Nancy Brauer

Valentine’s antidote

// February 14th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubygirlcreations/5368958106/

If you’re weary of lovey-dovey Valentine’s Day mushiness, you may want to give Addison’s and Shane’s lusty, love/hate relationship in Strange Little Band a try. Here’s a taste.

Shane stared idly at the few stars not blocked by the arboretum’s canopy. For once he didn’t wonder which his father had come from. With Addison laying on top of him he didn’t care. His hands wandered over her smooth, toned body, completely sated and fighting off sleep. They needed to leave before a guard found them.

“Come to my quarters,” he blurted.

Harris lifted her head long enough to scowl at him. “Prat,” she muttered, letting her head drop to his chest. ~You couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?~

Although part of him said to do just that, Shane’s pride spoke up. ~You seemed to be enjoying my mouth earlier.~

Harris growled, then rolled off him. Shane happily ogled her as she stood and slipped into her dress. Then her mind disappeared behind her shields. “Our ‘coitus meeting’ is over,” she informed him, “so I’m free to tell you that you’re the most insufferable, arrogant bastard I’ve ever met.”

All together now: awwww!

Download the Strange Little Band ebook for FREE today only with coupon code AR62P at Smashwords!

Review of Wormwood by D.H. Nevins

// January 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fujur/157822428/

What would you do if you were hiking and the world came to an end?

The start of Wormwood by D.H. Nevins begs that question. Young outdoorswoman Kali is strolling along when the ground churns and the sun disappears behind ominous clouds. Even more disturbing is the fact that Tiamat, a striking man she’d met ten years earlier, seems to be commanding the destruction from a rocky peak. Kali survives the initial chaos to discover that the earth is toast and Tiamat is more than he seems.

Wormwood is a post-apocalyptic novel of survival interwoven with a paranormal romance. I should note that post-apoc isn’t my cup of tea. The typical amount of destruction and despair is too depressing for me. I agreed to read Nevin’s manuscript after meeting her at Readercon 2010. Her enthusiasm for her story is infectious.

Overall I enjoyed Wormwood. Nevins has created a mythology that borrows from Christianity without being preachy. Kali is a tough, resourceful protagonist, and Tiamat a half-angel tortured by his orders from on high. The sexual tension between the two is palpable. Nevins does a good job describing the landscape before and after the apocalypse, as well as drawing the primary and supporting characters. She either is a proficient outdoorswoman herself, or has done her research. Survival for the remaining humans is difficult, but not impossible. Kali’s and Tiamat’s story comes to a conclusion, but leaves room for a sequel.

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic tales with a healthy dose of paranormal romance, Wormwood will not disappoint. I wish Nevins the best of luck with finding a publisher!

SLB review roundup

// December 29th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Blog

Reviews for Strange Little Band are coming in slowly but surely. So far the majority of readers give the non-sappy paranormal romance a thumbs up, as evidenced by its overall four-star rating on Goodreads.

Here are excerpts from the most recent reviews.

The plot is filled with lust, twists and turns that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. … A nail-biter that is not for the weak at heart! Worth every penny that you pay.

— Lisa M. on Smashwords

Goodreads reader Happy put Strange Little Band at the top of her Awesome List for 2010. On Goodreads she gave the novel five stars and wrote:

This is really good! I had a late start today because I couldn’t put this book down once I began reading it last night. … I’m impressed and will soon be slightly depressed when this ends.

I first read about Strange Little Band on Galaxy Express. When I followed the link I found I could download the first half of the book free. I found the story fascinating and had trouble putting it down so I purchased the full book from Smashwords.

— J.C. Jones

Both of the main characters are strong and manipulative; it’s refreshing to read a story with such complex characters and so much hidden politics at play.
…
Technically, this is a dark paranormal romance, which is personally not my cup of tea. But this isn’t the [porn without plot] you’d expect from the genre, this is something slightly more twisted, set on a background of a corporation that is as mystifying as it is sinister. … it soon develops into a nail-biting tale of corporate intrigue as Addison and Shane build up a tentative trust only to find all of Triptych against them.

— A.M. Harte’s review on Amazon

 
More reviews can be found on Goodreads and the Strange Little Band website.

Here’s a treat for anyone who read this far. Use coupon code CM87Z to purchase an electronic copy of SLB from Smashwords for $1.50. It’s normally $2.99. Choose from these ebook formats— ePub, PDF, Kindle (.mobi), LRF, and Palm Doc (PDB)— or read the ebook online. The coupon expires on January 1, so hurry!

Strange Little Band

// May 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Portfolio

A dark paranormal romance by Nancy Brauer and Vanessa Brooks

Strange Little Band is the ongoing story of Addison and Shane, two self-centered, amoral psychics who work for the cut-throat Triptych Corporation. Their insular, comfortable lives are disrupted when, due to Triptych’s machinations, they become unlikely parents. How can they raise a child when they can’t trust each other?

New installments are posted on Tuesday. If you’d like to start at the beginning, read the prologue. Several reviews are available on the SLB Web Fiction Guide page.

Illustration of the main characters by the talented Brian Goff