Lisa Rayns's CURSE OF THE EGYPTIAN GODDESS

The Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur, 1892

Cleopatra VII is one of the most popular figures in Ancient Egyptian history. Well-educated, clever, and seductive, the Greek Queen of Egypt ruled for nearly three decades. Her drive for power was unprecedented for a woman of her time. Her unforgettable love affair with Marc Antony and tragic death––suicide by asp––makes her story legendary. But of everything we’ve discovered about her, much is left a mystery because Antirhodos, the royal island where her palace was located, sank into the Mediterranean Sea.

That’s why I was so thrilled when I came across this article from MessageToEagle which states, “Lost for 1,600 years, the kingdom of Cleopatra was discovered off the shores of Alexandria, Egypt.”

This is old news, but the photos are amazing and with the prospect of an underwater museum in the future, my muse is in high gear for the next book.

Cleopatra is one of my favorite figures in history, which might explain why my heroine’s name in book 1, Curse of the Egyptian Goddess, is Cleo Patrix. It’s free on a couple sites, so I hope you’ll check it out.

And since this is The Snarkology blog, here is a glimpse of Cleo acting snarky.

Excerpt from Curse of the Egyptian Goddess:

By Monday morning, I had come to grips with my situation and had a firm understanding of where I stood. Nine days ago I was accused of murder, eight days ago I broke the law by hopping on a plane to Egypt, and now I was completely fucked without Calvin’s help. I wore a long-sleeved black shirt with my black jeans because they suited my mood. At least the stewardess still served me, and I felt better, almost numb when I entered the airport back in Madison. Unfortunately, I had a feeling the man rushing toward me in the terminal was about to kill my buzz.

Detective Cade wore another crinkled suit. He had his cuffs in hand, dark circles under his eyes, and deep lines of irritation streaked his forehead. I smiled and waved, but the stuffy ass wasn’t amused.

He growled as he pulled my wrists behind my back and slapped the handcuffs on. “You can’t leave a note that says you’ll be back in two weeks after I told you not to leave town.”

“Ow!”

“Christ. Are you permanently bruised?” He sounded cross, but he loosened the cuffs a little.

Buzz gone, I sighed before I turned around. “You’re going to have to carry my bag now. You realize that?”

He didn’t respond to my second attempt at humor. He picked up my bag and threw the strap over his shoulder before he curled his hand around my upper arm and pulled me along.

Sending thanks to everyone for stopping by! If you’ve found more photos online, please post the link. I’d love to see them!

Blurb:

Given her ten-year curse that leaves her beaten and bruised, Emma Patrix has grown accustomed to drinking away the pain. And with a trail of dead bodies behind her, it was only a matter of time before the law caught up. Now she's accused of murder and she must flee the country to find the one man who can help her break the curse-Calvin Konrad. She finally catches up with him in Egypt, but he's not the same sweet boy she remembers from her childhood. And getting him to help her proves more difficult than she ever imagined.

"Curse of the Egyptian Goddess is truly a twisted curse of all curses." --M.R. Polish, YA author/reviewer.

"A compelling page turner that will suck you in." --Stephanie Nelson, author of Craved.

Review:

Curse of the Egyptian Goddess is a contemporary paranormal romance novel which incorporates intricate mythology into a modern setting. The story's heroine, Cleo, is a flawed but fascinating woman who has the misfortune of being the target of an ancient curse, which is linked to the serpent necklace she wears about her throat. Because of the curse people involved with Cleo, those who touch her, die of strangulation. As a result, she carries the immense guilt of having caused the deaths of her entire family and she remains a menace to anyone who dares get too close to her. To make matters worse, she suffers from regular cuddle sessions with a giant invisible constrictor snake that attempts to squeeze the life out of her, leaving her covered in bruises. Cleo actively shuns human contact and drowns her misery in booze. The addict aspect of her personality is distasteful, although understandable, given the wretchedness of her existence.

Calvin was Cleo's childhood friend and the recipient of a different but complimentary necklace bearing the symbol of a cat. Unfortunately, Calvin starts out acting like a jerk to the extent that the reader struggles to find something likeable or sympathetic about him. Considering that his biggest complaint is being transformed into a cat, the guy's bad attitude is really out of proportion to the chip on his shoulder. (He gets to be a freaking tiger! How cool is that?) As a point in his favor, he does manage to redeem himself as the tale progresses and eventually becomes a hero worth rooting for.

I really liked the investigative mystery portion of the story. An exciting sense of suspense builds as Cleo and Calvin desperately search for a way to end their curses. A determined detective who is gunning for Cleo adds the right touch of external conflict. There are a few other supporting cast characters but Detective Cade is far and away the best and most interesting of them. I actually wanted to know more about him and I'm hoping he appears again at some point in the series.

I liked Cleo and Calvin together. They have great chemistry and are emotionally compelling. Love scenes are sensual. The story uses clean, direct language and the editing is excellent. The pacing remained steady and consistent throughout, carrying the reader toward the surprising conclusion. 

All in all, I'd recommend Curse of the Egyptian Goddess for anyone looking for an intriguing tale involving Egyptian mythology set in the modern world. I believe the "curse" theme is an absolutely fantastic premise for a series and I'm looking forward to seeing what Lisa Rayns does next.

I downloaded this story from Amazon during a free day.

Buy Links:
 Amazon Kindle    Amazon Paperback

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Author Bio:

Lisa Rayns, author of the paranormal romance, "Wanted: Vampire – Free Blood," lives in a small town in South Dakota. She studied Composition/Literature in college and worked with explosives and as a blackjack dealer before beginning her writing career. An avid reader, she weaves romantic stories rich with action, suspense, and her own personal flavor of the paranormal. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and Siamese cat. For more information about Lisa and her books, visit her website at www.lisarayns.com.