Tag: Red Rock Pass series

Throwback Thursday Review: A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers

Posted June 11, 2020 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: A Safe Harbor by Moira RogersReviewer: Holly
A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers
Series: Building Sanctuary #1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 4, 2010
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 84
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A bootlegger will save her life. A debutante will steal his heart. Building Sanctuary, Book 1

Joan Fuller enjoyed a privileged life-until her wealth and connections garnered her the wrong sort of attention. Her rejection of a textile heir-s proposal comes back to bite her when he turns out to be a werewolf on the prowl for a mate. She may have been turned against her will, but now that she-s part of his pack she sets out to protect all its women. Even if that means joining forces with a witch and a vampire-and leaving the comfort of Boston.

Former bootlegger Seamus Whelan has cleaned up his act, but when his old partner Gavin comes to him for help, he can-t say no-no matter how deadly the threat. Escorting some female wolves to safety should have been easy, except their leader is a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Her courage captures his interest, and her first hesitant kiss ensnares his heart. But before they can build a haven for their kind, they must free themselves of the past-and the powerful man who-s out to teach her a lesson she may not survive-

Warning: This novella contains a rakish werewolf bootlegger forced to join forces with a teetotaling ex-debutante as they fight epic battles, engage in criminal activities and eventually give in to inappropriate passion on a kitchen counter.

*** Every Thursday, we’ll be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books. Enjoy! ***

This review was originally posted on June 11, 2010.

This is a prequel to Rogers’ Sanctuary series, set during the depression era. Although I really loved the romance and learning the backstory on how Sanctuary came to be, I was a bit disappointed that more attention wasn’t given to the time period. I wish more details had been given – clothing and vehicle types, etc – to the era. As it was, the story really could have been set anytime. While that isn’t always a bad thing, in this case, I think it took something away from the story.

The characters were extremely well-drawn. I adored the strength shown by both, though especially Joan. As an alpha werewolf, it wasn’t easy for her to give up control. I love that she was able to share her strengths and weaknesses with Seamus and rely on him to share his with her. Too often with a strong female a line is crossed and she’s seen as bitchy and unbending. Not so here.

Seamus was the perfect combination of tough and caring. He was more than capable of taking care of his people and Joan’s, but he was also man enough to allow her some control. He wasn’t an overbearing alpha, but neither was he too weak or willing to put anyone in danger.

I really liked that they had some time alone together to explore their attraction and deeper feelings for one another. Though the story is short, the romance was believable.

I’m anxious to read more about how Sanctuary came to be, and I’m glad to know there will be more to come in the series.

4.25 out of 5

Building Sanctuary

four-stars

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Throwback Thursday Review: Sanctuary Unbound by Moira Rogers

Posted May 14, 2020 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Throwback Thursday Review: Sanctuary Unbound by Moira RogersReviewer: Holly
Sanctuary Unbound by Moira Rogers
Series: Red Rock Pass #4
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 184
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

New England is ideal for vampire Adam Dubois. His cozy home in the Great North Woods reminds him of a happier time when werewolves and witches were stuff of legends, and he was a simple lumberjack.

Hiding from past failures has worked for over eighty years, but a life debt owed to the Red Rock alpha has forced him to leave his retreat--and come face to face with a woman who challenges and tempts him on every level.

Hiding secrets is a lonely business, and Cindy Shepherd is lonely with a capital L. Red Rock isn't exactly crawling with available men, but her interest in the mystery-shrouded new vampire in town seems mutual. After all, it's only sex--there's no danger he'll dig deep enough to unleash the demons of her past.

Casual flirtation turns deadly serious when Adam discovers that the vampire plaguing Red Rock is using his mistakes as a road map. When it comes to his life, he knows Cindy has his back. But in order to secure the future, they both must trust each other with more--even if it means sacrificing themselves to save everything they hold dear.

*** Every Thursday, we’ll be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books. Enjoy! ***

This review was originally posted on May 31, 2010.

I’m not a fan of vampires. I can’t say there’s one particular reason why, it’s more of a collection of odd things here and there. I think for the most part I hate how stereotypical most of them are (I’ll have to ponder that for a post at a later date). So I tend to avoid vampire stories. There are, as always, exceptions, but mostly if I see a novel featuring a vampire I skip right by it.

I have to be honest and say I probably would have skipped this one, too, if I hadn’t read the one that comes before it and been intrigued by Adam. I’m adult enough to admit I would have missed out on a really great story if I’d done that.

Adam was strong and caring. For years he’s been living in regret and shame, the things of his past eating away at him. He prefers the solitude of his isolated cabin the woods and though he’s drawn to strong women, he tends to avoid strong attachments of any kind. To see him open himself up to Cindy was wonderful, especially since I knew the depth of his hurt from the past.

Cindy had dealt with her own pain and suffering. She was strong and capable, but soft enough to want someone to share her life with. She didn’t necessarily offer her trust easily, but she wasn’t closed to all relationships as she had every right to be. I liked that though she wanted to push Adam away, she didn’t.

Cindy and Adam were fabulous together. I loved the way they balanced each other – the  Lumberjack Vampire and the Werewolf Doctor. Each had scars from things in their past, and each really helped the other overcome some of the lingering pain and grief. I especially liked that both were strong despite having suffered so much in the past. Neither of them need to be rescued, only healed.

I also liked that the overall story arc of the series is moving forward. Sam and Gavin are starting to let go and Keith and Abby are stepping up. As much as I love Sam and Gavin, it isn’t realistic that they’d hang on forever. I’m glad Rogers recognizes that.  While I think this can be read as a stand-alone, there are references to things that have happened in the past, most recently in Sanctuary’s Price, so you may want to read that one first.

4.25 out of 5

Red Rock Pass

This book is available from Samhain. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars

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Guest Author (+ a Giveaway): Moira Rogers – Haunted Sanctuary Blog Tour

Posted January 17, 2013 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions | 10 Comments


THE BACKSTORY
From the time we announced the final Red Rock ebook in 2009, people have been asking us when we’d go back to the Sanctuary world and write more about werewolves and their witch rivals.  In the beginning we didn’t want to return–we had our four books and our two prequel novellas, and those were the stories we had to tell.  But people kept asking, and we kept saying, “Well, what if…okay, no, but maybe if…”
A watched pot never boils, and I’m starting to think a watched plot is the same way.  The harder we tried to force ourselves to come up with the right story, the more they slipped away.  Finally we set the idea aside for a while, reluctantly admitting that maybe it had been too long in any case.  We’d missed our window.  It was time to work on other–
BOOM!  That was our idea, knocking us head over heels.  It hit us so hard we sat down and wrote Haunted Sanctuary instead of the book we were supposed to be writing.   It wasn’t the story we’d originally imagined.  It takes place in a new town, with a new cast of characters, and is set several years after the end of Red Rock Pass.  You don’t have to be familiar with any of the previous books to pick up Haunted Sanctuary…
…but hey.  Any excuse to give away books is good for us!
THE BLOG TOUR

Thanks to the generosity of Samhain Publishing–and with the assistance of many awesome bloggers–we get to spend the next twenty days giving away 80 ebooks!  Those of you who haven’t read the Red Rock Pass books will have twenty different chances to win the entire set in the ebook format of your choice.

In honor of that, we’re going to be revisiting some of our favorite scenes from each of the four books…and maybe showing a few sneaky peeks at the next chapter in the Sanctuary Universe!

TODAY’S SNIPPET
Sanctuary’s Price: The Reluctant Hero
aka Do I Have to Keep Saving the Day? I’m Tired.

Dylan is a character who I have always loved. I’ve loved him all the more because he is not a badass alpha. He’s not as strong as the dominant wolves, either physically or magically. He doesn’t have Keith & Joe’s badass combat training, either.

But even though he’s just a mid-level wolf who’d rather be in the library than fighting bad guys, that never stops him from fighting when he has to.  Dylan doesn’t charge into battle confident that he’ll win.  He goes into it knowing there’s a good chance he’ll die–but if it helps the people he loves, he’ll take that chance.

I’ve always thought that made him way more badass than the other heroes.  😉  And a little scarier, too. There’s nothing more dangerous than a hero willing to sacrifice anything…

* * *

By the time he managed to set fire to the damp wood in the dusty old fireplace, Dylan had resorted to giving himself half-hearted pep talks. “Could be worse. You could be dead. Could be back in Helena. Could be stuck listening to Bobby bitch about how they fucked up the Battlestar Galactica finale.”

The soggy wood in the fireplace smoked at him in agreement. The stench would have been bad enough to a human nose, but for a werewolf…

Dylan sighed and pushed himself to his feet. The rain that afternoon had drenched the stack of firewood out back, but he hadn’t thought to bring any of it inside before this evening. Not when the house was still so far from livable.

He’d had ample opportunity over the last month to make it so, but he’d gotten comfortable in Cindy’s house. Even when things hadn’t been entirely blissful, he’d had the luxury of a roof over his head and the knowledge there was plenty of time to renovate the rundown little house. Plenty of time to make it his.
He eyed the bedroll he’d begged from Brynn—the bag belonged to Joe, and was high quality, at least—and squared his shoulders. The house had four walls and a roof that mostly didn’t leak. The plumbing worked sometimes and it wasn’t so cold he’d freeze to death hunkered down in the sleeping bag.

Far from livable…but he’d make do. He always did.

With a feeble fire lit, Dylan turned his attention back to the scarred wooden table. The renovation plans he’d been working on had been shoved haphazardly to one side, leaving space for the sack Brynn had pushed on him along with the sleeping bag. Upending it on the table revealed two boxes of toaster pastries, a box of crackers, three cans of soda and a bag of licorice.

The sight made his chest ache even as he smiled. Just snack food, and probably the first things Brynn had put her hands on when she’d realized he had no intention of staying long enough to face any questions Joe might have about Dylan’s sudden change in residence. But Dylan had known Brynn for years, maybe even knew her better than her older sister did. Licorice and strawberry pastries—Brynn’s nervous comfort food. Something she clung to when life was overwhelming.

And badass warrior alpha wolf Joe Mitchell had obviously been doing his best to make sure she had anything she needed, no matter how silly those things were. It was sweet.

It sucked.

Guilt stabbed at him, and he snatched up the box of crackers and tore open the cardboard top. Brynn had gone through hell, and she had Joe. Her sister Abby had gone through hell, and she had Keith.

Dylan had a smoking fireplace and a toilet that didn’t flush consistently.

It really, really sucked.

* * *

THE CONTEST




Leave a comment to if you’d like to be entered to win a set of the Red Rock Pass ebooks!  And keep an eye open for the new book, Haunted Sanctuary, on sale January 22nd from Samhain Publishing and available to pre-order at Samhain, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, iTunes & Books on Board!

 

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Kindle Throwdown Contest: Vampire Lumberjack vs Werewolf Bootlegger

Posted May 31, 2010 by Holly in Giveaways | 67 Comments

When asked if I’d choose Team Vampire Lumberjack or Team Werewolf Bootlegger, I immediately chose Team Werewolf Bootlegger. I mean, come on, there’s really no contest. A sexy bootlegger with a dark and dangerous secret – man by day, wolf by night (ok, so the man/wolf thing isn’t only during the day or night, but it sounds cooler that way, so work with me here!) or a pale, reflection-less, emo creature who can only rise in the night, sucks blood and has an aversion to garlic (that last is important because I’m Italian..we live for garlic)?

Even the official definitions of each word make a Werewolf Bootlegger sound sexier…

boot·leg

<a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/B05/B0504200″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif” border=”0″ alt=”bootlegger pronunciation” /></a> /ˈbutˌlɛg/ Show Spelled [boot-leg] Show IPA noun, verb,-legged, -leg·ging, adjective

– verb

4.

to deal in (liquor or other goods) unlawfully. 

were·wolf

<a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/W01/W0103800″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif” border=”0″ alt=”werewolf pronunciation” /></a> /ˈwɛərˌwʊlf, ˈwɪər-, ˈwɜr-/ Show Spelled[wair-woolf, weer–, wur–] Show IPA

–noun,plural-wolves <a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/W01/W0103900″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif” border=”0″ alt=”werewolf pronunciation” /></a> /-ˌwʊlvz/ Show Spelled[-woolvz] Show IPA.

(in folklore and superstition) a human being who has changed into a wolf, or is capable of assuming the form of a wolf, while retaining human intelligence.

lum·ber·jack

<a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/L04/L0422400″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif” border=”0″ alt=”lumberjack pronunciation” /></a> /ˈlʌmbərˌdʒæk/ Show Spelled[luhm-ber-jak] Show IPA

–noun

1.

a person who works at lumbering; logger. 

vam·pire

<a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/V00/V0022500″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://sp.dictionary.com/dictstatic/g/d/speaker.gif” border=”0″ alt=”vampire pronunciation” /></a> /ˈvæmpaɪər/ Show Spelled[vam-pahyuhr] Show IPA

–noun

1.

a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.
2.

(in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned.

Selling liquor illegally might not sound too sexy today, but if it was happening during the depression era and he’s – sort of – reformed now, the idea takes on a whole other level of yum, right? Add in the “wolf” and  “human-intelligence” parts and..rawr. Especially when I start thinking about him in suspenders and a wide-brimmed hat. If he also happened to be kind, considerate, sensitive and willing to allow a woman to make her own choices, then fully support them, well then…I’m a fool for him.

Mmmm, sexy

Especially when you compare that to a reanimated corpse who sucks the blood of the unwitting sleepers of the world and there’s no contest. Especially if all said blood-sucker does in his free time is cut down trees. That’s not hot, man. Not hot at all.

But what if the Vampire Lumberjack in question isn’t pale and afraid of daylight, reflection-less, emo or allergic to garlic? What if he’s strong, sexy and likes pasta as much as I do? What if he doesn’t just cut down trees, but then uses the wood to build the most amazing handmade furniture?

Especially when he looks like that? 

How do I choose then?

I’ll tell you how..I don’t. Instead I chose to be on Team Vampwere Bootjack. Er..maybe Team Werevamp Lumberlegger. Team Jackwolf Lumberboot?

(…)

I’m sensing a problem here. But I bet you get the idea.

That’s right, I’m refusing to choose. I’m just going to sit right here in the middle, sandwiched between that sexy Vampire Lumberjack and the delicious Werewolf Bootlegger and boy is it good in the middle.

What about you? Care to choose? 

To find out more about each, check out Sanctuary Unbound (Samhain, June, 2010) and A Safe Harbor (Samhain, July, 2010)
___________________

This post is a part of Moira Rogers‘ Creature Feature Kindle Throwdown Contest. By leaving a (meaningful) comment, you will be entered to win a Kindle from Amazon.com, or an alternate grand prize of $275 to spend at an online book retailer.  For a full list of rules and more ways to win, visit the contest page. Or check out the official blog post here.

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Guest Author: Moira Rogers – Dual Personalities

Posted September 24, 2009 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions | 24 Comments

Earlier this year, thanks to Angela James, Moira Rogers made it onto my radar with the first novel in her Red Rock Pass series, Cry Sanctuary (see my review here). I really enjoyed it and picked up several of her other books afterward.

Not long after, I realized Moira Rogers isn’t just one women, but two. Bree and Donna are best friends and writing partners, and together they make up the writing team of Moira Rogers.

Today they’re here with us talking about being a writing team and their Red Rock Pass series (books 1 and 2 are currently available from Samhain Publishing and book 3 will be released in October). They’re also giving away 5 digital books!

_____________________

Bree: Hello, Book Binge readers! My name is Bree, and I am one half of the romance-writing, fictional-crime-fighting duo who writes under the shared penname Moira Rogers. And today I brought my other half…

Donna: Me! Today, we want to talk about how plotting and development is affected by partner writing.

Bree: And man, is it ever. Because no matter how clearly we each think we’re seeing the full picture, the truth of the matter is we’ve always got a slightly different idea about how things are going to play out, and the most frustrating and fantastic changes erupt from those tiny details.

Donna: The classic, “Oh, uh, I thought we were doing something else there.” We discuss our characters and plots exhaustively, and we still manage to surprise each other–and sometimes ourselves. It’s not unlike the theatre, where even actors who’ve prepared their roles for months might see new and interesting nuances during the performances themselves.

Bree: We’ve had to learn to plot in generalities. Where we want a series arc to go, a book arc, the individual plotlines inside the book. Sometimes the basic ideas hold out. We always knew we wanted to write about Abby, Brynn & Dylan in our Red Rock Pass books, because they were the three newcomers whose arrival forced a stagnant community to do things differently.

Donna: And our fourth hero takes things even further out there, since many of the citizens of Red Rock probably don’t know that vampire exist, much less that they’re hanging out in Maine, lumberjacking. LOL

Bree: He was supposed to be a minor character, someone I’d been looking for a chance to sneak into a book. When we were tentatively planning how the series could go, we couldn’t have predicted that our stealthy vampire lumberjack would steal the show and upset all of our plans, but three books out and we’re learning to roll with the surprises.

Donna: The Red Rock Pass books have been a true series in every sense of the word. Not only do we have characters developing over the span of the four books, but there’s an overall plot arc that our vampire lumberjack gets to help tie up…for now.

Bree: Yes, the ending is in sight, and it’s not the one I envisioned when we started. There’s always a point in the middle of the book where everything falls into place, where Donna makes a suggestion and I build on it and suddenly the answer is there and I can’t imagine how we thought we were going to write the book before without knowing it. And those are the times I’m glad I don’t have to do it alone.

Donna: Absolutely. It’s weird, this partner writing thing. Because it’s like being a plotter and a pantser all in one. We have to plot, for reasons Bree already mentioned–if we’re not on the same page, a book can quickly dissolve into a hot mess. But we can also still be shocked (and yes, delighted) at the twists and turns our writing takes. Some of it is plot, but sometimes it’s just golden. Like when a secondary character asks the one question that will pull out some hidden bit of the hero or heroine’s personality. You couldn’t have planned it, didn’t even know it was there, but all of a sudden, there it is.

Bree: I think writing with a partner can be the most awesome and exhilarating thing ever, in spite of the hardships that come with it. (And we’re never going to tell you they’re not there–we fight, we yell, we hang up on each other and sometimes we throw snack foods.) But it’s all worth it when you have the perfect random idea.

Donna: Like, “Hey, how about a world where corrupt alphas use and take from their packs, and only a handful of safe havens exist?”

Bree: Or, “Oooh, can I add a vampire who was a French Canadian lumberjack in Maine at the turn of the century?”

Donna: And sometimes that’s all it takes to subtly–or even drastically–change the direction of a series. Or even introduce a couple of writers to a whole new genre.

Bree: Like that time three days ago when I said, “Heeeey, you know That Thing that happened in 1934 that introduced our very old werewolf to our vampire? Sooooo…I know we’ve never written a historical, but what if the werewolf’s thuggy friend and the vampire’s sweet-but-tough werewolf associate had to work together…”

Donna: Yeah, like that. Suddenly, we’re pitching a paranormal historical novella to our editor. LOL

Bree: So I guess the moral of the story is that you never know where you’re going to end up when you get started.

Donna: Except it’s a pretty safe bet that, no matter what, we’ll be writing something all the time.

Bree: And before we get back to that, we’ll leave you with a question. Would YOU follow a contemporary series into the past for a chance to see how everything started? Or do you think it’s best to soldier bravely into the future?

______________________

Thanks Ladies, that was great!

Leave a comment answering Bree’s question – Would YOU follow a contemporary series into the past for a chance to see how everything started? Or do you think it’s best to soldier bravely into the future? – and you’ll be entered to win one of 5 digital copies of either Cry Sanctuary (book 1) or Sanctuary Lost (book 2).

If you’d like to sample the series before you try it, you can read one of the free reads they have offered on their site. Becoming is a prequel of sorts to the series and was really interesting to read. Beware, though. Once you read it you may have a hard time resisting the other books in the series.

Free Prequels:

The series:

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