Tag: vampire suspense

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#ManCandyMonday – NYPD Detective Peter Daly from TEMPTATION CALLS

One of the things I loved about working with Harlequin on THE CALLING IS REBORN vampire romance series was that they were always willing to let my push boundaries in the stories. This was especially true in TEMPTATION CALLS which included not only issues with domestic abuse, but also featured a mixed race heroine, Samantha Turner, who falls in love with NYPD Detective Peter Daly. Actually it would be hard to not fall in love with Peter. He’s loyal, courageous, and respectful of Samantha. He loves the kids in the shelter she runs and protects Samantha and the women there. And when he observes how much Samantha loves to garden, he brings her a flat of impatiens. He’s almost too good to be true, but he’s also a man whose job is filled with violence, something Samantha wants to avoid at all costs. I hope you’ll check out Peter in TEMPTATION CALLS. You’ll also get to meet sexy santero Ricardo Fernandez in this book. You’ll see more of him in DEVOTION CALLS.

TEMPTATION CALLS is specially priced at 99 cents until March 8.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2TVSaYV
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2tvhoSu
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1452299478
B&N: http://bit.ly/2TQTCMs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2TJlORd
Playster: http://bit.ly/2TRh2ks
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2TJl7r5

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#FreebieFriday – Free Download of DESIRE CALLS

When you’re writing a series, especially one that you hope to have run for a long time, you have to build a world and also create characters to inhabit that place. For The Calling is Reborn vampire novels, the world was New York City because I wanted to share with you the city that I love and where I spend so much time. As for the characters, Diana and Ryder were alive for me from the moment they started screaming in my head. As I wrote their story, DARKNESS CALLS, I knew they’d be with me for some time. But then I had to give birth to other characters for future books and also, secondary characters to just populate the world. Sometimes those secondary characters became so intriguing that I knew they would get stories as well. That’s what happened with Blake and Stacia. They were just too much fun and too much of everything. I knew they needed their own stories. For fun, Harlequin and I did a little novella with them that really showed the best and worst of their personalities. Today I’m offering that novella, DESIRE CALLS, as a free download. I hope you like Blake and Stacia as much as I do. Blake gets his eternal love in FURY CALLS, an RT Book Club Top Pick. Stacia earns her happily-ever-after in KISSED BY A VAMPIRE which is the only Calling book not set in New York. Instead, Stacia flies off the South Beach to escape the human wanna-bes in New York who are making her crave the love Stacia doesn’t think she can ever have.

You can download DESIRE CALLS with this link: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/dVMOvTrM

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#ManCandyMonday – Vampire Ryder Latimer & Happy 15th Anniversary

One of my all time favorite characters is sexy Southern vampire Ryder Latimer from The Calling is Reborn Vampire novels. I love his journey of going from being tortured and alone to embracing the vampire and eventually, dealing with the fact that he might find himself human again. The last is something he may not want since he needs to protect his wife Diana Reyes and their daughter Charlie.

I worked feverishly last week to get this book ready for you for today, not really knowing why until I was busy coding the new page for the DARKNESS CALLS and I realized it’s been 15 years since the release of that book. Now, fifteen years later and over a dozen novels and novellas later, I’m just as in love with this series as I was when I first wrote.

Right now I’m working on getting DANGER CALLS ready, but I’m also working on something very special for fans of the series. I’ve dug out the original manuscript which was much longer and had to be shortened for Harlequin. I’m working on weaving in those deleted scenes to give you guys an extended version of the novel and I hope you’ll like it! Look for that in a few weeks at least. Piecing it back together is a lot harder than cutting out those scenes.

For now, here is how I pictured sexy Ryder when the series first starts. All alone in his own darkness until Diana Reyes steps out of his dreams and into his world.

You can purchase the newly released version of DARKNESS CALLS at the retailers below. As a gift for you, it’s specially priced at 99 cents for a limited time!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2t3Nwwd
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2Ga05Po
Apple Books: Coming Soon
B&N: Coming Soon
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2TvCefY
Playster: http://bit.ly/2TvWJJo
Scribd: http://bit.ly/2Tqug7I

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Indie-Publishing 101 #WriteWed

As I mentioned the other day, I’m so excited to have gotten back rights to over a dozen books that I had written from Harlequin. Many of them are paranormals including quite a number of books in THE CALLING vampire suspense series. Since this is a series of my heart it’s a big woo hoo. My goal is to re-release them over the course of the next several months, but that will take planning and some thought on how to position them since THE CALLING has always been a unique series. A little bit vampire, a little bit suspense. A little historical with the vampire backgrounds and a little multicultural with Chupacabras, Chiang shis and a Latino FBI Agent and her Scooby Gang.

That kind of planning and the self-publishing avenues available to authors is what I will be chatting about at this year’s Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference. I’m so looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned over the last several years of releasing my own books and hopefully offering aspiring authors useful information about how to move their careers forward. For more info on the conference, which also has a wonderful readers’ track, please visit www.lsfwriters.com.

The one word that keeps on coming back to me as being imperative is “planning.” We just had an awesome planning workshop at our monthly meeting this month and I know many of the attendees came away with good ideas on not only planning, but using technology to help them be more effective writers.

Right now I’m in the planning phases since I have to write a new book for a traditional contract and somehow work in new projects for the future as well as the indie publishing for the books which have reverted to me.

2019 is promising to be an interesting year and I’m looking forward to sharing all that happens with you!

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#TuesdayTip – Why Should You Consider the Traditional Publishing Route Today?

There are a lot of people who don’t think taking the traditional publishing route today makes sense. I’m not one of those people. Ever since my first experience in publishing when the line I was writing for was closed down, I’ve always thought it makes sense not to have all your eggs in one basket. For that reason when it became possible for me to try more than traditional publishing, I did, but I also kept my foot in the door in the traditional area because the market is too volatile to turn down opportunities of any kind.

In addition, who doesn’t want to get paid in advance and have the assistance of experienced editors, cover artists, formatters and publicists to help you produce your work? I, for one, love working with seasoned veterans who bring out the best in my writing. I also want to spend more time writing and not running a business, especially since I still work full time and my free time is limited.

So how do you get together with a traditional publisher considering many of them won’t talk to someone without an agent? Going to a conference where agents and editors take pitches is one way. Putting on my President’s hat, the upcoming Liberty States Fiction Writers conference has over a dozen agents and editors who will take pitches for various genres. Taking off that hat, the national RWA conference is also a great place.

But like I said, not all the eggs in one basket which is why I’ll be doing a workshop at Liberty States about box sets and also joining some friends to offer a similar workshop at the National RWA Conference.

And speaking of eggs and baskets, I’m trying something new with some fabulous writers – a story bundle! Here is the info on it and I hope you’ll take a moment to try it out.

A Little More About the Bundle

The initial titles in the Sorcery and Steam Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

  • Alchemy and Steam by Fiction River
  • Familiarity by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  • Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger
  • Blood and Magic by Ann Gimpel

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

  • Specters in the Storm by Pauline Baird Jones
  • Rare Stakes by Michelle Fox
  • Valkyrie’s Vengeance & Hunger Moon – Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods 1-2 by Melissa Snark
  • Ghosted – Nikki Ashburne – Book 1 by Dayle A. Dermatis
  • Alys of Asgard by Catherine Banks
  • For Love or Vengeance by Caridad Pineiro

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub, .mobi and .pdf) for all books!

It’s also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.

  • Get quality reads: We’ve chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
  • Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that’s fine! You’ll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
  • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there’s nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
  • Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to AbleGamers!
  • Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you’ll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook.

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#Vampire Reborn from The Calling is Reborn #TeaserTuesday

Today’s Teaser Tuesday is a look at VAMPIRE REBORN from THE CALLING IS REBORN Vampire Novel Series. I just love exploring where FBI Agent Diana Reyes and vampire Ryder Latimer are going in their relationship and I hope you’re enjoying it as well. I’ll shortly have DARE TO LOVE, the next installment in the series, up for you and will be working on FIGHT FOR LOVE, the next step in Diana and Ryder’s story, for late 2017.

Here’s a little teaser from VAMPIRE REBORN.

Teaser

Although his vampire blood called on him to rest during the day, Ryder regularly fought that need in his desire to be more human. To share time with Diana the way normal couples did. He had worked at his desk in the morning, checking on his various investments, and now the two of them were in the gym, working out.

Ryder moved through the steps in the kata, Diana beside him, shifting in unison.

A left turn to face forward followed by a low block with the left hand.

A step ahead with a sharp right-handed punch.

A quick whirl and back to the front for another low block.

They glided, pushed forward and back, almost as if in a ballet.

Pivot, forward, punch, and then retreat.

An upper cut followed by a drop of the hands to the hips with another one hundred eighty degree turn and a double high block.

From the corner of his eye, he measured Diana’s movements and strength since he hadn’t been the only one who had almost lost his life weeks earlier.

Not that you could tell from her fluid and powerful movements. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation or fragility to attest to the fact that his wife had not only been on death’s door, but that she’d recently given birth. Well, almost nothing. Her warrior’s body wore its lean muscled strength nicely, but the womanly curves were ever more rounded, especially her breasts.

Her command came in his head through their shared connection. Focus.

The warning made him stumble through the final punch and slide of the kata, but he recovered to end it gracefully.

They faced each other and bowed to acknowledge the completion of the exercise.

With the kata finished, she grinned and rolled her eyes. “Men. Show a little tit and it totally throws you off.”

Reaching out, he playfully squeezed her breast and said, “Nothing little about those.”

She slapped at him and he recognized the invitation in her gaze. “Think you can boss me around?” he asked.

“I know I can, remember?”

Yeah, he remembered all right. She’d beaten him more than once during their workouts, but he’d been training hard and this time, he planned on coming out on top. Literally.

“Prove it,” he challenged and put his hands up in a fighting stance.
She arched a brow and her demeanor grew a tad too serious for his taste. “Are you sure?”

“If you’re meaning to ask if I’m up to it – ”

“Are you?” she asked, but raised her hands and braced her legs slightly apart, ready for battle.

Her words stung more than any punch she could have landed. “Don’t patronize me, darlin’. I’m fit enough to protect you and Charlie.”

Order

The new additions to The Calling is Reborn series are free for Kindle Unlimited members. You can order them here:

For Love or Vengeance: http://amzn.to/2rPw3bk
To Love and Serve: http://amzn.to/2rZrqMV
Born to Love: http://amzn.to/2rwzMuc
Die for Love: http://amzn.to/2sc7vKB
Vampire Reborn: http://amzn.to/2scuZPs
The Calling is Reborn Vampire Novels Box Set: For Love or Vengeance, To Love and Serve, Born to Love: http://amzn.to/2rPaE2a

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#TeaserTuesday Taming the Vampire #Romance #Boxset

TAMING THE VAMPIRE is now available for download. Thanks to all of you who have purchased it and have helped make it an Amazon Kindle bestseller!

Taming the Vampire Amazon Kindle Bestseller

The anthology is only 99 cents for a limited time and best of all, these are ALL NEW stories! Not re-releases and not available anywhere except in the anthology. You can read more about the anthology here: http://bit.ly/tamingvamp

You can purchase TAMING THE VAMPIRE at these online retailers:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bfy9Js
Kobo http://bit.ly/2by9MsM
iBooks: http://apple.co/2byaNAP
B&N: http://bit.ly/2byaGoW

My contribution to the collection is DARE TO LOVE, a new story in THE CALLING IS REBORN Vampire series. DARE TO LOVE features vampire slayer Benjamin, a sexy alpha hero who first appeared in TO LOVE AND SERVE.

Today I have a teaser for you from TO LOVE AND SERVE. In this scene, Benjamin is helping vampire Ryder Latimer and damphir Michaela investigate the death of another vampire.

Teaser TO LOVE AND SERVE

    He lived alone for centuries until she came into his life. . .

    Southern vampire Ryder Latimer had never expected to love again or to live again until FBI Agent Diana Reyes came into his life and made him believe it was possible to believe in the future. When a mission goes horribly bad, Ryder risks his life to save his lover. When he takes a bullet for her, he contaminates her with his blood, saving her life, but condemning her to a slow death as his vampire cells take over her body.

    Since her father’s death years earlier, she had dedicated her life to protecting others…

    Diana Reyes’s father had died in her arms and since that date, she’s served others in order to obtain justice and keep the world safe. When sexy Ryder Latimer saunters into her life, he challenges what she believed was meant to be her life. There’s just one problem: Now when she really believes in the possibility of happily-ever-after, her life is slipping away from her and Diana must decide whether to become a vampire in order to stay with the man she loves.

Excerpt

Click here if you cannot see the TO LOVE AND SERVE excerpt below.

Click here for more about TO LOVE AND SERVE.

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