Book Review: The Fifth Kingdom by Caridad Piñeiro

Title: The Fifth Kingdom
Author: Caridad Piñeiro
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: 07/11/2011








There's just something about books involving long lost treasures & historical mysteries that just lure me in. The promise of a steamy pairing doesn't hurt either. I got both, but I'll admit that this book was heavier on the steamy pairing than it was on the historical mystery. And I didn't mind a bit.

Dr. Deanna Vasquez hasn't spoken to her mother in years, not since the renowned archaeologist abandoned her family in her quest to find the lost tomb of Montezuma. When CIA agent Bill Santana shows up in her classroom with the news that her mother has been abducted by terrorists, Deanna has to help in any way she can.

Bill needs Deanna's expertise to determine the location of her mother's latest find, before her kidnappers do. He fears whatever mysteries the tomb holds could be deadly in the wrong hands. In an effort to make contact with the terrorist cell, Bill accompanies Deanna to Mexico posing as her fiancé—a ruse made doubly dangerous because of the very real heat between them...

What made this book was the awesome pairing of Bill & Deanna. It's hot, it's tangible, & it's very easy to get wrapped up in. Piñeiro might have gone a little lighter on the anthropological side with this book, but she stepped it up with the romance. One of the more intriguing & inviting things of the romance here is that the gender roles are switched. Normally when it comes to initiating sex it's the man who takes charge, but in this book the women are the ones who are large & in charge. It's really a nice turn of pace to see a woman doing this.

The action scenes are tense and fast paced, but a good chunk of this book focuses on the romantic & emotional state of our two main characters. It might seem a little risky, but it does seem to work here. I really felt myself connect with Deanna, although I'll admit that at times I was a little impatient for the plot to shift towards the inevitable action & discovery scenes. This might result in some readers getting a little anxious to get to the action, but trust me- the first sex scene more than makes up for it. (Yowza!)

I really enjoyed Piñeiro's Aztec Gold & this is no exception. I'm really looking forward to the next book she puts out along these lines. Caridad Piñeiro has a wonderful way of bringing a scene to life that's really exciting.

4/5

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Check it Out: Sharon Nelson

Hi everyone! Thanks for reading through all of the previous blogs in this series! I hope that you've now got a good glimpse at these books, companies, & authors! Hopefully there's one of these that you really like & have downloaded! :)

In any case, finishing up this series is a guest blog from Sharon Nelson, author of Pursuit of Midnight, a romantic mystery full of dashing Dukes & sinister goings on! I also have the trailer to the book, so if you're a fan of romance or mystery then it'll be worth checking out. (Click on the book to go directly to Sharon's website!) You can purchase Sharon's book at either Smashwords or on Amazon to get sent directly to your kindle!


Society believes that her twin brother is dead but the recently widowed Lady Cadence Cooper was given reason to believe otherwise. A message delivered by a mysterious veiled woman has led her to suspect the involvement of the Midnight Club in his abduction. In order to keep her sisters out of danger, Cadence has no choice but to enlist the aid of a perfect stranger to help her. The Duke of Remington owed her father his life and she is hoping it will be enough to convince him to aid her. Little does she know that the current Duke of Remington is not the same gentleman her father once called friend and getting this dark stranger to help her may cost Cadence more than she is willing to offer.

Blake Morris, Duke of Remington has his own reasons for investigating the Club and when a very audacious Lady with surprising information about the club demands his assistance, he has no choice but to succumb to her demands. Before long he is caught up in her crazy plans and swept away by her courage. When a plot is uncovered that could destroy London they will risk everything to save the city, their families and each other. Will they be able to unravel the secrets of the Midnight Club? Or will they lose more than just their hearts in The Pursuit of Midnight.

Where to begin? I find that since publishing my book and muddling through the promotion process the hardest thing to do is to write about me. I have no problem creating characters and fantasy worlds and I could tell you every last detail about them. But me… that’s another story.

I don’t have a degree in writing or English; I went to school to be a nanny and again for business management. There isn’t anything that makes me particularly qualified to be a writer other than the fact that I love to do it. I have been writing for as long as I can remember, when I was little my brother and I used to staple pieces of paper together and write books. I have several completed books in many different genres but had never even thought about publishing. Then a couple years ago my mom talked me into joining a writing group a friend of hers was starting. It was great fun; we would meet at a local restaurant and do writing exercises, critique each other’s work and enjoy a good Ruby Red beer.

About a year later one of our members passed away suddenly, she was only in her early 40’s and it was an enormous shock to everyone. She had been a vibrant and amazing person and it really made me wake up and take a second look at my life. While I liked my job I loved writing and everyone told me it was good enough to publish. So I kicked myself into gear and got to work, polishing off the best of the bunch and started sending it out to agents.

As any aspiring writer knows waiting for replies to come is the most excruciatingly horrid part of the process, quickly followed by the receipt of the rejection letter. I have a whole stack of them and they haunt me still. Oh, they are always nice and even encouraging but still each one is like a knife through the heart.

Finally I decided I would take one of my books and publish it myself. I had a friend, who is fabulous at editing, run it through the wringer and muddled my why through the e publishing process. Book uploaded into iPub, KDP and Smashwords, I was elated; there was my book available to the world.

Sitting back congratulating myself I had no idea what to do next. I quickly found that the work had only just begun. Promoting your book and yourself as an author is an uphill battle, or as my grandpa used to say, “5 miles, in the snow, uphill both ways.”

It has only been a little over a month so I am trying not to despair. I have talked to some amazing writers and other professionals in the industry. Several blogs are doing reviews of my book and I have gotten some great feedback about my book that has encouraged me. I have read everything I could get my hands on about self publishing and promotion but I still feel like such a beginner.

I guess if I could tell someone considering indie publishing one thing it would be this: There is more to being an indie writer than uploading your book. I have found some great resources which I am happy to share and post on my blog bysharonnelson.blogspot.com. I am trying to stay active in the writing community and post to several different forums, learning and sharing as much information as possible. So if there are any writers considering indie publishing come find me I’m happy to answer any questions.

I would like to add a special thanks to Shalor and Book Goggles. I know how hard it is to run a successful blog and Shalor has been fantastic.





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Don't forget- today is the last day to enter to win a copy of one of Jim Bernheimer's ebooks! Tomorrow I announce the winner! (Click here for details.)

Win a copy of The Paris Secret by Angela Henry!

Hey guys- want to win a copy of The Paris Secret by Angela Henry?

The answer is simple: go click on the image above & it'll send you to the author's personal blog. All you have to do is comment on that blog & you're entered in the drawing! Easy peasy.

If you're curious as to what the book is about, here's the synopsis:

Less than twenty-four hours after fleeing to Paris, Maya Sinclair is the prime suspect in a brutal murder—and targeted by the real killer. When she's viciously attacked in the gardens of Versailles, Maya barely escapes with her life thanks to sexy French journalist Simon Girard.

Simon has been investigating the mysterious death of his brother, an art forger with ties to the woman Maya is suspected of killing. Still healing from heartbreak of his own, Simon reluctantly joins forces with Maya, who has awakened feelings within him he thought long dead.

Their search for answers uncovers the existence of a secret society, and puts them on a quest to find a missing crucifix rumored to hold the key to everlasting life. Together, Maya and Simon race through Paris one step ahead of a killer who will do anything to ensure some secrets remain buried forever...