Goddess Of The Written Word!

Happy August everyone. I hope you are enjoying your summer. This month's Goddess of the Written Word is none other than Kresley Cole. I talked earlier about the book that got me hooked on her Immortals After Dark series, but I have since become a major fan of her books. I totally love all the books in the Immortals series.

The books are about many groups of immortals. They are on the cusp of what is called the Accension, a time when immortals war against each other and many die. It's nature's way of keeping a balance in the levels of immortals. For as long as anyone can remember, the Horde, a ruthless group of vampires has gone through the Accension with the least amount of casualities. But that may be changing.

Various groups of immortals, including a splinter group from the vampires called Forbearers, are aligning together. This unsual occurence is being brought about by unusual combos of couples falling for each other and deciding to ensure the survival of those they love.

Book one is an anthology called Playing Easy To Get and introduces us to immortal enemies Myst and Nickolai Wroth. Myst is a Valkyrie and is known as Myst the Coveted. She is the most beautiful of her warrior sisters and has been imprisoned in a Horde stronghold by a vampire known as Ivo the Cruel. Nickolai is a general in the Forbearers' army. When he and his fellow soldiers invade and take over the stronghold, he finds himself falling for a woman who could never accept him, a woman who hates all vampires.

Book two is called A Hunger Like No Other. Lachlain MacRieve is king of the Lykae who has endured 150 years of torture at the hands of the Horde. Scenting his mate above him, he takes drastic matters to escape only to become enraged at discovering his true mate is half vampire. Emmaline Troy is a sheltered half-vampire half-valkyrie who has never seen another vampire or even a Lykae. In Paris to discover the truth about her heritage, Emmaline is horrified to find herself kidnapped by an insane Lykae who hates her kind.

Book three is No Rest For The Wicked. Kaderin is a Valkyrie known as Kaderin the Coldhearted. Gifted by a benevolent source years ago to have no emotions, Kaderin is a stone cold killer of vamps. Her hatred, though not felt any longer, still runs deep. A vampire she had shown mercy repaid her kindness by killing her two blood sisters. The only pleasure in life she feels is the Talisman's Hie, an immortal scavenger hunt that can be very deadly. Sebastian Wroth is a vampire who wants to claim Kaderin, a woman who hates what he is. To win her over, he enters the Hie.

Book four is called Wicked Deeds On A Winter's Night. Bowen MacRieve, the Lykae cousin to the King has entered the Hie to win the prize. It signifies his only chance of resurrecting his long dead mate, Mariah. He will be ruthless to win, but finds himself angry and disgusted when a fellow competitor, a witch, draws his interest. He is convinced she has cast a spell over him and seeks to punish her. Mariketa The Awaited is fated to become queen of the witches, if she can ever learn to master her haywire powers. But when a Lykae traps her and several others in a cave of cursed incubi, Mariketa who is not yet immortal might not live to fulfill her destiny.

Book five is my favorite one and is called Dark Needs At Night's Edge. If you'd like to know what it's about, scroll down to the entry I did about the whole story. Book six is called Dark Desires After Dusk. Cadeon Woede is a rage demon who through inaction lost his brother his crown. He finds himself falling for the only type of creature who is forbidden to his kind, a human. But the human turns out to be a Valkyrie and also something called the Vessel. The Vessel is a woman born just before an Accension and is fated to give birth to a child whom, depending on the father, will either be the ultimate soldier of good or of evil. To claim a weapon of great power to get his brother's throne back, Cade must betray the woman he loves to an evil sorceror. Holly Ashwin never knew she was a Valkyrie until the day a group of demons decided to kidnap her. But, though Cadeon seems to be on her side and teaches her to fight, she has a feeling that she might not be able to trust him.

Book seven is the newest installment and is called Kiss Of A Demon King. Rydstrom Woede lost his kingdom due to his brother's inactivity. Determined to win it back, he goes on a quest to accquire an ultimate weapon only to be kidnapped by the usurper of his crown's sister. Sabine is Queen of Illusions and she is determined to save her people by getting pregnant by Rydstrom. However, when he manages to escape he turns the tables and imprisons her. If she can't win Rydstrom's love, then Sabine will end up dead because her brother, the one who stole Rydstrom's throne, has insured that she will either serve him or die a painful death along with her sister Lanthe.

In October, a dualogy with Gena Showalter called Deep Kiss Of Winter will come out. Kresley's contribution will be about Murdoch Wroth, a vampire soldier in the Forbearers' army, and Daniela, a Valkyrie who cannot be touched by anyone but members of her own species. Any who touch her will feel freezing pain. Now, to claim the woman he loves, Murdoch and Daniela must search for a way to cure her icy skin. January of next year will mark the next full installment of the series and will be called Pleasure Of a Dark Prince. Garreth MacRieve, the brother of Lachlain the Lykae king will finally claim the Valkyrie who has stolen his heart. Lucia is a great archer cursed to feel excruitiating pain whenever she misses a target. I can't wait.

I truly love this series and I really hope Kresley gets to do Annika's story soon. Annika is the Valkryie who is currently head of the New Orleans coven. She became foster mother to Emmaline and is the only reason her fellow Valkyrie, who hate vamps, didn't kill Emma but instead learned to love her. I really hope her story gets told. Kresley Cole is August's Goddess of the Written Word. Congratulations!