So My Friend Wrote this Book... Untouched

 

                   One of the great things about having LOTS of snow this winter (perhaps the only great thing), is the time I've had to read some wonderful books. And one of the great things about being a blogger is meeting other writers. So I decided to combine those two great things by creating new feature on this blog to help promote some of the fantastic authors I've come across in the blog-o-sphere. Welcome to the first edition of, “So My Friend Wrote this Book...”

                   This week I'm starting with the book that has been on my nightstand the longest. Sara Humphreys sent me a copy of her paranormal romance novel Untouched months ago. It is the third in her series about an ancient society of telepathic, dream-walking shape-shifters called the Amoveo. [You can read my review of the first book Unleashed here.] With so much going on in my life, Untouched sat on my nightstand far too long. So long in fact, the next book in the series is slated for publication in May! On the plus side, if you like it, you won't have to wait long for the next book.

                   All Amoveos have a predestined mate they must meet and connect with before they're thirty. Otherwise, they lose their abilities and die a slow and painful death. In the first two books we learn that for the first time, some Amoveo have found their mates among humans. These matings have created Amoveo-human hybrids. Often times, these hybrids grow up not knowing about their shapeshifting heritage. They do however, grow up knowing they are different than the other kids on the block. Such is the case with heroine Kerry Smithson. She wears gloves constantly and avoids shaking hands with people. The world believes Kerry, a well-known model, is an eccentric germophobe. She allows this misperception to flourish in order to hide the truth. She is a powerful telepath for whom human contact is excruciatingly painful.

Available at Amazon.com.

                   Then she meets Dante Coltari. Hired to protect her, Dante's touch is far from painful for Kerry. For the first time in her life, the human touch is not just painless, but deeply pleasurable. Dante has recognized Kerry is his predestined mate and initiates her into the world of the Amoveo. His job is to keep her safe from the purists who believe Amoveo-human hybrids are an abomination that weaken their race.

                   If you like your romance, with a side of paranormal, I encourage you to check out the whole series. There are great characters, drama, action, danger, and enough spice to heat up these chilly New England days. Maybe Mother Nature ought to read this series!

                   To celebrate the first in what I hope will be a long series, I am having a give-away! You could win this cool 39 For the First Time bag and copies of Unleashed and Untouched by Sara Humphreys. If you leave a comment below, I'll enter you once. If you can't comment because Blogger is acting up, send me an e-mail and I'll include you. If you tweet this post, I'll enter your name twice. Be sure and include @vic39first in your tweet. I'll pick a winner on April first.

                   If you're an author and would like me to feature your book on “So My Friend Wrote this Book...”, drop me a line at victoriakp39(at)gmail(dot)com.

Book Review: "Unleashed" by Sara Humphreys

            In her debut novel, Unleashed, paranormal romance author Sara Humphreys introduces us to the world of the Amoveo. The Amoveo are an ancient race of telepathic, dream-walking shape shifters. Unleashed is the first in a series of five books and begins with the story of Samantha Logan who is unaware that she is one of these fantastic beings. We meet Samantha just as she is rudely awakened from a vividly erotic dream. “Talk about a buzz kill,” she said to the empty room. “Typical. I can’t even get good sex in my dreams.” Her character is instantly likeable and relatable. You’ll want to meet Samantha for martinis and tell her she’ll meet a great guy some day. She’s had her share of disappointments in life and now she’s ready to make a change.

Discouraged by her lack of success in the New York art scene, Samantha moves back to her childhood home by the sea with her grandmother, Nonie. There she meets her handsome and mysterious neighbor Malcolm. As their interest in one another grows, we (and Samantha) learn about the Amoveo. Samantha’s father was a shape shifter who fell in love with a human. Such a thing was unknown in the Amoveo world. Each Amoveo has one true soul mate. If an Amoveo does not find and mate with his soul mate, his powers weaken and he eventually dies. Samantha is the first of her kind, an Amoveo born to a human mother.

Malcolm helps Samantha realize her true identity, not only that she is a powerful Amoveo, but also that she and Malcolm are soul mates. Reading about Malcolm’s ability to touch Samantha's mind as well as her body will keep you warm this winter. But there is more to romance in Unleashed. There is suspense, mystery and danger as well.

The Amoveo have long been hunted by the Caedo who believe them to be an abomination. When the Caedo learn of the existence of an Amoveo-human hybrid they put Samantha in their sites. Malcolm must act swiftly to save Samantha from a malignant fanatic you will love to hate. Plot twists abound in the ending of Unleashed and you will be hanging on every word.

Intrigued? Unleashed is available from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com Sara will be signing is currently on tour promoting Unleashed. She’ll be at the Barnes and Noble in Walpole, MA on November 5^th from 1:00-3:00. Check out her website for additional dates. If you find yourself hooked on The Amoveo, you won't have long to wait. Book two, Untouched will be available in April, 2012.

 Full disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this review. However, Sara and I attended Marist College together and shared the stage in a number of theatrical productions. There may even have been a few beers consumed in our past.