Blurb: It should have been a bit of a break for Mark Renfrew, attending an archaeological conference with his lover, Jack Faulkner. No ghosts, no drama beyond the academic. But it didn’t work out that way. The modern Five Star hotel held a dark secret, and Mark knew he had to uncover it before more people were hurt.
Mark and Jack are at some fancy hotel that was not suppose to be haunted, well guess what it is. Mark is a psychic whereas Jack is the archaeologist.
It is a very short story that is cute and the characters were charming. However all it gives is a taste and nothing after that. It was a bit disappointing but it was still good.
It is too bad that I am not into short stories that just give you a sample of what it would have been like.
Hi peeps, we have Chris Quinton popping in with her new release Tawny, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Lisa’s review so enjoy the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Tawny
(Melusine’s Cats 02)
by
Chris Quinton
Melusine, a deity of rivers and seas, long ago lost the Battle of the Betrayal and is imprisoned in a nexus centred on the source of the Lynn River. She can only travel in the flowing water of her river, and cannot set foot on her banks. Her cats are not so bound. Neither pets nor familiars, they move freely between the realities, her agents among the humans who live along the Lynn.
When Melusine’s enemies come to the valley in search of revenge, she needs to rebuild the war band she has lost over the centuries. Her cats are the keys to this. Each one is a guardian, and formidable in its greater avatar. A guardian, along with two chosen warriors, form a triad. All three must come into the triad willingly, and as willingly give their oaths of loyalty to her. But Melusine is both prisoner and prison-keeper, and now must gather triads to guard that other dungeon at all costs.
Hal Rayner enjoys his job at Greenlynn’s Black Dog pub. He gets on well with the locals, and has been adopted by the usually standoffish pub cat. Then the dreams start, a red-headed stranger turns up, and before he knows it, Hal is caught up in other-worldly danger and weirdness. The cat, Tawny, is right in the middle of it, and Hal can’t understand how a common or garden mog can become something out of a prehistoric nightmare.
Gryffyth, the son of Nodens Silverhand, has been released from long imprisonment, and despite the unhealed wound given to him by Melusine in that distant battle, the years haven’t blunted his hunger for revenge. He is still loyal to Gronw, and when Morgan sends for him, he willingly gives his aid. Gryff is determined to find and free his imprisoned liege lord. Then he meets Hal and Tawny, and suddenly the rules have changed.
Blurb: Hal Rayner enjoys his job at Greenlynn’s Black Dog pub. He gets on well with the locals, and has been adopted by the usually standoffish pub cat. Then the dreams start, a red-headed stranger turns up, and before he knows it, Hal is caught up in other-worldly danger and weirdness. The cat, Tawny, is right in the middle of it, and Hal can’t understand how a common or garden mog can become something out of a prehistoric nightmare.
Gryffyth, the son of Nodens Silverhand, has been released from long imprisonment, and despite the unhealed wound given to him by Melusine in that distant battle, the years haven’t blunted his hunger for revenge. He is still loyal to Gronw, and when Morgan sends for him, he willingly gives his aid. Gryff is determined to find and free his imprisoned liege lord. Then he meets Hal and Tawny, and suddenly the rules have changed.
Review: Each book in the Melusine’s Cats collection features a different romantic couple. To enjoy the overall story arc and crossover characters, I would recommend reading the series in sequential order.
This is the first series that I have read by this author and I am still not sure what to expect. The story is well written but seems to be a bit off to me. The characters are well written with a lot of depth to them. There seems to be a bit of darkness to the whole story and for me that was a downside to reading this book.
Hal had been living the free lifestyle just traveling to where ever he wanted and doing what he wanted. However it all changed when he went to work at the Black Dog pug. Everyone seemed to love him especially the crazy orange cat.
That is until the cat started talking to him and things were getting strange. When a stranger showed up injured things are about to get heated up and parts of it not for the good. Hal soon finds himself into a new world altogether. His dreams now have a meaning, the cat is a guardian and the weirdness has gotten stronger.
Gryffyth has finally been released from his imprisonment and wants to take back what has been taken from his family. He wants revenge for what happened to his triad and for his injuries given to him by Melusine. He wants his father released but when he meets Hal and the cat, Tawny things start looking different to him and he realizes things were not what he had expected.
This whole story has been a very weird read. My attention wavered through most of it, but other than my thoughts on it the story is a fascinating one. The problem for me is it seemed a bit winded and it didn’t just flow right to me. I did enjoy it, but the story was not for me.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: The Carpenter’s Tale
Title: Tawny