It’s always great for me to share my friends and fellow writers with you and today it is my pleasure to have with us Jenn Nixon! Jenn Nixon is one of my wonderful friends at the Liberty States Fiction Writers and she is here today to tell us about her latest release, TRUST ME, TELL ME. Jenn is also offering up a copy of one her e-books to one lucky person who leaves a comment on this blog by midnight PST on Thursday, January 19. Without further ado, here is a little teaser for Jenn’s book.
Mason Storm is set to marry Veronica Chance in seven days. When he receives a mysterious text message he immediately packs and leaves without saying a word to anyone. After meeting with his former boss, Mason knows his past has finally caught up with him. In order to clear his name of false charges he returns home to Boston ready to put the issues to bed. Veronica, however, isn’t making it easy. She’s determined to help despite his claims of being the only one to make things right. As the investigation intensifies, Mason is captured and Veronica holds the key to his release. Will she make it there in time to save him and their wedding or will everything fall apart?
Excerpt
Mason sat on the edge of the bed, pulled out the pre-paid, and stared at it for a few minutes, trying to think of the right words to say so he wouldn’t outright piss Veronica off. Eventually he tapped her number into the phone and hit call. He didn’t even hear it ring on his end.
“Storm?”
“Yeah, Veronica, it’s me.” He shut his eyes, picturing her face, keeping him calm.
“Good thing you called, I was checking flights,” she said. He smiled, imagining the cute way her brow furrowed when she was ticked. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes, I’m safe…making headway.”
“I found something.”
“What?” His eyes popped open, body leaned forward and tensed. Paper rustled in the background.
“This Todd Jackson guy is on the evidence logs from the Masterson case—”
“I know.”
“Did you know he and Ben Carter worked together during your case?”
“A passing memory of it, but that’s not important.”
She huffed. “Well did you know there are only three business cards logged in from her purse?”
“Three?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck.” Mason knew every single piece of evidence tied to the Masterson case. They accused him of stealing her clothing, the actual police reports, and the lipstick from her purse. The business cards weren’t even mentioned during his trial. More proof his gut was right. Someone was covering up Tiffanie’s murder.
“Yeah,” she replied, snarky. “Still don’t want my help?”
“I appreciate it, but no. I don’t. I’ve got everything under—”
“So you know the other piece of evidence that’s really missing that’s not in your case file?”
Mason sighed. She wasn’t giving up. Deep down he loved her more for it but wished she’d let it go. He’d never forgive himself if she became a target. “No, I haven’t even touched the Masterson file, Veronica. Tell me.”
“The first time we talked about it you said you sent a piece of her skirt with a blood stain to the lab. Well it’s not in the evidence logs or the final lab report. It never got processed.”
“Son of a bitch,” he spat, ran his hand over his skull. He was so screwed. “Anything else?”
“Not much else I can do from here.”
“It’s more than enough already. Thanks.”
“Don’t shut me out, Storm. You know I can help.”
“I’ve already got too much on my mind…you gotta let me do this my way. Give me a little more time—twenty four hours. If I’m not closer to figuring this out you’ll be the first person I call.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me, Storm. I’ve never pried because I didn’t want to be that girl, but you’re not making this easy for me.”
“Please, Veronica, you have to trust me. I need to stay focused.”
“I won’t get in your way, Storm…be careful,” she replied, sniffled.
His gut twisted, but didn’t change his tune. “I will. And I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Okay.”
“Hey. I love you.”
“Me too,” she said then ended the call.
The pit in his stomach increased, a frown creasing his mouth as he stared at the phone. Her attitude toward him was already changing, and not for the better. He had little time to resolve this and get back to his life before the rift ripped them apart.
Mason refused to let that happen.
About Jenn Nixon
Jenn Nixon resides in New Jersey. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Liberty State Fiction Writers. Her love for thrillers and suspense often finds its way into her novels whether they are Science Fiction or Romance. When not writing, Jenn spends her free time reading, absorbing pop culture and current events, and social networking online.
Website: www.jennnixon.com
Blog: http://jennafern.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor
Purchase at Amazon: Purchase TRUST ME, TELL ME at Amazon
Twitter: @jennnixon
Thank you for inviting me here today, Caridad, as part of my blog tour to celebrate the release of Death By Killer Mop Doll, the second book in my critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.
In this installment, crafts editor Anastasia Pollack’s stress level maxes out when her well-intentioned mother meets and seduces TV producer Lou Beaumont. Suddenly, Anastasia and her fellow American Woman editors find themselves roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. However, not everyone involved enjoys the idea of the overhaul, and a disgruntled staffer takes action by trashing the studio set. When that doesn’t halt production, vandalism escalates to murder, and a member of the production team is found with one of Anastasia’s knitting needles plunged through his heart.
The network decides the show must go on, but morning TV turns crime drama as a blackmail plot is uncovered, and another body is found. Because Anastasia fears the killer might go after her and Mama next, she has no recourse but to launch her own investigation. Unfortunately, her snooping lands her directly in the killer’s unforgiving spotlight.
I began my writing career firmly entrenched in the romance genre because I love the happily-ever-after ending. However life doesn’t always lead us on a straight path, and I found myself segueing into writing mystery a few years ago. I’m still a romantic at heart, though, so for me, my mysteries have to come with a bit of romance. That wasn’t possible with Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, because Anastasia was very recently widowed.
Death By Killer Mop Doll opens six months later. For those of you who enjoy some romance with your mysteries, you’ll be happy to learn that things finally start heating up between Anastasia and Zack. After all, just how long can a girl be expected to mourn a dead louse of a spouse who left her and her kids one step removed from living out of an eight year old rust bucket of a car?
Intrigued yet? Here’s an excerpt I hope will tempt you further:
Upstairs, the front door slammed with enough force to register a five on the Richter scale. Dust dislodged from the exposed basement rafters and drifted down like polluted snow, settling over the basket of clean laundry I’d been folding. The ensuing shouting, barking, and yowling drowned out my muttered curse of choice and yanked my attention away from the now Dalmatian-spotted white wash.
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends,” squawked Ralph, the Shakespeare-spouting African Grey parrot I’d inherited when Great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle died two years ago. “Henry the Fifth. Act Three, Scene One.” He spread his wings and took flight up the basement stairs to check out the action. I raced after him, eager to prevent World War Three from erupting in my living room.
“Muzzle that abominable creature, or I’ll have the pound haul him away,” shrieked Mama. “He’s traumatizing Catherine the Great.”
“So shove some Prozac down her throat,” said my mother-in-law Lucille. “What the hell are you doing back here? And don’t you ever bother to knock? Just barge right in like you own the place.”
“I have more right to be here than you. This is my daughter’s house, you…you pinko squatter.”
As I hurried through the kitchen, I glanced at the calendar tacked next to the telephone. Mama wasn’t due back from her Caribbean cruise for another three days. Damn it. I needed those three days to steel myself for the inevitable explosive reaction that occurred whenever Flora Sudberry Periwinkle Ramirez Scoffield Goldberg O’Keefe, my mother and the former social secretary of the Daughters of the American Revolution, locked horns with Lucille Pollack, my mother-in-law and current president of the Daughters of the October Revolution. I’d been swindled out of seventy-two hours.
By the time I entered the living room, Mama’s and Lucille’s voices had reached glass-shattering decibel range.
“Crazy communist!” yelled Mama. She stood in the middle of the room, cradling Catherine the Great, her corpulent white Persian with an attitude befitting her namesake.
Manifesto, my mother-in-law’s runt of a French bulldog, stood inches from Mama’s Ferrigamos, his bark having switched to growl mode as he glared up at his nemesis. With a hiss and a yowl, Catherine the Great leaped from Mama’s arms. Showing his true cowardly colors, Mephisto, as we always called him behind his back and often to his snout, scampered to safety behind my mother-in-law’s ample girth.
Lucille barreled across the room, waving her cane at Mama. “Reactionary fascist!”
“How dare you threaten me!” Mama defended herself with a French manicured backhand that would have done Chris Everett proud. The cane flew from Lucille’s grasp and landed inches from Mephisto’s nose. Demon dog yelped and dove between Lucille’s orange polyester clad legs.
******
Death By Killer Mop Doll officially goes on sale January 8th. For those of you who will be attending the American Library Association’s Mid-Winter conference in Dallas, stop by the Midnight Ink booth (#1459) on January 20th to register for the drawing to win signed copies of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun and Death By Killer Mop Doll, as well as the mop doll shown in the photo. The drawing will take place at 7pm during the opening reception.
In addition, as part of my tour throughout January, I’m giving away 5 signed copies of Death By Killer Mop Doll. To enter, post a comment to any of the blogs on the tour. The full tour schedule can be found at my website, http://www.loiswinston.com, and the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. I’m also giving away 3 copies of Death By Killer Mop Doll on Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/15173-death-by-killer-mop-doll.
******
Lois Winston is the author of the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries published by Midnight Ink. Visit Lois at her website: http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. You can also follow Lois and Anastasia on Twitter @anasleuth.
Many thanks for all your kind words on taking a break! I’ll be getting to e-mails tonight and will write you all! The writing is going really well and I’m excited at how the story is shaping up. I just had a breakthrough this morning about how to reinforce the conflict and am pushing onward!
As promised, I’ve got a guest blog from a fellow author, Amanda Arista! You may remember Amanda from when she visited to tell us about the first book in her “Diaries of an Urban Panther” series. Well Amanda is back with more for us today. So here’s a little teaser and excerpt for you this Wicked Wednesday morning.
TEASER
Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks
Dear Diary,
Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every Wanderer except me.
So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this writer-by-day / panther-by-night.
Excerpt
Chaz put the glass into the sink and reached out to pull me to him. “Tonight, I get you. Sacred Destinies be damned.”
“Oh, please don’t say that.”
Now that the words were out in the air, I was looking into every shadow and jumping at every random noise, just sure that is was another attack. I winced through stop lights on the way to the restaurant and jumped at a slammed car door in the parking lot.
“We’ve been out before,” he said as he opened the car door. “Even if something does happen, then we will take care of it together.”
I sighed. “Guess I can’t argue with that.”
He wrapped my arm around his as we walked into the restaurant. It was just a family style place, nothing special. I had suggested something populated. Using a crowd as a shield had become part of the life recently, which meant that usually we had screaming children running around us at romantic dinners.
We were seating and as usual, I got the seat with the kid on the other side kicking my booth.
“Its not exactly Nine steakhouse, I know, but…”
It finally clicked: the date offer and his newly washed jeans. “Is this an anniversary dinner?”
The corner of his mouth turned upwards. “Maybe. Try again.”
I looked around at the red glittery décor and my face hit my palm. “Valentine’s day? Chaz, I would have suggested something a little more …”
He laughed. “It’s okay. Almost past me by as well. I’m just glad that we’re together.”
I sighed and looked through my fingers. “I suppose that we do have that to celebrate.”
The kid kicked the seat again.
As soon as the waitress took our drink orders, both our cell phones rang.
We both sighed and reach for our respective phones.
“Hello,” I answered to the unknown number. Might as well, right? Not like any one can kill me through a phone, but that was a pretty good movie idea.
“Miss Jordan, its Tucker Briggs.”
I turned away from Chaz when I recognized the voice. “Tucker? What can I do for you?”
The kid behind me kicked the seat again and I frowned.
“I wanted to see if we were meeting on Sunday like you said.”
“That was the plan. Did Shadow find you?”
“Yes, Ma’am.
“Are you guys okay?”
“Fine. He also told us of your kindness.”
I snorted. “I gave him leftovers.”
“You don’t understand Miss Jordan…”
I couldn’t let him finish. “Tucker Briggs. Take care of yourself for the next two days and you can explain it to me then.”
The kid kicked my booth for the fourth time, and then a tuff of yellow hair stuck out around the edge of the booth.
“Good bye, Tucker.”
I snapped the phone closed and stuck my head around the edge of the booth to be nose to nose with the little tyke with a foot like Landon Donovan. Just for an instant, I let the panther slip through into my eyes and let out a little growl.
The little boy slipped back into his booth and began to cry. Satisfied, I went back to looking at my boyfriend.
Chaz stared back at me with an arched eyebrow.
“What?” I asked innocently.
He leaned across the table and dropped his voice. “I don’t think that the Powers gave you this gift to scare children.”
The family behind me got up and took their screaming child with them, leaving Chaz and I alone in this small section of the restaurant.
“I’d like to think that I have earned having a quiet dinner with my boyfriend.”
About Amanda
Amanda was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel.
During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped.
She has a husband who fights crime, one dog who thinks he’s a real boy, and another who might be a fruit bat in disguise. She spends her weekends writing at coffee shops, practicing for the day that caffeine intake becomes an Olympic sport, and plotting character demises with fellow writers Wolvarez, Killer Cupcake and Keith (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent).
Random Facts:
Amanda is adopted and loves to share that story with others to promote adoption.
Amanda has a collection of turtle figurines that collects on her travels.
Amanda has a strange love of cheesy horror movies. She prefers demons and witchcraft to slasher films.
Amanda is a really good bowler and completely rocks at croquet.
To find out more about Amanda, you can visit her at:
www.amandaarista.com
Twitter: @pantherista
We are so lucky to have here today Melinda Leigh and Robin Perini who are going to share with us some Thursday 13 facts about their new Amazon Bestselling releases! Plus …. drum roll…
Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a Kindle and some free books!
But first, to visit other Thursday 13 participants, you can click here.
Also, I’ll be picking the winners of the AMAZON AWAKENING release party later today and will announce the winners tomorrow!
Without further ado, here are Melinda Leigh and Robin Perini.
MELINDA LEIGH
In my debut novel from Montlake Romance, SHE CAN RUN (released November 28), Beth Baker is on the run from her violent and powerful husband when she takes refuge at a secluded mansion. There she finds herself under the watchful eye of former cop Jack O’Malley. Her secrets, his suspicions, and their desire clash when a killer strikes nearby.
Here are Thirteen random facts about me and SHE CAN RUN.
1. SHE CAN RUN is the first book I ever wrote.
2. It took two years to learn the craft and business of writing well enough to turn that crappy first draft into a marketable book.
3. I wear pajama bottoms whenever possible. Everyone in my neighborhood has seen me in them, including the UPS guy, the mailman, and once, when my then eight-year-old suddenly remembered at 9 pm she needed 30 cupcakes for school the next day, the night shift at the local supermarket.
4. After 20+ years on the police force, Jack is injured in a car accident.
5. Five is the number of complete rewrites SHE CAN RUN went through before I was signed by an agent.
6. I require, at minimum, half a pot of coffee in the morning before my brain is fully functional.
7. I often have a hard time picking titles for my books. Some go through a dozen before I settle on one. Most spend months on my computer entitled, “Current POS.”
8. Henry, the police dog reject in SHE CAN RUN, is named after Henry Tudor, who defeated Richard III in 1485 and won the crown.
9. Beth’s first husband was a fire-fighter.
10. I work best in organized clutter. Color coded note cards are strewn across my workspace. White cards are for character descriptions. Colored cards are for plot notes. I haven’t seen the surface of my desk since June.
11. I watch The Dog Whisperer. A dog will likely appear in everything I write, and you can be assured the pup will alive at the end of the book. The human characters have so such guarantee. Just sayin’.
12. In SHE CAN RUN, Beth is hiding from her violent husband. It’s estimated that 1.3 million women are abused by their husbands or boyfriends in the US each year.
13. 50% of protection orders granted to domestic violence victims are violated, and one-third of female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.
Find out more about Melinda at MelindaLeighAuthor.com. Connect with her on Facebook & Twitter.
ROBIN PERINI
In my debut novel from Amazon’s Montlake Romance, In Her Sights, (released on November 29, 2011), Colorado’s lone female SWAT sniper finds herself in the crosshairs when her past is exposed and an old enemy returns with a vengeance seeking to destroy her—and everyone she loves.
So, thirteen unusual facts related to In Her Sights and author Robin Perini.
1. There is actually a town named Truth or Consequences (aka T or C), New Mexico. The town’s name was changed from Hot Springs during a national contest to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a television show of the same name.
2. Robin is training in small-bore silhouette shooting and has discovered holding a rifle as steady as Jazz is not as easy as it looks.
3. Jazz’s favorite candy is Butter Rum Life Savers.
4. Luke Montgomery, the hero, has five brothers: Seth, Zach, Gabe, Caleb and Nick.
5. Robin’s ‘how-to-write’ workshops have been included on the Top 24 Workshops CD from the Romance Writers of America’s® National Conference CD five times (Bill Stephens Productions).
6. Jazz played basketball at Metro State in Colorado.
7. There were between 1000 and 2000 Russian female snipers in World War II. Approximately 500 survived the war.
8. The windage knob on a rifle controls the movement of the scope setting, usually in minutes of angle or actual inches, to move the bullet’s point of impact to the right or left.
9. The New Mexico state question is “Red or Green?” and refers to what type of chile sauce should be included with a meal. If you want both, simply ask for ‘Christmas’.
10. Jazz moved from New Mexico to Colorado just after she turned sixteen.
11. In Her Sights was a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award finalist in 2011.
12. Luke Montgomery was an Army Ranger before he became an investigative reporter.
13. In Her Sights is Robin’s first published novel
Get more information about Robin on her website, robinperini.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Please welcome today my friend and fellow author, Catherine Bybee! I am so excited to have her here today to chat about her latest release. If you’re like me and your guilty pleasure is plunking down with a stack of Silhouette Desire novels, then Catherine’s book is one you are sure to love and since it’s an Amazon bestseller, I think others also agree.
Without further ado, here’s Catherine!
Thanks so much Caridad for having me here today.
It’s stupid, crazy time of year… the holidays are here. It’s time to start baking, cooking turkeys and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order. LOL
In the giving spirit, I’m going to offer a copy of Wife by Wednesday to a random person who leaves a comment on your blog today. All they half to do is answer one question. What do you think about authors self publishing their work?
My very first Indie published book, Wife by Wednesday has been out less than two months and already I’ve reached so many new readers. I think people need a light contemporary read this time of year. Something to help them escape for a few hours. Wife is #2 in Contemporary Romance one Amazon Kindle this week. I couldn’t be happier with my reviews.
Here is an exclusive excerpt of Wife by Wednesday:
Blurb:
A Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor and a whole lotta sexy…
Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.
Samantha Elliot:
Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu… That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.
Excerpt:
After several minutes of packing, Samantha forgot all about the cameras and found her head deep inside her dresser. She grabbed a simple band and tied her hair back out of the way.
“Should I be worried about all these shoes in here?” Blake asked from her closet.
She laughed. “You’re the one who told me to go shopping,” she teased.
“Looks like I’ll be hiring a handyman to build another walk-in just for you.” There was laughter in his voice.
“Women love clothes.”
“And shoes, apparently. God, I didn’t think anyone needed this many.”
Samantha tucked her panties into a box and reached for more. “I’m short, in case you haven’t noticed. I need heels to see how the rest of you live.”
Blake’s voice moved closer. “You’re not short,” he said.
She turned to see him holding a pair of four-inch pumps.
“Vertically challenged, then.” She stood to prove her point. “See?” Beside him, the top of her head met his chin. “Short!”
His eyes seemed to drag her into his frame. “I wouldn’t change anything about you,” he told her. Blake reached out and tugged the band from her hair. His fingers brushed over the ends and Samantha forgot to breathe. The closer he moved into her personal space, the less air was available for her lungs. She tilted her head as he moved in and allowed his mouth to move over hers.
To order WIFE BY WEDNESDAY, just follow any of these links:
Amazon Download:
http://amzn.to/pus1jM
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94015
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wife-by-wednesday-catherine-bybee/1106329395?ean=2940013652019&itm=6&usri=catherine%2bbybee
For more information on Catherine and her novels (did I mention she also does time travel stories?), check out Catherine at www.catherinebybee.com.
Welcome to today’s wet, but still decidedly Wicked Wednesday! I have with me today my friend and fellow author Stephanie Draven. Stephanie and I got to meet at an RT a few years back and it was so nice to get to know here. Before we kick off with Stephanie, though, just a reminder that the guest blogs and giveaways continue today! Please take a moment to stop at The Qwillery for a chance to win some goodies.
But now for a little bit about Stephanie who is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.
Books like DARK SINS AND DESERT SANDS, her latest release for Harlequin Nocturne! Here’s a little teaser for you.
Wrongfully accused and broken by torture, an American soldier transforms into a mind-controlling minotaur bent on revenge…
Escaping a hellish Syrian prison, U.S. serviceman Ray Stavrakis emerges with uncanny powers and an eerie ability to morph into a mythical Minotaur, half-man, half-bull. Only one woman can prove his innocence and soothe the savage beast inside–the same woman who’d driven him to the brink of insanity with her cool-eyed interrogation and her hot-blooded sensuality.
But Vegas psychologist Layla Bahset has no memory of Ray or her past. Only a feeling of being stalked by a nonhuman predator. Is it Ray…whose eyes condemn her soul even as his hands ignite her body? Or is another evil force hunting her down like prey?
Now nothing can stop Layla from remembering what she really is…and what her evil creator has planned for her and her soldier lover…
Without further ado, here’s a little more from Stephanie.
My Big Fat Greek Monster Romance
by Stephanie Draven
I’m a sucker for Greek mythology. Who doesn’t love all those dysfunctional deities and dangerous demi-gods? The ancient Greeks knew a thing or two about human nature, and most of the things that we fear–or get turned on by–are covered in their stories. So why not twist the legends into a romance?
That’s just what I’ve done with my Mythica series for HQN Nocturne, each of which is a stand-alone book set in a shared world, all centered around the following premise:
What if the monsters of ancient mythology still walked the earth…and what if you found out that you were one of them?
Dark Sins & Desert Sands is the most daring book of the series and I was delighted that one reviewer already pointed out the super-hot subway sex scene. I’m eager to find out how readers are going to react to a hero who can control the heroine with nothing but his mind. He’s a modern day minotaur with the power to see deeply into her thoughts and to trap her in the labyrinth of her own memories. He’s a man bent on vengeance who unexpectedly finds love along the way and I hope you’ll enjoy the following excerpt:
Ray slammed his hand against the bedside table. “I was innocent, damn you!”
Her accusation obviously infuriated him, instantly and powerfully. He looked like he could tear the whole room apart, like he could kill her, but when he reached for her, he just took her face in his hands. “Layla, you need to listen to me. I didn’t do anything but risk my life for my country. Someone told you otherwise, and I need to know who. What was the evidence against me?”
“I don’t know,” Layla said. “I don’t remember.”
Fury burned higher and hotter in his eyes. “I need you to remember. I’ll make you remember.”
In her half-naked humiliation, she felt angry and defiant. “Oh? How are you going to manage that?”
“I have an idea or two,” he said with a dark laugh. “Every time I get your pulse racing, you seem to remember something else. The first time I touched you, you whispered my name. I kissed you, and you remembered your ex. I bent you over a sink, and now you remember questioning me. What happens if I throw you down on this bed and give you what you really need?”
“Don’t,” she said, putting her hand on his chest.
He grabbed it and twisted it just to the edge of pain. “You know I can do it. In fact, you want me to do it. All that crap you said in there about how you looked like a slut, that’s just an excuse. You’re just scared, and maybe you should be, because let me tell you something, I’ve done worse things to unlock people’s memories than get them off.”
The coarseness of his language seemed to physically scrape her skin. All the bravado went out of her, and she was left only with her vulnerability. “You don’t understand,” she whispered. “I’m not like this. I’m not this person who…who…has sex in a stranger’s motel room.”
“We’re not strangers,” Ray said. “And it’s pretty clear to me you don’t know who the hell you really are. You think you’re some demure little rabbit, but do you want to know what I saw inside your mind?”
Layla inhaled sharply. “What?”
“I saw a lioness.”
“A lioness?” It sounded wrong in every way. She wasn’t anything like a lioness. Layla was wary and restrained, not wild and free. She was a creature of order and logic, not instinct. It’s true that when she’d defended herself in the stairwell she’d felt like a fierce predator, but she hadn’t known that part of herself. She also didn’t know the part of herself that wanted this man. She was a stranger to the part of herself that quivered and ached for him.
“Then make me remember, if you think you can,” she said. “Do it.”
Thank you, Stephanie for dropping by! I love mythology and am really looking forward to reading this one. What about you guys? Are there any myths that you especially love? Persephone? Diana (you know I love that one!). Narcissus? Share any that you would like to see incorporated into a story.
Good morning to all my friends! I’m guest blogging today and have some giveaways going on today. So please take a moment to visit these sites:.
Wormyhole Blogspot
The Qwillery Blogspot
As always, thank you for your support! Also, many thanks to Romancing Rakes for this review of WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING from A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS!
“OMG y’all. I cried while reading this book. It’s a story where love and sacrifice once kept Damien and Angelina apart but in the end, brought them together for a much deserved HEA…(T)his story enthralled me. I’m a fan of A Christmas Carol and squeed the moment I realized this was a loose take on that…Damien and Angelina’s (story) had me tearing up while sitting on a bench at the boardwalk looking like a crazy person. This is a heartbreaking story of love, sacrifice, forgiveness and redemption.”
I’m pleased to have with me today, my friend and fellow author, Lisa Renee Jones who is sharing with us her ideas on what makes men SEXY! Without further ado, here’s Lisa!
Hi everyone!
Talking about what makes a man sexy is a fun subject that immediately made me think of a few hot men. There’s far more to a hot man than looks but let’s face it, It’s a good start. I think we all have one man that pops into our head when we say good looking. He’s always my first choice. Then Enrique Igleses but he looks like my fiancées twin – they even had the same mole until Enrique had it removed so I think I should think he is hot 
.
Keanu Reeves – he has just aged like fine wine and I just love his dark silent good looks.
But really makes a man sexy? In my new VAMPIRE WARDENS TRILOGY the three brothers are very different but they have a core sense of family and protecting the innocent, and those they love. Each of these men would die to save each other and most definitely to save their women. They are alpha but they respect a woman who wants to control their own destiny.
HOT VAMPIRE KISS
Book one, Evan’s story
The werewolf population is entrenched in a century long civil war, and now they are plagued by a virus that is turning wolves into killers. The Brooks brothers pursue one such rogue werewolf to Temple, Texas. It is in Temple that Evan encounters a beautiful nurse named Marissa who instantly melts the hundred years of ice running through his veins. When she is brutally attacked by the wolf, he breaks the rules of the Vampire Council and uses his blood to save her. Now, if he doesn’t kill the wolf by the next full moon, Marissa will become a killer wolf, and he will be sentenced to death.
HOT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION:
The underground vampire population of Austin, Texas has taken to hosting orgies with human women who’ve been forced to indulge in a new aphrodisiac.The drug, Blood Red, is a mixture of a rare type of werewolf blood and that of a vampire. Blood Red creates an insatiable desire for sex in the user to the point of pain in the absence of pleasure. Sometimes that pain leads to death.
Vampire Warden, Aiden Brooks, has spent more than a hundred years enforcing the laws of his race, and life has taught him that anyone that he allows into his world ends up dead. Despite knowing this all too well, having painfully loved and lost in his past, when his search for the creator of Blood Red places coroner Kelly Riggs directly in both his path, and that of a dangerous clan of vampires, his desire for her goes well beyond offering her protection. He’s drawn to her bravery, seduced by her feisty spirit and beauty, but he is determined to resist her, fearing he will put her in harms way. But Kelly is already on the radar of the enemy, and when she gets too close to the evil vampire clan’s secrets, she is given Blood Red. Now Aiden’s hunger for her might be the only thing that can keep her alive but who will save her from him?
HOT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION will be out in November!
So – to win an early copy of HOT VAMPIRE TOUCH and a copy of my December release WICKED WEREWOLF NIGHT in e-book as well as a little goodie bag with fun surprises – Who are you’re the top men that make your sexy list?
Leave a comment by midnight, Tuesday, October 18th for a chance to win or retweet/share on FB the following:
What makes men SEXY with @LisaReneeJones & @Caridad Pineiro #giveaway PLZ RT http://ht.ly/6Zrue
Today we are lucky to have with us Leanore Elliott who is her to tell us a little bit about herself and her books!
WHO ARE YOU LEANORE?
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!’
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!’
Merely this and nothing more.
Edgar Allen Poe ‘Quoth The Raven’
I’ll try to l explain why I start this spot with a stanza by Poe. My Pen name is Leanore Elliott. I took this name for reasons, which others may not fully understand. No—I did not wish to obscure my real name, nor do I write porn, to hide the fact from my family and friends!
I use the name Leanore for one purpose…MAGIC. Yep. Simple ethereal, pixie dust, wand-wielding caldron on the fire—magic.
Yes…I know I’d better keep on with the explanation.
I have always been a bit different, endearingly thought of by others as sweet, giving and just a little—tetched. (chuckle) As a child, I spun stories at family gatherings. I embellished them with incredible accomplishments and feats by magnificent heroes, and of journeys to faraway lands.
I had friends no one else could see. Yes, yes, I know. There are many who claim they had imaginary buddies as a child. Me? I had entire imaginary worlds. I played for hours in places no one else knew existed.
To this very day, my mother tells the stories of what a time she had with me. I would actually disappear on her. Nowhere to be found. Later, after hours of searching, I would suddenly be found in the yard, or my room.
At her glowering face and enraged expression? I would rush on with an answer as to where I was and what I’d been doing. I tried to tell her of fantastic people and colorful places I had just visited. She would grit her teeth as I gave her scare after hair pulling scare.
After raising a family of four kids and traveling all over the US my kids and hubby retired me in 2007. They lovingly told me, go and write those stories. I did, I learned, studied, researched, self published and failed at that. Then, I submitted my stories to publishers and was picked up by three. I proceeded with zeal to learn all I could from nine pro editors. Now, I have my own imprint, Wicked Muse Publishing.
Okay, so I will finally get to the crux of my explanation: Leanore is my Muse. She spins the tales. Some of these stories are just incredibly unique and out of this world! And…I think they may really be from another world entirely. I am just a determined writer, Bonnie Lea Elliott, dedicated to the display of these stories. I am but a glorified editor and formatter. I also, possibly may be really good at channeling.
To give my Muse the credit due her, I gave her part of the billing.
Here is just two brief descriptions out of the 15 stories she’s spun and afterward, you will see why I believe such an outrageous, surreal idea.
BEASTS~The Eyes Of Constance:
A psychic has visions of Serial Killers. She partners with a Homicide Detective. After three years of tracking and stopping these killers, she finds one day that she hadn’t seen anything yet. She finds that her cop partner and best friend isn’t what he seems—he isn’t human at all. He is a Gargoyle, but with no tail, no horns and such. An immortal with superhuman abilities and strength. He can change his appearance as in, his skin can become, marble, stone or even obsidian. He is also sexy as forever is long and promptly shows Constance this.
Can’t tell you more without spoilers. But here is what some readers said in their reviews.
” Different and intriguing…”
“Leanore Elliott took the term Paranormal in a totally new direction.”
“I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore…”
“The tale begins one way and takes you to a world that you never knew existed.”
The BEASTS Books became what I later called: ‘My Erotic Epiphany’ as Leanore and I spun three full novels in just over 3-month’s time!
Author friends would ask, “How do you write so fast? I’d reply with a shrug, “I was afraid that if I didn’t keep up with the story? I would lose it, as it got ahead of me.” (No one ever replied, “Oh yes! I know what you mean!”)
Revealed:
Glory is a thief and has been groomed all her life, to steal just one thing—the heart stone.
Dell is a thief/killer for hire. He is hired to steal the stone from Glory.
In turn, the stone steals them and their will. It is the heart stone of the Marquis de Sade and he reveals all their innermost fantasies. He takes them on the most erotic ride they’ve ever known, while everyone around them is trying to kill them both, in order to get the coveted stone.
“I have to say it was sex-citing, all the manipulation and sex-apades had me going ga ga.”
“…More please!!”
“The sex scenes are absolutely smoking. This book should have its own warning label.”
Leanore and I went on to produce 10 books in one year. In 2011 so far, we’ve penned 4 more. My family thought they ‘d lost me to some obsessive artist’s world, where I did not respond to even the loudest booms in the house. I never heard whenever anyone spoke to me at all.
The stories just flowed out through my mind, down my arms and onto the keyboard. I went through four keyboards in 2010 and my friends joked: You literally burned them up! They would wisecrack about smoke rising from the keys.
I become a child again, perhaps…Lost in those worlds, which were built in front of my eyes. Magic, I say and truly, I believe this over any other explanation.
I want to thank my old friend, Caridad Pineiro for having me as her guest today here on her wonderful site.
(Leanore gives you all a ‘Wicked Wink’)
Please see all our books at these websites:
Listamania Page: http://www.amazon.com/Books-by-Leanore-Elliott/lm/R3ELV11ZSQT7H2/ref=cm_lmt_srch_f_1_rsrsrs1
1 PLACE FOR ROMANCE: http://1placeforromance.com/index.php?search=Wicked%20Muse%20Books&_a=viewAffsearchMe=Wicked%20Muse%20Books&column=publisher
Wicked Muse Website: http://wickedmusepublishing.webs.com/
Leanore’s Home: http://captivesouls.weebly.com/-leanores-home.html
I’m very pleased to have with me today my friend and fellow author Rachel Firasek. Rachel has a new paranormal romance with a twist on Egyptian mythology, THE LAST RISING. Rachel is here to tell us a little more about her story and the inspiration about it. So without further ado, here’s Rachel!
Every story has a tone or a mood. Your setting creates the backdrop for your characters to tell their story, but does your novel have a color? To date, every book I have has a color. That may be the artistic part of my brain running crazy, but I see in colors. They are so much more interesting than the black and white print on the page.
We are taught at a very early age that colors are tied to emotions. Red=anger, blue=calm, yellow=cowardous, green=envy and so on and so forth. I can’t remember if one person taught me all of this or if it was a collaboration of teachers, parents and, later in life, my own interpretations.
So, it wasn’t until my most fabulous friend and fellow author, Autumn Shelly, showed me these pretty little salt lamps that change colors. These lamps reminded me of my art background, how much color means to me. I bought one, it runs on my USB port and sits on the edge of my laptop. When I sit down to start a new story, I think of the theme. Then I think of the emotions for my heroine/hero. Then I pick a color. That color will be the mood for my book.
The Last Rising, my latest release, is purple & red. There’s anger and passion on every page in some way or another.
Heather Howland did a great job creating my cover to match the mood of this book.
I’m writing the second book in this series and it has a very distinct/different color. Green is my mood for this second book and I’ll bet you can only guess why. Green not only portrays envy or jealousy, but it’s also the color of nature. Its a grounding color. My heroine is definitely in book two is an earth. I adore her. And yes, Heather Howland again created a beautiful masterpiece to bring my story to life.
Now, I dare you to study your the story you are reading and find the color in the mood. It’s there, in every page and in every book, you’ll find it. If your not reading right now, then think about this on your next read. Take those black and white pages and thrust them into full Techno-color. You’ll be amazed at how much more you get from the story.
Drop me a note and let me know your color. Everyone has one. I’m totally a red. I’ll let you guess why….
A little teaser for THE LAST RISING
After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.
Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.
Excerpt
“Why is it I can’t get you out of my mind? You say we haven’t met, but my dreams remember you.”
Oh yeah, he’d dreamt of a woman for months now. She resembled his dream woman in so many ways, but he’d never seen his fantasy lover’s face.
She struggled against his clutch. “Mr. Alcott, I assure you we haven’t met. And for your other question, I don’t know why, but you need to release me.”
Why did that quivering bottom lip make him suspect she was lying? Turner rested his forehead against the top of hers and sucked in her scent. “Please, tell me I’m not losing my mind. Tell me you don’t visit me every night and I’ll promise to leave you alone. I just need to know.”
He sounded like a crazy man but she had to tell him. She was the only one who could put a stop to his mind’s constant fantasizing, and this feeling of déjà vu every time he saw her.
Ice wriggled in his arms, her thighs chafing against his slacks. “Mr. Alcott, you need to let me go.” She glanced around his shoulder. “Brodie is probably staring out that glass window and I would hate for him to get the wrong impression.”
She was right. He needed to get ahold of himself, but he didn’t have the strength to walk away. His hands traveled up and over her shoulders, stalling on her neck. Brushing his thumbs against her jaw, he pressed her head back and stared into hard eyes—no emotion. Couldn’t she see the battle he fought?
He teased the corner of her mouth with his thumb and her breathy gasp pleased him. So, she wasn’t completely immune to him. He dropped his head until his mouth hovered over hers.
“Mr. Alcott—”
“Shhh. I just need a taste of the sunshine.”
