Title: Aphrodite’s Secret
Author: Samantha Ketteman
Series: The Forgotten (Book 1)
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Self
Published
Release Date: Feb 28 2013
Edition/Formats Available In: E~book & Print
Synopsis:
Kaira, still reeling
from the loss of her younger sister in a tragic boating accident, lives in the
dark world of exotic dancing for survival. When one man enters her life, her
world is turned upside down and inside out, where reality and fantasy seem to
intertwine.
Kaira feels the eyes of a striking man watching her every
move on stage. Zane is a scarred man with many secrets, one of which is the
knowledge of who and what Kaira really is and the danger she will face.
While Zane fights a subconscious battle about what to tell
her and whether he cares enough to get involved, another has noticed her as
well. An Ithacan, sent to destroy her for what she is and take her powers to
the God that has commanded all Forgotten be exterminated. The God intends to
absorb her powers and rule absolutely.
Before Kaira realizes what is coming for her, she finds
herself tumbling into a world where a scarred man that she is inexplicably
attracted to will become her only hope. A hideous creature, one such as she’s
never seen, is hunting her and trying his best to destroy everything and
everyone she knows to get what he wants for his Master, and only Zane knows
why.
While Kaira thinks it coincidence that Zane
shows up at the club the girls like to frequent after work, Zane uses the
planned interception to explore the pull that he feels towards Kaira, when he
has cared for no one but himself for so many years. After finally meeting, Zane
notices that the Ithacan has also followed and as their eyes meet, they both
know that the battle for her soul will come; who will win is less important as
the insistence Zane feels to tell Kaira who and what she is before she ends up
like her sister.
About the Author
Samantha Ketteman has resided in southern
Illinois for 7 years, (though still claims to be an Alabama girl), with her
husband and three crazy demon children. She started reading novels at a very
young age and decided two years ago to write for herself. She is working on The
Forgotten series, as well as two others. She is a caffiene addict, insomniac,
and general basketcase most of the time. When she's not writing, she's thinking
of writing, much to the chagrin of her husband who has to listen to her
paranormal ramblings.
Blog Tour Excerpt!
As she sashayed her way to the center of the stage,
exaggerating the swing of her
hips with each step, she glanced around the few rows that
were in her line of vision. The
spotlight focused on her made it impossible to see further.
It looked as if it was a full
house tonight, which was a good omen for her rent fund. She
gave a small, slow sexy,
smile, and sauntered over to the giant gleaming pole
standing like an old friend in the
center of the stage. As she swung around in a circle, back
arched out from the pole to
better display her more prominent assets, she was mentally
singing along to the song.
Kaira hated this song, but it seemed to go hand in hand with
the costume she was wearing
for the night, and she had a whole routine devoted to this
particular outfit and song.
Sadly, this was one of her more popular costumes and
characters. She shimmied down
the pole, spreading her legs and bending over before sliding
her backside back up the
pole in a move that would have made many women blush; or
fall over; or both. She
turned to face the pole, jumped up, and then maneuvered
herself so that she was then
sliding down the pole head first, gripping it with her legs.
She slid all the way down to
the floor before releasing the pole, rolling over, and
crawling her way along to the first
row of eager faces beaming up at her.
LINKS
GUEST POST
*We got a glimpse of Zane's journal...the night he first sees Kaira*
I saw the most beautiful creature tonight. She commanded my attention, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her on the stage. I know that she will draw attention to herself, but she doesn’t know what she is, and it could get her killed. As entranced as I am, I don’t know if I want to be involved, yet I feel a pull to her, a sense of duty and a primal sense to protect her. I don’t want to care. I have lived my many years without the need to involve myself in anyone’s life. I failed once before, and it cost me my family. I know that I will repulse her, as I do with every child that points and hides behind his mother. It is inevitable that she will be hunted, as her aura calls out to all those that seek her. Do I get involved? Do I break my promise that I have kept for so long to stay away from others and simply live my life in solitude? I don’t know.
A_TiffyFit's Review
I received this book as part of this blog tour for an honest review. The story was more interesting and attention grabbing than I had thought at first. I thought I would have a hard time getting into a book where the protagonist is a stripper at a small town strip club, even though she’s apparently the daughter of Aphrodite. Never underestimate the powerful lure of greek mythology for me, a_tiffyfit! The story was actually quite interesting and attention-holding. You learn what a tough life Kaira has had – from orphaned to deciding to be a stripper to make good money (not exactly the best of jobs) to being stalked and raped and now here she is being stalked again! I liked her immediate draw to Zane and how she is able to see beyond the scar instead of being scared or repulsed like all the other women he’s encountered. (Really…humans suck. As a general rule, we are SO freaking shallow it’s disgusting!) I loved the pace of the novel, Kaira’s acceptance and strength as she overrides her initial reaction to reject all this information. My only beef with it is that poor editing kept kicking me out of Reader Zone (RZ). RZ is sacred and I do not like being kicked out of it. Not only were there homonym errors (your vs you’re, there/their/they’re), but at one point in the novel, Matilda is talking to Aphrodite and saying that He is her “something for soul mate”. Obviously this must’ve been an author note to find a new word for soul mate/other half so that she is not reusing this phrase too often, but then it was three pages of this “something” as opposed to a real term. As a reader, it made me recoil from the page making the pinched-sucked-on-a-lemon-Renee-Zellwegger face. But I was enjoying the romance and action of the plot so I smoothed it over and continued on! This is book one of the series, and from this novel, I get the hint that Jasmine may be the lead in the next novel. I liked Jasmine – staunch friend, fierce supporter, and she tells it like it is!
I liked the romance: sweet, simple, and that paranormal bond is awesome. I will look forward to reading more, hopefully. I’d like to see glimpses of Zane reconnecting with his family, Kaira getting to know all of her powers and her mother, and see who else is a Forgotten daughter. Are there forgotten sons?!
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