Blog Hop #Giveaways & Release Party

NAUGHTY AFTER DARK BLOG HOP

I’ll be giving away an ARC of THE CLAIMED and a LOST T-shirt to one lucky winner! Just tweet or share this comment on Twitter or Facebook.

The Jersey Shore like you can’t imagine-THE CLAIMED #paranormal #romance May 2012 PLZ RT http://awe.sm/5fSef

Many thanks to Close Encounters with the Night Kind Blog and Natasha Blackthorne for organizing this blog hop.



NOCTURNAL WHISPERS RELEASE PARTY

Don’t forget about the NOCTURNAL WHISPERS Release Party – Feb 1 to Feb 29! Many thanks to those of you who have already downloaded NOCTURNAL WHISPERS and those who have agreed to review it!

To celebrate the release, we’re going to be having a month long release contest. To be eligible to win a $25 Gift card, copies of AZTEC GOLD and THE FIFTH KINGDOM plus a LOST T-shirt and an awesome tote bag, just click here!

NOCTURNAL WHISPERS Excerpt

In case you can’t see the excerpt below, you can cut and past this link:
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/77896155?access_key=key-weo9sowk2o2b574axao

Nocturnal Whispers Erotic Paranormal Romance Excerpt

Traditions, Navajo Mythology, and Raven #giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of having with me my dear friends and fellow authors Aimee and David Thurlo who are here to share with us the inspiration for their latest Harlequin Intrigue, POWER OF THE RAVEN. Please welcome Aimee and David and also, check out the cool giveaway they have going on to celebrate their new release. For more information, you can visit David and Aimee at www.aimeeanddavidthurlo.com.

POWER OF THE RAVEN

When you write stories that focus on places and the people who live in them, as we do with our novels about the southwest, people often want to know how we get ideas for the next book.

Our February release for Harlequin Intrigue, “Power of the Raven,” is a story that came to us when we were walking around Old Town in Albuquerque and saw a small, beautifully carved fetish in a storefront window and stopped to admire it. According to tradition, a fetish is more than just a carving. It’s a symbol that is said to capture the essence of the animal and impart those qualities to its owner.

Out of that moment came a storyline about a hataalii, a Navajo medicine man, Hosteen (mister) Silver, who fosters troubled Navajo boys, giving them a new life and future. On their sixteen birthday, each of the boys receives a gift – a special fetish carved for them. Gene Redhouse, the hero of Power of the Raven, carries a bear fetish. A bear fits Gene because bear’s power is made strong in solitude. Though Bear has a dark side, he also stands for confidence and inner stillness.

“Power of the Raven” centers around Gene, now a man, on a path that will test the limits of his courage.

I’ve always had a special affinity for animals, and the lore that surrounds each fetish is something I find particularly fascinating. One of my favorites is Raven.

Raven’s magic brings the power needed to take your dreams, give them time to form, then make them a reality. Raven belongs to the inner world, that place where we protect the part of us that’s often injured by the sting of rejection. Raven becomes a powerful ally who encourages us to embrace the shadows because they’re also part of who we are.

I find that especially beautiful, because as authors we have to dig into memories of pain as well as triumphs to make our characters come alive. The process can be difficult and leaves you feeling vulnerable at a time when you most need to protect yourself. Not everyone will see what you want to do in the story you create and the words you use to do it. There will be harsh comments, and judgments. You have to be able to take the blows, smile, and keep going. It can hurt – badly – but like a famous teacher once said, ‘It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down – only how many times you get back up.”

Each of the Copper Canyon stories will feature a hero and heroine who has, or will receive, a very special fetish in the course of the book. As the characters learn about their new spiritual brother, the reader will go on their journey with them, and maybe some will find their own fetish – an animal carving that will remind you of your own uniqueness, and the power that resides in each of us.

To celebrate its publicaton we’re having a very special giveaway – a handcarved raven fetish signed by the artist, Amos Pooacha. Mr. Pooacha is confined to a wheelchair and makes his living carving these very special fetishes.

Please write me at ADThurlo at aol dot com, specify you want to enter our drawing, then Feb. 29th we’ll announce the winner on our web page, and of course, that person will immediately notified via e-mail.

#ManCandyMonday Inspiration for THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE #suspense

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!

I am sooooo Shameless Blog Hop & #Giveaway

Many thanks to Jen at Red Hot Books, Brie at Romance Around the Corner & Michelle at Michelle’s Book Blog for starting up this blog hop for those of us with more mature subject matter. I am so looking forward to visiting with everyone to check out their fabulous offerings!

If this is your first time at my blog a big WELCOME to you! I write paranormal suspense and romantic suspense and have now dipped my toes into the waters of erotic paranormal romance. In fact, my first erotic paranormal novella, AMAZON AWAKENING, hit the stands in December and my second, NOCTURNAL WHISPERS, hits the digital shelves on February 1. Come back on Feb 1 for the start of my release party.

But for now, welcome to the Shameless Blog Hop which wouldn’t be complete without some delicious Man Candy!

For those of you visiting on the Blog Hop, please put SHAMELESS ANSWERS as the subject and send an e-mail to cpsromance at att dot net with the answers to the following questions:

What is the name of the hero in AMAZON AWAKENING?
What is the name of the heroine in NOCTURNAL WHISPERS?

I will pick a winner from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $10 Itunes Gift Card as well as an ARC for THE CLAIMED (Book 2 in the SIN HUNTER series, coming out in May 2012).

If you cannot see the list of participating blogs below, you can click here for the complete list.



Wicked Wednesday – Aimee and David Thurlo Visit!

We are so lucky to have with us today Aimee and David Thurlo who together write the fabulous Ella Clah series. The latest release in the series is BLACK THUNDER which Publishers Weekly called “an insightful portrait of a native culture still evolving between tradition and modernity.”

In BLACK THUNDER, the plot line focuses on crimes that could be the work of a serial killer. The story also showcases the difficulty of walking the line between traditional values handed down for generations and the pressures to adapt to an ever-changing modern world.

The book is filled with action and shows a side of Ella that readers have yet to see and I hope you will enjoy this excerpt!

“Let the officer take him, boss,” Justine said, leaning her head out of the SUV. “We’ve got another call.”

“What’s happening, partner?” Ella asked, climbing into the vehicle.

Justine turned the SUV around, then spoke as they drove toward the highway. “A Navajo crew was replacing fenceposts on the Navajo Nation side of the border, just the other side of Hogback, when they found a body.”

“On tribal land – they’re sure of that?” Ella reached for a tissue from the glove box, then wiped away the perspiration from her brow with one hand and redirected the air conditioning vent toward her face and neck.

“Yeah, from what I was told. They called 911 and dispatch called us immediately.”

There was no direct route to the site. When they passed through the wide, river-cut gap in the Hogback, the long, steep sided outcrop towering above the desert for miles, Justine had to continue east off the Rez. Their intended route required them to circle back to the northwest along the old highway, which came much closer to the spine-like ridge.

There was a dirt track that ran along the north-south fence line through an old field and former marsh, and the ride was extra rough. Trees and brush dotted the area, thickly in some places, and it took a while to spot the tribal truck, which was in a low spot. The tailgate of the oversized pickup was down and the bed filled with coils of wire and fence posts.

“Where’s the crew?” Ella asked, looking around.

“Way over there,” Justine said, gesturing with her chin, Navajo style, toward a shady spot beneath an old cottonwood at least a hundred feet northwest of the pickup.

Ella wasn’t surprised. As a detective on the Navajo Rez, she usually didn’t have to worry that a murder scene would be contaminated by the Navajo public. Whether they were Traditionalists, New Traditionalists, or Modernists, fear of the chindi was a fact of life here.

The chindi, the evil in a man, was said to remain earthbound waiting for a chance to create problems for the living. Contact with the dead, or their possessions, was a sure way to summon it to you, so avoidance was the usual strategy.

The foreman, a short, muscular Navajo in jeans and a pale blue tribal issue shirt, came to meet them as they parked and stepped out of the SUV. His yellow straw cowboy hat was stained with dust and sweat. It was getting hot already here in northwest New Mexico. “We called you as soon as we realized what we were digging up. You can see what’s left of a human hand down there. It’s over by that spot where we were taking out some fill dirt.”

“Thanks. We’ll handle it from here,” Ella said.

Justine joined Ella and they approached the location he’d pointed out. A shovel had been left beside the area where sand had been scooped out, probably to fill around a newly planted fence post about ten feet away. The original ground had been eroded by heavy rain and the old post still lay nearby, the wood badly rotted away.

Ella and Justine moved carefully, stepping only in the fresh shoe and boot prints left by the work crew and making sure no other potential evidence was disturbed.

“Our crime scene team is on the way,” Justine said, looking down at the dark, leathery looking, dried out remnants of what was clearly a human’s right hand. “Benny’s driving the van. Ralph Tache wants in on this too. He said he can’t dig – doctor’s orders – but he can collect evidence and document the scene.”

“I don’t know about that,” Ella said, giving Justine a look of concern. “I’m not sure Ralph’s ready. This could be labor intensive, and we’ll have to do it all by hand. We can’t bring in a backhoe, and all that bending over…”

“Ralph’s had a lot to deal with after all those surgeries. That pipe bomb incident at the college did more than just put him in the hospital. But he’s spent months in rehab, and needs to get back to work, Ella. His doctor’s given permission for him to resume field duty, and the chief agreed. Let him have this assignment. He’s not cut out for a desk job, and we need our best personnel on this.”

Ella nodded. Although Ralph had already made it clear he wasn’t ready to take up his bomb squad work again, he wanted to get out of the station and take part in field work.

“After all those months of recovery and therapy, I thought for a while he’d just take an early retirement and go on to consulting work,” Ella said. “He was a veteran cop when I joined the department.”

“I think police work’s in his blood, Ella, and he needs to reconnect.” Justine glanced down at the missing joint on her index finger, recalling the brutality of her kidnappers years ago. “We all pay a price for what we do, but police work’s a calling. That’s why we’re drawn to it so much.”

Ella said nothing. Justine was a devout Christian and her religious beliefs shaped her views. Yet no matter how Justine defined it, she lived and breathed the job too. It was that dedication to the tribe and the department that made all of them overlook the downside – like the crappy pay and long hours.

“I’ll start with photos,” Justine said. “I want shots of the tire tracks on the dirt trail leading in. I saw two distinct, fresh sets as we were coming in, and there’s only one tribal vehicle here.”

“Good eye. I’ll get statements from the crew,” Ella said.

As she walked over to the men clustered in the shade of the cottonwood, Ella understood the wariness in their eyes. She spoke to the foreman first and he pointed out the two men who’d found the body. One of them, a stocky Navajo in his early twenties wearing a turquoise and black Shiprock High School Chieftains t-shirt and worn jeans, stood fingering the leather pouch at his waist.

Recognizing the medicine bag for what it was, an essential personal item for Traditionalists, Ella decided to speak to him first.

She introduced herself without using names. Traditionalists believed that a name had power. To use it needlessly deprived their owner of a personal asset that was his or hers to use in times of trouble. Asking to see his driver’s license, she took the necessary information off that.

“I got too close to that body,” he said, explaining that he was the first to uncover the still attached hand, and that the shovel left at the location was his. “I’m going to have a Sing done. Your brother’s the hataalii who lives the other side of Shiprock, off the Gallup highway, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is,” Ella answered, not surprised he’d made the connection. Despite the vastness of the Navajo Nation, theirs was a small community, and she’d been part of the tribal police department in this area for nearly fifteen years.

“I came ready for work, but this….” He shook his head, then kicked at a clump of dry grass with the toe of his worn lace-up work boot.

“Why did you happen to dig at that particular spot,” Ella said.

“I needed fill dirt so I picked a spot where there wasn’t much brush. It was pretty loose and easy to scoop out, so I dug deeper. Then the shovel snagged on something that looked like a leather glove.” He swallowed hard. “I reached down to pull it out when I saw that it was a hand – still attached to an arm. I backed off, fast.” He avoided eye contact with Ella out of respect for Navajo ways. “Do you think the whole body is down there?” he asked in a strangled voice.

“We’ll know in a bit.”

“Do we have to stay around while you…dig it up?”

“Not for that long. I’ll need to take statements from everyone and make sure I know where to find each of you in case we need to talk again. Once that’s done, you’ll all be free to leave.”

“Good. I don’t want to stick around.”

Ella couldn’t help but notice that the entire crew seemed anxious to leave, even those who appeared to be Modernists – based upon their curiosity, their more relaxed expressions, and the absence of medicine pouches at their belt or in hand.

Going about her business, she spoke to the other men, but nothing new came to light. Nobody seemed to know anything about the extra set of vehicle tracks. The foreman also made it clear that he didn’t think any other tribal employees had visited the site before them. Their job here today had been part of regular maintenance and scheduled months ago.

Shortly after the crew left, her team arrived. Ella watched Ralph Tache climb out of the van. Though he still moved slowly despite having lost at least thirty pounds in the last year, determination was etched in his deep set eyes.

She knew that look. The need to restore order so all could walk in beauty was more than just a concept. It was the way of life on the Diné Bikéyah, Navajo country.

The crime scene team quickly cordoned off the area, using the boundary fence as the eastern perimeter. They each had specialized jobs, but no one would touch the ground around the hand until every square inch had been photographed from all possible angles.

While Ralph helped Justine take photos, Sergeant Joe Neskahi brought out two shovels and stood them against the van for future use.

Soon afterwards, Benny Pete and Joe surveyed the ground outside the yellow tape, looking for tracks, trash, or anything out of the ordinary. If the scene needed to be expanded, they would be the first to make that determination.

Joe was a long time member of the team, but Benny, their newest member, had fit in almost instantly. He’d come to them as a temporary transfer, then had opted to remain with their team. They’d all welcomed him after seeing his skills, particularly when it came to spotting even minute details.

“What’s the M.E.’s ETA?” Ella called out to Justine.

“Ten minutes,” Justine called back, not looking up from her work.

Looking over at Ralph, Ella saw him taking a photo of something off in the direction of the highway. “What’d you see, Ralph?” she asked, walking over.

He shrugged. “Someone was over there, standing by a white sedan, watching us through binoculars. I saw his reflection off the glass and it caught my eye. It was probably just a curious motorist, but you know what they say in Crime Scene 101.”

“Yeah, sometimes perps hang around to watch the police work the scene – might even volunteer to help,” Ella said.

“I’ll also be taking shots of every car that stops to check us out. You never know,” he said.

“Sure would be nice to get lucky,” Ella said, “investigation wise,” she added quickly, seeing Ralph’s eyebrows rise.

Hearing someone clear their throat directly behind her, Ella spun around. “You don’t make a lot of noise when you walk, do you?” she said, glaring at Benny.

“Sorry about that, boss,” he said. “We looked around for footprints connected to that extra set of tire tracks, but there isn’t anything fresh. The driver must not have exited the vehicle. We did find something interesting – another set of fresh prints that clearly belong to a child. They’re along the fence line and elsewhere, but not close enough to the tire impressions for the child to have been the driver or a passenger.”

“So the only adult prints belong to the work crew?”

“That’s right,” Benny said.

“The next thing we’ll need to do is check on kids who live in this area. Anything else?” Ella asked him.

“So far we’ve found the usual windblown debris of candy and food wrappers, paper cups, and the kind of stuff we’d find alongside the highway. But something struck me as particularly odd.”

“What is it?” she pressed.

“I’d rather show you,” he said.

“Lead the way.” This was going to be one of those cases where nothing fit the norm. She could feel it in her gut.

Thank you much so much Aimée and David for coming by today! I’m also so excited to hear that you’ll be bringing us a new romantic suspense in November – WINTER HAWK’S LEGEND.

Romantic Times gave WINTER HAWK’S LEGEND four and a half stars, which is truly an honor! In this exciting romantic suspense, Holly Gates must hide out with Daniel Hawk, a fearless security expert sworn to protect her. She finds herself falling in love with him though, unlike her, he craves no home or family – just the same freedom as the great hawk.

I can’t wait to read it! For all those you are visiting today, I’m offering up a copy of my e-book ROOKIE OF THE YEAR if you leave a comment and/or tweet this:

Visit with Aimée and David Thurlo 2day #giveaway #romance #suspense @ https://www.caridad.com/blog.

Thank you all for dropping by today!

Thursday 13 & 18+ Blog Hop

Join me for a dual day with this Thursday 13 and 18+ Blog hop! For those who are new here, my latest release is THE LOST and here is a little teaser from it!

Adam Bruno is no ordinary millionaire. The heir to an ancient race possessing a dark, powerful magic, he can shapeshift and create energy. His gifts make him a living weapon and have forced him to live in seclusion. But now an inhuman force hunts down Adam-just when he finds someone who makes him feel more human than he ever imagined possible . . .

Home from combat in Iraq, Bobbie Carerra wants only peace, yet soon joins Adam in a terrifying battle against paranormal enemies who hide in plain sight. She’s drawn to his strength of mind and body; he’s attracted to her courage and intoxicating energy. Their scorching passion can either transport them to the heights of ecstasy or-if Adam’s powers rage out of control-destroy them. But when an invisible brotherhood tightens its nets and someone Adam trusts betrays him, only a heartrending decision can save them.

Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a $10 gift card and a collection of swag from myself and other authors!

Discover these 13 paragraphs from

THE LOST!

THE LOST Paranormal RomanceThere was no denying how difficult it was for him, remembering that day. But then he surprised her, and maybe even himself, by saying, “I think I’ve seen those energy balls before. When Salvatore found me. Before I forgot who I was.”

“Forgot who you were?” she questioned, seeking clarification because she didn’t want to misunderstand what he meant.

“When I woke up, I had no memories of who I was or where I came from. I still don’t except…”

“You remember the energy. The way the men tossed it. The way you returned fire,” she put out for him to consider.

He nodded and screwed his eyes shut, as if forcing himself back to that time and those memories, but then he expelled a harsh sigh and shook his head. “I can’t remember any more.”

“It’ll come to you.“

“It hasn’t come to me in twenty years, Bobbie. What makes you think it’ll happen now?” he challenged, obviously frustrated.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose. Maybe now it’s time for you to figure it all out,” she said, paraphrasing an oft-told old scripture she’d heard in church.

“You expect me to have faith, only I’m not a religious man,” he warned.

“Hasn’t there been anyone in your life in whom you had faith?” she asked, but as a river of emotions washed over him and transferred itself to her, she knew the sad answer to that. Because she didn’t want to press and cause him more heartache, she rose from the couch.

“It’s time I went home.”

“Stay,” he said, but quickly added, “I’ve got half-a-dozen empty rooms all beautifully decorated by some famous designer whose name I can’t even remember. Just choose a room.”

Insanely she knew what room she wanted to choose-his-but tempered that rashness. It would only create more issues and much like she had told him, there was a season and a time for everything.

paranormal romance Jersey Shore

To visit more Thursday 13 participants, click here!

paranormal romance Jersey Shore

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Wicked Wednesday – THE FIFTH KINGDOM

I’m so excited to be sharing with you THE FIFTH KINGDOM today, my romantic suspense from Carina Press. RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars and said:

“This story is an Indiana Jones-style thrill ride infused with just the right amount of romance and sexual tension…The mystery, the family dynamic and the love story all blend together perfectly in this delightful adventure. Who needs Harrison Ford when you’ve got a tale like this?”

If you cannot see the excerpt below, you can click here or use this link:

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/63643722?access_key=key-1eyc5etyz7or3srynbqj

THE FIFTH KINGDOM Romantic Suspense