Title: Blaze of Memory

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: November 3 , 2009
Paperback: 400 pages

Stand Alone or series: 7th novel in the Psy/Changeling series. Yes, they need to be read in order, as the worldbuilding is continously expanding and there is an overall story arc.

Why did I read the book: If you have been reading this blog for a while you know this: I am a nalinisingh-a-holic. Seriously: this series is AWESOME.

How did I get the book: ARC from Author

Summary: Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

Review:

Death is a curse to those who dare. The Forgotten are the descendants of those Psy who dared to say no to the Silence protocol and broke away from the PsyNet. Pursued and punished, over and over again, those Psy went into hiding and became….Invisible. Forgotten. Until their ranks started to soar again and new, different psychic gifts appeared in the new generation putting them under the Council’s radar. Now, it is a matter of life and death and the Forgotten need to be part of the struggle against the rising threat or face total annihilation. Again.

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Dev Santos is one of the Forgotten. As the director of the Shine Foundation, the organization that finds and helps the children that are developing new psychic powers, he is devoted to the mission and will do anything to protect those under its wings. Anything. When an amnesiac Psy woman is left at his door, he knows of the danger she presents and prepares himself to kill her if necessary. The woman is the survivor of the worst form of torture – one that destroyed her mind and cut her out of the Silence conditioning; her torturer rebuilt her with a new conditioning and with a mission – and she is a weapon against the Forgotten that can go out at any time.

Soon enough she is identified as Ekaterina Haas, a friend of Ashaya, the heroine of Hostage to Pleasure and one who everybody thought dead. Even though she doesn’t remember at first who she is, she knows that she is dangerous, and she urges Dev to kill her if the need arises.

They both know what their duty is and they are prepared to face it. But as they spend time together, Katya (as she renames herself) starts to remember and they come to know and fall for each other. But as duty comes first to Dev and the need to survive and to renew grows with each day inside Katya, soon they are at odds with each other; and their budding relationship faces many obstacles.

Nalini Singh took a huge risk with this book by choosing not to have a changeling in the romantic pairing. The changeling characters are definitively the heart of this series and their passion for life and their mates what makes the books so compulsively readable. It is also true that focusing the romantic pairings in the same group of characters, as much as we all love them, may turn a series infused with life into something that is repetitive and stale. It might prove easy for writers of long-term series to fall behind the used and tried formula (Christine Feehan, I am looking at you) but Nalini Singh is always trying to do something new. In Caressed by Ice for example, her hero is a pure Psy, who lived in Silence and whose conditioning had to be broken as he struggled to learn the way of his heroine, a changeling. That struggle was so incredibly well-written and vivid that it should come as no surprise that Caressed by Ice is my favourite book in the series to date. I can only admire Nalini Singh for her attempt to invigorate her series with each book. However.

I don’t think it worked as I hoped it would. Not because the hero or heroine are not changelings but because they are not distinctive enough. Here was a chance to create a new and shinny type of character in Dev – a Forgotten who is neither full-blown Psy nor changeling but his inner thoughts and arc were so similar to that of the changelings that I hardly ever saw the difference. He went through all of the stages a changeling hero goes: which includes protectiveness and possessiveness. Don’t get me wrong: I love that. LOVE that, it is as I said, what gives this series its heart and the relationship between Dev and Katya was well done and did not lack heart, soul or heat. It did not lack believable, internal or external conflict either and I was wholly captivated and invested in their path to the HEA to the point where I cried when it finally came. But I also cannot help but to think that I read it all before in this series.

Having said that, if the romance was not necessarily fresh, the backdrop in which it took place certainly was. I have said this before: if the changelings are the heart of the series, the careful world building and the Psy are what makes it unique. This time around, the story focuses on the Psy and their struggle to fight their own demons. The book is intercalated with glimpses (via letters) into the life of one of the first Psy families to break out of the PsyNet as the Silence protocol was being implemented. Even though we know by now that creating the Silence Protocol was a decision that came with no small amount of sacrifice , to see it thought the eyes of someone so close to it was very interesting. It is a hard choice between the survival or one’s race and the survival of the individual need for love and affection. There are shades of gray in this race as well as in the others and even though there are villains amongst them, there are also heroes.

Furthermore, the ongoing arc of the Psy Council against the different races is going strong and now there is a new piece of information that they all must face at some point: the dark, dead points appearing in the PsyNet. What will this mean for the future of the series I can only guess. Now, what I really, really loved about this book? The awesome appearances of characters from previous books and their interaction with each other with real, necessary roles to play. And I just loved how both Sascha and Judd are stepping up to help the new generation.

In the end, I think that when people get to look back at this series, Blaze of Memory may not be their favourite when it comes to the romance but it is certainly a seminal one in the overall arc. It gives an insight into the Psy and the Forgotten and what is like to always be fighting the darkness within. This is something that my favourite hero, Judd Lauren, is still battling with even fours books after his own and that sense of continuity is what ultimately set this series apart and above in the genre.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: I might sound like a broken record, but gosh, I love Judd. LOVE Judd and I thought his appearances in this book were so cool. Also, the ending: Dev’s pain had me in tears.

Additional Thoughts: You can find an extensive behind-the-scenes page at the author’s webpage which includes, characters’ list, FAQ, excerpts, free stories and more. If you like Paranormal Romance and are not reading this series, you do not know what you are missing (ie a LOT). Along with Meljean Brook’s Guardian series, the Psy/Changeling series is the best that the genre can offer: good writing, superb world building and awesome romance.

Verdict: Blaze of Memory may not be the best book in the series but it is definitely an important one in advancing the overall arc. Plus, it maintains this author’s track record in writing hot, interesting and engaging romance with excellent worldbuilding .

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: The Dragon Book anthology.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Courtesy of Berkley, we have one copy of Blaze of Memory to give away. To enter, leave a comment answering the question: if you could be a part of the Psy/Changeling world, would you be a changeling (if a changeling: a wolf or a leopard) or a psy?

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run until Saturday November 7th at 11:59pm (Pacific). Good luck!

“Inspiration and Influences” is a new series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspiration and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.

Today our guest is Paranormal Romance writer Nalini Singh. Nalini Singh is the creator of the hugely popular and consistently good Psy-Changeling series, as well as the new Guild Hunter series. Her newest book, Branded by Fire , the sixth in the Psy- Changeling world, will be released on July 7th. She is also one of Ana’s favourite authors and Ana loves Nalini Singh’s books so much she has become a Nalinisingh-a-holic.

Without further ado, please give the floor to Nalini Singh:

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Inspiration & Influences
a.k.a. In which Nalini rambles…

I once saw a little girl walking along the street with her mother. She was bouncing in that way kids do and her dress, a pink dress with a ruffle around the edge, lifted up with each bounce. Her shoes were white lace ups and she had on ankle socks. And her smile, it said she adored her mother more than anyone or anything else in the world.

One day, I’m going to write a story about that little girl.

For me, inspiration comes from everywhere, from pieces seen, life lived, and thoughts had. With my changelings, I remember being unhappy that in all the shapeshifter books I was reading at the time, all the movies I’d seen, being able to change shape into an animal was considered a bad thing, a thing to be fought.

Why??

Wouldn’t it be completely AWESOME to turn into a leopard and go prowling through the jungle? Imagine what you’d be able to smell, how fast you’d be able to run, the way the wind would ripple through your fur.

(Original Image from Wikipedia )

So my changelings adore both halves of their selves. And it doesn’t hurt for them to change—because they are both.

As for the way they move…I did a lot of research on big cats, but I also remember watching a neighbor’s cat prowl really, really slowly through the grass, stalking imaginary prey. I didn’t move myself until the cat pounced. A miniature predator not so far from his bigger cousins.

In Branded By Fire, you’ll get to meet some winged changelings. I think they’re completely cool. Flying’s probably the super power I would most like to have. So it was kind of inevitable I would one day write about angels. Thinking back – the first story I ever won a contest with, was a short story titled “Angel.”

I’ve grown and developed as a writer since then, but that passion for worlds beyond our ken has always remained. I think, for me, inspiration is not something you ever put limits on – it’s present all around us, every day, in different forms. Yesterday, I saw another neighbor’s cat racing down the road like a streak of white lightning…only to come to a stop for a man who appeared to be a stranger. She even let him pick her up. Who was this man? Do you think he can talk to cats?
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Nalini Singh is the NY Times Bestseller author of the Psy-Changeling series. Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, Nalini has been writing as long as she can remember. Her stories always held a thread of romance (even when she was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). She loves creating unique characters, loves giving them happy endings and she even loves the voices in her head. There’s no other job she would rather be doing.

You can read more about Nalini Singh on her website here

A HUGE thank you to Nalini for the article!

Giveaway Details:

We have one copy of Branded by Fire to giveaway to one lucky winner. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run for 48 hours only – as we know how anxious you all are to read it! To enter, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm on Thursday July 2. Winner will be randomly picked and announced on this post on Friday morning.

Good luck!!

ETA: Thanks to all that commented!

The contest is now closed!

Title: Branded by Fire

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Berkley
Publishing Date: July 7, 2009
Paperback:368 pages

Stand Alone or Series: Psy-Changeling book 6 – can not (should not) be read as a stand alone.

Summary:Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.

But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire

Why did I read the book: Hello, my name is Ana and I am a nalinisingh-a-holic

Review:

Change can kill. But it can also save.
Take the Psy for example: the Silence Protocol was implemented in an attempt to thwart the madness typical to their race, wiping their emotions to save their existence. This change saved them and set them apart and above all the other races – or so they thought. Now , the changeling and the humans are beginning to rise and for better or for worse, the Psy need to face their destiny and once more accept change – or die.
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In this sixth entry in the series, the romance plot follows Mercy and Riley, characters that have appeared before in the series. Mercy is a sentinel for the leopard pack, DarkRiver whereas Riley is second in command for the wolf pack – SnowDance. Since the two packs have allied in the upcoming war against the Psy, Mercy and Riley have worked as the liaison for their respective packs. They are very strong people : both physically and in personality and have huge responsibilities in their packs. And when they get together – whoa – sparks fly as you would expect from two dominants. Mercy and Riley have been dancing around each other, getting on each other’s nerves for a while now (which in romance means “Meant for Each Other”). Contrary to the previous books in the series, Mercy and Riley start their (very.hot) sexual dance very early in the book (chapter one to be exact) which is very apropos to their personalities and conforming to the characteristic of the world Nalini Singh has created. Because this is the first full-blown changeling couple in the series and it is only appropriate that their sensual nature is centre stage. At least at first.

Because one of the main features in the Psy-Changeling series is how the animal in each of the changelings is juxtaposed to the human part.
All changelings are BOTH animal and human. The animal will be all instinct (to protect, to couple, to mate) and usually the instinct will be cause for actions and feelings that the human will follow. But not without thinking. This is what is so great about this series: even though there is the underlying Fated to Mate aspect that the animal half acknowledges , the human half still needs to think things through and accept it as well for it to work. The tension between Riley and Mercy comes from their human half having to accept the change (the “theme” of this book) that their relationship can bring to their live: if they are mated, will their kids be able to change since they are wolf and leopard? What will happen to their allegiance to their packs – will they still be connected to their Alphas or will one of them have to sever the contact? For Mercy there is also the question of how dominant she is and if she would even be able to accept someone in her life. The answer is of course, yes but the fun part is to follow the development of the story and the scorching hot interactions between Riley and Mercy.

But as much as the sexual tension is important for this couple, the strength of the novel is in the emotional bonding that slowly builds between them. As much as the two are strong characters (Riley is called the “Wall” by his alpha Hawke for his cold head for negotiating, for example) , one half of the couple has an emotional frailty coming from losses or near losses, and I thought it was great that it was the male character – Riley. There is a huge insight on his character that comes from his brother Andrew when he says to Mercy that Riley would sacrifice himself for the ones he loves but he doesn’t believe that anyone would do the same for him. He suffers from nightmares since his sister Brenna was tortured by a Psy in a previous book (book 1 ) and he is unable to let it go. And Mercy, the dominant female needs to learn a bit about nurturing to be able to be with Riley and that is absolutely great to see.

The juxtaposition of human-animal is not the only one in the series because the romance is equally juxtaposed to the world-building of the Psy-Changeling tension. And the tension builds even more in this book as The Human Alliance become a pain for both Psy and Changeling. There is danger , and the nerve-wrecking build-up to something huge. It is so clear to me that there is an end-game and that this is truly a well-planned, well-thought out series if ever there was one. Nalini Singh introduces a new kind of Psy in this one, as well as new characters and a lot of old ones have important roles. This is another great aspect about the series: characters from previous books make appearances but not just as a “hey-I am here, look at me, am I not cute” appearance but because their story is not done and they need to still accomplish something or develop their story arcs. I am thinking about Sascha, the female character from the first book, Slave to Sensation who is still dealing with her defection from the PsyNet and still needs to have closure with her mother.

Speaking of secondary characters, and because I am such a tease: there is a lot of Hawke , the wolf alpha on this one. And I mean, A LOT. And a lot of Sienna. Nalini Singh is building their relationship very nicely indeed and when their time comes to shine (but I think it will take some time though) , it will be absolutely great.

Branded by Fire is a superb addition to a winning series coming second only to Caressed by Ice (book 3) which is still my favourite in the series. And can I just say this: Nalini Singh astonishes me. Simple as that: this is the second book she wrote this year (the first was Angels’ Blood) and both will most probably make my top 10 of 2009. AND she has a third one coming out later in the year – Blaze of Memory, another entry in the Psy-Changeling series and I have no doubt it will be another winner.

So, yeah. My name is Ana and it is no wonder that I am a nalinisingh-a-holic.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Just about every single interaction between Riley and Mercy. Also, between Mercy and her pack members. Actually, make that all the scenes between Riley and his alpha, Hawke and between Hawke and Sienna. Crap. the whole book is freaking notable.

Additional Thoughts: Tomorrow, Nalini Singh will be blogging with us about her Inspiration and Infuences and we will have a copy of Branded by Fire to giveaway.

Verdict: another worthy addition to the Psy-Changeling series. Nalini Singh is an expert at writing Paranormal Romance,always delivering GOOD stories with fantastically balanced romance and world building.

Rating: 9

Reading Next: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Title: Caressed by Ice

Author: Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: Book 3 of the Psy/Changeling series.
Book 1 – Slave to Sensation
Book 2 – Visions of Heat

Summary: As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna… Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

Why Did I Read the Book: even though book 1, Slave to Sensation did not rock my world, book 2, Visions of Heat, did. Reading book 3 (and 4 and 5) was only but a natural progression.

Review:

In the perfect silent world of the Psy there is no room for unwanted emotion, in their minds or in their souls. The Silence Protocol was implemented in an attempt to thwart the madness typical to their race and a secretive squad, the Arrow Squad, was created to control the backlash. Almost a myth for most Psy, except for the ones that come into contact with them. An Arrow is a warrior with spectacular mental combat abilities used to wipe out any Psy that may be breaking the Silence Protocol. Arrows are loyal only to the Silence Protocol. Or at least, they should be.

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This is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series where the action takes place in the SnowDance wolf pack rather than in the DarkRiver leopard pack. A welcomed change of scenario – not because one gets tired of the DarkRiver pack ( far from it, how could one possibly get tired of such an amazing group of people?) but because learning about another pack adds another perspective to the world Nalini Singh has created.

Brenna is the wolf changeling that was at the centre of the mystery in Slave to Sensation – she was the wolf taken by the crazy Psy serial killer, the event that precipitated the action in that book. Rescued from a fate worse than death, in a combined effort of DarkRiver and SnowDance packs with the help of the Judd Lauren, a Psy who defected from the PsyNet joining the SnowDance pack.

Brenna is broken. The torture she endured has done things to her down to the very core of what she is – she was raped in every possible way and her mind was taken and ripped and controlled. Brenna is in the slow process of recovering; of bringing herself back together and to everyone’s consternation, the person that has helped her most is the cold, unfeeling Judd Lauren.

Judd was one of the first Psy to have ever defected from the PsyNet, ahem, that we know of, along with his family. They have been living in hiding with the SnowDance pack, having created their own net to support their minds – the LaurenNet.

Judd and Brenna have already a relationship as the book opens: they are sort of friends with Judd being the only person that does not overprotect her, unlike her brothers Andrew and Riley. He just lets her be. His pitiless, coldness, typically Psy, is exactly what she needs to be able to recover. But there is more to them because Brenna starts to realise that she wants to be near the man that helps her control her mind but also speaks to very heart of the wolf inside of her. Judd on the other hand, as cold as any Psy can be, also starts to develop feelings for Brenna but he just can’t allow this, whatever this is, to develop.

Because for Judd, touch and feelings foster the possibility of loss of control. Unlike the other two Psy protagonists in the two previous books Sascha and Faith, Judd’s problem is not getting away and surviving outside the PsyNet because he has done that already. Judd’s problem is that he used to be an Arrow and the Silence Protocol is whatever has been holding together his capacity to do violence. He believes he was recruited to the Arrow Squad because of what he can do, because of his mind abilities, he didn’t become a threat because he was an arrow, it was the other way around. He believes himself to be a prime example of the very thing the Silence was created for. And the most tragic element in their love story is that even though Judd is Psy to his core, he KNOWS that the Silence is an arbitrary condition – he would be fully prepared to accept feelings but he just can’t. He also believes that his own conditioning is what keeps his immense power in check and breaking it could bring death to the people around him , specially Brenna. His struggle to fight the feelings, to fight her closeness is a thing to behold as is the moment he realises he can not fight it, will not fight it anymore and gives in to feelings. They will eventually bring about is own death and every times he is near Brenna and feels, he gets pain triggers, and he bleeds, but the alternative now has become unthinkable.

The romantic plot in this book is absolutely extraordinary because both Judd and Brenna must go at great lengths to be with each other. Changelings crave touch because it centres them but it has the opposite effect to Judd. Brenna needs to learn to cope with a mate that won’t fit the mold she would like whilst Judd will learn valuable lessons from Hawke, the alpha male of the wolf pack (Changeling 101 lesson #1 always stand by your female in public). And they are both overcoming immense obstacles even though they believe there is no mating bond between them – their wanting to be together is all the more powerful for it. What the Psy has caused them: the torture that changed Brenna and the protocol that has Judd holding back is so cruel and heart wrenching. Their HEA was the most difficulty to achieve and the one that has melted my heart.

But the romantic element is by not by any means all that is amazing about this book. It is but one of the treads that are interconnected – there is the not so small detail that someone is trying to kill Brenna and that mystery is not revealed until the last chapters and the villain is not easy to guess. Their concept of good and evil is to be challenged when the mystery is finally solved. It does no detract from the overall story, quite the contrary. The mystery further develops all the conflict and it serves as a powerful wake up call to every one involved: evil is everywhere.

Furthermore, we get glimpses of our DarkRiver favorites and get to know a lot more about Hawke (Hawke! His book could not come soon enough) and the usual chapters from the Psy point of view, which starts a story arc that will expand throughout the next two books:

Kaleb Krychek, a cardinal Psy and the newest member of the Psy council has been doing something out of his own accord. He has a hidden agenda that has something to do with the implement of Protocol 1- a program to implement Silent at an organic level. The last desperate attempt to avoid more breakdowns and desertions. A creation of a hive mind, where freedom is impossible. Their head scientist is Ashaya Aleine (mark this name , because she is important!) a Gradient 9.9 M-Psy and there is a rumour going around that she is not entirely supportive of the Protocol which could only help the insurgents. Plus there is the ever present Ghost, someone very close to the Council that with help from Judd has been attacking and destroying laboratories connected with the project.

I open and close the review with the Psy world because that is one of the greatest creations in the series. We all have read about changelings in other series but the Psy is unique to Nalini Singh. And its uniqueness come from that everything that they are, everything that they believe in is a concocted lie. And they are coming down.

This is where I feel, Nalini Singh has come into full control of her writing, bringing it to perfection point. There isn’t a single thing I can think of that isn’t perfect about this book. It is honed to a point where everything meets, all is interconnected, it expands the world she has created, adding new information. Nothing is lost and everything has a point and a reason.

Hello Lord this is me Ana, please send my love to Nalini Singh for having created such an amazing story.

I love all the books in the series but Caressed by Ice is by far, my favorite.

Notable quotes/ Parts: I love every single thing about this book. But I particularly loved to see Judd, The Man of Ice to start accepting the things that were inherent to a changeling personality but not to his – like for example his reaction to Brenna calling him baby. Or how she would just tell him what to do “you need to hold me now”. He did have some instincts though and in the end he learns how to laugh and how to play, but only with Brenna. *sighs*

Additional Thoughts: I love all of the DarkRiver heroes, their Alpha and their Sentinels: Lucas, Vaughn , Nate, Clay, Dorian and I love how they are a perfect balance of human and animal and how they are at ease with every aspect of their personality embracing every single thing that makes them alive, be it good, be it bad. They just are the perfect Alpha heroes in any romance novel. And just as they are the epitome of the Alpha Male , it is easy for them within the reality of the world created by Nalini Singh, to be heroic and the dream man of any romance reader.

And this is why, amongst all of that goodness , Judd stands out as my favourite Nalini Singh hero to date. Because out of all of them he is the one that needs to embrace things he has never thought he would be able to. He is the one to have a long way to go, the most arduous path, and one that he believed would cause his own destruction but one he resolutely followed anyway because the option of not being with Brenna was just not an option at all.

Plus he has the coolest Psy powers of them all. Who cares about empathy and future predicting? Pffft. His telekinesis is so powerful he can TELEPORT, babies. And don’t even get me started on TK Sex. It is, quite possibly, the hottest sex I have ever read in a romance.

Verdict: This is one of the best paranormal romance series out there. There is an overall arc of Psy x Changelings that expands throughout all the instalments and every detail in the world building remains consistent. Romance wise? Dream worthy.

Rating: Caressed by Ice gets a 10 from me. It is perfect. I have read and re-read it more times than I can count.

Tomorrow: Nalini Singh Extravaganza day 2: Review of Mine to Possess.