LIFTING THE VEIL - R.G. Alexander
Ellora’s Cave www.ellorascave.com
ISBN: 978-1-4199-1475-1
April 2008
Erotic Paranormal Romance
Rated E-rotic

Houston, Texas - Present Day

Meru Tanner has always believed in myth and magick, so when she realizes the birthday present that she received from the elderly professor who frequents her aunt’s New Age shop is actually a book with a spell in it, Meru is thrilled.  After reading the spell, Meru dreams of being saved from an unseen danger by a wolf that turns into a man intent on bringing her pleasure.  In the morning, to add to the confusion of the dream, Meru sees not only auras surrounding people, but strange creatures such as lizards walking around in business suits.  Things get even weirder later that night when three men that she assumed were her cousin’s birthday strip-o-gram present turn out to be magical creatures, the sexy one being a wolf.

Damon Arkadios and his friends Val and Finn are Fianna, guardians of the portal to other dimensions, but they’ve been called to Houston by Myrrdin because of some suspicious happenings.  All thoughts of his mission go out the window when he catches sight of the beautiful woman on stage.  Amidst all of the erotic thoughts Damon is having of the woman, one thing stands out: mine.  When they are introduced, Meru quickly recognizes their magick, and seems just as interested in Damon as he is in her.  Before they can do more than dance together however, Meru is attacked by her ex-boyfriend, who turns out to be a snake, or Sauros.  Apparently the woman Damon senses may be his mate is also his assignment. 

With the reading of the Book of Veils, Meru’s latent powers are brought to the fore in LIFTING THE VEIL.  The spell not only lifts the veil between worlds and unlocks Meru’s powers, but also reveals her legacy, and the prophecy passed down from her ancestress, a Danu High Priestess.  A darkness is coming, and Meru will be the first link in defeating it. 

There is a strong connection between Meru and Damon from the very beginning; a sense that they were made for each other.  While Meru accepts the changes in her life fairly easily, Damon, a Lycan, hasn’t quite accepted his, and he’s had three thousand years to get used to his changes.  Unlike werewolves, which are born as such, Lycans are cursed, and Damon still has trouble with his wolf self.  How can Meru be comfortable with that aspect of his life, when he isn’t yet?

Secondary characters include Finn, who is Fae; Val, a Tuatha de Danann; Myrrdin and his assistants, Fletcher and Raj (a dragon); Meru’s Aunt Lily and cousin Sheridan, a police officer who turned her back on her heritage and now must face the fact that many of her mother’s stories were true.  The story focuses mainly on the relationship between Meru and Damon and her part of the prophecy, but there are two more parts to the prophecy and, hopefully, two more stories.  A captivating tale, be sure to look for LIFTING THE VEIL.

Jennifer Bishop