THE CLAIMED #Paranormal #Romance Release Day!

As an author it seems as if you wait forever and ever for a release and then BAM – It’s release day!

Today is the release day for THE CLAIMED, the second book in the Sin Hunter Paranormal Romance series. This is the follow-up to my RITA® nominated book, THE LOST.

Here is a little teaser for THE CLAIMED:

Victoria Johnson loves her life. She’s her own boss in a quaint beachside town, and has great friends who keep her grounded. If only they knew who she really is: an heiress to an ancient race who possesses astonishing superhuman powers. It’s Victoria’s duty to restore her clan of Light Hunters to their former glory by choosing the perfect mate. In Christopher Sombrosa, she just may have found him. Strong, smart, and successful, Christopher exudes a powerful energy. Their connection is sensual, irresistible-and forbidden.


A member of the Shadow Hunter clan, Christopher has defied his own father to lead his people away from affliction and violence. Yet he cannot ignore his duty to carry on his ancient bloodline. Stunningly beautiful and brimming with an erotic life force, Victoria is everything Christopher ever hoped for in a mate . . . but as a Light Hunter, she’s his mortal enemy. Together, they could unite their warring tribes. But murderous factions on both sides don’t want peace-and they’ll stop at nothing to keep light and darkness apart forever . . .



Also sharing some reviews and a little excerpt for you. If you can’t see the excerpt below, you can click here to read it.

The CLAIMED Paranormal Romance

Amazon Awakening Erotic Paranormal Romance

Counting down the days until the release of my first ever erotic paranormal romance, AMAZON AWAKENING, from Nocturne Cravings. It was so different for me to write a story where I pushed beyond the sexual boundaries I’d explored in so many other stories, but primary for me in writing these novellas (another 5 on their way in 2012 and 2013) was to have an intense and believable romance. For me, it’s all about the romance during whatever physical intimacy is happening. Even if I’m being daring and walking the edge during a love scene, there has to be a growing bond between the hero and heroine.

With that, here is a little blurb for you about AMAZON AWAKENING as well as a sexy excerpt!

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 can’t see the widget below, you can cut and paste this link:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/72902685?access_key=key-7hf866rrigwutty0jsg

Erotic Paranormal Romance Amazon Awakening Excerpt

Wicked Wednesday – Sexy Alpha Heroes

There is something about alpha heroes that is so sexy, but of course, no one really wants a true alpha hero. I mean who could live with someone who always had to be on top, didn’t want emotional connections to anyone and equated physical strength with emotional strength. Just some of the not-so-nice traits of alpha heroes.

What we do love is strong men who are seemingly sure of themselves, but have that chink in their armor that allows for real relationships to develop. Physically strong men who are capable of being gentle as well as capable of showing emotional weakness. They can know to be strong by sharing the burdens of life with a significant other.

THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic suspenseWhen I started writing THE FIFTH KINGDOM, I knew CIA Agent Bill Santana was going to be that kind of sexy hero. One who was strong, but had a soft spot inside. A wounded spot, actually. I didn’t know that at first when I started writing, but as Bill met up with the prickly and equally alpha Dr. Deanna Vasquez, a lot of his pent up old emotions rose up to make him so much more of a real person.

That pain that he was carrying inside of him touched Deanna, who likewise had a similar wound in her psyche. I think that’s what made them so special together – that their love for each other healed the scars they both bore in their hearts.

Of course we need some action as well since it is a romantic suspense. In THE FIFTH KINGDOM, the action revolves around Bill’s search for an archeologist kidnapped by a Mexican terrorist group. The archeologist is Deanna’s mom, Dr. Miranda Adams, who abandoned Deanna nearly fifteen years earlier which is the source of her pain.

Miranda has discovered what may be Montezuma’s tomb and an ancient artifact within the resting place, but it is only as the story evolves that Deanna comes to realize that the relic has some very unusual powers.

I loosely based the relic on the Mexican sun stone (shown below). The sun stone is a calendar of sorts, but also a history of the Mexica people (whom we call the Aztecs). The original of the stone is in Mexico City and in the story, Deanna and Bill take a visit to the museum to see the stone and to also try and infiltrate the terrorist group.

In case you haven’t had a chance to check out an excerpt from THE FIFTH KINGDOM, here it is!

FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense by Caridad Pineiro and Carina press

Wicked Wednesday Caddy Girls by V.K. Sykes

There’s a body switch going on today since I have with me fellow author V.K. Sykes while I’ll be over later at the Writerspace blog. Please drop by for a visit to find out why I wanted to hate Jesse Bradford, the hero of my upcoming November 2010 paranormal romance release STRONGER THAN SIN.

But for now…..drum roll please….

Please welcome V.K. Sykes. V.K. Sykes is actually the pseudonym for a wife/husband team that writes sexy contemporary romance for Carina Press. Vanessa and Randy can be found on the web at: http://www.vksykes.com. Vanessa also writes Regency-set historical romance under her own name, Vanessa Kelly. You can visit her on the web at: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com.

CADDYGIRLS is their new release from Carina Press.

Here’s a little teaser for you!

Torrey Green once had a promising golf career, but now she’s stuck caddying for butt-pinching businessmen. She doesn’t mind playing dumb while hauling clubs if it means she can get her golf career back on track, and she’s going to need an influx of cash to focus on the pro circuit. A booking from video game mogul Julian Grant could be Torrey’s cash-flow solution.

In Las Vegas for a business deal, Julian’s partners plan for a little action on the greens. They’re looking for some fun with their rent-a-caddy girls, and have a lot riding on who can score, on the course and off. This type of gamble isn’t Julian’s style, but he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his partners happy – even if that includes breaking a few hearts along the way.

Julian soon discovers that Torrey is more than just a caddy girl and they spark an intriguing attraction – but if Torrey discovers the truth behind his idiotic wager, all bets are off…

Excerpt from CADDY GIRLS by V.K. Sykes

On their first date together, Julian takes Torrey to a black light, mini-putt golf course…

Julian had never been to Pirate’s Cove, but he’d walked and driven past it dozens of times. Cheesy was the first word that had sprung to mind whenever he’d noticed the popular Strip attraction. The entrance to the course was a pirate ship’s prow that looked like it had been molded from a dingy chunk of Styrofoam. Precariously balanced on the edge of the prow stood a twenty-foot statue of Pirate Pete, saber pointing defiantly skyward. Too bad the tip of Pete’s nose had broken off, spoiling the ferocious effect.

Pirate’s Cove actually had two mini-golf courses—one regular and one black light.

“Which one should we try?” he asked, leaving the decision up to her.

She didn’t hesitate. “The black light sounds like more fun.”

Julian paid, grabbed the putters and balls and led her through into the black light course. A flood of lurid colors washed over them—bizarre shades of blue, purple, pink, red and green. Even the putters and balls glowed in the dark. Garish, pirate-themed props—some hanging in mid-air—popped out of the darkness.

He turned to Torrey, intending to rip on the tackiness of it all, but the sarcastic remark died on his lips. Her black dress had essentially vanished under the black light, leaving her white underwear clearly visible, almost as if she were in an x-ray machine. She took the putter from his hand, obviously unaware of the rather spectacular display of her lush body.

His throat felt suddenly dry and prickly. One minute she’d been in a severe black dress—the next, her feminine undergarments and what they covered were in full, glorious view. Actually, her lacy bra and panties seemed quite demure, not like the scraps of fabric some of his dates had sported. Still, the glowing white shapes of her full breasts and deliciously curvy ass were the sexiest things he’d seen in a long time. He was getting an embarrassing hard-on in the middle of a family amusement center.

“Torrey?” He handed her a radioactive-looking ball as he dragged his eyes level with her face.

“This is going to be fun, Julian. You want me to go first?”

“I was thinking that maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all. I’m afraid everybody can see your underwear in this crazy light.”

She cast her gaze down and let out a tiny gasp. “Oh, my God, you’re right.” She looked up at him, her eyes even bigger than usual. “But why can’t I see yours?” She glanced across the room and pointed at a woman a couple of holes ahead. “I can see that woman’s panties, too!”

“It looks like the light picks up white things under dark outerwear,” Julian said, mentally kicking himself for his lame idea. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass her. “Why don’t we try the regular course instead? Or we could just leave, if you want.”

She grinned, her teeth glowing an unnatural shade of white. “No, let’s stay here. I can handle it, Julian,” she said with a little laugh. “I’ve worn bikinis that reveal a lot more.”

He smiled back. I’d like to see those.

“Okay,” he replied. “Just don’t be surprised if I can’t keep my eyes on the game.”

“Oh, you’re too much of a gentleman for such sexist behavior.”

“Tell that to my hormones.”

She tilted her head and feigned exasperation. “Are we going to play some golf or stand around here jawing all night?”

He laughed, so turned on by her easy self-confidence that he wanted nothing more than to haul her back to his hotel room and make love to her for the rest of the night.

Later, he promised himself.

*****

If you’d like to buy CADDY GIRLS, you can follow one of these links to your preferred bookseller:

Buy from Carina Press
Buy from Amazon
Buy From MobiPocket
Buy from B&N

Power Unleashed and a Contest!

Today I’ve got friend and fellow author Savannah Stuart with an excerpt from her new release POWER UNLEASHED and a contest! Leave a comment on the blog and/or my Facebook Fan Page for a chance to win a copy of WORTH THE RISK.

Here’s a little teaser for you to get you going!

After a year in captivity, werewolf Paz Cabrera is trying to figure out her place in the world. While her sister’s new family is more than welcoming, Paz still doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere. She has a big secret that could ultimately harm her new protectors and give The Council ammunition to condemn her to death. When The Council sends their legendary enforcer to hunt a rogue werewolf intent on killing innocent humans and terrorizing Miami, she discovers a terrifying secret.

As enforcer for The Council and one of the oldest living werewolves on the planet, Adam Tucker had fated himself to a lonely life. With an evil werewolf threatening the existence of all supernatural beings, the race is on to stop him. After centuries by himself, he never expected to meet his mate while on the job, but now that he’s found her, he won’t let her go. Paz denies their connection, but she can’t escape the sizzling heat between them. Adam knows she’s keeping a dark secret from him, and no matter what it takes, he plans to uncover the truth and bond her to him forever.

Excerpt from POWER UNLEASHED

Adam parked his rented truck behind an older muscle car near the end of the winding, private driveway. When Thomas said they were having a party Adam hadn’t realized he meant the entire pack. And from the looks of it, half of Miami.

As he walked up the stone drive he took in the vehicles. They were all a little older but in good shape. The family obviously didn’t like to show off. He started to knock on the intricate—probably custom carved—wood door when it flew open and two younger she-wolves nearly ran him over.

“Sorry!” one of them yelled over her shoulder as they raced toward one of the cars.

Something foreign twinged deep in his chest. He might work for The Council but he didn’t consider any of them his family. He had no pack, no real friends, no real home. Not anymore. His life was fucking lonely and something told him that spending time with the Lazos pack would only remind him of what he was missing and would never have again.

Shaking his head, he stepped farther into the foyer. To the right was a giant dining room with a huge spread of food. A cake sat in the middle and there was a smorgasbord of other food surrounding it.

“Hungry?” Thomas asked as he joined him.

“I’m okay for now. Could go for a beer though.”

Thomas grabbed his shoulder in a light, almost brotherly grip. “Come on, we’ll get you settled.” The action was unexpected and it also reminded him that he couldn’t get too close to these wolves. He was there to do a job and if anyone had acted against The Council’s code, he’d have to turn them over for judgement.

The dining room connected to an even larger kitchen. A sea of mainly dark-haired wolves mingled around in groups of two and three. Only a few stood out. A tall, pretty redheaded human. From his files, he knew she was Nick Lazos’ mate and new wife. And of course Marisol, Stephan’s mate. She was a brunette like most of the Lazos’ but she was Spanish, not Greek. When he met Shea Hart’s gaze, the tall blonde wolf he needed to question, she quickly averted her eyes and said something to the much shorter brunette she-wolf she was talking to.

The petite wolf whipped around and when their gazes locked, his heart stuttered. It was Paz Cabrera. He’d recognize those midnight eyes anywhere. The dossier he had on her didn’t do her justice though. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from those intoxicating eyes. She was pretty, yes, but it was those damn eyes that drew him in. Dark, exotic and full of passion and life. After what she’d been through, the fire he saw there surprised him.

When she turned away from him, all his senses mourned the loss. It seemed as if he’d been staring an eternity, but in reality only seconds had passed.

“Here ya go.” Thomas handed him a beer and nodded toward Paz and Shea who stood by themselves near a glass door that lead to a back patio. “I’m sure you already know, but those are the she-wolves we rescued. I’ve spoken to them and they’re ready to talk to you when you want.”

“Now’s as good a time as any.” The truth was, he could have waited. Would normally have preferred to wait and acclimate to his surroundings, but the wolf inside him was desperate to be alone with and talk to Paz. Hear her voice. Something. Anything. He spoke low enough for only Thomas to hear him as they approached the women. “I’ll speak to Paz first.”

A burst of primal protectiveness rolled off Thomas and nearly bowled Adam over with its intensity. He had to stop the growl that started in the back of his throat. He had no claim over Paz and even the thought was ludicrous enough that he almost laughed at himself.

“Shea, Paz, this is Adam Tucker,” Thomas said.

Both she-wolves nodded politely, but he didn’t miss the light sheen of sweat that had formed on the blonde’s brow.

He pulled the sliding glass door open and kept his attention on Paz. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions and just get them out of the way now.”

She shot a quick, guarded look at Shea before returning his gaze. “Of course.”

Adam slid the door shut behind them. He’d never been in Florida in the fall and the weather was mild and perfect. A light breeze pushed up from the Atlantic. The salty smell rolled over him with a subtle freshness and he realized why they’d chosen to settle in Miami.

Before he’d taken two steps, she blurted, “I thought you’d be taller.”

He couldn’t help himself. A sharp bark of laughter escaped at her words.

Horror immediately covered her pretty face and her very full lips formed a perfect O. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I said that. I…I haven’t been out in public in a year. That’s my only excuse.”

Grinning, he motioned toward two of the Adirondack chairs near the pool. “It’s okay. I think you just said what most people usually think when they meet me.” At five foot ten, he was probably the shortest out of all the male wolves in the house, but in a fight, he had no doubt he could take any of them. Thomas and his Alpha included. Size didn’t mean shit to him. He was older, faster and stronger than all of them. A reason he’d held his job for so long.

“Still, I’m sorry.” She perched on the edge of the elongated chair so he sat across from her. She shifted against her seat. When she did, her yellow dress slid up to reveal smooth, perfectly bronzed skin. She cleared her throat and he realized he was staring. Averting his gaze to her face was worse. He felt as if he was falling when he stared into her dark eyes.

Aztec Gold – A Paranormal Romance Novella

As I mentioned yesterday, I’ll have an e-novella paranormal romance from Carina Press – AZTEC GOLD – out in the Fall of 2010.

AZTEC GOLD is a story about two archaelogists – Cynthia Guerrero and Rafael Santiago – who are radically different people. Rafael, or Rafe as he is known to friends and Cynthia, is an adventurer in the line of Indiana Jones. Totally alpha and unafraid.

Cynthia, on the other hand, prefers to stay in the safety and quiet of her job in the museum where her expertise is used to review and document ancient discoveries. Cynthia has reason to like security — as a child her famous anthropoligist parents dragged her all around the world until their untimely deaths.

But when Rafe disappears on an expedition to find an ancient Aztec temple in the Mexican jungle, Cynthia will have to face her fears – and an Aztec vampire demi-goddess – in order to discover what happened to her lover.

The inspiration for the story came from a trip that I took to Mexico as part of my day job. I was attending a conference in Mexico City and on one of the days of the conference we were able to visit Teotihuacan, a pre-Colombian city about 40 kilometers outside of Mexico City.

During its peak, Teotihuacan was thought to have held as many as 200,000 residents, although the ethnicity of those inhabitants is up for grabs. However the name Teotihuacan was given to the city by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztec centuries after the city had fallen to attacks from an assortment of invaders.

It’s an amazing place with its two pyramids – one to the sun and the other to the moon – and its long central avenue – the Avenue of the Dead – which is lined by smaller structures which the Aztecs believed to be tombs, resulting in the name of the avenue.

This is a view of the avenue and the Pyramid of the Sun from the Pyramid of the Moon.

Mexican Pyramid of the Sun and Avenue of the Dead

This is a view of the avenue and the Pyramid of the Moon from the Pyramid of the Sun.

Mexican Pyramid of the Moon and Avenue of the Dead

Despite my fear of heights, I am happy to say that I overcame that fear – much like Cynthia will fight to overcome hers – and climbed to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. It was quite a view from there and I’ll be scanning some photos for you so you can get some first hand views of the area and the culture.

I hope you liked that Behind the Scenes info and now . . . an excerpt from AZTEC GOLD which will be available in the Fall 2010.

*****
Chapter 1

The feel of old papers called to Cynthia Guerrera the way a lover’s skin might.

Even with the gloves she wore to protect the fragile documents from the oils on her fingers, she sensed the raspy texture of the heavy parchment beneath them. Smelled the mustiness that hinted at the fact that it had been some time since these papers had seen the light of day.

At first she had been skeptical of the provenance of the documents — Missouri cornfields were not the place one expected to find a trunk filled with nearly five hundred year old Spanish papers and journals. But a Missouri cornfield was just where the trunk containing the papers and maps had been discovered when a developer had begun excavations for a new strip mall.

Setting aside the missive — one from Coronado himself to one of his seconds in command — she turned her attention to the leather bound journal of one Juan Domingo Cordero. Gingerly opening the cover, she traced her fingers over the scrawling script. The first entries in the journal had provided her with the identity of the author and the date of the documents thanks to Cordero’s meticulous notations.

With that information, she had been able to check a number of other sources to confirm that Cordero had indeed been one of Coronado’s lieutenants. When Coronado had left Mexico City in 1540 in search of the fabled Cities of Gold, Cordero had been at his side. Coronado had eventually separated from Cordero and his contingent, ordering them to search in one direction while he went in another.

Cordero’s entries in the journal carefully detailed their travels throughout the south central portion of Mexico, before his band had turned northward until they crossed the Rio Grande. Eventually the group had turned eastward and reached the Mississippi, hugging the banks of the river until it landed them in what would one day become Missouri.

Tired of their journeys and with their group decimated by a number of incidents, the Spanish conquistadors had built a small settlement a short distance from the sluggish and fertile waters of the Mississippi.

The notations in Cordero’s journal gradually diminished after that, with the conquistador’s adventures giving way to the routine of farming and family life. Eventually Cordero had stopped writing and Cynthia supposed that was when he had tucked the journals into the small wood and leather trunk together with his other papers. The trunk in turn had been put in the cellar and over time, the floods that often occurred in the area had covered Cordero’s home and the surrounding settlement with mud. Further flooding and natural events had added to the layers over the former community, hiding it from sight until the developer’s bulldozers had dug up the first hints of the earlier civilization and the trunk.

Cynthia picked up the laboratory results that had arrived that morning and which just further confirmed the age of the documents.

With that endorsement came proof of one thing, while serious doubt remained about another.

She rose and walked over to the climate-controlled locker in her office, removed a handwrought leather tube from within. Returning to her work table, she untied one end of the cylinder and removed a pliant sheet of leather from inside the tube. On the soft leather was a crudely drawn map identifying the sometimes circuitous route Cordero and his men had taken from Mexico City.

In the middle of the map, more carefully detailed than anything else, were the geographical features and path to what Cordero had believed to be one of the fabled Cities of Gold. A city supposedly inhabited by a demon who had taken away and killed nearly half a dozen of his men before Cordero had decided that no amount of lucre was worth their lives.

A hard tale to believe and yet everything else about the documents was genuine.

Worse yet, something about the map had troubled her from the moment she unrolled it onto her work station. As she had compared the various features on the map to a copy of another she had seen six months earlier, she realized there was too much coincidence to ignore.

Six months ago her lover, Dr. Rafael Santiago, had detailed to her the plans for his latest archaeological expedition — a trip to a previously unknown and unexplored Aztec temple. While on that trip with his younger brother and a team of about a dozen men, Rafe and his team had disappeared into the Mexican jungle.

For months she had been hoping for word of them, keeping faith in the belief that they were still alive. But with each month that passed, that hope was fading along with the prospect of discovering anything about her lover’s disappearance . . . until now.