Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Warlord's Concubine by J.E. & M. Keep

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour for The Warlord’s Concubine by J.E. & M. Keep.  Please leave a comment or question to let them know you stopped by.  Don't forget to enter the tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. 

Guest Post - Love by J.E. & M. Keep

We’re junkies for twisted relationships. Dominant characters with murky intentions, who have secrets and hoard them away. Characters who are opportunistic but find with this one person, they can be themselves. Their true selves.

I think that’s what we really managed to do with The Warlord’s Concubine. The characters aren’t good people, they don’t always do the right things. They’re not downright evil, but they’re certainly closer to that then to good. They do things to get more power, to put themselves ahead. For a long time, these two characters think about no one but themselves and their own futures.

Yet with each other, they find something new and fresh and unfamiliar. They find caring and concern for someone other than themselves.

It’s hard to say who changed more, through the course of the story, and I certainly don’t want to spoil it! I think, though, that their love really did amazing things not just for themselves, but for a lot of people around them, too.  Because that’s what love does. It softens you, and makes you better. Not just for your partner, but for everyone. And that’s why these characters are afraid of love, because they’ve learned that the way to get what they want is through strength. Through control. Through having power.

Giving that power to someone else is a hard task, and that’s what makes it so special. When a character can let someone in, can expose their weaknesses, you’re witnessing a transformation. I love this about Mirella and the God-King, because they’re both so selfish and cruel and power hungry. Their relationship develops around sex and subservience, but slowly they begin to let one another in.

I think that’s why I like the romance genre so much, seeing these constant transformations and positive changes. I love when people fight the odds and find love, find happiness and contentment in another person. It really affects me, and we’ve been hearing from readers that it’s really affecting them too.

Not only are they saying that the sex is hot, but that the love is at times rough or tender but always real, and that’s just so rewarding. We can’t wait to hear what you think, too!

 The Warlord’s Concubine

By J.E. & M. Keep

Publisher:  J.E. & M. Keep

Release Date: July 1, 2013

Genre: Erotic Fantasy Romance

Length: 208 Pages

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Book Description:

Mirella often wonders what her life would've been like had she been born a princess, rather than the property of one.

When a dark warlord from the north conquers her princess' kingdom, however, he has plans for the dainty young future-queen. It makes the question all the more poignant, because now, more is at stake than just her rough treatment, but love and lust as well.

As an indentured servant and handmaiden to the princess for much of her life, the middle-aged Mirella sees the conquest of the land as an opportunity to elevate herself. Though as she earns the trust of their conquerors, she finds her own nature challenged as well. A life of callous disregard has made her hard, but as she battles the princess' will for the first time and finds new allies and friends, does she have what it takes to win the love and favour of the brutal warlord? Will love and friendship be her downfall? Or will her station in life yet again be her undoing?

Caution: The Warlord's Concubine is a dark fantasy novel that contains explicit scenes, and a twisted romance between a handmaiden and a God.

Excerpt

A great table filled the center of the tent, and upon it was heaped food. A mix of the rich pantry of the palace with the flavours of the harsh tundra, making for the oddest banquet Mirella had ever seen.

But at the heart of it stood a statue, carved from obsidian stone. It was unmistakable though the craftsmanship was not as refined as that of the courtly artists who decorated the millennia old palace. The presence of the mighty man, albeit nude and holding a great scimitar that was lodged into the spine of some defeated foe, inspired all the other women, even the guards, to fear. Mirella could tell they—unlike her—knew much greater terror of the God-King, even in his lifeless representation.

It was curious to her why the man of such taste would be so destructive, but it didn’t matter. She barely glanced to the other women. The evening prior she might have been a handmaiden, but now she was on equal footing with all of them, and it filled her with a strange sense of righteousness. Her eyes worked over the statue as she left the princess to recover on top of some pillows, her gaze one of wonderment and a lingering, heated desire.

His power radiated from the stone and she briefly wondered at what the more skilled artisans could do for him.

She couldn’t recall at how long she might’ve been staring at that statue when she was disturbed, her gaze lost on that harsh stone depiction, entranced by the generous proportions of his muscles and loins. It was, as far as she could tell, true to form, but lacking in the expert subtleties a court artisan would bring to it.

“Most don’t even dare to look at it,” came that otherworldly voice, so richly masculine, irradiating such strength and command in a manner she’d never heard before.

In the torchlight of the tent she could make him out all the clearer. His charcoal skin was smooth and flawless. His face so chiselled and handsome. Hair long and perfectly shiny. Her first guess only seemed all the more right; a god. Though the dark clothes he wore, looking a blend of velvet and leather, mixed with his piercing dark gaze and skin, it didn’t take much guessing to place as what kind of deity he might be.

About the Authors:

J.E. and M. Keep have a passion for all things sci fi/fantasy, and a desire to see what characters do when others fade to black. They set out to explore the most sexual, titillating and sometimes terrifying encounters. The plots are contemporary, fantasy, or science fiction, but they all have one thing in common: they’re hot.

From dark and taboo smut to coming-of-ages lust, from twisted love stories to tragic tales of self-destructive needs, they explore the fact that not all ‘Ever Afters’ are happy, and not everyone’s idea of happy is the same.

Come explore the limits of erotica and discover new desires from the smutty minds of J.E. & M. Keep. They can be found on their website at http://www.darkfantasyerotica.com/.

Website | Blog | Newsletter | Facebook | @jmkeep  | @jekeep

My Review

Set in an interesting world, The Warlord’s Concubine by J.E. & M. Keep is a fair mix of dark fantasy and erotic romance.  An interesting plot and plenty of action kept me turning the pages to discover what was going to happen next. 

A servant from her birth, Mirella is used to taking care of someone else’s needs and ignoring her own.  When a warlord from the “savage” north attacks the city of Ariste and she and Princess Anabelle Flair become his prisoners, Mirella realizes that fate has given her the opportunity to have a better life.  It’s also introduced her to the warlord, who she considers a “god-king”.  A man she desperately wants for herself.

Spoiled from birth, Princess Anabelle Flair has no intentions of becoming a savage warlord’s concubine.  Regardless of the fact it could save her kingdom.  She’s determined to wait to be rescued and no matter what Mirella tries to convince her to do, she’s determined to not let herself get “sullied”.

A huge and powerful warrior, Kulav is determined to not only conquer the city of Ariste but to seize control of the entire empire.  A “savage” at heart, Kulav’s only concern is staying in control and finding a way to legitimize his hold on the empire.  Determined to have a strong heir, Kulav only adds women who will help him gain power to his harem. 

The scenes between Mirella and Kulav are interesting and showcase two people whose immediate attraction is a powerful force.  While Kulav is not a man who will only tie himself down to one woman, he can’t help his growing emotions for Mirella.  Mirella is so caught up in her adoration for Kulav, that she’ll do whatever it takes to help him realize his dreams.  Meanwhile, Princess Anabelle Flair continues to think only of herself and refuses to consider anything that could salvage her kingdom.

The authors do a pretty good job developing the characters, and the story takes some interesting twists and turns, I had a hard time connecting to the primary characters; Mirella, Kulav and Princess Anabelle.  At the beginning all three characters were self centered and very selfish, though I have to admit that towards the end Mirella and Kulav did begin to think of others too.

Will Mirella be able to convince Anabelle to grow up and think of her people before it’s too late?  Will Kulav and Mirella’s relationship survive all they will need to sacrifice at the end?  You’ll have to read The Warlord’s Concubine to find out. 

My Rating:  3 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was not given any additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.

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