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I found this one in the name of “research” – Treva Harte writes for Loose Id, my new publisher, and I’m trying to read something by each of their authors. There were so many to choose from, however, that I was having a tough time deciding where to begin. I was hanging out on the Loose Id Community loop one day, when Treva said of her new book, “Those weres just did not want to stop having sex...” Her book, Walk Away, seemed as good a place as any for me to start. J Premise: Dek walked away from Leila years ago. Taking care of his pack took priority over his unsanctioned liaison with a human. But now he’s back, and he wants Leila. Leila swore she would never enter a relationship with a were again -- especially not Dek, knowing that he would never have the loyalty to her that he has to his pack. Being wanted by a were wasn’t the same as being loved by one. But their attraction is so strong, she may be helpless to resist him. What I liked as a reader: This story was very hot, and I always like a heroine who has a mind of her own. Though Dek is definitely an alpha male, it is fun to watch Leila become quite alpha, herself. The supporting characters had depth, and were interesting enough that I hope Harte plans to give them their own stories. What I liked as a writer: Having a lot of sex in an erotic romance isn’t an easy thing to do well. In many sex filled books, I start to yawn a bit by the third go-round. It’s difficult to engage me with the same level of interest in each scene after the first. Treva Harte does a fantastic job. I didn’t skim a word. J Now I’m off to look for her backlist… [posted 2/15/3006]
I bought this book because one of the main characters is a horse-shifter, like Jacob in my story Animal Dreams. Stories about other sorts of animal shifters – wolves, foxes, etc. – are much more common than horses. There are lot’s of reasons for that, I guess: Although horses can be deadly, they aren’t predators, and as a result, aren’t the obvious choice for an Alpha Male character. They don’t “mate for life” as wolves do and, in fact, stallions are notoriously “free” with their affection. So when I came across “Seeing a Man About A Horse” I was very excited to discover how Rodman had handled the horse-shifter character. Premise: The story begins as Casey, a rancher, is checking out the wild Mustangs up for adoption after a roundup. He ends up rescuing a stallion who has turned violent in his attempt to avoid being castrated. Feder is a horse-shifter who has spent most of his life in horse form. From the moment he was caught by the wild horse wranglers, his only thought was escape -- even when the nice Caseyman took him to his barn and took care of him, he was planning his return to freedom. Things change one evening when Casey needs help, and Feder must take his human form to assist him. What I liked as a reader: This story was really interesting -- I was especially intrigued by Feder, the horse-shifter. Rodman obviously knows horses, and he imbued Feder with a horsiness that was both charming and painful. Most shifter stories involve a character who lives as a human, but who can shift into animal form. Feder is a shifter who doesn't really know how to live as a man. I liked that Feder’s animal-self and his human-self were the same – to him, the bodies didn’t matter. For Casey, the issue was more complicated. What I liked as a writer: I appreciate it when writers stay true to their characters. To make a character do something because it is convenient to the plot rather than an honest character decision, is cheating. Rodman didn’t cheat with Casey and Feder. Their story is sweet without losing touch with the realities of the situation. Different and thought provoking, “Seeing a Man About a Horse” was a good read. [posted 2/6/2006] |
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