13 Things for Which I am Thankful

With Thanksgiving a week away, I wanted to share with you all the things for which I am thankful since I know that next Thursday I will be busy cooking and prepping for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Things for which I am thankful in no particular order:

1. My brother and sister and their families.
2. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law and all their kids!
3. My hubby who although massively annoying at times has always been a font of support, friendship and love.
4. My wonderful hard-working, respectful and funny daughter.
5. The roof over my head.
6. The food on my plate.
7. Our military men, women and families for the sacrifices they make.
8. The law enforcement officers and firefighters who risk their lives every day for us.
9. My friends, including all of you who come here to visit and take the time to write to me.
10. Being relatively healthy.
11. Being able to pursue my lifelong dream of writing a book.
12. Having a job.
13. The United States of America and the life, liberty and happiness that it provides. Without you, none of the above 12 would be likely be possible. God Bless America.

If you want to visit our Thursday-13 participants, please click here!

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

The end of an era #Borders #books #writing #romance

AMAZON AWAKENING Erotic Paranormal Romance NovellaThere is an interesting article in Businessweek about the end of Borders that every reader and author should take a moment to peruse. Sadly, it confirms many of my impressions on why Borders came to an end and it has nothing to do with a lack of demand for print books and a lot to do with a number of other things.

The article made me think back to the days of Waldenbooks with their monthly romance newsletter and the many romance experts that Borders was lucky to inherit when they took over the chain. With such focus and support on one of the best-selling genres in publishing, it was always a pleasure to visit one of these stores and their fantastic booksellers!

Which makes me think of what’s happening now in a lot of the bookstores, especially with romance. Although the article mentions that bookstores are adding sales of educational toys and books which are higher profit items, it seems to me they are doing so at the expense of mass market books, especially romance novels. That section is getting smaller and smaller and not only in bookstores, but also in department stores that have book sections.

As a romance reader and writer, it’s a trend that worries me. If readers can’t go to the store and browse the romance section, the other place to go is the Internet. But if they do that, how will they browse? How will they find newer authors? Will it relegate authors to doing the .99 cent deal in order to get attention? If that’s the case, will readers ever go beyond .99 for a digital book?

I’d love to hear your take on what’s happening in your local stores and where you are shopping for romance now.

#ManCandyMonday Nick Zano

Nick ZanoI had not seen Nick before his spots as Johnny on TWO BROKE GIRLS, but man, now I am hooked! What a cutie!

I wasn’t sure what to think of TWO BROKE GIRLS at first, but the show has kind of grown on me. I love the sassy one liners and the growing romance between Johnny and Max.

You may want to give the show a shot.

Photo Credit: David Shankbone

#SixSunday A Hoped For Reunion #pnr #vampire

This is my first Six Sentence Sunday! Welcome. These six sentences are from WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING, my Dickens-like novella in A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS. The vampire hero, Damien, has been hoping that Angelina will return to him yet again and that this time, they will have a happily-ever-after.

She lay naked in the center of the sail, her raven hair spilling out against a mosaic of bright red and rusty brown splotches on the white canvas.

There was no denying the scent of blood, but more powerful was her familiar aroma.

Even with the storm swirling around him, her natural perfume filled his senses, making him think of bright summer days and fields of wildflowers.

Impossible and wonderful all at the same time, he thought, reaching for her.

He encircled her in his arms and the heat of her blood bathed his hands.

Seeped through the thin wet fabric of his cotton shirt.

A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS Paranormal Romance Vampire Romance

Demons, Merlin, and Kick-Ass Heroines!

I want to welcome fellow paranormal romance author Rosalie Lario who is here to share with us her latest release from Entangled Publishing! Like me, Rosalie is a lawyer who decided writing novels might be a fun change from writing contracts.

Mark of the Sylph is Book Two in Rosalie’s Demons of Infernum series and here is a little taste of what the novel is about:

Half-demon Taeg is desperate to free his pregnant sister-in-law, who is spellbound to an indestructible book that will create an army of the undead. He is convinced that an ancient sword can destroy the book and the spell forever, but this relic has been hidden for a millennia by a powerful glamour. The clock begins to run out on his search when an old rival goes after the book and Taeg’s family in his quest for revenge.
Librarian Maya Flores has a secret: she’s immune to magic and is well aware of the supernatural beings prowling the streets of New York City. Haunted by a brutal demon attack that took her family, she is on a one-woman mission to destroy the evil demons who did it—and any others who get in her way.

Maya is Taeg’s best hope for uncovering the sword. Unfortunately, she wants nothing more than to kill him. As he fights for her trust and to save his family, she is forced to face the truth that not all demons are evil. And the worst part? She might be falling in love with one, too.

Here to tell us a little more about Mark of the Sylph is Rosalie!

paranormal romance

I admit, I’m a huge fan of mythology. Whether it’s Greek, Egyptian, or Welsh, I love reading the myths of other cultures. In fact, one of my undergraduate majors was Classical Studies, i.e. the study of Ancient Greece and Rome. So when I started writing my paranormal romance series, I knew I had to throw a little bit of mythology in there. Just cause it’s fun. 🙂

The DEMONS OF INFERNUM features four half-demon brothers who work as interdimensional bounty hunters. My latest release, Mark of the Sylph (#2 in the series), follows Taeg, the second oldest brother. He’s on a mission to find an object that will destroy The Book of the Dead, an ancient book made of indestructible material which contains a spell for resurrection of the dead. His pregnant sister-in-law is bound to the Book, which puts her life in danger from those who seek to wield its power. So when Taeg discovers that Excalibur, the sword of Merlin, not only exists, but also has the power to destroy any object, he can’t wait to get his hands on it. The problem is the sword is hidden by a glamour rendering it invisible. Lucky for him, he’s discovered a rare human who is immune to all forms of magic. But as he’s about to find out, she’s not too fond of demons. He’ll have a hell of a time convincing her to help him find the sword.

Here’s an excerpt, which takes place after Taeg learns about Maya’s ability and tracks her down. Suffice it to say, she’s not happy to see him 🙂 :

Taeg tightened his hold on her wrist until she dropped the dagger. He grabbed her other wrist and pinned it back. “Look at me.”

Yeah, apparently she wasn’t in an accommodating mood. Because instead of listening she jerked her knee up, catching him square in the junk.

“Ooof.” That freaking hurt.

He let go, hands automatically lowering to protect his goods, and she shoved hard on his chest. As he staggered several feet back, she spun and delivered a stunning roundhouse kick that almost had him admiring her form, right before it caught him in the side and sent him sprawling.

“What’s the deal, lady?”

She grabbed the knife and flew at him faster than he would’ve expected from a human.
Taeg shoved off the ground and sidestepped her attack, and recaptured her wrist. He yanked her arm up behind her as he maneuvered behind her back.

“Shit,” Maya cried. The knife clanged to the ground, and he loosened his hold a fraction.

“Stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Yeah. Right.” Her tone made it clear what she thought of that.

Pushing her to the nearest wall, Taeg turned her to face him. He kept one hand on her shoulder and the other on her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“Calm down, Maya.” The familiar hum of energy in his ears told him his charm was doing its thing. “I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to ask you a few questions.”

Her scowl softened long enough for him to assume his power had worked. He let her go and backed up a few steps. “How do you know what I am? Can you see the real me?”

Rather than answering, she lifted a knee and slid one of her dainty hands into her boot. When she withdrew it, she clutched another dagger, a match to the one on the ground. Suddenly the reason for her boots became quite clear. The woman was a freakin’ walking arsenal.

“Oh, shit.”

She kicked off the wall and leapt into the air in a flying move that Jackie Chan would have envied, adjusting the grip on her dagger. Hand high in the air, she aimed for his neck. The woman was clearly determined to remove his head from the rest of his body. Taeg dropped his legs out from under him, hitting the ground hard.

Maya’s legs struck his back as she flew over him. He untangled himself and whirled around, but damn she recovered fast. She tossed her dagger to the side to avoid jabbing herself as she tucked and rolled. Then she jumped to her feet and faced him with both fists up. Her face was almost expressionless, her heavy panting the only indicator she was battling to the death. Damned if his interest wasn’t drawn to her ample chest beneath that tight black top.

She smiled, almost as if she were enjoying herself, and came at him with another kick.

He leapt back to avoid being hit. “Damn it, I’m trying to talk to you, lady.”

paranormal romance

Maya sounds like my kind of kick-ass heroine! Thank you so much for sharing this with us today, Rosalie. To find out more about Mark of the Sylph, please visit http://www.entangledpublishing.com/mark-of-the-sylph/or Rosalie’s website at www.rosalielario.com.

Rosalie would love to know, do you enjoy reading stories that contain some sort of mythology within them? Read any good ones lately? 🙂

Fun Friday!

For some fun, visit with me at Among the Muses as part of THE LOST blog tour.

For a more serious discussion, drop by My Book Addiction and More as I discuss the importance of taking care of yourself and how cancer touches your life as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Also have something to share with you – NEW COVERS! Squeeeee.

I was asked to do some erotic paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne Cravings, something new for me. I mean, I write sexy, but this was REALLY sexy and yet still filled with romance and a Happily-Ever-After. Three of the novellas are done and will be out in December 2011, February and April 2012. I’ve just accepted an offer for another three beyond that which will be out in late 2012 and 2013.

The first erotic paranormal romance novella is titled AMAZON AWAKENING and here’s a little teaser for it as well as the cover!

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?

AMAZON AWAKENING

Next up is the cover for THE CLAIMED, the second book in the SIN HUNTERS series. Here’s a little blurb for it:

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 . . .

THE CLAIMED Paranormal Romance

Thank you for dropping by and have a great weekend!