Their desire could be their destruction...or their greatest strength.

Fourteen months ago, Kat Gabriel's life changed forever when she used her empathy as a weapon. Now she can't escape the weight of those deaths--or the loss of the easy friendship she and Andrew once shared. Obsessed with her mother's violent past, Kat is determined to learn the truth of her inner-darkness by understanding her legacy.

Since the attack that turned him into a wolf, Andrew Callaghan has done everything possible to make himself stronger. More capable of protecting Kat--both from the supernatural world that forced her to kill, and from their own volatile connection. Pushing her away hurt them both, but he's finally made himself into the protector she needs.

As Kat's quest leads her into the darkest underbelly of the psychic world, Andrew is determined to be at her side. But every step forward reopens old emotional wounds and shakes their control. For a dangerous alpha and a deadly psychic, distraction could be fatal--especially when the greatest threat they pose is to each other.

Warning: This book contains a dangerous shapeshifter who could kill you with his bare hands, an empathic hacker who could kill you with her mind, a psychic cult determined to kill everyone, a lot of violence, a little bit of hope, and a happily-ever-after seven years in the making.

Title: CIPHER
Author: Moira Rogers
Series: Southern Arcana Series, book 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, September 6
Format: eBook
Source: received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
Kat tried to open the office door three times before she realized she was using the wrong key.

Memorable Scenes:
- Kat and Andrew's kiss, their first real kiss, at the hotel and the scene that followed > now this is some kissing and dry humping scene people! :)
- The letter from Kat's mom > enlightening and made me tear up a bit
- The last few chapters > what a rollercoaster ride! Wow!

Katherine 'Kat' Gabriel is a programmer. She’s also a powerful empath with killer psychic abilities. She’s direct, headstrong, speaks and acts her mind.
Andrew Callaghan is an architect turned werewolf shifter in an attack. He’s
Focused, alert, protective and the epitome of alpha warrior. But he’s also considerate and even sweet when it comes to Kat.

The prologue was attention-grabbing, heart-pounding and long-awaited & anticipated after CROSSROADS. I now knew what happened that night. Andrew and Kat tiptoe around one another other, neither wanting to give into the pull they have on each other has and both have their own reason. They’ve avoided each other for a year and now a development in Kat's life throws them together and now there’s just no way they can avoid the inevitable.

Both Andrew and Kat live isolated, lonely lives, despite being surrounded by people who care for them and whom they care about. The stark loneliness because of who they became during one fateful night shines through regularly. Add Kat's dangerous search for answers about her mother and Andrew's protectiveness towards her, even against himself, and this all made for some great characterization and a romance that was as lovely as it was heartbreakingly touching.

The members added to secondary cast of this book (other than those who already had their books or are getting their book in the near future) offer so much potential for the future. To name a few Anna, John, Callum, and Patrick –I was smitten with Patrick from the moment he set foot on the page (to be honest I think I was even before he appeared, just the nameless mention of him was enough). As far as I'm concerned Moira Rogers can just keep the books coming in the Southern Arcana series.

From the start I was riveted to the plot. Moving forward in a nice pace, it was only slightly interrupted by my own inability to fully grasp the some of empathy stuff (empathic synesthesia?) but I understood immediately that it was necessary and crucial for the plot. The overall plot of CIPHER was so fascinating that it to engaged me fully. The plots in the previous books haven’t been too shabby either but seriously, this one was the best one so far in the series for me.

Speaking of the plot. It was perfectly done. If you aren't familiar with the series and/or Moira Rogers' writing you might be lulled halfway through into thinking that the plot part is pretty much wrapped up but I knew there was more to come. The last 25% of the book held me firmly in its grip and proved to me once again how skilled the authors of this series are. The pace is just right, never too slow or too fast. Back-stories and plotlines are perfectly dosed throughout the book too, contributing to the nice pace. The romance is subtle yet intense and very much part of the story.

What I love about the Southern Arcana books is that they start out making you wonder where things are going and how the plot fits into the big picture and along the way. And then it just all falls perfectly into place. CIPHER was no different as it showed off perfectly how the authors take story lines across the books, in this case linking CROSSROADS and CIPHER together even more firmly and answering questions I was left with when I finished with CROSSROADS. These authors intricately weave the books together through an overall story arc that fans out in different smaller plotlines in each book. And while reading the first two I didn't notice this but the further along in the series you get, the more clear this cleverly set up world becomes. I love it when authors in paranormal romance do this.

The world that Moira Rogers has built throughout these first 4 books of the series is nothing short of amazing. Though I am not a big fan of paranormal romance with psychics I love this series. The mix of psychics, shifters and wizards combined with the fresh and original plots and a complementing writing style that resonates with me are the major factors for that.

This series is turning out to be very consistent in quality. The different approaches of the world in each book keep them distinct and the different couple combinations with perfectly matched, strong characters keep them from turning into carbon copies of the other books in the series, a danger that lurks around the corner in paranormal romance series.

CIPHER was another great installment to the Southern Arcana series. The plot was awesome, the characters had depth and strength, the romance broke my heart and I can't wait for the next book.

Favorite Quotes:
Their friendship had danced along this line for months, no longer just friends but not yet something else. The enormity of what they could be trembled inside her, whispering of epic love, humbling and intimidating.

For one crazy second she wished she was his girl, that she’d met him before her broken heart had healed wrong, before life had twisted her up until even a handsome, skilled lover couldn’t keep passion from fizzling out. Maybe her empathy would always be a curse—she knew exactly what she had…and everything she was missing.

Share a bed with him? If she’d had a masochistic streak, maybe. Or if he was going to sleep in a parka. Fear had a funny way of waking up all of her nerves, and a lot of them seemed to be tracing the memory of his chest under her palms.

His lips, on hers. Parting, and oh God , he knew how to kiss, like he was hungry, like he loved the taste of her, and Kat became mortally certain that her knees were going to give out if he got his tongue in on the action. Her body throbbed with the rhythm of his mouth moving on hers, until she was one exposed nerve, and she would have begged him to touch her anywhere—everywhere—if she wouldn’t have had to stop kissing him.

“I have two hands, Kat,” he reminded her. “I can take care of things myself.”
It was not remotely okay to pause and savor that image, but she couldn’t stop herself. Andrew, stretched out, his face slack with pleasure, the muscles in his arm flexing as he curled his fingers around—
She slapped her hands over her face and actually whimpered. “That was mean.”
“Was it?”
Anything else she said would reveal her newly formed and overwhelming need to watch him and his two hands take care of things. So she leaned down and kissed him again.

A gentle kiss from a controlled man trying to make her feel safe, with no clue that his tender protectiveness turned her inside out.

Biting her would send them both spinning, but he had to. He had to. He closed his teeth on the delicate, pale skin at the base of her throat.
She cried out. Not just with physical enjoyment, though that thrummed through him strong enough to shiver pleasure up his spine. In that moment, underneath sensation, he caught a hint of her , open and vulnerable and so relieved to be wanted. So relieved to be his.
It tripped instincts he’d fought so hard to wrestle under control. Possessive, protective ones that demanded he close his arms around her, keep her safe from everything, including herself. “ Kat. ”

His expression had turned grave. “It doesn’t have to be, not if it’s too much for you. I swear, Kat, sometimes I think I’d live with half your heart if that was all I could get.”
If he kept saying things like that, her heart might thud its way out of her chest. “You don’t have to. It’s not in very good shape anymore, but it’s all yours.”

“You’re all that matters.” He smoothed his hands over her cheeks and tried to make her understand. “I’ll save every damn person in the world if I can, Kat, but if I ever have to choose between them and you… It’s not even a choice. It’ll always be you.”

Abandoned by her wolf shifter father and raised by her human psychic mother, Carmen Mendoza can't deny she's different. She craves things most women shy away from--and she has a trail of shapeshifting ex-boyfriends to prove it.

Working at a clinic for supernatural creatures, she's escaped the notice of her father's legacy-obsessed family. Until they need a pawn in their bid for power. Snared by a vicious spell designed to wake her inner wolf, Carmen's only hope is to trust the one man strong enough to soothe her darkest instincts.

Alec Jacobson was once the heir apparent to the wolves' ruling elite, until he walked away to marry the woman he loved. She paid with her life. He lives as a rebel, a black-sheep alpha who protects the supernatural residents of New Orleans from the wolves' barbaric class system. Too bad he can't protect himself from his need for Carmen.

Yet staking his claim on his enemy's niece will turn his city into a battleground. Unless he can find a way to stop breaking the rules--and start making them.

Warning: This book contains a renegade alpha wolf, a smart empathic doctor, very dirty sex with psychic safe-words, the occasional dominance game in and out of the bedroom, and a group of supernatural citizens ready to take on the corrupt leaders of their world.

Reviewer's note from Pearl:
I read this book way before release date and this should have been an ARC-review but circumstances beyond my control had me writing the review months later and more circumstances caused the belated posting on the blog, which is why I have labeled it as an ARC-review but haven't used it in the title of the post.


Title: DEADLOCK
Author: Moira Rogers
Series: Southern Arcana, book 3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, January 4
Format: eBook
Source: received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
Alec wrenched himself out of the path of a flying fist and acknowledged, for the first time in his increasingly long life, that he might be getting old.

Memorable Scenes:
- the love scene at Carmen's place > explosively hot
- the challenge fights > Never thought I'd be so bloodthirsty and enjoy reading them as much as I did

Alec Jacobson is a born wolf shifter. He’s gruff, a commanding and protective straight-shooter who is alpha to the bone. The subtle humor and especially Alec's dry humor made me smile numerous times throughout the book. But there were also moments I choked up at Alec's loneliness and pain that was always there in the background.

Carmen Mendoza is a half-breed wolf and an empath. Apparently I didn’t write much else down about Carmen, which makes me think that I probably was too engrossed by Alec to notice Carmen much. Some heroes do that to me, especially the dirty talking ones.

The love scenes were very hot and absolutely spine-tingling without being overly explicit. They were awesome and not in the least because of Alec's dirty mouth. I absolutely loved the slow, simmering chemistry and banter between Carmen and Alec. It built up nicely to the point of no return and it was one of the elements that kept me reading and not wanting to leave the book for long when I really had to stop because of my pesky non-reading life.

I love the Southern Arcana series. CRUX hooked me, CROSSROADS reeled me in and DEADLOCK sealed the deal. From the first page I was back in the world of alpha shifters and powerful psychics and enjoying myself reading how uber-alpha Alec was romantically brought to his knees by love and Carmen.

As far as the secondary cast is concerned, quite some interesting characters were introduced and took their place next to the familiar ones from CRUX and CROSSROADS. Enough new introductions to assure me this series has the potential of sticking around for awhile. From events and an interaction in DEADLOCK I guessed a future pairing right (as Bree confirmed for me through Twitter) and I can’t wait to read their story.

I really like how Moira Rogers incorporates the family and shifter politics into this series. It’s what keeps it very interesting and also forms a great balance for the romance parts. The different subplots in the book came together brilliantly yet still left some wiggle room for stuff to be played out in future installments and I like it when authors do that in the subtle way it was done in this book.

DEADLOCK had a feel of rightness and ease to it that made it the best of the series for me to-date. Going back to the Southern Arcana world and its characters was like a comforting trip home. And if you haven’t embarked on this series yet, please do…you will not regret adding another addictive series to your paranormal reading palette.

Favorite Quotes:
He kissed the way she'd seen him live, reckless arrogance and power and an intensity that bordered on intimidating.

"Belonging to me means you get what you need, whenever I can give it. Tonight it means me proving that you set off every dominant, animal urge I've got, whether you're stoned on magic or not."

Release date: February 9th, 2010

Back Cover:
He’s the last man she should ever want. She’s the last woman he can ever have.

Coming from a family with psychic gifts, Derek Gabriel was aware of but separate from the dangers of the supernatural world, until a rogue wolf shifter stripped away his humanity. The change he barely survived didn’t drive him insane, but the cultural bias against him as an inferior transformed wolf might. And it doesn’t help that he’s fallen for the daughter of the most powerful wolf in the country.

Almost from the moment she was born, Nicole Peyton started planning her escape from the strict confines of elite shapeshifter society, an old-fashioned world where women are valued only for their bloodlines and bank accounts. In New Orleans she has a bar she loves, friends in decidedly low places, and a smoldering sensual tension with an incredibly attractive and deliciously unsuitable man.

Their forbidden longing erupts into unbridled need—until Nick’s sister burns into town with a strike team hard on her heels. Saving her means Nick has to play by the Conclave’s rules…and give up the man she is growing to love.
Unless Derek does something completely crazy—issue a challenge that could shake the foundations of their world.

Warning: This book contains forbidden lust, strip poker, instinct-driven sex in odd places, devious shapeshifters, and love and loss in a world of paranormal politics and supernatural schemes.

Derek Gabriel has been a werewolf shapeshifter for 2 years now. He wasn't born into it, like most shifters surrounding him, but he was turned in a vicious attack that nearly cost his life. He is still fighting to get in control of it and he's insecure about being a second rate werewolf. His crush on Nicole Peyton isn't a big help as she is considered the elite among the werewolves, being the daughter of the big kahuna who is part of the Conclave that runs the werewolf community in New York.

Nicole "Nick" Peyton is also a werewolf shifter. She's next in line for the leadership of one of the biggest and most powerful shifter communities. However, she doesn't want that responsibility and runs from it. She settles in New Orleans, happy running a bar and being surrounded by a group of loyal and tight friends. Until her sister is in danger and she needs to man up, stop running and help her sister. But she also needs to deal with the situation with Derek and her love life. Ultimately she has to choose between her sister's life and her love for Derek. And that's a very tough choice to make.

When I read CRUX I already knew CROSSROADS was waiting for me to read too, as I was one of the lucky ones to receive an e-ARC of it to review. After finishing CRUX I was very happy to be able to dive straight into CROSSROADS because it was clear that Nick and Derek had something going on between them that they needed and I wanted to explore further.

I really like that Moira Rogers' writing is fast-paced and free of any unnecessary information or embellishments. The humor is great and carries the book through the action and the romance. I also loved the getting-straight-to-business vibe of the start of the book, it continued in that crisp and clean writing style I loved in CRUX, leaving out any elaborate or distracting back-story. Just what was needed to keep the plot going was explained, and for those who aren't as obsessed with reading in order as I am, I must say that CROSSROADS would read very well as a stand-alone. That being said, I loved revisiting the group of friends in New Orleans and liked that the knowledge on the group I got to know in CRUX was expanded in CROSSROADS.

The dialogues, between any of the characters, are such fun. All the characters together, and there are quite a lot, form a witty bunch of friends and relatives. There are quite some secondary characters but all are connected to each other or the plot in some way. They all play their part and none of them are written in just to fill the book. Of course I have favorite ones, ones I'd love to see more of in the future and I'm happy that they will have their own stories. I'm talking about Alec and Andrew. I'm dying to see which female is going to rock Alec's world and blow his steady, brooding and succinct demeanor to smithereens and I'm also especially looking forward to reading Andrew's story because if there was any secondary character in the paranormal romances I've read so far who has made a stunning first impression, it's definitely Andrew!

One thing that kept me glued to the pages was the chemistry between Derek and Nick. Even if I was less enamored with Derek than I was with Jackson (Bree knows why LOL), he and Nick still knew how to set the pages ablaze with some scorching hot scenes. Another thing I enjoyed was the big amount of Conclave stuff, which is what I wanted after CRUX. I do have to say that my curiosity and fascination with the Conclave didn't last long when I learned how they work and how archaic, ruthless and power-hungry they are. But still before long I was immersed in pack politics, assassin squads, empaths and seers gone wild. I was engrossed in the story and couldn't stop reading because there was a lot going on and a lot of stuff to be figured out. I did miss Marcus though, granted he was mentioned in a passing kind of way but would have loved to see how he was doing after CRUX, or could it be that there might be a book for MARCUS in the future and that's why it was a little hush-hush around him? Enough speculating, on with the review...

To me CRUX is still the favorite of the two books because in the middle part of CROSSROADS I did miss the romance as the focus went almost entirely to the plot and action. People, who know me, know I am not a UF lover and to me this middle part did feel a bit UF-like. However, the exhilarating and climactic end definitely made up for the middle part I struggled a little with. It was also very emotional, not only between Derek and Nick but also the stuff with Luciano and the situation with Michelle. And I suspect I have a lot to look forward to in the next part of the Southern Arcana series, which will be Alec's story; it will be coming out early 2011 and is titled DEADLOCK.

CROSSROADS is a book that will entice both new and already established readers of this series and when you leave out personal character preferences it's right up there with CRUX, offering an emotional, thrilling and action-packed read that will have you rooting for the main characters from start to finish and waiting in desperate yearning for the next book in the series!

Quotes:
"Not a damn thing," Nick muttered darkly. "My love life is officially a barren wasteland, where sexual satisfaction is entirely reliant on a fresh supply of C-cell batteries." To say nothing of the loneliness

This time it only rang twice before he heard Alec's gruff voice. "You'd better not have called me by mistake during some drunken sex."

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Back Cover:
Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn't crack...until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn't explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past-and her destiny.

Mackenzie Brooks is in trouble and on the run from Marcus Foster and his thugs. She doesn't know what they want from her and why Marcus is so persistently stalking her. When an attempt to flee from Marcus lands her working as a bartender in New Orleans she comes across a group of people who are able to help her once she is brave enough to trust them with her secrets. Among them is Jackson Holt, a private investigator with special skills. When Marcus catches up with Mackenzie things come to the surface that are unexpected, the true reason and driving force behind Marcus’ stalking behavior is discovered and the story takes a fast-paced and action-filled turn, with the heat and passion smoldering between Jackson and Mackenzie.

Mackenzie is a latent cougar shifter. She doesn't know this at all and only has strange, inexplicable dreams of running through the woods. I loved the transformation Mackenzie went through. From being very skittish and scared and not being able to trust anyone to being more confident and embracing her newfound powers as a shifter. I liked that in the beginning she was oblivious to the whole shifters and magic stuff. That way I grew into the story with her. Jackson was the kind of hero I truly like and not just because of his name. He is charming and easy-going, a true gentleman. But he's also very capable in his job and looks out for his friends and has their backs. Jackson captivated me from the moment he entered the story.

At first I wasn't entirely convinced of the chemistry between Jackson and Mackenzie. It felt a bit too hesitant but later on I understood why and I must say there was no hint of hesitation left when they both went for it. The making-out scenes are really sexy, sweet and hot and I thought it was great that Mackenzie took the initiative and the lead in quite a few of them, it showed Mackenzie’s growing confidence and Jackson's gentle and caring nature.

When I was given the opportunity to read and review CRUX I didn't even think about hesitating. It all came about when I was talking on Twitter about how hard I fall for heroes named Jake, Jack or Jackson. My favorite heroes list is full of them. Bree (one of the Moira Rogers writing duo) picked up on it and mentioned CRUX had a hero named Jackson and naturally I couldn't resist when the book was offered for review. And let me start by saying that Bree was spot-on when she said I would love Jackson. I absolutely did!

Quote:
“Starting some marinara sauce as we speak.”
Alec groaned. “Oh hell, Jackson. You’re making Italian food? Is this really the best time for seduction?”
Now his face was flaming. “It’s not seduction,” he insisted, lowering his voice. “It’s a job.”
“It’s Italian food,” Alec countered in an amused voice. “You always make Italian food when you want to impress a woman.”

Let's face it! Jackson can come and make me some Italian food anytime...anytime.
But not only did I love Jackson, I loved Mackenzie, Nicole, Alec, Derek, Kat, Aaron, Michelle, Mahalia and another character I won't mention by name here for fear of spoiling a major part of the plot, too. In short, I loved CRUX.

From the first page I was thrown right into the middle of the story, there is no extensive world building first and going into a story without some build up can be confusing but not with CRUX. All the background information needed, is given gradually along the story without massive info dumps and imbedded smoothly into dialogues and character development. The world that Moira Rogers builds around these characters is different from what I've been used to reading in paranormal romance. Good different! I found the world and characters unique, original and refreshing. The humor and bantering between several characters was a big, big plus too.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I also loved the writing. It was simple and down-to-earth. CRUX was a very quick read for me, partly because of the writing style that was fast-paced and smooth, partly because of the characters and the plot. I just had to keep on reading to see where it all was going. Characterization and character development was another outstanding element in this book. I loved the development of not only Mackenzie but also other characters that directed my thoughts about them in one direction at first but along the way I had to change my mind about them, for the better. And next to the great characterization there was also action and pace. I absolutely ate up the mission/special ops kind of conclusion towards the end, where the hardcore action was combined with supernatural magic and the fighting scenes were done in a way that I could picture them clearly as if I was seeing them on a screen. I love it when authors can do that for me.

After thoroughly enjoying myself with CRUX, I really want to know more about the Southern Arcana world because the Peytons, the Conclave, Marcus, the Gabriels and Alec, they all intrigued me to no end in this refreshingly original and unpredictable first taste of Moira Rogers' talents.

If you are up for some magic, shifters, a sweet and sexy romance and writing that’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom, don’t hesitate and pick up CRUX! You won’t regret it one bit!

Quotes:

Jackson after Mackenzie says she likes working at Mahalia's because of the handsome and charming men who frequent there:
“Just remember that handsome, charming men are usually trouble with a capital T.” A quick wink accompanied his next words. “I just happen to be the exception that proves that particular rule.”

Mackenzie when Jackson has a hard time leaving her after he brings her home:
Her lips seized his again in a brief but passionate kiss. “Sleep.” She kissed his chin and his jaw. She found his ear and her breath was warm and tormenting as she whispered, “But when this is over, we are going to have the kind of insanely hot sex that takes hours to finish and days to recover from.”

Alec when Mackenzie is surprised he can form full sentences instead of short, clipped answers:
It was more than she’d heard from him for the entire length of their acquaintance. Her surprise must have shown on her face, because he chuckled. “You’re amazed I know that many words, huh? Well, here’s my secret, sweetheart. When you don’t talk much, people actually listen when you open your mouth, even if it’s only because they’re shocked.” He winked, pulled open the door and gestured to her.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10