Super Duper Important- Scavenger Hunt Instructions:
There are 11 (eleven) stops for this Scavenger Hunt. Each stop contains a picture/button with a letter on it. All 11 letters form a message or phrase that is associated with the book. The letters are scattered randomly to the hosts. You will need to collect all 11, unscramble them, and then enter the decoded message in the Rafflecopter for the ‘extra entries’. Good luck!
Your scavenger hint letter is:
Bio:
Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author. Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.
She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.
Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.
She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.
Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.
The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.
Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.
Born and raised among the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, J. Annas Walker was brought listening to oral history and traditional storytelling. Her hobby of writing short stories bloomed out of this tradition. With the encouragement of her sisters, husband, an aunt, and a very supportive cousin, she took a chance to turn her hobby into something larger.
After acquiring a bachelors of science in civil engineering technology, she worked for a number of years as a transportation designer. Designing road construction projects by day, she continued writing by night. Today, she writes more than she ever did and blends fantasy and paranormal into romance storylines. The fanged, spectral, magical, and furry have become everyday life.
J. Annas Walker lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and her cat/office assistant.
Sabrina Rivers, an orphaned half witch and magical misfit, has been hidden from the world for almost a century by her Aunt Eleanor. Her only possession is a mysterious dark crystalline pendant she can’t remove. She knows nothing about its powers or purpose.
When mercenaries attempt to steal the pendant in broad daylight, Eleanor has no choice but to entrust Sabrina’s safety to vampire Brandon Thorpe, kingpin of Atlanta’s supernatural underworld. While Eleanor hunts the would-be assassins, Sabrina learns what it means to finally be free to live and to love, but freedom has a cost. Her sheltered life left her with a heavy burden and no way to protect herself.
Is Brandon’s love real or a ploy to get Midnight’s Jewel? Will what she doesn’t know about her past get both of them killed? Can he protect her from her enemies and his? What price will she have to pay for love?
“Mr. Thorpe? Sir, we have received word of a bombing in Asheville. It appears someone targeted Hilargi, Inc. A black BMW M5 matching the description of Eleanor Beckett’s was seen leaving the area. We believe she is headed this way. What would you like for us to do?” The skinny, small-framed man looked more like a sleazy used car salesman than a messenger. Tension and fear filled his voice. He was only a few steps into the room but seemed to think it was too far in for comfort.
His boss looked up from his paper with no particular interest, picked up his wine glass, and gave the dark-red contents a hard look. He took a large mouthful and swallowed hard. Giving the skinny man an appraising eye, he thought about the message for a few moments more.
“Let her. Don’t try to stop her, for your own safety. If she is on the run, there’s something far more dangerous on her trail. Do you know if she was alone?”
“We can’t be sure, sir, but we think she has her niece and a fairy with her.” The salesman-like messenger took a step back toward the door, anxious to be anywhere but here.
“Well, then. I think we can expect guests. I look forward to meeting them. Send most of the guards and staff away. Tell them they can have the evening off and to go party responsibly.” The man practically ran from the room, leaving him alone. He was intrigued. Eleanor was rumored to have something of tremendous value in her possession. Whatever it was, she was sure to have it with her. Her visit had the potential to be very profitable. Perhaps she would barter safety for a little slice of the pie. He would have to call this in to his boss. His boss required a taste of Thorpe’s profitable dishes, but it was okay. That was just how the system worked, how he himself had became so wealthy. He smiled to himself and went back to reading his paper.
First of all, I extend a huge thanks to Danica for letting me take over the DJ booth for today. I’ll try and not put her to sleep with my selection J
I’ve written for as long as I can remember. The worlds that I build for my paranormal works always drag me deep into them. I know, that might seem a bit crazy. But I’ve been called much worse.
Music is my tether. When I’m fully immersed within anything from the darkness, the depravity to the spiraling pleasure of a happily ever after ending, the conduit I use to channel those emotions and pull myself back to reality is music.
Although I’m in the process of writing quite a few paranormal works, I have yet to let one of them go. Perhaps it’s the fear of letting others foray into what I built. Perhaps it’s an unwillingness to part with the characters. Either way, quite a few of these works are in the final stages of completion and will be cast out this upcoming year.
One of these works is tentatively titled Relinquishing Destiny. Evanescense has been playing during quite a few of the scenes. The song My Immortal helps set the tone I wanted to convey in this work, where the hero has spent centuries in anguish over his failure to protect his true love.
Determined to avenge her death, he accepts his fate as an immortal warrior and fights the demons threatening humanity. Centuries later, Jayson now finds himself numbly existing until he’s called on to protect a woman who reminds him of the love he lost.
Excerpt:
Jayson lurked in the shadows even though the moon cast its pale light like an arrow, as if daring him to defy common sense and make his presence known. For once his nightly hunt wouldn’t end with a demon’s heart pumping its final breath within his hand. The quarry of the evening moved within the small garden atop her building with the ease of a fairy and the beauty of a goddess.
Fiery strands melded with sun-kissed cinnamon in a silent torture designed to awaken the few shards of humanity within his marrow. Each hue reignited memories of a life lived, a love lost yet again. Although the innocent female tending her small patch of existence would remember nothing of today—let alone the lifetime they’d shared—the compulsion to protect her had drawn him back from monotonous darkness.
The crisp air thickened with raw power and Jayson inhaled deep. So much for tending his curiosity alone. Gravel crunched beneath his general’s weight. The man had no qualms about risking his life for his men and no regard for how detrimental that sacrifice would be.
Imperator Balint was too important to lose.
“You shouldn’t be out alone. Until we find the rest of the hoard they’ll be out for your blood.” Jayson curled his fist around the hilt of the KA-BAR blade strapped to his side. The weapon would only piss off a demon if they attacked, but the few seconds of agitation would go a long way to summoning aid for Imperator Balint.
“Funny, I was about to say the same to you.” Balint crossed his arms. “Her name is Bettina Matthews.”
Her fingers trembled as she covered her plants and then disappeared into the warmth of the building. She had no business out in the sting of winter. If she was his in this lifetime he’d bundle her up beside a fire and…
She was not his. Bettina. The name didn’t suit her.
She’d always be Marcella. His Marcella.
“You shouldn’t be here, Jayson. A second wipe of her memory could cause irreparable harm.”
Her life’s breath still coated his lungs. His mind burned the taste of her sweet lips into his memories, a new torment for the long centuries ahead.
“No one will touch her.” Including him.
The finality punctuating his words wrought an uncomfortable tension as the Imperator beside him allowed the friendship they’d forged over centuries to take control of a fucked up situation. The demons had changed tactics.
“They’ve made it personal.”
“Killing one is easier than killing many.” Balint shrugged. “It’s only taken them how long to figure that out?”
“Why me?”
“You’re the second in command—the highest authority on the frontline no matter how many times I demand otherwise. You dare them to take you on in each skirmish. The Centurions you lead and their warriors have all expressed their concerns. The risks you take worry them.”
“You question my abilities?”
“I question your reasons, never your leadership.” Balint’s voice lowered. His words carved finality into Jayson’s soul. “Leave this place and her while you still can. It won’t get any easier later.”
The door thudded open behind them. Jayson pivoted and drew his weapon. Shock weighted his limbs as the wisp of feminine beauty enthralling him earlier trudged her way toward them.
Long, curly locks tumbled in errant disarray around slight shoulders. Full, lush lips thinned into chilled lines of frosty annoyance he tasted in her aura. Long eyelashes fluttered against the harsh wind as it whipped its warning to stay away. She shivered slightly and drew the thick coat around the curves his hands itched to expose.
Balint remained silent, as still as Jayson. How the hell had she sensed their presence. More importantly, why would she come?
“I didn’t save your life to have you die of exposure.” She unzipped her coat and withdrew a thermos. Hazel eyes flecked with gold widened as they raked over Balint and down to the container. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring an extra cup.”
A gloved hand held the offering out with determination. Although her body trembled Jayson could feel the sweltering awareness burgeoning between them. Her words settled in him, an acceptance that somehow they’d failed to wipe her memories.
“Since you insist on being out here, you could at least dress warmly.” The censure swept him into another lifetime—a time when he would’ve crawled through hell to appease the female before him.
His body hardened under her perusal. She took a deep breath and settled the container into the crook of his arm.
Balint cleared his throat and Jayson realized his common sense had shut down. He took the thermos and edged himself between her and the Imperator.
“You shouldn’t be up here,” he warned.
“You don’t scare me.” Her spine stiffened and her gaze darted upward until it locked with his.
He moved closer until the warmth of her breath fell on his neck. He inhaled vanilla. The scent ripped him back to another time and ruptured the scant distance between them with anguish.
She was not his. Not in this life.
Never again.
“Be terrified. Leave while you can Bettina Matthews.”
Her eyes widened but she remained still even though he leaned down until the air between them became a turbulent, warm wisp of rapture. Her voice was a satin caress wrapping him in an inevitable tangle of duty and wanton hunger. “And if I don’t?”
For the next two months, I’ve invited my fellow Cabal of Hotness buddies to take over my blog on Wednesdays and share a song from their current playlist, or their former playlist, or whatever works for them. Today we have Geeky Hotness herself, Lea Barrymire in the house!
I’m currently working on a succubus-meets-warlock story and find that this song is just loud and hard enough to get my fingers flying across the keyboard. Well, and it plays along with the theme of my story.
The story, Wired in Sin, is about a female who hates her life. She’s a ‘made’ succubus who has found a way to feed off sexual energy through a very non-conventional method. Lots of wires and phone cords in this story. And, no, it has nothing to do with BDSM. Victoria would do anything to stay away from people. Her hero, Dominick, knows she’s supposed to be his but has to find a way into her heart. He’s a sneaky bastard! LOL
Here’s a short, unedited, snippet… see what you think of my techno-wizard and succubus:
Dominick knew the moment that she started feeding off his energy. The magical pull was slight, but still there in the back of his mind. He couldn’t stop from smiling when her face finally relaxed and a beautifully peaceful look descended. She’d been distant and cool when first materializing in his mind. Now that he was feeding her he could feel her loosening up, releasing some of the control she had on their session and her mind.
Moving his hands up under the dress was a taste of delicious torture. He could feel her smooth skin under his palms, feel her heat, but could only imagine what she looked like. Were her legs long enough to wrap around his waist if he hoisted her against the wall? Would they look pale around his tanned skin? Did she have any freckles on her ivory skin, or was it creamy and unblemished? He groaned. His imagination fueling his thoughts, feeding his desire to unwrap her like a present. He wanted to push the fabric off her legs and catch a glimpse of the prize he was after, but the longer he waited the better it would be.
He watched her face as he stroked both hands up along her legs. He stopped at her knees and skimmed his palms back down to her ankles, lightly running his fingers over her skin. He grinned as she shivered under his ministrations. He did the circuit again, up slowly along the outside of her calf and then back down to her ankles. The feel of goosebumps under his touch made him want to shout in triumph. She was reacting to the session even if she didn’t want to.
Dominick wanted to give her so much more. “Open your legs, Victoria. Spread open for me, love.”
Okay, we’ve been gearing up for it all month and it’s finally here. Primal Design came out today and I hope everyone who’s been waiting for it enjoys Monk and Kitty’s story.
Today’s song is an ode to Kitty and Monk. Whenever I hear this song, I can see a young Kitty speaking with Monk like this. It gives me goose bumps, to be honest. There’s a line in this song that kept rolling through my mind when I was writing it. “When we made love you used to cry, you said I love you like the stars above and I’ll love you till I die” that made me think of the powerful feelings they had for each other. Really, teenagers might annoy me, but they feel things so strongly, so certain that no one else could ever understand the depth of their emotions.
And that’s what I wanted to capture. I hope I did. Kitty and Monk were powerful characters, deeply, powerfully in love with each other until something happens. *sigh* I think they break my heart a little, but that’s what’s great about being a writer. I can make happy endings.
Since today’s release day and I’m feeling generous, I’m going to hold a giveaway. All you have to do is share today’s blog and help me announce the release of Primal Design and you’ll be entered to win one of these adorable miniature characters. Okay, they’re not miniature characters, but they’re adorable. You can have “Ram”:
His shirt says “Saber Rocks!”
Or Kitty:
Her shirt reads, “Take a bite out of fashion!”
Just leave a comment and I’ll throw your name in a hat. The contest will last until noon on Friday, September 28. Go forth and share!
But before you do, take a moment to appreciate the dulcet sounds of Dire Straits singing Romeo and Juliet.
Today isn’t our average Friday. Oh no, it’s Release Day for Primal Song! Wooooooooo! Can you hear me screaming from there? Seriously, y’all, I am hyped up, ready to get this show on the road.
Why do I suddenly have the urge to say, “We love you Detroit! Goodnight!” Heh. I guess the guys from Saber (my fictional band) have influenced me more than I realized.
*calms down* Okay, that isn’t working. I’m giddy. I love release days. It’s one of the best highs of being a writer. You work for months on a story, polish it until it shines and let it go. Fly, be free, little book! And you pray it doesn’t take a nosedive. But even that fear adds its own weird rush to the joy of having a new book out.
When I got the release date, I looked at the calendar and thought, “How cool is that? It’s coming out on a Friday!” And we all know what Fridays are about here on Unearthly Musings. The menz. Fridays are about sexy menz and their sexy bodies and their ripped abs and bulging um, everything heh.
So I found a man who closely resembles what I imagine Ram to look like. You probably think he’s all golden blond hair and all, but he isn’t. This is what I picture him like when he’s trying to seduce Daisy:
Oh yeah…nom, nom, nom, gimme some! Daisy is a lucky witch to have this hunk of gorgeous to come home to. Well, once they work out their problems, but wouldn’t you give things a shot if you had this man waiting for you, all sexy rock star and testosterone? Hell, I’m not sure I’d ever leave him alone. I’d be all grabby hands and drool. Okay, maybe not the drool…unless he was doing a Magic Mike dance for me. Then it’s on!
Happy Friday y’all. If you get the chance, check out my release day party over at Close Encounters with the Night Kind and enter to win prizes! Unfortunately, this guy is not part of the giveaway. Even if I did have him to give away, I certainly wouldn’t. Heh.
Welcome Shara Lanel to the blog! Be sure to comment to enter for a chance to win Blame It on the Moon! Take it away, Shara.
My Hometown has Werewolves
I guess it’s funny that I think of Arcade, NY as my hometown, since I’ve lived in Richmond, VA three times as long and I only lived in the actual Village of Arcade for a year. After we’d trimmed enough logs from the state forest to build our log cabin, we moved onto our land in Freedom, NY. We lived there for six years, but “downtown” to us meant Arcade (http://www.villageofarcade.org/).
Write what you know…but only if you can remember it accurately.
Writing about Richmond is pretty easy, because I live here currently so I already have a good idea of the flavor and reputation of the various neighborhoods, and I can go out and take pictures of a location to refresh my memory. Several of my stories are set here, including BLAME IT ON THE MOON (http://sharalanel.com/books/blame-it-on-the-moon/). Werewolf Haden knows nothing about his birth parents, and therefore has no idea if there are others like him out in the world. Mind reader Kitty works in a DVD store (like I did) in a shopping center near University of Richmond (one of the locations I worked at), so I felt pretty confident about conveying an accurate picture of the place.
But when it came to working on the sequel, BLAME IT ON THE NIGHT, I knew I wanted to set the story in Western New York. I wanted to draw on my memories of Arcade as it was when I lived there, without having to double check the names of every store, restaurant, and shopping center. I’d only been up to visit a few times in the past decade, so I was likely to get something wrong. Not to mention, I doubt there’s a pack of werewolves living on the county line. So I gave my story town a different name: Devona.
Since my story is not set in the 80s (when I lived in Arcade) I needed to infuse Devona with all the technology and Starbucks of the 21st century, but many of the locations come straight from my memories.
Yankee Doodle—wings and curly fries, Jenny Lee Dairy—ice cream (someone said it’s now a Thai restaurant), my grandfather’s family camping area in Sandusky, and Brown School House Road where we built our log cabin with the woods behind it. Brown School House Road is a lot more built up and our cabin has siding instead of logs now. I’m sure the snow is exactly the same, though. My son thinks I’m making up the fact that we used to have to wait in waist-deep snow for the school bus, but it’s true! My mom brought me a t-shirt from one of our fave restaurants, Earl’s, a year or so ago. Friday Fish Fries, curly fries, Cokes in mason jars, jeans and boots on the table legs, and a juke box loaded with country music. That’s the way I want to remember it always.
But things change and I wanted to focus on Guy and Olivia’s story and Haden’s journey to discover his birth parents. In the town of Devona, the Dairy is still the Dairy, Earl’s will never close, and there’s still a five-and-dime. But there’s a werewolf in the Village Police Department and one on the town Board and a shifter lawyer on Main Street, just in case.
Do you prefer authors use fictional towns in their novels? In the case of books set in big cities, like New York, do you expect the author to know exactly what street each of her crime scenes is set on and exactly what train to take to get there? Do you still live in your hometown? How much has it changed? Leave a comment below and be entered to win an e copy of BLAME IT ON THE MOON. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Award winning author Shara Lanel resides in Richmond, VA with a clingy dog, an action-oriented son, and a handsome hubby. Don’t put her in the kitchen, unless you want to burn it down, and her green-thumb is hit-or-miss, but she excels as a bibliophile, hoping she never has to pack up and move, since her hubby might see just how many volumes she really has. Shara’s novels are always full of suspense and hot romance, whether set on the moon or in a Mexican jungle. Visit her at her web site any time (http://www.sharalanel.com) or find her procrastinating on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sharalanel) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/sharalanel).
BLAME IT ON THE NIGHT
Blurb:
Human/werewolf relations were forbidden. Guy’s father had made that clear years ago, but Guy had come very close to disobeying with naïve, teenage Olivia. He’d barely kept his body under control, as he’d held her during her first shocking orgasm. Years later, on edge with anger, grief, and the pull of the moon, Guy knows she’s the last person he needs near him.
Olivia is overcome with humiliation at the mere thought of seeing Guy again, though he’s starred in all of her fantasies over the past several years, but she refuses to leave his doorstep until he answers her questions about her missing sister and the dead body found on his property. Problem is, he’s ordering her to leave while blocking the door, telling her to get lost while pinning her between his hard body and the table, saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing while his every touch takes Olivia closer to heaven.
Sometimes forbidden love is worth the risk, but sometimes it leads to revenge and murder.
Okay, so I don’t really have anything to blog about today. I rejected several ideas all morning long and finally decided I’d pimp some friends out (because I’m a good book pimp like that).
This week is a book release frenzy, so I hope you have a paper and pen ready to take notes!
First off, Rebecca Zanetti’s debut release, Fated comes out today from Kensington Publishing! If you remember, Rebecca was nice enough to stop by last week for an interview (which I had so much fun with) and a giveaway. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to win an ARC (like me), I recommend you go out and buy Fated.
MARRY ME
Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter. But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem… OR ELSE
Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…
Next up, is Cynthia Eden’s release in the Deadly Series, Deadly Lies out from Grand Central Publishing. Cynthia is a cool lady with some really great books you won’t want to miss!
She wants to hide the past…
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn’t fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.
He needs to uncover the truth…
One night isn’t enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable—until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn’t who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of blood-thirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.
As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .
DEADLY LIES
Then we have the release dates of the Sizzler ladies! Jillian Chantal’s second book with Siren Publishing, Surfer Bride, is being released today and trust me, this is one lady who can make you drown in her story (bwahaha, so did not intend that pun!). *snicker* Okay, getting back to the book! You have to pick it up. Her heroes are muy caliente!
Quincy Holt, a world champion surfer, was in love with a police officer, Fennimore Smith. He dumped her over a rumor that she cheated on him. Two years later, she’s moved on and is engaged to Percy Hicks, a British man that she believes could make her happy. Quincy thinks her fiancé is an antiques dealer but he’s actually a firearms smuggler. A smuggler being investigated by her former lover, now an ATF agent. When Percy’s private plane full of weapons is confiscated while Quincy is aboard and she’s arrested for arms dealing, Fennimore Smith flies to Bali to rescue her and get her to testify against Percy. She turns him down as she has plans of her own. She sets off to London on a quest to trap her fiancé and bring him down. Will she survive her mission? Will her former lover have to rescue her again?
And last, but not least, is the amazing Sayde Grace’s first book in the Moonlight Cravings Series, Untamable which is being released on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. Don’t let Sayde’s innocent southern lady looks fool you, this book is hot and a paranormal at that! You don’t want to miss it!
Waking up tattooed, mated and a werewolf would shock most people but for Siddalee Brighton it’s just another day.
Siddalee has always held a burning hunger for her best friend, werewolf Jasper Gandillion. But she never realized what belonging to the animal within him would mean until he marks her in a show of passion and dominance, awakening the werewolf inside her. Siddalee was the first of many illegal breeding experiments that the Luna Werewolf Nation Alpha, Dane Velham, created and the only one strong enough to stop the monster from torturing other women and creating more experiments.
So with all of these great books released this week, you shouldn’t have a problem finding something sizzling hot to read!
Today we have a very special guest, Rebecca Zanetti, stopping by for an interview and a giveaway. I met Rebecca at Nationals in Orlando and I thought she was such a funny, sweet person that I just had to have her on the blog. Her debut novel, Fated, is out next week by Kensington Brava. You simply have to check it out.
Bio:
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides there with her husband, children and extended family who inspire her every day. Rebecca has completed several manuscripts, winning award throughout the writing industry for her work. Recently she finished FATED, the first book of a vampire series, “The Dark Protectors,” which will be available February 22, 2011 from Kensington Publishing.
Fated looks like a very sexy read. What inspired you to write this novel? I’m guessing vampires aren’t roaming around Idaho…unless they really are and you’re just not telling anyone! If vamps were roaming around here, you’re right, I wouldn’t tell anyone! This book wouldn’t leave me alone. Everyone said not to write about vampires, that they were overdone. So I wrote this one for fun, just for me to read once in awhile. Then it sold.
What’s your writing schedule like? Do you wake up to the dulcet sounds of harps and float to your computer which miraculously turns itself on and opens your novel? Because I wish that’s how it is for me. HAHAHAHA. On writing days I stumble out of bed, get the kids off to school and start drinking coffee with a chocolate protein shake mixed in. Then I put on music, comfy socks and start writing. Sometimes I forget that I haven’t really gotten dressed and end up opening the door to the UPS guy if he’s delivering stuff. (Hopefully shoes). He’s actually laughed out loud at me before.
What’s the best part of being a writer? Is it the paparazzi? Or the endless parties with A-list actors? If you see Gerard Butler, tell him to call me The best part is that I can be as odd as I want. You can’t be too ‘out-there’ as a lawyer, but it’s expected in writers. The real ‘me’ gets to show up. And if I see Gerard Butler, he’s busy. I’ll call you later.
How many books do you plan in this series? I hope it’s a lot because I adore book series with lots and lots of books (but you have to write them fast because I’m a fast reader). I have nine I’d like to write. The heroine in FATED has a little girl named Janie who all the races want because she’s so gifted. The last book is her book, and it all ties together.
I had a chance to meet you at Nationals in Orlando (and y’all, Rebecca is like super sweet!), was that your first Nationals’ conference? What was the best part about it for you? My first Nationals was in D.C. the year before and I had just started writing. I hadn’t joined any online chapters and didn’t know a soul. So I went to the workshops, met people and spent the evenings watching movies and going through my stuff in my hotel room. This year, I’d sold to Kensington and had joined several online chapters, so my nights were full. It was fantastic to meet my online friends like my critique partner and your pal, Sayde Grace. I also met a lot of new friends like you. J This coming year I’ve applied to teach a workshop or two, so we’ll see what happens.
What do you do when you’re not writing sexy vampires and the women they love? I’m a lawyer teaching legal classes two days a week right now and I’m happily married with two kids in elementary school. My husband, Tony, is pretty cool…and very supportive of this whole writing gig. He’s outdoorsy so we spend some time snowmobiling in the winter and playing at the lake during the summer. I bring my laptop.
What are your plans for the future? You know, other than having your book made into a movie with Gerard Butler as Talen? (Because I want to be on set…you have to let me be there!) Okay – truth time. Dage Kayrs, who is the hero in CLAIMED, is all about Gerard Butler. I had Gerard’s picture on my wall as I wrote that book…CLAIMED is Book 2 in the series and will be released in October. Dage is the King of the Realm, the ultimate male…and who else would he be based on than Gerard Butler?
What’s your favorite movie and why? Life with Father. It’s a goofy, true story set in the late 1800s (and filmed when Elizabeth Taylor was about 16) about a wife wanting her husband to get baptized. Irene Dunne plays the wife. Well, it’s more about their hilarious relationship. But it’s hard to explain unless you see it. If you’re sick, or down, or just need a smile…watch this movie.
And finally, the most important question of all: does Talen wear boxers, briefs, boxer briefs, or does he go commando?
He goes commando…and I think that word is actually used in FATED.
MARRY ME Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter. But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem… OR ELSE Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…
I’d like to thank Rebecca for stopping by today. Her book will be out February 22, but you have a chance to win an ARC here today! To win, leave a comment pertaining to this burning question: Who is your favorite vampire of all time? (movies, or books)
P.S. I’m having a giveaway as well over at Jillian Chantal’s blog. Be sure to stop by for a chat!
Saturday morning, when I was out running errands, I decided to hit the bookstore in the hopes that Kresley Cole’s latest Immortals After Dark book, Pleasure of a Dark Prince, had somehow come out early. Without further delay, I practically ran to the romance section, scouring the titles. Then…there it was. *swoon*
I nearly ran out of the store (after paying, of course) squeeing like a fangirl. I couldn’t wait to get home to crack the cover! I’ve been following this series since the very first book. There’s just something about her immortals that I adore. Could it be the antics of the Valkyries? Possibly. It could be the drop-dead sexy immortal males though. After reading nine IAD books, I can’t decide which of the races is my favorite.
There’s just something about those Lykaes…oooh! I mean come on! Lachlan? Bowen? Garreth?? They’re beasts, lusty, sexy beasts! Then there are the demons, Cade, Rydstrom…*drools* Horns! They have horns!! And how can I forget the vampires? Nikolai, Sebastian, Conrad, and Murdoch…gr-owl!! They can sink fang anytime! I’m afraid, my friends…if I were any race in Cole’s books, I’d probably be acting like a nymph. Le sigh, but really, can you blame those shameless hussies?? I can’t!
Anyway, enough drooling. I’ll need a bib soon if I’m not careful. Here’s the blurb:
A DANGEROUS BEAUTY
Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her—and those she loves.
AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED
Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.
LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED. . . .
From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness—her wanton desire for him. . . .
I’ve been waiting for Lucia and Garreth’s story since A Hunger Like No Other. There was just something touching about Garreth’s need to protect Lucia. Learning the story behind their brief scenes in that book was fabulous! I’m not going to let out the deets, but I will give my impressions of the book.
Somehow (and I can’t decide if she’s an evil enchantress, or a wicked witch) Cole manages to make the impossible possible. Lucia (or Lousha, as Garreth calls her) is bound to vows she made as a young valkyrie or she’ll lose everything she holds dear. Garreth is determined to woo and win her (he’s a Lykae, you kin…he must have her). There seems to be no middle ground throughout the entire story. If she succumbs to his abundant um, charms, she’ll suffer.
The scenes between them are jam-packed with hot dialogue and even hotter action. I was at the point of shouting, “Forget suffering, jump his bones! You can do it!”. Then, the bad guy is…well, let’s just say he’s really bad. I was on the edge of my seat when the big action scene took place. Poor Garreth. Poor Lucia! Cole seems to have this talent for ripping out my heart and then putting it back in when her happy ever after comes about. I should dislike this, but I’m sick enough to love it.
I couldn’t see anyway for things to work out, but Cole, as always, manages to give us a happy ending that’s both logical and satisfying. Sometimes when reading stories with nearly impossible HEA’s, the end isn’t logical, or in some cases, it just seems too pat. Cole though, serves up a great ending and still manages to leave you hanging (blast her!).
Now I’m salivating for the next book which doesn’t come out until August. How could she do this to me? Really! It’s like Chinese Water Torture! I need to know what’s going to happen next. (Still not telling you how Pleasure of a Dark Prince ends though, ne-ner!)
I’m giving Pleasure of a Dark Prince two thumbs up, a #1 foam finger, and a Mardi Gras bead (one of the ones you usually have to flash for…because Garreth delivers…in a big way…bwahahaha). If you’ve never read any of the books in this series, I’ll list them out like I did Lori Foster’s SBC books. They aren’t necessary to read in order (since some of them do happen simultaneously) but this series isn’t to be missed! If you’re a Kresley Cole fan, you definitely have to read this book! Get it…NOW!
Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Horror
Blurb:
MARRY ME
Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides there with her husband, children and extended family who inspire her every day. Rebecca has completed several manuscripts, winning award throughout the writing industry for her work. Recently she finished FATED, the first book of a vampire series, “The Dark Protectors,” which will be available February 22, 2011 from Kensington Publishing.
MARRY ME
