A Happy Halloween and All Saints Eve to you! You may be surprised by that saintly image you see and wondering who it is.
Well, that’s La Caridad del Cobre, the patron saint of Cuba. The story of La Caridad is that the young men in the boat were out in the bay when a furious storm broke out. The young boys feared for their lives until an apparition of Mary came to them and said that she was “La Virgen de la Caridad” (the Virgin of Charity). When the storm passed, the young men found a statue of La Caridad in the waters and took her to land. La Caridad del Cobre’s Feast day is September 8th.
She is also my patron saint as I was named after her. Christmas hint to my family — I’ve wanted a statue of her for years!
My family had another saint they honored — Mother Cabrini. Every year we would make a pilgrammage to see her shrine located near the Cloisters in Manhattan. Mother Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants.
You may be wondering about the saints talk and why today, on Halloween — All Hallows Eve and the Eve of All Saints Day. Well, the reason for it is that my friend and fellow author Carolyn Martin sent me a link to this clip by her brother, Father James Martin. It’s a great fun video discussing the connections between Halloween and All Saints Day (formerly All Souls Day in my time as well as the Day of the Dead in Mexico). Since he mentioned patron saints and Mother Cabrini, I figured I share it with you. Hang tight, it’s about 6 minutes long. Also, make sure to stay around for the outtake at the end.
LOL! Yes, I’m teasing you about the upcoming March 2009 release FURY CALLS which features Blake, one of my favorite heroes of THE CALLING. Those of you who have read the earlier books in the series may remember Blake from TEMPTATION CALLS, but he also got his own chance for some loving in DESIRE CALLS.
DESIRE CALLS is a free novella that you can still read at eharlequin.com. Just click here to start from the beginning. Or visit the Harlequin Paranormal Romance Blog to download a free e-book version of this novella. You can click here for that, but hurry since it’ll only be available until October 31st!
Why do I love Blake so? He’s sexy. He’s brave. He’s honorable. He’s obstinate. He’s passionate. In FURY CALLS, he’s determined to become a better man for his first love – Meghan. But he makes mistakes. Despite that, he never gives up on the idea that someday he will find true love.
Without further ado, here’s an excerpt from DESIRE CALLS (and if you’re as intrigued by Stacia as Blake is in this scene, don’t worry. ARDOR CALLS, featuring Stacia, will be out in 2010).
He had never seen her in such a fine anger, Blake thought, while dangling nearly a foot above the ground. Trying to placate her, he said, “Stacia, please—”
With a flick of her hand, he flew across the alleyway and into the wall. His head connected with a loud crack and stars swam before his eyes. He struggled for a hold on the wall, but soon found himself sliding down to sit on the cold stone floor.
His vision wavered and he forced himself to focus on something as he tried to regain his senses. Her boots. Black. Shiny. Pointy.
Coming toward him in a wicked, quick beat. Giving him no time, he thought, as she once again grabbed the front of his jacket and picked him up as if he didn’t weigh a thing. With him in her grasp, she entered the bar.
His head was still whirling and something wet ran down the back of it. She walked with him without laboring, her immense elder power giving her strength beyond his. As he shook his head to try to clear his senses, a lot of other things came to him about what the elders could do to him, creating a cold knot of fear in his stomach.
You can’t even begin to guess.
Stacia’s thoughts entered his head as she obviously knew what he was thinking.
I didn’t want any problems for you. Things are different now, he offered in apology, but Stacia’s only response was to motion with him to the door before them.
Even in his dazed state he recognized the entrance to one of the back rooms in the Blood Bank. Foley kept them for his special visitors who would pay a fee for the use of the specially equipped rooms. Not that Foley would dare ask a fee from Stacia or, for that matter, stop her from doing what she would with Blake in that room.
“Stacia, please—”
“Don’t beg, beloved. It’s so unbecoming,” she said as she raised her hand and thrust open the door without even touching it. She strode in, shut the door with another flick of her hand and tossed him onto the metal cot along one wall.
He wouldn’t beg again, Blake thought, even as Stacia exerted her elder’s power to keep him immobile as she shackled him to the sturdy iron frame.
Blake watched as she walked to the far wall, which was equipped with an assortment of toys and other devices. As Stacia stood there considering what to choose, her mental hold on him relaxed, and he pulled against the leather cuffs that had him spread-eagled on the bed, but couldn’t free himself.
The cuffs and bed had clearly been chosen with a vampire in mind since they were thick and sturdy. He realized he could not get loose and bit back his concern as Stacia turned and displayed a rather large and nasty-looking dagger.
She sauntered over, the blade held upright in her hands, plainly visible as if to inflict some mental torture. “Do you know what you did, Blake?”
He wouldn’t show her he was worried. With what he hoped was a careless shrug—which was kind of difficult when one was lashed to bedposts—he calmly said, “I was only trying to help.”
Stacia laughed harshly. “Help? You helping me? That’s rich.”
“It’s the truth. Things are changing around here,” he said again, but Stacia would hear none of it.
She brought the blade down to his cheek. The metal was cold against his skin. Leaning close, she said, “Since when do we care whether we drain a human?”
“Since maybe some of us know that it’s wrong?” he shot back, remembering all too painfully what had happened with Meghan.
Stacia was too omnipotent not to pick up on what he was feeling. Bringing the knife to his wrist, she slipped it beneath the leather and said, “Intriguing. You actually feel…regret and love? You fancied yourself in love?”
He felt the prick of the knife lightly against his skin and then the cool air of the night as she sliced open one sleeve of his jacket, then reached over and quickly did the same to the other sleeve.
He met her gaze as she paused, the knife poised above his midsection and directly above a most delicate area. As she slid the blade beneath the hem of his T shirt, he shivered from the cold and from the anxiety he couldn’t contain. One little slice of the knife—
Not yet, beloved. I’ll have my satisfaction first.
“Well, that’s good, luv. I’d hate to pass without at least getting a look,” he said, determined to not let her be totally in control.
“What? A look? You want a look before I geld you?” she asked with an uneasy chuckle, and the knife wavered against his midsection.
“If that’s the price to be paid for a slight misunderstanding, the least you can do is let me see if what’s beneath all that sinful black leather is as beautiful as the rest of you,” he said, and surprisingly he meant it.
Stacia was a remarkably stunning woman with her exotic almond shaped eyes, dark and filled with so much emotion. Right now, a slight furrow marred the space above her brows and that one golden earring. But then a glitter crept into her eyes and was followed by a wide smile across her full lips.
“You are ballsy.”
He chuckled, shot a look down at his naked parts and said, “Definitely.”
She laughed out loud at that, strode away from him and back to the wall with all the assorted gadgets and accessories. She placed the dagger back into its holder, paused for a second before turning to look at him. She tapped her lips with one finger. “You’ve been naughty, Blake. Very, very naughty.”
Blake sensed the change in her. The playfulness in her tone that said he had reached past her anger to something else.
Something way more interesting, he thought, wondering about the complex creature that she was.
As she turned away from him and toward the wall, he realized she was working at something with her hands. A second later, she shrugged off the vest she had been wearing, exposing the long, slender line of her back. The perfect expanse of creamy skin that he suddenly itched to touch, wondering whether it would feel like smooth alabaster beneath his fingers.
He had been so drawn to that sight that he didn’t realize she had grabbed a cat o’ nine-tails from the wall until she stood before him, the weapon in her hand.
But even then his mind was not so much on the pain she might inflict as it was on the truly rewarding sight of her naked. Her breasts were full. Her nipples hard with her passion and the shade of golden honey, a surprise given her dark coloring. He wondered how they might taste and didn’t even realize he had asked the question until she said, “You wanted to see and now you want to taste?”
He salivated at the thought of it, but couldn’t voice anything else as she brought the cat-o’-nine-tails to rest on his thigh, which immediately grabbed his attention.
“You are…engaging,” she said as she slowly trailed the leather strips studded with small metal balls up his thigh until they rested against his erection. The contrast of the smooth leather snaking around him together with the cold of the hard metal balls was a shock.
“I could be much more engaging if you let me go,” he said, because all he could think about was having her even if there would be pain afterward. Hell, with women there was always pain afterward.
Do you fear nothing? she asked silently as she continued to fondle him with the cat o’ nine-tails, yanking a moan from him with the caresses.
Blake met her gaze and he thought he caught a reflection of something familiar. Something they might share. “I fear living the rest of my life without love.”
She stopped her strokes and a spark of anger came to life in her eyes. “What do you know about living without love? You’ve been undead but a second compared to me.”
“That’s right. But at least I’ve had a taste of it. Can you say the same?”
Got another online treat for you! I’m chatting today at Romance Novel Television and you can check out a new video interview that talks about upcoming books in THE CALLING. Plus 5 lucky blog visitors will be selected to get a print version of the DESIRE CALLS sampler!
Here’s the link for the chat:
http://www.romancenovel.tv/wordpress/2008/10/28/10th-day-of-halloween-guest-author-caridad-pineiro/
Today’s Wicked Wednesday is something a little different! I’m the featured author at L.M. Gonzalez’s blog! You can click here or cut and paste this link to visit: http://www.myspace.com/lesmora
Anyone who leaves a commentis eligible win an autographed copy of SEX AND THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS and a CALLING vampire novels T-shirt. A special little addition for those of you who are regular visitors — if you leave the phrase LOCA CHICA at the blog, you’ll also get an autographed copy of the United Kingdom re-release of DEATH CALLS which will be out in October 2008 if you win the contest. DEATH CALLS was the CATAROMANCE selection for Best Nocturne of 2006 and it features our favorites, Diana Reyes and Ryder Latimer. It’s out of print now in the U.S., so this is your chance to get a copY!
That’s the cover for the re-release and also a big WOO HOO to Mills & Boon who is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in the publishing world. Major Congrats!
I’m excited about the re-release because they’ll also be doing DEVOTION CALLS and BLOOD CALLS back-to-back in November and December. Can’t wait to get the copies of those!
So please drop by at my guest blog visit and find out more about me and some of the books I write!
I’ve been yearning to go down to the South Beach again and since I’ll be setting ARDOR CALLS, Stacia’s book in THE CALLING vampire series in South Beach, it seems like a good time to visit once again.
Luckily, I have a legal conference in November that will be in Miami, so I’ll get to fulfill my desire for a visit to South Beach. I wish I could pack you all up into a trunk and take you with me, but I think I might go over too much on the pounds and with what the airlines are charging now for checked bags . . . OUCH!
So, I decided that this Wicked Wednesday I’d take you to South Beach with an excerpt from SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN. I so loved writing about Sylvia and Carlos as well as Virginia and Pablo. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about them!
Without further ado, here’s a short scene from SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN. This scene is shortly after Sylvia decides to let Carlos recuperate in her apartment and she tells her friends about what’s happening (or rather not happening) in their fledgling relationship.
Because she couldn’t imagine Carlos prying himself into her small and rather low Bimmer convertible, she had borrowed Tori’s husband’s Jeep that morning. A wise decision she realized as Carlos carefully eased onto the seat of the SUV barely a couple of hours after she picked up his things from the boat. Carlos settled himself into the passenger seat with few problems and stretched out his injured leg with a grateful sigh.
As she started the short drive from Jackson Memorial to her condo, she shot a glance at him. Beneath the wonderful light caramel color of his skin, he seemed pale. His full lips were pressed into a thin grim line and although he had tried to hide it, she had noticed his limp and the way he favored one side — the side where he also had been shot — as he walked the short distance from the hospital door to the Jeep.
“You okay?” She laid a hand on his thigh as she drove, wishing she could ease the pain he was so stoicly trying to hide.
“I’m okay, it’s just . . . Those small little strolls in the corridor didn’t prepare me for much,” he grudgingly admitted.
With a nod, she stopped at a light and met his gaze. “Once you start to really move around — ”
“It’ll get better. I know. I guess I’m just impatient to be 100% again.”
She totally understood. A man like Carlos didn’t like relying on anyone and in that way, they were a lot alike. “I wouldn’t like being dependent on anyone either.”
He cradled her cheek, shifted his thumb and rubbed it across her lips. “Amorcito, I think both of us are going to have to learn to lean on each other little.”
A honk from behind them pulled her attention away and they were silent for the remainder of the ride to her condo. The block was full and although she would normally then pull into the public lot a few blocks away rather than trying to find parking on the street, she didn’t think Carlos could manage it. Instead, she kept on going around the block and lucked out as someone finally pulled out just a few spaces down from the front door of her building.
She struggled with the larger-sized Jeep, but after a few awkward moves — and a slight case of parking by touch — she managed to fit into the tight spot.
With a glance in his direction, she said, “Ready?”
He nodded and opened his door while she grabbed the small bag that contained all the stuff he’d had with him in the hospital. As she stepped to the curb, she watched him struggle out of the car and then lean heavily on the fender as he made his way to the front of the Jeep to wait for her. At the curb, he did an awkward little hop-skip to get up onto the sidewalk.
He teetered for a moment and she rushed to his side and slipped under his shoulder.
“Gracias.”
“No problema,” she said and between the two of them, they slowly walked to her building and took the elevator up to her floor. Once inside, she sneaked a peek at him.
He had grown even paler. Beads of sweat had popped out on his upper lip. “Let’s get you settled in bed.”
That he didn’t argue — or offer any comment drenched with sexual innuendo — was a testament to his pain. They shuffled to her bed and she helped him sit.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she gazed down at him, unable to ignore his discomfort.
Carlos raised his hand to stop her. “Don’t go there. It’s not your fault.”
She kneeled before him and cupped his cheek. “I try to tell myself that it wasn’t. That you’re Mr. Save the World and it was part of your regular job.”
“I guess I am and it was just part of my job.” He laid his hand over hers, then twined his fingers with hers. He applied gentle pressure until she rose up on her knees. Thanks to her height, her lips were almost level with his and he took advantage of that, leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips. Not one of desire, but of thanks. Of caring.
It humbled her, something that wasn’t easily done. Possibly had never been done.
Sinking back onto her buttocks, she laid her hands on his thighs, rubbed them back and forth there nervously, but lightly, conscious of the wound to his one leg. “I got some clothes and stuff from the boat. This way you can be more comfortable. Feel more at home.”
He half-turned and glanced at the large expanse of the king-sized bed. “I will definitely be comfortable here. There’s more than enough room for us — ”
“I’ll be sleeping on the couch,” she said, her earlier doubts surging and making her rethink how nice it would be to sleep with him tonight. “Why don’t you lie down and get some rest. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
He schooled the surprise and dismay on his face for all of a second before he said, “You can only run for so long, amor.”
Because she wasn’t normally the kind to back down, she leaned close and whispered, “I think a fast shuffle will suffice for right now.”
He chuckled. “Well, you’ve just given me even more incentive to get better soon.”
It dragged a reluctant laugh from her. “There’s nothing that scares you, is there?”
With a shrug of his too broad shoulders, he said, “Just one thing, actually.”
She considered him carefully but couldn’t figure it out.
“What?” she asked, but wasn’t prepared for his answer.
“We are family. I got all my sisters with me . . .” Come on, everybody. Sing it! You all know that great Pointer Sisters song!
So how does that become a Tuesday Tip? Well, people often ask me about how to do effective promotion as a writer and there’s lots of ideas to discuss. A website, blog, Myspace and Facebook page. Penny for penny, the Internet is probably one of the most effective ways a writer, or any other artist, can meet people and spread the word about what they are doing.
But like anything else, going it alone on the Internet can be a lonely affair, as it can be going it alone at signings and other events.
But if you’ve got family, especially writing family, the world becomes a much smaller place. For me, I got my first writing family at my local RWA chapter in New Jersey. I recently joined the Orange County chapter in California since I have a number of friends in the chapter and like getting out to California.
One thing I’ve recently done is band together with other writers for some new endeavors. A few years ago I went to a conference down in Miami and got to hang out with some old and dear friends, but also got to know some new and really great women. We banded together to form an e-mail loop to share ideas and thoughts and not be so alone. We actually titled the group and our new website NUNCASOLA which means “Never Alone”.
Another thing I’ll be doing next year as part of a group of friends is hosting a mixer at the 2009 RT Convention in Orlando. We’ll be meeting readers, booksellers and other writers and sharing a good time with them. The STREET PARTY mixer was the brainstorm of my friend Kimberly Terry, but the lesson of the story is that together we can do more than we could alone.
When you’re considering promotion, consider not only the things that promote only you, but see if you can’t find a writing family to help support your efforts to get the word out about your writing.
For your enjoyment, courtesy of The Pointer Sisters and Rhino Entertainment, here’s WE ARE FAMILY!
Before we get to today’s Wicked Wednesday with Blake, one of my all time favorite characters, I’d like to say CONGRATS to the lucky winners of the Lisa Jackson Blog: RachaelfromNJ and Barbara Elness. I’ll be e-mailing you later today for your postal addresses so I can send the goodies.
I’ve also started reaching out to the lucky winners of an autographed copy of HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE! I should be able to contact all the winners by the end of the week.
Now to today’s Wicked Wednesday! It’s amazing for me to think that we first met Blake in 2005 in TEMPTATION CALLS. I knew back then that he had to return as a hero and of course, eventually settle things with Meghan, the young coed who he turned. Of course, Blake’s route to hero has been circuitous, which makes him even more fascinating. And along that route, he met up with Stacia, the vampire elder who has also become one of my all time favorites because of how deliciously dark and tortured she is!
Oh my . . . Let me not spill too many beans, but you’ll see Stacia next year in ARDOR CALLS which is also doing something fun — taking THE CALLING Vampire novels to Miami!
Back to Blake — FURY CALLS will tell the tale of his efforts to woo Meghan, but for today, I’m giving you a taste of Blake and Stacia’s little interlude from DESIRE CALLS, which is still available as a free e-novella at eharlequin. Just click here for the complete novella.
Okay, so Stacia had basically dissed him. That still didn’t change the fact that she was absolutely stunning. A goddess.
Considering she was an elder, maybe that wasn’t so far from the truth; in the vampire world, the elders were like gods.
From the corner of his eye, Blake took in all of her. The black leather she wore looked as if it were painted on the womanly curves of her body. Her nearly black hair was a shock of dark against the ivory of her skin. Sleek and cropped close to her skull, her hair exposed the perfect shells of her ears, pierced with an assortment of golden earrings.
As she twirled around the rather large Goth, laughing and playing her sexual games, the golden ring at her brow winked enticingly as did the ring through her navel.
She was something to behold, he realized, although nothing like Meghan, who was like the light of the sun to Stacia’s dark night. Fun to Stacia’s fear since, despite his earlier denial, on some level he was afraid of her.
Stacia could take his life with a flick of her finger. He would be foolish not to respect her and yet…
There was something different about her tonight. Something almost…human. He tuned out the young woman next to him and kept an eye on Stacia. Not that she needed protection.
The young man with her might be a mountain of muscle but he was mortal. Blake knew that much from the lack of power that came from the Goth. He was no match for Stacia, even if she was such a little thing.
He liked his women petite, Blake realized, recalling Meghan. Stacia was of similar height, but much more womanly with all those delectable curves.
Not that he was interested, Blake thought. He had enough problems with women in his life, and without a backward glance, abandoned his dance companion.
Unlike Stacia, who seemed to have few problems finding a man, he thought as he stalked back to the bar, wondering why Stacia’s intense dance with the Goth was bothering him so.
Maybe because Stacia’s idea of a dance was…
He gulped, fighting the thrum of power she was releasing as she played with the Goth. He wasn’t the only one feeling it, he realized as a surge of awakening told him that the other vampires in the club were also experiencing it. Tapping into the spill of her elder power like chum for vampires.
Only the price to be paid for fully experiencing a kiss of that power could be lethal if the elder was so inclined.
Tonight Stacia seemed intent on satisfying other needs, Blake thought, sipping his wine as he watched her sway against the young man. Run her hands up his arms and over his exaggerated muscles.
He glanced down at his own arms. Lean and mean, he had nothing to be ashamed of, he thought, and returned his attention to the antics of Stacia and the Goth.
The young man was clearly smitten, unaware that beneath the body he was so eagerly moving his hands all over was destructive power. Strength beyond that of anyone else in the room. Lust and desire that would ensnare you in its grasp, but then drain you dry if you gave into it.
Blake sucked in a shaky breath, feeling the pull of her even across the distance of the club. Feeling himself harden and rise from the spillover of her ardor.
But he was not alone. As Stacia faced the bar, their gazes connected and he realized that she sensed his awakening passion. Passion stronger than that of the puny mortal with her.
While facing him, she raised her hand up to caress the Goth’s face.
Blake felt the sweep of her hand as if against his own cheek. So soft. Cold.
She shifted her hips back and forth, and he had to grip the edge of the bar as that movement transferred itself to him and his erection strained painfully against the tight fabric of his jeans.
All the time, Stacia kept her gaze locked with his, clearly conscious of her effect on him. Increasing her caresses and movements until he was nearly undone and she finally broke free from the Goth, done with his weak mortality.
She began to head his way, well aware that the pleasure of Blake’s body and blood would surpass that of any puny mortal.
And Lord help him, he was ready to give in to her despite knowing it would be a mistake. A major mistake.
Stacia could never love anyone.
But love was highly overrated anyway, wasn’t it? Blake thought as he rose from the stool and walked toward her.
The Goth clearly didn’t like being left behind wanting. He grabbed hold of Stacia’s arm, spun her around so he could voice his displeasure.
With the barest movement of her arm, Stacia broke free from the young man and raised her hand. The Goth dropped to his knees, his face reflecting disbelief at his seeming inability to control his own body.
Blake approached and, despite his better judgment, laid his hand over Stacia’s. Barely half a foot taller than she, it took little for him to bend down and whisper in her ear, “Let the young fool go, luv.”
Stacia shot him a look, but beneath his hand, the hum of power surging outward warmed his palm. The young man was swaying and beginning to turn blue, but Blake couldn’t tell just what Stacia was doing to him until she broadcast the vision she had in her mind.
He saw it then, compliments of Stacia’s power. She was encircling the Goth’s heart, slowly crushing the life from it. If she didn’t release her hold on him, the foolish boy would soon be dead.
“If you finish this—”
“When I finish this,” she corrected, and almost as if for the fun of it, gave the young man a shake.
“Let him go. You’ve proven your point,” he urged, and surprisingly she did as he asked.
“Thank you,” Blake said, but Stacia shook her head at his words.
“Don’t thank me, Blake. If you don’t know by now, I expect payment for that request,” she said, and was about to walk away when the Goth’s friends surrounded them.
As two of them helped their friend back to the booth, another two blocked their way. Their stances were fight ready, their looks surly.
Blake raised his hand. “You don’t want to do this,” he suggested in a low tone.
“That’s right. You don’t want to do this. At least, not here,” Foley, the owner of the bar, said as he approached the group.
The two young men looked at Foley, and one of them nodded and said, “Let’s take it outside.”
Blake was about to protest that there was no need, only Stacia and the two men were already stalking away to a back exit to the alley.
Shit, he thought, following them. He hated being a hero.
Click here to get the FURY CALLS Countdown widget! Place it on your site or social network page to spread the sexy word about Blake and FURY CALLS!
A Happy Halloween and All Saints Eve to you! You may be surprised by that saintly image you see and wondering who it is.
LOL! Yes, I’m teasing you about the upcoming March 2009 release FURY CALLS which features Blake, one of my favorite heroes of 
Today’s Wicked Wednesday is something a little different! I’m the featured author at L.M. Gonzalez’s blog! You can 
I’ve been yearning to go down to the South Beach again and since I’ll be setting 
Before we get to today’s Wicked Wednesday with Blake, one of my all time favorite characters, I’d like to say CONGRATS to the lucky winners of the Lisa Jackson Blog: RachaelfromNJ and Barbara Elness. I’ll be e-mailing you later today for your postal addresses so I can send the goodies.