Posted in Book Winners, October 2010 on October 31, 2010| 4 Comments »
each wins the first 3 books of the Granite Lake Wolves series by Vivian Arend
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wins WHEN WICKED CRAVES by J.K. Beck
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each wins HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO by Helenkay Dimon
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wins EDGE OF SIGHT by Roxanne St. Claire
Congratulations to all the winners! You have 48 hours to contact Mad at mad at romancereaderatheart dot com to claim your prizes.
Posted in General Stuff on October 30, 2010| 1 Comment »
All you have to do is watch the video below. Every time you watch the full video, UnitedHealthcare will donate 10 cents to breast cancer research. Just watch it. That’s all you have to do. Also, if you have an account at YouTube, just put it in your quene and let it repeat. Easy peasy. đ
Posted in Guest Blogger, October 2010, Romantic Suspense, S - T Authors on October 28, 2010| 32 Comments »
When Samantha Fairchild witnesses the murder of a local Boston celebrity journalist, the Harvard-bound law student becomes the next target of a professional assassin. Desperate for protection the authorities wonât provide, Sam seeks help from Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter who recruits her brother Zach to protect Samantha.
A Special Forces vet with the scars to prove heâs both courageous and flawed, Zach takes the job, despite the fact that he and Sam once shared a passionate interlude that ended when he left for war and disappeared from her life. Now, as they try to crack a conspiracy that leads to the cityâs darkest corners, Sam and Zach must face their fears, desires, and doubts, before a hired killer gets a second shot . . .
Youâve probably heard about writers who interview their characters, fill out extensive character profile forms, make collages that capture their characterâs innermost feelings, and, thus, understand every nuance of a hero and heroine before they open a doc and write the words Chapter One.
Iâm not one of them.
Believe me, Iâve tried to do all these things, but every time, I fail. I think I know these people who Iâm about to spend six solid months with, but once my fingers hit the keyboard and I start the sometimes painful, sometimes exhilarating journey of telling a storyâŚeverything I thought I knew about them just disappears and the *real* characters reveal themselves to me.
Sadly, this is my process. Sometimes the characters wait a few chapters to let me know what makes them tick. Like fifteen chapters. Ouch. Every once in a while, they only become crystal clear during, say, the epilogue. Double ouch. I know that Iâve got a major rewrite in my near future. But most of the time, the layers begin to peel back as the scenes unfold, and a clear image of the hero and heroine emerges.
Something else magical happens, too. I fall in love.
Yes, I love my heroes. Sometimes Iâll just be cruising through a store or driving my car and I get that little jittery feeling of excitement that kind of makes your nerve-endings tingle and gives you a sweet longing you donât understand. Remember that feeling? You probably had it when you met your husband. I get that feeling when I create a new hero. Iâm just crazy about him. I think about what he said. I remember how he kisses. I ache to get back to him.
So when I sat down to write Zach Angelino, the hero of EDGE OF SIGHT, and one of the anchor characters for The Guardian Angelino series, I got ready to figure him out and fall in love. The heroes of the twenty-some books Iâve written are all different, but at the core, they share many traits: fearlessness, confidence, intelligence, wit, washboard abs, and, of course, a face that could melt your heart.
Zach would be no different, of course. ExceptâŚwhen I got to the page where he was introduced (re-introduced, actually) to the heroineâŚhe was different than any other hero Iâd ever written. I knew it as I typed the words. I had a chilling feeling as I tried to figure out why he wanted to hide from the heroine, why he wanted to stay in the shadows.
Oh. That was my first thought, and also the heroineâs response when she turns and really sees him. All she can say is, âOh.â Zachâs not so perfect anymore. Heâs scarred by a war injury. Not just scarred, but ruined, with one eye missing, and a slash down his cheek.
I remember staring at the computer screen and thinking, Zach, please donât do this to me. I like picture perfect guys. I canât write a wounded hero. I want to spend at least a whole day cruising Hot Guy Sites on the internet looking for your likeness. I want to fall in love with you, Zach, not be ashamed of you.
I donât believe that the characters dictate a book; I really do think Iâm in charge of the story and I could have changed that aspect of Zach right then if I wanted to. His injury wasnât even in the synopsis my editor had approvedâŚbut I knew I couldnât fight this one. This was who he was. But then I knew, the heroine would still fall in love with himâŚand so would I.
Making my perfect guy *im*perfect was a challenge, but it was also a thrill. Zachâs scars, inside and out, made for a deeper hero and gave me a well of emotion to mine. And, the fact is, I ended up loving him more than all of my other flawless heroes.
How do you feel about imperfectionsâŚespecially the physical kind! Do you love a flawed guy a little bit more or do you turn to fiction because life (and real men) are flawed enough?
Readers can fall in love with Zach before he had his wounds, too. On my website, www.roxannestclaire.com, there is a free âprequelâ to EDGE OF SIGHT, the story of how Zach and Sam met three years before the book opens, their passionate affair, and their painful goodbye. Just click on the Free Reads link! Enjoy!
Iâm here all day, as they say in Vegas, and am happy to answer questions or comments about imperfections, books, writing, and life!
Thank you, Fatin, for inviting me to one of my very favorite blogs!
A big thank you to Roxanne for visiting with us today at Novel Thoughts! đ
For a chance to win EDGE OF SIGHT, just leave a comment answering Roxanne’s question. Good luck!
Posted in A - B Authors, C - D Authors, Carina Press, Contemporary, December 2010, E-books, G - H Authors, Must Haves, S - T Authors on October 27, 2010| 7 Comments »
Can’t even begin to tell you how excited this news makes me. Have been waiting until all the info was finalized and now that it is, I’m sharing, yay!! đ
In December, Carina Press is releases a Holiday Romance Collection anthology with four of my favorite authors. Jaci Burton, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart & Shannon Stacey. In one anthology! *feels faint* I’m usually not a big fan of anthologies as I never actually read all stories in them, just the ones I want to read so color me excited that this will be one I’ll actually read from cover to cover. đ I’m a sucker for small town settings…just adore them. đ
Mark your calendars for December 6th and add all of these to your TBB list. You will have the option to buy each book on it’s own or the whole collection together for a discounted price.
WHAT SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS by Jaci Burton
Big Star, Small-town Christmas
Country singer Riley Jensen would never have returned to her small Missouri hometown if her publicist hadnât come up with the scheme to tape a Christmas special there. So she never would have known that the man who broke her heart at eighteenâcausing her to flee to Nashvilleâwas now a widower with a seven-year-old daughter. Riley has ten years of angst-filled hit songs and Grammy awards to prove she doesnât need Ethan Kent. But suddenly, she canât help thinking of all she gave up by running awayâŚ
Ethan Kent knew Riley had the talent and the drive to make it as a singer. He also knew she wasnât going anywhere if she stayed in their nowhere town for him. Then one night and one huge mistake sent her running on the road to fame. Which doesnât mean he ever stopped loving herâŚ
But with so much separating them, can Riley and Ethan find their way back together one magical country Christmas?
Their First Christmas, Bound TogetherâŚ
All Jude wants for Christmas is Rori, all to himself. Itâs their first holiday season as a couple, and staying home, seeing friends and family, means theyâll be surrounded by the memory of Roriâs late husband. Itâs time for Jude and Rori to create their own traditions. Time for them to fully explore their most intimate desires to dominate and submit.
Rori is thrilled when Jude whisks her away to a luxury resort in the mountains. Spending Christmas away, just the two of them, is the perfect time to show him sheâs ready to give herself to him completelyâŚ
Newlyweds Leah and Brandon Long are finally taking a honeymoon. But just two days into their Christmas-in-Vail vacation, Leah gets run down by an out-of-control snowboarder, severely spraining her ankle. Being stuck indoors isnât so bad though: the luxurious chalet boasts a hot tub and cozy fireplace. Besides, sitting with her feet up while Brandon serves her in every way a man can serve a woman is exactly how both of them like to spend their time.
Leah would be in heaven, if only Brandon didnât insist on bringing up the idea of a family. She knew that kids were part of the package, but sheâs not ready to make any plans just yet. Still, with kinky sex and deep conversation the only things on the agenda for the next week, Leah canât avoid the discussion for long. Will she be ready to take her marriage to the next level in the New Year?
House-sitting for her parents seemed like a good idea, until the microwave blew up and the lights went out.
Now Chloe Burke thinks upgrading the electrical system of her childhood home while they are away would make the perfect Christmas gift. Fortunately, thereâs an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.
Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkesâ wiring for almost as long as heâs wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didnât notice Scott back in high school, but sheâs noticing him now, and soon theyâre indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Yearâs.
But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each otherâs company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?
And, here’s the cover for the whole bundle.
Now I ask: Aren’t the covers just beautiful? Who’s ready for the holidays? *g*
Posted in C - D Authors, Guest Blogger, Kensington Brava, October 2010 on October 27, 2010| 35 Comments »
Katie Long was supposed to be undercover. She was just supposed to watch Deputy Prosecutor Eric Kimura at his exâs wedding and gather intel on his campaign for prosecutor. But heâs a lot hotter in person, and the kind of intel they accidentally shared in the hotel bathroom might lose both of them their jobs. Especially since it seems to be a recurring incident. Is it possible for a one-night stand to last ten days?
Kimura isnât usually the impulsive type. Heâs driven, heâs ambitious, and he knows what he wantsâa respectable future in Hawaii politics. Which means wild half-public sex with a beautiful stranger in a short little catererâs skirt is just tabloid fodder waiting to happen. Conveniently, just as his campaign is coming under attack. Sabotage, media gossip, and an insatiable desire for a woman he just met? If heâs not careful, Counselor Kimura might lose all controlâŚ
Thank you so much for letting me stop by today and talk about my newest release, IMPULSIVE. I’m very excited about this book. It’s the fifth book I’ve written that’s set in Hawaii. Specifically, this one follows a straight-laced prosecutor, Eric Kimura, and the wild child heroine who brings a little fun back into this life, Katie Long.
Eric is one of those heroes I never intended to write. He was a secondary character in my previous single title contemporary, HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO. I intended for him to play a small role â really small â and never be seen again. But as I wrote, Eric’s role grew. He was the ex-boyfriend of the heroine in that book. Not the typical romance novel jerky, two-timing ex, but a decent guy. By the end of the book, I knew Eric needed a happy ending.
Writing his story created a new problem. See, Eric is an only child of Japanese parents who grew up in Hawaii. My real-life husband is an attorney, an only child of Japanese parents who grew up in Hawaii…in other words, a bit too close to Eric in outside terms. I don’t know about you, but the idea of writing a romance starring someone like my husband and having him end up with someone other than me…well, that was not going to happen. I wanted fiction! So, for the first time while writing a story, I depended on some visual aids to keep the focus on Eric, my non-husband.
First, I wanted to get the sense of what he looked like stuck in my head. Actor Abe Hiroshi helped with that one. I found this photo and thought â that’s him! He’s handsome, put-together, commanding…and did I mention handsome? The fact he’s wearing a suit helps. Gives him that lawyer look I was hunting for.
Coming up with visual queues for some of the scenes in IMPULSIVE was not hard either. Many I had from my photo collection here at home. My in-laws live there and we visit often. How lucky am I? This intimate knowledge let me pick out some of my favorite spots form memory and highlight them. For example, there is a scene where Eric is at a memorial service for his grandmother. It takes place at a temple. I modeled my temple on the real Byodo-In Temple. It’s in the middle of a park and just gorgeous. For those who watched the tv show Lost, you may recognize it from flashbacks as the site where Sun and Jin got married.
While Eric lives in downtown Honolulu to be close to the office, his parents live in a different part of the island. The same part where my hubby grew up. Honestly, I picked the area because it’s one of my favorite on Oahu. Kailua is far from the tourist crowds. You drive through the majestic Ko-olau mountains to get there. And if you drive a little farther, you’ll get to my favorite ocean watching spot, Lanikai Beach.
So, while the book is pure fiction, the beauty of Hawaii is not. I wanted to capture a bit of it in my mind and then get it on the page. I hope I did that and I hope you’ll check out IMPULSIVE.
Two readers will win a copy of HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO, the book where we first meet Eric. Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing. Good luck đ
Also, a big thank you to HelenKay for joining us today! To find out more about HelenKay, please visit her website at www.helenkaydimon.com.
Posted in E - F Authors, G - H Authors, Giveaway, I - J Authors, O - P Authors on October 26, 2010| 1 Comment »
Join the Danger Women Writing’s yahoo group — just sent a blank email to
Party from 10am to midnight with a long list of prizes~!
Prizes include:
2 copies of Eternal Flame
2 copies of Belong to the Night
2 copies of The Naughty List.
2 copies of Highland Surrender
1 copy of 10 Days in Paradise
1 copy of A Hint of Wicked
1 copy of A Touch of Scandal
2 copies of A Season of Seduction
2 copies of SINS OF THE FLESH
2 Copies of SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD
2 STRONGER THAN SIN T-shirts
2 STRONGER THAN SIN Tote bags
2 THE CALLING baseball cap
2 copies DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER
2 copies FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER
1 copy MUTUAL DESIRE
1 Dark Sword or Warrior tshirt
1 Dark Sword or Warrior bag
2 Copies of Awakening the Beast – the Nocturne anthology
2 Copies of Santa Baby by Lisa Renee Jones
2 Copies of the Sexy Beast 9 anthology
2 Copies of the Spice anthology Naughty Bits 2
Posted in Uncategorized on October 26, 2010| 1 Comment »
LIE WITH ME by Stephanie Tyler
Book 1 of the Shadow Force series
Dell Books
ISBN-10: 0440245966
ISBN-13: 978-0440245964
Forced together by fate, bound together by desire.
Framed for a double murder, Delta Force operative Cameron Moore is given a new lease on life by the CIAâprovided he pays them back by doing their black ops dirty work. Now Cam is ready to renegotiate their deal, and he thinks heâs found the perfect bargaining chip: Skylar Slavin, bestselling author of espionage thrillers and the daughter of the CIA man who saved him from a prison sentence.
Skylar has been living in anonymity, never suspecting that someone so dangerousâand so desirableâwould plunge her into a world as treacherous as one of her spy novels. But how can Cam go through with his plan to kidnap Skylar when just the sight of her sets off an explosive attraction heâs never experienced before? And when Skylar falls prey to an even more perilous threat, this special ops soldier must call upon all his combat skills to protect the one person who can help him win his freedomâand the only woman heâs ever loved.
Posted in E-books, October 2010, Paranormal Romance, Samhain Publishing, W - Z Authors on October 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
TARNISHED KNIGHT by Shiloh Walker
Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60928-231-8
Length: Category
Price: 4.50
Publication Date: October 26, 2010
Cover art by Scott CarpenterThe mind forgets, but the body remembers. Everything.
Grimmâs Circle, Book 4
One look at Jack Wallace and Perci knows heâs going to be trouble. Even surrounded by soul stealers, heâs a one-man wrecking crew. What does he need Grimm training for? Heâs already hell on earth, a warrior bent on destruction. And somethingâŚmore.
Heâs too strong and fast to be a mere mortal. Even covered in blood, he makes her forget sheâs only here to do a job and get out. Itâs twisted. Sick. She hasnât felt this alive in three centuries.
Born with a natural talent for killing unnatural things, Jack has always known things he shouldnât. The fact that Perci is one of them glows all over her. Giving him an unholy urge to see just how far he can push her before donât touch me melts into touch me there.
When they come together, it isnât careful or cautious. Itâs heaven and hell, exposing all their raw and wounded places to healing heat, resurrecting memories of a destined love from the distant past. But the evil that destroyed them once before has tracked them here, threatening their second and last chance at forever. Demanding a sacrifice no oneâGrimm or humanâshould ever be asked to makeâŚ
Warning: Dark, sexy, a little bit scaryâthis fairy tale is only for grownups and is best saved for bedtime.
Posted in A - B Authors, Guest Blogger, October 2010, Paranormal Romance on October 26, 2010| 25 Comments »
Their love could bring the most potent pleasureâor the darkest nightmare.
A danger to both the human and shadow communities, Petra Lang is cursed never to love. For one touch of her skin unleashes the vilest demons imaginable. Sentenced to death by the shadow authorities, who fear sheâll turn her curse against them, Petra is rescued at the last instant by vampire advocate Nicholas Montegue. As their bodies merge and transform into mist, Petra feels an urgent erotic longing.
Nicholas fought long and hard to save Petraâand nearly paid the ultimate price. He risked his own life to spare hers, yet he knows he can never give in to the explosive attraction he feels for her. But the deep yearning they share can only be deferred for so long. Together, they must find a way to lift the curse. For only a love this strong has the power to overcome such monstrous evil.
Halloween is just around the corner! Itâs one of my favorite holidays, and this year, Iâm enjoying it even moreâweâre decorating like fiends, planning costumes for the kids, checking out local haunted houses, reading horror novels. And, yes, watching lots of scary movies.
I recently read Clive Barkerâs The Hellbound Heart, which is the novel upon which the movie Hellraiser is based. And, of course, afterward I wanted to watch the movie, too, not only because itâs so very Halloween-y, but also to see how the adaptation was done (Barker wrote the script and directed the movie). Bottom lineâitâs a classic. And while by todayâs standards some of the things done in that movie might be considered tame, at the time, as Barker said in the accompanying documentary, it really pushed the envelope and broke through boundaries that had been set up in horror, both books and movies.
I liked what he said about pushing past boundaries, not only because I thought it was wise and interesting, but because I was searching for something to blog about today, and it clicked with me. Because Iâve been pushing past personal boundaries with my Shadow Keepers series, going darker and edgier than I have with my previous Julie Kenner books, working to create stories that are compelling and suck the reader into the world. I hope the awesome endorsements from authors I admire like Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole, Larissa Ione, Lara Adrian and Gena Showalter, along with wonderful fan feedback, is some indication that I succeeded. With the third book in the series thatâs just hitting shelves, When Wicked Craves, I took a new approach to personal boundaries: writing a love story between two people who canât touch. Thatâs not just a sexual thing, either, because as a relationship between two people grows, touch pushes it on and keeps it warm. The brush of fingertips, then pushing back of a loose strand of hair. Touch is a human connector, and although my characters may not be entirely human (a vampire and a human, albeit a witch), their hearts are, and as their relationship grew the inability to touch weighed upon them.
It weighed on Petra her whole life, the only exception to the curse being a very rare blue moon. And I spent a great deal of time working with her character, finding a balance between the reality of someone forced to live without contact with other living creatures, but still making her appealing. She could end up a shrewâinstead, sheâs one of my favorite heroines, spunky and appealing, and while not happy with her lot in life, sheâs not sitting around bemoaning fate. Sheâs out trying to find a cure. And itâs that determination that thrusts her into the dangerous world of the Shadow Keepers.
Hereâs an excerpt. I hope you enjoy!
~~~*~~~*~~~
Her middle came back first, then her lungs, and she gasped in air, suddenly starved for oxygen. Her arms and legs came next, and although she was aware that she was being put back together, it didn’t seem strange. Probably because she’d never actually felt like she was apart.
She had no idea how much time had passed, and the small, windowless room gave her no additional information.
In front of her, Nicholas pulled off his hood, wincing as the movement irritated the knife wound in his chest.
“You’re bleeding. Do you need…you know…to feed?” As a private investigator in the shadow world, she’d worked with vampires for years, but that didn’t mean she understood the various ins-and-outs of their nature. All she knew for sure was that he wouldn’t try to feed off of her–wouldn’t pull her close and press his lips to her neck. Not unless he wanted to become the monster.
He didn’t even glance down at his wound. “I’ll live. How are you doing? The mist can be disorienting for a human.”
The mist. She remembered, except it wasn’t a memory so much as a dream, something wispy and unreal and utterly provocative.
They’d been twined together, body to body, blood to blood. The only time her body–albeit not her flesh–had ever touched anyone other than her brother, and even with him she’d only held hands, and the pleasure of contact had been overshadowed by the torment of the blue moon.
Try as she might, she couldn’t recall anything specific about the contact with Nicholas, only the hint of sensation upon a breath of memory. Her essence remembered, though, and the heat that coursed through her made her wish all the more that she’d been aware throughout the transformation.
“Petra?”
“I’m fine. A little fuzzy,” she added, the lie meant to cover the burst of unfamiliar sensations.
“I apologize. It’s not the ideal way for a human to travel.”
“You got me out of there. I’m hardly going to question your methods.”
She squinted at him, suddenly intrigued by Nicholas as a man, and not merely an advocate. For more than a month she’d met regularly with him as he’d briefed her case. She’d noticed his good looks, because how could you not, and she’d been impressed by how damn smart he was. But she’d never thought about what it would be like to touch him. What would be the point?
Her life was her life, and she’d learned to live with it. Having to go grocery shopping in the middle of the night when the crowds were thin. Avoiding opening night at the movies. The unyielding precautions, the constant awareness that even a gentle caress was impossible. All part of the parcel that made up her life.
Most of the time she didn’t mind it. Didn’t even think about it, really, except sometimes late at night, when she couldn’t sleep, and the dark stretched out in front of her. That was when she wondered what it would be like to share her life with someone else, someone other than her brother. Someone who’d chosen to be with her. Who loved her.
Someone who could touch her, and whom she could touch back.
On those nights, she’d hug her pillow tight and think about what she did have. A brother who loved her. A house with a flower garden. A job she was good at.
And a long list of sorcerers and witches to track down one by one, with the fervent hope that one could remove her curse. Fight magic with magic.  Bury it. Hide it. Change it. She didn’t care, as long as she was free of it.
So far, she’d found no one with magic strong enough to change her.
Until she did, she wouldn’t think about men. What was the point?
That had been her creed since puberty–and although she sounded like a commercial for a fish without a bicycle philosophy, it really was the truth. Men weren’t on her radar. She hadn’t let them be on her radar.
Apparently today her radar had decided to fight back.
The mist. The twining had awakened something in her, and she didn’t know how to shut down what was now churning inside her. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
“Lie down,” he said, his brow knit with concern as he examined her face. “You’re still disoriented from the poison and the transformation.”
She shook her head, determined to find her center. “No. I’m good.” She lifted her eyes to meet his, felt a small shift in her gut, and pushed past it. “Where are we?”
“Safe,” he said. “Right now, that’s all you need to know.”
“Excuse me?” Irritation bubbled inside, and she urged it on. Annoyance and anger were familiar and easily handled. “I’m happy to be alive, don’t get me wrong, but how do I know I didn’t just go from being their prisoner to being yours?”
“You’re not my prisoner,” he said.
“Fine. Then talk.” There were about eight bazillion things she needed to know, not the least of which was how she was supposed to live once the entire weight of the Alliance pressed down on her. Because they would come after her. The Shadow world did not sit idly by after it was screwed. And Nicholas Montegue and Petra Lang had just screwed them big time. “At least let me get in touch with my brother. Everything else can wait.” It was a simple request, and one she expected he’d grant easily.
He didn’t.
“Later.” He nodded toward a cot that stood in the corner, a blanket folded neatly on top. “I need to see to things. Wait here.”
“I don’t think so.” She moved forward, intending to get past him, to get out of this tiny little room that was only slightly less claustrophobic than the holding cell she’d so recently been occupying.
He reached for her, and she jerked away instinctively, realizing as she did that his hands were still gloved, and she was still covered head-to-toe in the prison issued body suit.
“Dammit,” she said, that stupid, knee-jerk reaction twisting her up inside more than it should. But it wasn’t just the fact that she’d flinched. It had been one long, horrible, emotionally trying day, which even though it ended up pretty damn awesome in that she was still alive, was still freaky enough to mess with her head.
Yes, she was beyond thrilled to have been rescued, but she wasn’t a woman who hid in dark rooms, and she sure as hell didn’t want to be someone else’s burden. She’d played that role her whole life, too, and although she knew that Kiril loved her, the fact that their grandmother had bound her twin to her–made him her protector until the curse was lifted–troubled her more than she had ever confessed to him.
She drew a breath, steadied herself, and decided to try the fly and honey approach. “You could have told me, you know. Doesn’t seem fair I spent all of last night thinking that I’d be pushing up daisies right about now.” She meant the words, but she said them with a smile and a lilt to her voice. No accusation there. Just friendly and chatty. She knew how to charm. It was one of the reasons she was good at her job.
“If I’d told you, they would have changed execution theaters at the very least. Worst case scenario they would have pumped poison into your holding cell. As soon as the Truth Teller latched onto even a hint of trouble, you’d be dead, and this would be all over.”
“And what is this exactly?”
“Sergius.”
She frowned, thinking of the vampire she’d destroyed. “What about him?”
“He’s alive.”
The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she sat gingerly on the edge of the cot. “Oh, dear God.â She drew in a breath, her thoughts a wild rush. âBut how? There was a fire. I heard all about it. The ME confirmed that Serge died in a warehouse fire.â
âStaged,â Nicholas said. âLuke and I took some of his flesh and we burned the place. Heâs here, Petra. But heâs not really Serge anymore.â
She swallowed. “You saved me because you’re looking for a cure.”
“A rose for the lady.”
She drew her fingers through her hair and concentrated on the floor. “But I already told you during the hearing prep that I don’t know how to lift the curse. Hell, I told him the same thing before I touched him.”
Her words were absolutely, one-hundred percent true. But what she didn’t say was equally true. She might not know how to lift the curse and free her to touch without harm, but she did know how to cure Sergius.
Sergius would be free the moment that she was dead.
But no way in hell was she telling Nicholas that. He might have the face of an angel, but at the core he was a vampire. And a vampire wouldn’t think twice about killing to get what he wanted.
She stifled a shiver, then looked up to meet his eyes. “There’s no way, Nicholas. I’m sorry, but there’s just no way.”
“I refuse to believe that,” he said. “As should you.” He took a step toward her, and she forced herself not to recede. “Think about it. I was born more than seven centuries ago. You escaped death after your body dissipated into mist. And once upon a time, men without so much as a compass climbed into small wooden boats and sailed across oceans. We’ll find the answer, Petra.”
~~~*~~~*~~~
I hope you enjoy! Learn more or just hang out at www.theshadowkeepers.com, www.jkbeck.com, www.twitter.com/jkbeck or http://www.facebook.com/authorjkbeck
So how about yâall? What would you miss the most if you couldnât touch another human?
A big thank you to J.K. Beck for visiting with us today. To be entered to win a copy of WHEN WICKED CRAVES, just leave a comment answering the above question. Good luck! đ
Posted in A - B Authors, Guest Blogger, October 2010, Paranormal Romance, Samhain Publishing on October 25, 2010| 38 Comments »
TJ Lynus is a legend in Granite Lake, both for his easygoing demeanorâand his clumsiness. His carefree acceptance of his lot vanishes, though, when his position as best man brings him face to face with someone he didnât expect. His mate. His very human mate. Suddenly, one thing is crystal clear: if he intends to claim her, his usual laid-back attitude isnât going to cut it.
After fulfilling her maid-of-honor duties, Pam Quinn has just enough time for a Yukon wilderness trip before returning south. The instant attraction between her and TJ tempts her to indulge in some Northern Delight, but when he drops the F-bombââforeverââshe has second thoughts. In her world, true love is a fairytale that seldom, if ever, comes true.
Okay, so maybe staging a kidnapping wasnât TJâs best idea, but at least Pam has the good humour to agree to his deal. Heâll give her all the northern exposure she can standâand she wonât break his kneecaps.
Now to convince her that fairytales can remake her worldâand that forever is worth fighting for.
By popular demand: Clumsy sidekick wolf grows up, sarcasm reigns, and the wilderness gets wilder. Includes hot nookie in places you expectâlike a remote cabinâand places you donât.
Psstâthere are no spoilers in this blog post. End of the book readersâyou donât have to worry, ALL my books have a HEAâguaranteed. So Iâm not saying anything you shouldnât already know. I promise Iâll never pull a Nicholas Sparks on you⌠đ
The Granite Lake Wolves series started from a personal adventure. While living in the Yukon, my husband and I took our family to a remote cabin for a winter vacation, and a year later when I was thinking a good place to set my story, Granite Lake cabin was the obvious choice.
But the whole of writing is a balance between reality and fantasy. While there is a Granite Lake, a Haines Junction, and even a Diamond Tooth Gerdieâs in the North, there is also a ton of room for imagination.
Which is why paranormals are so much fun. Iâve got the amazing setting, the places that Iâve seen that I can describe to readers, to share a bit of the beauty of the North. But the rules? Oh, so much fun to play with!
And the hero of Wolf Tracks makes breaking the rules even better. TJ is NOT a hulking A-asshole domineering-alpha type. Heâs the clumsy, out-spoken, mistake-making sidekick from the early books who just wouldnât stop until I found him a mate.
And sheâs perfect for him.
Does Pam make him lose all his clumsiness? Does he stop spitting out everything he thinks of? Of course not. Because the best combination between partners happens when our strengths build each other up, and help us maneuver around our failings.
Of all four of the relationships between heroes/heroines in the Granite Lake books, I probably love TJ and Pamâs the best. Partly because they still have unanswered questionsâand Iâm hoping to find out down the road some of the choices they make. And the other part I love? They choose to be together, and no matter that the ârulesâ of wolves say mating is forever, I think itâs still a conscious choice.
And forever is something I want in my life, even if my âmateâ never turns furry.
A big thank you to Vivian Arend for joining us today. To find out more about Vivian and her books, please visit her website at www.vivianarend.com.
Vivian is also doing a giveaway today. Two winners will each get the first three books of the Granite Lake Wolves series. To be entered in the drawing, just leave a comment below. How do you feel about non-alpha heroes?
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