party planning definitely will.

Review:

Don't Cheat Me is much lighter in tone than than the first book in the series, which devoted a lot of time to the abuse and trauma in Nora's past. Those things are still mentioned, and are still impacting her present as Nora deals with PTSD-type episodes, but they're not so prominent. Since I felt like there was too much of it in book one, I'm really happy to see it toned down here.

Where the first book introduced Nora to the local vampires, now we get to meet some of Detroit's werewolves. I loved those characters and learning about the series's werewolf mythos, but I wish they didn't focus on dominance so much when explaining their customs. Nora also finally learns where her powers come from. (And I totally called it!) I'm excited to see where the series goes with that revelation.

When I read book one, I didn't know that this series is a "slow burn reverse harem." (It's in the blurb on Goodreads and Amazon, but I don't think it was on Netgalley.) I was surprised to learn that since Nora basically has panic attacks when people touch her. But in this second book, you can start to see her group taking shape as Nora works through her issues. At this point, there's still nothing more than kissing in her relationships though.

I really enjoyed Don't Cheat Me! I wanted the next book in the series as soon as I finished this one. I'm excited to see where Nora goes from here.

    

4  stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Don't Rush Me

Early Review: Don't Rush Me by Jackie May

Don't Rush Me
(Nora Jacobs #1)
Jackie May
Release: January 25, 2018
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the author via Netgalley

Most humans have no idea that a dark and deadly underworld, filled with magic and monsters, exists. They wander through life blissfully ignorant of the supernatural world around them. Nora Jacobs is different. Nora knows exactly what kinds of hellish creatures haunt the streets of Detroit. 

Thanks to a unique set of psychic abilities, Nora has managed to steer clear of the underworld most of her life. But all that changes the night the most powerful vampire in the city discovers her gifts and decides to use her as a tool to find one of his missing clan members. 

As if that’s not bad enough, Nora believes she’s cursed. All her life, people, especially men, have been drawn to her—some to the point of obsession and violence. Underworlders, it seems, are not immune to this curse, and now she’s caught the attention of some of the most dangerous monsters in the city.

Neck deep in an investigation only she can solve, Nora quickly makes as many new allies as she does enemies. Her biggest problem is staying alive long enough to decide which is which

Review:

It's been a while since I've discovered a new Urban Fantasy series. The Nora Jacobs series seems to have everything I love about UF: a mystery plot, a heroine who can take care of herself, and a wide variety of supernaturals. May calls them Underworlders - vampires, werewolves, trolls, fae, and a few whose natures haven't been revealed yet. It even has a supernatural law enforcement agency, the Federal Underworld Agency, and I love those. It's old school and I really enjoyed it.

But here's the thing that bugged me: there are just so many triggers! I'm not particularly sensitive to references to rape and abuse but if you are, this is not the book for you. Nora grew up in the foster system and was abused and assaulted frequently throughout her childhood. She references those experiences several times and even has a few flashbacks. They serve a purpose in the story, but I still think it could have been toned down. She's also kidnapped and violated in the present.

Nora also has what she calls a curse, but comes to believe is some Underworld in her family tree. Men have always been attracted to her, sometimes to the point of obsession and abuse. The whole thing feels too much like victim blaming, even though she's the one doing it. Everyone else seems to go along with it when she explains. I know that victims often blame themselves and I hope that Nora works through it over the course of the series, but at this point it makes me a little bit uncomfortable.

Despite all that, I basically felt like Don't Rush Me was a fun book. I liked Nora, her psychic skills, and the supporting characters. I love the found family theme, which enforces that "old school UF" feel I was talking about. I'm curious to see where the series goes so I'll be on the lookout for book two.


Recommended for fans of: Hannah Jayne's Underworld Detection Agency series, Gravewitch by Kalayna Price

    1/2

3 1/2  stars

Release Day Review: Wolf Hunger by Paige Tyler

Wolf Hunger
(SWAT #7)
Paige Tyler
Release: December 5, 2017
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

She’s all the wolf he’ll ever need

When SWAT Officer Max Lowry meets Lana Mason, he falls fast and hard. He’s positive she’s The One. And Max’s favorite part? Lana’s a wolf shifter too, so they can skip the awkward reveal and head straight to the happily ever after. There’s just one problem: Lana doesn’t know that she’s a werewolf. 

To make matters worse, hunters with intent to kill have tracked Lana to Dallas. Max has to figure out how to keep Lana safe, show her who and what she really is—and just how much she means to him.

Review:

Wolf Hunger just might be the best SWAT book yet! As much as I've enjoyed the rest of the series, there's usually at least one plot point that bugs me enough to lower my rating. Wolf Hunger didn't have that. It does have two compelling story lines and the great action scenes I've come to expect from Tyler.

Max is the youngest member of the team and I haven't seen as much of him as some of the other members so I was excited to learn more about him. And when he finds his match, he goes big by falling for the boss's daughter. I liked that Lana was smart and independent. She even got her own action scene to show off her werewolf skills and didn't just wait for her boyfriend to save her from the hunters.

Those werewolf hunters have been looming on the horizon over the last few books and they make their presence known in a big way here. The team learns enough about them to realize the threat is much bigger than they realized and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out in the next book. Tyler also introduces some more beta wolves to the ever-growing Dallas pack and hints at some relationships developing outside the SWAT team. *steeples fingers and does very bad Bond-villain voice* Very interesting.

I should warn you that the story could trigger some readers: both Max's past and the current case involve domestic violence. I felt like it was handled well though.

For me, Paige Tyler's books are like junk food: great for binging and guaranteed to cheer you up. If you haven't tried SWAT or her spy series X-Ops, you're missing out.

    

4  stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Wolf Hunt

Blog Tour: Wolf Hunt by Paige Tyler Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

You might have noticed that I've been talking about Paige Tyler a lot lately. I read the first four books of her SWAT series last year and they broke me out of a major reading slump.(Sometimes you just need a sexy shifter fix, right?) So I'm excited to be part of the blog tour for Wolf Hunt, the latest release in the series.

We're starting it off with an excerpt from Remy and Triana's reunion, then my thoughts on Wolf Hunt. And make sure you check out the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Excerpt

Triana was having so much fun, she was disappointed when they finally reached her mother’s voodoo shop and the apartment over it. Even though it was after two in the morning, she didn’t want the evening to end yet.

“The shop hasn’t changed much, but do you want to come in and look around anyway?” she asked hopefully.

He grinned. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Triana unlocked the door, then closed and locked it behind them quietly, so she wouldn’t wake her mom. When she turned back around, Remy was already walking around the dimly lit shop, taking in the shelves upon shelves of knickknacks that had mesmerized her since childhood. The overhead lights were off, so the red, green, and purple neon tubes that edged the display windows were the only source of illumination, but it was more than enough to guide her steps as she moved to Remy’s side. She watched as he picked up the various dolls, candles, beads, tarot cards, potions, books, and other trinkets that filled the store. For such large hands, he handled everything he touched with a surprisingly gentle touch.

“Everything is exactly the same as I remember it.” He turned to smile at her, a warm glint in his eyes. “Well, not everything. You’ve changed quite a bit.”

The heated way he looked at her made her tummy quiver. “Really. How so?”

Remy took her hand and tugged her closer. The tips of her nipples grazed his muscular chest, sending tingles spiraling through her. “I tend to remember you as a shy, somewhat awkward girl who was all knees and elbows back then.”

She laughed softly, a little embarrassed. Yeah, that was a pretty good description of her when she was in high school. She had been what her mom called a late bloomer, so everything had changed her freshman year in college, when her body had made up for lost time.

“And now?” she asked in a near whisper.

He bent his head until his face was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. His left hand came up and found her hip, slowly gliding back and forth across the silky material and heating the skin underneath.

“And now, you definitely aren’t shy, you move like a cat, and all those knees and elbows have turned into some serious curves I’d love to explore, since I’m smart enough to know what I want.”

She blushed at hearing him put all that into words. “No one’s stopping you.”

The glint in his eyes flared brighter for a moment as the neon lights caught them. Then, one of Remy’s hands was in her hair and he was kissing her. A moan involuntarily escaped her lips as his mouth came down on hers and his tongue slipped inside. He tasted so delicious she couldn’t help it.

She slid her hands up the front of his shirt and grabbed his shoulders, squeezing hard as she pulled him even closer, urging him to kiss her harder.

Remy must have understood what she was trying to say because the hand in her hair tightened possessively and his tongue teased hers more aggressively. At the same time, his free hand moved around from her hip to her lower back, fitting her against him so firmly she could feel every ripple and bulge in that perfect body of his. And one of those bulges suggested he was enjoying the kiss just as much as she was.

Triana melted against him, surrendering to a kiss she’d been fantasizing of for over a decade. She’d heard women talking about going all weak kneed from a great kiss, but she’d never experienced it or even believed it. She believed it now. If Remy hadn’t been holding on to her so tightly, she was sure she would have just collapsed to her knees right there in front of him.

Isn’t that an interesting thought?

Wolf Hunt
(SWAT #6)
Paige Tyler
Release: June 6, 2017
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

A STORM IS BREWING...
Remy Boudreaux is back in his hometown, New Orleans. He's there with three of his fellow Dallas SWAT officers for a week of training with the NOLA PD. On the eve of a tropical storm, Remy and his buddies prowl the French Quarter. One tantalizing scent captures Remy's senses, forcing him to follow until he is face to face with Triana Bellamy—his beautiful high school crush.

After reconnecting, Remy and Triana are close—very. Remy struggles to keep things casual. Ever since his partner—and first love—was killed on the job, he's kept women at a distance.

But when a mysterious wolf pendant ropes them both into danger, Remy's protective instincts kick in. He may have to reveal his true self...and hope Triana accepts him.

Review

I really enjoyed Wolf Hunt while I was reading it. I love New Orleans, especially as a setting for paranormal stories. And it was nice to see a smaller group of the SWAT guys and get to know them a little better. In addition to Remy, Max, Zane, and Brooks, my personal fave, are the only ones on this trip so I felt like the supporting cast got more page time than usual. I also really liked Triana's mom who owns a voodoo shop.

I had some issues with Triana though. First of all, her name bugged me. I know that's an odd complaint and it may be my own personal weirdness. But Triana sounds too much like Tiana, who is also from New Orleans which made it an obvious connection. (She's the princess in The Princess and the Frog for anyone who doesn't speak Disney.) I kept getting the wrong picture in my head, which took me out of the story.

 I also felt like it wasn't really clear what her job was, though that's not as important as it might have been since she's on vacation. She works in the crime lab, but at one point she says she works in the medical examiner's office. Despite what NCIS might lead us to believe, I don't think those are the same thing. But what bothered me more is that she didn't really feel like a scientist. I wanted her to be more precise and methodical, especially since she didn't believe in the supernatural despite growing up with it. Don't even get me started on "How could her parents keep that from her?"

I loved the werewolf action at the end of the story, though I thought the final showdown was a little bit anticlimactic seen from Triana's POV. But I had all the secrets surrounding her father figured out from the beginning. And that wolf pendant that started it all? We never did find out what happened to it.

I think I would have given Wolf Hunt another star if I didn't have to review it. It's one of those books that's fun while I'm reading but when I think about it too much I start to find flaws.

   

3 stars

About the Author

PAIGE TYLER is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast. 

Website | Facebook | Goodreads 

Twitter: @PaigeTyler

See where the SWAT series got its start!

Enter for a chance to win one of 10 copies of Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler!

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Waiting on Wednesday (109)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Here's this week's WOW pick:

The last few weeks I've been not exactly in a reading slump, but definitely in a reviewing slump. I don't want to think about and analyze what I'm reading, I just want to enjoy it. So I went on a Paige Tyler binge, starting with Hungry Like the Wolf, the first book in the SWAT series. (Book 1 is currently free and book 4 is 99 cents if you're thinking of starting the series. But since today is the last day of the month, I think it's also be the last day of the sale.)

The series centers on the Dallas SWAT team which, in the books, is made up entirely of Alpha werewolves. It's only been a week or two since I ran out of SWAT books but there's another coming out next week. Yay!  (I also read and enjoyed Tyler's X-Ops series in which a variety of shifters work for a covert government agency.)

Wolf Unleashed
(SWAT #5)
Paige Tyler
Release: December 6, 2016
Goodreads Amazon

Wolf shifter Alex Trevino has fallen hard for veterinarian Lacey Barton. Getting her to agree to a date is a lot of work—and winning her heart proves even harder.

Lacey can’t deny her crazy attraction to Alex, but she has no intention of letting herself fall for him. In her less than stellar experience, men don’t stick around.

When Lacey’s sister is kidnapped, it’s up to Alex to crack the case—and prove to Lacey that he isn’t going anywhere.

What book are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday (86)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Here's this week's WOW pick:

Author Jess Haines mentioned in a recent blog post that she was reading, and loving, Shadow Born. That was enough for me to look it up and see what the big deal was. I love paranormal police procedurals and this one's set in Chicago, which is even better. I also think psychometry is a really interesting talent that I don't see very often. But the very best part is that you can preorder it for 99 cents.

Shadow Born
(Shadows of Salem #1)
Jasmin Walt and Rebecca Hamilton
Release: August 16, 2016
Goodreads Amazon

Chicago Police Detective Brooke Chandler is keeping a secret… and if she’s not careful, it could get her killed. 

Brooke is no stranger to the supernatural. In Chicago, vampires are just as prevalent as drug lords, and infinitely more bloodthirsty. So when her partner and fiancé dies in a mysterious fire while chasing down a lead in Salem, she suspects something dark and otherworldly is at play. 

Blessed with the ability to see into the past by touching inanimate objects, Brooke transfers to the Salem PD, hoping her talent will help her get to the bottom of things. Between dodging assassination attempts and being stonewalled at every turn, the going is tough. Add in a mysterious fae club owner with secrets of his own and a personal grudge against her, and it becomes nearly impossible. 

If Brooke wants to play in the supernatural sandbox, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. But how many people will have to die for Brooke to discover the truth about her fiance? And is she even ready to know? 

What book are you waiting on?

Review: Vampires of Manhattan by Melissa de la Cruz

Vampires of Manhattan
(The New Blue Bloods Coven #1)
Melissa de la Cruz
Release: September 9, 2014
Links: Amazon Goodreads
Review:
Yes, I know this is supposed to be the blurb, but I have some problems with it and I don't want you to read it until after I explain. The events referred to in the blurb take place in about the last fifty pages of the book. So not only is it a huge spoiler, it doesn't really tell you what the book is about. I don't really even agree about who the main character is.

The story follows three main characters. Araminta Scott is a Venator, a detective for the vampire coven. She's working a murder case in which a human was killed by a vampire and a bloody pentagram left at the scene. They suspect the murder may be connected to Nephalim activity they've been tracking in the city in the last several months. Oliver Hazard-Perry, the head of the Coven, is preparing for the Four Hundred Ball, being held for the first time since the war where he will officially become the king of the Coven. He's also peripherally involved in investigating the Nephalim activity. Mimi Monroe has just left her husband, the lord of the underworld, to move back to New York. She's found a job in an art gallery where she works with some of the artists involved in the ball. Eventually, all their lives intersect, but I was most interested in Ara's police procedural story line and her relationship with her new werewolf partner.

The story takes place about ten years after the Coven won a war against Lucifer, which I presume was the end of the last Blue Bloods book. I haven't read that series, but it's not necessary to read it before starting this book. Everything is thoroughly summarized. Which is actually kind of a problem. For the first half of the book, every time a new character is introduced there's a summary of what they did in the war, what they've been doing in the ten years since and what they're doing now. It was way too much information and made it hard to follow the narrative. I would have rather had a few pages about the war before the first chapter and cut down on some of that information overload later.

At about the halfway point, the book goes back about six months and explains some of the other characters' actions. From that point on, I was really into the story. There are some twists I wasn't expecting and some characters I didn't think I would like that surprised me. I liked where it was going at the end so I think I'm going to continue with series.

If you still want to read that blurb, here it is.


Summary:
The Vampires of Manhattan is "hipster horror"--the memorable characters from her Blue Bloods series are older and cooler than before, trying to build "Millennial" lives in the bustle of Manhattan while battling forces of evil and, of course, each other.

Hero of this sexy, paranormal action tale is Oliver Hazard-Perry, former human conduit, and Manhattan's only human-turned-vampire, now the head of the Blue Bloods Coven. When his all-too-human lover is found murdered on the eve of the coven's annual Four Hundred Ball--a celebration meant to usher in a new era in vampire society, and to mark the re-unification of the Coven after decades of unrest and decay--Oliver is devastated.

Now, not only is he trying to create a new world order for the immortal elite, he's the prime suspect and is stalked by the newly installed head of the vampire secret police. Because according to the new rules, vampires who take human life can now be executed. Burned.

How can an immortal sentenced to die fight back? He has to find the killer--and the answers lie deep in vampire lore.



Recommended for fans of: Blue Bloods, paranormal police procedurals, vampires, angels and demons

   1/2

3 1/2  stars

Goldilox and the Three Scares Event and Giveaway: S.J. Harper!

Welcome! 

Here at Goldilox and the Three Weres we love Halloween! So we wrangled up some willing authors and put together some fun posts and giveaways for you all!

Our theme for the event is What Scares You?

Check back every weekday between October 20th and October 31st to see which authors are visiting and the awesomeness they are each giving away!

Today's author is:

 S.J. Harper 

S.J. Harper is actually the writing team of Jeanne C. Stein and Samantha Sommersby. They're the authors of the steamy Urban Fantasy Fallen Siren series which features FBI agents Emma Monroe, a siren, and Zack Armstrong, a werewolf, who specialize in missing persons cases.

Before Samantha and Jeanne joined forces, Jeanne wrote a vampire series, The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. Here's a short story she wrote for Halloween.

The Wolf's Paw

David is getting antsy.

Makes me smile since it’s usually me doing the squirming.

“What’s the matter? We’ve only been here an hour. You got some place better to be?”

I turn my face away so he can’t see the smile. I know he has some place better to be.  I saw her in the doorway when I picked him up at his condo.

“Don’t be a smart ass, Anna. Tell me again what we’re doing here?”

“Easy money. Five thousand dollars, remember? Snatch and grab.”

“Snatch what? Where is the prick?”

A movement from the bushes on the opposite side of the road. David doesn’t see it. But I do. Vampire eyes. We’ve been watching the guy’s front door. There’s no back door out of the apartment.

Still. I catch a scent.

I reach for the door handle. “I’ve got to pee.”

David reaches for an empty coffee cup.

“Very funny. I’ll be right back.”

He mutters something under his breath but I’m already behind the car and bolting to follow the sound of the rustling bushes to our right. Vampire senses jump to the fore. Eyes pierce the darkness, turning night to day. Ears hear every insect crawling, skittering or buzzing out of my path. Nose catches the scent of the creature moving away from me.

Human. Familiar.

But something else.

Feral. Fur.

What the…?

David doesn’t know that I got close to the guy we’re after this afternoon. Got close enough to breathe in his scent, close enough to make the grab myself before I was interrupted by a pain in the ass who stopped me on the sidewalk to ask for directions. By the time I got rid of him, the skip had disappeared. 

But it’s the same scent I detect now under the musk of fur and testosterone. 

I move noiselessly through the bushes. Close the distance between us. He’s just ahead of me. But he’s moving faster than a man would be and is crouched low to the ground. It doesn’t take much of a jump to determine what I’m chasing. 

I let vampire have her head. Fighting werewolves is not my favorite pastime. They can be nasty creatures. If I’d known that’s what I was chasing, I’d never have involved David. Can’t worry about that now.

Where’s the guy going? We’re in Balboa Park. It’s not quite dusk on a hot summer evening and I can’t make out where he’s headed. Until he takes a sharp turn and waits for traffic on the Prado to clear. Then he lopes across the road and straight into the dog park—the only area open to off-leash pets.

Curious. What’s he doing? Looking for a chance to get lucky?

I call Vampire back and proceed after him, fully human. The park is not yet as crowded as it’s going to be in an hour or so when the home-from-work crowd brings their pets for a romp. But there are a half-dozen dogs sniffing and scuffling, their owners chatting nearby.

The wolf pauses, watching. He’s bigger than most of the dogs but no one pays any attention. I enter the park and start toward him.

The wolf turns and meets my eyes. He lifts his nose. He recognizes vampire. But then he turns away, casually ignoring me, resuming his perusal of the animals as if searching for just the right one.

He makes his choice with a snarl and faster than I would have thought possible, he lunges.

Toward a child, playing off by herself to the right of the group of adults.

I reach her first, scoop her up and thrust her into the arms of a startled woman.

Wolf gathers himself to lunge at me.

If I call up vampire in front of all these people, it won’t be pretty. Instead, I pull the .38 from the waistband of my jeans, aim and fire.

I catch the wolf in midair, but I haven’t accounted for his speed and the bullet slams into his leg, blowing off a paw and breaking bone with a sickening crack. He lands with a howl, whirls on three good legs and stumbles off the way he came.

I want to go after him but my way is impeded by a group of frantic onlookers, all reaching out hands to thank me, all asking the same questions at once.

What was that?

Who are you?

Are you a cop?

By the time I finally get free, and make it back to David, he’s standing by the car, our skip, naked and bloody, already in handcuffs.

David has his cell at his ear. When he sees me, he clicks off. “Where the fuck have you been?”

I point to the skip. “What happened to him?”

David has fastened a tourniquet around the guys arm, just below the elbow. A stump at the end of his wrist drips blood. “Somebody blew this guy’s hand off. He isn’t saying who. I got him as he tried to sneak his way back into the apartment. The paramedics are on the way.”

The guy and I—wolf and vampire—stare into each other’s eyes. I wonder if we’re thinking the same thing…my, what big secrets we have.

 As for S. J. Harper, the second book in The Fallen Siren Series, Reckoning, was released October 7. Details can be found here: http://sjharper.me/sample-coming-soon/.  Sam and Jeanne are currently at work on book three of the series.

You can read my review of Reckoning here.

And you can meet Jeanne C. Stein, along with 49 other spectacular paranormal/fantasy authors at Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL next February!

Click the Coastal Magic button to check out the event!

Jeanne and Samantha are giving 2 lucky commenters each a copy of Reckoning and a swag pack. Ask them questions or leave your thoughts by clicking comments below. (Giveaway ends November 7. You must be 13 or older to enter and have a U.S. mailing address.)