Bad-ass warriors,
lots of supernatural creatures, a good sense of humor and romance.
Those are
some of the elements you can find in Stephanie Rowe’s books.
Let’s start
with the Soulfire series, which is not that well known…. Warriors trapped for
over a century in a realm created by Angelica (Death’s grandmother), who is
trying to condition men just the way she thinks a woman would need them!
“If we return, she’ll hand him over to us, but
all that shit will start right back up.” He held up his hand. “Granted, I
appreciate the man I’ve become as a result of life’s little challenges, but I’m
really done with the prisoner/torture/emasculation crap.”
BIG FAILURE
on her part, since they escape and try to take her and her establishment down.
Using a
Black Widow, which she created.
“Don’t hit me.”
“Then don’t be a bastard.”
“Me? You left.”
“I came back! You’re the one person who has
seen me as remotely good, and then you took it back! I’m the good person!
You’re the jerk!”
Whose best
friend works for Death.
“Your surprises scare me. You remember when you
invited Death to be a stripper at my twenty-first birthday, and my mom thought
he’d come to take me?” She rolled her eyes. “I had no idea my mom could throw a
baseball that hard. She actually knocked him out.”
And who
falls in love with one of the warriors.
Trinity was up against the ceiling, broken
chains dangling from her wrists and ankles. Her hair was gray and white,
spraying out from her head at all angles, so tangled they made Nigel’s muddy
locks look like an ad for the Silk Protein Gloss they all used. Her eyes were
black, her lips matched, and her fingers were curled in a fist that reminded
him of the schnoodies’ claws.
“Hot damn,” he whispered, not bothering to hide
his awe. It was the first time he’d seen her since he’d realized she loved him.
“She’s even more beautiful than I remembered.” He could barely breathe, he was
so overwhelmed by her sheer magnificence. “I should have brought her roses. Two
dozen. Long-stemmed.”
Jarvis smacked him in the head with his palm.
“Get your shit together, Trio. That’s no sweet girlfriend up there. That’s one
bat-shit-crazy-killer.”
Blaine shoved Jarvis into the wall without
taking his eyes off Trinity. “Hey, sweetheart,” he called. “You look fantastic.
Love the hair.”
She saw Blaine and shrieked again. A prism
flared to life in front of him and the hologram slammed a holographic icicle
into his eye. It melted instantly upon contact, and his spectral image fell
straight to the ground.
“She’s a persistent little thing, isn’t she?”
Nigel said. “That’s true love right there, you lucky sod.”
“I know.” Blaine grinned. “Hello, my dear.”
A large, dripping icicle appeared in Trinity’s
hand and she screamed again.
Did I
mention that the Black Widow constantly tries to kill the man she loves????
“I
really did kill you.”
“No.” Blaine caught her wrist and yanked her
toward him. “No more of this self-revulsion. We’ll carry a box of matches
around with us. I’m good.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You don’t blame me?”
“Hell, no.” He cupped her face. “It just shows
me how much you love me. Nothing less than you turning the curse on me would’ve
convinced me that you love me. Each time I melt, it’s a reminder to me that I
can trust you.”
An icicle suddenly flared in her hands, and he
zapped it with a grin. “I love that kind of immediate feedback when I say
things that make you get all warm and gooey for me.”
“But I’m cursed. I can’t even go out into
public without worrying that I might kill a man and—”
“Not anymore.” He laughed softly and kissed the
tears off her cheeks. “The curse won’t haunt you anymore. You love me, and you
won’t love anyone else. Every male in this world is safe from you—” He raised
his brows. “Unless you’re the type to love more than one guy at a time?”
She shook her head, fragile hope etched onto
her face. “No, of course not—”
“Then it’s perfect.” He pulled her onto his
lap. “I’m an emotionally damaged male who has trouble believing in women. Every
time I melt, it’ll be like an anvil to the head reminding me there’s no way I
can deny that you love me, and whenever you go all ice pick on me, it’s giving
me that positive reinforcement that you still love me.”
Enough said…
While I am simply teasing you with scenes from the first book, Kiss at your own
risk, this is a trilogy (for the time being), which features the adventures of
the rest of the warriors.
That is if
you like your supernatural, with a bit of a laugh…..
If you want
to laugh your socks off, then you get the Immortally Sexy series!!!
The Goblet
of Eternal Youth, a 200 year old Guardian,
Two hundred years at the same job is at least
one hundred and ninety too many. Especially when it sucks.
Forced to celibacy,
"I'm not allowed to have sex. Guardian
Oath thing."
Trying to
work around it,
"If having sex with you was necessary for
me to protect Mona, I don't think it would violate my Oath."
A slow grin spread over his face. "I have
many secrets that I'll spill only in the heat of orgasm. As a good Guardian,
it's your duty to find them all out. After all, that's why I'm propositioning
you. To distract you so you accidentally tell me everything I need to
know."
Her fingers dug into his chest on their own,
laughing at her complete inability to stop them. "Then for the sake of
Mona, I guess I'd better sacrifice myself." She felt hot, the room was
spinning. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. "But in the interest
of being able to concentrate on the interrogation, I think we should agree that
there will be no assassination attempts until we are both satisfied… that we've
gotten all the info we need."
with a dragon as a best friend
"You die now, bitch."
A black image suddenly rose from the floor
between them. "Calling a slayer's girlfriend nasty names is never a good idea."
Her mouth dropped open in horror.
"Zeke?"
The image took the shape of Zeke, and he was
facing Lyman. Becca shimmered briefly, then disappeared back through the floor.
Zeke glanced back at Theresa, his eyes widening with shock. "T?"
She waved a claw, steeling herself for his
rejection. "I'm a dragon again. For good."
He gave her a careful inspection. "You
look good as a dragon. I like the bluish-green scales. Tail ring. Very
sexy."
A slow warmth spread over her. "But I'm a
dragon."
"I noticed."
and a (hot)
man trying to kill her!
Oh, so that's how it was? Try to lull her into
submission with his manly appeal and then take her out? Not so fast. She was a
Guardian first and a woman second, and he was so going down. But damn, he
smelled good.
Did I
mention Satan wants her dead mom???
Apparently, Satan has spent the last two
hundred years trying to get access to me."
Justine shivered at the mention of the leader
of the Underworld. "Why? Why would Satan want you?"
"What kind of access does Satan want?
Wooing, dating, shagging, that kind of thing?" Theresa asked, then let out
a low whistle when Iris nodded.
Oh. Justine was starting to feel sick.
"Satan wants to… have sex with you?"
"He also wants me to be the queen of his
domain."
"What?"
Iris nodded. "After submitting
seventy-eight unsuccessful petitions, he finally picked the right Afterlife
official to bribe. As of now, they are officially considering his petition to
have me expedited to hell."
Who happens
to be a very handsome man,
“He was the drop-dead sexiest hunk of beefcake
she'd ever seen, and he knew she thought so. Contemptible pig.”
(even her
daughter believes so…)
Satan was
drop-dead gorgeous, no pun intended. At least six four, broad shoulders, dark
hair, penetrating eyes, and a jawline to die for. No wonder her mom had sex
fantasies about him. How could she have resisted Satan's full-court press for
so long? Impressive.
A very good
lover,
If she tried another assault, he'd grab the
gun, his hands would slip onto her breasts and her body would betray her and
they'd wind up in a gyrating pile on the linoleum.
And who
actually cares about her, in his own unique way!!!
"If you were sad, you would not want to
have sex for many, many centuries. That is not something I can afford. A true
man can go only so long without sex."
Four books,
in the series, equally humorous and with a healthy dose of twists and turns to
keep us asking for more!!!!
And of
course Stephanie Rowe’s most known pnr series is her Order Of The Blade series.
Calydons
are fierce men with amazing fighting skills, but susceptible to their sheva destiny.
“Every Calydon warrior has a sheva. She’s the
woman who will call to his soul, and he to hers, until they fall so completely
in love that the world revolves only around each other.”
“That destiny commands that he will lose his
woman, and it will drive him so mad with anger and rage and loss that he will
turn on those he used to protect and save, destroying all those he cared about.”
“Once a Calydon goes rogue, his sheva will kill
him to stop him, destroying the man she loves more than the world. His death
will ruin her and she’ll also die, a brutal, soul-wrenching death, forever
haunted by the truth that she killed the one man who made her whole. But before
they both die, if destiny is allowed to play out, he will kill every innocent
in his life, even his own children, his neighbors, his friends...everyone. Unless
the Order reaches them first and kills one or both of them, depending on how
far gone the situation is.”
Of course
not everyone is willing to believe in it….
He stared after her, a slow grin rising on his
face. Hot damn. She really thought the sheva destiny was crap. If there was a
woman he could have picked to get bonded with, it was a woman who refused to
accept it, a woman who would fight their fate every step of the way. Of course,
others had tried. Shit, he’d seen Calydons and their women bleed their hearts
dry trying to stop the hell coming for them, and no one had made it. Not a damn
one.
“I have things to do, dammit,” she muttered as
she yanked her foot out of a deep pocket of mud. “I don’t have time for this shit.
Destiny my ass.”
Hell. Even her swearing made him hot. He
started walking behind her, his amusement fading. No matter how resistant they
both were to their destiny, neither of them had time to deal with it. Not right
now. Not with the lives of so many people at stake.
He had time only to go after Elijah, not to
throw Grace down, rip her clothes off, and cement their bond until they were
both too exhausted to move…though hell, he liked that idea. Too damn much,
actually. He grimly watched the tempting sway of her hips as she slogged across
the wet ground. “Trust me, I have no interest in falling in love with you
either, but if you don’t stop swearing, I’m going to tackle you and take you
right here in the mud.”
But when sensuality
hits them,
“What’s your wildest sex fantasy?”
She snorted. “Sex that was decent would be a
good start.” Embarrassment flooded her cheeks at the accidental over-sharing of
information. “I mean, it’s not like I’m bad at it or anything—”
“Hey.” Quinn leaned down and grazed his teeth
over her earlobe. “I’ve kissed you, Grace Matthews. I’ve tasted your lips and
breathed your passion. Trust me when I tell you if you’ve had unsatisfactory
sex in the past, the problem wasn’t you.” His voice was low, laced with sensual
teasing. “You’ve simply been with the wrong men, sweetheart.”
His body was so hot against her, his quads taut
where he straddled her hips, making her body ache with awareness. “And you’d be
the right man?” It had gone way past sexual banter now. Her whole body was
vibrating with desire, and she was vividly aware of the way his body was so
intimately pressed against hers from chest to calf.
He bit the side of her neck with a playful
snarl. “I’d rock your world.”
Laughter bubbled out of her, even while the
cold mud oozed between her fingers as she pulled herself a little further
along. “I can’t believe you just said that. That’s so cliché.”
“Yeah, but I’m right, so who cares?”
Things *might* get out of control……
Quinn grunted in annoyance. “I’m a badass
immortal warrior, remember? It insults my manhood that you can even doubt me.
Clearly I will have to prove my virility to you at a later date to restore my
reputation.” (Darkness Awakened)
Of course,
humorous moments could not be missing from these books,
“So, we’re hoping that you inherited whatever
Caleb had that enabled him to take down Ezekiel in the first place,” Quinn
said. “If you didn’t, we’re all screwed. If you did, party at the mansion after
you take him out.” (Darkness Surrendered)
At the most
*inappropriate* moments….
"What's going on?" Thano Savakis
sauntered up to them carrying a peach latte, despite the Order's attempts to
get him to switch to a more testosterone-appropriate drink. "Don't tell me
the Order finally decided to self-destruct and no one invited the new kid on
the block?" He propped his elbow on Ryland's shoulder, completely ignoring
the danger of the situation. "Just because I'm not old, cynical and bitter
doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good internal feud over a woman. So, tell me,
who slept with whose chick? Was it behind the bleachers or in the back of a
station wagon?" (Darkness Reborn)
Even when lives are in danger!!!!
"We've been hunting her for three
weeks," Ryland snapped, allowing his true frustration to show. "We're
so close. Another day—"
Thano called out his halberd and had it at
Ryland's throat. Despite the weakness of his body, his grip was firm, his
weapon steady. "Shut the fuck up, asshole. This is about Zach. We're going
to that village up ahead to the north, and we're going to get help. You can
hunt the woman after we save Zach." *Shit man, this is great. I've been wanting
to pull a weapon on you for years. Can I stab you, too? * He pushed the tip
of the halberd against Ryland's throat, pricking the skin.
*You're a pain in the ass.* But Ryland was amused by the irony that the most easy-going guy in the
Order was playing the asshole. Thano was actually pretty convincing, which was
a little weird. Thano wasn't supposed to have that element to him.
Ryland called out his machete, but before he
could level it at Thano in what he hoped was a convincing show of men being
stupid-ass men, Zach swore.
"No. Thano's wrong. You're both
wrong." Zach stirred, and with a flash of black light and a crack that
split the night, he called out his sai and leveled it at Ryland's heart. His
eyes were still at half-mast, but Ryland felt the press of his mind as he
joined their conversation. *I couldn't miss out on the chance to call a
weapon on Ryland. Why should Thano get all the fun?* "Fuck the
village," he snarled. "Too many people there know Ryland. We can't
risk it. We're turning back, and we're doing it now."
Thankfully,
the women in the book know how to take charge,
He paused at the sudden expression on
Catherine's face. The fierce determination, the resistance, the clear and
focused visage of a warrior. "What?"
She lifted her chin. "I have three things
to say."
He almost grinned at her statement. Her
determination and feisty spirit were hot shit. She was no delicate angel, that
was for sure. "What are they?" If anyone else had given him that look
and that attitude, he would have snarled and considered decapitating them. But
with Catherine looking at him like that, all he could do was think she was sexy
as hell, and damned brilliant.
She held up her index finger, as if she were
speaking to a small child with the inability to grasp the most basic concept.
"First, I'm not the Order's guardian angel."
He shrugged impatiently, dismissing her
statement. "Like I said, the others didn't realize they were either at
first. We'll figure it out when you're safe."
Completely ignoring him, she held up two
fingers. "Second, I'm not going back with you."
His good humor vanished. "Of course you
are."
She met his gaze, and in her eyes he saw a
desperation that made his heart twist. "And third," she said.
"You will be my guide into the nether-realm."(Darkness Unleashed)
But also
have their breakdowns (which woman doesn’t???).
She tried. She really tried. She thought of ice
cream. She sang her favorite song. She pictured the adorable face of a Labrador
puppy with its floppy ears. She even envisioned unleashing a contingent of
mutant ninjas onto the jungle to track down José while she sat on a tropical
beach enjoying a sunny, perfect alibi. In desperation, she even tried to
remember what it felt like to put on a pair of pants that used to be too small,
but now fit. She thought of everything good she could possibly manufacture, but
in the end, nothing worked.
She didn't even make it two blocks before the
tears won.
Their men
are always there for them, to help them in any way possible,
You're under my protection, and you're free to
stab me any time you feel unsafe."
She stared at him, and then another laugh
escaped. "Stab you?"
He nodded. "If you get scared, or I
trigger a memory for you and you need to strike out to feel safe, it's fine. I
can heal. Just do it."
She smiled then, the first real smile she'd
felt in so long. "Okay. I promise to stab you whenever I feel the
need."
While they
put their lives in grave danger,
"Thank you for your help."
She smiled, and again, something softened
around her heart. "No," she said. "I'm the one who needs to
thank you."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
She grinned at him, suddenly feeling relief she
hadn't felt in a very long time, enough relief that she almost felt giddy.
"Because the fire god you're after is hunting me. That guy you just
attacked? There will be a lot more of them. If you're going to keep me safe,
which you promised to do on your family's souls, you're going to be a very,
very busy man." She smiled at him, expecting him to look intimidated, or
even a little shocked at what he'd just gotten into.
Despite the
fact they *might* not be able to successfully defend themselves…..
He'd tried igniting six different plants, and
hadn't so much as given them a steam bath, let alone set them aflame. Nada.
Nothing. Zilch. The big zero. None of which were going to be much help when they
finally faced down José.
But
sometimes all you need is a good word (or maybe a crude one) from someone who
knows,
"Accept it? Hell, woman, I killed my
daughter! You want me to accept that? I killed my daughter and my family, and
now Rhiannon and Thano are going to die!" He bellowed the words at her.
"Yes!" she screamed at him. "Let
it go! You're a precious and beautiful soul, you big ass! Accept your inner
beauty and allow peace and harmony to flow through you! You're worthy of a
beautiful life!"
"You're fucking insane!" Zach shouted
at her. Behind Jordyn, Eric was grinning like some crazy lunatic. What the hell
was wrong with these two?
"I know I am! But I'm also right!"
She screamed the last words right in his face. "I killed the man I
loved," she yelled at him. "I know about murdering someone you love,
but don't let someone else die simply because you're afraid of who you
are." ( Darkness Possessed)
In the end,
not all of the pairs have resulted via the sheva
bond, in an attempt to overpower destiny…. But the words spoken during
while the bond takes place are unique!
Mine to you. Yours to me. Bonded by blood, by
spirit and by soul, we are one. No distance too far, no enemy too powerful, no
sacrifice too great. I will always find you. I will always protect you. No
matter what the cost. I am yours as you are mine.
On October
27th, a spin-off from the Order Of The Blade, is coming….
Not QuiteDead (A NightHunter Novel), features Eric and Jordyn which we met in the last
book.
Jordyn beamed at Eric. "Thanks. That was
nice of you to say."
"I know it was. I'm that kind of
guy."
Their
chemistry is more than promising!!!
For a moment, Zach didn't move, then their
comments registered. He looked over at Eric. "You can see her?"
"I'm not blind, so yeah," Eric said.
"But then again, I've got this thing about spirits. They like to talk to
me. I'm kind of simpatico with them."
"You, too?" Jordyn sounded surprised.
"I'm the same way."
"Really? We should have sex and compare
notes."
Jordyn smacked him. "Shut up."
Of course,
for those who are not fan of paranormal, Stephanie Rowe has a romantic suspense
series called “Alaska Heat” series, a contemporary romance series called “Ever
After” series, teen fiction series and a standalone title, and actually a huuuuuge
shelve worth reading!!! I know I have and now she is one of the authors whose
books I buy without reading the blurb!
About Stephanie Rowe :
Four-time
RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is a
nationally bestselling author of more than thirty books. A life-long reader,
she began crafting stories at age ten, but didn't realize it was her dream
until she was an adult.
Once the
light dawned, she immediately left behind "work" as the world defines
it and went to "work" as she defines it, which means getting up every
morning with a smile in her heart so she can spend the day doing that which
makes her spirit sing.
Stephanie
believes in learning to listen to your heart in order to figure out what your
dreams are, and then opening yourself to the inspiration that will direct you
there. She believes we all deserve the right to enjoy life, and for the ride to
be as easy as we want it to be, and that we all should accept nothing less than
making our dreams come true.
Stephanie
lives in New England, and spends every day doing her best to fill it with
people, observations and activities that uplift her soul, which include
writing, tennis, friends, and her amazing family.
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