*Book Review* Day Shift by Charlaine Harris (UF)

Source: Midnight, Texas # 2
Publisher: Penguin/ACE
Released: May 5, 2015
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy

There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves. Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma. She lives with the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she’s beautiful and dangerous.

Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day. To make matters worse, one of Manfred’s regular—and very wealthy—clients dies during a reading.

Manfred returns from Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press. He turns to Olivia for help; somehow he knows that the mysterious Olivia can get things back to normal. As normal as things get in Midnight

Day Shift, the second installment in the Midnight, Texas series, picks up 5 months after Midnight Crossroad ended. The series features an eclectic group of misfits who call Midnight home. There is touch psychic Manfred Bernardo who is still fairly new to town; witch Fiji Cavanaugh and her talking cat Mr. Snuggly; pawn shop owner Bobo Winthrop; Teacher and Madonna Reed; gay couple Joe Strong and Chuy Villegas; Reverend Emilio Sheehan, Olivia Charity, and vampire Lemuel Bridger who isn't really a factor in this story.

All have secrets but nobody really seems to mind living in a podunk town that sees little traffic but is far from being truly boring. Day Shift dives further into the mysterious and secretive lives of Joe, Olivia, and the Reverend. Several different storylines happen concurrently as well. There are new owners of the long shuddered hotel and nobody knows why they've reopened or why they brought senior citizens along with them.

Manfred goes on a business trip to Dallas and faces a major challenge after his customer dies under mysterious circumstances. On top of all of this, the victim's son blames Manfred for stealing jewelry from his mother, and the police don't much care for what Manfred does for a living. Manfred finds an ally in the most unexpected places: Olivia who just happens to be in the same place at the same time as Manfred and leaves her own mystery for Manfred to think about.

Olivia's past is briefly explored and readers get a better understanding of what she does for a living when she goes on her business trips, and how she gets things done in order to help Manfred and the town from being exposed. Olivia has a very interesting background, and one that definitely comes into play in Day Shift. One could say that Harris wants Olivia to stay mysterious for a bit longer since she only briefly covers the family angle. The only drawback is that Olivia doesn't have an outlet for her anger with her vampire lover gone.

Joe and the Reverends uniqueness are also exposed for what they really are, and I think you will be mildly surprised. Then there is the brief appearances from a certain Were-Tiger from the Sookie Stackhouse series who has a son named Diederik, and Barry Bellboy who is being hunted by vampires. I adored the kid. Seriously! I loved his interaction with Fiji and the others. He was very respectful and pleasant, and not at all like other kids. He knew he was different, but nobody could figure it out until later in the story when the pieces finally fit together.

Even though were more than a few unanswered issues like the hotel, the owners, and the residents who were brought to Midnight, I will definitely be reading Night Shift when it releases next year. Perhaps we will get more of an understanding about the town's only vampire, and how his search for answers went. Harris also hasn't dug into Bobo's background, and if he's like the rest of the group, I'll be a happy camper.

Other Books in Series:

*Book Review* Unbinding by Eileen Wilks (UF)

Series: World of the Lupi # 11
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Released: October 7, 2014
Source: Library
Format: Paperback, 390 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy

After questing through the sidhe realms with her ex-hellhound lover, Nathan, Kai Tallman Michalski has finally returned home. But she knows Nathan will eventually be called back to serve his queen—and Kai will have to decide whether to enter her majesty’s service as well. Sure, the job comes with great bennies, but there’s one big downside: she would have to swear absolute fealty to the Queen of Winter.

For now, though, Kai is glad to be home, and glad that Nathan completed his mission for his queen with surprising ease. But what seemed to be a quick conclusion turns out to be anything but. The two of them helped thwart the sidhe god of chaos—and he is not happy about that. He’s got plans for them. Plans, too, for the sidhe who killed him some three millennia ago. Nor has he abandoned his plans for Earth, as they learn when chaos begins bursting out all over..

Unbinding is the Eleventh novel in the World of the Lupi series. With Lily Yu and Rule Tanner off on their honeymoon, Kai Tallman Michalski and Nathan, her hellhound partner and lover, take over the spotlight. If you are a fan of this series, and have read everything, including the novellas, you know that Nathan appeared in Inhuman, and at the end of Ritual Magic where he destroyed a key artifact.

Nathan works for the Queen of Winter, and has shed his hellhound persona to take up a more human one in order to do the Queen's work on Earth. Nathan and Kai, who is able to see thoughts by colors and patterns, is a mind healer, and carries a special knife she calls "Teacher," are sent back to Earth to finish off the God of chaos who is once again causing problems. Not much has changed in that area. There is always a POWER willing to set the world on fire in order to create chaos and mass hysteria and it is up to the Lupi and their allies to save the day.

Kai and Nathan are joined by Benedict Jones, Arjenie Fox, Cullen Seabourne and wife Cynna Weaver to take on a God who had previously set his sites on Lily. On top of all this, Kai has to make up her mind whether or not to swear fealty to the Queen of Winter because of her abilities as a mindhealer. Wilks splits her perspectives between Kai and Nathan, sometimes more than once in a chapter. Kai is an interesting character, and perhaps gives Lily a run for her money in actually having a kickass gift she can use. I loved the connection between Kai and Arjenie who both have a bit of sidhe in their blood.

Unbinding isn't much on the romance side, which to me isn't all that depressing. It is a story that has more conversational moments, than action and kickass fighting. It is a novel that slowly gathers steam, and then kind of ends quietly without fanfare. I think one of the more interesting aspects of Wilks world is that she isn't afraid to dive into a variety of different mythologies. Unbinding has a definite Navajo twist with the idea of an Upper World and the always devilish Coyote.

If you love werewolves, dragons, fae, and much more, you should be reading this series. If you haven't read this series yet, each book is a whole story with a beginning and an ending. The plot of each book relies heavily on the prior books in the series which means that you SHOULD read the books as they are released so you don't miss the introduction to new characters, or the return of secondary characters who have a tendency of remaining in the background.

Apparently, the series will once again revert back to Lily's perspective in Mind Magic which releases November 3, 2015.

*Book Review* Fury of the Demon by Diana Rowland (UF)

Series: Kara Gillian # 6
Publisher: DAW
Released: January 7, 2014
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback, 484 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Who can Kara Gillian trust?

That’s what she’d like to know. Demon summoner and now a consultant for the FBI, Kara Gillian has spent the past several months in the demon realm training while recovering from the treachery of the demonic lord Rhyzkahl. Yet though the torment and betrayal she suffered at his hands continues to plague her, she’s not about to let that slow her down.

Kara returns to Earth to search for a fellow summoner being held by allies of Rhyzkahl. Aiding in the hunt are Kara’s friends, FBI agents Ryan Kristoff and Zack Garner. However, Kara and Zack know Ryan’s true identity—though he himself does not—and questions of loyalty threaten to tear apart their previously close-knit group. Rhyzkahl’s machinations run deeper than they could have ever imagined, and the search for the missing summoner takes on a desperate edge while dangers from ancient demon oaths loom and enemies increase in power and numbers.

Armed with her skills, wit, and attitude, it is up to Kara to save her friends and her world.

The price of failure will be her soul. 

Demon summoner and former cop Kara Gillian returns in Fury of the Demon, the sixth adventure in the series. After spending the past months in the Demon Realm training with her new demon buddy Mzatal and healing from being betrayed and nearly turned into a play toy by her former demon lover Rhyzkahl, Kara has to face a whole slew of problems when she returns home, including yet another powerful villain, and a wholesale change in Kara’s homestead.

Her problems start with finding out who she really is, and realizing that things have changed since she was summoned to the Demon Realm. If she isn't a cop any longer, what exactly is she? Is she just a demon's pawn to be used by anyone who comes along and offers her protection or maybe a bit of understanding? Is she a consultant to the FBI when they are given strange and unusual cases? Is she humanities savior against the demon lords who want to establish a permanent link between worlds, and take what they think they are entitled to?

Then there are her friends, or as they are now called, Kara's Posse: FBI agents Ryan Kristoff aka Szerian, Zack Garner, along with her best friend and very pregnant Jill Faciane. At the top of her to do list, however, is finding Idris, her friend and fellow summoner who was taken away to Earth by someone who betrayed Kara's new lover, and has plans in place to lure Kara into a trap that will change who she is forever. But, let's take things one at a time.

Kara & Mzatal's relationship is mind boggling to me and not on the same level as her connection to Ryan. Out of one relationship, straight into another one after he forcibly summoned Kara to the Demon Realm. One could say that there is a connection between the characters. Or, one could say that Mzatal is exactly what Kara needs after being brutalized and betrayed. But, in the end, Mzatal has become a rather unique and powerful friend, lover, and partner to Kara who desperately needs to understand her abilities. I don't personally think this will last, but what do I know?

If you've read this series from the beginning, you know that Kara was a bit on the lonely side until Ryan and Zack came along. Kara's Posse has grown larger with the additions of Bryce, Paul, and yes, even Sonny. Kara's other Posse members even include a slew of demons, including her bodyguard Eilahn, and perhaps a new understanding with Detective Pellini who has always treated Kara with scorn and ridicule.

I am, however, wondering in what direction this series is heading since not much is settled in the book. Except for the unveiling of Ryan's true alter-ego Szerian, and hopefully the end to Kara's descent into obscurity, there are so many questions about Kara, about her love for these Demons, about how she can truly trust any of them after all the shit she's been through, and whether or not there are traitors within Kara's Posse just waiting to strike.

I don't know about other readers, but I was happy that the story returned to Kara's hometown, and took a break from the Demon Realm. I needed a break from the Demon politics and a good ole fashion action packed adventure. There was an interesting revelation in this book, and if you truly want to know what it is, I am sure there are spoilers on Goodreads that you can peak at. Let's just say that Kara's life is far from settled at this point and move on wards to the next installment!

Other Books in Series:

 

  

 

*Book Review* The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Released: January 13, 2015
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories

After reading many, many, many reviews before requesting The Girl on the Train from my library, I finally found the time to read the story this past weekend. Let me say that I am doing my hardest NOT to spoil anything for you, and it's taken a bit of time to put my thoughts to paper. If you find something that you believe is a spoiler, let me know. I'll happily remove it.

Sold as "a compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl," The Girl on the Train is a psychological story that is about as twisted as you can get. Rachel Watson is a down and out woman who takes the same commuter train to and from work every morning to keep from having to tell her flatmate that she's lost her job. She's already lost her marriage because of her depression and alcohol use. She can't afford to lose much more. Rachel has quite the imagination.

She looks out her window on the train and catches a couple she calls Jess and Jason on their porch. She imagines that they have the perfect life until one day Rachel catches Jess kissing someone who is not Jason. The girl in question, Jess, is actually Megan Hipwell, and she has her own issues that are almost as deep and depraved as Rachel's. Megan's so called perfect life, has been built upon lie after lie, and the more the lies are exposed, the less likable Megan becomes. But, when Megan goes missing the next day, Rachel bumbles and stumbles her way into a police investigation that puts her own life in jeopardy.

The third female character is Anna Watson. Anna is the new wife and ex-mistress to Tom Watson while he was married to Rachel. Anna is a character I never once warmed up to. First because she was part of the intent to ruin Rachel's marriage and life. Second because she is living in Rachel's home, sleeping in Rachel's bed, and has a child that Rachel longed to have while married to Tom. Then, instead of trying to understand Rachel's depressed state and maybe try to help her, she piles on the misery.

I haven't read Gone Girl so I won't be able to do any sort of comparisons between the two books. I am sure you will have no problems with finding the comparison on Goodreads, or Amazon. To quote, sometimes you are paranoid, until there really is something to be paranoid about. Rachel's paranoia and her desire to drink away her life's problems, are really not that hard to understand. Once Rachel starts digging into Megan's disappearance however, her own distorted memories start to become much clearer.

The Girl on the Train is a story that will make you think a whole lot about what you would do if you were in Rachel's shoes. Is Rachel really seeing what's she's seeing? Was Rachel's memories twisted into believing what others wanted her to believe, or see? What really happened to Megan, and why couldn't she take ONE minute and explain to her husband what was happening? I think the most important idea to come out of reading this story is that you just never really know the people you think you know. You shouldn't judge anyone until you really get to know them from the inside out.

*Book Review* Lies I Told by Michelle Zink (Young Adult)

Series: Lies I Told # 1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: April 7, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book, 352 pages
Genre: YA / Contemporary

What if, after spending a lifetime deceiving everyone around you, you discovered the biggest lies were the ones you've told yourself?

Grace Fontaine has everything: beauty, money, confidence, and the perfect family. 

But it’s all a lie.

Grace has been adopted into a family of thieves who con affluent people out of money, jewelry, art, and anything else of value. Grace has never had any difficulty pulling off a job, but when things start to go wrong on the Fontaines' biggest heist yet, Grace finds herself breaking more and more of the rules designed to keep her from getting caught...including the most important one of all: never fall for your mark.

Lies I Told is part of a duology, with Promises I Made coming out later this year (2015). 17-year old Grace and her adoptive family, Parker, Cormac and Renee, are grifters, or con artists if you will. They travel around the country bilking the unaware of their fortunes, and then moving on to the next stop. The next stop in this case, is the fictional town of Playa Hermosa, California and a family that supposedly has a fortune in gold stockpiled and hidden away.

For Grace, it is her job to get close to the Fairchild's son Logan, while making friends with those of his inner circle like Rachel Mercer. She isn't supposed to have any mementos of her former lives, but she has a box filled with things from past stops. She's in a very difficult position and having Parker put doubts in her mind while getting close to Logan and his friends, doesn't make it any easier. Parker's behavior from the start, makes readers take notice because he really wants to protect Grace from a permanent life as a con artist and her adoptive parents who continue to use them for their own games.

Making friends is hard for Grace knowing that she will one day have to leave them behind and flee to yet another city, yet another con job, without saying good-bye. Grace is a difficult character to break down. Until she was adopted, she didn't exactly have the best circumstances. With a new school, comes some really good friends that she finds herself connecting to like Serena. Her relationship with Logan blossoms which makes things hard when her parents ask her to do something that makes no sense at all. She finds the lies she's forced to use piling up and being challenged by Rachel who smells something fishy about Grace's family.

Lies I Told is the perfect title for this story. Grace has built so many plastic versions of herself, has told so many lies in order to build up her persona for each stop, that it is hard to actually be who she wants to be. There is a whole lot of regret and doubt. She finally has a best friend she understands. She finds someone that she feels comfortable being with and his family treats her really well. But, her parents are the most controlling and arrogant set of family members that you will ever meet.

I think we need to talk about the parental units for a moment. I normally rail against parents not being in the picture. That's not the case here. I'll say this, I really, really disliked them. Perhaps I am wrong in that regards. Perhaps the parents really did care for Grace and Parker. Perhaps they didn't purposefully adopt the kids in order to force them into a life of grifting. Perhaps when all is said and done, the parents will unmask the real reason for their behavior in this book, and then perhaps I'll be satisfied that it is possible for Grace and Parker to have a HEA.

I liked Logan but perhaps he was a bit too perfect. I didn't like the love at first bite syndrome that once again plagues a book in the YA genre that I've read. Hell, I even liked Logan's friends, and the girls that opened up to Grace and allowed her into their inner circle. In the end, I do hope that Logan finds a bit of happiness after being used and left hanging without any explanations at all from Grace and her so called family.

Lies I Told's storyline isn't fully resolved. In fact, the story ends on a brutal cliffhanger ending with huge impacts for everyone involved. I can't say I didn't see the ending coming. It was hinted to way in advance especially by Parker's wish of getting him and Grace out of the business. I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I guess one could say that stealing money from the unsuspecting families is crosses the line in what I feel good about. Yet, there is so much more about this family than meets the eye tests, and one can only hope that the betrayals, and destruction they leave in their wake, can be fixed.

**I received this book for free from (HarperTeen) via (Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Stacking My Shelves & Weekly Wrap-up* May 2, 2015

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course eBooks!

WELCOME BACK! 

I should warn you that I had a pretty awesome week. Harper dropped some amazing titles on Friday, and Penguin First Read FINALLY approved me for several titles I am eager to read. Let's not forget other books from NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Amazon! If I ever, ever complain about not having anything to read, feel free to slap me in the face. Thanks! 

The Week in Reviews:

Monday - Hit by Delilah S Dawson (YA)

Tuesday - Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells (UF)

Wednesday - Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells (UF)

Thursday - The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons (YA)

Rook by Sharon Cameron (YA) <--Talk Supe Blog

Friday - Pirate's Alley Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway (UF)

Saturday - Lies I Told by Michelle Zink (YA)

Received via Penguin First to Read

   

Received via NetGalley & Edelweiss

   

   

   

   

   

   

*Blog Tour* Review & Giveaway ~ Pirate's Alley by Suzanne Johnson

Sentinels of New Orleans # 4 
Format: E-Book, 352 pages
Release Date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Bewitching Tours
Genre: Urban Fantasy

From award-winning author Suzanne Johnson comes the fourth book in the smart and sexy Sentinels of New Orleans series.  Wizard sentinel DJ Jaco thought she had gotten used to the chaos of her life in post-Katrina New Orleans, but a new threat is looming, one that will test every relationship she holds dear.
   Caught in the middle of a rising struggle between the major powers in the supernatural world—the Wizards, Elves, Vampires and the Fae—DJ finds her loyalties torn and her mettle tested in matters both professional and personal. Her relationship with enforcer Alex Warin is shaky, her non-husband Quince Randolph is growing more powerful, and her best friend Eugenie has a bombshell that could blow everything to Elfheim and back.
    And that's before the French pirate Jean Lafitte, newly revived from his latest "death," returns to New Orleans with vengeance on his mind. DJ's assignment? Keep the sexy leader of the historical undead out of trouble. Good luck with that.
    Duty clashes with love, loyalty with deception, and friendship with responsibility as DJ navigates passion and politics in the murky waters of a New Orleans caught in the grips of a brutal winter that might have nothing to do with Mother Nature.
 War could be brewing, and DJ will be forced to take a stand. But choosing sides won't be that easy.

Pirate's Alley is the fourth installment in the Sentinels of New Orleans series by Suzanne Johnson. This time out, Johnson digs into the Interspecies Council, and the other powerful preternaturals like the Fairies who make up the council. Pirate's Alley is a story filled with treachery, twisted politics, and a major change in DJ's role that leaves her future hanging in the balance. I strongly URGE readers not to jump into Pirate's Alley without first starting with Royal Street. 

I'm telling you this for your own good. In each of the three previous novels, Johnson focused on different preternaturals and built upon it. Royal  Street was about the wizards, shifters, and the introduction to 19th-century pirate and historical undead Jean Lafitte who gains immortality through the magic of human memory, and is either one of DJ's best allies, or a character who is sneaker than a cat in the middle of the night.

River Road jumped a few years into the future and DJ got her first look at the water species, like merman, who live around South Louisiana while taking the title of Co-Sentinel of New Orleans with Alex Warin. This is also where DJ met one of her real genuine allies in Rene Delachaise who has become a real asset. Elysian Fields saw the vampires and elves make an appearance, along with some really nasty characters like the Axeman. There were some stunning revelations that we've had to wait more than a year to find out what happens next.  

DJ feels the political games being played out in Pirate's Alley and she's right in the thick of things. She has to deal with trickery and backstabbing not only by the Elven Synod, but the Vampire Regent’s Council, and her own Congress of Elders who once sat in the cat birds seat before the veil between worlds fell. DJ has been the target of many different preternatural's ever since it was learned that she is not only a full Wizard, but she also has a bit of elven blood in her as well. She also carries an elven magical staff that enhances her abilities and makes her that much more formidable as an opponent. 

Pirate's Alley changes everything for DJ and her supposed allies. She has to look at her best friend Eugenie Dupre, Alex and Jake Warin, Rene, Quince (Rand) Randolph, her boss Wizard Zrakovi and Jean Lafitte in the eyes and determine if they are real allies, or are just sticking around to watch DJ crash and burn. There are some interesting new developments with Adrian Hoffman, the appearance of Prince Christoff of the Winter Fairies, her uncle Lennox St. Simon, and his daughter Audrey. Where Johnson goes with here should be really interesting to read about.

With the book ending on a heart racing cliffhanger, I do hope that Johnson is in the process of writing the sequel, and we don't have to wait 20 more months for the next book to come out! DJ's chaotic world is far from settled, and one can hope that she finds true allies, while ferreting out the traitors and enemies who have made her life difficult. If you were looking for a break for Typhoid DJ, or plenty of romance between DJ, Alex, or even Jean, good luck with that! 

DJ, are you awake?

            Freaking elf. “Go home, Rand.”

            I am home. Where are you?

            I frowned and burrowed my face into the soft down pillow. Which wasn’t my pillow.

            Holy crap. What had happened?

            I sat up and took in several observations at once, none of which made sense and all of which sent my heart rate jack-rabbiting hard enough to send my blood pressure into the ozone.

            First, I was lying beneath a heavy bedspread woven in a rich blue-and-cream print. The bed was an elaborate confection made to look like an antique half-tester, and a brass chandelier hung overhead.

            I recognized the Hotel Monteleone. I recognized Jean Lafitte’s bedroom in the posh Eudora Welty Suite in the Monteleone. I didn’t have a clue as to how I got here.

            Second, I wore only underwear. My clothes were thrown across a chair in the corner. I had no recollection of removing them.

            Third, the pillow next to mine still held the clear indentation of a head, and there was water running behind the closed bathroom door.

            What in God’s name had I done?

            Rand! Where are you? So help me, if that elf was behind this, I’d splay him open like a catfish and watch his guts fall on the floor. Then I’d batter and deep-fry him.

            God, Dru. Stop shrieking like an elven shrew. I think you got too cold and went into a survival state.

            Survival state? Then I remembered, and shame joined panic. I had gone into hibernation like a bear, right out on Royal Street in front of God and everyone. Quince Randolph, you sonofabitch! Why didn’t you warn me that would happen?

            Stop yelling. How did I know you’d be stupid enough to go traipsing through the snow to the point of unconsciousness? I can tell you’re in the Quarter, but where are you?

            Catch you later.

            I slammed shut every mental door I could imagine and then troweled imaginary caulk in any imaginary cracks around said doors. I was vaguely aware that, off in the distance of my mental stronghold, Rand was yelling at me.

            Had Jean hauled me back to the hotel like a sack of pommes de terres? How had he explained a hibernating blonde to the hotel management? At least my dark blue underwear matched. Had he taken advantage of me? No, it wasn’t his style. Which meant I’d consented.

            Alex was going to kill me if I didn’t kill myself first. I wasn’t sure hibernation-brain was an adequate defense.

            The bathroom doorknob rattled and I dove under the covers, even though I realized it was like closing the barn door after the half-naked cows had escaped.

            From my hiding spot, I heard the door open and footsteps cross from tile to carpet before stopping with a rustle of fabric. “Hey, babe. You finally back from the dead? Whatcha doin’ under there?”

            “Rene?” I poked my head out and frowned at my buddy the merman, fully dressed in jeans and a Saints sweatshirt. His feet were bare, and he walked around the bed and climbed in as if either one of us belonged here, much less at the same time.

            “What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Who undressed me? Where’s Jean?” And, as an afterthought, “Why are we in bed?”

            Now that I realize I hadn’t acted like my licentious great-aunt Dru and slept with the pirate, I transferred my anger to the proper place and it wasn’t to myself. I’d kill that sneaky Frenchman if he weren’t immortal.

            Rene was not immortal, however, and he was within reach. “You better start talking, fish boy.”

            “Aiyeeee.” Rene cackled like the Cajun he was, and fluffed the pillow behind his head. “I told Jean you’d be spittin’ mad. Nothing happened, babe. Your clothes were wet and I was just trying to keep you warm. I’m a shifter, you know. We run hot.”

            “Oh, do you now.”

            That made him laugh harder.

            I threw off the covers and stomped over to my clothes. He’d seen whatever I had and I knew he didn’t want it, so there was no point in hiding. I picked up three soggy layers of T-shirts and sweaters, and cords so wet they weighed about ten pounds.

            My breath hitched. The staff; I’d lost the staff. I whirled to Rene, who sat propped against the lush draped fabric that covered the headboard, watching me with a grin. “Where’s my bag?”

            “In the living room. Everything’s there, babe, even your magic stick. Jean, he took care of you.”

            Yeah, I just bet he did. It was hard to argue effectively in underwear I’d intended only Alex Warin to see, so I went into the living room, dug my room key out of my messenger bag, and stuck my head out the door, looking up and down the hallway.

            “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere,” I yelled at Rene, and made a run for it, jamming the keycard into my door lock and slipping inside before I was spotted. If hotel cameras caught my mad dash on security footage, well, I’m sure they’d seen stranger things. This was New Orleans, after all.

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About the Author:

Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal fiction from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick.

Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she also is the author of the best-selling Penton Legacy paranormal romance series and The Collectors romantic thriller series. Elysian Fields, book three in the Sentinels of New Orleans series, won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence while her Sandlin-penned novel, Allegiance, is nominated for a 2015 Reviewer’s Choice Award from RT Book Reviews magazine.

Website: http://www.suzannejohnsonauthor.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SusannahSandlin

FB: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSuzanneJohnson

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