Terri Brisbin tells us a story

In the first of a breathtaking trilogy set against the stark beauty of medieval Scotland, one man discovers a surprising past, a remarkable gift—and a terrible destiny…

Once, Connor believed that his ability to see the future would grant him everything. Instead, it landed him in a prison of his own making. Summoned by the Lord of the Isles to serve as his counselor, Connor gains wealth and prestige, but with every vision, his own sight dims. Even so, Connor doesn’t grasp the terrible consequences of his gift until he’s wounded by a young woman who blames him for her family’s massacre.

Moira curses herself for failing to kill the Seer—especially when she learns her punishment is to be given to him as a slave. Far from the proud, arrogant tyrant she imagined, Connor is a tortured man with a dark sensuality that tempts her night after night. But freeing him from a strange power that is spiraling out of control will mean forsaking her vow and risking her heart for the one man she has sworn to destroy…

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Let Me Tell You a Story… or How I sold my first Brava book!

If you ask any published author, she will tell you about her first sale and usually it’s a different path from any other writer’s. Some write for many years before selling, others are a first-book sensation. Some methodically pursue that first sale, some happen on it almost by accident. Some network and schmooze to find the best agent and editor and others know no one in the industry until they sell. But all sales/contracts to write usually involve three common elements: ability, talent and opportunity… oh, and being ready to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself.

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Things not to say, with Christie Craig

Of the Divorced, Desperate and Delicious club, Kathy Callahan is the last surviving member. Oh, her two friends haven’t died or anything. They just gave up their vows of chastity. They went for hot sex with hot cops and happy second marriages—something Kathy can never consider, given her past. Yet there’s always her plumber, Stan Bradley. He seems honest, hardworking…and skilled with a tool.

PLUMB CRAZY

Kathy’s best-laid plans are about to hit a clog. The guy snaking her drain isn’t what he seems. He’s handier with a pistol than a pipe wrench, and she’s about to see more action than Jason Statham. The next forty-eight hours promise hot pursuit, hotter passion and a super perky pug. And at the end of this wild escapade, Kathy and her own undercover lawman will be flush with happiness . . .  assuming they both survive.

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There’s a question I’ve been asked by several readers:  Is there anything your heroines won’t say? Now, I think most of my readers mean that my heroines are a tad outspoken, but in a good way.  At least I like to think that’s what they mean.  Nevertheless, the question deserves answering.  And the answer is a definite yes.  There are things a Christie Craig (CC) romance heroine would never say.  Here is a list of ten and for kicks I’m even going to tell you why they’d never say them.

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Debut Author Kelly Gay answers Mad’s questions…

Just out in bookstores near you!

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Divorced mother of one, Charlie Madigan, lives in a world where the beings of heaven and hell exist among us, and they aren’t the things of Sunday school lessons and Hallmark figurines. In the years since the Revelation, they’ve become our co-workers, neighbors, and fellow citizens.

Charlie works for ITF (Integration Task Force). It’s her job to see that the continued integration of our new “friends” goes smoothly and everyone obeys the law, but when a new off-world drug is released in Underground Atlanta, her daughter is targeted, and her ex-husband makes a fateful bargain to win her back, there’s nothing in heaven or earth (or hell for that matter) that Charlie won’t do to set things right

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NT: Hi Kelly — welcome to my little corner of the book world. 🙂 Can you tell us about yourself? How long have you been writing? When did you get “The Call”?

Hi Fatin! Well, I’m a writer, a mom, and your average book lover.  I’ve been writing with intent to sell since I was a teen, first with plays and screenplays, and then with fiction, so about fifteen years or *cough* so.  😀  I got the call in June of 2008 while I was visiting my sister for her nursing graduation. It was Friday the 13^th, and I ran upstairs to take the call. It was really great because my family was there, and I got to share the news with my mom and sister.

NT: Your debut book, THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, came out earlier this week, please tell us about it.

It’s an urban fantasy, featuring single mom cop, Charlie Madigan. The book is set in Atlanta about a decade after the Revelation, the discovery of Elysia (heaven) and Charbydon (hell), two alternate dimensions, which are home to the beings that inspired our myths of angels, demons, gods, and monsters. Now they live among us, and it’s Charlie’s job to police the off-world sector, but when a new off-world drug is released, an ancient threat emerges, and her ex-husband makes a fateful bargain to win her back, there’s nothing in heaven, or hell, for that matter, that Charlie won’t do to set things right.

NT: What inspired the idea for this story?

I was finishing up a young adult fantasy, and had the idea of this alternate Atlanta in my head for a while, but what really inspired me to write this story was the idea of the single mom in an urban fantasy world. I knew I could dig really deep and explore a lot of options with a character like that. And I thought, why not? Why can’t she be a mom and still kick butt?

NT: Do you have a writing routine? What is your average writing day like?

I don’t have a writing group, but I do have a CP. We tend to only share new material that isn’t contracted, or things we’re having issues with. I write Tue-Fri from about 9:30AM-4PM, mostly writing new stuff in the mornings and editing in the afternoons. It’s hit or miss, though, sometimes. Writing with kids means that nothing is ever set in stone.  I try to take weekends and evenings off, but if I’m under deadline then I work whenever I can fit it in.

NT: What aspects of your life have you found creeping into your stories?

Definitely my experiences as a mother. I draw from those emotions a lot when writing about Charlie and her relationship with her daughter.

NT: What was the most interesting thing you had to research and what was the hardest thing to research?

Most interesting were all the biblical myths. I love that kind of work! Angels, demons, creation myths…  I could read that kind of stuff all day, every day. The hardest thing to research was probably the setting of Atlanta. I wasn’t there when I was writing it, so I had to refer to what I already knew, as well as maps, photos, and guidebooks. The internet was a huge help, and so was the fact that I was creating a ‘new’ kind of city where parts of it only needed my imagination to set the stage.

NT: What was the most memorable reader reaction you’ve received about your book?

Probably my critique partner’s. I fed her chapters of the book while I was writing it, and her reaction was so positive that it really gave me the drive to keep writing and finish the story. After that, I’d have to say my editor. He has such enthusiasm and passion for this story, and he’s not afraid to show it. It’s one of the things I really love about him.

NT: Any advice to aspiring authors? What craft books helped you that you would recommend to aspiring writers?

Just keep writing. In the end, that’s all there is. Write. The more you write, the more you hone your craft, and the better your writing becomes. And keep moving forward. Don’t get stuck on revising that one novel for years and years. Write another. And another. It doesn’t mean you have to give up on the first, but keep creating new material, build your arsenal, and you’ll hit on something that gets you an agent and then a publisher. Might be with the first thing you write or the tenth.

As far as craft books, I love, love, love Joseph Campbell’s, THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES, and Chris Vogler’s, THE WRITER’S JOURNEY.

NT: Who do you enjoy reading when you have some down time and are not dealing with deadlines?

Oh, boy, that’s a long list! Love reading Janet Chapman, Karen Marie Moning, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Susan Donovan, Vicki Pettersson, Scott Westerfeld, Melissa Marr, Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole….

NT: What can your fans look forward to from you in the near future? What are you working on now?

Right now I’m finishing up revisions on the second Charlie Madigan book, THE DARKEST EDGE OF DAWN (Aug. 31, 2010). Then, I’ll be jumping into revisions on my new young adult novel that I just sold to Simon Pulse a few weeks ago, called DARKNESS BECOMES HER. I’m writing that series as ‘Kelly Keaton’, and it’s a very dark, lush, spooky novel set in a post apocalyptic-like New Orleans, where the city is sinking back into the swamps, has been forsaken by our government and much of its inhabitants, and is now run by creatures of the night.

NT: Thank you so much for blogging with us here at Novel Thoughts!

You’re very welcome! Thanks so much for having me here, and Happy Holidays to you and all your readers!

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You can learn more about Ms Gay’s work by visiting her website. Don’t forget to leave a comment to win a copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS and some extra goodies from Kelly! 🙂

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Annie Burrows on meeting characters–or, how a writer’s mind works.

Is she his lost love?

With his dark, haunted eyes and forbidding expression, the menacing Lord Matthison has the reputation of the devil.  Living on the fringes of polite society, he has still to get over the death of his one true love seven years ago.  But Cora Montague’s body has never been found…

When he encounters a fragile looking woman, the image of his betrothed, working in a London dressmaker’s, he is convinced Cora is still alive.

And he will do whatever it takes to claim her!

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I first met Lord Matthison in a gaming hell when I was writing The Earl’s Untouched Bride (released by Harlequin in February 09).  I only wrote him as a lesson that my naïve heroine had to learn, but then he became much more than that.  I could not stop thinking about him.  He was such a dark, world-weary man.  How did he get like that?  And why was he so shocked when he hit a losing streak on the night he encountered the Countess of Walton?  I got so engrossed in his past, and his motivations for behaving as he did, that, as soon as I had finished my commitments to my publisher, I just had to give him his own story.

I soon realized that a man with such a dark reputation needed something exceptional to jolt him from the shadows that clung to him.  And it came in the form of Mary, a woman with only a sketchy memory of her past, and bearing an uncanny resemblance to the woman with whom Lord Matthison fell in love in his youth.

The story that follows is a twist on The Sleeping Beauty.  Lord Matthison is convinced that he can hack his way through the thicket of thorns that surround Mary’s mind, and break the spell that holds her fast, with true love’s kiss.  But Mary is no docile, helpless female, waiting for some man to come rescue her.  She has had to make her own way in the world, and, though she accepts that she has limitations, she begins to think it is Lord Matthison who needs rescuing!  She cannot comprehend what makes such a handsome man cling to the ghost of a woman who is dead.  And why does he keep on insisting that she is Cora?

Yes, to her way of thinking, he is the one who needs to find a way to break the curse that has bound him for seven long years, and start to live again!

And then, during the course of writing this story, Lord Matthison did something that, I later realized, would have immense repercussions.

And that became a whole new story, centred on the daughter of a hopeless gambler, desperately trying to maintain her virtue, whilst keeping her father out of debtor’s prison…

It’s the way a writer’s mind works!

The story I’m writing about the gambler’s daughter I first met during Devilish Lord… has some parallels to Beauty and the Beast.  And I’ve already told you that Devilish Lord has overtones of Sleeping Beauty.  What is your favourite fairy tale?  Everyone who leaves a comment will be in with a chance to win a copy of Devilish Lord, Mysterious Miss.

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Thank you for visiting Novel Thoughts, Ms Burrows!

You can learn more about Ms Burrows’ characters and the novels they appear in by visiting her website.

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A QUESTION OF LOVE by Jess Dee

A past with three, a future for two…

Sequel to A Question of Trust.

Gabe Carter and his best friend Connor’s passion for threesomes brought Tina Jenkins into Gabe’s bed—and into his heart. As a matter of honor, he gave up the woman he loved. Time passes, times change and old promises fall away, but Gabe is still in love with Tina. Now he’s going after his heart’s desire.

Tina has her own opinion about Gabe’s sense of honor. His departure tore apart the most special of bonds and destroyed her relationship with Connor, leaving her brokenhearted. It took her a long time to pick up the pieces, a struggle she doesn’t wish to repeat. When Gabe shows up at her favorite coffee shop, she knows just where to tell him to stick his apology.

Gabe isn’t so easily put off—and Tina can’t help but respond to his seduction. Picking up where they left off is tempting, but Gabe wants her all to himself. And Tina wants the whole package, which includes Connor.

At the risk of crushing his hopes for the future, Gabe sets out to prove he’s more than enough man for her…

Warning: If piping hot sex, ménage scenes, adult toys, anal play, short blonde heroines and stacked, muscular heroes are not your cup of tea, then don’t read this book. You won’t enjoy it.

 

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A Question of Fate?

 

Deep down at heart I’m one of those romantics who believes when you fall in love it’s for keeps. No matter what happens between the two of you, or how bad things may get, in the end you work it out, and get your relationship back on track. You find your way back to each other.

But am I being naïve? Am I living in a world of fiction? In that world I’ve written three books about ex-lovers reuniting. (A Question of Love, Only Tyler and Steve’s Story.) In each of these books I have known for sure the characters where meant to be together. It was fate – or as they say in Hebrew, besheert.

When I hear stories about couples breaking up or getting divorced – couples I’d always perceived as being happy together – I struggle to come to terms with it. I tell myself over and over it’s just temporary; they’ll soon discover they can’t live apart. And I am unfailingly shocked when they remain separated.

Then I have to question my intrinsic belief in love being for keeps, because what about that “first love”? Remember him? The guy (girl) you thought you’d never get over? The one you loved so deeply your heart just about shattered when you broke up? I bet, like me you believed you were meant to be together and somehow, some way, you would be a couple again. And yet, like me, I bet now you laugh at the thought. Yes, somewhere deep inside, you’ll always have a soft spot for him (her), and every now and then you take out those treasured memories and smile at them, but really, that’s all they are. Memories. You moved on a long time ago.

So how can I believe in love lasting forever? Am I mistaking love for fate? Because, as with the first love, most of us have fallen in love and then fallen out of love. But what about when we find “The One”? The person fated to be your partner. Your besheert. Do you think it’s so easy to fall out of love with him (her)?

I don’t. And perhaps this is where I should change my opening line and say:

Deep down at heart I’m one of those romantics who believes when you fall in love with the one fated to be with you it’s for keeps. And yes, I believe once you have found your fated love, no matter what happens between you, you will always find your way back to him (her).

I have to believe that. After all, I’m a romantic at heart.

😉

If you enjoy books about lovers fated to be together, don’t miss my new release, A Question of Love. It’s available from the 10^th of November at Samhain Publishing.

Fatin, once again, THANK YOU for inviting me to blog over at Novel Thoughts.

Jess
Jess Dee
Dee-liciously Sexy Romance
http://www.jessdee.com
http://jessdee.wordpress.com

http://internationalheat.wordpress.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat_Wave_Readers

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Special thanks to Jess for being our guest today! Leave a comment for the chance to win a download of a book off Jess’ backlist. You can also find out more about Jess and her books at her website here.

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Lauren Dane and Megan Hart have NO RESERVATIONS

Out today in all fine bookstores near you!

Four days in Vegas. Two sexy and determined men. One penthouse suite… And No Reservations.

Christmas isn’t so merry for Kate and Leah. Kate’s romantic winter holiday is destroyed by the sudden and uninvited presence of Dix’s annoying ex-wife while Brandon’s super-perfect family and a diamond ring sends Leah running for the refuge of a girl’s holiday in Sin City with Kate in tow.

Dix and Brandon both know what they want. Hopping a plane in hot pursuit, the men show up in Vegas, ready to use every sensual trick they have to convince Kate and Leah to take a gamble on forever.

(It seemed fitting to do our guest blog via IM since we pretty much wrote the book that way and it’s how we spend a lot of time! Without further ado – we present Megan Hart and Lauren Dane talking about our new release from Black Lace – No Reservations!)

Megan Hart: all righty, ready?

Lauren Dane: Ready to rock, ma’am

Lauren Dane: So No Reservations is out today

Lauren Dane: wheeee!

Megan Hart: Thanks to Fatin for having us here today to talk about it!

Lauren Dane: most definitely!

Megan Hart: Brandon and Leah have to be two of my favorite characters that I’ve ever written. Ever.

Lauren Dane: I totally loved writing the relationship between Kate and Dix – not just ending at I Love You, but a view of a working relationship

Lauren Dane: As a writer, having the ability to check in a year later or whatever, with a couple was really fun and satisfying. Love isn’t enough, it just sets the foundation. Seeing people work with each other, accept flaws and changing things to accommodate the long term presence of another in their established life was great fun for me

Lauren Dane: Plus, I gotta say, the friendship between Leah and Kate was a hoot to write

Megan Hart: I loved the friendship between those two women, and I agree. Writing an established romantic relationship can be challenging but even more fun than getting your characters together for the first time. I think so often in romance, particularly erotic romance, the focus is on HOW the characters fall in love (or lust) and it’s so gratifying to be able to take them beyond that first-falling-in-love feeling to something richer and a little more layered.

Lauren Dane: right. Oftentimes people complain that romance isn’t realistic, but I think that’s untrue and certainly not any more the case in the genre than any others. Dealing with children and in laws and a place for you in someone’s life – can’t get more realistic than that

Lauren Dane: That said, my favorite scene in the entire book is when Dix and Brandon arrive in Vegas and head to the Penny Pincher motel

Megan Hart: HAHA. Oh, yes. Those two guys. I loved their relationship, too, how they were thrown together in a situation neither of them wanted but they not only made the best of it but urged the other one and bonded. I love how they interacted.

Lauren Dane: Yes, I think I got to know Dix a lot better through Brandon’s interactions with him too.

Lauren Dane: It’s funny, usually for me writing is very internal, but working with a partner has its own challenges, and in our case, a lot more advantages. I think going back and forth the way we did made the process more interactive and fun. And I think it comes through on the page too

Megan Hart: I think so too. Writing this book was even more fun than writing Taking Care of Business. I love the inside jokes. I love how everything flowed from our IM conversations. Sometimes books are fun and sometimes they are not. No Reservations was definitely fun.

Lauren Dane: yes, it was the best joint writing project I’ve ever had, LOL. There’s a lot of camaraderie between the characters and I think that flows from our friendship and connection

Lauren Dane: it adds a layer I love

Megan Hart: *Hugs*

Megan Hart: We are full of love

Lauren Dane: hee, for two grumpy old ladies, LOL

Megan Hart: Well listen, sometimes in this business you have to take the love where you can. Writing is the best job in the world, don’t get me wrong, but it IS work. Being able to make it fun and hang with my BFF and be paid for it is awesome. Bonus!

Lauren Dane: yes! I think this project has from the very start been fun. We wanted to write this story we brainstormed and we’ve been able to do two chapters of it – that’s a wonderful thing

Megan Hart: Yep. And I’m still percolating a third and final part to the story! I’d love to tell it.

Lauren Dane: definitely! These two couples have more to say and we really need, well I can’t say or it’ll be a spoiler!

Lauren Dane: I suppose we need to give a blanket FYI that this book is a Black Lace book – so it’s erotic romance and it’s also a sequel.

Megan Hart: Right. So, plenty of sex and an already established relationship between the characters. Though I do think you should easily be able to read it as a standalone!

Lauren Dane: It’s been a bit crazy this book around because after we turned it in, Black Lace stopped accepting manuscripts for at least a year. So I admit I’ve felt a little adrift.

Lauren Dane: I do think you should be able to read it as a standalone – though there’s some pretty major groundwork laid in TCOB when it comes to who these people are and why.

Megan Hart: I highly recommend reading Taking Care of Business anyway!

Lauren Dane: well yeah, LOL

Lauren Dane: I think No Reservations is funnier – it reads to me that all four are more comfortable with themselves even when they struggle to process life’s changes

Lauren Dane: But there are sections when I re-read that make me LOL.

Lauren Dane: This book has a vein of humor that really pleases me

Megan Hart: I love the scene with Dix and Brandon in the strip club!

Lauren Dane: oh yes! That’s a really fun one to

Lauren Dane: too even

Lauren Dane: Readers definitely get a better look at both men in this book, or at least that’s how it felt to me

Megan Hart: Yeah. And since I love both of the men in this story, I think that’s fabulous.

Lauren Dane: Yes!

Lauren Dane: No Reservations and TCOB were two of the more “easy” writing projects I’ve done. The story seemed to flow well and the characters interconnected too

Lauren Dane: Anyhoodle, I don’t think this is the end of our characters, though we’ll have to find a new home for them since BL is no more.  I  hope people read it and feel as if they’re visiting with friends they haven’t seen in a while

Megan Hart: And I hope they love the story as much as we do.

Lauren Dane: Yes, that too, LOL!

Megan Hart: Or at least  half as much, because that would still be a lot.

Lauren Dane: very true. Considering how many hours we spent talking about these characters and getting them in and out of trouble

Nota Bene: I have not edited anything in the above exchange, other than changing the font color for the names.

Thank you for visiting, Ms Dane and Ms Hart!

Leave a comment to enter the drawing for one copy of No Reservations, sent by the authors to the winner directly from amazon.com

And do not forget to visit Ms Dane’s website and Ms Hart’s website to learn more about these two ladies’ wonderful work!

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ONLY IN MY DREAMS by Dana Marie Bell

Delayed gratification has its place. This wouldn’t be it.

Halle Pumas, Book 5

Gabriel Anderson has accepted a unique position in the shifter world. He’s about to become a Hunter, one of the few trained and sanctioned to hunt down the rare rogue shifter dangerous to humans and shifters alike. There’s one catch: until his training is complete, he must hold off on marking his mate. No problem…after all, she probably couldn’t handle the sexual demands he dreams of making on her.

Her mate’s apparent desertion devastates Sarah. And his friendship with another woman threatens the bond they should be sharing and building. Maybe flirting with another man will make him sit up and take notice—and finally win Gabe’s heart. It works. Almost too well.

One touch of another man’s hand on Sarah’s tempting body brings every ounce of Gabe’s possessiveness roaring to the surface. He wastes no time making his erotic dreams of dominating her a reality—whether she’s ready for it or not.

If she’s not, the only place he’ll ever have her is in his dreams…

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Once upon a time Gabriel Anderson, Sheriff of Halle, Pennsylvania, Marshall’s Second to the Halle Puma Pride, and mate to Sarah Parker, was given a wonderful opportunity to serve the shifter community even more than he already did. He was asked to fill the shoes of a deceased Hunter, one of the few shifters sanctioned to hunt down rogues. But the training required would take him away from his newly found mate for six months. So rather than have them both tortured by memories of being together and then apart he accepts the advice of his trainer and slips away in the dead of night, leaving her without marking her.

 

Six months later, he’s come to regret that…

 

Only In My Dreams came about when I asked myself a simple question: What happens when you do the wrong thing for the right reason? Let’s face it, we’ve all done something that, at the time, we thought was the right thing to do, and for very good reasons. For instance, I told a friend that some of our mutual friends were fighting about her. I thought I was doing the “Good Samaritan”, hey-you-should-know-about-this thing by letting her know what was being said behind her back. She was upset, and I understood why. I remember I kept telling her that, because she was the center of the storm she had the right to know what was going on and, if no one else would tell her then I would. I hoped she understood I was trying to be the best friend I knew how to be.

Instead I got angry letters from both her and her fiancé telling me and several other people that we sucked and they never wanted to talk to us again. Apparently she’d been a lot more upset than I thought just knowing people were fighting about her and blamed us all equally, them for fighting and me for telling her about it. I hadn’t even been part of the original fight, yet because I did what I thought was the right thing to do I lost two friends. And that wasn’t the first time my “helping” lost me people I cared about, even though I meant well. Over the years I’ve managed to let it go, since people do eventually outgrow “young” and… okay, usually you don’t outgrow “stupid”, so I’ll say “naïve” instead. I did what I thought was right, though I know now that it was wrong. I should have stayed out of it, let it run its course. Instead most of those people never spoke to each other again. (Although, frankly? Most of them were headed that way anyway.) But, like Gabe, I was punished for doing the wrong thing for the right reason: trying to help a friend.

That’s where things get tricky for poor Gabe. He does everything he can to ease the unavoidable separation between himself and Sarah, but instead tangles things up so badly he almost loses her. And make no mistake, Sarah is strong enough to walk away from her mate and never look back. It will take a lot of fast talking and a lot of loving for Gabe to win back Sarah’s trust. Is he an idiot for doing what he did? Possibly, but he acted on the advice of someone he thought knew more than he did about the subject, and who hasn’t done that? Who hasn’t acted on “expert” advice and, hindsight being what it is, looked back and gone, “D’oh! What the hell was I thinking? Or drinking, for that matter?”

Gabe will win his girl. But what Sarah and Gabe have to go through to get to their happy ending will leave them both shaken to the core and more tightly bound together than any other shifter couple I’ve written. And this time it will be the right thing to do.

P.S.: Only In My Dreams  is the last Halle Puma book. It was always meant to be the last Puma book. Now, before you start hunting me down, chaining me to my desk and refusing me chocolate until I comply with your demands, I AM starting a new shifter series. The Halle Shifters will be full length and will have more Weres than you can shake a stick at. Lions and Tigers and Bears and Foxes and Coyotes and…um, yes. Pumas. Pumas will definitely be there. In Halle. Where they belong. *cough* 

Maybe it’s the right thing to do to end the novellas and take the stories to full length, and maybe it’s the wrong thing, but I have to run with it, because I’m doing it for the right reasons. The biggest request I get from all of you is to make the stories longer and for me, that’s the best reason of all.

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Many thanks to Dana Marie for being our guest today! Leave a comment for the chance to win a download off her backlist. You can find out more about Dana Marie and her books at her website here.

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Susan Mallery: I discovered Anne Hathaway

Dana Birch vowed never to put herself at the mercy of a powerful man. She became a deputy so that she could take care of herself, and protect those she loved. Especially her best friends, the Titan sisters.

Twenty years ago, Garth Duncan swore revenge on Jed Titan for abandoning Garth and his mother. Now he s back to fulfill that promise, even if Jed s daughters get caught in the crosshairs. All that stands between him and his goal is Dana, her gun, and a growing passion that can t be denied…

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I Discovered Anne Hathaway

Yep, you read the title right. I discovered the actress Anne Hathaway. It was your classic “actress discovered in a shopping mall” kind of story (with “kind of” being the operative words). Several years ago, after a long day of shopping, I felt like taking a break, so I strolled over to the movie theater. They were playing a movie called THE PRINCESS DIARIES. What fun! I love Meg Cabot’s writing, so I was familiar with the book and had heard they were making a movie of it. I immediately bought a ticket.

Princess Mia was this awkward, frizzy-haired girl with bad eyebrows and bad posture, but I could see right through that right away. I knew she could be beautiful and sure enough, abracadabra. A super-fun makeover scene transformed her into a beauty and gave me a satisfyingly smug thrill of delight. As I left the theatre, I called a girlfriend and told her she had to go see that movie. Anne Hathaway was the Next Big Thing, I was sure of it. I talked about that movie for weeks.

Ever since then, whenever I see her in a film, I get an echo of that smug thrill. A smug tickle, if you will. She is, after all, an actress I discovered. We can disregard the producer, director, and everyone else involved in the film. (Except Julie Andrews. One must never disregard Julie Andrews.) No, no. I discovered Anne Hathaway. And then I spread the word about her and so now I feel partly responsible for her success. Congratulations, Anne, and you’re welcome.

I absolutely adore when I hear from a fan who has just discovered me. It’s so much fun to be discovered! There’s such excitement in the tone of their emails and messages on Facebook, and I hope it means that they’re getting the same thrill of delight that I got when I discovered Anne Hathaway. I hope they spread the word about me to their friends. And I hope they know that they truly do play a part in my success.

A lot of fans seem to have discovered me via my latest series, the Lone Star Sisters, which culminates with the November release of HOT ON HER HEELS. In fact, I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people who had never read a romance novel before, who were surprised by how much they loved it. So now I get the thrill of delight from thinking that I may be partly responsible for the future happiness of those readers. Through my books, they were introduced to the world of romance novels, and we all know what a wonderful world that is! A world of exciting possibilities, first kisses, well-matched spar partners, and those oh-so-wonderful happy endings.

Who have you discovered, whether a writer or someone on TV or in movies? How and when did you discover this person? Who did you tell about this person?

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Thank you, Ms Mallery!

You can learn more about Ms Mallery’s novels by visiting her website.

To celebrate the release of Hot on Her Heels, Ms Mallery is giving a $50 certificate to Zappos to one lucky commenter (military addresses, US or Canada residents only, as they don’t ship elsewhere)

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Deborah Cooke: “Some like it Hot”

One kiss can melt the coldest heart…

The mysterious Dragon’s Blood Elixir gives immortality to Magnus, the Pyr’s greatest enemy, and his minions. The Pyr must destroy this source of power, and outcast Delaney vows to complete the quest himself. Delaney was exiled because of his dangerous impulses, and success in eliminating the Elixir will either redeem him or end his suffering.

But his plans don’t take into account his sudden firestorm—or fiery Ginger Sinclair. The firestorm revitalizes Delaney, restoring him to his old self. And when Ginger learns about Delaney’s mission, she realizes she cannot resist a strong man with a noble agenda.

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Winter Kiss, book number four in my Dragonfire series, features Delaney – one of the dragon shape shifters called the Pyr–and Ginger, his destined mate. Delaney recognizes that Ginger is his destined mate in the way that the Pyr always do–sparks literally fly when the pair meet. This is the key indication of a Pyr’s firestorm, which is his contact with his destined mate and his chance to conceive an heir. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Pyr, which gives him a little extra incentive to get it right. The idea is that their desire burns brighter and hotter until the firestorm is satisfied – in this world, the mate is supposed to conceive the first time the pair are intimate.

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Ann Aguirre is Acapulco Bound!

*happy dancing* In bookstores everywhere today! *happy dancing*

A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

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I’ve been lucky enough to take some wonderful vacations since we moved to Mexico. We’ve visited Puebla, Queretaro, Catemaco, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and of course, I can’t forget the time I spent in a villa in Cozumel.

That trip was wonderfully relaxing, so tranquil and quiet. We had a local chef come in twice a day and cook breakfast and dinner for us; he made lovely food, and it was just so awesome to have him deal with the details. He did all the shopping, brought the groceries in, and prepared them for us. When he was done cooking, he did the dishes, and then left for the day. How awesome is that? We had some super delicious seafood — not surprising since we were on an island — and he made a vegetable dish that was new to me: chayote. Apparently, it’s a type of squash, but it’s more like potatoes in texture, and it’s way tastier than any squash I ever had before. It was totally delicious! Now we’re heading off to Acapulco on Wednesday and I can’t wait.

I’ve made us a reservation at a nice hotel. It’s always challenging to find a place that offers sufficient room for two adults and two kids. I’m not sure who designs most hotel rooms, but two double beds just does not cut it. This time, we got a condo style room with kitchenette and living room sofa beds. That means some separation between the kids and us, which is necessary for a good time. *g*

In my current release, Skin Game, the hero and heroine do a lot of traveling. How do you guys feel about road trip books? If you could drive across the US, what states would you be sure to drive through? What sights have you always wanted to see?

A random commenter will win a copy of Skin Game.

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Thank you, Ms Aguirre! 😀

Ladies, you heard the lady–comment away for a chance to win a copy of this exciting romantic suspense–and visit Ms Aguirre at her website and at that of her alter ego, Ava Gray‘s!

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