Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
On the eve of Halloween, I have a very special treat for my readers & visitors – especially those who are following #SpooktasticReads this year – as @WyrdAndWonder kicked-off our first mini-event which played against a theme of spooktacular stories befitting being read throughout October and leading straight into the last 13 days til Halloween! It is a spookified time of the season – a time where there are veils being revealled between worlds, where the paranormal & supernaturally inclined readers dig into thrilling suspenseful reads whilst our favourites from years past run on our televisions as both serial tv and motion picture haunt us or thrill us depending on the story we’re watching take over our mind on the screen!
These are the days where digging into the darker realms is part folly for course and where all of us try to keep ourselves rooted in the Light even if our imaginations start to run a bit more wild on the edgier side of Literature and Film!
What drew me to this story is the premise of course – as all stories first have to capture my heart & give me something fittingly unique to be reading. A character arc andd journey; a dramatic revelation expected, a cheeky relationship being built despite mistrust & the curious ways the heart flutters despite our head’s intention to keep us distant and of course, the interplay of the world-building itself – of how this is a bridge into a realm I already love (Steampunk) to cross itself into #VampireRom (a new PNR interest of mine since I first read ‘Dance Until Dawn’) and a dash of werewolf lore I’m still sorting out how I feel ever since I was emotionally overwhelmed by ‘Twilight’ during Nanowrimo, 2008!
I previously disclosed my appreciation for PNR stories whilst I was highlighting a Dark Fantasy novel about the fey – another selection I felt was fitting for #SpooktasticReads.
The curious bit of course is how despite my reservations about dipping into the realms of Vampires & Werewolves – there are certain authors who intrigue me. Either by writing a genre-bender (such I would consider this one to be) or by giving such a hearty premise of cross-appeal that for a reader like me whose on the *fence!* if she can walk into this darker realm of Paranormal Romance (PNR) it is something to consider – as there are keen elements of what I do love to find in a story of this nature. The cheekiness of humour, the world-building aspects of the dimension explored, the interplay between the lead & secondary characters, the potential drama evolving into the forefront of the story itself and of course, those ‘elements’ which happily reside within the scope of the paranormal. The ones which are not as easily defined and have their own perimeters of existence.
As previously declared this is October – a time for finding #SpooktasticReads & the stories which might take us outside our comfort zones a bit whilst we embrace the spookier side of literature! I love Gothic stories & I do love the paranormal – sometimes I find myself drawn into stories which might tempt me past my own conclusions of how dark I want to read darker Fantasy & Science Fiction (or rather, Spec Lit in general without a definitive branch inclusively declared) and sometimes, I find a gem unexpectedly in a sea of choices, where a story can stand out, grab my eye and encourage me to ‘dive into the unknown’ – this novel felt like the kind I ought to take a chance on and I am thankfully blessed to be highlighting it through this conversation during our #WyrdAndWonder mini-event – this one just felt wicked fascinating!
To Catch A Rogue
by Bec McMaster
An impossible heist. A thief and a rogue. But will she steal his heart, instead?
The Company of Rogues finally knows the identity of the mastermind behind a plot against the queen—but their enemy is still one step ahead of them. When he kidnaps one of theirs, the Rogues plan a daring rescue mission that will lead them into the heart of the bloodthirsty Crimson Court.
It’s a job for a master thief, and there’s nothing Charlie Todd likes more than a challenge. To pull off the impossible, Charlie needs a crew, including the only thief who’s ever been able to outfox him.
He broke her heart. But now she must risk it all to save his life…
Lark’s spent years trying to forget her past, but the one thing she can’t ignore is the way a single smile from Charlie still sets her heart on fire. When he proposes they work together again, it feels just like old times, but she has one rule: this is strictly business.
It’s Charlie’s last chance to prove he can be trusted with her heart. But Lark’s keeping a deadly secret. And as passions are stirred and the stakes mount, it might be the kind of secret that could destroy them all…
Ocean’s 11 meets Dracula, in this sexy paranormal heist by USA Today Bestselling Author, Bec McMaster. If you like sexy paranormal romances, steampunk shenanigans, and plenty of action-adventure (vampires, dirigible flights, and steamy rooftop chases), then dive into this thrilling heist with Charlie and Lark.
Genres: Cosy Horror, Dark Fantasy, Genre-bender, Gothic Literature, Suspense, Vampire Romance
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781925491289
Published by Lochaber Press
on 30th October, 2018
Format: Audiobook | Digital, eBook
Published by: Lochaber Press
Formats available: Audiobook* and Ebook
(*) nearly all of the London Steampunk series is available in audiobook as I happily found them via Scribd which is where I was able to listen to the opening chapter(s) of Kiss of Steel and look forward to listening to more of the story. I am hopeful more of this duel series goes to audio eventually or becomes released into print – though I am partial to audio due to what I heard thus far. This is a predominately Digital First series – straight to ebook.
Converse on Twitter via: #PNR or #ParanormalRomance, #Vampires + #Werewolves
as well as #Steampunk or #SteampunkRomance + #genrebender
Series tags: #LondonSteampunk or #BluebloodConspiracy
The stories within the first half of this epic series
as sequences through ‘London Steampunk’:
Kiss of Steel (book one)
Tarnished Knight (book two)
Heart of Iron (book three)
My Lady Quicksilver (book four)
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Menace (book five)
Forged by Desire (book six)
Of Silk and Steam (book seven)
and continuing through: The Blueblood Conspiracy:
Mission: Improper (book one)
The Mech Who Loved Me (book two)
You Only Love Twice (book three)
To Catch A Rogue (book four)
Dukes Are Forever (book five) | *title forthcoming!
About Bec McMaster
BEC MCMASTER grew up on a steady diet of 80’s fantasy movies like Ladyhawke, Labyrinth and The Princess Bride, and loves creating epic, fantasy-based worlds with heroes and heroines who must defeat all the odds to have their HEA. If you like sexy, dark, paranormal romance, try her Dark Arts series; for some kick-bustle ladies-saving-the-day steampunk romance then check out London Steampunk; and for rocket-fuelled post-apocalyptic romance with a twist on the werewolf theme, then see her Burned Lands series.
Bec has been nominated for RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance for Heart of Iron (2013), won RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance with Of Silk And Steam (2015), and Forged By Desire was nominated for an RWA RITA award in 2015. The series has received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal, with Heart of Iron named one of their Best Romances of 2013.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #SpooktasticReads 2018
Cursed Rebel
House on the Forgotten Coast
The Secret Kiss of Darkness
