Dragon
Maid
Dragon
Lore
Book
Two
Ann
Gimpel
Dream
Shadow Press
64K
words
Release
Date: 10/5/15
Genre:
Paranormal romance
Tumble
off reality’s edge into myth, magic, and Scottish dragon shifters
Book
Description:
When
pressed, Jonathan Shea admits magic runs through his blood, but he’s
always been ambivalent about it—until a dragon and her mage show up
in the Scottish Highlands, and then all bets are off. Jonathan’s
charmed and captivated by the dragon—a creature fresh out of myth
and legend—but the woman bonded to it is so enticing, he tosses
caution aside and catapults into the magical power he’s avoided for
so long.
Britta
and her dragon prepare for a battle to save Earth. Freshly
transplanted from a much earlier time, she feels awkward, out of
place. The first person she lays eyes on is Jonathan. There’s
something about him. She can’t quite pinpoint it, but he has way
more magic than he lets on. Magic aside, it runs deeper than that.
For the first time ever, she questions the wisdom of remaining a
maid. If she doesn’t make up her mind damned fast, though, her
choices will fritter away. Beset from every side, she’s never
needed her magical ability more.
Surrounded
by dragon shifters, Celtic gods, Selkies, time travel, and a heaping
portion of magic, Jonathan comes into his own fast. Fell creatures
target him, Britta, and her dragon. In the midst of chaos, he and
Britta find scorching passion and love so heartbreakingly tender, it
will change their lives forever.
Excerpt:
…Jonathan
tried not to stare, but it was a losing battle. The woman—no, the
dragon shifter—was the most perfect, the most alluring, creature
he’d ever laid eyes on. Tall, with high, rounded breasts, a slender
waist, and curvy hips, she looked like a goddess. Who knew? Maybe she
was. The Celts had many deities. He fumbled with his rucksack and
pulled out a turkey sandwich on rye bread, which he handed to her.
She
yanked the wrappings aside, dropping them onto the floor while she
stuffed food into her mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. “Ye
said there were two of these meat and bread things.” Britta
surveyed him, her golden eyes alight with interest.
“Yes,
I did. If I give you both, I’ll be hungry.”
She
shrugged. “Not my problem. Also, I requested mead.”
Jonathan’s
lips twitched. He corralled the smile that wanted out. Britta was an
imperious bitch, yet there was something so undeniably appealing
about her straightforward nature, it was impossible to feel offended.
“No mead. At least I don’t have any. We could ask the other
witches, or if we found you some clothes, we could go into the city
and buy a proper meal, and as much to drink as you wanted.”
She
cocked her head to one side and popped the last bite of sandwich into
her mouth. “I can go as I am. Shall we walk or use magic, witch?”
“Um,
no, you can’t go as you are. You’d be arrested.”
She
tilted her chin up. “Why? I can see where I might freeze to death,
but who would give a jolly fuck whether I’m dressed or not?”
Before
he could craft an explanation, Kheladin stalked over, trailed by
three female witches stroking the scales on his lower body. “Lachlan
kept a clothes chest against the far wall.” He pointed with a
talon. “I’m certain some of his shirts and tights would work,
though there’s little to be done by way of shoes.”
Britta’s
gaze landed on a particularly large heap of gold jewelry and coins.
“I could borrow a bit of money from your hoard, just a coin or two,
and—”
Kheladin’s
eyes whirled faster, glittering dangerously. “I doona think so.
Unless your First Born bondmate orders me.”
“No
need to disturb Tarika.” Britta turned a brilliant smile on
Jonathan and tapped his chest with her index finger. “He can buy me
what I need.” Magic shimmered around her. “Come close, witch.
We’re leaving.”
Kheladin
stumped to Britta’s side. The counter spell he summoned to dampen
her power sparkled, and multi-hued strands wrapped around her. Her
lips curled in fury, and she raised her hands to call magic of her
own.
“Not
so fast,” Kheladin snapped. “First, ye’ve forgotten ye need
clothes. Second, Tarika was in an all-fired hurry to find me. Such a
big hurry, ye went without food or rest. Why?”
Britta
shook her head so hard, her hair danced about her body. She swept the
heels of her hands down her cheeks, distorting her perfect features.
“Och aye, whatever is wrong with me? Nay, I know the answer. The
Morrigan is furious because Lachlan triumphed over the black and red
wyverns, and their dragon shifter mages.”
“Good
the old Battle Crow even noticed,” Kheladin growled and breathed a
fiery gout of flames.
“She
did more than notice. She cast a spell to disrupt our memories out of
sheer meanness. If ye wouldna have reminded me… Hell, ’tis
surprised I am we got here at all. The Celtic gods, Gwydion and
Arawn, sent us to warn you and Lachlan. They told us their magic
would trump the Morrigan’s, but not forever.” One corner of her
mouth turned down. “’Twould appear I just ran up against forever.
Or mayhap their magic got subverted by your wards.”
“What
impact has the Morrigan’s mischief had on the rest of our kind?”
“Those
in Fire Mountain are safe so long as they remain there. The
memory-altering spell only snares them when they set foot on Earth.”
“We
just saw Gwydion, Arawn, and Ceridwen, and they dinna tell us aught
of any such casting. Did they try to neutralize it?”
She
cast a look Kheladin’s way that said he should ask something worth
her time answering.
Jonathan
watched the exchange, chest tight with excitement, feeling he’d
fallen into one of the old tales where heroes and heroines walked
among humans.
“Let
me try again.” Kheladin sounded exasperated. “Did the Morrigan
wake the black wyvern’s mage, Rhukon?”
“’Twas
the first thing she did.”
“So
all our effort was for naught.” The dragon clanked his jaws
together. “I must alert Lachlan. Where’d the Celts find you? And
how long ago?”
Britta
rolled her eyes. “Not in Fire Mountain, though I admit Tarika and I
retreated there after Rhukon, Connor, and their dragons teamed with
the Morrigan, and things werena looking good. Nay, the Celts plucked
us out of the sixteen hundreds. They told us enough about what the
future holds to alarm us and sent us on our way.”
“Aye,
and how long ago was that,” Kheladin prodded.”
“Mayhap
a week. Tarika had things to attend to afore we could come. Why is
that important?”
“Because
Lachlan and I just sought them out, and they reminded us they doona
censure their own, meaning they have no plans to clip the Battle
Crow’s wings.”
“I
believe I understand.” Tarika forced her voice through Britta’s
vocal chords. “They rousted us out to excuse themselves from
action. Craven bastards, the lot of them.” Fire rolled from
Britta’s mouth.
“For
the love of the goddess,” she sputtered from around flames. “Stop
that.”
Kheladin
inclined his head. “Though the circumstances leave much to be
desired, thank you for coming.”
A
warm smile lit Britta’s face. It softened her features and made her
look barely more than a girl. Jonathan’s cock stiffened where it
pressed against his jeans. Breath caught in his throat, and he fought
against touching her, running his hands down her golden skin. He drew
magic around himself to mask his lust, make it unobtrusive, but she
noticed anyway.
Britta
turned an appraising glance his way. “Aye, ye’d do well to hide
your rut from me.”
Embarrassed
at being caught out but curious too, he asked, “Why?”
She
tossed her head at Kheladin. “Tell him, dragon. Mayhap he’ll
believe it if he hears it from another, ahem, male.” Her last word
dripped sarcasm…
My Review
Man I love this series! Dragon shifters and their bonded magical partners and action and adventure! I fell in love with the prequel and the first book but this one may be even better! It's starts off right at the finishing of book, so we jump right back in to goodness. And there's of course definitely steamy romance but it's not the only thing going for this book. I love the author's creative imagination in building this world. Her characters are all fantastically written. You can't help but feel for them and understand them. It's quite hard to blend the modern worlds and the ancient pasts and yet Ms Ann does it seamlessly like its nothing. I loved Jonathan and Britta's journey taking Tarika along for the ride. But it's not as akward as that sounds. You see, Britta is brought to the modern world to save it. However she never thought she'd find Jonathan along the way. And Jonathan is a Mage who has a lot more going for him than he lets on. But wait till you find out who he really is!! It's awesome :)!And together they find out what love really can conquer and they find themselves along the way. I could not put this one down, not like I expected anything less since I love this author's works. All of them! And now, I'm jumping into the next book because I just can't wait for more!!! A MAGICAL 5 DRAGON PAWS!!!
Dragon’s Dare
Dragon
Lore
Book
Three
Ann
Gimpel
Dream
Shadow Press
85K
words
Release
Date: 10/19/15
Genre:
Paranormal romance
Tumble
off reality’s edge into myth, magic, and Scottish dragon shifters
Book
Description:
Bloated
on chaos, the Morrigan leaves the Scottish Highlands to gather power.
A trip through Hell yields quite the assortment of allies tagging
along behind her. Fell creatures straight out of myth and nightmare
that haven’t darkened Earth’s boundaries for centuries heed her
call.
Heartily
sick of the Morrigan’s maneuvering, the dragons are close to
shutting their world off from everywhere, Earth included. If they do,
every dragon shifter bond will be broken. Horrified, Lachlan and
Britta launch a desperate campaign to hang onto their dragons.
Magic
may bite back, but if the dragons take their magic ball and go home,
Earth will fade, along with all other worlds. That suits the Morrigan
fine. War and anarchy are her favorite companions, and she collects
misery like children gather beloved toys.
Arianrhod’s
fellow Celts found out about her fall from grace and her half-Druid
son, Jonathan. With nothing further to hide, she goes back in time
hunting Angus, Jonathan’s father. Forty years apart was a steep
price to pay. The world needs Angus’s magic. And Jonathan needs all
the help he can get. Late to accept the power thrumming through him,
he holds a key role in keeping the world from spinning off its axis.
Reluctant at first, Jonathan finally gets it.
Absolute
focus.
Absolute
commitment.
Anything
less and everyone he loves will pay an unthinkable price.
Amazon
Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo
Excerpt:
…Jonathan
Shea cradled Britta in his arms. She was asleep, the rhythm and
cadence of her breathing revealed her exhaustion. He still couldn’t
believe he’d found a mate, and a woman linked to a dragon at that.
Britta KilKerran was actually the Countess of Cumbria, or she had
been a few hundred years back. He wasn’t certain such a title still
existed.
It
didn’t matter. He’d offer up his life to protect the woman
slumbering against his chest. He loved her dragon too, but Tarika
scarcely needed his protection. When he thought of the scarlet-scaled
dragon, one of the First Born, the place on his neck where she’d
marked him with a mating bite tingled. It was her contribution to his
bond with Britta.
She
stirred in his arms. He stroked strands of long, red-gold hair away
from her face and spun a small spell to keep her asleep. They’d
just come from a major battle to free Tarika and Kheladin, another
dragon, from the Morrigan’s clutches. Both of them needed rest, but
his heart and mind were too full to let go quite yet.
After
years of never believing the rumor about his mother being a Celtic
deity, he’d finally met her. He brought it on himself by calling
for her when they desperately needed help, but he never believed
she’d actually show up. Regardless, he couldn’t deny her
existence anymore—no matter how much he might want to. Arianrhod
had abandoned him when he was so young he had no memories of her, and
when he cut to the bone of things, he resented the crap out of her
neglect.
Jonathan
shut his eyes for a moment and summoned an image of his father. Tall
and rangy with shaggy, rich brown hair and amber eyes, Angus had been
a dreamer. He did his best for Jonathan, but often as not, he’d
been caught up in some trance state or another. Though Angus hadn’t
said so, Jonathan understood his father was relieved when he grew old
enough to be on his own. Once Jonathan left Ireland, Angus vanished.
Their modest cabin near Inishowen remained, but Jonathan knew better
than to waste time hunting for a man who didn’t wish to be found.
Had
Arianrhod seen Angus all these years he’d been missing? Jonathan
could ask her, but she might just stare him down with those
inscrutable eyes—one gold, the other silver—and not bother to
answer.
He
tightened his hold on Britta, and she nestled closer. She was more
comfortable about Arianrhod being his mother than he was, but then
she was far more comfortable with magic in general. He blew out a
breath, recognizing his life would never be the same.
Not
that he wanted it to be, but he would’ve preferred finding the love
of his life without having to deal with a long-lost parent.
Particularly one who stirred up a welter of prickly feelings. Now if
Angus were to show back up, it would be a different story…
Britta
wriggled against him, and her golden eyes flickered open. She
regarded him sleepily through thick red lashes. “Ye canna rest, my
love?”
Jonathan
shrugged and offered a sheepish smile. “Lots to think about.”
She
cupped the side of his face in one hand. “Do ye wish to talk about
anything?”
He
shrugged again, feeling uncomfortable. What was there to say, really?
He was a little old to be struggling with parent issues. Besides he’d
long since come to terms with his father’s magic being too
pervasive for him to spend much time around normal humans. Jonathan
dealt with some level of that as well, but his job as a software
engineer who designed games let him keep to himself.
Britta
brushed her hand across his lips. “Whenever ye wish, I’ll be
here. Tarika too. She’s verra old and much wiser than either of us.
If ye canna get the information elsewhere, mayhap we can figure out
what sort of hold the Celtic gods had on your da.”
“Thank
you. I’ll keep it in mind.” Jonathan reached around her and
snagged a bottle of Irish whiskey off the nightstand. “Would you
like some? I can get us glasses.”
“Och,
and I can drink from the bottle. No need to get fancy.”
She
smiled, and it transformed her into something so striking he couldn’t
look away. A high forehead gave way to sculpted cheekbones and a
defined chin. One of his old T-shirts covered her from chest to
knees, but the outline of her breasts was clearly visible through the
well-aged beige fabric.
His
cock stirred, and he rolled his eyes. “We made love twice after we
got here. I don’t understand why I can’t get enough of you.”
“Are
ye complaining?” She quirked an arched red brow.
He
shook his head and drew both of them to a half sitting position
against the carved oak headboard. He uncorked the bottle and handed
it to her. She drank deep before handing it back.
Britta
narrowed her eyes and watched him drink. “We’re far from home
free,” she blurted without preamble.
“Which
problem are you referring to?” He placed the bottle on a side table
not bothering to cork it. He wasn’t done yet, and likely neither
was Britta.
She
moved away and sat cross-legged facing him, her lovely face creased
with concern. “We may have permanently removed Connor and Rhukon
and their dragons from the action, but there have to be other corrupt
dragon shifters. We must seek them out and destroy them too.”
Jonathan
shook his head. “It won’t matter unless we get to the heart of
things.”
“Aye,
ye’re correct. We must find a way to corral the Morrigan, or she’ll
just entice more mages and dragons with promises of limitless power.”
Britta caught her lower lip between her teeth. “Tarika plans to
warn the dragons. She believes the dark mages want to drain their
dragon bondmates’ power.”
Jonathan
straightened and recaptured the whiskey bottle, taking another
swallow. “I thought mages became dragon shifters because they loved
dragons and wished to share their lives with them.”
“Aye
and that would be true—for most of us. Power lures dark mages,
though. Far more power than can be had through the normal dragon
shifter bond.”
“How
do you know?”
“I
saw it in Connor and Rhukon’s minds afore we thrashed them.”
“You
didn’t say anything.” He handed her the bottle. Maybe they should
eat something, if they were going to drink much more.
“I
would have. Eventually. Tarika and I needed to determine just what it
meant. And if ’tis really true, or just conjecture on our part.”
He
kissed her forehead before swinging his legs over the side of the
bed. “I’m going to cut up a bit of cheese for us and get some
crackers.” He pulled on a pair of black sweat pants, securing the
waist string to keep them from falling down, and got to his feet.
“Excellent.”
She grinned. “Plotting revenge is hungry business, but ye dinna
have to cover that amazing cock.”
He
bit back a laugh, enjoying the compliment, and made his way to the
kitchen. His apartment was small enough to keep talking. “Did you
discuss this with Lachlan?” he asked as he chopped cheese off a
block and opened a box of biscuits.
“Nay,
but Tarika and Kheladin figured out what was going on while they were
held prisoner.”
Jonathan
returned to the bedroom and plopped the snacks on the bed next to
Britta. “How does this bondmate thing work? Would Lachlan be privy
to the dark mage problem, if it’s in his dragon’s mind?”…
My Review
Oh man, I can tell you how much I love this series!! Finally- we're all together! Ari and Angus and britta and Jonathan and Lachlan and Tarika! Yes!!! It's hard to explain without being spoilerish so I will be vague while gushing like a crazy person!!! This world is utterly fantastic full of captivating characters, enveloping plots, and magical romances and epic adventures! The writing is spectacular and I just can't get enough! And now, these few must work together to save many- because the dragons cannot shut themselves off from the world. Those with mates will be lost. I can't believe how much these characters have grown on me. The surprised and twists kept me glued to the pages and I am in disbelief of how miraculously put together it came to be. The Morrigan and her crazy self! See there's so many things I wanna say but I cannot ruin it for you! It would take away some of the awesomeness of the books. So let me say that to everyone who enjoyed a well written fantasy romance- not just mushy romance though- this one is for you. Hell even if you just like dragons- get it! I LOVE THIS SERIES!! I'm so glad I got to read it :) 5 PHENOMENAL DRAGON PAWS!!!
About
the Author:
Ann
Gimpel is a national bestselling author. A lifelong aficionado of the
unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since
then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and
anthologies. Her longer books run the gamut from urban fantasy to
paranormal romance. Once upon a time, she nurtured clients, now she
nurtures dark, gritty fantasy stories that push hard against reality.
When she’s not writing, she’s in the backcountry getting down and
dirty with her camera. She’s published over 30 books to date, with
several more planned for 2015 and beyond. A husband, grown children,
grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.
Find
Ann At:
@AnnGimpel
(for Twitter)
