Intimate Weapons by Kathleen Scott

4 Stars

When pushing for scientific progress, how far is too far? Kathleen Scott has created a fantastic love story that poses that very question. And Jovita Rees answers it. In her world, conquering space and ruling the universe is fueled by political might. Jovita's being abducted, injected with nanite technology, and experimented on proves, for some, too far isn't far enough.

I loved Intimate Weapons! It just thrills me when I pick up a book I wouldn't normally read and then can't put it down. Let me explain why.

Jovita Rees flees for her life. She evades her torturers by stowing away on the Guidestar—a Vanden vessel used by Ambassador Mallic Telonis. Knowing of his reputation for indulging in pleasure, Jovita proposes sex for safe passage…except he refuses her proposition. (Crazy interesting, right?)

Mallic instead offers Jovita political asylum. When he initiates the paperwork to secure her safety, he discovers Jovita Rees is listed as dead. Jovita insists she was abducted, experimented on, and has no memory of her life except her name. Unsure what to make of the situation, Mallic knows something is not right and places her under Vanden protection.

Upon arrival at the Vanden Royal Palace, Jovita is examined by medical staff. An unusual technology is found in Jovita's bloodstream. As the doctors work to discover the design and purpose of such technology, Jovita struggles to control the changes the experimental technology causes within her body. To make matters worse, every time she feels threatened, she sees things that can't be real. Even her dreams become irrational and frightening, causing her to doubt her sanity.

Mallic watches her struggle against her haunting fears. Her strength and determination to remain in control garner his admiration. Her luscious curves and exotic beauty drive him to distraction. Once he discovers Jovita's connection to the Celedon Royal Family, he vows to keep his distance.

The Royal family is informed of Jovita's existence. Once Prince Rohan arrives, they discover not only was she the beloved psychic for the Celedon Royal Family, she and the prince shared a very close relationship. Mallic realizes he doesn't care. Jovita belongs with him, and he uses every skill in his sexual repertoire to convince her.

Despite piecing together Jovita's past, the most important information relating to Jovita's abduction is unknown: Who kidnapped her and why. And now that she has resurfaced, and her memories are returning, whoever arranged for her "death" might try again. Mallic, Prince Rohan, and Jovita race to find Jovita's abductor before he finds her.

Whew…there's a lot going on in this book, and I love every detailed page of it! Ms. Scott blends the science fiction element with the erotic romance perfectly. The relationship between Jovita and Mallic progresses at a natural pace. Each frustrating, sensual, page-scorching encounter between our hero and heroine builds to a satisfying climax—and still leaves the reader begging for more.

Readers that enjoy plot driven as well as character driven stories will love this futuristic romance. And even though Jovita and Mallic's story could end here, there's still a question or two Ms. Scott could answer in a sequel. Here's hoping she decides those questions are worth answering. I know I'll be looking for them!


This review originally written for The Romance Reviews

Direct Book Review Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=1322

Blogging

Okay. Well, I totally suck at blogging on a consistent basis.

*cue loud sigh*

So, I've decided to add reviews of books I've read to this blog. That will accomplish several things. First, I'll have at least a weekly contribution to my blog! I'm reading anyway, so why not post the reviews I do here that I always put on Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads? Second, hopefully the book, review, or just subject matter will spark material for a blog article.

It's worth a shot anyway!  ;-)

Reviews

Though Moonlight Bleu came out in September of 2010, reviews are still rolling in. This morning I received a fantastic writeup by Kate aka YzhaBella's Bookshelf. I cannot explain in words how much the phrase, "I LOVED your book!" means to me...but I'll try.

I think the closest description I can give is that of a rock star, performing on stage, and seeing the crowd that's gathered for the performance. What frickin' high!!!

To read the review, please click the link below:

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Balance

My grandson visits us every other weekend. I look forward to spending my days playing with his trucks, doing puzzles, or chasing him around the back yard. When he goes home with his mom and dad, I lock myself in my office and work like crazy to make up for the time away from my keyboard.

With so many things to get done Saturday, I didn't get any writing done at all. Then the kids got sick, and I had my grandson overnight. He woke up Sunday morning feverish and clingy. I sat in my chair, the little guy on my lap, all day. We watched movies because that's all he felt like doing.

Of course, I had planned to write while he took a nap. Never happened. Those peepers stayed open no matter what I tried. Another day with no work accomplished.

While the idea of not meeting the goal of blogging and writing 365 days this year upset me greatly, feeling the little guy's arms curled around mine made me rethink my stance. Structured deadlines are meant to help achieve set goals. That's all well and good when life isn't factored into the equation.

But life outside my office exists, and my family will always be my first priority. That means finding a balance. Accepting there will be days I can't write. And on the days my keyboard is out of reach, I'll just play in my head. Ideas can be shelved until it's my time to get creative.

Insomnia

Just when I thought I had my sleep pattern under control,*WHAM* I'm back to four hours a night.

Trust me when I say that is not enough sleep to function on for a sustained period of time. Don't get me wrong, the occasional sleepless night is great for writing an out-of-the-box scene. Being tired helps silence my inner critic. That voice in the back of my head that tells me I'm writing garbage, the characters aren't three dimensional, or the plot line just stinks.

Lack of sleep also shuts down my filter. It usually stays hinged to the front of my brain, saving me from saying inappropriate things at the most inopportune moments. Not having a working filter can certainly help me develop a character's personality...unfortunately, it can push also a character too far into the obnoxious zone. That means rewrites.

A week of insomnia is just brutal. Nothing kills writing mojo faster than being overtired. For now, it seems I've planted my flag in the "I got some sleep" camp. Glad the weekend's here, though. If I don't break this cycle soon, I'll be locked up in the "no sleep = insanity" ward.

Reading For?

Now I've gone and done it.

Let me explain. I belong to several reading groups: paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi. Each have offered 2011 reading challenges. I've entered ALL of them. That's ten different reading challenges. "Why?" you ask.

I love to read. Go figure, right?

But there's more to it than that. Reading is a huge part of writing. Immersing myself in other worlds allows my imagination to stretch. Each author's voice has its own flavor, and how they put a story together helps me learn more about the craft of storytelling.

So, reading is learning. (We've all heard that from a teacher somewhere!)

Reading is also escapism. When things are tough at work, there's a little too much drama happening at home, (or I'm in an insomniac phase) I reach for a book. Finding solitude and peace between the covers of a book is my kind of therapy. Losing myself in a story makes everything else disappear.

Therein lies my particular weakness. If I don't police myself, I'll read to the exclusion of everything else. I'll go without sleep. I'll let work slide. My writing time gets interrupted. Everyday responsibilities get neglected while I devour the latest book in my hands.

 You see where this is headed?

By entering all of these challenges I've set the stage for a spectacular reading frenzy. But this year, I'm going to manage my participation. I'm a big girl. Reading time comes AFTER work and writing time. I may not finish every challenge I've entered, but I'll make a good dent in my TBR pile...and hey, lucky me, getting through the TBR pile happens to be one of my New Year's resolutions.

Oh, and the upside of policing myself...I make the rules. Lunch hour is free time. Think I'll start my next  book at noon!

E-Readers

E-Readers. The new (okay, not so new) electronic book medium.

For years, I've adamantly voiced my "I want to hold a real book in my hands" opinion. I still don't have an actual e-reader, but I recently received a .pdf arc to read and review that caused me to reconsider my position.

Here goes. I admit there are benefits to having books in their electronic format.  *Gasp*  I said it out loud. And I mean it.

Let's start with the electronic reading advantage with regard to exercise:

Holding a book while walking on the treadmill could be life threatening.
      Example: I tried to turn a page, dropped the book, tried to catch it, tripped over my own feet, and got launched off the back of the treadmill into the wall behind me. Only my pride got injured, but you see the potential for death here.

Reading a book while riding a bike could result in broken/bruised bones.
       Example:  Again, I tried to turn a page, dropped the book, tried to catch it, fell off my recumbent bike, and my shoe lace tangled in the pedal. Try explaining to your co-workers how you sprained your ankle on a stationary bike.

Electronic reading advantage while traveling:
      Example:  I was on vacation on the east coast and discovered a bookstore having a HUGE clearance sale. Being the book addict that I am, I bought over 40 books. Can you see where this is going? At the airport for my flight home I discovered I was WAY over the weight limit. I had three suitcases open on the floor, trying to shuffle their contents to keep from paying the extra fee. So didn't happen. Stacks of books are really freakin' heavy!

So, I'm thinking for Valentine's Day, I'll drop some "I'd love to have an e-reader" hints to my sweetheart. If he needs a selling point, I'll just mention, "I could read without the overhead light on at night." That should do it. He's learned to sleep with a mask on, but even he knows how silly it looks!

What advantages for using electronic readers have you discovered?