Heart of a Rocky (Gardinian World #2) by Kelsey Jordan

Date of Publication: October 15, 2014

Cover Artist: Greg Simanson

Description: 

The Takeover

Tor Omar James, King of the North African pride, needs one woman if he has any hope of keeping his sanity – Anise, his Soul’s Mate. There’s only one problem: she’s pregnant by Derrick, Tor of the United States pride. Anise is caught between the love that every Lycan covets and the motherly devotion to the son she would sacrifice so much for. Can Omar survive the takeover of the US pride and convince Anise that he is more man than lion? 

The Defender

Asim Tyson, the Defender of the Hafiz, is fighting off the insanity of his longing after losing his Soul’s Mate in battle. Unfortunately, his self-centered existence results in the gross neglect of his people when they need him the most. When Harmony appears in his life, he is forced to make a choice. Should he resist the lure of Harmony’s caustic melody or embrace his weakness in order to keep her safe?

GUEST POST

Fantasy Man

Alpha males are not a rare occurrence in any romance sub-genre. In truth, regardless of the sub-genre, we love them. However, you might find an aggressive alpha male in a contemporary romance to be a bit over the top, his aggression levels (depending on how he is written) to be exaggerated to the point of becoming unrealistic or comical. Paranormal romance on the other hand, especially in the case of shifters, an over-the-top alpha male can be excused in some cases because he is primal--his animal nature being part of the cause for his actions. 

This is one of the reasons why I love the way Kyran (from The Lycan Hunter) presented himself to me. Of course he is a Lycan and his animal nature can pop out at any point, but for him to come to me as a more compassionate and frankly relatable male was refreshing. By contrast, Omar and Tyson (Heart of a Rocky) become more than human by embracing more of their animal natures. Omar's personality is somewhere between Kyran's more reasonable one and Tyson's almost purely animalistic one. 

However, like characters of all genres, regardless of their genetic makeup, they must have something that makes them redeemable, and what makes them redeemable is often love and what they will go through in order to obtain and keep it. In many cases it is the heroines--the ones whose shoes we walk in or fantasize about being able to wear--that cultivate the need for redemption in our favorite fantasy men. 

While I like my fantasy men a touch mean and generally unrealistic, I do have an appreciation for the reasonable type. These are the fantasy men who are a bit closer to reality, because let's face it: How many of your favorite book boyfriends would you like to punch in the face for their less than appealing behavior? 

Don't worry, I have a few in my stable of stallions--um--fantasy men. Having a bit of diversity never hurt anybody. We can all learn to appreciate fantasy men that are able to admit how they feel, use complete sentences, and stop dragging their knuckles in the ground. Not that there is anything wrong with loving a neanderthal. 

Neanderthals need love too. :)

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About the author:

Kelsey Jordan is the author of The Gardinian World novels. Though she has a preference for all things paranormal and romantic, Kelsey admits she just writes what her muse demands of her. It’s less painful that way. When she isn’t enjoying the momentary benefits of playing god to the many characters that live in her head, she can usually be found curled up with a book, killing something in a video game, or spending time with her family. At some point in the day she is probably drinking more than her recommended dose of coffee, but don’t tell her that. She doesn’t care about recommended servings.

As a Texas native and self-described Air Force brat, Kelsey now lives in Georgia with her husband and their tutu-wearing minion.

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