Nana's Little Black Book
By Shannon Leigh
Amber Quill Press
Erotica Novella
54 pages
Several weeks had passed since Catrina found her Nana lying dead in her bedroom. As difficult as it was for the young med student, she now had the task of cleaning Nana's room. After a thorough sweeping, Catrina finds a parchment with a number and the words "end call" and shortly after removing a braided rug finds a hidden panel. Within are glass vials, aged scrolls, loose parchments, amulets, beads and pewter statues. Catrina begins to wonder exactly what her grandmother had been exploring while she lie in bed separated by a wall all those years.
After careful examination of three volumes, Catrina learns that they are books of spells. But it's a well preserved tome that demands her attention. This one was has flesh-colored leather with a telephone pad and a simple brush against the numbers and their symbols make the pad glow red. Catrina believes that the parchment with the words "end call" provide the means to send a man back to where he came from. Knowing that this book is able to summon demons, Catrina considers the reality of the situation. This is a very dangerous book and she should think of a way to make sure no one gets a hold of it. The book either senses her intent or is removed from her hands because it falls to the floor. Now standing in her living room, wearing nothing but a tool belt, is a very handsome, uninvited guest. One, that no doubt, isn't your average handyman. He informs her that she called him and that he's Malthus, the earl of hell. He claims to have a legion of demons ready to do battle, but he knows battle isn't part of this night's game plan.
NANA'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK is about discovery and taking chances. Though you'd have to be pretty darn adventurous and not afraid of anything to get intimate with the males the book summon. This fast read would probably make a great late night movie. I found that Shannon gets right into the story without a ton of explanations and her description is just right in the lust department.
four black books out of five
Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
February 10, 2006
