OK, so I'm a bit giddy. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I've been judging a contest. The entries were long and I had to also judge the synopsis. Oh noes. They were pretty uniformly wretched or just WTF?? Until the last one which was fantastic wonderful sparkling -- publishable right now this minute. And boy, did the synopsis suck. If all I had to go on was the synopsis, I'd have pitched it so fast it would light on fire it was that bad. Which is why nobody ever buys on the basis of a synopsis. Because it's the writing that matters. One other one showed signs of brilliance, but the heroine was certifiably insane. Not charming insane, but lock her up with Norman Bates insane and never ever ever let her near anything sharp insane. There's a problem when your heroine reads like a lunatic. But now the judging is done and I got to read an entry that will be published!

In other news, I got my first review for My Wicked Enemy. It's so early yet that I wasn't expecting an actual review so I opened the email before I realized what it was. Normally, I delete these emails without reading them. I don't care to read reviews. It's a choice I've made. I get too depressed by criticism and not elated enough by praise.

But I was ambushed, as it were. I'm as sick and morbid as the next author, so of course I read it. How could I not once it was there in plain text? Here is is. I'll highlight the phrase that made me laugh and fix a minor error that will be corrected when this posts to the review site.

MY WICKED ENEMY -- Carolyn Jewel
Grand Central Forever
ISBN: 0-446-17823-3
August 2008
Paranormal Romance

San Francisco, California -- Present Day

When she learns how evil her guardian, Alvaro Magellan, is, Carson Phillips runs from him, taking a priceless talisman with her. After fleeing, Carson ends up in San Francisco and runs smack into the one man on earth who would like nothing better than to see her dead, Nikodemus, a man and demon determined to destroy all mages and witches before the fiends are completely taken over and destroyed.

When Magellan's witch literally falls into his hands, Nikodemus can't believe his luck. However, his plan to kill the witch quickly changes when he realizes Carson has no idea what she is or what Magellan has done to her. Magellan has blocked Carson's powers so that he can use them, but eventually this magical block will kill Carson. The pull of Carson's magic draws Nikodemus to her even though he knows he should resist. Witches and fiends are mortal enemies, but something about the helpless Carson makes Nikodemus want to protect her. However, Magellan is powerful and will stop at nothing to retrieve what is his.

MY WICKED ENEMY is a mile-a-minute thrill from the first. I found myself rapidly turning the pages to find out what happens next. Carson is a woman who has lived a lie her entire life, and once she realizes how she has been used and manipulated, trust doesn't come easily. Nikodemus is a Warlord, and his mission in life is to destroy as many witches and mages as he can. But Carson touches something inside him, and he will risk much to save her from Magellan and his evil plans. But can mortal enemies ever become more than just partners against a common enemy?

Author Carolyn Jewel has created a unique paranormal romance with characters who are bigger than life. The writing is smooth, and the plot is exciting. However, while I was engrossed in the novel and couldn't put it down, in the end I was left with some questions unanswered. I'm hoping that this is the first in a series about the fiends so that we can learn more about them. MY WICKED ENEMY is action packed, and the romance is outside the ordinary; actually, some of the sex scenes probably need a warning label. However, even with the somewhat different aspects of the sex scenes, they don't overshadow the story or take over the novel, though they are more prevalent in the latter half of the book. Secondary characters are many, each having an impact on the story, but not overshadowing the focus of the book, the conflicted relationship between Carson and Nikodemus.

MY WICKED ENEMY is sure to appeal to fans of the paranormal, and I don't hesitate to recommend the novel for an entertaining and unique read.

Terrie Figueroa
Romance Reviews Today

So, yes, I'm elated. But if I happen to fail to protect myself against a bad one, I will be more depressed then than I am elated now. Warning lable or not.

Labels: Book Reviews, contest judging, insane heroines, My Wicked Enemy