My Year in Books – what I edited during 2014

To put it mildly, I'm a wee bit in love with editing. Here is a selection of some of the works that I put under my scalpel blade during this year gone by. The books are presented here in alphabetical order by author name.

The Dom with the Kink Monsters by Sorcha Black
Sorcha’s Badass Brats are fun, when she’s writing on her own AND when she’s writing with her partners Leia Shaw and Cari Silverwood. If you’re looking for kink in all flavours, with characters who’re often full of tattoos and oodles of attitude, then look no further. I’ve had the opportunity to edit a few of the Badass series, so these stories are like old friends whenever a new one lands on my desk. I needed to fan myself all the time while working on this.

Ein by Sorcha Black
Ein is really difficult to classify. It’s full-on fantasy but with lashings of kink and a strong central theme of femininity. This novel touched me on an emotional level, and while there’s *a lot* of heat, the characters are nonetheless touching and well fleshed out. Sorcha takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride.


One Step Ahead by Amy Lee Burgess
This is number seven of Amy’s The Wolf Within series. Though each novel can be read as a standalone, I do recommend that readers start from book one. Amy allows us a glimpse into the lives of Pack, wolf shifters who coexist as a secret society among humans. While there’s a degree of heat, Amy places emphasis on her characters’ interpersonal relationships and their emotional sides. It’s fantastic to be on board with this series again.

The Necromancer’s Apprentice by Icy Sedgwick
Icy Sedgwick takes a story that’s familiar to many of us – that of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice – and she gives it a somewhat darker twist. Her sorcerer is a necromancer, and the apprentice runs afoul of his overweening desire to overreach himself. What I love the most about Icy’s writing is the way she combines dark subject matter with a whiff of whimsy. If you find the idea of nefarious, evil mummies appealing then this novella’s for you. Oh, the illustration on the cover is by the super-fab Daniël Hugo, one of my preferred artists. Design by Carmen Begley.

Intimidator by Cari Silverwood
Cari Silverwood and I go back a long way, and I’m always happy to edit a few of her novels during the course of the year. Intimidator takes us on a journey with alien warriors who arrive on earth and cut a devastating swathe through a greater evil while taking their pick of earthling women while they’re at it. Lots of action. Lots of kink here. Oh, and I must brag just a wee bit about the cover art, which was designed by my wonderful husband, Thomas Dorman. If you're looking for cover art at a reasonable price, mail him at thomas@helicopterdesign.co.za

Seize Me From Darkness by Cari Silverwood
Cari’s Pierced Hearts series is dark, dark, dark, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Not only does she put her characters, male and female, through the emotional wringer, but there’s huge, heaping piles of danger and kink, and one is never quite sure whether the hero is the good or bad guy. Or maybe he’s a bit of both. Either way, she pushes boundaries with these books. You have been warned. Oh, and the cover design is also by my lovely husband.

Erased by Liz Strange
Liz has a handle on telling a kick-ass story that ratchets along at a rapid pace. If you liked Fire Fly, Star Trek and Blade Runner, then this one will appeal to you. Especially awesome is the strong female lead in this space opera. Oh, the illustration is by one of my favourite artists, Milan Colovic.

Crooks & Straights by Masha du Toit
For those of you who’ve a yen for YA urban fantasy that doesn’t have all the Crooks & Straights will offer you a breath of fresh air. The story takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, and plays on our Rainbow Nation’s reputation of being a melting pot of cultures.
usual trappings you’ve grown weary of, then

The Sea anthology
I collected a handful of my favourite authors, and combined them with another handful of fresh voices, to put together The Sea, a collection of short speculative fiction themed around, well, exactly as the title suggests. Unfortunately this anthology fell prey to the closure of Dark Continents Publishing, but we are on the cusp of releasing the revised edition via Crossroad Press, so stay tuned. Cover photography by yours truly, with illustration by Norman Begley, and design by Carmen Begley.

If you’d like further updates about my editing endeavours, and just life as per usual for a madcap wordy person who writes and edits because anything else is unthinkable, then stalk me on Twitter.

Though I am currently focusing on my BA studies in languages and literature, while holding down a day job, I am still available to take on select editing projects during 2015. I can be emailed at nerinedorman@gmail.com.

Editing highlights of 2013 #books

This past year I've had some stunning editing projects that I edited, which were totally fabulous and make it all worthwhile (editing, that is). I am utterly blessed to work with such fantastic authors, and I'd like to present ten of the titles (and encourage you to go out and buy them).

In alphabetical order... And as you can see I've had quite a varied range of titles genre-wise.

Ballintyne, Ciara

Confronting the Demon (fantasy)

The first thing that struck me about Ciara's writing is that she reminds me a lot of Jacqueline Carey in style, so I am a more than happy editor to have her on board. Confronting the Demon is a novella about the machiavellian politics in which wizards engage, and the unintended consequences brought about by jealousy.

Black, Sorcha; Shaw, Leia; Silverwood, Cari

The Dom with the Perfect Brats (#3) (BDSM erotica)

The Dom with the Clever Tongue (#4) (BDSM erotica)

Sorcha, Leia and Cari are a devastating writing team and their Badass Brats series which I've had the opportunity to work on has completely changed the way I view the BDSM erotica genre. Their books are fun, kinky and the characters are not only sex fiends but people too. Granted, this won't be for everyone, but all I can say is that whenever one of these MSes land in my inbox, I know I'm going to have a huge amount of fun. It hardly feels like work!

Clevenger, Carrie

Traitors (urban fantasy)

I can't get enough of smart-mouthed vampire Xan Marcelles and I'm so glad Carrie's pushed through to write this little piece that slots in some time after the events in her debut novel Crooked Fang. This is urban fantasy of the highest order, with plenty of blood- and fuel-soaked action: fast cars and even faster vampires. Carrie's writing is slick and gritty, and as always totally enjoyable. Her narrator isn't one to sit about bemoaning his fate as a bloodsucker.

Hellisen, Cat 

House of Sand and Secrets (fantasy)

It's not often that an editor gets to brag that she works with one of her favourite fantasy authors, but I can. Cat's writing sucks you into an alternative world that feels so tangible that it seems inconceivable that it doesn't exist somewhere. In House of Sand and Secrets she follows on from where her debut novel, When the Sea is Rising Red finishes, and returns us to her world where class means everything, and ... because, unicorns. 

Myrddin, Elizabeth 

Fun is for Shallow People (cosy mystery)

Elizabeth has been incredibly to work with, and possibly one of my most satisfying projects this year when I look at the progress we made with Fun is For Shallow People. I absolutely adore her observations of human behaviour and in this novel she plays on the hijinks that ensue when two drama-prone ladies end up as rivals in what two detectives end up dubbing the "dead fop case". 

Petterson, David C

Lupa Bella (historical fantasy)

This one is difficult to classify. Its setting (1960s Italy) but it's also about werewolves, and I can't really put this either under the banner of urban fantasy or horror even. The closest authors I can compare DC Petterson to include SP Somtow and Alice Borchardt (for the wolves), and DC writes with that classic touch I love so much. This is officially the first title I've brought out as director of Dark Continents Publishing's Tales of Darkness and Dismay line of books.

Silverwood, Cari

Bind and Keep Me (#2) (BDSM erotica/dubcon)

Make Me Yours For Evermore (#3) (BDSM erotica/dubcon)

Cari's Pierced Hearts series is not for the faint of heart. Some of the elements that those who've read the Badass Brats series will recognise include the way ménage a trois is handled, but everything that is sane and safe about BDSM erotica is thrown out the window. The Pierced Hearts series goes places that make you question why you're suddenly okay with it, and therein lies the rub. Cari seduces you. Plain and simple.

Various authors

Bloody Parchment: The Root Cellar and Other Stories (horror/dark fantasy)

This is the project I do each year in conjunction with the South African HorrorFest. It's a multi-faceted project that started off with the annual Bloody Parchment event that happens at the same time as the SA HorrorFest (it's the literary component). Then we threw in a short story competition one year, which resulted in us bringing out the first-ever anthology. Since then it's picked up steam and we've had Random House Struik onboard for the past two years. The 2014 anthology will be brought out by Dark Continents Publishing.

Youngquist, David

Black Jack (fantasy)

David writes fantasy from the heart, and has an incredibly accessible style. I've said it before, but he reminds me a lot of Piers Anthony's early Xanth novels in this one and creates a fascinating world where the magic changes those who come to the world. This one is a glorious mash-up of eras, where villains from Earth's past are present and causing untold trouble for our hero, Jack, who finds himself reluctantly crowned king and saddled with the responsibility of winning a war he didn't ask for.

A note to authors and publishers: I am available to take on (limited) freelance work during the course of 2014. Please query me at nerinedorman@gmail.com to enquire about my schedule and rates.

Best #Books of 2013

I've been participating in the Goodreads reading challenge and set myself the goal of reading 100 books this year. At time of blogging I've managed 94, which isn't too shabby, and I might even make my goal. I've read a healthy balance of literature this year. Most of it's been pretty neat, but if I had to pull out the books (the ones I haven't edited, BTW) then these following titles are the ones that jumped out the most.

So, what I've decided to do is pull quotes (in italics) from my actual reviews (many of which appeared in print) then follow up with a few thoughts now, in hindsight.

1# The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Ocean at the end of the Lane is a tale filled with powerful archetypes, be it images of the Triple Goddess or the eternal ocean that links all things. This is more than just a story about childhood, and coming to terms with the fact that the world is a dangerous, unpredictable place.

Okay, I absolutely adore Neil Gaiman. Apart from JRR Tolkien, he's probably had the most influence on my writing. I'll admit to being a bit underwhelmed by most of his fiction recently because to me the Sandman graphic novels are *it* so far as I'm concerned, and are a tough act to follow. But The Ocean at the End of the Lane is nothing short of inspired. I get the feeling he wrote this book because he *wanted* to. For himself.

2# King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
The Jorg we follow in book #2 is still impulsive, but his nasty side has been tempered somewhat. He's haunted by ghosts, and is vastly troubled by his connection to Katherine. So, though we can level accusations at him that he's a killer and capable of all manner of truly terrible things, it's also evident that he's matured.

I love Mark Lawrence's writing for a variety of reasons. Mostly because he effortlessly weaves pithy philosophical musings together with ultra-violence. His writing is unrestrained on many levels, unrestrained by genre, unrestrained by how far characters are allowed to transgress from what is morally acceptable. That being said, I don't think this writing is going to appeal to a broad spectrum, but if you love fantasy that's breaking fresh ground with old tools, then this is it. Watch Lawrence closely. He's nipping on GRRM's heels. (And if you don't know who GRRM is then jawellnofine...)

3# Passion Play by Beth Bernobich
Ilse as a character is resilient. Hats off to Bernobich for not wrapping her characters in cotton wool. Ilse’s choices are not always the wisest, and she gets hurt for her mistakes, and badly at the onset of the story. But she learns, and it is an absolute pleasure watching her come into her own. 

Beth Bernobich is one of those authors I'm so happy to have become acquainted with. Her writing is lush, her world-building endlessly intriguing. She allows you to gradually build a picture of the setting's history. Her style harks to the classic styles of fantasy writing with a slow pace and gradual unfurling. You'll have romance, courtly intrigue and ancient magics all rolled into one. Also, bonus points is she clearly writes PoC as the protagonists.

4# The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
What follows is a tangled, sensuous web of betrayal and obsession, as author Alma Katsu allows tantalising glimpses into the pasts of her tragic creations. None of her characters are wholly good or evil; all of them have some sort of dark past. Some are irredeemably sadistic, and gleefully set about finding new ways to express their cruelty to those they manipulate.

Emily Brontë meets Lestat-era Anne Rice. That's probably the best way to describe Alma Katsu's writing. Also, kudos to her for creating a departure from the standard paranormal fare. Though her writing is being packaged to *look* like The Series About Angels We Won't Mention by Name, her writing is definitely way above that league. Those looking for sta
ndard HEA are going to be disappointed and to be honest, I'd beat *those* sort of readers off with a big stick. ;-)

5# The Big Stick by Richard de Nooy
Somehow these assorted tellings hang together seamlessly and enrich the reader’s experience. Each narrator holds but a fragment of Staal’s life, coloured by their worldview. These are threaded together as one would create a beaded necklace, a bigger picture emerges.

Richard is absolutely fabulous, both as a person and a writer. I've been following him on Twitter for a while and am so glad I've had the opportunity to dip into his writing. From what I can gather thus far, he loves playing with people's perceptions and how one person can change depending on who is telling their story. The Big Stick is a beautiful work of fiction.

6# The Ward by SL Grey
What lies in wait beyond New Hope exists as a dark parody of the medical system, a world where patients are either donors or clients, and medical staff scuttle about like worker ants in a diabolical hive presided over by the scalpel-happy butchers. In a big way The Ward is about people getting their just deserts. 

The partnership between Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg can do no wrong. I often imagine the two of them conspiring while giggling madly over the next Terrible Thing they have planned for their characters. The Ward is a stronger novel than The Mall, and they're clearly more settled in their style. Mostly, I love them for their astute observations and their wicked, wicked black humour.

7# The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Miller’s prose is lush, sensual and evocative, and she captures this age of heroes perfectly to the point where you can taste ripe figs or smell the stench of blood on the battlefield. Miller’s characters spring forth into startling life from the pages of one of the greatest legends.

Okay, I'm a HUGE fan of Mary Renault's writing, and if ever there was an author whom I'd peg as a worthy successor, it's Madeline Miller. I devoured this book in less than a week and almost cried at the end. There's just enough of a fantasy element to keep those aesthetic demands satisfied but as for the lush prose... This lady's onto something.

8# Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon
Zenn is the kind of protagonist whose mouth is often way ahead of her brain, and for a female protagonist, she’s a breath of fresh air. This young madam knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to work very hard to get it—in this case she wants to be an exovet. 

Star Wars meets James Herriot and Gerald Durrell. Need I say more? Christian Schoon writes with great enthusiasm about his subject, and his love for animals shines through. Tag him with pics of otters on Twitter (yes, Mr Schoon, I can see you smiling right now as you're reading this).

9# Glitterland by Alexis Hall
Perhaps what makes this story for me is the way Hall effortlessly brings the characters to life in such a way that if we were to meet them on the street, we’d recognise them instantly (and it’s not just the way they talk). At times playful, and others quite poignant, Glitterland maintains a careful balance between its moods with a joyfully exuberant pace.

I so didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. Contemporary romance isn't really my thing but just occasionally a premise will bite me. I absolutely ADORE Alexis and I'm looking forward to reading his other books. His characters are utterly charming and authentic, or should I rather say totes adorbs, babes?

10# A Discourse in Steel by Paul S Kemp
A Discourse in Steel is exactly what it says: a straight-up adventure filled with snappy dialogue, a spot of tomb-raiding, breaking and entering, and general asskickery. The magical key that opened any lock once it had a taste of a particular fruit or veggie was just one of the quirky touches strewn throughout the tale.

Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones meet Terry Pratchett is how I sum this up. For the interaction between Egil and Nix alone I'd read this. Paul S Kemp knows how to keep the pace going and plays nicely with all the standard fantasy tropes in such a way that he is both light but with a wry undercurrent. You get the idea that the characters as people are quite damaged, but this doesn't bog them down in a mire of emo wangst.

A note to authors and publishers:I am open to review requests for 2014. A warning though, I'm still quite back-logged and will only take on titles that knock my socks off with their premises. I will use my discretion and submit select reviews to print media. See my review policy above. Query me at nerinedorman@gmail.com 

Stocking fillers #books #recommendations

It’s that time of the year when folks like giving things and these days it’s ridiculously easy to do so (one of the reasons I love Amazon so much when I know my friends have a Kindle). So today I’m going to give you ten gifting options. Some are my own, others are written by some of my friends, and a few of these outstanding titles I even had the opportunity to edit.

Camdeboo Nights was my only novel release in a year that I ended up inadvertently focusing on short stories. At its core, this novel is an urban fantasy misadventure involving a bunch of teens getting involved in supernatural conflict, featuring vampires, mages and classic automobiles. Essentially, I reckon fans of Harry Potter and Supernatural should get their jollies with this one.

Buy Camdeboo Nights at Amazon and Kobo.



Part of what kept me so busy at the end of the year and the start of this one was preparing both my Books of Khepera for self-publishing. The rights have long since reverted to me so I’ve dollied up the front covers with a little help from the super-talented Daniël Hugo. This is the ongoing saga of bad-boy black magician Jamie Guillaume, who tangles with militant fundamentalists and demonic entities.



Khepera Rising (#1) at Smashwords, Amazon or in print.
Khepera Redeemed (#2) at Smashwords, Amazon or in print.



Inkarna has hit the mark with many readers, and was born out of incredibly dark period in my life. Ashton Kennedy is a member of an elite reincarnation cult, otherwise known as Inkarna, but is reincarnated in the wrong body. Not only that, but he’s in possession of a secret that will see him a hunted man – throughout eternity. I’ve woven in plenty of Egyptian myth and magic into this one.


Buy Inkarna at Amazon or Kobo, or order it in print from your local bookstore.


Hell’s Music is one of my romance titles (writing as Therése von Willegen), and I continue playing on the bad-boy archetype when a totally withdrawn bookshop owner inadvertently gets involved with a famous alternative musician who I’d peg as somewhere between Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson. Not only that, but she’s got family issues with her troubled kid sister who has her own love problems.

Buy Hell’s Music on Amazon or at Bookstrand.



Tainted Love is hot and dirty (also written under the Therése von Willegen name) and takes a good girl next door who’s newly retrenched, and sees her finding her groove as a stripper. Not only does she have the moves, but she snags the attention of the owner of gentleman’s club where she bares all. But the environment is not the best if you’re trying to build a love that lasts, as she discovers.

Buy Tainted Love on Amazon, Bookstrand and Kobo.




I must make mention of Cari Silverwood now. I’ve had the pleasure of editing her Pierced Hearts series of BDSM erotica. She’s got book three, Make Me Yours Evermore, out this month but if you’re looking for top-shelf dubcon sizzlers, you cannot go wrong with this series. She gets into the hearts and souls of her characters, so much so that she completely subverts your loyalties by the last page.


Take Me, Break Me #1
Bind and Keep Me #2
Make Me Yours Evermore #3

Carrie Clevenger’s the mistress who brought the vampire Xan Marcelles into my life, and she’s recently celebrated the release of a novella, Traitors, which follows on after the happenings of her debut novel, Crooked Fang. If you’re looking for high-octane, bullet-riddled and blood-drenched vampire action, then this story will hit the mark. Xan is one of my all-time favourite narrators, and I love his dry humour.

Buy Traitors on Amazon.






The Circle: Blood Gift by Amy Lee Burgess has been a long time coming. I first encountered the story when she released it as a blog serial. Several hundred thousand words and a number of revisions later, she’s got this awesome novel unleashed upon the world. Becoming a vampire doesn’t solve the protagonist’s problems, and she must work through her past in order to claim her future.

Buy The Circle: Blood Gift on Amazon.


Trancehack by Sonya Clark is what happens when an author says “Screw it, I’m writing the novel I want to read.” I’m so happy for her that she’s had this success with this awesome story where magic users are marginalised in an uneasy, near future. While you’re at it, go check out her Mojo series. She has a way with music, magic and words that will enchant you.


Buy Trancehack on Amazon.




House of Sand and Secrets by Cat Hellisen follows on from her debut novel, When the Sea is Rising Red. It’s a lush, evocative fantasy read set in a world where your caste is everything, and a wealthy heiress does her social standing much damage by her unfortunate choice in marriage. Hellisen’s writing harks back to classic fantasy styles, and will draw you away from the humdrum of real life for a while.

Buy House of Sand and Secrets on Amazon.

On my desk... December 11

These two landed on my desk this morning and I'm looking forward to cracking them open. Am currently reading The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens, Mark of the Gladiator by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane, Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, and The Pirate Queen Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire by Susan Ronald.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to add that I'm also FINALLY getting round to reading The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Yes. Shake your head. I really don't care. 

Yes. I know I suffer from OH LOOK BRIGHT-SHINY...

Authors and publishers are more than welcome to approach me to do book reviews (email nerinedorman@gmail.com). I post to Amazon, Goodreads and run reviews here on my blog. Occasionally I will review for the Pretoria News, The Star and Cape Argus.

I'm more than happy to conduct author interviews or host you on my blog if you have a new release if your book piques my interest. Preferred genres are fantasy (dark and urban), horror and science fiction, though I do occasionally roam into the realms of erotica and paranormal romance.

LOOT! #amreading

Very happy to receive some new loot on my desk today to add to my TBR pile. I'll be reviewing William Horwood's Harvest and Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood soon.

Black Friday at Lyrical Press

Shop at Lyrical Press on Black Friday and save 50% on our entire catalog of digital books (and you don't even have to get up early and stand in line all day!)

Have a Kindle? Have a Nook? No problem! Lyrical books are compatible for most reading devices.

So this is an unashamed plug from me telling you to GO BUY MY BOOKS.

Yes, you can read it on your iPad too, you geek.

Why? 'cos I'm not ashamed to say that I rock and will give those hankering after vintage Poppy Z Brite, Storm Constantine and Neil Gaiman some of the good, dark stuff.

Khepera Rising

The wickedest man in Africa has problems, and they can't all be solved by magic.

Occult bookshop owner and black arts magician James Edward Guillaume reckons he has it all, and enjoys living up his reputation as South Africa's "wickedest man", a nice house, a business that's breaking even and the pick of all the pretty Goth girls and boys in Cape Town.

Little does he know, a group of violent Christo-militants are panting at his heels, ready to destroy his carefully constructed fantasy world. To add mischief to his misery, he's unwittingly unleashed a terrifying demonic entity, and he alone holds the key to The Burning One's secret. To bring order out of the chaos, all James has to do is conquer his personal demons, teach a rather nasty, self-righteous sod a lesson in humility and find out whether he can win back the trust of an old flame. Only, as James discovers, getting back on top is hell on earth.

Khepera Redeemed

Just when the wickedest man in Africa thought the nightmare was over...

Still recovering from the trauma of his encounter with the Christo-militants who tried to kill him, Jamie only wants to get his life back on track. This is easier said than done when he’s essentially blackmailed into helping solve a case involving alleged cult activity.

To complicate matters further, the media gets involved and Jamie has to tread carefully. However, soon the hunter becomes the hunted and Jamie faces some difficult choices. Will his uneasy symbiosis with The Burning One save him or will he be tempted to grasp for more power than he can possible hold?

The Namaqualand Book of the Dead

How far will you travel to lay your dead to rest?

Struggling to come to terms with her boyfriend Aidan’s death, Chloë is ill prepared to deal with the violent murder of his best friend. When tantalizing evidence suggests there is more to Aidan’s apparent death than meets the eye, Chloë will not let her lack of material resources keep her from uncovering the truth, even if the truth proves far more dangerous and with a far more sinister nature than she bargained for.

Hell's Music (writing as Therese von Willegen)

Sometimes trouble comes in a very appealing package.

It's never nice when your boyfriend leaves you for someone else. It's even more of a slap in the face when he leaves you for a man. Emily Clark has put her wild years and the boyfriend she considered "safe" behind her, ensconcing herself in a Luddite lah-lah land centered on her second-hand bookstore.

But when her self-absorbed sister runs away from home to end up on her doorstep, Emily discovers the past has a funny way of creeping back into her life. And when an alternative musician uses her shop as a hideaway from a nosy reporter, Emily finds herself falling for the enigmatic man. By the time she realizes his celebrity status, it's too late--she's head over heels for Simon van Helsdingen, a notorious shock-rocker. Not only must she deal with her sister's delinquent ways and their dysfunctional family, but Emily must navigate the stormy seas of

being with a man whose reputation for trouble puts Ozzy Osbourne in the

shadows.