Freaks in the City (33 page)

Winner: Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon
Award

for full-length romantic manuscript

~~~

REVIEWS

“Just picked up the 1st book in the Crystal
Warrior series via a free thang on All Romance. Tried to stay up
and finish it last night and gave up at 3am. Finally finished it
this afternoon after deciding that the washing and cleaning could
wait.

Wow… I really loved the characters in this.
When I read the blurb I was not that interested in the sound of
Chalcey – as in that I didn’t think I would be able to identify
with a dance instructor. Okay, my mistake! I am so impressed with
how you wrote a strong and independent woman who stood on her own
two feet, took no crap from anyone and ran her own business. That I
could identify with 100%. I read a lot of romance and I often feel
that the women are not as strong as they could be and that they are
simply part of a story that involves snaring some hot guy and
getting a HEA- almost like their actual character is
unimportant.

So 5 stars and have some extra bonus cookies
for writing a believable woman who I was rooting for. I wanted her
business to be a success just as much as I wanted her to get the
guy.

And kudos for the plot twist. Usually they’re
so obvious, but I didn’t see that one coming at all.

I liked Chalcey’s friends and the family
dynamics that helped shape her character.

Wulf was a nice character too. (What’s not to
like about a guy in leather?) He was a complex guy, but what I
loved about him most was that you didn’t strip away his masculinity
in order for him to ‘settle down’ and get his HEA. Too often books
turn a bad boy into this domesticated mushy guy and strip away half
of what made the character in the first place.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I
really enjoyed the book. I’m off to buy #2.

Keep up the great work.”

~~~

“This book has it all, and leaves you wanting
the next book in the series NOW! Chalcey is an independent woman
who knows exactly what she wants, and how she plans to get it.
She’s worked hard to achieve her dream, and isn’t about to let it
go for the sexy stranger who rescues her from the Date from Hell.
Even if he does make her pulse race, and her body ache for
forbidden pleasures.

Wulf is a Crystal Warrior, brought here by a
magic neither he nor Chalcey truly understand. This is their story,
and the author has crafted it with enough emotion, suspense and
twists that I found it hard to put down. It’s easy to see why it
won the Clendon Award! I sure hope Ms. Anderson doesn’t make us
wait too long for the sequel!”

~~~

“I thoroughly enjoyed The Crystal Warrior. No
surprises that it won the RWNZ Clendon Award – everything about it
was beautifully crafted. Characters felt real – even ancient
warrior Wulf – and I loved the interaction between modern day
independent heroine, Chalcey, and her hero. There was humour,
angst, passion, the works! I am looking forward to the next book in
Maree Anderson’s crystal warrior series.”

~~~

“The Crystal Warrior is an intelligent, fast,
action packed read with a feisty, sassy heroine Chalcedony and a
really hunky hero, Wulfenite. This book has it all including laugh
out loud humor, danger, twists and turns, and both protagonists
have gut wrenching choices to be made that leave you wondering
right to the very end as to whether Chalcey and Wulf will make it.
I absolutely love the concept of the Crystal Warriors, and Wulf’s
and Chalcey’s story is well plotted and a fantastic read that has
you wanting more. Ms Anderson is an excellent writer. It’s very
clear why this book won the prestigious The Clendon Award and I
can’t wait to read more.”

~~~

RUBY’S DREAM

Book 2 of The Crystal Warriors Series

http://www.RubysDream.com

She’s a plus-sized woman with sub-zero self esteem.
He’s a Crystal Warrior, and the gods’ gift to women. But for a
chance at the Happy Ever After they both deserve, they must learn
that appearances can be deceiving… and pass the Crystal Guardian’s
test before time runs out for them both.

Finalist: Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon
Award

for full-length romantic manuscript

~~~

REVIEWS

“Training for a triathlon would be a whole
lot better if there was a gorgeous warrior getting you out of bed
in the morning! Ruby is insecure and for good reason. She’s fat,
single and now thirty and her mother won’t let her forget any of
them. She’s got a frenemy that is a man-eating stick insect
(giggled at that description every time!). Kyan is the crystal
warrior that is Ruby’s life mate. The only problem is that he is
stunningly gorgeous (and a sweetheart!) so she doesn’t believe a
thing about it. The first scenes of their meeting are a riot!

The set up for this story is not new but
Maree adds some twists that make it feel fresh and her characters
are believable and lovable. There are moments of heartbreak that
make you want to cry but this is a Romance so there is a Happily
Ever After, they just need to fight for it! Can’t wait to go get
the next one now.”

~~~

JADE’S CHOICE

Book 3 of The Crystal Warriors Series

http://www.JadesChoice.com

Finalist: Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon
Award

for full-length romantic manuscript

~~~

Jade’s a talented painter, forced to give up
her dreams of art school to care for her chronically ill sister.
Faced with escalating medical bills, Jade lies to her sister and
her best friend, and advertises herself as an escort. Her ad is
answered by Peter Stone, aka Pieter, the Crystal Guardian. He gives
Jade a malachite crystal and when she touches it, she shares the
torment of the man trapped inside. The crystal breaks and before
she knows what’s at stake, she’s bonded to a Crystal Warrior named
Malach.

Malach spent centuries imprisoned in his
cursed crystal before he was given the chance to bond. When that
bonding failed, he believed he would be put to death by the Crystal
Guardian, but he discovered a far worse fate was to be imprisoned
yet again to suffer years of torment and sensory deprivation. He’ll
willingly bond with Jade if that’s what it takes to have another
chance at freedom, but if it seems likely they will fail the next
stage of the bonding—the Testing—Malach has vowed to kill himself
rather than endure imprisonment a third time.

Jade is horrified when she learns the true
extent of Malach’s suffering. She’s determined to save him, but it
could be a losing battle… because he’s still in love with
Francesca, the woman who refused him decades ago. And when
Francesca discovers Malach is still alive and seeks him out, who
will Malach choose?

~~~

LIGHTNING RIDER

http://www.LightningRiderBook.com

Third place: Utah Romance Writers “Heart of the West”
award,

paranormal category

Highly Commended: Romance Writers of New Zealand
Clendon Award

for full-length romantic manuscript

~~~

When Andie Brennan signs up for a Slickrock
Bike Trail tour in an attempt to rekindle her love of the outdoors
she meets Jake Knight. Jake’s generous, down-to-earth, and gorgeous
to boot. He could just be her soul mate… except she’s already got a
boyfriend, and Andie doesn’t do cheating. But before she can fully
explore why the sound of Jake’s voice and his crooked smile make
her feels happier than she’s been in years, death strikes in a
searing instant, sizzling a few million neurons and arresting her
heart.

Andie wakes up in hospital. Her injuries are
completely healed and her recovery is being touted as a miracle.
Only trouble is she can’t remember a damn thing about her past —
not even her name. Nor is she exactly whooping with joy at her
second chance at life because there’s a voice inside her head
claiming to be a Lightning Rider Elemental named Karylon. And boy,
does it take one heckuva lot of fast talking for Karylon to
convince Andie that she’s real—that Andie is not insane, and she
really
is
hosting an alien.

Can a damaged young woman find the courage to
escape her manipulative boyfriend and grasp the happiness she
deserves? With the help of Jake, and the alien Lightning Rider
trapped inside her, you betcha! But the omniscient Keeper of
Portents has no qualms about manipulating Novik, Karylon’s
Lightning Rider lover, to its own ends. Is Novik willing to risk it
all to be with Karylon again? And with the future of the Lightning
Rider Elemental race is at stake, who else will fall prey to The
Keeper?

~~~