Time Dancer by Inez Kelley – One of a kind necklace and series giveaway!

Darach is a spell, a magical being called from a far away realm to help Jana in a quest to save her best friend, the Crowned Prince. Darach’s power comes from the earth and, when he is part of the earth, his magic is replenished. To stay close to Jana at all times, he ‘rests’ in her earth-created necklace. The inexpensive circle of turquoise is their connection. He is her anchor as she dances through time and that connection must not be broken.

 

[Jana’s]Her fingers rose to touch the pendant around her neck. An inexpensive circle of turquoise, more blue than green and polished to a satin finish, it was elegant in its simplicity. It had been her mother’s, given by her father on their wedding eve. He’d handed it down to Jana when she came of age. If only he could have handed down her magic as easily.

…..

The hulking cloud solidified. A man formed in the wispy swirls. He stood well over six feet and had long, dark-oak hair that fell to the middle of his back. A wide brow topped a proud nose and firm chin. Eyes richer than deepest earth locked with hers. Jade silk pants that hugged powerful legs were tucked into leather boots. His matching thigh-length vest hung open, baring his broad chest and thick arms. A gold band wrapped around one upper arm. Strange gloves with steel tips that protruded like claws hung from a leather belt around his trim waist.

He could have been carved from the very rock of the mountains…

“I am Darach. I am no coward.” An arrogant sneer angled one lip high as he raked her with a scathing look. “Your magic is weak and your form even weaker. Does this world not have any mightier warriors than you?”

That smirk grated Jana, shot into her spine and stiffened her back. “Many, but this is my quest and you’re here to help me so get used to this weak form.”

“If I must.” A sarcastic nod of his head substituted for gallantry. “I await your call, my charge. Do not fritter away my limited time in this realm.”

He imploded, sucking into a tight plume of lilac smoke. The smoke barreled toward her chest, spearing her necklace. A hush breathed into the room as warmth emanated between her breasts. She touched the tiny gemstone that now held a living spell.

 

What better way to celebrate the release of TIME DANCER than to commission a unique replica of that necklace, a circle of turquoise wrapped in silver? Since Darach also has the shifter ability to become a grizzly, there’s also a bear charm included. The winner can choose to wear it or to remove it. After all, Darach didn’t STAY in the necklace. He traveled with Jana on her adventures as a living breathing (and gorgeous) man.

If you could dance through time, back to any place in your life, where would you dance to and why?

 

One commenter will win the Time Dancer necklace. Another will win digital copies all three books in The Eldwyn Chronicles.

 

MYLA BY MOONLIGHT- named as FINALIST in the 2010 EPIC AWARDS for Fantasy Romance and Long & Short Reviews nominated for BEST BOOK OF 2009

SALOME AT SUNRISE – 4 stars from Romantic Times Book Review, Romance Junkies – 5 Blue Ribbons, Long & Short Reviews awarded BEST BOOK July 2011

TIME DANCER – Releases February 11, 2013 from Carina Press

Time waits for no man. But for a woman…
Everyone has a duty in the Royal castle—everyone except Jana Haruk. Despite her promising magical bloodline, her gift is weak. As a Reminiscent Seer, she knows only what happened in the past, not what will happen in the future. When the crown prince’s life is threatened, Jana vows to do everything she can to help her brother-in-law—including asking the queen, a powerful sorceress, to lend her some magic.

The queen summons Darach, a spell in human form. The arrogant and mysterious man soon discovers that there’s more to Jana than meets the eye; she is a TIME DANCER, someone with the ability to move backward through time in her dreams. With Darach as her anchor, Jana can explore the past and try to figure out who is behind the attacks on the prince.

Despite her attraction to him, Jana knows little about the handsome warrior. The past is tying them closer to each other with every trip, but Darach is bound to return to his homeland when his mission is complete. Their time together is running out.

 

Inez Kelley is a multi-published author of various romance genres. You can visit her at her website http://inezkelley.com/  Follow Inez on twitter at @Inez_Kelley or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/inez.kelley

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Female Friendships and The Muses of Mayfair – Sara Ramsey

One title to change his life…

A disgraced son with a dark reputation, William “Ferguson” Avenel is content to live in exile – until his father dies in the scandal of the Season. With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England – and he won’t ruin her, even if he desperately wants the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap.

One chance to break the rules…

Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity – even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain.

One season to fall in love…

Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love?

 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Thank you so much for hosting me on Novel Thoughts today! I’m thrilled to be here and to tell you a little bit about The Muses of Mayfair. My debut Regency series just launched with Heiress Without A Cause and centers around a secret club for women who must pursue their scandalous artistic passions disguised as men. This first book features an actress, while future books will feature a writer, a painter, and an historian.

 

When I first started writing this series, I did so for admittedly shallow reasons – I thought a group of artists would be really fun, could get themselves into all sorts of trouble, and would be attracted to just the kind of devil-may-care heroes I’ve always loved. And yes, these heroines are bold and confident, and their heroes have to use all their wit and charm to win them.

 

But as I wrote Heiress Without A Cause (out now) and Scotsmen Prefer Blondes (to be released at the end of March), I realized that this series isn’t just about feisty, emotional romances. It’s also a love letter to all the female friendships out there – the women in our lives who support our dreams, are there for us no matter what, and ultimately help us to figure out what we want from life.

 

As I’ve gotten older, it’s started to bother me that so many romance heroines don’t seem to have any important relationships beyond what develops with their heroes. Of course, the romance has to be central – I read romance for the steamy sex, the fun dialogue, and the emotional happy endings, not for the secondary characters. But shouldn’t our heroines be secure enough in their relationships that they can also have female friends? And shouldn’t the secondary women in romances be awesome enough that they’re lovable in their own right, rather than being awful wenches who serve as obstacles on the heroine’s path to happiness?

 

None of my close female friends (or male friends, for that matter) write romances. But they’re cool enough to support me on this wild ride toward publication, just as I hope I’m cool enough to support their interests in law, technology, cooking, engineering, crafting, medicine, music…the list goes on and on. So while Heiress Without A Cause is, at its heart, a romance, it’s also a tribute to all the friendships that make writing – or any passion – so fulfilling.

 

How do you feel about secondary characters in romance novels? Do you welcome them? Hate them? Ignore them? Let them steal the show? I would love to hear your thoughts – and one lucky commenter will win an ebook copy of Heiress Without A Cause!

www.sararamsey.com

 

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Cover Goodness: Archangel’s Storm by Nalini Singh

The next Guild Hunter book by Nalini Singh!

 

 

Available September 2012

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Why I Hope the FBI Never Needs to Question Me by Shiloh Walker

A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW

Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free?

Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.

 

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Why I Hope the FBI Never Needs to Question Me

1. Should they ever confiscate my iPhone, they’d discover they’d asked Siri this question a hundred time… Where can I bury a body?
2. Should they ever confiscate my computer, they’d discover that I have researched a hundred ways to dispose of a body.
3. Should they ever go through my web history, they’d discover that I’ve researched the best way to abduct people.
4. (Are you all looking at me a little shifty yet?)
5. Should they ever looking some of my bookshelves, they might think it’s a shrine to death and sex crimes.  Books on the most dangerous poisons, books on the most dangerous serial killers, an encyclopedia of serial killers, a handbook about drug-facilitated sexual assault
6. Should they grow through my browsing history, they’ll see that I’ve done research on unusual ‘souvenirs’ that a killer might keep
7. (The only souvenirs in my house are from trips.  Magnets, books, pictures.  No body parts, clothing, etc, I promise)

 

There are weirder things that I could tell you that I researched while working on my Ash trilogy, but that would be giving away spoilers.  There is a really gruesome detail I discovered for my stand alone RS title, STOLEN, coming out in the fall, but that’s really spoilerish.

Here’s to hoping that if the FBI ever does need to question me, I can show them the books I’ve written and claim, It was all for research!  I swear!

 

There was one really, really weird but cool but morbid thing I discovered while researching for the Ash trilogy and I won’t tell anybody what it is until they’ve read the book and emailed me who the killer is and then made a guess what the detail might be.

But it’s cool, and it’s weird…if you wanna know what it was, read the book!  😀

A quickie excerpt…

 

Sleep evaded her, but Nia didn’t want to sleep anyway.

Nia was happy to stay in that chair, floating along in that little twilight place between sleep and wakefulness.  Zoning out.  That’s what she was doing.  Zoning out.

But when a fist started pounding on the door, it damn near scared her to death and she shrieked, struggling free of the blanket, ending up in a tangle on the floor.

Something crashed against the door.

She heard somebody call her name.

Confused, her butt hurting, she looked up and stared at the door, shuddering in its casement.  Law— ?

Another crash against the door.  Damn it, he was going to tear the damn door off the hinges! Swearing, she shoved to her feet and rushed to the door, throwing it open just as he was about to throw himself against it a fourth time.

“Damn it, are you insane?” she snapped.

He caught her around the waist, jerking her against him.

Stunned, her head spinning, she stood there, her face pressed against his neck, the scent of him flooding her head.  Right when she’d almost caught her breath, he pushed her away and stared down at her.  “Are you okay?  Why in the hell did you scream?”

Then he was craning her head this way, that way.

The concern in his eyes was doing weird little things to her heart—as was the fact that he’d all but busted the door down because he’d been worried, but still.  Scowling, she pulled away from him and smoothed her shirt down, noticing that she was still wearing the wrinkled T-shirt she’d pulled on when she’d called the sheriff’s department.

“I’d been sleeping,” she said.  “I…well, I fell out of the chair when you knocked.  Guess that’s what you heard.”

“I…oh.”  He frowned, shoved a hand through his hair.  It was standing up in spikes and tufts, like he’d been doing that a lot lately.   He had the grace to look a little abashed, but that faded about three seconds later, replaced by an annoyed look.  “I heard you had some company last night.”

She cocked a brow.  “Well.  That small town gossip really does get around, huh?”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I called the sheriff’s department,” she pointed out.

“Yeah.  I’m glad you did.  But you could have called me, too.”

Something flashed in his hazel eyes…something that looked like hurt.  It made her uncomfortable, she realized.  And it made her wish even more that she had called him.

“I wanted to,” she said quietly, unaware she’d been planning to say it until the words were already there, hanging between them.  “But I…hell.”

Tired, she pulled away and dropped down on the side of the bed, clasped her hands between her knees.  “We still don’t even know what we’re doing together, do we, Law?  Other than sex and me waving a gun at you and you trouncing my ass, we have no history.”

“Do we need a history for me to worry about you?”

She looked up, watched as he crossed the floor.  He crouched down in front of her, reached up. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her lips.  “Do we, Nia?”

“No…I don’t guess we do.”  He was melting her.  Working his way so deep inside her already. How did she handle it?  How?

 

 

 

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Teaser Tuesday: Sweet Addiction by Maya Banks

The Book

 

The Tease

 

She swallowed again and lowered her head slightly in a show of submission.

He slid his fingers underneath her chin and prodded her upward once more. “Never look down, Ren. You may submit to me. You may obey me. But never, ever, will you look down like you’re lesser. Eyes and chin up always. Show me the proud, spirited woman who chooses to give me the gift of her submission.”

Tears burned her lids and she fought to keep them from falling. She met his gaze with fierce gratitude. For understanding her. For accepting her and for wanting her to be strong.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Just a whisper. Like a salute to the woman she was. His acknowledgement of who she was.

 

The Blurb

He awakened a need within her…

Cole is successful beyond his dreams. He can have any woman he wants, but there’s only one he can’t stop thinking about. His childhood sweetheart, Ren. He’s never forgotten his first taste of innocent love and the desire that consumed them—or the pain he brought upon her…

But now she belongs to another…

Her long ago brush with submission awakened a longing in Ren that drove her to walk the darker edge of desire. She’s become a beautiful woman at ease with her sexuality and unapologetic about her need for a dominant man. When Cole finds her again, he’s gutted that she belongs to another. Ren’s current master agrees to give her to Cole for a short time, but then she must return to his keeping. And though Cole agrees to this bargain, he knows he will never be able to let Ren go again…

 

Available April 3, 2012

www.mayabanks.com

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Do You Love To Travel by Kat Martin

He knows what goes on in the dark.

 

She’s got the face of an angel and the body of…well, isn’t that what he’d expect from an exotic dancer? But there’s something about this girl that Johnnie Riggs can’t shake. The former army ranger is hot on the trail of an elusive drug lord—and suddenly very hot under the collar, as well.

 

Amy’s got her own agenda to pursue: her sister is missing and Amy seems to be the only one who cares. She’ll enlist Johnnie’s help and do her best to ignore her growing attraction to finally get some answers. But when the two trails begin to converge and reveal something even more sinister than they imagined, their mutual desire is the least of their problems. They’ll bring the truth to light…or die trying.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I’ve always loved to travel.  I was fortunate to marry a man who enjoyed seeing the world as much as I did…or maybe being adventurous was an unspoken quality I was looking for in a man.

I especially love Europe.  I’ve been to England, of course, since back then I was writing historicals set in the Regency and Victorian periods.  I’ve also been to France, Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Chech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Scotland, the Caribbean, and miscellaneous places I can barely recall.

On a cruise we took to Mexico a few years back with twenty-five other authors and six hundred and fifty readers (Wow! Was that fun!), one of the stops we made was in Belize.

I mention this particularly because I used my experiences in Belize when I was writing AGAINST THE NIGHT, my newest AGAINST novel, released the end of February.

Our ship anchored offshore and we took a launch boat to the mainland.  We spent the hundred degree, ninety percent humidity day with a couple of our favorite friends, Kathleen and Michael Gear, the anthropologist/archeologists who write the PEOPLE books set 10,000 years ago.

The heat was unbelievable!  And unbearable!  I had never experienced anything like it and hope I never do again.  But the tropical landscape and the people who live there left a lasting imprint on my mind that I was able to use when I was writing AGAINST THE NIGHT.

I did, however, leave out the part about our trip to a non-tourist, locals restaurant where we ordered native food (the Gears insisted, though there was no air conditioning and it must have been a hundred and twenty degrees inside!  I’ll pay them back for that someday.)

At any rate, we wanted to eat local cooking so we ordered capybara, a meat and rice dish that tasted pretty good but was spicy and hot, like everything else.  The bad news was, it turns out a capybara is the largest rodent in the world!  A rat about two feet long!

Oh, yeah.  We ate it and never forgot the experience.

So you can see where the adventures you have in life make great fodder for stories.

Lots of authors use a journal.  I think it’s a great idea.  Or just keep a few photos, anything that reminds you of the experiences you had when you were there.  And it doesn’t really matter where you go.  Anyplace can bring you excitement, adventure, or just simple insight into a place different from where you live.

Along with the memories I had of Belize, I did research on the country, even used Google Earth to give me a fresh look at the tropical landscape I describe in AGAINST THE NIGHT.

It’s Johnnie Riggs’ story, an ex-Army Ranger turn P.I whose specialty is the underbelly of the city.  In a place called the Kitty Cat Club where he’s working on an assignment, Johnnie first spots Angel Fontaine, a petite blond exotic dancer.

From the moment he sees her, Johnnie wants her in his bed.  The problem is that Angel Fontaine is really Amy Brewer, a kindergarten teacher from Michigan, a young woman risking her life to find her missing sister, whose job she has taken in the club.

I hope you’ll watch for AGAINST THE NIGHT and that you enjoy it.  After that, AGAINST THE SUN, with Jake Cantrell and Sage Dumont, will be out the end of May.

Till then, all best and happy reading.  Warmest, Kat

Kat’s website

Purchase links

Excerpt

Reviews

Kat’s Facebook

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For a chance to win Against the Night (paperback, Kindle, or Nook format) just leave a comment below. Good luck! 😀

 

*Giveaway is sponsored by the author

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Winners!

StacieD

wins the Taking A Shot  by Jaci Burton ARC + postcard signed by Jason Vendryes

*

Heather C

wins a digital copy of Danger Zone by Dee J. Adams

*

Tori

wins Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

*

Briana C

wins a pdf copy of Quinn’s Quest by N.J. Walters

*

Congrats! To claim your prize, please email Fatin at mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces). You have 48 hours to email before a new name is chosen.

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Series Love By N.J. Walters

Why do we love a series?

 

Personally, I think it’s the familiarity of going back to visit places and people who are as recognizable to us as our next-door neighbors and friends. Being able to immerse ourselves in a world where we know bad things can and do happen, but there will be retribution and a happily ever after at the end. Sometimes when the world’s gone crazy, it’s a nice escape to visit one of these make-believe worlds.

 

Like most readers, I have my favorite writers and I am thrilled when they start a new series. (Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Laurann Dohner immediately come to mind.) I know I’m going to be treated to some wonderful reads for as long as the series last. Some series are finite—a trilogy or quartet—while others go on indefinitely. It depends on the author and the world they are creating. I’ve done both. I have the Project Alpha series and the Spells, Secrets & Seductions series, and I knew both would be a trilogy going in. But other series, like my Jamesville, Dalakis Passion, Tapestries and the Legacy series have had more books and most are still ongoing.

 

The same reasons I love series are also the same reasons I love to write them. In fact, I can’t seem to not write them. Every time I start to write a book, before I’m done I’m already thinking about one or more of the other characters and I know they have to have their story told. That’s what happened when I wrote Alexandra’s Legacy. I knew long before I’d finished that it would be a series. What surprised me was the books I wrote weren’t about the characters I thought I would.

 

After the first book, I thought the series would focus mostly on the Wolf Creek Pack, but it quickly became apparent to me that the Haven Pack in Chicago was demanding their story be told. I couldn’t resist. And while Legacy Found takes the reader back to Wolf Creek, the rest of the books in the series take place in Chicago.

 

Quinn’s Quest is the fourth book, and while it can be read as a stand-alone book, readers will recognize characters from past books, and an ongoing mystery that’s threaded through several of them. Watch for Finding Chrissten and Damek’s Redemption, books 5 & 6 in the series later in 2012.

 

Blurb:

 

Quinn’s Quest

Legacy, Book 4

Kidnapped and held in a crazy doctor’s underground laboratory, Bethany Morris only manages to escape because Chrissten, one of her fellow abductees, creates an opportunity—by shifting into a werewolf.

Bethany’s desperate for help, but who’ll believe her story? The police? That’ll just buy her a one-way ticket to a padded room—because here’s the kicker: she’s discovered she’s a half-breed werewolf. Her only hope is to find Chrissten’s brother.

Quinn Lawton’s long, grinding search for his missing twin has turned up nothing…until Bethany rekindles his hope. Something else catches flame too—her heat cycle and a searing attraction branded with the word mate. Yet with so much blood on his hands, any future he might offer is already tainted beyond redemption.

Desperate for Quinn’s touch alone, Bethany has no choice but to take Quinn up on his offer to quell her terrifying need, no strings attached. And hope that as the search for Chrissten intensifies, the battle with their personal demons doesn’t destroy their razor-thin chance at forever.

 

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/quinns-quest-p-6656.html

 

And on another series note, I also have another Tapestries book releasing in 2012 from Ellora’s Cave. Watch for Fabric of Fate coming soon.

 

What are some of your favorite series?

 

 

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

 

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Nj-Walters/714113604

 

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For a chance to win a PDF copy of Quinn’s Quest, leave a comment below answering N.J.’s question. Good luck!

 

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Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison – Review

The blurb:

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra’s husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister’s two young children – neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid – driven by his genuine caring for the children – has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace’s impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace’s life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her – and offer her more than a mortal man…

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The review:

How do I write this review without it sounding like a gushy, slightly stalkerish, fangirl squee? After trying to rewrite it half a dozen times, I’ve realized that I can’t. It is what it is; I’m embracing my inner fangirl.

Dear Ms. Harrison,

Last year, I fell in love with Dragon Bound. I bought and read the next installments in the Elder Race series on release day and while I enjoyed them, none of them came close to my love for Dragos and Pia. And then, oh happy day, an ARC of Oracle’s Moon arrived in my mailbox. Khalil intrigued me when I read about him in previous books and by the end of chapter 3, he owned me. His adorable confusion with why Grace acts the way she does and his total devotion to keeping the children safe totally melted me.

As the book progressed, I saw a side of Khalil I wasn’t expecting. He wasn’t a centuries old Djinn bored with life, he was desperate to experience the new feelings Grace and the children gave him. The unconditional love of the children while he still felt like he failed his own child, his curiosity and delight in feeling sensations as a human would. Watching a Djinn go on his first date was both touching and hilarious. And the sex scenes…ohmygod. Khalil was my first Djinn hero but if they all have that kind of mad skill, I’ve obviously been missing out.

I can’t leave Grace out of my letter of love. So strong, so flawed, and so realistically human. Grace and Khalil together were just perfect. Struggling to understand each other, willing to sacrifice anything to keep the other safe and happy, and Khalil’s reaction when Grace is in danger? I can’t say much since it is a huge spoiler but that was the moment when I declared Khalil to be my favorite hero. Ever.

In conclusion, thank you for giving me my new book boyfriend. He’s my #1 and I promise to keep him safe and revisit him frequently.

Sincerely,

The Unexpected Fangirl

My favorite quote from Khalil:

Not everything that happened was a disaster. You had fun up to a certain point. You laughed and were happy. I was watching you. I understand the stories your face tells so much better than I did before. I know what your happiness looks like now.

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Teaser Tuesday: Hunter’s Prey by Moira Rogers

The Book

The Tease

She laid her hand against the bathroom door, then knocked softly. “Hunter? It’s me.”

The sound of pacing footsteps gave way to harsh breaths, each one a seeming effort. “Ophelia?”

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the wood. “Open the door, honey.”

Something thumped against the wall to her right. A fist, maybe, or Hunter’s body. His snarl was low and rough. “I don’t want her. I won’t take her.”

“She’s gone. It’s just us now.”

Hesitation. She could almost taste his suspicion in the heavy silence between them. Then the lock clicked and the door edged open, revealing a glimpse of his bare chest and wild hair hanging over stormy blue eyes. “Just us?”

She could give him words, gentle and reassuring. Instead, she reached through the open door and trailed her hand down the center of his chest. “Come out, Hunter.”

The door vanished, thrown open with such force it bounced against the inside wall. But he was already there, falling on her like a bird streaking from the sky. He gripped the back of her neck, his fingers digging into her hair as he forced her body over his other arm in a vulnerable arc.

For an endless moment he only stared at her, breath whistling through his teeth as the heat of him wrapped around her. “Say yes.” Not a command. A shaking plea.

It didn’t matter that she already had. All that mattered was this moment, and him knowing he wasn’t demanding something she didn’t want to give. “Yes.”

He swallowed the word with a rough kiss that laid claim to more than her body, and for more than the new moon. His teeth closed on her lip with a growl, only to be replaced by his tongue, stroking in an imperious demand for entry.

She opened her mouth with a shudder, her head spinning. It was only a kiss, full of more hunger than skill, but her body responded with a shaky need she hadn’t anticipated.

That was when she knew. Hunter had been lying to himself, but so had she.

Her ready obedience seemed to soothe some of his madness. The fist in her hair relaxed enough to cradle the back of her head, and he eased her closer, until her body was pressed tight to his chest.

But the kiss went on and on, the kiss of a starving man grasping at sustenance he’d denied himself too long. She smoothed her fingers through his hair and down to his shoulders, testing the strength beneath his heated skin.

Tension hardened the muscles, and a warning growl vibrated against her lips.

Still fighting for control, even now, when no such thing existed for either of them. Ophelia worked her hands between them and tugged at the buttons securing her bodice.

This time he drew back and nipped at her jaw as he released her hair and wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “I won’t be managed. Don’t say yes if you want to manage me.”

“I’m not. I don’t want to.” She twisted far enough to lick his earlobe. “I need you.”

He shook. “Put your hands behind your back.”

She closed her eyes and obeyed. “Am I not allowed to touch you?”

“Not yet.” The arm around her waist moved to trap her wrists, and he smiled against her cheek. “Give your body to me, pretty Ophelia. I’ll do wonderful things to you.”

She didn’t want to lie passively as he pleasured her. She wanted to share it with him, give him back the same pleasure in turn—but only one thing was really important right now. “What do you need from me?”

“Open your eyes.”

His voice had turned to a growl, more untamed beast than man. Ophelia looked up, met his gaze.

Dark, dark blue, like a frozen pond, except there was nothing cold about him. His mouth burned as he brushed his lips over hers. “Come to bed with me.”

He still had her hands trapped behind her back. She stretched up, chasing his mouth, and shivered when her tongue touched his. “Anything, Hunter.”

His teeth caught the tip of her tongue in a playful nip, only to release as he laughed, dark and hungry, and swept her off the floor. “Anything?”

She’d never made such a promise before, and wouldn’t have done it lightly. “Anything.”

Instead of tumbling her to the bed, he sank to the edge and let her body slide to the floor between his knees. “Undress.”

Her hands shook on the buttons of her dress. She’d never been so clumsy, so undone by the heat in a man’s gaze that she’d fumbled this badly. The world faded as Hunter watched her, leaving her starving and impatient.

She shrugged out of the sleeves and her dress fell to her hips, baring the skimpy French silk basque she wore beneath.

He touched her. Gently enough, though the roughened tips of his fingers abraded her skin as he traced the swell of her breast. “You’re beautiful on your knees.”

“Thank you.” Ophelia pushed off her shoes and rose, letting the dress drop to the floor. She brushed the pile of linen and leather aside and knelt before him again.

“Beautiful,” he echoed, and for a moment, he almost sounded like himself. Calmer, at least, for all the heat in his roving gaze. Then he stood. “Undress me.”

His chest was already bare, so she licked her lips and reached for his trousers. “Just undress you?”

He stroked her hair, ran his fingers through the loose strands before sinking deep to wrap the length around one fist. “For now.”

Ophelia rubbed her head against his hand, relishing the firm tug of his fingers in her hair as she left his trousers hanging open and pulled off his boots, one after the other. Then she returned to his pants, easing them down, drawing her fingertips slowly over hot skin and hard muscle.

Arousal threatened to cut off her breath. “I don’t know how long I can do this.”

He pulled her head back until her eyes met his. “Which game do you wish to play, Ophelia? Sweet submission, or wild domination?”

 

The Blurb

Ophelia retired from life as a prostitute, but her new position is even more complicated. Managing the bloodhound manor in Iron Creek is difficult and time-consuming, a job she enjoys less with each passing day. Then there’s her inconvenient attraction to Hunter. The newly turned hound seems eager to enjoy her company, but wary of anything more intimate.

Having survived the violence of his first full moon out of a cage, Hunter isn’t looking forward to his first new moon. Ophelia offers to be the woman who sates his needs during the three long days of sexual fury, but he can’t abide the thought of hurting her in a state of mindless lust. Especially since she longs to settle into a respectable life, and his needs are anything but respectable.

Their mutual goal is simple: avoid entanglements. It’s a solid plan, at least until a vampire drug lord and a couple of nosy Guild representatives force them to work together to defend their friends and everything they hold dear–including each other.

Warning: Contains a mostly feral, vampire-hunting hero and a tough survivor of a heroine whose retired-hooker heart is more steel than gold. Also included: dangerous frontier intrigue, fancy brothels, mad-scientist weapons and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.

 

Available March 6, 2012

moirarogers.com

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