Trying to exist
undetected in a human world with a human family, is hard enough when you are a
vampire - but finding out your son is the fabled Chosen One, makes things even
more difficult.
Will Alexi's love
be enough to protect his precious child from the powers that be? Or will he be
condemned to live out eternity alone.....
*************************************
The Chosen One starts immediately where Be Careful What You Wish For ends.
In The Man of My Dreams you read about Alexi
and Cassandra’s beginning. In Be Careful What You Wish For you learn
about an unknown history that is beginning to wind around Alexi and Cassandra,
tightening ever so slowly and in The
Chosen One all the roads converge into a grand battle.
I have very mixed
feelings about this book. I enjoyed
reading about what happened to Cassandra, but I also felt overwhelmed. There was too much, too fast in this
book. It felt rushed to me. The ending also leaves me wanting. There are rumors of two offshoot novellas to
the series, but I cannot locate any information about them.
With that said The Chosen One basically ties up the
loose ends and has a happy ending, but leaves unresolved issues for me. All in all, the story was fine, but I would
have a hard time recommending it without a thorough warning. The
Dreams Series is a very good series with a few issues though. It has a very unique love story, build around
a real life legend with a fascinating and frightening history.
Even though I
have concerns with the final chapter in this series, it was still an enjoyable
read for me as a whole. I hope to see
more from Ms. Quintal. She is very
imaginative and I can see her only getting better with her story telling.
For all my reviews of The Dreams Series, please click the books below.
Alexi is a Vampire trying to live a human existence, he even has a human wife. The Vampire secret is paramount and cohabiting with humans - unless you intend to turn them, just isn't done. Can Alexi protect his beloved Cassandra from the would-be enforcers of this law or will he lose her forever?
*********************************
Be Careful What You Wish For continues the love story of Alexi and his
human love Cassandra. They are happy in
their “normal” life. Alexi feels
something is coming, but can’t quite place the feeling.
Alexi has settled
into his life as a doctor and Cassandra is happy being a mother. Unknown to them, a darkness has fallen upon
them and it’s named Sebastian. He is an
original evil; a vampire turned by the infamous Countess Dracula. She sent him on a mission several hundred
years ago and he is still going strong.
Now he has Alexi in his sights. Alexi has broken the rule of falling in
love with humans and Sebastian is going to make him pay dearly; starting with
his son A.J.
I really loved
the unique take on the whole vampire lore.
Instead of falling back on the usual Dracula legend, Ms. Quintal went
with the seldom used historical figure of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Pretty much the first third of the book is
backstory about Elizabeth, Sebastian and Alexi.
How it all began and how it has progressed throughout the years. While one would think it would get
cumbersome, it didn’t. It was
fascinating to read Ms. Quintal’s unique take on the Blood Countess. I also enjoyed hearing how Alexi came to be.
The story
progressed nicely and really set the stage for the next book. You started to see that there was something
special about A.J. and the new characters introduced were engaging and blended
into the story perfectly.
I will give you
fair warning. This book ends in a
humdinger of a cliffhanger. I would have
been very upset if book three, The Chosen
One, wasn’t already released.
Whew! So if you like this book,
you best have your credit card warmed and ready, because you will likely be
rushing to your computer to get the next in the series.
I’m not sure where this
story is going, but I can’t wait to find out.
Be Careful What You Wish For
was a pleasing continuation of The Dreams
Series. I’m especially excited that
I have book three of the series locked and loaded on my reader. Since this is book #2 of The Dreams series that means I have a review for The Man of My Dreams. Click below to see how it all started.
I’m Able, but call me Abby, Prince of the Mimicane Vampires. My life has been devoted to finding my love, who I will avenge; ripped from our arms before she ever felt how overwhelmingly loved she is; by her family, her people, and me.
She may be lost, but she lives... her heart beats and mind whispers to me from across the miles, and throughout each year I must tolerate life, without her. And now, after twenty years of searching, I have to believe that we’ve found her.
We are the future of our kind. We are One.
FLO
Shadow and best friend to Luna.
Okay, so I made a huge mistake and it landed me in the Shadow Lands. But I refuse to talk about that. When I found Luna, those evil freaks had just zapped her young brain. Ada spent a lot of time with me, at first. She had to trust me to be a good little Shadow before she left us. But eventually, she decided that my presence might afford her time to follow leads, and generally play Shadow superhero.
Good for her, but not so good for the ghoul whose ass she kicked.
Me? I’m all about Luna, and ice cream. Most flavours. Oh, and the occasional Merlot. But mostly Luna. I drive her crazy, I know. Some vermin - like her parents - would say crazier, but not me. If only I could bring those scumbags over to the the darkside. They’d pay for their cruelty - big time.
ESTELLE WHELAN
“Stolen from my family. I lost my world. I lost myself.”
A mystery; A prophecy; A true love; A Saviour?
Or a fairy tale, a cold, long buried corpse?
LUNA
Empath, psychometrist, ‘special’.
spe·cial /ˈspeSHəl/ Adjective - Better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual
I’m not important - I’m not beautiful or especially bright. I’m not even average. Far from it. But I am special.
I’m special because I talk to the dead - my head even offers some of them board and lodgings, for flip sake. How? No idea. I’m special because my body rejects food, my skin blisters beneath the vile sun, and when touched, it physically recoils at visions, and any pain induced. Oh yeah, and sorry, but your emotions are as easy for me to read, as breathing is, to you.
The love you make, the happiness you feel, is the closest I’m ever likely to get to either. Yeah, I’m special, all right.
But the worst special thing about me, is that according to my folks, I’m their crazy rat. I shouldn’t care, of course, but at least I could change this. And I will alter their negative view of me, if it kills me...
...so, you must understand, that when the story of Esta fell into my lap, I couldn’t say no. Solving a twenty-year-old cold case would make them proud. How could it not? And then... they’ll finally love me, and we’ll be like a normal family.
Even if I’m nothing like normal.
Till then, I have Flo and Ada - the Shadows who save me from myself, and from complete isolation. How would I have lasted life without them? How would I ever survive their loss?
Will I find Esta?
DREW
Who I am is unimportant. I’m not interested in making friends and I’m not ashamed of what I eat, or what I am. I served my time, and it was this or absolute death. I’m not ready for that.
Lucy may be our Queen, mother to hundreds of V’s, and born daughter to King Lucifer, but she’s also determined to dominate and subjugate all supernatural beings. She secretly plans to expose us to humanity, believing she can control them, too. This can never happen. As a threat to our very existence, she must be stopped. But no one dares to challenge her ultimate power.
I have learned of a prophecy and have left Lucy, and her army. She would hunt me down and rip me apart for such a betrayal, but I have finally found our saviour and will stop at nothing to prevent her destruction.
Not even the only love I have ever known.
The Story Behind the Book
It all began three years ago with a short story about a fledgling journalist who investigates the haunting of a large, spooky house, but discovers something quite different to ghosts behind the crumbling walls. I fell in love with the main character, Luna, and before I knew it, I’d developed a story spanning three books.
Luna has not had a great life when we first meet her. She is cursed with psychic touch, sun sensitivity and extreme empathy – all of which exclude her from the world around her. She also hosts Shadows within her battered mind, and these are the only companions she’s ever had. Her parents are plain cruel and even at 23 years old, she reverts to a child in their presence.
When she’s given a lead about a cold-case in Cornwall, featuring a kidnapped baby (Esta) and her disappearing parents bodies, she gets excited. Not only could it be an exciting story, but it could bring rewards for her career, and perhaps even pride from her parents.
No one, not even Luna with her over-intimate knowledge of the Shadow Lands, and the hearts and minds of humanity, could be prepared for what she finds in Cornwall. Luna begins the arduous journey of self-discovery, while the world she knew implodes.
I chose to set the action in Cornwall because I’m a quarter Cornish and love St Ives. I wanted to capture its magical quality, to set the scene. I had to research a few things, like names of streets, and about the train Luna takes to reach Esta’s house, where she finds much more than she expects. But the way it looked, the way Cornwall felt, is written from childhood memories.
As an empath, Luna yearns for love and acceptance, for an end to her chronic isolation. Unable to touch, she settles for the lover’s caress of a stranger who visits her dreams, and her only friends in the world are Shadows – spirits who reside within in her fragile mind, seeking refuge from the Shadow Lands.
Always desperate to earn parental respect, and to solve a twenty-year-old child abduction case, she travels to Cornwall to Esta’s family home, situated on an abandoned cul-de-sac. Searching for clues to her tragic fate, she finds much more than she bargained for. A whole new reality is revealed, one where her accursed abnormalities are clarified, but her only friends vanish.
More alone than ever and desperate for answers, Luna struggles to retain a sense of identity, and the light grip on reality she's been used to.
Will she find Esta, and if so, will she live to tell her story? More terrifyingly, who will care enough to listen, and who will ever care enough about Luna?
Reviewers Opinions
“Shades of the Sixth Sense, Ann Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, True Blood, Star Trek’s Vulcan, Stargate Atlantis’ Wraith and Ugly Duckling [....] The true source of her [Luna's] empathy is mind blowing.”
Wandalyn Thomas of Examiner.com
“Finding Esta is a superb tale of one woman’s struggling to define her identity, while the world she knew crumbles around her. It’s thought provoking, heartfelt, and a wonderful debut novel for a talented author. Kudos to her!”
Julianne Snow (author/editor of Days with the Undead)
Bio
Horror, paranormal, urban fantasy, adult, and new adult are Shah's choices when selecting books or movies, although she also enjoys dark comedy, some romance, and an occasional young adult fantasy.
She also writes poetry - two published in anthologies, and short stories - one published.
Always a lover of the written word, you'll usually catch her immersed in some kind of story every day, while slurping tea and cuddling up next to her little family.
Shah lives in Dubai with her husband and Bobby, their German Shepherd pup, but originates from the West Midlands area of the United Kingdom, and misses the cold, the rain, and her extended family, every day.
Let's take a peek when Michelle interviews the sexy Sully.
I get to the
interview first. James Sullivan has agreed to meet in a coffee shop at one of
the battered tables, all the way in the back.
He appears
out of nowhere, approaching without a sound and with no warning. It scares the
hell out of me. As soon as I can breathe easily again, my spine stiffens. I don't know if it's out of fear or awe.
Maybe both. He is Death's right hand and he's drop dead gorgeous!
MC:
Hi. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?
JS: My name
is James Sullivan, but I prefer Sully. I am a Reaper. Man, this feels like some
sort of support group meeting intro. *laughs* I’m not really into all this
socializing crap, so bear with me here.
MC: People want to know stuff about you, Sully.
You sound like you’re from the South. *that’s one sexy as hell drawl he has!*
JS:
Savannah, Georgia
MC:
I love your accent. *blushing* Will you tell me a little about your job?
JS: Sure, I
guess so. I work for Death, or Azrael. He’s sort of a dick. *grins* He sits in
his office and scribbles names into a book 24/7. He seldom leaves and if he
does, he acts like the world might end. Death has stacks of these books all
over his office. It’s a hoarder’s wet dream.
MC:
Why are the books important? Does Azrael give the book to you to check off the
names like an assignment?
JS: No. As
he writes it, the name forms in my mind. I usually get a time and method too.
Most people would probably think of this as a morbid or maybe sick kind of job,
but I enjoy it. Sometimes, I even get creative with how I mark my target.
MC:
Your target? Oh, you mean the souls you have to reap?
JS: Yeah,
doll, the souls. *twirls a short handled scythe (sickle) that has suddenly
appeared in his hand* I don’t actually get to do the method of death that
Azrael has chosen. For instance, if someone is going to be stabbed to death, I
don’t get to plunge the blade in. *smirks* That’s probably a good thing. *the
weapon disappears* All it takes is a touch. Once they’ve passed, a door appears
and I do whatever it takes to get their spirit through where a guide is waiting
to take them to the next journey.
MC:
Oh. Um, just a touch? That’s it? *remembers that he touched my hand in greeting*
JS: Don’t
worry, doll. It’s not your time … yet. I can touch you all I want and it won’t
affect you if it’s not your time to move on.
MC:
*seriously, my face has got to be bright red now as I imagine those hands…* Ah,
that’s a relief. What happens if the spirit doesn’t go through the doorway?
JS: Instead
of going to limbo to wait for a guide to lead them to their heaven or whatever,
they stay on this side. They become what I call a shadow.
MC:
A shadow? Is that like a poltergeist or something?
JS: *Laughs*
Or something. If a spirit stays on this side, they become lonely, angry.
Vengeful. Suffice it to say they cause a lot of trouble. You don’t want to meet
one.
MC:
Do you have a pretty high success rate? I mean, do very many people refuse to
pass over?
JS: Hmm, I
guess you could say very few shadows have resulted from my reaping. I give them
a choice, but if they don’t make the right one, I push them through to the
other side. I don’t have time to fuck around with them.
MC:
I heard through the grapevine that there might be someone who came back from
the other side, from limbo.
JS: Yeah, I
heard that too. It’s not possible.
MC:
The rumor is that someone jumped into a vacant body. How the heck does that
happen?
JS: It’s not
supposed to. Rest assured, I will track her down and send her back to where she
belongs. *a frown darkens his features and seems almost sinister*
MC:
Wow. Let’s lighten it up a bit, okay? What do you do for fun?
JS: Talk to
pretty girls. *winks* Actually, I build and design custom motorcycles. Iron
Head Customs is a small shop, but it breaks the monotony.
MC:
*practically bouncing in my seat* Fancy taking me for a ride?
JS: Sure,
doll. Let’s go.
Sully
insists on paying for my coffee then we head outside to where he’s parked his bike.
It’s a pretty thing, pearly silver with lots of chrome. A giddy rush sweeps
over me as I watch him throw a long leg over the saddle then motion for me to
climb on.
You only get one chance at life then you die. The game’s
over, no second chances. But she was
never one to follow all the rules.
In a strange twist of fate, a woman flees purgatory only
to jump into a newly vacated body. When she wakes in the hospital, she has a
brand new life and a whole lot of unanswered questions. Now she’s Micah Munroe, a real estate agent
with broken memories of the messed up life she once lived. A mysterious man who
claims to be Death says she’s his granddaughter and that she’s something called
a grimm.
Sully knows she’s an imposter because he reaped the soul
of the real Micah only a week ago. He suspects she might be a misplaced shadow,
what he calls spirits and vengeful ghosts. He becomes obsessed with finding out
who she really is and just how she inhabited a new body. He’ll stop at nothing to find the truth and
send her back to purgatory where she belongs.
What he didn’t bargain on was how his body would react to her or how
powerful the white light within her is.
When a powerful shadow and her horde of angry spirits
kidnaps Sully’s best friend, they must work together to get him back. Fighting their feelings for each other isn’t
half as difficult as fighting the army of shadows bent on starting a war with
the living.
Excerpt:
His husky drawl sent a vibration of hunger through her and ignited a
fire deep within her core. “You are so fucking hot.”
Recapturing her mouth, he pressed against her, proving just how hot, how
hard she made him. Micah whimpered, and he drew his mouth away from her lips. Just like his tongue and
hands, his incredibly sexy eyes ignited a fire within her.
“Sully.” She bit her lower lip and reveled in knowing she was the reason
he was so hard.
His fingers were at her waist, unzipping then dragging the dress pants
down her hips. Micah trembled with need as he shucked them from her legs and
dropped them onto the floor. He closed the space between them, and her thighs closed around his waist. Her sex
drowned with desire, clouding her mind with seductive thoughts and want. With
him so intimately close, his hard-on pressed against her through the damp lace
of her panties. She shifted her hips, and Sully rewarded her with a groan.
“Tell me something.” He grinned wickedly then slid his fingers up her
inner thigh. They inched closer to her pool of desire and made her heartbeat
race. “Are you wet?”
Her hands lifted from his shoulders, ran through his silken hair and
down to his chest. Her nimble fingers fluttered across his shirt and even
reached the second button before his hand closed over hers, stilling it. He
prevented her from going any further by pulling her hand to his mouth. One by
one, he kissed her fingers.
She frowned and pulled away from him to look up into his eyes. “Sully, I
want…”
“I know what you want, doll.” His eyes glittered with feral passion.
A gasp shuddered past her lips when Sully’s index finger slid past the
ribbon-thin panties then traveled downward. His finger slid through the tight
coils of hair at the juncture of her thighs then lightly grazed her most
delicate area. She clutched his shoulders and tightened her thighs around him.
“Sully!”
"Want me to stop?" His voice was full of gravel and sexy as
hell.
