Cinderella (or Ella to those who know her best) is on a mission to earn back the trust of her family and friends after nearly getting Jake killed by way of an angry, territorial unicorn. But proving she’s changed for the better may be an uphill battle. As she strives for redemption, the group works to rid their dimension of a dragon and the cultists who brought it there. They also find themselves closer to discovering a way to close the portal linking the two worlds for good.
As the finale of their adventure grows closer and closer to completion, Ella finds herself questioning everything—including her romantic relationship with the prince of Esteria. Can she make up her mind about what her heart desires before it’s too late? Does she love the prince? Or is she secretly falling for his top royal guard? And better yet, what will she do when the portal closes and both of them leave forever?
Uncaged Review: A fun quick read set with a retelling of Cinderella. Even though this book is book fourth in the series, I found it easy to get to grips with the storyline and characters. There was a few laugh out loud moments. Some battles with the unexpected enemy. Even some other worldly portal business. I would definitely recommend this book and would read more in the series. Reviewed by Jen 4 Stars
Alex, a Type A marketer with a touch of OCD, spirals downward as her not-so-perfect world crumbles. While deciding whether to continue in a job she’s beginning to despise, she overhears two terrifying words: “Officers down” and sets out on a mission to see if her cop boyfriend was wounded—or worse. After a terrifying bank incident, she’s driven to the brink. What’s worse, she knows the man who truly loved her got away, but Alex isn’t the pity-party type at forty—especially at forty.
Two wealthy Van Buren socialites attempt life in the country after a meteoric fall from grace. Far from the razzle-dazzle of city life and designer clothing, will the mother-daughter duo embrace small-town living or return to jet-setting? Are wine in the woods, skinny-dipping, and county fairs enough to entice the New Yorkers to stay? And pie? What’s this about pie?
Suzy adjusts to life with twins while attempting to maintain her floundering wedding planning business. When someone from her past knocks on the door, Suzy’s husband goes to Hollywood in a frantic search for his teen daughter. She soon learns sleep deprivation and frown lines are the least of her worries.
High school counselor Hope loves her new role as wife and stepmom and doesn’t even care that the pounds she lost pre-wedding have returned. It appears her hopeless life is finally hopeful, especially after an inspiring surprise at Hilltop High.
Personal crises aside, the four best friends are horrified when Coconuts, their favorite island-themed oasis, morphs into a sports bar and goes on the market to the highest bidder. Will they be able to save their iconic Happy Hour refuge—and keeper of their innermost secrets—or will the new, sexy owner prevail?
Uncaged Review: The last book of this series wraps up all the ongoing mini storylines for all the ladies, and as a whole in a nice way. This book starts off with a bang, with the Show Me bank getting robbed and Alex taken as a hostage. And it keeps its pace quite well throughout the book. One thing this author does is have very short chapters that switches the focus on each character, or when they are all together. This would be very distracting for me normally, but it works here. This is a series that I would recommend that readers should start at the beginning, as you get to know the characters from where it all began. You could start anywhere in the series, but it won’t have the same experience to what all these characters have gone through.
This book focuses a lot on Alex, and there have been many times in this series that I wanted to shake her, but she pulls it all off finally in this book. This book was surprising at times, with many laugh out loud moments, and even some heartwarming moments that pulled it together. I’m going to miss these characters, but this is a six book series that I could easily go back and read again, it has earned that place in my reading library. I hope that the author will give us some novellas in the future so we can “check in” with the characters. Reviewed by Cyrene
Dancing in a rowdy nightclub isn’t most girls’ career plan, but Ava makes it work. Bump, grind, flirt—easy as pie.
Her life shatters when she’s marked. A human that can have dragon shifter babies is a prize worth killing for, and her stalker is ready to be a dad.
When her apartment burns down, Ava learns a fun fact. Stalkers don’t like being rejected. And hers will stop at nothing to claim her as his own.
One man can help her.
Baz—King of the Seattle dragon shifters and definitely not a gangster. Despite the warnings to stay away from him, his protection is her only hope.
But Ava has a problem. Powerful and sexy as hell, Baz sets her soul on fire.
Literally.
Baz
Baz doesn’t have time to help humans. His sister has a target on her back, and family always comes first.
Everything changes when a dancer crashes into his lap, desperate for his protection.
Ava’s sweet scent and feisty temper drives his inner beast wild. The need to mate is irresistible, but his pretty, new roommate is already running from one dragon. Seducing her for himself is, at best, morally gray.
But Baz has always been a bad boy, and rules don’t apply to the king.
At first, having her in his penthouse is delicious torture. But the longer Ava is around, the more Baz starts to soften.
And when you’re king, being soft isn’t an option.
Uncaged Review: It’s been awhile since I’ve read a really good dragon shifter book. And this is a good one. After reading the prequel novella, I immediately started on book one in this series, and it caught me from the beginning and held on all the way through. The dragons are well described, and it was the first time I read about dragon eyries.
Ava is a dragon marked human, and things get pretty bad for her pretty fast. As an exotic dancer in a club owned by a witch, Ava is making her own way in the world after defying her family’s money and expectations. But Ava has a stalker, and the one person that can protect her is Baz, the King of the Seattle dragon shifters. Ava can’t help but be drawn to him, her dragon part of her soul wants Baz as hers and Ava has a hard time controlling it. Baz, on the other hand, can’t resist Ava either, and vows to protect her, not knowing why.
Good action, steamy sex, and a good suspense awaits within the pages, and if you like the shifter world, this is a good one to add to your list. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book, Dark Age Monarch will release in June. Can you tell readers more about the book?
Dark Age Monarch is a retelling of the Arthurian legend from a perspective that blends tradition with history. The typical picture of King Arthur is derived from the Romance literature of the Middle Ages. But if Arthur did indeed exist, he most likely lived much earlier, in the early 5th and 6th Century after the Roman exodus from Britain.
Dark Age Monarch takes place in that more historically accurate setting but offers possible origins to what later became part of the Arthurian tradition, such as the great castle of Camelot and jousting armored knights practicing chivalry across the land. Most of the familiar characters of Arthur’s Court appear in the novel, but perhaps not in the same way readers have seen them depicted elsewhere.
What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?
If King Arthur truly existed, he faced a constant threat of invasion from his enemies. The 9th Century monk, Nennius, for example, documented 12 battles Arthur fought against his enemies. That list did not include the Battle of Camlann, which marked the end of Arthur’s reign. Of course, all those battles were fought with swords, lances, and arrows as weapons. Providing a creative angle so that each battle is somewhat unique – and not too gruesomely violent – proved a challenge.
Some of the easiest scenes to write involved those with Morgan Le Fay. She is the primary fantastic element of the story, an immortal non-human queen dedicated to preserving the heritage of the Britons She is both commanding and witheringly sarcastic, a being who cannot comprehend why humanity cannot settle their differences in any way other than war. Whenever she appears, she takes over the scene.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? Has there been a character that’s been hard to write about?
My favorite character to depict in Dark Age Monarch is the knight Lamorak. In traditional Arthurian tradition, Lamorak is somewhat of a secondary character. In my rendition, Lamorak is an escaped African-American slave committed to defending the oppressed. He becomes a natural allly of Arthur and a fearsome warrior in the field.
The character that presented the most challenge was probably Gwenhywfar. Even in traditional Arthurian literature, Arthur’s queen is an ambivalent character, sometimes depicted as tragic and flawed character, and by other authors as scheming and evil. I ultimately settled on a figure closer to the former than the latter.
How do you come up with the title to your books?
With my previous books, the titles came pretty readily. Pleasant Valley Lost, for example, documented the loss of my childhood home – a dairy farm dating back to the 1770s – to a federal dam project. The title purposely echoed the name of Milton’s great poem, Paradise Lost.
Dark Age Monarch presented a different challenge altogether. There have been so many books, movies, and TV programs with an Arthurian theme that any number of titles have already been claimed. I went through about five titles until I found one that was unique and captured the spirit of the book.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Joseph J. Swope is an award-winning author, public relations professional, and photographer. Swope has studied Arthurian legends for most of his adult life and taught a university course on the subject. Dark Age Monarch: The Reign of King Arthur is his fifth book. Symbolic of his diverse interests (or very short attention span), each of his works represents a different genre.
Swope’s other books include Pleasant Valley Lost, which documents the loss of his family’s historic dairy farm to a federal dam project; The Gift, a children’s book illustrated by Swope’s daughter, Chandra, focused on diabetes awareness; Disturbed, a ghost story set in the haunted Coal Region of Northeast Pennsylvania; and Where Magic and Science Collide, a fantasy/science fiction novel.
Swope has worked nearly 40 years in both corporate and non-profit settings. He lives in Reading, Pennsylvania, and has seven children.
Arthurian tradition has followed two distinct paths. Medieval Romance depicts the spectacular capital of Camelot and a land of armored knights, jousts, and fantastical adventures. More recent researchers have focused on identifying the real King Arthur, if such a person existed, in the early days of the Dark Ages. Dark Age Monarch: The Reign of King Arthur blends the two strands together in an inventive re-telling that maintains elements of the traditional tale but set in a historical perspective – with a bit of magic thrown into the mix.
Following the Roman exodus in the early 5th Century, Britain was fractured into petty fiefdoms that left the island vulnerable to foreign invaders. At a point where it appeared the Angles and Saxons would erase the British heritage, Arthur emerged as both a King and the Leader of Battles. His reign unified the land and preserved the Britons’ way of life long enough to be remembered throughout history.
Excerpt
The three soon arrived in Silchester, with Owain leading the way. They worked their way through the streets until they arrived at the clearing before Saint Mary the Virgin Church. There, a raucous disturbance had erupted as a result of the disappearance of the sword. Word had spread through the city quickly, and a great panic had ensued at this apparent act of treachery.
Ector took one look at the scene, glanced at the sword he was now holding, and slapped his forehead with his free hand as he shook his head. He only now sensed the importance of the events unfolding before him.
What has that Merlin gotten me into? he wondered.
Upon seeing the three travelers, the guards and part of the crowd came toward Ector and his sons. Ector put up his hand at the crowd to quell their discontent.
“My son took this sword accidentally, not realizing its importance,” Ector said. “He will put it back now.” “Put it back?” the one guard screamed. “How did he pull it out in the first place? Only the true King of Britain can pull the sword from the anvil, not some farm boy serving as a squire.”
If he did not do so until then, Ector surely recognized the dilemma he now faced.
How could Owain have claimed the sword, unless . . .
Ector pushed the thought from his mind.
“I do not know the circumstances,” Ector said. “But he will return the sword to its proper place now.”
Ector handed the sword to Owain, who walked deliberately to the anvil, and in one quick thrust, returned the weapon to its holder. The crowd immediately pushed him away, as one person after another of various standing tried to pull the sword from where it was placed. It did not budge. After a few minutes, the guards pushed the gathering crowd back and restored order to the scene. Finally, one guard stared at Owain again.
“If you pulled the sword out before,” he growled, “I assume you can do it again.”
Owain looked at the guard, unfazed by his gruff demeanor.
“If you’d like,” he said confidently.
“If I’d like?” the guard scoffed. “I would very much like to see what tomfoolery you have concocted.” Owain walked up to the sword again, and using the same practiced movements done in a way imperceptible to onlookers, he pulled the sword from the anvil once more.
Ector, viewing the scene in shock, fell to his knees. “Merlin,” he said to himself, “what have you done? You never prepared me for this!”
The crowd grew greater and greater and included some of those invited to the upcoming tournament. Owain was again directed to put the sword back into the anvil. Now, nobles from various lands across Britain attempted to extract the weapon, to no avail. Under closer scrutiny, they ordered Owain to remove the sword once more, and he did so. The mood turned darker as rumblings through the crowd questioned how a stable boy could do what none of the British kings appeared capable.
Read the rest of the excerpt in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below.
And the king who will kill them both to keep the throne.
I was plucked from my ordinary, ho-hum life and plunked into a nightmare.
Abducted by a corrupt vampire king, I’ve gone from night classes to navigating the dangerous world of the Darkfell Clan, where the courts are a maze of deception, you test your wine before you drink it and never, ever sit with your back to a door.
They say I’m the strongest queen in a thousand years. Destined to overthrow the king and take back my kingdom. I don’t know about all that, but I know I can’t face him alone.
He commands a legion of monsters, but I’m building my own army, and though my bonded warriors are few, together, we’ll defeat Viktor.
Or die trying.
I might be a queen, but this isn’t like any other fairytale.
Uncaged Review: Seraphina is a college student who is kidnapped walking home one night and tossed into the royal dungeons. Viktor, the vampire King, stole the throne by murdering all of Seraphina’s ancestors. But Seraphina has been raised as a human, with her magic and powers not fully in effect. The prisoner in the cell next to her – Luthor, knows that she is the rightful Queen, and helps to break her out, along with another prisoner, Cyrus. But the cut that she got from Viktor is not healing, so they get her to her grandmother’s home, where Seraphina learns the truth of her heritage. Now she will need to call on and use all her magic to defeat Viktor and retake the throne as the rightful heir.
This book borders on horror, and does quickly turn into a reverse harem. I haven’t been reading the vampire genre for some time, so it was a good jump back into the genre. I always thought that the cover depicted Luthor, but I was wrong about that, but I won’t ruin the story. There is plenty of action, and some brutal fights, but this is one of the best starts to a series I’ve read in a while. This is a four book series, and all books are available now. Reviewed by Cyrene
The Earl of Infamy must escort one mourning lady out of London and hide her away in the country. Should be easy. But from the moment he steps into her life things get…complicated. Not only is she far too pretty for his liking but she’s got a knack for telling him no.
“No, I don’t want to go to the country with you.” “No, I won’t share your room.” “No, I won’t marry you, I don’t care that we’ve been alone.”
Is the woman daft? What lady in her positions turns down an offer liked his? He’s an earl and she’s all but ruined?
Still, the more she resists, the more, he has to confess, he’s intrigued. How can he get her to say…YES.
Uncaged Review: All of Avery’s family has been in danger, with the attempted kidnapping of her sister, Noah has agreed to marry Avery and get her out of London and danger with the dowry being Bash’s stake in the Den of Sin, a gaming hell. A business arrangement that suits Noah perfectly, until he falls in love..
Mystery and danger, and love all throughout this short read. This is a good entry into this series, and I may or may not have read a bit out of order, but each book can standalone, but it does make it more enjoyable when you read in order, as other characters from past books do pop up from time to time or they are mentioned. A charming and entertaining read. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! Can you tell readers more about The Keepers that will be releasing May 19th?
The Keepers is a work of fiction born from this question: How have the events of a town’s dark past continued to have influence over people and places in the present? The King Philip’s War, 1675, was per capita the bloodiest war in America’s history, which saw the rise of one people and the demise of another. Native American tribes, feared as godless pagans by the early settlers, were annihilated. Many believe that the spirits of those who died in the swamps and surrounding territories have haunted the area for over 300 years. The Keepers is the story that followed.
What is the most difficult scenes for you to write? What is the easiest?
I think the most difficult scene to write is one involving female characters, specifically younger ones who are caught up in boyfriends, cliques, and being popular. Gag me with a spoon.
My favorite and perhaps easiest scene to write, probably because I enjoy it, are about deeply trouble characters facing moral dilemmas that test their strength, often times failing and the consequences thereafter. I enjoy diving into the base motivations of people and the scenes that ensue.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? Has there been a character that’s been hard to write about?
Like being asked who your favorite child is? But seriously, I think my favorite character in The Keepers is Chief of Police, Elias Hicks. He is motivated by a biblical sense of purpose, and by the oath he and The Keepers swore: to appease the warring spirits in the realm of the dead and to protect God’s faithful. He believes God is watching and testing his resolve to keep the faith, but his modus operandi would be considered by most readers, pure evil.
The hardest character to write about is when a dog or pet of some kind is suffering. I don’t really have any taboo subjects that I wouldn’t write about, if the subject matter was not gratuitous and it is essential to the story, but if I did have a rule, it would be not to injure or neglect an animal. It’s hard to write a scene where a family pet or animal of any kind is suffering.
How do you come up with the title to your books?
Organically, is the answer I think, and not until the book is nearing finish or finished does a title pop in my head. It kind of just appears. Because I generally have no idea where the story is going, if I did think of a title at the beginning, it would change perhaps a hundred times by the end. No kidding.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Chris Burns writes under his pen name, Tan Van Huizen. Van Huizen is a phonetic variation of the name “Van Husum” his 8th times great-grandfather’s name. Van Husum was a sailor for the Dutch West India Co., and the first of Tan’s maternal line to arrive in America, 1639. When Tan’s not writing, he enjoys researching family history, hiking, travel, driving “The Beast” his souped-up F-150 truck, and hanging out with his best friend and wife, Ann Stewart Burns. He and Ann live in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Everyone in Titicut Township knew Carl Jenkins suffered from paranoid delusions, but what truly haunted him was far darker in nature. Whatever the small-town talk, only Carl and the shadow force of keepers (headed by Chief of Police, Elias Hicks) knew the truth. There is evil in the swamp-the place where spirits dwell.
When outsider and city reporter, Don Williams, arrives to investigate a 1973 cold case involving Carl Jenkins and the disappearance of three men, Hicks knew time was running out. The secret order he swore to protect was under threat of exposure. As chief of police and head of The Keepers, his charge was two-fold: appease the warring spirits in the realm of the dead and protect the faithful against God’s adversary.
Hicks ordered Titicut locked down and called a meeting beneath the old meeting house, but something went wrong. It was the first time in the order’s dark history a member would violate their oath of secrecy placing all within the township at risk. What only Hicks and the order knew is there were some secrets so grave, that if ever unearthed, not even God himself could save them.
Excerpt
CHAPTER 56 THE DOGS OF DOOM ARE HOWLING MORE
Carl Jenkins woke before the alarm and stared listlessly at the ceiling. But for his eyes flitting along the exposed attic beams and drifting toward the gables, he remained lifeless as a corpse. It was a rarity on such nights, especially after heavy drinking, he would even stir in bed, and usually found himself comatose straight through the alarm; but tonight, he knew why he woke so early as his eyes settled on the rafters. They were here and there was no escape.
The once-terrifying, dark shadows, the ones that came for him at night, were no longer feared as they once were. The long nights of hauntings and the foreshadowing of evils yet to come, were over. It was here, and it was now. There would be no escaping or hiding or negotiating. And even if there was a way out, Carl Jenkins no longer cared. He wanted it all to end.
Like the sun rising in the east, or the force of gravity, or the immutable truth that all that lives must surely die, there were certain unbreakable scientific laws that governed the planet. There were also rogue laws that governed the underworld. As dark and incomprehensible as these laws may be, they exist and have always existed. They have cast their long shadow of condemnation since the beginning of time and have wielded enormous influence over mankind. And although not fully understood, the laws of demonic possession have been practiced over the millennia and were as sound today as Newton’s laws themselves: when the realm of darkness stakes a claim of ownership on a poor soul, a thousand holy men the world over are powerless to stop it.
There are no miracles. There is no salvation. There are only immutable truths governing the realm of the living and the realm of the dead and the cheating of such truths are an impossibility. In the end, all that remains are unpaid debts and prayer offerings for the departed. Carl lifted slowly and sat on the edge of the bed. His breathing was slow and deep, almost unconscious. As he looked blankly at the floor, a sense of amenable nonresistance took hold, melding with the thick cloud of despondency hanging over him. He lifted his head and peered through the blackening window. The moon’s light which had watched him to bed had been swallowed in a pit of darkness. As the creature’s enormous shadow came to settle over the house, he sat there quiet a moment in the heavy pitch and weighed his final thoughts.
I stalk her from the shadows, waiting to make my move.
She’s not like the others.
It’s not just her blood, her very essence calls out to me, begs me to make her mine for all of eternity.
But she claims to hate me, to loathe my kind.
She doesn’t know that I always get what I want. And soon she will be one of us.
Scarlett
One of my earliest memories? Standing frozen in horror as a rogue vampire killed my mother in cold blood.
Now I make it my business to put an end to the blood-sucking scourge, so they can never hurt another human again.
I see him watching me, and I will use his infatuation to drive a stake right through his heart.
Uncaged Review: In this world, vampires are out to the world, and sometimes this book borders on horror and sometimes on a more romantic feel. But there is a suspense involved that gives it some staying power. Scarlett is the head of a team for the Paranormal Task Force, to keep any rogue vampires in line. She watched her mother die from a vampire attack and now has made it her task in life to keep vampires from doing the same to others.
Draven is an alpha vampire, who has been alive for centuries, and once he sees Scarlett, he’s drawn to her like no one has. Unfortunately for Scarlett and Draven, they will have to work together to solve a threat to both humans and vampires.
This is a nicely paced book with a lot of action, some hot sex scenes and a bit of horror and gore mixed in. I wasn’t completely onboard with Draven throughout the book, he’s a bit of an overbearing vampire with a possessive streak that takes it a bit far sometimes, but he grew on me as the book progressed. I didn’t like where the book left off, and I will probably move on to the next book in time. Reviewed by Cyrene 4 Stars
The human world was the last place I wanted to hide, but after my mother, the Queen of the Light Court, wed me off to our mortal enemy, I just wanted out.
My husband, The Twilight King, may be tall, handsome, and everything that would make most females bite their lips—but he’s also holding far too many secrets behind his golden eyes. On top of that, he’s controlling, possessive, and makes me feel things I shouldn’t. Especially not for a man who’s rumored to be more brutal than any other Fae king in existence.
So after our wedding was complete—I vanished—and I’ve been hiding out in the human world ever since.
I thought the Twilight King would forget me and move on, but that’s not his style. Now, the turbulent changes in my powers, and a growing pandemic in Avalon, have brought my husband and I face to face again.
My Kingdom needs me.
My King needs me.
And, whether I like it or not, I can’t ignore what’s happening to my people, because without our combined efforts, there is a good chance that nobody will make it out alive.
Uncaged Review: To escape an arranged marriage from her mother, Ashlynn escapes the fae world to hide out among the humans with her friend, Cole. Her husband, Kian, is the Twilight King, and Lord over all the dark realms, and closely on her heels trying to find her. Ashlynn and Cole stay a half a step ahead of him until Ashlynn is in a car accident and Kian finally catches up to her.
Kian is very dominating, and possessive, and Ashlynn is very rebellious and spoiled at times. But there is a lot going on in this book, and it all starts to reveal itself and will some of it is very surprising. There is a plague facing the fae realm, and Kian wants Ashlynn to return to help heal the realms, with the people dying and coming back to life like zombies.
So you have a good urban fantasy, mixed with a healthy dose of suspense, and sprinkled with horror and just a smidgeon of romance. This is a good mix. I didn’t really like where the book ended, but it is a trilogy, and all the books are available, so it makes the hit a bit easier to take. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to book 1 in the exciting new series Echoes in Time from New York Times Best Selling author Paula Quinn.
After receiving a dragon brooch from a distant great aunt, twenty-first century historian Kestrel Lancaster finds herself in fifteenth century England. Smack in the middle of a war. Like…in the middle of a blood and guts spewing, heads flying around her war. With six armored men riding toward her, bloody swords raised high in the air, horrified looks on their faces, there isn’t time to think. Only to scream. But like a dream, a dark knight rides into the fray and saves her from them all. When she realizes where and when she is, she doesn’t know whether to thank him for keeping her alive or curse him for it.
Sir Nicholas de Marre has seen many things in his years as military commander for the House of York, but he has never seen a woman appear right before his eyes—and in the middle of the battlefield. Without thinking, he kills the Lancaster bastards closing in on her. Thankfully for her he is able to fight with her deafening screams behind him. He saves her from certain death, not knowing if she is mad, or he is, and carries her to safety.
That’s his first mistake. The second is showing her mercy when he finds out she’s a Lancaster. But this odd woman who takes pictures with imaginary phones and teaches Cook to make cupcakes is easy to fall for, and before long, the heart of York’s champion is captured by a Lancaster.
England’s throne is about to change. The House of Tudor will reign, and the War of the Roses will finally be won with the intimacy of a kiss, the tenderness in a touch, and love that will echo through time.
Uncaged Review: This book is definitely for those who enjoy the idea of time travel mixed with history, action and of course love. This author does a good job of explaining how the main characters view each other and their reactions based on their respective time periods. If you love the idea of time travel and the days of King Arthur this book is enchanting. Reviewed by Jeanna
