Review: Laiden's Daughter: The Clan MacDougall Series by Tisdale

 Laiden's Daughter: The Clan MacDougall Series

 

Rated:  4 Hearts out of 5

Laiden's Daughter is a historical romance about a young woman who after losing her mother must endure the abuse of her stepfather and brothers. Her brothers sell her to a tyrannical earl. This man is quite sadistic and Aishlinn experiences his evil nature when he calls her to his chamber, but puts an end to her torture when the earl becomes distracted. She uses his own weapon against him and flees to avoid being caught. A guard helps her to escape. As she runs toward the Highlands, she encounters a band of men. Startled, she falls off her horse and the Highlanders take her under their wing.

Duncan, the eventual laird of Clan MacDougall, accepts the responsibility of caring for Aislinn. When he takes her to his home giving her time to heal, a relationship develops between the two. But with Aishlinn's poor self-esteem due to years of mental abuse, coupled with Duncan's conscience, the two have many obstacles to overcome in order to find the love and acceptance for which they both long.

Tisdale paints a vivid portrait of the earl and his guard as horrific, evil abusers. Therefore, when Aishlinn has any dealings with these men, the reader has much sympathy  for the young woman. The compassion that Tisdale builds in the reader for her main character, Aishlinn, drives the story. Duncan's character, as the noble protector and ever-patient suitor, creates great romantic scenes between Aishlinn and him. The chemistry is sustained throughout the novel, however, Aishlinn's poor self-image and lack of confidence did make me cringe towards the end. I wanted her to get over it. Perhaps her self-talk distracted me. Aishlinn doubts her beauty, her worth, her station in life, her intelligence, and even her love for Duncan, which is understandable considering her past. Her uncertainty seemed reasonable through half the book, but somewhere towards the end it grated on me. Yet, by the end of the book, she makes a remarkable transition to a confident, if not a bit overly so, woman.

Duncan, the book's male protagonist, is a lovable man, albeit he sometimes is a bit too altruistic. His intentions remain outwardly honorable towards Aishlinn even though his thoughts about her are not. You can't help but love him. He's the strong, alpha male, with a great deal of patience, kindness, and compassion for those around him. I wish he'd had a few flaws to give him more depth. He felt a bit too good to be true sometimes, but I think this is a reader preference. I like my characters to be human, with good and bad traits. As far as attractive, lovable, and desirable men go, though, he fits the bill!

I enjoyed the plot and a few minor twists here and there, but most were predictable; that is the way of romance novels. That's why we read them. We want the boy to get the girl and live happily-ever-after.

Several stylistic issues and grammar issues popped up but nothing as bad as to ruin the story. It's very hard for Indie writers to find and pay for editors, so with a sympathetic heart, I tend to overlook minor mistakes. After all, I have found so many similar errors in the big publishers' books; I don't blink anymore when I find them in the self-publishers’. We seem as readers eager to overlook the Nora Roberts, Stephen King, and J.K. Rowling's errors, so I think I can give the same courtesy to the self-publishers, providing there are not so many it disrupts my reading.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the ending. I will pick up the next in the series, as I am a fan of historic romance, especially ones with Highlanders or Irishmen in them! Plus, at .99, it was a great bang for less than a buck!

Suzan Tisdale's Amazon.com Author's Page 

Review by VampireRomanceBooks of Vampires of the Chesapeake: Rees Morgan (Book #2)

Vampire Romance Books' Review of Vampires of the Chesapeake: Rees Morgan (Book #2)

Rees Morgan is working as an escort making great money with no strings attached. He has no interest in more, or he can’t afford to have interest in more. Rees is a vampire, and long term relationships with human women make for complication. When he steps into a coffee house after an interesting night of work he spots Rachel McCready and can’t help but talk to her. When trouble comes his way and endangers the woman who has intrigued him it reminds him of why he set boundaries in the first place.

Rees may seem to have a tough exterior, but obviously he is very lonely. After close to two centuries he can’t forget the loss he endured when he was still human. Rachel lost her husband two years ago. Now she is a single woman raising two young boys, but she misses having someone to share her life with. They can sooth each other’s battered souls if they can risk their hearts.

This story really surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to think when I began the book to see a vampire escort, but Rhine really delivered. Rees Morgan’s story is very passionate. I loved the characters, including Rees’s boss Kian and frenemy Nik. Although he was not a huge focus in the story Nik has quite a presence. I also liked how Rhine gave an extraordinary couple ordinary relationship problems, for example the uncertainty of where a relationship is heading, do they feel the same, etc. The interactions between them felt very real.  Rhine writes with a lot of detail that gives you the “big picture” so you can’t but immerse yourself into the story.

This is the second book in the Vampires of the Chesapeake series, but it stood alone pretty well. I do want to go back and learn about Kian though, and I am definitely on board to read the next book that will belong to enigmatic Nik!

by Teresa D.

Here's Nikolaus Schild Vampire #3

 

Meet Nikolaus Schild, the eldest of all the vampires in the trilogy. He was once a Merovingian prince during the 6th century AD. After his human death, Nikolaus fled his homeland, roaming Europe, until he heard a violinist perform one evening in the 1600's. Having time on his side, Nikolaus befriended this violinist and studied under him. This master violinist was none other than, Arcangelo Corelli. Centuries later, Nik made his way to Maryland, settled down, and became a sought-after concert violinist. It was in the small, southern county in Maryland that Nikolaus met Kian MacTiernan. In the third book of this trilogy, Nikolaus tells his story. A life of love, loss, and redemption.

For more information on the trilogy or to meet the vampires, follow this link:

Meet the Vampires

Turn offs?

 What turns you off when reading a romance scene?

What Men Can Learn from Romance Novels

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about SEX. How's that for directness? But what does that have to do with romance novels and men?

Well, does your wife or girlfriend have romance novels sitting on her bookshelf or in her e-reader? If so, you might want to find out which ones are her favorite and peruse the pages. Between the covers of those books, you're going to find what makes her tick. I'm not suggesting renting a suit of armor and wearing it around your house just because she happens to favor books featuring knights, or donning a kilt because she loves Scottish warriors; although, the kilt thing could work in some instances. I am suggesting, however, paying attention to how the male protagonist seduces the woman and pleasures her in those romance books. 

Women write these novels for other women, and we keep buying them. We love the stories. We love the happy endings. We love the strong heroine, and we love how the male protagonists seduce the heroine. Don't we ladies? 

In her favorite romance books, you may find a few commonalities between those male leads and the way those men make love to the heroine. The most universal approaches are:

1. During foreplay, (Come on, you know that's a necessity, right?) the pace the lover takes will be painfully slow. Mmm-hmm. Take what you think is slow and revise your expectation to twice that. Your twenty minutes equals her forty minutes or there about. The lovers in the novels take their time making the woman feel as if he's not in any hurry to stop what he's doing, and while they are in that bed—shower, elevator, where ever—she is the center of his world.
2. This next one goes hand-in-hand with being an unhurried lover. Most of the males in the many novels I've read—and they are from the more popular novelists so I can say for certain I’m not the only one this works for—touch everywhere except the naughty bits. Yep, I’m sorry. Be a tease, blokes, because sometimes nothing works better than denying or delaying what she wants. It seems to increase pleasure. Taking a tour around her body but detouring before heading to your ultimate destination will probably have her wiggling in an attempt to get your hand to touch the very spots you’re refusing to caress—temporarily. This is good. For whatever reason, it's like throwing gasoline onto a fire. Don't believe me? Try it one night. You'll know when the detour should end because she'll be panting and might even utter, "Please, [insert your name here]."
3. Slower, usually is better. I know you think I've already talked about this, but no. I'm referring to the moment the detour ends and you’re on your way to the ultimate destination (still on foreplay here guys). Slow it down. Her body needs time to adjust and set a rhythm. Going like a rabbit only works if you’re battery-operated. I know. I don't understand it either. I feel for you.
4. Once foreplay is over, gentleness may not be necessary. You've rounded your bases, and are heading for the home plate. Start slowly. Don’t worry; you’ll pick up the speed very soon. After all, you’d rather be naked in bed with her than mowing the lawn or sitting on the couch watching TV. So, start slowly, but unlike #3, when you increase the rhythm, harder may be better. Read the books. The words are 'driving', 'plunging', 'thrusting'. That's not gentle. They didn’t start out thrusting, or if they did, it’s because they’ve already worked each other into a sexual frenzy and can’t wait.
5. Here’s one last piece of advice that right from the page. Moan. Yes, I said moan. Do this throughout the lovemaking process, not only at the end. Let her know you're enjoying it. So, what do I mean? Is it a turn on when she moans during sex, or when pleasuring you? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, yes, it is. A moan coming from you lets her know, “That’s the right spot, don’t stop,” or when you're pleasuring her, “I love seeing how much you enjoy this”. Hot. If you’re enjoying it, let her hear it. Not all ladies want to talk, but many will appreciate the occasional audible groan or moan.  

That's it gentlemen. Maybe you’re lucky and don’t have trouble getting her into bed, kudos to you and to your lover, but many poor blokes try their hardest only to find their lover wasn’t fulfilled. Most of the time, it's not you, it's her mind. Our minds love to taunt us and at the worst possible times. There's very little you can do when that happens, unfortunately. But trying these five things can't hurt, and if she has fun trying, she might be more willing the next time.

 

I do feel for you chaps. Trying to figure out how to get us to the big “O” and what will make us more willing to have sex, can be mind-boggling, but when you find what works, gentleman, we are ever so grateful.

If you liked this article, let me know in the comment section. Keep it clean ladies and gents. I’m not into talking dirty (although some ladies are).

D. A. Rhine is the author of the paranormal romance series, Vampires of the Chesapeake, and the novella, Lost in Transylvania. She lives in the U.S. with her husband and two children.  

Tour with Me on the WIP Blog Tour!

Kimberley Clark asked me to be part of the Main Character WIP Blog Tour. She's the creative and talented author of the series, Battles in the Dark The series contains: The Species Within (book one) and The Ultimate Killer (book two, soon to be released). She was born in Sydney, Australia and currently lives in the Gold Coast of Queensland. You can find excerpts from her books on her website [http://www.kimberleyclarknovels.com] Connect with Kimberley on her Facebook Fan Page.

POST TO WIN!

Post comments on my page and each authors' blog that I've listed below to receive a FREE digital copy of Vampires of the Chesapeake: Kian MacTiernan (book 1) A 4.5 out of 5 star rated paranormal romance.

[Limited copies available so post early!]

Questions for Nikolaus Schild from Book Three in the Vampires of the Chesapeake trilogy:



1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

His name is Nikolaus Schild and he is a fictional character based loosely on, Theuderic, a historic one.



2) When and where is the story set?

Nikolaus Schild resides in St. Mary's County, Maryland when he is not touring with his violin as a concert violinist. St. Mary's County is in the southern most part of Maryland in the United States and is chock-full of history. It was Maryland's first capital, before Annapolis, the current one. The area is surrounded by water, mainly, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the St. Mary's River among many others. Nik's house is a historic colonial from the late 1600's. When he's not in Maryland, Nik hangs out in New York City, but truth be told, prefers the rural life of St. Mary's to the hustle and bustle of the big city.



3) What should we know about him/her?

He is part of the Merovingians, a Frankish Dynasty united under the rule of Clovis who reigned in Gaul a part of Germany during a.d. 476-751. They were known for their long hair. Nikolaus was created with the son of Clovis, Theuderic, in mind. He was the eldest son of Clovis but born of a different mother than his brothers, Cholodomer, Cholothar I, and Childebert were. The four sons inherited parts of their father's kingdom, but Theurderic, being the eldest, received the better share. The brothers battled each other, almost ritualistically rather than for true military gains.


4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Nik has many conflicts--the poor, ancient vampire. The first and primary conflict is that between his two prospective love interests, which I cannot divulge, as it would be a plot spoiler. The second occurs with a bloodthirsty vampire hunter who is determined to destroy Nik.


His two love interests cause him much heartache, confusion, as well as a headache, and set his mind spinning when one forces him to break a personal vow. The battle between the hunter and Nik is self-explanatory. The hunter wants him dead, and Nik would like to remain alive, if for no other reason than to spend eternity with his chosen mate.



5) What is the personal goal of the character?

What is the goal of most living creatures? He desires to remain alive, live a happy life, and find a person he can love, trust, and with whom he can spend the rest of his existence.



6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The title is, Vampires of the Chesapeake: Nikolaus Schild. An unedited excerpt is below:

Chapter 1

December 10, 10pm

Nikolaus Schild walked off the outdoor stage making his way to his dressing room where his violin case was. He lifted the lid, but before putting away his Stradivarius, cleaned the rosin off the fingerboard, loosened the bow hairs, then slid the bow into its niche, and finally nestled the violin into the case.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. It was so damn hot, even at this time of night in Sydney. With his white shirtsleeve, Nik wiped the moisture from his face, and then closed the case. The large, open-air venue had a spectacular view of the water and an occasional breeze drifted onto the stage, but it never provided any real relief.


Nik picked up his case, slung it over his shoulder, and took the back door where his limo awaited. His bodyguard, Skeeter, leaned against the side of the limo, his large biceps bulging as he crossed his arms over his chest. Nik didn't need a bodyguard, but at times, it was helpful and kept up his human facade.

"Hey, Skeeter. I'm surprised they aren't here."

Skeeter opened the rear door, taking the violin case from Nik. After Skeeter shut the door, he placed Nik's case in the trunk, and then sat in the passenger seat opposite Sedrick, the driver.

"Here they come, sir," Skeeter's deep voice warned.

"Damn. Well, hope your driving skills are up to par, Sedrick."

"Yes, sir." Sedrick started the car just as the mob closed in on the limo. The screams vibrated the windows, and Nik looked outside watching them swarm the car. Fingers, hands, palms, grabbed at the limo as Sedrick edged the vehicle forward.


One female groupie rushed the limo, pressed her torso against Nik's window, lifted her 'I luv Nik' t-shirt, revealing her large, cantaloupe sized breasts. She bounced up and down screaming, "I love you, Nik. I'd do anything for you. Nik! Oh my God! I see him!"


Nik stared at the display, admiring the view. Hair as dark as midnight, fell over her shoulders landing below her breasts. Loose curls, sprung like little coils with every jump the girl made. Dark, chocolate brown eyes stared inside the limo and regarded Nik. She knocked on the window, waving, and smiling to flash straight, white teeth.


"Stop," he commanded Sedrick. The car stopped and the shrill screams exploded outside the car. Nik pressed the button on his door and lowered the window a few inches. "What's your name?" he asked the dark-haired girl with the large chest.


"Oh my God! He's talking to me!" she screamed. "Um, I'm Cindy." She giggled and pulled her t-shirt down over her breasts.


"Cindy, would you like to go for a ride?"


After covering her mouth, eyes widening to the size of a full moon, she nodded her head, and her dark curls swung in unison with her head.


He shut the window, opened the door, and slid to the other side giving her room to sit. When she sat down, shut the door, Sedrick locked the limo doors, and rolled the car forward. The crowd parted, but continued to holler, slap the windows, and bounce like excited children at a birthday party.


He grinned at her, and she beamed back.


Nik leaned forward and pushed the button raising the partition between the front and backseats. The window was tinted giving Nik privacy. He reached down and removed a beer from the mini fridge, offering it to Cindy, but pulled it back. "How old are you, Cindy?"


She looked at the beer and then into his eyes. "Nineteen."

"Do I need to card you? Because I will." He could also read her mind, which was screaming that she was not of age.

For a moment, she simply regarded him, perhaps judging if he would card her or not. Then, thinking better of continuing her farce, she confessed, "No, I'm seventeen, but next month I'll be eighteen. I've graduated this month. I'll go to university, maybe in a few months or next year."

He opened the fridge and put the bottle back, removing a bottle of water. He handed it to her and lifted the corner of his mouth, in a lopsided smile. She took the water, sighed, and twisted off the cap. He, however, was of age, and pulled out a tumbler glass, pouring a bit of scotch into it. Nik swirled it and then took a drink, watching Cindy, considering what he wanted to do with her.

The limo drove out of the parking lot, and onto Macquarie Street, heading to Metroad one toward Sydney Airport. He needed to make his decision before they arrived at the airport, because he knew for sure he wasn't about to take her home.

She took another sip of her water, capped the bottle, and set it in a drink holder. As he pondered why he let her in his limo, she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. His eyebrows rose. Cindy scooted closer to him, pressing her bare chest against his body. Bold, he thought and entirely inappropriate. Then, she made a bolder move, and slid her hand between his legs. He coughed, as he nearly spit his scotch across the backseat. Her hand rubbed him, but he wasn't interested in her that way. She was undoubtedly attractive, well built and well endowed, but she was incredibly young - too young. Youth was beautiful but not desirable, not to mention, not legal.

"What do you think you're doing, Cindy?" He smiled at her, sipping the last of his scotch. She ignored his question and unzipped his pants. How did someone so young get this forward? Would she honestly perform sexual acts or have intercourse with a man she didn't know? Some young women these days, he thought as he rolled his eyes. "You think I asked you in the car to screw your brains out?"

The question halted her hand, which was in the process of slipping inside his pants. She was preposterously young and this was beyond awkward.

"Well, would you?" She blinked at him.

He frowned and removed her hand from his lap. "No."

She actually stuck out her bottom lip, but took up stroking his knee instead, perhaps believing he was kidding.

Nik grabbed her hand, removed it from his thigh, zipped his fly, and crossed his legs.


Her mouth hung open. She looked around the floor searching for her shirt, no doubt. "What a whacker! What the hell's wrong with you? Does your donger not work, or something?" She shot him a look. "Oh! I get it, you're gay!" she concluded, obviously astonished that he hadn't fallen for her charms. Instead of answering, he just watched her snatch her shirt off the floor, pull it over her head, and shove her arms through the sleeves. "Why the fuck did you let me in, then?"

"You not only have a dirty mouth, but your attitude is demoralizing. I'll grant you that you're a beautiful girl, but for God's sake, have your parents not told you men do not marry what they get for free?" He shook his head.

A dramatic scowl creased her brow, and she pouted, he thought she might even stick out her tongue. Disgusted, he wanted to throw her over his knee and spank her backside, except she'd probably like it. Christ almighty, her skirt was bunched around her hips, and her bottom and notch were exposed - and she waxed. "Good God, please fix your skirt. Do you have a boyfriend?" Doubting it, he waited for her answer.


"No, boys my age are dickheads. Look, I just thought you'd like a little wristy or have a gobby. I didn't know you preferred blokes."

Wristy? Gobby? He hadn't heard those terms, but he got the gist. "I assure you my preference is for women, and that is the pertinent word - women. You are not. And you need to learn that men worth having will appreciate a bit of subtlety, not to mention offering yourself as nothing more than a coffee house where men go in and out at their leisure denigrates your propriety. Try leaving something to the imagination."

"Fuck, you sound like my olds." She crossed her arms over her large breasts and stared out her window.

"No darling, I'm much older than your parents."

"Crikey, what a piker you turned out to be. Just let me out."

"Oh, I can't do that just yet."

He felt his fangs drop, and his eyes sparked to silver. She looked over her shoulder at him and frowned. Nik reached for her, yanking her to him. He brushed the dark strands of hair off her neck, and inhaled. Holding her in place, tightly against his chest, he considered how much effort he wanted to expend. Should he just feed and then wipe her memory, or give her some pleasure? No, he did not want to find his face plastered over every tabloid claiming he'd molested an underage Aussie. He could just see the headline now, Nikolaus Schild, child molester. He'd wipe her memory afterwards and let her think they just drove around, chatting.

When his teeth sunk into her soft, young flesh, she yelped, squirming in his arms. Sucking deeply he drank, enjoying the warm, sweetness of her blood. He'd known she would be sweet, just from her smell. It was a weakness with him, always had been. When he was human, if someone put strudel or torte in front of him all willpower left him. It hadn't changed in the last fifteen hundred years. Some habits never died.

When she whimpered and sobbed, he realized his venom was burning her. He retracted his fangs, licked the wound, then pushed her to the other side of the limo, and wiped her memory. He watched her eyes glaze over and then clear.

"Next time, you'll think twice about getting into a car with a total stranger, I hope." Feeling like he wanted to lecture her and call her parents, he couldn't help himself. "For God's sake, wear some panties. Do the women of your day not believe in leaving anything to a man's imagination?" He tisked and glanced out the window before adding, "In my day, imagining what was beneath a woman's skirts was half the fun, and then working to actually get under her skirts was the best game ever invented. Try a little subtlety, my dear. It's much sexier and will get you into less trouble. Now," he smiled, as he explained while using his ancient power to blur her memories, "We had a nice chat all the way to the airport. I gave you an autographed photo." He lowered the partition and asked, "Skeeter, you have any photos up there?"

Skeeter rummaged through a briefcase at his feet, and then handed one to Nik.

"Thanks." He raised the partition again, set the photo on Cindy's lap. "You will be more careful of strangers in the future. I advised you of this on our little drive. Now, wake up."


She lifted the photo and squealed, threw her arms around his neck, kissed his cheek. When she blushed, Nik gave her a crooked grin, and said, "You're welcome." He stared out the window the rest of the way to the airport.

When Sedrick stopped the limo, walked to Nik's side, opening the door, Nik instructed him to take Cindy back to the Opera House before Sedrick returned to catch the next flight to the states. Sedrick nodded, then retrieved Nik's violin case from the trunk and his one piece of luggage.


He poked his head inside the back of the limo before going into the airport. "It was nice to meet you, Cindy, be a good girl and remember what we talked about, never get into a car with a stranger." He winked at her and walked next to Skeeter into the airport.


"Sir?" Skeeter inquired, giving him a quick look.


Nik lifted his chin, affirming he heard his bodyguard.

"I was just wondering if I can have Christmas off again this year?"

Nik stopped walking and faced Skeeter. "When have I ever denied you any holiday vacation?"

"Sir, I don't like to assume."


They headed for the ticket counter. "Of course, take your vacation through the first of the New Year."

"Don't you have any more shows?"

"Not until the end of January. I'm tired and bored. I'd like a vacation myself."

"Where will you go?"

Nik placed his boarding pass on the counter for the clerk to check. "I was thinking, Saint Mary's County. It's time to be home."


7) When can we expect the book to be published?

The book will be released sometime in 2014, closer to January, however.


I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about Nik. He's dying to meet you too. Please, subscribe to my blog or Facebook Fan Page to receive up-to-date information on any new releases, giveaways, or book signings.

Visit these talented authors' pages and read excerpts from their books, meet their character(s), and check out their blogs!

Diana Graves

[http://www.dianagraves.blogspot.com]. Author of paranormal urban fantasy novels: Fatal Retribution, Grave Omen, Mortal Sentry,and Paranormal Washington [the boxed set] are available at Amazon.com. Deadly Encounters will be released summer of 2014. Connect with Diana on Facebook: Grave Novels Fan Page



Renee N. Meland

[http://www.reneenmeland.wordpress.com] Author of the sci-fi dystopian debut novel, The Extraction List, can be found here. Connect with Renee on Facebook: Renee's Fan Page


Antoinette Houston

[http://antoinettehouston.com] Her urban fantasy novel, Red Summer, can be found here. Connect with Antoinette on Facebook: Red Summer's Fan Page



Sandra R. Campbell

[http://sandrarcampbell.com] Author of dark fantasy novels: Butterfly Harvest, Dark Migration, and Butterfly Harvest (Special Edition) . Connect with Sandra on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dead_Sassy  On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/butterflyharvest


J. C. Mells

[http://www.jcmells.com] author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels: from The Pierced Series, Pierced book one, Escaped book two, Pinked book three, and Perfect book four. A novella, Napoleon will be released soon. Connect with J. C. on Facebook: J.C. Mells' Fan Page

WANTED: Indie Romance Authors

I will feature indie romance authors, and possibly those from two other genres, in the upcoming weeks. My only objective is to support fellow, self-published writers and introduce great novels to readers that they may otherwise have not noticed.

If you're an indie author and wish to have your book reviewed, contact me. It must be a romance novel -- any sub-genre except steam punk-- dystopian, or vampire/paranormal thriller.

I'll only post books that receive four to five stars. If the book receives less than that, I simply won't post it. My intent is to list books I think might be of interest to other reader's like me.

Leave a comment if you'd like a review or email me.