Thank you for everyone who entered the contest to win Being With Him and When You Believe by Jessica Barksdale Inclan! I have 3 winners for BEING WITH HIM and 1 Winner of WHEN YOU BELIEVE!
Mary
buddyt:
Atta Girl
Sandra Lopez
Thanks for everyone for entering to win a $75 curtesty of CSN Stores! The lucky winner is ..............
Domestic Diva
A Huge thanks to everyone who donated to the PKD Charity ARC Giveaway for my son. It was a great success and the walk was wonderful. It at least didn't downpour last year!
I have 5 winners for TWO LETHAL LIES by Annie Soloman ! Congrats to all!
emails were sent out, please respond by 10/29, thanks
Brandy
kimmyl
donnas
Steve Capell
niteofblu
If someone were writing a story about Rie McGaha what would your blurb say?
Wow, starting off with a tough one!
In a world of turmoil and chaos comes the eye of the hurricane: calm and serene, Rie McGaha! Ha Ha, nope. Let's see….Wife, mother, grandmother, motorcycle mama, warm hearted, nurturing…sheesh, that sounds like an ad for a singles site! I really don't think I can answer this question. Talking about my work, my kids, my husband or dogs, no problem, but about myself is almost impossible. Sorry.
Can you tell us a little about your newest release CLOSURE?
CLOSURE is a murder/suspense story that brings investigator Zachariah Ellison together with Assistant District Attorney Amy Logan. Zach thinks Amy's beautiful but she's a pest and he's having enough trouble with the case as it is. He doesn't need the ADA breathing down his neck but when another body shows up murdered in much the same the same fashion as the first, Zach decides to teach Amy a lesson and invites her to the autopsy. From there the two find a way to become friends and perhaps even more as a third body turns up.
What types of feedback do you receive from readers? Is there one comment in particular that has really affected and stayed with you?
LOL Yes, actually there is one I've never forgotten. A male reader wrote me asking for advice about his marriage and how to heat things up with his wife. I told him I really didn't feel I could answer that since I didn't know either one of them, to which he replied, "Since you write all this sexy stuff, I thought you'd have an answer." I told him if I spent all my time doing that sexy stuff, I wouldn't have time to write about.
If you could have breakfast in bed with any man, fictional, actor, anyone, who would that be?
While there are many sexy men I wouldn't mind having dinner with, the only one I ever want to have breakfast in bed with is my husband, Nathan.
What was the most challenging aspect of bring CLOSURE to life?
The murders. It was also the most fun. I like my work to be accurate and in order for the murders to be accurate, I had to try them out. I made my husband pose and tied him up several times to make sure each murder could actually work in real life.
What accent is guaranteed to make you do naughty things?
Scottish or Irish or Italian!
What is it about writing Romance that appeals to you?
Romance is what we all strive for. The happy ever after, or at least the possibility of it. No matter what our jobs are, or what else is going on in our lives, it's the love that gets us through it. I like bringing that out in my stories while my characters are in the middle of any number of other situations.
Are any of your personality and life experiences in your writing?
Sometimes I take this and that from my own life, or the people I know and twist it around to suit my own needs. However, in CLOSURE there is a lot of my own life in it, but I'm not telling which is real and which is fiction!
If you could ask readers any one question, what would it be?
What could I do to improve my story lines to make the story more appealing to you?
High in the hills above Albuquerque, New Mexico Detective Zachariah Ellison arrives at the scene of a murder, and not just any murder, but one that definitely falls into the “gruesome” category even for a seasoned cop like Zach. When another body is found murdered in much the same fashion, Zach knows he’s got a serial killer on his hands, and to top it off he’s got an assistant district attorney hounding him about the case. As Zach tries to investigate the crimes while sidestepping nosey Amy Logan, a third body is found and Zach hasn’t a clue as to whom the perpetrator might be.
Amy Logan has worked hard to put herself through school and pay for law school on her own and now that she’s secured a position as assistant district attorney in Albuquerque, she’s determined to do everything she can to be the best prosecutor this office has ever seen. And as if luck was following her, she’s been assigned to the biggest homicide case the city has ever seen. The only problem she’s having is the homicide detective who’s leading the investigation—Zach Ellison.
EXCERPT
She tilted her head back, looked up at him, felt her heart thud in her chest, and then his mouth was on hers and she was climbing all over him. All those years alone, all those nights of wishing she had someone to hold her, all those weeks working with Zach. The wanting of him, the needing of him, the denying of what she had been feeling—it all came pouring out of her at that moment of contact.Her arms wound around his neck, her fingers worked furiously through his hair, over his shoulders, kneading his neck. She could feel his hands on her face, his fingers burning into her skin, his lips sizzling against hers as his tongue probed deep inside her mouth, encouraging her to take more of him, to give more to him.
She couldn't think for the blood pounding in her head, couldn't breathe because her breath had caught in her chest.
She could only feel. She could feel his hands moving from her face, trailing down her neck, felt them move over her shoulders and down her back. She could feel her body pressed against his, and then was suddenly very aware of the size of her breasts, aware that they were crushed against him. She had never been so aware of her own body in her life, had never been so aware of another person.
Then he was pulling away from her, took a step back from her, and dropped his hands to his sides. He was panting, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
They stood there looking at each other for a long moment, neither speaking. Zach raked his hands through his hair, took a deep breath and blew it out. He stepped toward her, took her hands in his and brought them both to his mouth, and kissed them gently.
“I—” He paused and took another breath. “I haven't been with a woman since my wife died. I haven't wanted a woman since my wife died. Not until I met you. Still, I didn't expect to feel what I just felt when we kissed. So I'm going to give you the chance right now, Amy. If you don't plan on staying, tell me now and I'll take you home. But if you come back inside with me, don't ask me to stop and don't ask me to take you home, because I won't.” He dropped her hands and looked into her eyes and waited.
She took a deep breath, fixed her gaze on a distant spot in the semi-darkness, chewed on her bottom lip as both fear and desire warred within her. Then she took his hand in hers and led him back to the house.
***GIVEAWAY***
Rie is offering to one lucky commentor on her tour a Rie McGaha Writing Tablet to one randomly drawn commenter!
To enter on Book Junkie answer Rie's question above and leave your e-mail if you want your comment to count!!!
Winner Chosen Nov 12th
Somewhere Along the Way which is book two in the Harmony series that is set to release this Nov 02 from Berkley. If you haven't read book 1, Welcome to Harmony, you can check out my review HERE! You can also read my review HERE of Somewhere Along the Way
Good morning everyone. Thanks for inviting me to drop by and visit. I’d like to welcome you to step into my second book in the Harmony Series. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. This is my 30th book and what I believe will be one you’ll keep and read again and again.
The characters in SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY are well rounded with problems, joys, talents and families. Sometimes I think it would be easy to write a hero who is the strong, silent type who has no family or friends to get in the way of his mission, but in my books, as in real like, my people have to deal with others.
I love writing this way because it adds lots of humor in the stories.
I hope you enjoy SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’d be happy to hear for you when you’ve finished the story.
....................... Jodi Thomas
In the two years since she claimed Harmony, Texas, as her home, eighteen-year-old Reagan Truman has found herself drawn to others who have made their way there, too. Gabe Leary, for instance, whose plan to hide out in Harmony is dashed when he becomes the town hero. Then there's Liz Matheson: Vulnerable and fresh out of law school, Liz has never been needed by anyone—until an unsettling encounter with Gabe changes everything. And there's Liz's brother, volunteer fire chief Hank Matheson, who's starting to wonder where the town's sheriff, Alex McAllen, will ever set the date to marry him.
As for Reagan, who's been shaped by the loneliness she's know most of her life, she's finally found a place she belongs—and doesn't want anything to get in her way. But when her life is put in jeopardy and the whole town comes together to save her, she'll discover that trusting the love that's come into our hearts is the greatest gift of all…
ABOUT JODI
Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today best-selling author of 31 novels and 8 short story collec-tions. As of July 2006, she was the 11th woman to be inducted in to RWA Hall of Fame. She is also cur-rently serving as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.Jodi’s 30th Novel
NY Times and USA Today best-selling author Jodi Thomas is pleased to present her 30th novel, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. Thomas proves once again that she is one of mainstream romance genre’s most compelling writers with her highly anticipated sequel to WELCOME TO HARMONY, which captured America’s heart.
“Picking up two years after the conclusion to WELCOME TO HARMONY, Thomas once again brings to life this fascinating little Texas town and its numerous characters. The reader is expertly drawn into their lives and left eager to know what happens next with all of them.”
—RT Book Reviews
***GIVEAWAY***
Jodi has offered to give away 1 copy of Somewhere Along the Way for one lucky winner!
RULES:
Must be follower or become one
Must leave e-mail or comment won't count
Must leave comment for Jodi about guest post
Winner chosen Oct 29h
Open to all!
Jodi has offered to give away 1 copy of Somewhere Along the Way for one lucky winner!
RULES:
Must be follower or become one
Must leave e-mail or comment won't count
Must leave comment for Jodi about guest post
Winner chosen Oct 29h
Open to all!
That is what happened to me when reading Anne Patrick's FIRE AND ASH. Sadie is full of wit and humor, not the funny, ha ha type of humor but she holds a wonderful sense of humor and always seems to know what to say, even those comments that are meant to be just for her, said under her breath.
I felt an immediate bond and spark between her and Sheriff Quinn for the second they met, which I find is hard to capture sometimes in reading so many romance novels.
Sadie seems to have lost her faith, mostly from guilt and grief but when she gets to know Quinn, his undying faith and strength even with the loss of his wife she begins to re-think things and wonders that all this time she thought she has some sense of control over her life, perhaps it is time to give the faith she once carried so close to her heart a second try.
With that and trying to find a killer and arsonist, not to mention getting to know Quinn, Sadie's hands are full. What I think I found most endearing about Sadie was her tenacity and her inner strength, she was a fighter and no matter what obstacles she wasn't going to get pushed around or pushed aside. She was damn good at her job and she was just an all around good person with a good heart, even though she seemed so wounded by her past that she couldn't quite let go of.
Sadie’s life isn’t the only thing at stake. Struggling with the guilt of having been responsible for the fire that killed her family, when she was only seven, Sadie doesn’t feel she’s worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. Will Quinn be able to prove otherwise before it’s too late?
Jake is on a mission, a military lifer, a hard ass man who serves his country and his commander. But what he didn't expect was to fall head over heels for ultra sassy, smart as hell and beautiful Jessie Stevens.
There is risk by a mad man, a man who wants to get ahead and branch out within his own crime syndicate and commit the ultimate act of terrorism. Breaking into a top secret government facility hidden in the desert in Mexico, a facility that carries the only strain of small pox that is deadly enough to wipe out the county, but it also carries the only know vaccine.
Their job, get the vaccine, get the bad guy and get the heck out of dodge. So much fun and fantastic chemistry, TRIAGE will pull you in and take you for one wild ride into the world of bio terrorism, the hot steamy romance that will rock your world and leave you craving more!
Colonel Jake McCrea's mission is to get Dr. Jessie Stevens and her bioterrorism team in the air. The clock is ticking down to a thermal meltdown at the DEEP lab in Mexico. A terrorist group has attacked the facility and only Jessie knows the combination to the GP2 virus and vaccine.
Jessie wanted the deadly level four virus to burn in the lab until she learned that GP2 may have been secretly cultivated in Florida. As tension flares into attraction with Jake, Jessie won't fall for another man in uniform, even if Jake is the bravest man she's ever met. Still, she's having a tough time concentrating on a killer virus, instead of Jake's killer smile.
Jake doesn't want to take Jessie into a firefight, but she's the only survivor of the DEEP lab scientists with an immunity to GP2. He knows Jessie is stubborn and tough as nails, but can she pull the pin on a thermal device to destroy the virus? With his feelings getting in the way of his mission, could he allow Jessie to put her life in danger?
WHAT MAKES A ROMANCE A KEEPER?Norah has a free erotic novella (well, more of a romantic, since it has a happily ever after) available for download on Smashwords.Norah has been wonderful enough to offer five free downloads of GUARDING SUZANNAH, the first book in this series to 5 commentors!!!!
We all have them, books we simply will not part with. We all have a shelf (or a file on our hard drives) where those gems are stored so we can pull them out and re-read them. But what makes a book a keeper?
For me, it starts with csmart, strong, compelling characters who have terrific chemistry together. And I don’t necessarily mean immediate, overwhelming physical attraction/lust. In fact, I almost prefer not to have that much sizzle at first meet. There has to be a spark there, for sure, and perhaps even a sense that the other person represents a threat to their equanimity. But I want the pleasure of seeing the attraction build and deepen into something more powerful with the unfolding of the story.
I want great dialogue. It doesn’t all have to be snappy banter. In fact, snappy banter can get tiring. But I want to be delighted and occasionally surprised by what the characters say.
I want to see a fabulous character arc. Both the hero and heroine have to change throughout the course of the book, but one or the other will have the stronger character arc. Whoever the dominant arc belongs to, I want it to be huge! By the end of the book, I want the hero to be able to do something – to sacrifice something – that he simply would not have been capable of at the beginning. I want to see how love has transformed him. I think one of the best transformations I’ve seen was Pamela Clare’s hero Gabe Rossiter in NAKED EDGE. I have all Pamela’s books, historical and contemporary, on my keeper shelf, but when it came to Gabe and Kat’s big black moment, I totally sobbed. Likewise with the Draicon werewolf books Bonnie Vanak writes for Nocturne. IMMORTAL WOLF, for instance, just blew me away. Raphael Robichaux, a sort of grim reaper for his pack, has been sent to kill Emily Burke, but when he lays eyes on her, he realizes she is his destined mate. Of course, all Bonnie’s books are on my keeper shelf too! Her stories are deeply emotional and her conflicts – like Raphael’s and Emily’s – are seemingly insurmountable.
Basically, I want to be drawn into until I care about the characters as though they truly lived and breathed. I want to be so invested in their story that the experience of reading it is almost cathartic. That, dear reader, is what makes a book a keeper for me.
So what does it for you?
Author website it at: http://www.norahwilsonwrites.com
My Smashwords page is at: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/norahwilson
Direct link to GUARDING SUZANNAH: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21605
Direct link to the free novella, NEEDING NITA: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/23981
***GIVEAWAY***
RULES:
Answer Norah question in her post above to enter!
Winner chosen 10/25
Open to all
Every single person on the planet has a story or 12, and that’s what makes life interesting. That’s what makes watching people at the mall so much fun. We can almost see those stories as the people walk by. Even better are the stories that fall out when we start talking to people, even strangers. For instance, while at a tapas/cava bar in Barcelona two weeks ago, I leaned the entire story of a couple. Upshot: he’s gained 50 pounds due to illness, he and his wife own a jewelry and catering company (how that works together, I’m still unclear about), and they had been married 23 years. Who knew? Well, they did, and now I do. I will never see them again, but how interesting to learn these details about them (He also grew up in Mallorca and was initially named Desiree. Go figure).
When I find a writer I enjoy reading, I do a happy Google search. I want to know stuff. I’m not sure why these little pieces of information make my life more interesting, but they do. Reading Stephen King’s book On Writing let me into his entire childhood and his writing process. While I don’t run out for all his books, I admire his craft and work ethic and those details about his childhood ear infections (a grueling scene) helped explain about 20 of his books to me.
So here are some tiny facts about me that might help you understand why I write, why I sometimes write romance, and why I might have written Being with Him, the first book in my second romance trilogy.
1. I am the mother of boys, though I came out of a family of girls (two sisters). Back then, boys seemed like the most mysterious of creatures. Now, I think I’m getting it.
2. I met my second husband on Match.com. The internet brings miracles.
3. We were married on September 25th (last month) in our backyard. We had the second heat wave of the summer, starting on that day. A message from the universe? And if so, what does it mean?
4. I laughed when my optometrist told me that after age 45, our vision goes downhill fast. At the time, I was 20/15. Now? Not so much. Where are those reading glasses?
5. I cannot do much, at all, without one cup and then two of coffee in the morning. I am an addict. My name is Jessica, and I would like to swim in a pile of coffee beans.
6. I hate three things more than just about anything: sitting on an airplane, getting my hair cut and colored on the same day, and sitting on the opposite side of a desk from an attorney. All three make me want to jettison out of the experience, though I have learned to stay in airplanes.
7. Even though there isn’t much call for it these days, I write a lot of poetry. You can read some on: http://www.scribd.com/Jessica%20Barksdale%20Inclan Poetry is short, sweet, and if you don’t like what you are reading, it’s easy to move away from!
8. I love to make ice cream, but I don’t eat ice cream. It’s kind of like a chemistry experiment that makes people weep with pleasure.
9. I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area my entire life. I love to travel, but I stay and stay. Call me boring, but at least I can navigate all the freeways in several local counties.
10. I love to read as much as I love to write. Let me know if you have any suggestions for great novels, story collections, and yes, even poetry collections.
Those are my little known facts. Looking at them, I’m sure you think I’m nuts, but I hope you will like Being with Him anyway.
***GIVEAWAY***
Three copies of Being With Him (1st in the Being trilogy) and and one copy of When You Believe (1st in the believe trilogy)
4 WINNERS
Chosen 10/22!
Actually my mom just bought some flannel crib sheets for my son's toddler bed! Not to mention the great quality and prices!
I am thrilled to be able to offer my readers again another fabulous opportunity with CSN Stores! This time I am able to give away a $75 GC to any of their 200 plus stores!
***Giveaway Rules***
Must be a follower or become one
Must leave e-mail or entry won't count!
You can read my review HERE! So please give C.J. a warm welcome, enjoy the post and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Five Things I Wish I'd Known About Writing When I Got Started
1.) I wish I had known writing in the present tense was almost "taboo" among my peers. I had some critiquers who could only focus on that aspect of my writing and felt compelled to tell me the error of my ways over and over again.
Thankfully, Jeri Smith-Ready did an excellent job with her WVMP series and I now have a goal to aspire to in my own writing.
I did consider switching it just in case all those people were right. After about six months I had enough real readers who loved it as is, enabling me to shrug the issue off and not look back.
2.) I wish I had known how incredibly hard it was to write well. Hey, I wrote every darn day in emails and stuff for work, surely I could handle fiction writing with my background in chemistry and art? *snort* Yeah, and I've got a bridge to sell you too.
The sheer number of hours I poured into crafting a certain line, an important paragraph, a throat grabbing cliff-hanger at the end of the chapter, or re-writing my first chapter over twenty-five times... well, it's mind boggling to say the least.
3) I wish I had known editors from publishing houses won't actually look at your work if it's strewn with punctuation errors. In my ignorance and lack of education in writing or journalism, I honestly thought if the story was good enough they would accept it and I'd be in like Flynn.
Umm... No.
I admit, the basics of comma placement, when to use a semi-colon, an em-dash and all the other cr... stuff, is still Greek to me. But I am learning. It's been slow and painful. Similar to child birth, but longer (and my first one was 35 hours long).
I'm grateful my old writing partner is an editor by trade, and my agent was one for fifteen years prior to becoming an agent. They is smart ;-)
4) I wish I had known a few authors and writers would revert back to high school behavior when threatened by new talent on the scene. And that's all I'm saying on that one.
5) I wish I had known a large group of people who have never met me face to face would be willing to support me and my work, no matter what. That aspect of my journey, and the sheer number of people who came out when I gave my work away, well, I was never prepared for it and it still humbles me. You guys ROCK.
Thanks for having me here today, Brande. I've included the first chapter of Vampire Vacation as an excerpt.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
Chapter One .........................
I open the door to find a body at my feet. The rich smell of blood causes my canines to lengthen. Reaching out in the darkness, I flip on the switches. Light comes on across the room, illuminating the dead guy lying face down in front of me. The whole scene makes me wish I’d stayed in bed today, curled up next to my warm husband.
“Crap, look at the rug.”
Okay, out loud that sounds rather dispassionate. Whoever this poor stiff is, he’s dead. I’m the one left with a huge mess on my hands and guests arriving within the hour. Good thing I caught this before one of the maids did. Their screams from the last time were a devil to calm down.
Reaching out with my mind, I connect with my husband in a soft electrical tingle of sensation. Rafe? There’s a dead guy in suite six. We’ve got to move fast before the next group arrives.
Rafe’s rugged face appears in my head. My extended consciousness lets me see the room around him as well as hear his thoughts. He’s leaning against the sink in our private kitchen, wearing a robe, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.
Does it look like an accidental overfeeding? His mental voice sounds incredulous. We haven’t had one of those in years.
No, there’s way too much blood. Can you come up here and help me?
Sure, Dria. I’m fresh out of the shower—give me a couple minutes.
I step over the body and into the room, closing the door behind me with a soft snick of the catch. I’d rather not have the guests get a whiff of this mess. Some of them would probably think we did it on purpose for “ambience”. But others might not.
Walking over to the bench at the end of the bed, I sit then look around the suite. A king-size bed, neatly made, gleaming dark furniture and lush brocade fabrics greet me. Nothing but the corpse looks out of place. The stark white face turned toward me doesn’t look familiar. I’m sure he isn’t a mate of one of the vampire masters staying here; I make it a point to meet all of them when they arrive.
Examining his brown hair and twenty-something face, I don’t recognize him as a vampire servant either. Not many have come to stay with the current crop of undead we’ve got right now. Who else?
The blood arouses my basic vampire needs while confusing my train of thought. I concentrate, trying to clear my head. Think, dammit, think!
Could he be a companion? A lot of masters bring “food” with them. Being a full-service hotel we can provide all the needs of our guests, but some still insist on BYOB.
His oxford shirt and ragged jeans rule him out as an employee. Unless he’s an off-duty new hire I’m unaware of.
Rafe, have we hired anyone new?
Not in at least a month. You’ve met everyone. My husband hesitates for a moment. Send me his face and I’ll let you know if he looks familiar.
I concentrate to project the image from my mind to Rafe’s. My strong ability enables me to share the entire experience with him if I wish. I could send the metallic smell filling the air, the sticky congealing blood pooled about the victim’s head, or the dark essence of death that lingers after a vicious kill, but choose to limit it only to the image.
No, I don’t recognize him either, Rafe confirms. Damn, Tommy’s flagging me down. Give me a minute and I’ll be right up.
Hurry, please. We’ve got guests coming in, I glance down at my ever-present watch, forty-five minutes!
Rafe ignores me. Typical. He’ll get here when he gets here. My muscles tense up while I fight an urge to pace. I’m starting to freak out a bit. Who could’ve killed this poor guy? And why? Why here for that matter? I’ve seen my share of corpses in my long undead life, but in the twenty years we’ve run this inn, there hasn’t been a single murder.
Okay, okay… let’s see. What should I do? Taking a deep breath in, I try to center my thoughts. Rich, aromatic blood rushes into my nostrils. That was a mistake. It smells so damn good. Fidgeting in my seat, I feel desperate to do something to distract myself from my desires.
We can’t call the police in this isolated area of Alaska. Not only would they take hours to arrive, but they wouldn’t be able to help once they got here either. I don’t want to think of the memory altering I’d have to do if they did show up. Instead, I can be the one to take notes and catalog evidence. That seems to work well on the detective shows.
I pat down my hips, realizing too late the black clingy dress I’m wearing doesn’t have pockets. Where the hell is my notebook? I need it to write this stuff down.
Rafe! Are you coming?
No. Not yet, my dear. A masculine chuckle reaches my mind. I’m heading up the stairs now.
The hotel resembles a large T-shape, with the lobby being dead center where all the wings converge. Not wanting to send him back downstairs, I think about what lies between there and here.
I need a notebook and a pen to write down all the facts. Can you get them for me?
I think we need to cut back on the TV, Dria.
I can hear the smile coming through in his words. He read my mind and knows what I plan to do. Jerk. That man loves to pull my chain and live on the edge.
Relax, liebling, we’ll handle this.
Easy for you to say. You’re not a vampire sitting next to, I glance over at the large red stain around the victim’s head, what looks like three or four quarts of blood. Rafe’s my human husband. The mate bond ritual we shared sixty-five years ago, combined with our frequent, mutual blood exchange, keeps him from aging.
I hear Rafe hesitate on the wide, curving staircase leading up to the second floor. Damn him! I bet he is trying to place where he saw a notebook last. My teeth grind together in frustration. Some things never change, even when you’re undead and married. He never bothers to learn where we keep things. Okay, that’s not fair, he knows where his things are. Our bond may lend him a lot of my vampire strengths, but it doesn’t change his core of a normal, human male.
You’ll find pen and paper in the hall table, top drawer, outside suite seven.
I don’t need to see his smile to confirm he’s laughing at me. That’s okay. I’ll pay him back later. In spades.
You want to show me too, while you’re at it?
I focus my will and gather an image in my mind, picturing the last time I fed from my spouse. The delicious smell of his sweaty skin fills my head. The clean and musky memory triggers heat low in my middle. It spreads out at the mere reminder of the salty taste of piercing his flesh to drink. I feel the rush of his life-giving elixir fill my mouth and tease my taste buds with its power. I push the feelings, sensations, and pictures out to his mind just as he enters the suite.
Rafe stops the motion of the door before it hits the body. He staggers forward a bit as my mental projection slams into his mind. He’s holding the notebook and pen in one hand while gripping the doorknob tightly with the other.
“Whew! Alright already, I get the picture!”
I smile and pull the illusion away. Rafe closes the door and joins me on the other side of the corpse. I think I made my point. I may not need much blood anymore, but he certainly enjoys the little bit I do take when we make love.
He tosses the notebook, aiming straight for my head. Apparently, I struck a nerve with my teasing. Poor baby, turn-about is fair play.
I jot down the basics I’ve got for the dead guy–his age, race, brown hair, and what he’s wearing. Rafe squats near him. His gray dress slacks pull across his apple-cheeked ass and I once again lose my focus.
“Unlucky stiff,” Rafe comments. “What do you know so far?”
He looks back over his shoulder and smiles at me. My eyes are drawn up to his sparkling blue ones. Crap. What did he say? I scramble around for an answer.
“Umm…” Good God, I’ve got to get the hell away from all this blood, and soon. “I came in to do a last-minute check of the rooms before the MacKellan group arrives. Found him dead by the door, just like you see him now.”
“As far as wounds go, all I can see is this big dent in the back of his head.” He holds his fist out to the wound. “Looks like it could have been something this size. Think he could have another injury under him?” Putting words to action, Rafe places a hand under the corpse’s hip and shoulder, lifting him up to look. “Nothing in his chest.” He lowers the body back down to the carpet.
“You’re sure you don’t recognize him, right?” I ask.
“From his face? Nah. I’d have recognized that scar.” Rafe points out the small crescent-shaped scar on the left cheek, and I jot the observation down in my notebook. “Did you see his shoes?” Rafe nods in the direction of his feet. “He wouldn’t be walking around in those loafers outside for long. The winter temps here would freeze his toes off in minutes.” He looks back up at me, a frown creasing his forehead. “He’s fully human, right?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” I lean down to draw in a deep sniff of air from near the body. Subtle undertones of the victim’s personal scent seep into my brain. The pure, clean essence of his human blood overpowers everything else when I look for it. “He carries no blood marker from another vampire. Which means he is not a servant or a mate. He could be a companion who arrived late, someone we’re unaware of.”
“Good point.” Rafe stands up. “Who do we have left after yesterday’s departures?”
“Hmm, let’s see…” I step back from the body so I can think. “The Natsuhara group out in cabin two. Jet has his mate and one companion with them. There’s the loner in cabin five, Drew Lipshultz. Here in the main building, we’ve got Salvador’s group, a party of eight. They’re in the west wing. I don’t know why any of them would have a reason to be here in the north wing though.”
“This door was locked, right?”
I wave my handy master key card. “Yup.”
Rafe pats the dead guy’s pockets. “He’s very warm. Can’t have been dead too long.”
“No, you’re right. The maids would have been here this morning. I’m sure we would have heard their screaming if he was here then.”
“Hey, got a wallet.” Rafe holds up a tattered bi-fold. “Looks like there’s no ID. But I do see a credit card.” He takes it out, angling to read it. “John Pierre Vaughn. Ring a bell with you?”
“No. Don’t know it.” I glance around at the red mess. “This rug looks shot.”
Rafe ignores me. “What could he have been doing here? How did he get in?”
“Well, his stuff has got to be somewhere.” Scanning the room, I add, “I don’t see a coat or his bag.” I check the closet and the bath, shaking my head as I return. “Nope, nothing in there either.”
“Are you thinking the killer could be human?” Rafe stands, facing me.
“My first guess would be a human. Most vamps wouldn’t waste this much blood. Even though a newly turned fledgling only needs a quart a day, a vampire can drain a body if they want to.”
He smiles and leans forward, kissing me lightly on the mouth. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
“Ha! Like that would stop you.”
Rafe steps close, lifting a hand to run through my long copper hair. “You okay? You don’t seem yourself.”
“I’ll be good once we get rid of this body. I cannot freakin’ believe we’ve got this to contend with right now.” I sound a bit whiny, even to my own ears.
“It’ll come together. We’ll work it all out.” His calm sureness in life is always a wondrous thing to experience. “After all, we’re on 10,000 acres in the middle of nowhere. It’s pitch dark twenty hours a day and we control the only airstrip for miles around. Where is the killer going to go?”
He’s right. But the practical side of me keeps seeing only one thing: We have a dead guy, cooling fast, in our hotel room.
"You know something, hon?”
“What?” He sounds distracted.
“Trying to figure this out isn’t fun anymore and we’ve got people arriving in,” I cut my eyes down again to my watch, “thirty minutes. I can switch the MacKellans down one room, but we’ve got to move pronto. This guy’s going to start to stink soon and we need to make a good impression on the new arrivals.”
Pressure builds in my chest.
Rafe takes out a utility knife from the back of his slacks. I swear he would have made a great Boy Scout. He’s always so damn prepared.
“Are we agreed? I cut the carpet up and roll him inside?” He notices my gimlet stare. “Hey, I’m only asking because I don’t want you getting pissy with me if I cut it without checking.”
Pissy is a nice way to say bitchy, but I’m okay with it.
“No, you’re right. It’s ruined. Put him in one of the sheds outside, lock it up and we’ll talk again later about what to do.” The body will freeze solid out there in a few hours, but at least no one will smell him.
Rafe zips up the blade, jumps over the corpse, and lands light. He cuts a big rectangle into the rug and padding, starting about two feet out from the stain. Quick and sure, his movements accentuate a natural grace, one that flips all my switches.
A familiar wetness gathers in my panties while watching the muscles in his back work under his tight blue polo. The blood in the room arouses the predator in me, and due to my advanced age, it’s not blood I crave but sex. I remind myself, again, to stop breathing.
If I’m not careful to keep my thoughts tightly bound, Rafe will see the erotic image running through my mind of his bare shoulders between my thighs. I experience an all-over body shiver trying to pull myself together.
He looks up with a small smile on his face. Damn it, he saw.
“You’re a bad girl, you know that?”
“And you love it,” I purr.
He rolls the body in the carpet and hefts it over his shoulder in one smooth move. My gaze drops to his chest. Yum… his shirt shows off his definition nicely. My tongue snakes out to wet my lips. Good God, is it hot in here or is it me?
“Yeah, I do. I’ll deal with you later.” He winks. “Save your sexiness for the customers. They feed off you when you do. You exude sex.”
Our inn is renowned for helping to reveal hidden fantasies and bring them to the surface. It’s one of the big reasons clients come back again and again. That and the fantastic sex they all have when they’re here as a result.
I stick my lip out in a pout. “Fine, but dead body or no dead body, I want you later. Better not tire yourself out… I have plans.”
He chuckles as he walks out the door. I’m sure you do, Dria, I’m sure you do.
Once he leaves, and takes the main source of blood with him, I take a deep cleansing lungful of air. I smack my palm to my forehead. Wake up! Shake it off!
Smoothing the fabric of the dress over my stomach and hips, I decide I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I leave, re-locking the door behind me. Glancing at my wrist, I note it’s twenty-two minutes until the new group arrives. Then it’s show time!
***GIVEAWAY***
With many thanks to C.J, she has offered all readers win a FREE ebook copy, all you have to do is tell her what they liked about the scene and leave their email. One lucky winner in the U.S. will win a signed and numbered copy of the print edition.
Winner Chosen 10/19
Not is all that it seems, she is tramped into an engagement to Jack, but what she feels will be different from her disastrous of a first marriage and all the heartache it entailed she learns that Jack is using her. For her money non the less he is marring her. He is being blackmailed and must pay the debt, Lady Rebecca is that cash cow for him, thing is, he has fallen for her.
A little game of cat and mouse ensues when Becca finds out about this marriage entrapment and flees, not able to cope with the fact that the man she is falling for, the man she was to give her heart to has betrayed her. He must win back her heart, but really it is her trust he must win in the end.
Simply charming and with two lovable characters it is really hard not to keep flipping the pages in a desperate race to finish the story!
A known adventurer and playboy, Jack seems like the perfect choice. There's just one problem: Jack isn't interested in an affair. He needs the beautiful, mysterious Lady Rebecca to be his wife. And he doesn't have much time to persuade her. A secret from Jack's past is about to surface, and by Christmas Day he'll be either married to Rebecca or dead.
***GIVEAWAY***
I have 5 copies of A SEASON OF SEDUCTION with the thanks to Anna @ Hatchette Books.
RULES:
Must be a follower or become on to enter
Must leave e-mail
Open to US and Canada only (sorry publisher rules)
Winner Chosen 10/25
Call it true love, love at first sight, chemistry is hot and can't be denied, two fabulous characters that come together by fate! That and a little game of cat and mouse. Things is that Michael isn't playing games, although if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it usually is a duck. But we all know what looks are deceiving and sometimes people do things for the strangest reasons, no matter how well thought out they are at the time. And that is exactly what Michael does, self preservation is a priority when you carry the secrets Michael does. No matter his lustful attraction to Anne he pulls back. Leaving poor Anne confused as hell.
Second chances are what it's all about, so you have to just take it and hold on for the ride. The 3 stories of the True Vows Blog Tour are all based on real life romances. I think that is part of the reason I fell in love with Michael and Anne, it's a true life love that happens everyday. Through their own personal struggles as to where they are in their lives and what they want out of their relationship vary at first, it is a pretty raw yet beautiful portrayal of two souls who fight and work hard to make it to their own happy every after.
New York lobbyist Michael Davoli feels like he’s been sucker punched when he meets Anne Miller at a concert. When fate leads him to move into the same Albany apartment building where Anne lives, Michael falls hard. After all, Anne’s hot, his dog likes her, and she’s catnip to the senses after she picks a lock faster than Sydney Bristow can disarm a nuke.
Always fiercely independent, Anne’s crackerjack reporting skills and keen intellect are no match for the chemical reaction she has to this man with electric blue eyes. But while Mike effortlessly holds her with his gaze, he withholds the embrace she longs for. Why is he so distant? Has Anne misread his signals? When he finally confesses that he suffers from a neurological disorder that he’s learned to disguise from others but could keep him from ever holding her through the night—she makes a choice that changes the rest of her life.
Anne isn’t about to let anything like Tourette’s Syndrome keep her from the man of her dreams. But Mike has a second secret. Will this secret be the one that even a grand passion cannot survive?
With her trademark wit and sensual artistry, Julie Leto knocks this unforgettable romance out of the park and straight to the heart. Based on the true love story between Mike Davoli and Anne Miller, Hard to Hold is a modern day fairy tale that proves that the best things in life—and in romance—are real.
FREE download of the first chapter HERE!
....................from Kari's site
To celebrate the release of Lovely Wicked, a contest! Sign up for my newsletter (bottom left corner on every page of this site) and Noble Romance’s newsletter to be entered into a drawing for a gift basket that ncludes:
$10 Noble Promotional Code
So Many Books, So Little Time T-shirt (size L) & Cap
Bag of my favorite chocolate of the moment (Toblerone Dark Chocolate with
Honey and Almond Nougat – Yum!)
Lovely Wicked bookmark, magnet, postcard and other promotional goodies!
Entries limited to the continental United States — with my apologies to international readers. One entry per household. The winner (chosen at random) will be contacted by email right before the release of Spoils of War on October 18, 2010.
CONTEST #2 :Another contest! To celebrate both releases, Lovely Wicked in September and Spoils of War in October at Noble Romance, I’m offering two fun contests for readers! Answer the simple questions about both books below and email the answers to me at kari@karigregg.com by November 18, 2010 with the subject header of “Twofer Noble Launch.” Readers who answer all the questions correctly will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket that includes:
$10 Noble Promotional Code
So Many Books, So Little Time T-shirt (size L) & Cap
Bag of my favorite chocolate of the moment (who knows what it’ll be next
month, LOL, but nonetheless – YUM!)
Lovely Wicked and Spoils of War bookmarks, magnets, postcards, cover flats and even more promotional goodies!
Now, for the questions. (Don’t worry; they’re not hard.)
For Lovely Wicked:
1. True or False: Mitch’s father is dying of cancer.
2. What sci-fi classic movie series do the three lovers watch as a marathon in Chapter Twenty-One?
3. Name a secret Mitch is keeping from both Sam and Liv.
For Spoils of War:
4. What is the name of the country (not the king!) who takes Micah prisoner as a boy?
5. True or False: Micah was enslaved to a blacksmith during his captivity.
6. Name one word Micah is able to speak (or at least sound out) at story’s end.
Entries, again, limited to the continental United States — with my apologies to international readers. One entry per household. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries and contacted by email
no later than November 30, 2010.
Good luck!
In the meantime, readers who would like a free Lovely Wicked bookmark can send a #10 (business) envelope SASE to:
Kari Gregg
P.O. Box 152
Wiley Ford, WV 26767
I can send more than one bookmark per stamp so please tell me if you’d like extras to share with friends!
And finally…I will begin drawing a monthly random prize among newsletter subscribers on Halloween, October 31st, 2010. Each month’s prize could be anything — a sample-sized bag of my favorite coffee, a pretty book thong that caught my eye, a gift certificate to feed your ebook addiction, who knows — and of course, lots of lovely promotional items like pens, magnets and notepads.
So subscribe to my newsletter today to get your chance at free goodies all year long!
Happy reading --- Kari Gregg
$10 Noble Promotional Code
So Many Books, So Little Time T-shirt (size L) & Cap
Bag of my favorite chocolate of the moment (who knows what it’ll be next
month, LOL, but nonetheless – YUM!)
Lovely Wicked and Spoils of War bookmarks, magnets, postcards, cover flats and even more promotional goodies!
Now, for the questions. (Don’t worry; they’re not hard.)
For Lovely Wicked:
1. True or False: Mitch’s father is dying of cancer.
2. What sci-fi classic movie series do the three lovers watch as a marathon in Chapter Twenty-One?
3. Name a secret Mitch is keeping from both Sam and Liv.
For Spoils of War:
4. What is the name of the country (not the king!) who takes Micah prisoner as a boy?
5. True or False: Micah was enslaved to a blacksmith during his captivity.
6. Name one word Micah is able to speak (or at least sound out) at story’s end.
Entries, again, limited to the continental United States — with my apologies to international readers. One entry per household. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries and contacted by email
no later than November 30, 2010.
Good luck!
In the meantime, readers who would like a free Lovely Wicked bookmark can send a #10 (business) envelope SASE to:
Kari Gregg
P.O. Box 152
Wiley Ford, WV 26767
I can send more than one bookmark per stamp so please tell me if you’d like extras to share with friends!
And finally…I will begin drawing a monthly random prize among newsletter subscribers on Halloween, October 31st, 2010. Each month’s prize could be anything — a sample-sized bag of my favorite coffee, a pretty book thong that caught my eye, a gift certificate to feed your ebook addiction, who knows — and of course, lots of lovely promotional items like pens, magnets and notepads.
So subscribe to my newsletter today to get your chance at free goodies all year long!
Happy reading --- Kari Gregg
Today I would like to welcome to Book Junkie author Jeannie Lin. She is celebrating her Oct 01 relates BUTTERFLY SWORDS!
Medieval Heroes
I think when it comes to historical romance heroes and historical romance periods in general, there are two camps. Now, I know people can crossover and spend a little time at the other camp, but I think at heart readers lean one way or the other.
First there’s the Regency/Victorian/Georgian camp. You go here for heroes who are impeccably dressed, well-mannered, suave, and witty. You have your rakes and your reformed rakes. Your dukes and viscounts and marquises. Handsome and refined gentlemen.
“But no, no!” some may argue. “There are bad boys here too.” You might have one of the above who gambles, or dabbles in espionage or who’s slumming as a pirate or a highwayman. Why, sometimes the hero might even refuse his inheritance or *gasp* have a scar from his unsavory past.
Pul-lease. Warrick over there has a broadsword.
In your other camp are the rugged medieval heroes. Your highlanders and warriors. If they’re noblemen, they’re likely to lead an army as well. Vikings, rebels, barbarians. These are men of danger. They’ve looked death in the eye. They ooze testosterone and apparently had less clothing to go around because the preferred look of the medieval hero is bare-chested, in full puffed out glory.
Did I mention he carries a sword?
Of the two, I’ve always had a weakness for the medieval hero. The take charge, sweep you off your feet, leave the villain in pieces on the ground sort of guy. I’ll read and enjoy a Regency hero for the banter and social maneuvering. But my heart beats faster at the unpredictability of the medieval hero. They’re rough around the edges, they make mistakes, they make demands.
Ryam, the hero of Butterfly Swords, is one of those medieval swordsmen. He gets drunk and gets into fights. He’s struggled for survival across the silk roads. And he runs head first into danger with sword drawn, because negotiation wasn’t really an option. Death can come at any time, and he’s ready for it.
Give me dangerous times and the men who knew how to survive in them. That’s who really sweeps me off my feet.
Which way do you swing? Regency rake or medieval warrior?
Jeannie Lin writes historical romantic adventures set in Tang Dynasty China. Her short story, The Taming of Mei Lin from Harlequin Historical Undone is available September 1. Her Golden Heart award-winning novel, Butterfly Swords, was released October 1 from Harlequin Historical and received 4-stars from Romantic Times Reviews—“The action never stops, the love story is strong and the historical backdrop is fascinating.”
Join the launch celebration at http://www.butterfly-swords.com for giveaways and special features. Visit Jeannie online at: http://www.jeannielin.com
***GIVEAWAY***
Jeannie has a few contests going on to celebrate the release of BUTTERFLY SWORDS, so head on over to the links below and enter to win!!!!
Can you tell us a little about your newest release TWO LETHAL LIES that isn’t in the blurb?
I think the book is more complex than the blurb lets on. The characters are deeper, and their relationships fuller. There’s a lot of “family” in the book, whether it’s the family Mitch has created with his daughter, Julia, or the one Neesy and her ersatz mother and waitress pal, Loritta, create at the diner where they all work. And the blurb doesn’t tell you that the story begins in small town Tennessee but doesn’t stay there. The characters go on a roller coaster ride that takes them to Chicago’s Gold Coast, Orlando’s Disneyworld, and New York’s upper east side.
What was your favorite scene to write?
I’ve been asked this question before and it’s always so hard to answer! I don’t enjoy writing love scenes. I’m more of a close-the-bedroom-door-and –use-your-imagination type. But most readers like to peek in, and I like to give them what they want. So, though I don’t enjoy writing those scenes, I do enjoy writing the emotional “after.” And I particularly liked writing the aftermath of the cabin love scene when Neesy realizes why they call it “falling” in love. It’s not very long, but she expressed it so beautifully. And I enjoyed writing any scene with Julia in it. She’s a feisty 11-going-on-35, and she was a lot of fun to have around.
What qualities are a must when creating your hero?
Virility is an absolute. He doesn’t have to be Tom Cruise gorgeous (though I will say the one hero who was—Danny Sinofsky in Blind Curve—has been among my reader faves) but he does have to exude masculinity. He has to have some sort of baggage, because I tend to be drawn to wounded heroes. He has to be willing to sacrifice—life, love, true desire—because acts of kindness speak more to me of love than gifts or words. Mitch, my hero in Two Lethal Lies, has all of these attributes and more. But I think you’ll find that most of my heroes have them in varying degrees as well.
What was the first romance book you read and how did it effect you?
Couldn’t say. I have no memory of my “first.” I can say that I began reading books tha,t looking back, might be considered romances had they been written now. They were mostly historical fiction from authors like Anya Seton, Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. Later I found Laura Kinsale, Katherine Sutcliffe, and Diana Gabaldon. And, although I don’t write historicals, I did learn that what I enjoyed most is a great love story. More than anything that set me on my current path.
How do you come up with your ideas for writing your story?
A million different ways. Tell Me No Lies was inspired by a snippet in the newspaper about missing millions from the Russian Communist Party. Blind Curve was inspired by a friend who teaches orientation and mobility to the blind; One Deadly Sin was inspired by the story of the Black Angel I happened upon in a tourist book on the Midwest. Two Lethal Lies was inspired by a storyline in General Hospital: what happens when the son of an upstanding nurse and dedicated cop discovers that his parents have lied to him his whole life and his real father is an enforcer for the mob? The idea went through many iterations (some encouraged by my editor) but that’s where it started.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Luckily, not yet. But hopefully I have lots of writing years yet, so who knows?
If you could ask readers any one question, what would it be?
Hmm, so many! How about: what makes you buy an Annie Solomon book, and, because I think you learn as much from your failures as your successes, what makes you decide NOT to buy one?
Before I go, I want to thank you for having me, Brandé. And I want to let your readers know that I have lots of behind-the-scenes stuff on my website, including videos of Disneyworld, a peek inside the Drake hotel, recipes for hot chocolate, deleted scenes and lots more. I hope they’ll stop by and check it out.
A love to die for... On the run since his daughter was born, Mitch Turner has concealed a truth so dangerous, its discovery could jeopardize both their lives. But when a series of shocking murders hits their newfound home, the trail leads straight to Mitch. With the police out for blood and his daughter ripped from his arms, he has nowhere to turn--until a beautiful stranger offers her help. Neesy Brown has made mistakes in her life, yet she refuses to believe this mysterious man is a killer. There's a strength in his broad shoulders that draws her to him and a weariness in his eyes that she longs to ease. As the murders tear her small town apart, she vows to help Mitch find his missing child. But a cunning predator is pulling them deeper and deeper into his fatal game. And the price of losing is the child--and the future--they could both share...
***GIVEAWAY***
I have 5 copies to giveaway of TWO LETHAL LIES, Annie Soloman!
RULES:
MUST be a follower or become one
MUST answer Annie's question above to enter
MUST leave e-mail!
US and Canada only please
Winner chosen 10/12
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