Live to Love on the Edge Blog

I’m off to Chicago this morning for the RT Book Reviews Conference, so my friend and fellow author, Mina Khan, is helping me out by visiting with us today. Look for photos and other updates from the conference over the next few days. But for now, here’s Mina!

Thanks Caridad for hosting me on your blog today! I’m thrilled to share with your readers why Prince Akshay (Shay to his beloved), the hero of my recent paranormal romance novella A Tale of Two Djinns, is worth the read.

1. Shay is a sexy djinn (genie) with awesome powers.
2. He is a complex character. Shay is a battle axe of an earth djinn warrior, but he’s not all brawn.
3. He believes in true love and soul mates…even when he discovers that his beloved, Maya, lied to him and is actually a water djinn, the enemy of his people.
4. Shay is a master of seduction, and uses his skills to convince Maya to change her “I’m never marrying” stance.
5. He is helping out with a good cause – education. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of A Tale of Two Djinns is being donated to UNICEF’s Schools for Asia initiative. If you’d like to know more about why this cause is close to my heart, please check out my Karma blog post.

Blurb:

A TALE OF TWO DJINNS is a sexy paranormal Romeo & Juliet story with genies, feminists, kickass action & adult fun.

Available at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords & Kobo.

Excerpt:

Akshay wanted to charge in and claim her, but he hesitated as he remembered the look of horror plastered on Maya’s face just before she’d fled. He didn’t want to frighten her away. So he pulled in calming breaths and tried to tamp down the rage still swirling inside him like a hot desert wind. He needed to be calm, reasonable and persuasive. He needed her to stay.

She lay on her stomach, clutching his pillow in her arms. Wary golden eyes watched him approach the bed. “You look like shit.”

Pulling on all his reserve, Akshay managed to stop a few feet from her. He touched the tenderness around his left eye and winced.

Yeah, Jazz had landed a few good licks as well. Quick as a serpent, that one. “It was a fair fight.”

“One you needn’t have had.”

“I guess I’m not as forgiving as you are.” No one insulted his woman. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew she was hiding something and wished she’d trust him enough to share her secrets. But he loved her, and that meant accepting what she was ready to give.

They stared at each other in silence as he tried to find the words to propose to her, ask her to share his life. Damn, he’d always known he’d marry someday…yet, he never expected to be this nervous. Truth be told, he’d never expected to feel anything other than resigned acceptance.

She sat up in bed and tugged her dress into place. “I’m well enough to travel now,” she said. “I’d appreciate it if you could have someone drop me off at a crossroad.”

Temper and misery flared at her words, ate at him in ravenous bites. He firmed his stance and folded his arms across his chest to keep from grabbing and shaking some sense into her. “Prove it.”

“What?”

“You look like a tough gal, someone who could handle ruffians on the road,” he said. “You claim to be well enough to travel. Prove it and I will let you go with a clear conscience.” Never.

Maya clambered out of the bed, consternation knitting her brows. “How?”

“Beat me in friendly combat.”

Hope shone in her eyes. “If I win, I can leave?”

He nodded. “If I win, you stay.”

“You want a fight, you’ll get a fight.” A fierce grin lit her face, as she rolled and loosened her shoulders. “Bring it on.”

Heat and adrenaline rushed through Akshay, shot to his groin. Oh yes, he liked this woman. A woman with lean muscles and sexy curves, who wore her scars with pride and relished a good fight. A woman after his own heart. He sauntered toward the door and beckoned her with a wave. “Follow me.”

I hope you give A Tale of Two Djinns a try…and I hope you enjoy Shay & Maya’s story!

Author Bio:

Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she’s raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband.

She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction. Her debut novella, THE DJINN’S DILEMMA was published November 2011. A second novella, A TALE OF TWO DJINNS, came out March 2012. She had a lot of fun writing her djinn heroes.

You can find Mina at:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mina.Khan.Author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5234352.Mina_Khan

Blog: http://minakhan.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SpiceBites

Happy WEST OF WANT Preview & Prizes Event, everyone! Today, April 10, was the original release date for Book 2 in my Hearts of the Anemoi series, West of Want. And then some really cool things happened: my publisher, Entangled Publishing, signed a huge deal with the nation’s biggest book distributor, which means for the first time ever, my books will be shelved in brick-and-mortar bookstores. And then, West of Want received a very nice pre-sales estimate by the booksellers and Barnes and Nobles bought it for all their stores nationwide (and it got bought for airports, too—squee!). The only bad news in this whole scenario was this: the release date got pushed back, by three LONG months! LOL So, I thought I’d celebrate the original release date with a preview of the book and a big contest, and give you a small taste to whet your appetite until the actual release date arrives.

“Laura Kaye’s captivating writing and vibrant world-building will have readers hooked on the gods of the Anemoi. WEST OF WANT is steamy, spellbinding, and a must-read for all romance fantasy fans.”

~Elisabeth Naughton, author of the Eternal Guardians series

Forty sites are celebrating with me today, and there are different posts at those different sites. To see the whole list of participants, click here. Now, without further ado, here’s the book blurb and one of four different never-before-seen excerpts from the book available for you to enjoy:

WEST OF WANT BLURB:

Betrayal is all he’s ever known, but in her, he’ll find a love strong enough to be trusted…

When Marcella Raines’ twin brother dies, she honors his request to be buried at sea, never expecting the violent storm that swamps her boat. Though she’s gravely injured–and still emotionally damaged from her recent divorce–Ella fights to survive.

Zephyros Martius is the Supreme God of the West Wind and Spring, but being the strongest Anemoi hasn’t protected him from betrayal and loss. Worse, he’s sure his brother Eurus is behind it. When Zeph’s heartbreak whips up a storm that shipwrecks a human, his guilt forces him to save her.

Ella is drawn to the vulnerability Zeph hides beneath his otherworldly masculinity and ancient blue eyes. And her honesty, empathy, and unique, calming influence leave Zeph wanting…everything. When Eurus threatens Ella, she and Zeph struggle to let go of the past, defend their future, and embrace what they most want–a love that can be trusted.

WEST OF WANT EXCERPT:

Zeph’s arms gripped her tighter, yanking her fully against him. The rigid line of his erection pressed into her belly. “You don’t understand how much you intrigue me.” His head dropped so his lips caressed her ear. “You don’t understand how much you attract me. You’re in my head. All the time. You make my heart beat faster, my body ache with want.” He kissed the shell of her ear and moved sinuously against her.

Her body came alive, tightening, opening, preparing. Ella gasped as he nipped and licked down her neck.

Then he growled. “What is this?” He tugged at the fleece collar around her neck.

“What?” she asked, trying and failing to keep up through the haze of lust.

“This…is this a man’s shirt?”

Ella looked down. “Oh, yeah.”

“I cannot abide it.” His mouth dropped open and the dark blue of his eyes flared. “Please,” he rasped.

Ella frowned. “I don’t understand,” she said, but she stepped back enough to pull the fleece over her head. She tossed it to the futon. “It was just my br—”

Zeph’s mouth crushed to hers. His big hands buried in her hair. He pursued her, devoured her. His passion overwhelmed and overpowered. She stumbled back a half step here and there, until her shoulders hit the hallway wall.

Male spice filled her nose and tantalized her taste buds. Jesus, she couldn’t get enough of him. She met him kiss for kiss, stroke for stroke. She sucked his tongue until he groaned deep in his throat, and then she did it again.

He grabbed her hands in one of his and braced them over her head, against the wall. He pulled away from the kiss, but kept their faces pressed together. They were both panting, chests heaving, their clothing wet everywhere they touched. He stroked her face, her neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I…” He pressed his lips to her cheek. “I couldn’t stand seeing another man’s belongings on you.”

Pre-order West of Want on Amazon | B&N

 So, what d’ya think? Want more Zephyros and Ella? Visit more participating sites to read all the excerpts, meet the characters, see the the West of Want romance trading cards, and enter to win! Thanks for reading! July 10 can’t get here soon enough for me! *grins*

~Laura Kaye

“Using ancient winter mythology as an allegory for grief, Kaye has written a sexy story that packs a powerful emotional punch. NORTH OF NEED is pure winter magic and Kaye’s sparkling talent warms the heart.”

~Stephanie Draven, author of the Mythica series about

multi-award-winning Book 1 in the Anemoi series, North of Need

 WEST OF WANT PREVIEW CONTEST!

Event-Wide:

Seven participants who enter through the Rafflecopter form will win gift cards from winners’ choice of Amazon or B&N valued between $15 and $100! Those prize winners will be announced on West of Want’s release day, July 10, 2012. As a special thank you to those who have pre-ordered the print West of Want through Amazon or B&N, you’ll receive extra entries – just enter your order confirmation number on the appropriate Rafflecopter line. Pre-orders are hugely important for an author because they determine how many books bookstores will actually stock and they count toward an author’s first-week sales which is when most authors have their best chance to hit the big bestseller lists. However, pre-orders/purchases are not required to enter. Commenting is the only required entry. Open to international.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Such a lovely sight!