Stephanie Cage - Writer

There are few better moments for a writer than finding out that an editor has enjoyed your story enough to want to share it with the world. Maybe one day it'll get old, but after two novellas and one novel, it certainly hasn't yet. I've just signed my third contract with The Wild Rose Press, which I'm delighted about because I think they did a great job with my first two novellas, 'Desperate Bid' and 'A Santa Next Door.' My first two Wild Rose Press novellas were straightforward contemporary romances, but this one is a bit of a departure, because although it's set in the present day, it also contains a paranormal element, in the form of a djinn, or genie, who appears in response to the photographer heroine's wish for the perfect model for her photo shoot. What would you do, I wonder, if a perfect man materialised out of thin air - literally - in your studio? If you've followed along with my occasional Sunday snippets, you might reme...

Ascend by Amanda Hocking My rating: 4 of 5 stars 'Ascend' is a fantastic conclusion to the Trylle trilogy, and brings together all the threads that were tangling messily at the end of 'Torn'. Wendy's planned wedding, her lingering feelings for Finn and growing attraction to Loki, the looming death of her mother Elora, Queen of the Trylle, and the ongoing quest of her father, King of the Vittra, to take over the Trylle kingdom. Of you've read and enjoyed the rest of the trilogy you won't be able to resist this exciting, dramatic and fast-paced finale. View all my reviews

Torn by Amanda Hocking My rating: 4 of 5 stars It's some time since I read ' Switched ' but it was easy to slip back into the believable world of the Trylle.  The book certainly opens with a bang, as Wendy is kidnapped by the Vittra in an exciting sequence. She escapes surprisingly easily, although the reason for this later becomes apparent. Perhaps the rest of the story doesn't quite live up to the excitement of the opening, but there are twists and turns aplenty and I was kept reading on to see how Wendy will manage to balance love and duty in what rapidly becomes more than a love triangle: there's Finn, the handsome tracker to whom she's always been attracted; Tove, the kindly Markis she's supposed to marry to save her kingdom; and finally, Loki, the dangerously attractive Vittra who was instrumental in her escape. I loved the magical world of the Trylle, and the Princess-diary-ish strand of Wendy learning to adapt from being an ordinary teenag...

The Scandalous Duchess by Anne O'Brien My rating: 4 of 5 stars I don't tend to think of myself as a fan of historical fiction, but lately every time I pick up a historical read, I love the escapism and the intensity of the story. Anne O'Brien's 'The Scandalous Duchess' is no exception. Lady Katherine is a fabulously strong, scrupulous heroine, so it's surprising to find her lured into an ongoing affair with the powerful, seductive Duke of Lancaster. More surprising still are the twists and turns in their longstanding relationship. I loved the historical detail and most of all the sense of a very private love constantly challenged by public standards and scrutiny. Still very much relevant today. View all my reviews