Working hard on final touches to my June Nocturne Cravings, NIGHT OF THE COUGAR, but also hard at work on THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE which is my upcoming romantic suspense from ENTANGLED PUBLISHING. THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE will be part of their new DEAD SEXY line and I’m really excited about it.
The story is filled with glamour at a themed Atlantic City casino and also adventure as the sexy casino owner, Prince Alexander Ivanov, and determined FBI Agent Samantha Martinez try to discover if money laundering is going on at the casino and battle their attraction to one another.
I thought I’d share some visual inspiration for the two (who also kind of remind me of Jesus and Michaela from HONOR CALLS!)
Love that very alpha look on Alexander’s face. Also love that Samantha will surely wipe it off as their romance develops during the story!
So we’re having a party from now until midnight PST on December 7 when we are going to choose some winners for the release party giveaway.
But first, I’d thought I’d share with you 13 fun facts about the Amazon rainforest where AMAZON AWAKENING is set!
1. The Amazon rainforest is made up of almost 2.5 million square miles (1.2 billion acres) of land .
2. That represents nearly 54% of all of the rainforests in the world.
3. That much unspoiled land is the reason why over 50% of the world’s species of plants, animals and insects reside in the Amazon rainforest.
4. There are possibly dozens of tribes of natives in the Amazon that have never met anyone from the outside world.
5. One in five of all of the world’s bird species live in the rainforest.
6. The Amazon River and the surrounding rainforest are part of 9 South American countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guyana and Surinam.
7. 20% of the world’s oxygen is derived from the rainforest.
8. Nearly 25% of all drugs come from rainforest ingredients.
9. 70% of drugs found to have anti-cancer properties come from the rainforest.
10. The Amazon runs over 4000 miles from its start in the Peruvian Andes to when it empties into the Atlantic.
11. Over half of the rainforest is located in Brazil.
12. The Amazon is the second longest river in the world. The longest river is the Nile.
13. There are 1800 species of butterflies in the rainforest.
The above is just the tip of the rainforest! LOL! I hope you can now understand why I would set AMAZON AWAKENING in such an unusual and exceptional place. Especially since the role of Rey and Paola is to be Guardians to a very sacred space – possibly even the Garden of Eden – deep in the heart of the Amazon.
So let’s get to the giveaway! Here are the prizes:
Grand Prize: A SONY E-reader (or a $25 GC for those of you who already have e-readers) loaded with copies of AZTEC GOLD, THE FIFTH KINGDOM and ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.
So how do you get a chance to win the above prizes? Collect 10 points between now and midnight PST on December 7 by doing the following:
1 point: Tweet or share on Facebook, Tumbler, Google+ the following (only one per day- 5 points maximum):
AMAZON AWAKENING #Erotic #Paranormal Romance Caridad Pineiro http://awe.sm/5apFk
1 point: Leave a comment on this blog post or any other blog post up until the end of the contest (one point for each- 5 points maximum).
1 point: Share the excerpt below on your website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Google+, etc. and send me a link to where it is on your site!
For now, here is a little teaser and excerpt for AMAZON AWAKENING.
Rey Peralta has been sent to persuade Paola Lopes to return to Brazil and take up her place as Priestess of the Guardians, protectors of the sacred realm hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest. He knows Paola is the one they need to ensure their survival—but he doesn’ t expect the instant blast of desire that sparks between them. Her beauty and power call to him, enticing him to merge with her physically and spiritually; a desire that only increases when they give in to their passion and make love. Can he convince Paola to accept her destiny and stay with her people—and by his side?
WARNING
This excerpt contains mature subject matter so do not open unless you are at least 18.
If you’ve had a chance to drop by the Carina blog, you know a little bit about what inspired AZTEC GOLD as well as my romantic suspense novel from Carina Press, THE FIFTH KINGDOM, which will be out in July 2011 (more on that story next week!).
Here is a little something else about what inspired certain parts of AZTEC GOLD.
I collect frogs. I don’t know how that got started, but one day someone brought me a frog from a trip and then my sis brought me one made of some parasitic wood from Puerto Rico. Then I went to a conference and guess what they gave us? Frogs made from some kind of mineral that deposits on trees in the rainforest. From that day on, if I went somewhere new I collected a frog to commemorate the trip.
So there are these two frogs which inspired parts of AZTEC GOLD and trust me, these frogs have nothing to do with a prince in disguise.
The first frog is one I bought at those pyramids that I mentioned in the Carina Press Blog. It’s made from gold obsidian which is not a pure obsidian since it has strands of gold color through the midnight black stone. Pure obsidian was very rare and therefore highly prized by the Aztecs. It’s one of the reasons all their sacrificial knives were made from the stone.
An obsidian knife plays a big part in the novella, but I won’t say more and spoil it in case you haven’t read it yet.
The second frog I also bought during a different Mexican trip, this time to Guadalajara while I was on my way to the city of Tequila. The kind of craftsmanship in this frog is very common in Mexico and I love the bright colors, but there was something almost crazy about this frog. Something that inspired Eztli Etalpalli, the demon in the novella. Eztli Etalpalli, which means Blood Wing in Nahuatl, has “Jaguar claws and wings sharp as knives.” For some reason I could imagine this crazy-colored frog with sharp talons and long knives out of its back. Can you?
How did Eztli Etalpalli come to exist? Here’s a little blurb for you explaining how the Clawed Butterfly goddess, Izpapalotl gave birth to the demon.
Cynthia paused in front of one panel of drawings and inscriptions which explained how Izpapalotl had fallen in love with a nahual human and taken him as a lover while posing as a normal woman. The union had resulted in a child: Eztli Etalpalli. A panel a little further down detailed the demon demi-goddess’s birth and life up until the time of her banishment.
Unlike her full-blooded goddess mother, Eztli Etalpalli lacked the power to assume human shape, even though her father had been mortal and a nahual. Because of that, Izpapalotl had kept her far away from civilization, fearful of what others might do to the half-demon child.
When Eztli Etalpalli had grown enough to defend herself, coming into her own powers, Izpapalotl had demanded of her worshippers that they build this temple for her daughter. That they deliver their tributes there for safekeeping.
The rest of the story they already knew: Eztli Etalpalli’s dissatisfaction and greed had led to her exile deep in the jungle.
I hope you enjoyed today’s little behind the scenes look at the creation of AZTEC GOLD.
I have so gotten into HUMAN TARGET lately. It’s a perfect combination of action, adventure, quirky characters, dark comedy and sexual tension. The last few episodes with the developing romance with Elsa and Chance have been awesome! This is a show that’s on the bubble for Season 3 and I hope Fox decides to stick with it because it is really beginning to hit its groove. Not to mention that Chance, played by hottie Mark Valley, is a perfect alpha male action hero.
Don’t you think? He’s all cocky male, but with a real heart. Drop by the HUMAN TARGET website at Fox to watch some of the episodes if you haven’t already caught it.
Drop by Brigit’s Journals today where I’ll be blogging about what connections Aztecs have to Valentine’s Day and leave a comment for a chance to win some goodies.
Today I have with me the wonderful Katie Reus, who also writes as Savannah Stuart. Katie is sharing an excerpt from her latest romantic suspense novel, DANGEROUS SECRETS. I don’t know about you, but I love romantic suspense and can’t wait to add this to my TBR pile.
Just a quick thing before we get to read from DANGEROUS SECRETS. Did you know that every Wednesday during February you can download a free book at Carina Press. Yes, this is one four letter word you can love: FREE. Just click here to check out what’s available for download.
Also, leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a copy of Katie’s RUNNING FROM THE PAST or another of her backlist titles. Without further ado, here’s Katie!
A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I was a kid and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write sexy paranormal romance and fast-paced romantic suspense. Dangerous Secrets (2/7/11) is my first release from Carina Press and I have another romantic suspense, Deadly Obsession, coming out from Carina late this summer. And in February 2012 my first book in a paranormal trilogy will release from Signet Eclipse (NAL/Penguin). If you’d like to learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, or find me on twitter @katiereus.
Excerpt from DANGEROUS SECRETS
by Katie Reus
Adam kicked his truck into gear and followed Izzy out of the parking lot. The back of her silhouette was outlined by his headlights. Not that it mattered. He saw her face every time he closed his eyes.
The vision of her interrupted his sleep on a nightly basis. She usually kept her wild curly hair pulled back at work, but the few times he’d seen it down left him imagining what her long hair would look and feel like against his skin as she rode him.
He rolled his shoulders once, trying to alleviate the tension, but nothing worked. With her dark brown eyes and high cheekbones, she had almost exotic features. The smattering of freckles across her nose only added to the innocent quality about her. If it wasn’t for her fair coloring, he would doubt she was even Edward Ballantine’s daughter.
Edward. He cursed the day he’d ever made that ridiculous deal with him. It had seemed so simple at the time. Keep an eye on Isabelle without her knowing his true identity. Five weeks. That was how long his contract was. It was icing on the cake if he could convince the rich daughter to return to Savannah, but as long as he did his job and she was safe, he and his brother would land the Forester deal.
Not so simple once he met her. Watching out for her certainly wasn’t a chore. Unfortunately convincing her to return home was impossible without getting to know her. And he still didn’t understand why she was working in a bar barely making ends meet when she had a father like Edward Ballantine. Her father had been fuzzy on those details, but he planned to find out.
And soon.
As he steered into the parking lot of her place, he pushed those thoughts away. He needed to focus on the present and convince her that Savannah, Georgia, was a much better option than Coconut Bay.
Parking wasn’t numbered, so he chose a spot next to her. By the time he’d rounded his truck she was still sitting in her car. Leaning against his vehicle, he waited until her door finally opened. Sinfully long legs emerged first. His breath caught. It seemed no matter how often he saw her, he still fantasized what it would be like to have those slim legs wrapped around his waist…and shoulders. Damn, and she was wearing pants. He hadn’t even seen a hint of skin and his cock was already raring to go.
A shudder racked his body. Now was not the time. Hell, there was never going to be a right time for his thoughts. He’d been hired to protect her, not drool over her.
“Sorry, I was talking to Carolyn.” Izzy shut the door behind her.
“No problem. Is she okay?”
“I guess so. She wouldn’t tell me what was going on, but she apologized for not showing up tonight.” Izzy tucked her phone back in her purse, but kept her keys in hand. “Thanks for making sure I got home safe.”
He ignored the comment and took a few steps toward the three-story building, forcing her to follow. After what had happened tonight, he was walking her to the door. Her place was on the second floor, but technically he wasn’t supposed to know that. He knew a lot about her that she hadn’t told him. Like the fact that she had a bachelor’s in business development, but a master’s in medieval literature.
To say the woman was a mystery would be a sore understatement.
“I’m on the second floor.” She motioned straight ahead with her hand as they walked down the short sidewalk. “Are you working tomorrow morning?” He already knew the answer, but didn’t want her to know he’d checked her schedule. This had to appear impromptu.
“No. I am tomorrow night though.”
“Do you want to get some breakfast after the staff meeting?” Something primal inside him sparked to life when her eyes flashed with desire. If she was anyone but Edward’s daughter, he had a feeling they’d already be inside her place and naked by now. Not because that was his style, but because it was obvious she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
She turned to face him as they stopped in front of her door. “Sure.”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow so we don’t have to worry about leaving your car at work.”
Her brown eyes widened slightly, but she nodded. “Sounds great.”
He guessed she was surprised because up until now he’d kept his distance. Without thinking—or maybe not caring—he reached out and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. The overwhelming need to touch her sometimes scared the shit out of him. Being close to her sometimes wasn’t enough. Her work uniform consisted of black pants and a black tank-top. Something so simple shouldn’t be sexy, but with her long legs and lean frame anything she wore was guaranteed to drive any man with a pulse crazy.
When she sucked in a deep breath, he realized he was practically cupping her cheek. And the heated look in her dark eyes told him she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Warmth spread throughout his abdomen. Things could get out of hand so quickly if he let them.
All he’d have to do was lean down a fraction… He dropped his hand and took a step back. “See you tomorrow.” Instantly his body mourned the loss of touching her.
If the way her mouth pulled into a thin line was any indication, she felt the same. Wordlessly she turned away from him and let herself inside her apartment. Only when he heard the lock slide into place did he leave.
Once he was back in his car, he let out a long breath. What the hell was the matter with him? He had to be all kinds of stupid to touch her like that. Getting involved with Izzy—Isabelle Ballantine—was not an option. Not only was she so far out of his league that it was beyond laughable, she wasn’t the sort of woman a man had a fling with. She was the forever kind of woman, and a woman like her wouldn’t settle down with a man like him. He was straight blue-collar working boy and she was class and money. It was just the way of the world.
This Wicked Wednesday I’m offering up an excerpt from STRONGER THAN SIN that I’ve titled “Awakenings” because as Jesse and Liliana are thrust together, understanding awakens desire, especially in Jesse. He’s been alone for so long that Liliana’s caring and compassion are almost overwhelming.
If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can click here. Don’t have the time to read it now or want a more private moment? You can click on download to save it to your electronic reading device.
Welcome today to the new website! I hope you like it and would love to hear from you about it. To celebrate there are lots of fun things going in, including the chance to win a $5.00 gift card for helping to pick the name of a new hero. Just choose one of the names below and leave your vote as a comment.
Also take a moment to visit with me at two blogs that I’m doing today!
And now, please welcome my great friend and wonderful author, Gabriella Hewitt who is going to share DARK WATERS with us as well as chat about her new releases. I read DARK WATERS and it was fabulous!! I highly recommend it. Rico was a fascinating hero and the heroine, Frankie Montalvo, could definitely hold her own with the best kick-butt heroines out there.
DARK WATERS
A predator stalks paradise and she’s next.
On a tropical isle, Frankie Montalvo discovers roots to a past she never knew. Tales of witchcraft, missing girls and el chupacabra surround her, but it will take more than superstitions to scare her away. Determined to create her own home, she enlists the help of an enigmatic beach bum.
Special Agent Rico Lopez has been to the depths of hell and back. He returns to his native island of Vieques to forget an ICE mission gone wrong only to find himself caught up in the search for a neighbor’s daughter—a victim of the legendary el chupacabra. Paradise has a predator and all leads point to a dilapidated old plantation and one sexy as sin owner. Lying to Frankie is the only way to do his job, but is he protecting her or himself?
Does this name make my butt look big?
Seriously, finding the right name for a character is like finding jeans that fit. I agonize for days trying to find the perfect fit, trying on one pair after another. Some are too flamboyant, some too old-fashioned, some too ridiculous to contemplate that I have to wonder if they make my butt look big.
When I began Dark Waters, I spent a lot of time thinking up the perfect name. Not any name would do. I knew my heroine was a tough, feisty New Yorker who’d been knocked down by life more than once, but always got back on her feet. I wanted a name that captured that hard shell on the outside that hid a soft vulnerability inside. That’s when I hit on Francesca, a classic, elegant name that spoke to who my heroine could be in an ideal world. Shorten it to Frankie and it fit the reality of a woman who fought to hold on to everything she had.
My hero had to stand up to Frankie in every way because he was the one man who could see beneath that exterior armor she wore so carefully. But he wasn’t going to take her by storm. He’d charm his way inside until she never knew what happened. Rico was a name that conjured up washboard abs and a sexy grin and Frankie didn’t stand a chance. This guy was sex on a stick, yet when it came to danger he protected his own…and that included Frankie.
My other method of madness is to find someone, a person I know or a relative to name other secondary characters after. My neighbor Karla got bumped off in Dark Waters (She thought it was hysterical and what better way to thank her for editing my Spanish) Frankie’s last name, Montalvo, comes from my best friend in elementary school (She thinks it is so awesome because she is married now and her last name is changed). Yes, I pay homage to those I love by immortalizing them in books. HEHEHEHE (evil laugh)
Currently, I’m working on my Shadow Warrior series, which is loosely based around Aztec mythology. They are contemporary paranormal romances that include a mix of suspense and plenty of intrigue from the gods. The first of the novellas, tentatively titled Out of the Shadows, has sold to Samhain Publishing. The second novella is in the final stages of editing and ready for submission to the editor and I’m ready to bang out the third. As I planned out the fourth novella, I realized that once again I was stuck. I needed the perfect name for my heroine.
So I mentioned this dilemma to my family and my cousin said she would love it if I used her name in a book. (Victoria is sweet and loving and beautifully blonde, which is exactly the opposite of the character I am contemplating). Then it dawned on me. Eureka! What better way to get the heroine’s name than to ask my friends and family to pick the name for me?
I put out a call for others to name the 4th heroine in the Shadow Warrior series. I got some wonderful entries and found a winner. A Celtic word that means “fire” –Enya!
You might be thinking, “This name is not ancient Aztec. Blasphemy!” True, but Zyanya is and it means “always, forever” and I thought this name fit perfectly. Since the story is a contemporary paranormal romance and she is an immortal firecracker, I figured she would want to blend into modern society, so I named her Enya.
Well guess what? I need a hero’s name!
Description: He is an immortal warrior who has battled demons, Aztec gods, and bad styles of the 1770’s, 1880’s and 1990’s. He’s tall, dark, and shaven (bald is beautiful). He is strong, ruthless and has a soft spot for damsels in distress (and kittens too but don’t let anyone know). He has the ability to shift into a black jaguar and with one look he can make you do bad, bad things.
I’m going to help you out a bit. Below are some names I am considering. Vote for your pick in the comment section and be entered to win a $5.00 gift card.
Mateo – short for MATLAL: Nahuatl name meaning “dark green; or net.”
Teo – short for TEOXIHUITL: Nahuatl unisex name meaning “turquoise” or “precious and divine.”
Alan – short for ACHCAUHTLI: Nahuatl unisex name meaning “leader.”
It’s wicked cold here in the Northeast, so I figured it’s time to offer up a sexy hot excerpt from AZTEC GOLD, my new release from Carina Press. I love that I had the opportunity to create a different kind of story, kind of like Indiana Jones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer if I had to give you the two second elevator pitch. I hope you’ll like it as well.
The reviews are starting to come in for this novella and I’ve included them in this excerpt as well for you! If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click on this link to read it.
Today I’m doing a holiday visit over at the Carina Press romantic suspense authors blog on which I’ll be writing off and on during the course of the coming year – NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS.
So what do murder, mayhem and chocolate have in common? Why not pop on over and visit with me and Bobbie (aka Sunny) Cole as we discuss those three key ingredients for a romantic suspense. LOL!
And just in case your feeling the winter bite today, let my personal assistant (don’t I wish!) bring you a little something to chase away the chill or try the marvelous Chocolate Chile Recipe over at NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS.
Today I am sharing with you…Jesse’s back! What a gorgeous back and shoulders!
Wait no excerpt? Okay, so I’m also sharing with you an excerpt from STRONGER THAN SIN. This excerpt is the first scene in the book where Jesse meets Liliana, but where you also find out that the two have crossed paths before and not necessarily in a nice way.
Hope you enjoy today’s wicked excerpt! If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can also click here or cut and paste this link into your browser:
It’s here! Today’s the day for the release of my very first erotic paranormal romance, 
Grand Prize: A SONY E-reader (or a $25 GC for those of you who already have e-readers) loaded with copies of 
If you’ve had a chance to 
Today I have with me the wonderful Katie Reus, who also writes as Savannah Stuart. Katie is sharing an excerpt from her latest romantic suspense novel, 
Welcome today to the new website! I hope you like it and would love to hear from you about it. To celebrate there are lots of fun things going in, including the chance to win a $5.00 gift card for helping to pick the name of a new hero. Just choose one of the names below and leave your vote as a comment.
Today I am sharing with you…Jesse’s back! What a gorgeous back and shoulders!
