Must-read paranormals: 'Siren's Call,' 'Dragon Fall,' plus author interviews

Siren's Call by Jayne Ann Krentz (writing as Jayne Castle)

What it's about (courtesy of Jove):

In the alien catacombs of Rainshadow, there are creatures whose compelling songs lure the unwary to their death. That's why Rafe Coppersmith, hired to clear out the catacombs for exploration, needs a music talent. He knows the perfect one, but she probably doesn't want anything do with him ...

Ella Morgan had once fallen hard and fast for Rafe, but then he disappeared for months…and he's not about to tell her why. Ella, too, has secrets that only her dust bunny knows. She's not just a music talent, she's a Siren: a paranormal singer capable of singing men to sleep—or to their deaths.

But once on Rainshadow, Rafe and Ella will learn that surrendering to passion doesn't come without risks—and fighting fire with fire only adds to the flame…

Jessie's take: I love these two characters together, and of course who doesn't love the dust bunnies? You can read this as a stand-alone if you don't mind filling in the blanks, but honestly, you should start at the beginning — this series (and side series) is fun! Plus, it's on audio, and who wouldn't want to hear Rafe on audio?

INTERVIEW WITH JAYNE ANN KRENTZ

What's your favorite song to sing?

Jayne: I'm no Siren, so you probably don't want me to sing. But when I'm in the mood, I can do an interesting version of Old Time Rock 'n' Roll (Bob Seger).

What type of "talent" would you have?

Jayne: Actually, I wouldn't mind being a for-real Siren. I would only use my talent for good, of course.

Tell us about the hot and wounded Rafe!

Jayne: Good news for fans of the Coppersmith family from my Dark Legacy series: With Siren's Call, we get to see what is going on with their descendants on Harmony. Looks like they're still in the business of working with really dangerous crystals. You'd think they'd learn, right? As for Rafe, he's just been badly burned by a mysterious chunk of rock and he is not in a good mood. But he's got a job to do and he's a Coppersmith, so he's going to do it.

What are you currently working on?

Jayne: My next book (written as Jayne Ann Krentz) is Secret Sisters (Dec. 8). I'm really excited about this one. It feels like I've arrived at where I've been going for a while now with my writing. It's a story of two women who were best friends when they were 13. But a night of violence separated them for several years. They lost touch with each other. Now the dangerous secret they've been keeping is coming back to haunt them. They need help and they get it from a couple of private investigators who just happen to be excellent hero material.

Epic one-liner from Siren's Call?

Jayne: I'm fond of the opening line:

It was the wedding of the season and it went of flawlessly — right up until the moment when the bridesmaid announced to the bride, the pastor and the crowd in the pews that the groom had murdered his first two wives.

Dragon Fall by Katie MacAlister

What it's about (courtesy of Forever):

You flirt with fire...

For Aoife Dakar, seeing is believing-and she's seen some extraordinary things. It's too bad no one else believes that she witnessed a supernatural murder at an outdoor fair. Returning to the scene for proof, Aoife encounters a wise-cracking demon dog-and a gloriously naked man who can shift into a dragon and kiss like a god. Now thrust into a fantastical world that's both exhilarating and terrifying, Aoife is about to learn just how hot a dragon's fire burns.

When you date a dragon.

Kostya has no time for a human woman with endless questions, no matter how gorgeous or tempting she is. He must break the curse that has splintered the dragon clans before more of his kind die. But his powerful attraction to Aoife runs much deeper than the physical-and there may be more to her than even his sharp dragon eyes can see. To survive the coming battle for the fate of his race, he needs a mate of true heart and soul . . .

Jessie's take: Katie MacAlister has funny characters and always makes me laugh. Her heroes and heroines aren't always perfect, and I adore listening to the Aisling Grey series on audio. Dragon Fall is the start of a new series centering on her Black Dragons. Longtime fans will love this, and Aoife's story will have you charmed.

INTERVIEW WITH KATIE MACALISTER

What color dragon would you be?

Katie: No color — if I could have any dragon, I'd probably go for the First Dragon, the ancestor of all the dragonkin. He's a very complicated man, one who has not only started the entire race of dragons, but who's fallen in love with a mortal, and lost her to violence. There's something eternal about him that really rings my chimes.

What is your favorite thing about Aoife?

Katie: I love that she's a survivor. She went through a perfectly horrific experience, and emerged a stronger person for it, without changing her core self. She's still the same quirky soul who sees things in a unique manner, but that is now tempered with a little extra wisdom.

How do you keep characters and a series fresh?

Katie: That is the challenge when you've written more than 50 books. Luckily, I have several different series, so if I'm writing in one series, the other series are there lurking in my brain, tempting me with their delicious differences. It's inevitable that when I'm elbow deep in one book, I'll want to write a book in a different series. That allows all of the different types of books to stay fresh and fun to write.

Characters are infinitely varied as people are, so when I'm plotting a book and considering what character would work best in it, I usually try to picture the person who would suffer the most. For example, in Dragon Fall, I picked a heroine who wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything paranormal, and plopped her down with a dragon and a demon and a whole host of Otherworldly people all demanding her help.

What are you currently working on?

Katie: I'm just starting a new book in my contemporary series for Penguin Random House. It's got a bit of a throwback to Hard Day's Knight, so I'm superexcited to be writing it.

Epic one-liner from Dragon Fall?

Katie:

"I want bonus points for going from a perfectly normal human being to someone who accepts that there are dragons and demon lords running around."

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Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions departments at Dreamspinner Press and Entangled YA. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).