Literary Misfit: Review & Excerpt Tour: Rage/Killian by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

ABOUT RAGE/KILLIAN: Bayou Heat Novellas:

RAGE Rage might be an aggressive Hunter by nature, but the gorgeous male has never had a problem charming the females. All except Lucie Gaudet. Of course, the lovely Geek is a born troublemaker, and it was no surprise to Rage when she was kicked out of the Wildlands. But now the Pantera need a first-class hacker to stop the potential destruction of their people. And it’s up to Rage to convince Lucie to help. Can the two forget the past—and their sizzling attraction—to save the Pantera?

KILLIAN Gorgeous, brutal, aggressive, and human, Killian O’Roarke wants only two things: to get rid of the Pantera DNA he’s been infected with, and get back to the field. But the decorated Army Ranger never bargained on meeting the woman—the female—of his dreams on his mission to the Wildlands. Rosalie lost her mate to a human, and now the Hunter despises them all. In fact, she thinks they’re good for only one thing: barbeque. But this one she’s guarding is testing her beliefs. He is proud and kind, and also knows the pain of loss. But in a time of war between their species, isn’t any chance of love destined for destruction?

Excerpt:

Rosalie,” he began. “Sorry, Hunter—”

“I have nightmares, too.”

Killian stilled, not sure he’d heard her correctly. “What’s that?”

“Or I did have them…” she continued. She sighed. “They were a lot like that. Like yours. No words, just…” Her eyes lifted to meet his. “Pain.”

He stared at her, couldn’t believe she was sharing anything with him. Much less something so personal.

“I don’t know what you’re doing here, Human—” she started.

“Killian.”

“Human,” she returned. “But I know real pain when I hear it.”

Sh*t. What was this? He really wanted to know. Wanted to ask. But he didn’t. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t tell him anyway. “So they’re gone?” he asked. “The nightmares?”

She nodded. “When I let my cat form take over. Sleep in it twenty-four/seven.”

But Raphael hadn’t wanted her in the cat form. Said she would kill him if she was. So… Killian sat up on one elbow. “But you can’t be in your cat form when you’re around me.”

Her eyes met his. “Really?”

“Why don’t you stop this, Hunter? Let someone else guard me. Go back to what you were doing. Go back to your puma and…sleep.” His eyes roamed over her beautiful but very guarded face. “That really made the dreams stop?”

She nodded.

With a sniff of derision, Killian mumbled under his breath, “Maybe I should give it a try.”

But she heard him. “Humans can only be human, Human.”

“Yeah, you’d think, wouldn’t you?” he ground out.

Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me why you’re here.”

“Help,” he said.

“What kind? Immunity? Did you do something on the outside? Are you trying not to go back into combat? Do you know something about the military’s plans for the Pantera and our very unique and highly sought-after DNA?”

He remained silent.

Which pissed her off. Not like that was a hard thing. “You’re a soldier,” she snarled. “But you don’t know who Locke is. You’re a human, but you’re not a criminal or Raphael wouldn’t have let you—” She stopped, blinked at him. Killian could see her mind working, and it was fast and sharp. “When I came up on you and the rat in the bayou…I didn’t scent human right away. Only Pantera.”

“Is that right?” he said softly.

Her lips parted then, and she leaned in. All the way until the tip of her nose brushed his throat. Killian inhaled sharply. He didn’t know what she was pulling off him, but her scent was intoxicating. Like a rare flower, whose fragrance existed only for him. He growled at the ridiculous, romanticized, almost insane thought. But when her nose moved up to his jaw and her breath caressed his neck, he lost all brain function whatsoever. His hunger, his desire were on a level he’d never experienced before. An almost animalistic…

Review:

Rage/Killian is an excellent addition to the 1001 Dark Nights set. While I have not read all of the previous books in the Bayou Heat series, these novellas read easy for me. Both of these stories were exceptional. If you were already a fan of the series, these will just build on your love, if you, like me are new, they will make you buy the rest to make up for what you've been missing out on.

Rage and Lucie's story pulled me in and kept me reading late into the night on the edge of my seat. This story was a masterful blend of suspense, romance, and heat. The characters are written so well and you can feel the drama surrounding them.

Killian and Rosalie's story was heartbreaking for me at times, but also sweet and moving. Not only is every emotion brought out clearly through the words, but it was almost a physical pull to hurt for these characters and also to feel happiness for them for finding each other and being able to work through some of it.

Rage and Killian have made me a fan of the series and I look forward to reading more of these characters.

ABOUT ALEXANDRA IVY: Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold! I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

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ABOUT LAURA WRIGHT: Laura Wright is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”