Pages: 184 pages
Publisher: Self Published
Published: September, 2011
Form: E-book (received from the tour for a honest review)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Amazon: Buy / $10.92 (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $11.65 (paperback)
All Romance Books: Buy / $7.50 (E-book)
Excerpt: Checking Out the Coffins
"The rich and available Captain Drake Devilin had the biggest body count in World War I. Injected with serum that turned him into something unnatural, Drake’s troop annihilated the enemy, but once his tour ended, Drake was plunged into a world of family tragedy and financial ruin.
Sienna Caldwell is stunning to even the biggest cynic; with her exotic looks and rich brown skin, the playboy wasn’t exempt from her charms. Buckling under the pressure of his financially strapped inheritance, Drake makes a deal with the devil to marry the prosperous landowner in order to protect her.
After one year, he can return the black beauty back to her island and collect on the fortune that will save his family’s reputation, but the task proves far easier said than done. The war may have made Drake into something lethal, but he soon finds his new bride was born more powerful than he could ever imagine. Not only does Drake have to figure out away to keep his hands off his alluring wife, but also he has to make sure she stays alive."
Sienna Caldwell stopped what she was doing as a subtle breeze blew through her cottage window. She turned her head toward the whimsical embrace of nature.
“Why must we stay on this side of the island?” Maddie Fletcher groaned breaking her fleeting joy of basking in the moment. “All the action is at the resort.” The blonde minx stood in the middle of the room in nothing but lacy bra and panties, sporting one heck of a pout. The tips of her areolas spilled over the rim of her bra but Maddie could care less. All Maddie ever cared about was her current boredom and not being held a prisoner to that state of being.
“It’s nice over here,” Sienna said continuing to unpack. Since Maddie’s antsy behavior would lead to nothing but trouble, Sienna tried to think of something to distract her. In their special language she whispered a riddle.
“How long this time?” Maddie moaned determined not to be deterred.
“I don’t know what Moses is up to Mads. We’ll leave lickety-split once we get down to the root of the matter.” Maddie flopped on top of Sienna’s freshly made bed, purposely rumpling the sheets to annoy her.
“Swear,” Maddie cooed.
“Pinky swear,” Sienna agreed as they blew air kisses at one another from a distance.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” They stopped playing long enough to acknowledge the bell hop who entered the cottage. “Lord Eden has requested your presence at 4:00 p.m. sharp,” he told them with his eyes averted down.
“You’re new.” Maddie took notice as she bounced off the bed and tiptoed across the marble floor toward the boy. The servant dipped his head away as Maddie began to circle around him. “What’s your name?”
“Benjamin.”
“That’s certainly a nice name,” Maddie said.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he muttered shyly as a blush of crimson kissed his brown cheeks.
“Are you a nice boy, Benjamin?” Maddie trailed her bright red nail across the front of his crisp white shirt as her sea green eyes glittered with unabashed glee.
“I hope so,” he stuttered.
“Time will tell, Benjamin, time will tell.”
“Is there anything else?” Sienna cut in, trying to save the boy from disaster.
“No, ma’am.” Rightfully flustered by Maddie’s naughty antics, Benjamin knocked into Sienna’s antique table causing her Ming vase to topple over. He quickly caught Moses priceless gift, breathing in a sigh of relief before it could crash onto the floor.
“How odd.” Maddie twirled her honey blonde curl around her finger as she watched the young man depart in a furious rush.
“What is?” Sienna joined her at the door to catch another wisp of a breeze. She closed her eyes to allow the wind to wash the sweet aroma of the island over her face.
“Poor ole Benjamin is in love and it’s not with either one of us.”
“It is possible for a man to love a woman and it not be either one of us?” Sienna told her best friend.
“Is it?” Maddie seemed puzzled by the thought. “I wanna come with you to see your father.” Finally done analyzing the idea someone could resist her since no one usually could, Maddie set her sights on Moses.
“Only if you promise to behave,” Sienna warned her, knowing full well she shouldn’t bring her along.
“No guarantees.”
Already on to her next task, Maddie crossed the room to the door. “If I’m to have fun, then I must go change.”
Sienna had other plans. Arriving only that morning, she craved a swim. “I think I’m going to take a dip in the falls.” Hoping the calm springs would help rid her of the creepy crawly needles of dread that had been plaguing her all day.
“Good,” Maddie absently replied. “I’ll come get you when it’s time to see your father.” Already off into her own world, Maddie slinked out the door like a naughty kitty with only her fancy underwear for protection.
Drake Devilin stood with what was left of his squad from the war outside the white mansion that spanned at least a mile. He stood in awe. The enormous plantation house made the Parrot Island Resort look like a poor relation. Unsure what his grandfather was getting him into he reached out with other senses. His nose picked up other animals somewhere on the vast land. Drake also picked out the scent of his grandfather along with a very strong whiff of something unfamiliar.
“What the hell is this place?” Peter Murphy’s thoughts mirrored Drake’s own.
“Please follow me, gentlemen,” a slip of a woman directed them to a trail around the house. Another servant opened the wrought iron gate that led to a garden.
Singing birds serenaded them from the branches of surrounding moss trees, while yellow, blue, and lilac bells painted them a pretty palette of colors. At the center of the garden was a white gazebo. Since no one wanted to shatter the initial shock of the peaceful serenity they quietly took in the amazing scene. Shiny crystals of the rare variety hung from the gazebo’s white trim, giving off a melodious tinkle of sound that complimented the flow of racing waters nearby.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” An exotic china doll spoke to them in stilted English as she entered the garden.
Drake’s cousin Grey Devilin laughed at the sight of her. “This gets better and better.” He giggled.
“Please join me.” Her hand fanned out as she bowed to them. “Please.” Beating everyone to the punch Barker was first in line. Since Drake knew him to be a sucker for raven hair and pale skin, he was not at all surprised. “Not you, sir.” She stopped Drake with a nod of her head directed toward the gazebo that housed Hastings.
“Hello to you, too, Grandpappy,” Grey sang once he caught sight of Hastings. Since Drake’s Grandfather from his mother side and Grey got along about as well as oil and water. He put his hand on his cousin’s chest and stopped him in his tracks.
“Not today, Grey.”
“Let us have our say then, Drake.” Grey seethed through clenched teeth burning for a fight. “The blood through my veins is the reason he hates me. Your father, my uncle, wasn’t the reason why his precious daughter died.” The plain way Grey spat out his bile about Drake’s mother made his cousin’s words all the more vicious.
“And you feel the old man needs to hear all of this.”
“Yes,” Grey replied, trying his best to get past, Drake was forced to snatch him back.
“You are to go with this nice woman and enjoy whatever it is she would like to show you with any thoughts about confronting my grandfather forgotten.”
“We’re not in the military anymore. I no longer take orders from you.”
“Then let me say this differently,” Drake hissed. “If you say one cross word to that old man, I will beat you silly. Now go.” He shoved his cousin in the opposite direction.
Grey hesitated a moment longer before smoothing away any wrinkles Drake may have caused to his suit.
Murphy who also seemed reluctant to leave nodded his head before following the group from the garden.
“What the hell took you so long?” Hasting bellowed over the rushing water, when Drake approached. He honestly could admit he had never seen the old man look happier.
Movie adaptations of books
This is a touchy subject for readers and authors alike. Whenever I hear that a book I love is being made into a movie, the news makes me inwardly groan. Who will play the main characters? Will the screen adaptation be anything like the book? Is this going to hurt like a tetanus shot? (Yes, I’ve actually thought that before). Authors love the thought of their masterpiece on the big screen until their fans hate the final result then the finger pointing begins. Well I’ve decided to compile a tiny list of books that worked as movies, books that didn’t work, and a few books that hopefully should.
Didn’t work:
Strip Tease; Carl Hiaasen: This author’s books are simply a tickle but the transition Strip Tease the novel took from the written word to film was a hot flaming mess. I actually saw the movie first and hated it so much I had to read the book. ( I know backwards, don’t question it ) The book gets two thumbs up and the movie gets no thumbs at all.
Phantoms and Hideaway; Dean R Koontz: This author gets a double whammy. For both of these movies the entire way through I kept thinking did I read this book. These movies are like nothing I remember reading, no seriously, did I read this book. Well the answer is yes I read the books but the films were so unrecognizable from the novel that it didn’t look familiar at all. So my question to the filmmakers would be, “Did you read the books?”
( Captain’s log: I understand the term based on the novel but these movies were so far from the novels that if I was Dean R. Koontz I would have begged the studios to take my name off the credits and put the infamous screenwriter Bud Weiser’s instead )
Beloved; Toni Morrison: What worked about Beloved as a book was not knowing if Sethe the main character was being haunted by the ghost of her dead daughter or if she was actually losing her mind. What didn’t work about the movie was the lack of tangible proof that Sethe was being haunted or was indeed losing her mind. The power of the imagination was at its finest with Toni Morrison’s lyrically crafted word that no matter how you sliced it the reader empathized with Sethe who was in the grips of a spiraling depression. Unfortunately the blurred line of reality and spirituality couldn’t be duplicated for the big screen.
What Worked:
Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Chronicles; Anne Rice: This film was epic, beautiful, and moody just like the novel. At the time the choice for Tom Cruise as Vampire Lestat was weird but now looking back considering how hard it is for Tom Cruise to appear normal the casting was spot on.
Kiss the Girls; James Patterson: This movie worked so well that many films tried to replicate the chemistry between Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd to no avail. Suspenseful and precise James Patterson’s Alex Cross character came to life on screen.
The Color Purple; Alice Walker: A great book and a majestic film in everyway. Cinematography, coloring, and acting make this movie stand up against the test of time. To this day I will tear up anytime I watch the end where Nettie calls out to her sister and Celia calls her right back.
Honorable mention: The Shining; Stephen King: I would hands down add Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining to any and all films to watch list. His version is the perfect example of the correct amount of creative license that filmmakers need to take with a best selling book. On the other hand the made for TV version of The Shining showed exactly why Stanley Kubrick’s version worked so well.
Books that should be made into movies:
Bag of Bones; Stephen King: I’ve just found out that Bag of Bones will finally hit my small screen in December on A&E; This little bit of info thrills me. I’ve always thought this book needed to be a movie and years and years later I finally got my wish.
Odd Thomas; Dean R Koontz: I love the Odd Thomas series so much that I keep the books. Let me explain I am a chronic library donator but The Odd Thomas series stays with me. The first film is slated to be released 2012. Yah!
Ghost Hunter Series; Victoria Laurie: Done the right way these could be the cutest paranormal series brought to the big screen. Lifetime Television, anyone?
Writer disclaiming if any and all my suggestions suck on film then I will distance myself from this blog long enough to throw tomatoes at the screen with you. What are your favorites books brought to life or worse books seen on the big screen let me know?
Can't say this was exactly my kind of book, but I enjoed the story, it was yummy and hot and had a good amount of tension between Sienna and Drake to cause flames.
I liked the experiments that were done on Drake and his men, eventually turning them into werewolves, it was a nice original twist. Sienna was a voice of reason and a pleasure to read.
You'll like this if... you enjoy a historical feel to your stories, like a paranormal twist and lost of yummy romance!
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