GATHERING STORM
The Order of the Black Swan, Book Five
Paranormal Romance, Scifi Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
7th House September 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-933320-93-9
Number of pages: 364
Word Count: 90k
Formats available: Kindle, epub, paperback
Cover Artist: Victoria Danann
Book provided by Victoria Danaan for fair review.No remuneration exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own unless otherwise noted.
I have recently joined with Victoria's "Street team" to pass along information about her books online; it is understood that this will not guarantee good reviews.
The fifth installment in the Black Swan serial saga. READING IN ORDER STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. That's why we have a try-before-you-buy-program. The first book in the saga, My Familiar Stranger, is PermaFREE everywhere.
THE NEWSLETTER: Z Team, a.k.a Zed Company, is transferred to Jefferson Unit, which is being temporarily retired as an active hunter facility and converted to a research / training institution. Sol takes his first vacation - ever - leaving Glen in charge with Storm supervising. Rosie is proving to be an extraordinary little girl and Deliverance is in BIG trouble with her mother.
THE SURPRISES: Storm is really not himself. Former members of B Team must reunite to preserve his image and reputation. No one could have prepared for the surprises Rosie delivers, least of all Glen.
THE ADVENTURE: The Ralengclan send a second wave assassination team to Jefferson Unit at the worst possible time, when it's been left defended by only Z Team, Glen, the Lady Laiken and the trainees.
Via Victoria Danaan
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Victoria was kind enough to finagle an interview with her character DELIVERANCE.Thanks Victoria, this was a real hardship, I bet!
Deliverance is a devastatingly handsome, 800 year-old sex demon, or incubus.He feeds off sexual energy.His feeding sources sure don't seem to mind, but some folks find him a bit hard to deal with. Think of the hottest guy you can imagine and multiply!
AN INTERVIEW WITH DELIVERANCE
Victoria: Thank you for taking the time to give an interview. Your fans will be happy to hear from you.
Deliverance: Of course they will. What a shame I can't give them all an 'interview' (air quotes) in person.
Victoria: Yes, well, they'd love that, I'm sure.
Deliverance:They would. (smiles) Guaranteed.
Victoria: (sigh) Whatever.
Deliverance: (frowns) I don't get it. Why don't you like me?
Victoria: What makes you think I don't like you?
Deliverance: (smirks) The way I know how to read women, what do you think are your chances of hiding your feelings from me? Take, for instance, the way you keep clenching your teeth between questions.
Victoria: (I try to relax my jaw.) Just pre-release day stress. Nothing to do with you.
Deliverance: Bull. Shit. (says it in a very metrosexual sing song way)
Victoria: Fine. Let's start with this. Disrespect. You've come to my interview wearing nothing but doeskin pants, which look incredibly soft and comfortable and luxurious by the way. You don't even have on shoes.
Deliverance: (looks at his feet and admires his stretching toes) Is there something wrong with my feet?
Victoria: No, demon. Even your feet are beautiful. You know it. I know it. (He smiles wickedly.) That's not the point.
Deliverance: It's not?
Victoria: No.
Deliverance: Well, I didn't know this was a no shirts, no shoes, no shit interview.
Victoria: It's not! Obviously. Since I'm talking to you.
Deliverance: If we agree that my feet are nice to look at, then why would I want to cover them up?
Victoria: Why are you wearing pants?
Deliverance: Because I get too much of the wrong kind of attention in your dimension if I display the uncensored version of glory. But since it's just the two of us(stands and reaches for his waistband)
Victoria: Stop right there! I'm a married woman.
Deliverance: (stares before throwing his head back to laugh) And you think most of my fuel isn't provided courtesy of married women? You still haven't given me a reason why you don't like me. (sits, pants on)
Victoria: Because I pride myself on multifaceted characters and you're pretty close to one-dimensional.
Deliverance: One-dimensional Funny.
Victoria: (grins) It was. It is. I need to make a note and use that in a book. (I look around for something to write on.)
Deliverance: I'm not one-dimensional. I have a family.
Victoria: That's the only thing that keeps you from being completely one-dimensional. Except for that, your entire existence is nothing but sex.
Deliverance: What's wrong with that?
Victoria: What's wrong with that is - sex is not everything!
Deliverance: If I put you someplace where there's no food for two days and then ask if food is everything to you, my bet is you'd say yes.
Victoria: Okay. You have a point there. I'll give you that. But that's not all. There's the fact that you are completely self-absorbed and as irresponsible as a fifteen year old.It's a waste of eight hundred years.
Deliverance: (laughs) Okay. I get it. You hate me because I'm beautiful, live for sex, never age, and may live forever. You're jealous!
Victoria: I am not!
Deliverance: Are too.
Victoria: Not!
Deliverance: Look. You're holding the pen. You don't like me like I am. Write me different.
Victoria: (pouting)
Deliverance: So. Are you gonna do that?
Victoria: No.
Deliverance: (smiles) Fine. Then let's move on to something more pleasant.
GATHERING STORM ASKS: WHO ARE YOU. REALLY?
If you haven't read The Black Swan series you really, really should and as pointed out above, the first book in the series is free (, ) so you can even check it out before you invest anything other than your time. I haven't been a huge fan of Indy or Self Publishing but Victoria and a couple other writers are converting me.
The Order of the Black Swan is a complex series set in an alternate world where a secret order of knights has worked toeradicate vampires.Recently, an alien has arrived from a different dimension and there are demons who can pass between one dimension and another at will. This is both helpful and problematic.The series centers on this order of knights, their adventures, lives and loves. It is highly recommended that you read the series in order, even though there is a synopsis of prior volumes at the start of this one.
This entire series swept me away; I was lost in its adventure, its unique storylines and its steamy romance.Each book sucked me deeper into the world of the Black Swan.
The pace in GATHERING STORM had me moving from page to page, gobbling the words as fast as my brain could take them in.But, do take time to notice the intricate use of dimensions in the story.Victoria looks at how there could be many dimensions filled with other versions of ourselves; but then not really ourselves. It can make for interesting thoughts about the nature of self and existence. If there is another me in another dimension then who is that person in relation to me; is she me?
This is a quantum universe of multiple dimensions -- infinite dimensions really.That means anything can and will happen. Let your guard down for just a minute and....
Well, that guard gets let down a bit here in a few ways.One, an interesting mode of travel goes a bit awry and the results could be somewhat disastrous.Two, the Order of the Black Swan, thinking they have the threats they were invented to prevent under control do the unthinkable:They actually do "let up their guard." And then there's always the random event that can take the wind out of your sails. This all makes for a thrilling story with [almost entirely] familiar characters.There are a couple of additions and they make for exciting projections on who will feature in future additions to the series.
There is a little less physical intimacy in the romantic parts of the book than there has been in other books in the series.The sex is never gratuitous or vulgar. In here it's rather playful and offers up some interesting food for thought.
Instead of lots of bedroom action, we get physical action where the fate of our beloved characters teeters on the edge of life and death.
There's also a very poignant view of fatherhood here, that will be sure to make us all a little verklempt.
In short this series is a MUST READ and GATHERING STORM is a MUST READ in the series!
ABOUT VICTORIA DANAAN:
If you're looking for something new and different in PNR, you've come to the right place.
I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice and Readers' Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All four also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award and have remained on the Amazon Best Sellers list every day since release.
The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.
Author web links:GIVEAWAY!
One e-copy of The Order of the Black Swan Collected Tales, Books 1-3
18 and over, open to International readers who can download an electronic book.
CHECK OUT THE TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY
PRIZE: Tour wide: One entire set of signed paperbacks, Books 1-5.Offered by the author
And visit the for the Fab Release party on September 19 12PM to 9 PM CDT
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