Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Christine Rains - The 13th Floor Series


Title: 1301 - The Marquis (The 13th Floor Book 1)
Author: Christine Rains
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 12-9-2012
Pages: 63
ASIN: B00AM1HTWE
Genre: Romance
Tags: Paranormal Romance, Demons


Marc was the greatest of all master demons, one of which legends were written.  Marc who retired when he grew tired of the death and destruction he wrought for his former employer.  He has grown weaker over time and now can barely dispatch a minor minion without being physically drained.  He is loosing hiss demon that he has suppressed so long and becoming a mere human.  He has found a refuge in an apartment building which has a hidden 13th floor.  The building itself decides who may enter and find its hidden floor.  He was the first tenant and looks at his neighbors as being under his protection. 


There is the alpha werewolf in 1302, the dragonslayer in 1303, the harbinger of death in 1304, the banshee in 1305 and the vampire in 1306 just to name some of the them.  He was so tired of having to be the responsible one,, always needing to keep the others safe from harm and danger.   Especially when he needed to protect them from themselves; like Kiral, the junkie vamp in 1306.  He was out looking for a fix when he saved him from a demon this morning and now the butt has gone and bitten Harriett, the banshee in 1305 to feed off of.  He is going to have to kill his friend if he keeps up.


The bright spot in his life is Mae, the owner operator of the diner just down from his apartment.  Then Vetis, his old co-worker finds him and decides he wants to make points with the boss and bring him back into the fold.  Suddenly all hell literally breaks loose on the streets of Carmine and Marc watches as his town burns around him.  Can the love of a saint like Mae save him or is he doomed to be the right hand man to the devil himself forever?  Christin Rains' the Marquis may be a short read but she has managed to fit a whole hidden world in those few pages.  "1301: The Marquis is the first in a series of books on that hidden world the exist within our own.  Come and join her as she explores it.











Title: 1302 The Alpha (The 13th Floor Book 2)
Author: Christine Raines
Published:Jan 6, 2013
Publisher: Christine Raines
Pages:45
Genre: Romance
Tags: Paranormal Romance, - Short Novel / Novella, Werewolves


Stephanie Porter, and alpha on the run, hiding out from her old pack.  Stephanie had inherited her pack upon the death of her father. She had run it fairly watching out for all its members.  The three lone wolves asked to join and she accepted they.  Matt soon became involved with her sister Starr, Jane and Colin weren't to bright but they had muscles.  Little did she realize they were there to infiltrate the pack to pave the way for Matt's brother Wyatt to take over.  Shortly after Wyatt arrived he challenged Stephanie for the pack.  Stephanie lost, but Wyatt didn't run her off.  Instead he kept her in the basement and beat her regularly and that was the best part of her stay in the basement.  Wyatt wanted as a mate and did not care if she wanted him.


She eventually escaped and ran settling in Carmine.  She found a place to stay, work in the best butcher shop in town and was close enough to the woods for some runs one in a while.  She knows Wyatt and the others are close and has been hiding out in the apartment for weeks.  Unable to stand it any more she decides to chance it and go for a run to calm her nerves and for enjoyment.  Unfortunately her old pack is running in the woods that night too.  When Scott and June corner her a rogue wolf comes to her rescue.  He shows her a way out and takes her to the edge of the woods.


Stephanie is surprised when the same wolf comes up to her at the art supply and book store.  After discovering James is a made wolf and he has learned to mask his sent Stephanie agrees to meet him the next day.  Unfortunately  Wyatt finds her before then.  While trying to escape Wyatt she comes across James once more and he again shows her a way to escape so that Wyatt and the others can't track her.  With no choice they ban together.  Stephanie must decide whether to fight for her pack or take flight once more.


An intriguing series about the residents that resides on the 13th floor of an apartment building.  Follow Stacy as she comes to terms with her past and decides what is best for her and James.  Should she challenge Wyatt knowing she will die if she fails or should she and James start a new pack forgetting about her sister forever.  What is really going on in the city? How is it that the 13th floor can hide itself from some people?  This novella may be only 45 pages, but Christine packs quite a punch in those 45 pages.  This is a stand alone book but if you would like to learn about others on the 13th floor pick up 1301 : The Marquis, 1303 : The Dragon Slayer, 1304 : The Harbinger.  All of which are available now.  1305 & 1306 : The Oracle and The Vampire should be available sometime in May 2013.  












Title: 1303 The Dragonslayer (The 13th Floor book 3)
Author: Christine Rains
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 2-6-2013
Pages: 75
ASIN: B00BCJV8DQ
Genre: Romance
Tags: Paranormal Romance, Short Novel / Novella, Dragons


Xanthus "Xan" Ehrensvard, the last in a long line of dragon-slayers, missed his target, Governor Randall Whittaker, presidential candidate and an ancient dragon.  Xan has not missed a shot since he was a mere boy.  Worse yet the old dragon has seen him.  Breaking down he rifle and leaving he goes down the elevator to the garage.  Time is of the essence,  the loop on the security camera will not last forever.  The elevator stops short of the garage and a light flashes in his eyes.  He reaches out to grab the camera phone.  Lois King, a reporter covering the Governor's charity gala, tries retrieve her phone.  After deleting the picture Lois takes another, then realizes he is the assassin trying to kill Whittaker.


With no time to waste Xan knocks her out and takes her back to her apartment, ties her up and then cleans up some of the trash in her apartment.  When she awakens he tries to convince her of what Whittaker really was and that the dragon has killed many over the years.  Lois thinks he is crazy until her door is knocked down and two men rush in and as one attacks Xan the other comes to her and tries to strangle her!  Xan stabs them and Lois sees that their blood is black not red.  Then Xan shows her their IDs and they state they are Indiana state police, from the Governor's own protection team.


Still believing that Xan is crazy, but accepting the things in her apartment living room were not human she is still not convinced there are dragons are real much less that the most popular candidate is a dragon Lois agrees to go with Xan so he can show her something to convince her and keep her safe.  With Whittaker and his dragon-kin on their tail Xan, Lois and her ferret hit the road to find the proof she wants and for Xan to plan his next, hopefully successful attack on Whittaker.  Can Xan get Whittaker get them?  "1303: Dragon-slayer" is book 3 in Christine Rains 13th floor series.  A delightful and fast moving series the draws you into the hidden world of creatures that live among us.  Take care before you get your neighbor mad at you next time.  He could be a dragon, a demon or even death himself.








Title: 1304 - The Harbinger (13th Floor Book 4)
Author: Christine Rains
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 3-4-2013
Pages: 85
ASIN: B00BPE7O54
Genre: Romance
Tags: Paranormal Romance




Meira Harper, resident of 1304 in a historic apartment building located on the main street in Carmine, Indiana.  Nothing unusual about that, but you'll not find another apartment building that hides an entire floor from the public and other residents in the building and then decides who it will allow to reach and live on the 13th floor.  If you are brave enough to live there and don't worry about who or what lives next to you this might be the place for you, if the building accepts you.  The town of Carmine may not make the best place to live but you'll never be bored there.  With demons, gremlins, werewolves, vampires and such living among the unaware humans you never no which day will be your last.


Meira sat with Sam Wright drinking coffee and dreaming of finally be with him for the first time that night.  After three months of dating she felt the time had come to give into the feelings this human brought out in her.  Then her phone rings and text comes through with the time, place and name of the next soul she was to retrieve and bring to her boss, Zeus, Father of the Greek gods.  Her world is rocked the soul she is to claim is none other than Sam's.  Telling Sam she needs to get busy with a family problem and then she needs to keep an appointment with a new shoe designer she leaves quickly.  Heading to the tallest building in Carmine and parking on the roof she exits her car goes to the edge of the building, turns to her true form and leaps. Soaring she heads to see Zeus to plead for Sam's life.


After a four hour wait Zeus agrees to see her.  Just as he is about to requiring Sam to win three challenges.  If he can survive and win all three then Zeus will allow Sam to live.  Sending Meira back to collect Sam's soul just at the point between life and death.  Meira goes to dinner with Sam with a heavy heart.  When the screams outside the restaurant start Sam rushes out to find hell has come to Carmine.  Following slowly behind Sam Meira watches as Sam saves a man in front of the restaurant from an imp and then runs across the street to try and save a woman and little girl being attacked by more of the demon's minions.  The imps attacking woman turn on him.  The time has come for Meira to collect Sam's soul and take him to Zeus to literally fight for his life.


Zeus sees Sam as a hero of old and expected him to complete quest just as they did.  But Zeus and the other gods are just as they always have been, devious and willing to cheat.  Will Sam survive the quests and win his boon?  Will he still love and want to be with Meira if he does?  Will her master, Zeus be willing to let her if Sam does win?  Come to Carmine if you dare and read the story of a love like no other.  This is book four in the on going 13th Floor series by Christine Rains.  Book six, "The Oracle and the Vampire" is available for download now if you want to find out more of the residents of the 13th Floor.  Each book could be read alone but I recommend reading all the books to get the full story.  I hope you will enjoy this delightful series as much as I did.






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 Title: 1305/1306 - The Oracle and the Vampire (13th Floor Book 5)
Author: Christine Rains
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 5-6-2013
Pages: 77
ASIN: B00CORT2HY
Genre: Romance
Tags: Paranormal Romance


By day Harriett is in her natural form, a beautiful young woman, a gifted nurse and healer, but at night a faerie's curse causes her to turn in to an old crone who cries of the deaths that are about to come in the form of a banshee.  Harriett lives in apartment 1305 on the hidden 13th floor of a building in Carmine, Indiana, a town over run with beings hiding among the humans.  Her neighbor in 1306, Kiral, is a vampire whom she has loved for the last three years. but he has never seen her during the day so all he sees is the old crone and calls her grandmother.  Marc in 1301 is a demon, Stephanie in 1302 is a werewolf, Xan in 1303 is a dragon slayer,  you get the drift of the residents on the 13th floor.

Harriett despairs of ever getting Kiral to see her for herself and return her love.  All that changes one day when she has a vision of Kiral on a rooftop chained as the dawn approaches.  In grief she rushes out to cry like the banshee she is of his death as the sun burns him.  Grieving for a love she cannot save she decides to warn Kiral to stay in his apartment.  Maybe this time she can save someone.  Meeting Kiral in the stairwell unexpectedly Harriett tries to tell him of his fate but words do not come, but she does know he is starving and offers herself.  Kiral takes her up on her offer, but is barely able to restrain himself from draining her dry.


Xan finds Harriett in the stairwell and takes her to Marc.  He then tell Marc what happened to her and Marc goes down to Kiral's apartment and punches Kiral and tells him to stay away from Harriett as he has traumatized her enough.  A warning Kiral cannot heed.  He begins a waiting game he now knows her name and that she lives in apartment 1305.  When all hell breaks loose on the streets of Carmine Kiral and Grandmother go in search of his savior.  Kiral never realizing the one he seeks is the old banshee next to him.


How does Harriett tell Kiral that she is both the young woman and the old crone?  How will Kiral react if he finds out?  Can Harriett save Kiral when she could not save others before him?  This is the fifth installment of the 13th Floor series.  Christine Rains has stated the final installment, "The Ghost" will be out July 2013 and I for one can hardly wait.  This is a series that although the books could be read as individual stories is truly best read starting with book one and continuing in order.  Book one, "The Marquis" is free, all others are only $.99 each on Amazon.  Barnes and noble has each of the five books for $.99 each.  If you like a paranormal read this is definitely a series to add to you TBR list.

 











Title: The Ghost
Author: Christine Rains
Publisher: Christine Rains
Published: 7-7-2013
Pages: 76
ASIN: B00DTWCOKK



Chiharo Black once again tried to get Harriet, the Banshee, to notice her or at least to hear her, but to no avail.  No one has seen or spoken to her in over 30 years.  Since she she was pushed to over the 18th floor railing plunging her to her death.  Only the pets of the unique building with the magical 13th floor located in Carmine, Illinois.  She follows her into the stairwell and stops as she notices Kiral, the vampire, meeting Harriet for the first time in her natural for instead of that as the old crone.  This is it; as he looks at her.  Will it be love at first sight.  Oh, no!  It's not, but it might be death at first bite as Harriet offers herself to him.  Kiral feeds until he must force himself away from her before he kills her and prepares to flee to his apartment.


Suddenly there is a gray blur that launches itself toward Kiral telling him to get away from her.  THe blur passes through them and goes unnoticed by both Kiral and Harriet.  The blur goes to follow Kiral telling him he is going to kill him.  Chiharo orders him to leave Kiral alone.  The blur turns to her in shock the draws near her to ask how it is she can see and hear him, no one has acknowledged him in 5 years.  Chiharo tells him they are both ghost so of course they can communicate, although Jeremy Emerson is a little black and white while Chiharo is color-vision.  She asks him why he wants to kill Kiral and Jeremy tells her it is because Kiral killed him.  Jeremy ask Chiharo to help him get his revenge so he can be released to move on.  He has been forced to follow Kiral everywhere since he died.  Chiharo refuses and Jeremy goes in search of Kiral.  The the deaths began.  Is the killer Jeremy or is there something new stalking the residents?



This is Ms Rains final installment in the 13th floor series.  I am so sorry to see it end, but she does it with a bang.  Imagine watching the corporeal beings go about their lives without being able to interact.  What would you do if you could be invisible to everyone?  Could you stay sane with the isolation?  Would you be willing to destroy the first being to communicate with you in 30 years to save the hundreds of others that do not even know you exist?  I personally have no answers for those questions, but Ms. Rains gives us a heroine that is made of sterner stuff than I.   Being able to see how the other residents of the 13th floor are doing after the chaos of the other books was a beautiful closure of all the Night of Hell loose ends.  This story is very fast moving and you dread seeing the end come.   My one complaint is there will be no book 7.  Who knows maybe Ms. Rains will take pity one day and return to the 13th Floor. 


This could be read as a stand alone and be amply satisfying, but if you are like me you will want to read the entire series starting with book 1, 1301: The Marquis.  Each book adds a little more to the overall story, but is not required to enjoy and understand any of the other books.  Sit back and enjoy.  If you have been reading the series wish your friends of the 13th floor a fond farewell for now because you will read the series again and again.  If you are just now starting the series I envy you the joy of meeting all the residents of the 13th floor for the first time and becoming friends.  Ms.  Rains I will be looking for your other novellas.  Your style of humor, drama and romance rolled all into one compact story is a surprise present to be unveiled each time you open a new book.  Thank you and I ask you reconsider the end of the series.  Maybe later down the road.....


























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