Welcome to my Den of Delights! Please make yourselves comfortable.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

REVIEW: Again the Magic (#0.5 Wallflowers) by Lisa Kleypas

5 Stars

“The worst thing you can do for love is deny it; so when you find that special someone, don't let anyone or anything to get in your way.” 
 ~ Author Unknown

“It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is the most painful is to love someone and  never find the courage to let the person know how you feel.” ~ Author Unknown

Lisa Kleypas is one of my absolute favourite authors. Most of her books are keepers for me. I devoured her books in 2007, after my BFF recommended her to me, and they helped me through one of the absolute worst years of my life. So, that makes Lisa Kleypas’ books and characters even more extra special for me. I’ll never be able to express how much they mean to me!

Because I read this book pre-Goodreads, I didn’t do a review for it. Also, I’m afraid that nothing I could say could ever be worthy of the eloquence of Lisa Kleypas’ lyrical and evocative prose. But I keep saying how Ms. Kleypas is one of my favourite, FAVOURITE authors, so I think I should attempt some reviews.

If you haven’t picked up a Lisa Kleypas book, before, then you really should!

Again the Magic is a star-crossed lovers and reunited lovers story. It’s a story of betrayal, revenge, secrets, forgiveness, imperfections, trust, and so much more.

It’s considered a prequel to the Wallflowers series because it happens chronologically before it and has Marcus, Lord Westcliff, a much beloved character from Wallflowers in it - I ADORE Marcus!

The story begins with Lady Aline Marsden, daughter of the unbending and intolerant Earl of Westcliff, and her childhood friend, a servant at Stony Cross Manor, John McKenna, falling in love.
“It was likely that no one had been surprised, however, as it was clear that Aline and Mckenna belonged together. There was something invisible and yet irrefutable that made them a couple. Perhaps it was the way both of them stole quick glances at each other when one thought the other wasn't looking... glances of wonder and hunger.”
When their love is found out, to protect McKenna from her father’s destruction, Aline says some very hurtful things to send McKenna away.

Twelve years pass and McKenna has returned to Stony Cross Manor with his business partner, Gideon Shaw, hell bent on revenge on Aline…but his love still burns strong and he can’t bring himself to hurt her.

Aline has suffered a trauma in the intervening years which has changed her and she feels unworthy.

If I had to describe this book in just a couple words, it would be… INTENSE...and...PASSIONATE. I was completely absorbed into this emotional journey with Aline and McKenna. And the love scenes were passion-filled and STEAMY! YOWZA!

I loved the setting at Stony Cross Park and Manor; with the river nearby, the heather-strewn hills of Hampshire, and the woods... Oh, the trees, the trees… ;-) *coughs* 


The river at Stony Cross was Aline and McKenna's special place
 McKenna is brooding, passionate and intense and his declarations are oh, so romantic. I love McKenna!
“I want morning and noon and nightfall with you. I want your tears, your smiles, your kisses...the smell of your hair, the taste of your skin, the touch of your breath on my face. I want to see you in the final hour of my life...to lie in your arms as I take my last breath.”
My heart ached for Aline and her feelings of unworthiness; it really hurt to see that even in the face of McKenna’s immense love, she couldn’t bring herself to share with him her fears and secrets. I found both their reactions realistic and raw, and I really, really longed for Aline to get over her issues so that she and McKenna could have the happily-ever-after they deserved. Aline and McKenna brought me to tears.

I absolutely loved seeing my darling Marcus as the wonderful big brother he is. He is so protective towards his sisters and I loved “the talk” he had with Aline.

This was a two-for-one romance, and I must say that I am one of those people who didn’t have an issue with this. Both romances were developed enough to my satisfaction. Sure, if they had been separated out into two separate books, we definitely would have gotten more development of both relationships, but like I said, this really didn’t bother me.

The secondary romance between Livia and Gideon really touched me, too. Livia is a widow and Gideon a rake with an alcohol addiction. Gideon was rakishly, playfully sexy and I loved the teasing attraction between these two that turned into so much more. But what I loved most the honesty and courage that Livia showed and the response that Gideon had to it, in the end.

I enjoyed getting glimpses of Livia’s and Gideon’s HEA in the Wallflowers series.

When I re-read this, a few years ago, I was deeply into Moonlight and that may have affected my images slightly. I’m not complaining though. LOL

My McKenna (Alex O’Loughlin) and My Aline (Madeleine Stowe) 



Monday, February 27, 2012

Inspiration of the Moment and My Photography: After the Rain

Okay, now that I've given my dark muse its expression again, it's time to focus on the light...

I title this “After The Rain”, taken at Waterfall Gully, 11 Feb 2012.

“After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul's indefeasible duty is 
to be of good cheer."
 ~ William R. Alger

“Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you.”
 ~ Langston Hughes

“Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?” 
~ Rose Kennedy

My Poetry: A Silent Shout


Feeling all mixed up again, today, and this slipped out…

~*~ A Silent Shout ~*~

Caught in a spiral,
Churning emotions gone viral,
So many things to express,
My inability causes duress;
I want to tell you,
What’s in my heart,
But I don’t even know,
Where to start;
How do I tell you,
All I desire,
My feelings all caught up,
 In a quagmire;
I feel like, 
I can’t breathe,
Suffocating in, 
My emotional sheathe;
I feel immobile,
My words gone sterile,
And then...
 The tears slip out,
A silent shout.

~ By Jayne Michellane a.k.a Lady Jayne, 27 Feb 2012

 Image Credit: Tear Drop by JosCos - Stunning!


"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love."
~ Washington Irving

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sultry Saturday: Life's a Beach Pt. 3


It's been super hot today, so here's something to cool down... All that lovely, cool, foamy water, washing over heated skin...Ah, yes, I feel better already. ^_^



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

REVIEW: Hostage to Pleasure (#5 Psy-Changeling) by Nalini Singh

5 Stars!!!

Time to catch up on my reviews for this series…
“I heard the sniper’s voice against my ear when I woke today. He whispered sensual promises so savage, I can hardly believe these thoughts come from some corner of my own psyche. And yet they must. Because, at the end, he called me prey.

And told me to run.

-
From the encrypted personal files of Ashaya Aleine
Now why does that give me a delicious shiver?! Because it’s Dorian!! *sighs and swoons* I LOVE Dorian!!! And I loved this book and Ashaya! ^_^

Dorian, from the first moment I met him in the first book of the series, captured a piece of my heart. In Slave to Sensation, we meet Dorian when his beloved little sister, Kylie, had just been murdered by a Psy, and he was in so much pain and filled with rage. My heart just ached for Dorian.

The other pain in Dorian’s life is that he’s a “latent” leopard – a leopard who can’t shift into his animal form. In every other way - his senses, speed, strength, etc. - Dorian is a leopard. To compensate for his latency, Dorian is a high achiever, always striving to make sure he is the best. He is a super-skilled sniper, a computer genius, and is as lethal as the other sentinels of the DarkRiver leopard changeling pack, despite looking like a gorgeous surfer. Dorian, with his charming nature, portrays to the world that he has come to terms with his latency, and he mostly has…but deep down, he hasn’t really.
“When you want something so bad it hurts,” he said quietly, “and you bury it, bury it so deep that you convince yourself it no longer matters . . . and someone tells you you can have it, it's terrifying. What if you take the chance and you're wrong? What if you let yourself feel the loss and it's this huge pain and you can't put it back in the box?”
Ashaya Aleine is an M-Psy (Medical); a specialist in DNA. Ashaya never really took to the Silence Protocol, ie. the conditioning the Psy race has imposed on the race to eliminate emotion, in order to protect their society from mental degeneration and madness. But because of this, Ashaya has very strong psychic shields, and she had to carry out a ruse for her own, and her son’s, survival in the PsyNet. She is intelligent and compassionate.

Ashaya sought help from DarkRiver, the dominant leopard changeling pack in the San Francisco surrounds, to rescue her son, Keenan, after she helped them out in the previous book.

Ashaya manages to escape from the Psy research facility where she was required to work on some special projects. After she escapes, she ends up with DarkRiver - Dorian, specifically.

I loved being sucked into the electrifying sexual tension and developing relationship between Dorian and Ashaya. Dorian battles with his hatred for the Psy, and his leopard-self telling him that Ashaya is his mate; he was a hostage to his compulsion towards her. I loved the banter between these two. Ashaya is strong and doesn’t back down from Dorian, and Dorian can be both charming and demanding.

‘Her eyes opened.
Locked with his.
“Why are you watching me?” Her eyes, he saw, were not blue, not truly. They were a vivid pale gray with blue shards coming in from the outer ring to hit the pure black of her pupils. Strange eyes. Wolf eyes.
“My leopard is fascinated by you.” By her sensuous, flawless skin, her wild hair, her damn curves. He leaned in and blew a gentle breath that made a rebel tendril dance. “I dreamed of running my tongue across your skin.” He spoke to release some of the tension, to leash the beast before it broke its bonds. “Of exploring you in long, slow licks."
She didn’t break the deeply intimate visual connection. “You’re crossing lines again."
Hell yeah. It was either that or go insane. “And your heartbeat just got erratic.” The cat smiled, pleased. Ashaya Aleine wasn’t as immune to him as she liked to pretend. “What would happen if I tasted you? If I took a bite out of you?”’

*SHIVERS* Hell yeah, Dorian is insanely sexxxy!

There is plenty of hot, sexy romance, intrigue, and suspense in this one! But what I loved most was how Ashaya helped Dorian heal, and how a family was formed between her, Keenan and Dorian.

Ashaya’s son, Keenan, was adorable, and I loved watching the bond that formed between him and Dorian, with Keenan’s almost immediate trust in Dorian, and Dorian’s protective instincts toward Keenan.

Ashaya has a twin who will... Creep. You. Out. Yet the bonds of twinhood are so strong.

I’m really enjoying the world that Nalini Singh has created, with the tensions between the cold Psy, especially their governing body, the Psy Council, and their machinations, and the changelings and humans.

I admit that I enjoy watching sci-fi but not necessarily reading it, and I had found the concept of the PsyNet a little confusing, initially, but now, I am really enjoying it!

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I love how racially diverse the characters are in this series. I believe Nalini Singh’s own background of being a Fijian Indian, who moved to New Zealand as a child, and then teaching English in Japan for a few years, gave her a real appreciation of different ethnicities, and I love how she knit this into the fabric of the Psy-Changeling world. Nalini Singh has removed the prejudice against the colour of one’s skin, and instead, created a world where it is the dichotomy between cold logic versus hot emotion, and the mental/psychic versus physical/sense-driven, which breeds prejudice.
‘“Hate will destroy you,” she whispered. “It’ll destroy…us.”

He shuddered, burying his face in the curve of her neck. The electric curls of her hair cushioned him with a soft warmth that was so intrinsically female, he couldn’t hope to explain it. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he simply held her, allowed himself to hold her, to accept that she was his mate. And that she came from the very race he’d made a target of all his rage, all his pain…so that he wouldn’t have to face his own guilt.”’
….

“Then save me, Shaya.” He laid his heart bare, invited her to savage it.

Dropping her hand, she turned in his arms. Then, rising up on tiptoe, she cupped his face in her palms and drew him down. Her kiss was innocent, vulnerable, a caress so gentle that it made him her slave between one breath and the next.”

THANK YOU, Nalini Singh, for a wonderful addition to the series!!! 


My Dorian (Jesse Pavelka) and My Ashaya (Aishwarya Rai)





Saturday, February 18, 2012

Sultry Saturday: Life's a Beach Pt. 2

I didn't get a chance to post one yesterday, but since it's still Saturday in the Northern hemisphere...

It's a sultry Sunday here, actually, being all hot and humid. I need something to cool me down.


Not sure that did the trick, though! LOL


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID GANDY!!! ^_^ 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

My Poetry: Melancholy Day


I think I spoke too soon when I said I did not have my poetic muse. LOL I felt very strange and uneasy, yesterday. Just having one of those melancholy days.


~*~Melancholy Day~*~

Melancholy day,
Can't find the words to say,
How strange I feel inside,
Sadness, a rushing tide;
Yet there are no tears,
No identifiable fears,
Just the pulsing of my heart,
The sense of falling apart;
This too shall pass,
It will not last,
Just another melancholy day...
Please dissipate without delay!
But what can I do to speed its way?
Without being torn within its fray?
I will try and give it a tug,
Maybe...I just need a hug.

~ By Jayne Michellane a.k.a. Lady Jayne, 15 February 2012

Inspiration of the moment: The Beautiful Path

Photo taken at Waterfall Gully, 11 Feb 2012

"If the path be beautiful, 
let us not ask where it leads."
  ~ Anatole France 

To me, this means to live in the beautiful moments, without having it marred by the worries of the future. I know that I certainly need to learn to do this more. 

 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Song of the Moment: Northern Lights by Cider Sky


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!!!

I give you my "Song of the Moment" - Northern Lights by Cider Sky. I feel happy every time I listen to this song. 
I hope it makes you smile and brings you joy 
this Valentine's Day, too. ^_^

 


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Raindrops, Sun and Rainbows


Raindrops, sun, and rainbows,
 
Lighting up my window,
 
Sparking up creativity,
 
Creating magic in simplicity.


~ By Jayne Michellane a.k.a. Lady Jayne, 11 Feb 2012

Taken on a rainy drive, with bursts of sun emerging through the clouds.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Sultry Saturdays! - Life's a Beach

I've decided to start a new segment called "Sultry Saturdays", to spice up the weekend. ^_^

It's the last month of Summer here in Australia, and one of my favourite parts of Summer is the beach. Or should I say, sights at the beach. I don't have these sights but I wish I did! LOL 


Mmm...I've never enjoyed sand quite so much, before. Oh, to be that sand and be all over him...^_~

Stay tuned for more Sultry Saturdays!


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Inspiration of the Moment: Imperfectly Beautiful


To banish imperfection 
is to destroy expression,
to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.
~  John Ruskin from The Stones Of Venice
(Writer, art critic, draughtsman, watercolourist,
social thinker, philanthropist)

 
If you’ve noticed on my blog banner, there are butterflies. My lovely friend Rane Aria created it for me and did an amazing job when I asked her to please incorporate butterflies for me. Thank you again, Rane!

The butterfly has been a symbol of Hope for me for many years in my battle with anorexia, depression and the dreaded Negative Voice in my head. The butterfly is a symbol of transformation from my distorted, wretched mind - from seeing myself as someone fat, short, ugly, stupid, useless and worthless, someone so imperfect that I didn’t deserve to be loved, to someone of worth, who is beautiful because I'm kind and I care about people around me.

The pressure for perfection (and the longing to be loved unconditionally, and not just by my family) was what drove me to anorexia and depression, such that I started starving myself when I was just 11 years old. I also contemplated suicide, many times, and would punch myself in the stomach, where no one could see my bruises. I have come to realise that causing myself physical pain was just a way to release the immense internal pain that I kept hidden away from all those around me, because I feared they would judge me even more if they knew. 

I am now 35 years old and have come a long way from who I was. In recent years I have suffered some painful loses, including the loss of my one and only sibling, my precious big brother. In my deep grief, the butterfly continues to be a symbol of Hope, for me.

I give thanks to God for creating this beautiful creature that starts out life not looking very pretty, that develops a hard shell, and in this chrysalis goes through growing pains, to come out beautiful, but with a fragility, as well as strength to enable it to travel long distances. 

The ancient Greek word for "butterfly" is ψυχή (psȳchÄ“), which primarily means "soul" or "mind”. I’ve always been introspective, but in my journey through overcoming anorexia and the Negative Voice, I continually seek to nourish my soul and my mind. 

Butterflies aren’t just pretty things. The butterfly also serves an important purpose. Butterflies carry pollen from plant to plant. It helps flowers, fruits, and vegetables to produce new seeds. This has always been my desire – to help people. Often times I’ve felt helpless to do so and that led to further self-loathing and depression. I have realised that I can’t heal the world, no matter my desire, but I can make a difference in some people’s lives, and that is what matters.

The butterfly, pictured above, is scarred and imperfect, as am I. But it is still beautiful and it still has a purpose. Every one of us has scars from the grief and trauma we experience in Life. From our scars and imperfections, though, there can emerge the beauty of a meaningful Life.

I have a continuing battle with my Negative Voice, as it does like to rear its ugly head from time to time, especially when I am pressured or feeling vulnerable and it causes me to doubt and hate myself. Most days, I have the strength to tell it to “Shut Up!” Some days, I am so overcome I burst into the tears, and feel battered by this Negative Voice that keeps telling me I’m a failure, that I'm just not good enough, that bad things that happen are my fault, that I can never do anything right. 

Then I keep thinking of the wonderfully created butterfly, and I strive to be the butterfly to the people whose lives I can touch. It brings me out of the deceitful web of lies that the Negative Voice attempts to entrap me in.


So while we strive to be better people and the best we can be, we should never aim to be perfect. Perfection is impossible and the drive for perfection can be self-destructive.

This post was inspired by this blog post by one of my favourite authors, Pamela Clare, titled "Project: Happiness - My new journey" (Project Happiness Link Here).

Pamela isn’t just a wonderful author and journalist who has won awards including a lifetime achievement award. She is an AMAZING person of immense strength, who has suffered many traumas in her life, ones we can only imagine. But more importantly, she has survived and grown stronger from these traumas, and became a voice in her journalism career for those who needed it. Out of her horrific experiences she writes real characters with whom we connect and love. I strongly urge you to read Pamela’s blog post and to follow her and support on her inspiring journey.

THANK YOU, Pamela, for being so courageous and open to share your story and your journey with us. It moved me to tears and inspired me and I know it will many others.

Pamela’s post reminds me that I have been on my own Project Happiness and that it is a lifelong project.

I write poetry which arises out of my darkness, my pain – it focuses inward, but then it somehow starts to free me from that darkness. Through confronting my darkness in this way, I am able to deal with my overwhelming emotions and then release them out into my poems. 

“All great and beautiful work 
has come of first gazing 
without shrinking 
into the darkness.”
~ John Ruskin 

My photography, on the other hand, comes out of my seeking beauty and joy, the light. I look outward into the world around me but what inspires me is not only what I see through my camera lens but how what I see makes me feel; how I can find beauty and meaning in my landscape, in nature, even in the weeds or the gutter, that feeds my soul.

My poetry and my photography are both meaningful to me in their own ways. At the moment, I am focused on my photography, and am actually very thankful that I have no dark muse to incite any more poems, for now. 

“All great art 
is the work 
of the whole living creature, 
body and soul, 
and chiefly of the soul. 
~John Ruskin 

Pamela’s  "Project: Happiness" post has a powerful parable of the two wolves that her loving sister sent her. It is a battle between good and evil that happens in all of us. I really encourage you to read it. 

Feed the good wolf. Worry not about perfection. Imperfection breathes expression and vitality. 

Today’s quotes are those of John Ruskin who was born on 8 February 1819, and yesterday was the 8th of February here in Australia. Suffice it to say that John Ruskin has since passed, but his beautiful words live on to inspire future generations.  

“Do not think of your faults, 
still less of other's faults; 
look for what is good and strong, 
and try to imitate it. 
Your faults will drop off, 
like dead leaves, 
when their time comes.” 
~ John Ruskin

My Photography: “G-Utter Beauty”

“There is beauty in the gutter,
Where Resilience springs,
A beauty that reminds us to be thankful,
For the depth of Hope it brings!
(From my poem “Resilience”)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Inspiration of the Moment: Stretch Yourself


"If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness." 
~ Les Brown 
(American Author, Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker)

Strreeeeeeeeeeettch...


I decided to stretch myself this year by joining a camera club. I've had an interest in photography for a while, but this year, my hubby and I decided to join a club - to help develop our photography skills and to share our love of photography with people of like interests. 

The club is holding a competition this Valentine's Day. The set subject is EMOTION: "An image of a person or persons experiencing one of the human emotions, e.g. Love, hate, despair, fear, sorrow, joy, greed, envy, etc." 

The last time I joined a competition was back in school, back in the day when I was such a perfectionist and so competitive that I wouldn't join anything unless I thought I had a chance of winning. It was a very, very bad attitude to have. But now, I am determined to just submit something, and to be willing to accept constructive criticism in order to grow as a photographer. I want to join the competition not to compete but to be involved in the sharing of our art.

This is the image I've decided to submit. I title it "A Joyful Encounter". It was a candid shot I took at an airport and the joy on their faces makes me smile. ^_^


Saturday, February 4, 2012

Inspiration of the Moment and My Photography


A "Song" To Sing... 

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, 
it sings because it has a song.
~ Lou Holtz

This photo I took (below) is a visual "song" I had to sing, about the beauty I find in nature, through this duck and the captivating ripples in the water it created as it moved. It was such a simple moment, but the ripple effect it created in my thoughts was so significant. My words don't do it justice but I hope my photo does. My photos are "songs" of things that I want to sing about, to inspire me and I hope others, too, in life.

What sings to you? Capture it in your memories, to pull out at any time you need a "song" to remind you of the magnificence all around us. 


Friday, February 3, 2012

REVIEW: Lothaire (#12 Immortals After Dark) by Kresley Cole

5 of 5 Stars

Lothaire met MY “Endgame” of a satisfying read quite diabolically splendidly!

Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark (IAD) series is one of my favourite Paranormal Romance series and I always know I’m in for a wild and entertaining ride when I read one of her books. Lothaire was an ATOMIC BLAST of a ride - and I mean that in all kiiiinds of ways! LOL

When it was mentioned that Lothaire “The Enemy of Old” would have a book, I thought, “What an unlikely “hero”! An enemy of our beloved Forbearer Vampires, Valkyrie, Lykae and House of Witches is to have his own HEA??” But, WOW, what an engaging and sizzling tale it was!

Kresley Cole started truly intriguing me with Lothaire’s character in Dreams of a Dark Warrior, and made me very excited to read his book. Yes, he’s done some dastardly deeds but there were moments of what appeared to be compassion in him, especially in his dealings with Thaddeus, even though Lothaire justified it as just being part of him needing to achieve his “Endgame”.

I just love Thad! He’s so sweet, and his dimples just make me melt…Just, Awww!! I want to cuddle him close! I really hope Thad doesn’t lose his idealism and optimism!

I was shocked to see that Lothaire’s book wouldn’t get one of the long (and sometimes difficult to remember ^_^) IAD titles but would simply be titled “Lothaire” . I then realised, for an arrogant and self-absorbed character, such as he, there could be no better title!

Within the first chapter of Lothaire”, Kresley Cole had me deeply saddened and shedding tears for young Lothaire. I finally understood why he was the way he was and what his “Endgame” was, and why he was obsessed with it. Seeing his tragic past and his vulnerable side also enabled me to forgive him for some of his cruel acts, but he still did frustrate me, at points – remaining true to character. I needed to see some true remorse from him …and there was, but it was in is his very Lothaire-way. I would have liked to have seen him grovel more, though I accept that would not have been be true to his character.

Arrogant, going insane, intelligent, and diabolical, Lothaire never contemplated that his Bride would be a mere mortal. He believed that his Bride was Saroya, the goddess of death who possessed Elizabeth “Ellie” Peirce. When “Lizvetta”, as Lothaire calls her, awakens his burning desires, he still refuses to accept that a weak mortal could be his Bride.

I loved Ellie, the young mountain girl from Appalachia. She is sweet, smart, brave, and she challenges, intrigues and arouses Lothaire like no other. I really loved how Ellie held her own with Lothaire and made him question his “Endgame”. Even with all the shite Ellie has gone through in her short life, I loved how she looked for happiness where she could. She wasn’t bitter and twisted, like Lothaire, and that made her just what he needed.

Lothaire and Ellie were SCORCHINGLY HOT together!


Even though the sexy Paul Marron is the cover image for the US cover of Lothaire, I couldn’t shake the image I developed of Lothaire as I read Dreams of a Dark Warrior, with his longish pale blonde hair and his arrogant, diabolical handsomeness as this… 


Whether you picture Lothaire as looking like Eric Northman, Paul Marron, or someone else, one thing is for certain, even as Lothaire makes you growl at him (and also laugh) because of his arrogant and domineering ways, he will win you over – though maybe not in the puppy dog loyalty of Thad…or maybe he will! LOL

There was only a wee bit of development in the series story arc and I would have liked a bit more. But, then, I found out on Kresley Cole’s Facebook page, that there will be a new spin-off series called the Realm of Blood and Mist with the first book being titled Shadow Claim - release date 21 August 2012. The series is about the Dacians, introduced in this book. So, I now appreciate the sacrifice of the overall IAD story arc for introduction to these new characters. I’m excited for the new series!!

It was very interesting to find out more about Nix’s and Lothaire’s history together. Poor Nix “The Ever Knowing”, she’s losing it more and more, trying to keep up with all the possible futures as the Accession draws near. I’d love to see Nix’s HEA, for her to have a male who could be a stabilizing and comforting force for her, but I think I read somewhere that hers may be the last book in the series. While I really want to read her story, I’m not ready for this series to end.

So…who do you think is up next?

Cara the Fair (twin sister to Furie) and the human of noble line who is a thrill seeker and extreme sports enthusiast?

I think it may be King Kristoff of the Forbearers and Furie, who will unlease her wrath on all vampires for what Lothaire did to her, and in doing so will, of course, lead to a HEA. Haha! We shall see…

Looking forward to the next IAD installment!!!