Monday, December 30, 2013

Looking Forward to a Happy New Year--Guest Jordyn Meryl!

Jordyn is a lovely person and wonderful author I met through WisRWA. Today she's sharing inspiration for the upcoming year. Please welcome back Jordyn!

Looking forward to the beginning of a new year, I have to first express my gratitude to God and His Universe for the many blessings given to me as a writer in 2013.

Years ago I bought a crystal box from Waterford. I call it my Christmas Wish Box. On New Year’s Eve I open it and look at last year’s wishes. Then I write three more wishes for the coming year. Some wishes are repeated for years, but eventually all come true or they lose their importance and are dropped.

I am not big on resolutions. I do like to set goals. Someone posted that you should make goals every week. I agree. Some goals are meant to be replaced by other goals. Things change, new opportunity present themselves. As writers we must be prepare to move forward.

For 2012 I was inspired to go out into the writing world, meet successful writers, visit new places. Mid 2013 I was told to stay put. "Be Still. Turn Around". Who told me? The spirit in me that I trust more than any human. 2014? I know I am going somewhere, where and when is not clear yet. But I will be shown the way, given the resources, a course will be charted.

Why, as a writer, do I believe and follow the directions of my soul? That is where I live. In the creative world of magic. Even when I hit block walls, are betrayed or belittled, I still trust the voice inside.

My world has no room for bitterness or regrets. I push on. I am living my dream and I like it here. Like I said I have been blessed.

May the coming year encompass you with love, strength, patience and many blessings.

One of my many blessings was to sign a contract with Idyllic Ink Publishing for my first novel "Becca’s Dance". It is scheduled to be released this spring.

I have always been inspired by music when writing. A song will spark a scene, a melody stir a feeling. Starting in January I will be blogging at http://jordynmeryl.wordpress.com/ connecting songs with scenes.

Coming early 2014 from Idyllic Ink Publishing--Becca’s Dance


The journey of life is not about the path traveled, it’s about the dance.

Remember your first love? The itching in your palms to touch that person, the churning sensation of your stomach when you kiss, or the promise of forever love? A summer romance had all the possibilities for Becca and Clay. But a tragic accident killing two of their friends, sent Becca running away to build a sheltered life, protected from pain. Clay tried to drown his pain in booze and other women, but failed. Each picked mates for reasons other than love.

Twenty years later their paths cross as Becca tries to escape from the shame of a divorce, and Clay is living life as a single father to six grown boys.

In the small community of Lester Lake, love, fate and star-crossed lovers work towards rekindling a first and only true love.


I am adding two more novellas to my "When Dreams…" series. All my books are available at
A

Right now if you buy the print copy, you can get the e-book for free.

Here’s hoping everyone enjoys a year to remember in a good way. Love and Peace.

jm

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

To everybody who celebrates at this time of year,
warm wishes for a happy Christmas, Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and Prosperous New Year!

Mary

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

3T Writing Tidbit

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

Archetypes. How many are there, and what are they?

Basically, an archetype is a prototype; a model on which all others are based.

The problem is that archetypes are found in a variety of fields, e.g. psychology, literature, drama, mythology. Each field adds its own flavoring to the word. For example, Jungian psychology ramps up archetype to a universal model subconsciously shared by all of us.

Of course as authors, we're looking for character archetypes. Are there seven? Eight? Twenty-eight? Depends on which website you visit. Some base their archetypes on recurring mythic characters; some on their roles within the story.

Here are some interesting links I found. (No recommendations explicit or implied here, they're simply places I found with ideas that might jump start your own. That having been said, I did see some neat ideas :)

Some views on archetypes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArchetypalCharacter
http://www.tamicowden.com/archetypes.htm
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/archetypal-characters.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetypal_literary_criticism

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Cougars and Cops--Guest Teresa Noelle Roberts!

Teresa had me at Bugs-Bunny-on-crack magic. Please welcome again Teresa Noelle Roberts with the second installment from her marvelous newest red-hot paranormal romance, Cougar's Courage!

Toronto cop Cara Many-Winters Mackenzie is still reeling from her fiancé’s murder when her orderly life takes a turn toward the weird, complete with voices in her head and phantom bleeding wounds.

This violent awakening is the rise of her Different gift—a chaotic, Bugs-Bunny-on-crack magic that she must learn to control before it destroys her. There’s only one place to get help: her mother’s ancestral village, and a mentor who seems to have stepped straight out of the smoke of her erotic dreams.

Cougar Dual Jack Long-Claw reluctantly agrees to take Cara under his wing, though he’d much rather take the beautiful city girl into his bed. As he guides her through a crash course in shamanic magic, sparks fly—some sexy, some snarky. But when an ancient enemy attacks the village, they must work together to hone a magical weapon against certain destruction.

Common sense tells them it’s a terrible time to fall in love. Their spirit guides have other ideas. And shamans who don’t listen to their spirit guides are dead shamans…

Warning: Hot shape-shifting feline hero. Strong but shell-shocked heroine. Snarky, meddling spirit guides. And lots and lots of sex: angry sex, crazy sex, magical sex, and just plain sexy sex.

Thanks for letting me visit your blog. I’m here to celebrate the release of my paranormal erotic romance Cougar’s Courage, the next installment of the Duals and Donovans: the Different series. (It’s book 3, though there are four Duals and Donovans titles out counting this one. Fox’s Folly takes place several years before the numbered books in the series. Don’t worry, it confuses me too!) Duals are shapeshifters, persecuted in the US for their abilities. Donovans are a powerful witch clan. But while Donovans are important secondary characters in this book, the book focuses on another flavor of magic-users: shamans. And unlike witches, shamans don’t have to be human…

“Officer Mackenzie?” The voice sounded like her captain’s, but Bell wasn’t known for his stealthy tread. Had Cara been that lost in thought?

Cara jumped a little and looked up from the incident report she was struggling with, the words dancing behind a rising headache and the pervading sense of anger and uselessness she’d been fighting since Phil’s death five months ago. She expected to see her captain’s bulky, blue-clad form looming over her with that awkward no, I’m not checking up on you expression that was way more annoying than open concern would be—and open concern had gotten annoying sometime before her fiancé’s grave was filled in.

Instead, she saw a totally unexpected person, a tiny, wiry old woman with long white braids, no taller than most ten-year-olds, who bristled with energy.

Cara’s rational brain took in a few things. Normally, civilians didn’t get into the squad room without an escort, but the elderly lady was alone. Maybe someone had dropped her off, said something about why she was there, and then left? If that were the case, that was bad even for the mess Cara had been for the past five months.

The visitor wore a pale buckskin dress ornamented with beads and porcupine quills, not a fashion statement but traditional Native clothing, and no coat despite the frigid February weather. Her silvery braids were fastened with rawhide strips. Not something you saw every day in Toronto. Maybe the old lady figured serious business like a visit to the police station merited her version of a weddings-and-funerals suit or dress uniform.

“May I help you, ma’am?” The unusual visitor had roused her curiosity, which could only be good.

“No, but I can help you, Cara.”

How did she know Cara’s first name? Her name plate just said Mackenzie.

The elderly woman extended a small, bony hand, and Cara instinctively took it. She expected it to be icy. Instead, it was hot. As soon as they touched, Cara felt like she was focusing properly on the other woman for the first time. She blinked and recognized her visitor at last. “Grand-mère? Is that you?”

It couldn’t be. Cara had been ten the last time she’d seen the elder of her mother’s village, and the old lady must have been over eighty then. But the woman nodded and smiled. It was an odd smile, like a tree smiling, serene in a way that you didn’t normally see on a human face. “Of course it is, silly. Who else would I be? It’s time to come home, Cara. Come to Couguar-Caché before it’s too late.”

Couguar-Caché—“hidden cougar” in French—her mother’s ancestral village. A place so remote Cara had never been able to find it on a map, even though she knew she’d been there as a little girl. Yeah, just where she wanted to visit in the depths of winter.

As the old woman spoke, the room closed in, leaving only Cara and Grand-mère. The rest of the squad room was still out there—Cara could hear voices, a ringing cell phone—but they were hidden somehow, masked by a fog. Grand-mère had been seated, but suddenly, with no transition Cara noticed, she was standing in an archway made of snow-weighted evergreen boughs. Behind her, where Cara should have seen Dalhousie’s chaotic desk and the captain’s neat one, was forest and snow, woodland twilight and the corner of a log cabin. A cold, bracing wind blew through the archway, smelling of snow and pine and wood smoke. Somewhere in the background, she could make out a tall man with long dark hair. He turned and looked through the weird portal straight at her with intense amber eyes. He was movie-star gorgeous.

That proved it. She’d dozed off at her desk—it wouldn’t be the first time since Phil had been killed, seeing that the busy squad room felt safer and less lonely than her empty bed—and was having a particularly vivid dream. It had to be a dream, right? Because no one else in the squad room was even glancing at her unusual visitor, when normally, on a quiet, snowy afternoon, Goulding, who was a wolf dual, would have been literally sniffing the air and the others would be leaning in, hoping for something interesting. It was the first time Grand-mère had joined the cast of beloved dead people who romped through Cara’s mind whenever she closed her eyes, but unlike the others, Grand-mère was cheerful. And she’d brought a very decorative man with her.

But Cara shouldn’t be dreaming about handsome imaginary men. In some ways, that was more disturbing than dreaming about bloody dead ones. The involuntary surge of interest reminded her of the real man she’d lost.
 
Amazon US/Amazon UK/Kobo/Barnes&Noble Nook/Samhain

Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but hot paranormals and BDSM-spiced contemporaries are her favorites. She’s hard at work to bring you sexy magic with more Duals and Donovans adventures and getting kinky with hot dominant guys and smart women who submit to them—but not anyone else!—for your reading pleasure.
Teresa is a bit of a crunchy granola girl who enjoys belly dance, yoga, medieval re-creation, playing in the ocean, cooking, and growing more vegetables than she and her husband can possibly eat. She shares her home in southern Massachusetts with her husband, a Leo who works in law enforcement, and two overstuffed cats, who deserve their own shout-out as inspirations for her works. She and her husband often plan vacations around food, history, and/or proximity to water.
Find out more about Teresa at www.teresanoelleroberts.com. Or if you’d rather chat a bit, follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TeresNoeRoberts or become a fan at www.facebook.com/AuthorTeresaNoelleRoberts.


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

December 1T Olio

Lots going on, but I'll try to keep it short :)
  • Downbeat available for preorder A B 
  • Biting Holiday Honeymoons is now available. This is the updated rerelease of Nixie's and Elena's honeymoon short-shorts.
  • PARTY! Multi-author Facebook party celebrating the release of Biting Holiday Honeymoons. December 11, grab bag of prizes including 3 $10 Amazon gift certificates!!
  • Check out my upcoming books here.
  • Blurbs for Downbeat and Biting Holiday Honeymoons plus "Biting Christmas" excerpt below
A B

That special night with their master vampire is interrupted by Santa Vamp and Dracula.

Biting Christmas--Nixie and Julian slide into a hot-tub honeymoon, but things turn nasty when Santa Vamp shows up.

Biting Halloween--Elena and Bo's honeymoon in the Dells is derailed when they get run off the road by a vampire. They chase him, only to find out Dracula--the real Dracula--is on the loose. Introduces Glynn Rhys-Jenkins from Biting Oz.
Warning: These titles contain vampires. Fighting, biting, loving vampires. And adult couples trying to have sexy times on their wedding nights. Explicit language. Slang guide included.

Biting Halloween originally published as Biting Dracula. Biting Christmas originally published as A Biting Christmas Special.
 
From "Biting Christmas". Nixie and Julian are celebrating their first night as newlyweds.

I clinked my champagne flute to his. "A toast. To the first night of the rest of our lives."

"To the rest of this night." His eyes nailed mine, blue irises banding wide pupils, red flames dancing in them. "To taking you every way known to man or vampire--and more."

Whoo-hah. I drank. After a toast like that, with the images of the full honeymoon treatment, I needed the cooling. I set my glass down and reached for him. "Good. Great. Round two?"

He smiled, his eyes heating to that sexy violet. He reached for me. "Certainly--"

"Help! Please, someone help!"

Stab me with mistletoe. It was my honeymoon so of-fricking-course someone needed rescuing.
 
 
Downbeat
Striking the right note could shatter more than their hearts.

Biting Love, Book 7
After an attack that slaughtered his family, vampire Dragan Zajicek walled off his heart and went on a sixteen-hundred-year rampage with the bad boys of history.

Now a rock star of the concert podium and master freelance spy, he’s taken the baton for a small orchestra near Chicago to investigate rumors of a monstrous, undefeatable vampire dubbed the Soul Stealer.

But it’s the lovely, unassuming Raquel “Rocky” Hrbek who mesmerizes him from the first touch of her luscious lips on her flute.

Rocky, a shy shadow scarred by middle school cruelty, is mystified as to why core-meltingly gorgeous Dragan would notice a mouse like her. As his stolen kisses draw her dangerously close to the edge of her carefully constructed comfort zone, he exposes her secret—she’s investigating the monster herself.

As their quest draws them closer together, the monster zeroes in on the woman Dragan’s rebellious heart tells him is his mate. Now they must find a way to destroy the indestructible before Rocky is utterly consumed. And Chicago is bathed in the blood of innocents.

Warning: Contains a master of seduction and symphonies, an awkward and innocent flutist, small-town humor, heart-stopping action, and an exodus to Iowa. Oh, and the cheese balls are ba-a-ack—and deadlier than ever.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Cougar's Courage--Guest Teresa Noelle Roberts!

Teresa Noelle Roberts is a fellow Samhain author who writes exciting red-hot paranormal romances. When I heard Cougar's Courage had "snarky spirit guides" I hoped she'd share a bit with us. Great news--she's sent not one but two excerpts! The first is today's yummy "technically dressed" kiss :). The second will be posted December 10. Please welcome Teresa!

Thanks for letting me visit your blog. I’m here to celebrate the release of my paranormal erotic romance Cougar’s Courage, the next installment of the Duals and Donovans: the Different series. (It’s book 3, though there are four Duals and Donovans titles out counting this one. Fox’s Folly takes place several years before the numbered books in the series. Don’t worry, it confuses me too!) Duals are shapeshifters, persecuted in the US for their abilities. Donovans are a powerful witch clan. But while Donovans are important secondary characters in this book, the book focuses on another flavor of magic-users: shamans. And unlike witches, shamans don’t have to be human…

Logic says wait. Their bodies scream go. And their spirit guides are playing dirty.

Duals and Donovans: The Different
, Book 3

Toronto cop Cara Many-Winters Mackenzie is still reeling from her fiancé’s murder when her orderly life takes a turn toward the weird, complete with voices in her head and phantom bleeding wounds.

This violent awakening is the rise of her Different gift—a chaotic, Bugs-Bunny-on-crack magic that she must learn to control before it destroys her. There’s only one place to get help: her mother’s ancestral village, and a mentor who seems to have stepped straight out of the smoke of her erotic dreams.

Cougar Dual Jack Long-Claw reluctantly agrees to take Cara under his wing, though he’d much rather take the beautiful city girl into his bed. As he guides her through a crash course in shamanic magic, sparks fly—some sexy, some snarky. But when an ancient enemy attacks the village, they must work together to hone a magical weapon against certain destruction.

Common sense tells them it’s a terrible time to fall in love. Their spirit guides have other ideas. And shamans who don’t listen to their spirit guides are dead shamans…

Warning: Hot shape-shifting feline hero. Strong but shell-shocked heroine. Snarky, meddling spirit guides. And lots and lots of sex: angry sex, crazy sex, magical sex, and just plain sexy sex.

This sexy bit falls shortly after Jack, Cara, and another shapeshifting shaman fought off mysterious creatures that turned out to be loups-garous: sorcerers possessing wolves through a particularly nasty form of magic. Jack and Cara are both in shock.

Jack had dropped the blanket when he bolted for the door. Technically, he was dressed—at least, all the most interesting bits were covered—but the shredded jeans and exploded shirt exposed a lot of velvety bronze skin and sculpted muscle.

Cara tried to look away.

He gently but firmly pushed her face back toward him. “If you want to stare, stare. Lesson number two: denying harmless impulses makes good chaos turn bad.”

“The trick is figuring out which impulses are harmless.”

His hand was burning her face. She’d have a print of Jack’s hand on her jaw before long, from the heat of his touch.

She moved his hand away with her own, the one where she still wore her engagement ring. She tried to focus on the ring. Phil had been dead less than six months. Her body might be ready to jump into something, but it was too soon. Wasn’t it?

The contact surged through her like a jolt of electricity—a cliché, but it seemed appropriate. Every cell in Cara’s body went on alert. She heard distant music. Not angels singing, more like the bom-chicka-bom-bom soundtrack of a vintage porn movie, but it fit the erotic promise in that simple touch that, she suspected, hadn’t been intended to convey more than generic, instinctive flirting.

Moisture gushed between her legs. Her nipples perked painfully.

Her willpower and morals were out drinking whisky until their panties melted, and the pale memory of a dead man looked at the big, handsome, vividly alive man in her company and decided to join willpower and morals at the bar.

“Oh Powers,” Jack whispered, no trace of teasing in his voice now. “Did you feel that too?”

Before she could answer—before she could deny what she certainly shouldn’t be feeling, manage a last-ditch effort not to do something dumb—they were kissing.

Cara was doomed.

No, she’d been doomed even before he wrapped his arms around her, guided her to her feet and pulled her against him with a groan. Doomed before she got a good noseful of his scent, pine and fresh air, wood smoke and, despite being in wordy form, fur. Doomed before his mouth took hers, nothing polite or tender or gentle about it, but sheer, wanton need.

Doomed from the instant she woke to see him sitting next to her bed, looking like where he really belonged was in it. Doomed as soon as she’d laid eyes on him along the road. Doomed perhaps, as soon as she’d had that first erotic dream.

It wasn’t right, she dimly knew, to blame fate or magic or anything other than her own weakness and Jack’s for impulsive behavior. His hands gripped her ass, cocking her hips forward so her heated sex pressed against his rock-hard thigh, while his lips and tongue and even his teeth did things to her mouth that sapped her common sense. The surprising heat of his body embraced her so she felt like she wore his aura of feline and magic. Her body, and perhaps their magic, made the choice for her.
Maybe for him too, because Jack, big, beautiful, arrogant Jack, was trembling against her like a teenage boy in the heat of his first time. His hands shook as they worked their way under her layers of clothing. They were cold on her skin, but only for a second. Then they turned hot, as if leaving trails of fire behind them as they journeyed up her body.

Amazon US/Amazon UK/Kobo/Barnes & Noble Nook/Samhain


Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but hot paranormals and BDSM-spiced contemporaries are her favorites. She’s hard at work to bring you sexy magic with more Duals and Donovans adventures and getting kinky with hot dominant guys and smart women who submit to them—but not anyone else!—for your reading pleasure.

Teresa is a bit of a crunchy granola girl who enjoys belly dance, yoga, medieval re-creation, playing in the ocean, cooking, and growing more vegetables than she and her husband can possibly eat. She shares her home in southern Massachusetts with her husband, a Leo who works in law enforcement, and two overstuffed cats, who deserve their own shout-out as inspirations for her works. She and her husband often plan vacations around food, history, and/or proximity to water.

Find out more about Teresa at http://www.teresanoelleroberts.com/. Or if you’d rather chat a bit, follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TeresNoeRoberts or become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTeresaNoelleRoberts.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

3T Writing Tidbit


Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

Supporting cast must
  • Add to the story
  • Have a payoff before disappearing

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

French Lessons in Love--Guest Natasha Bond!

Natasha Bond is a wonderful Samhain author I met online and immediately knew I'd love her writing. Then I saw the excerpt she picked and I immediately knew my readers would love it! Check out Dracula :) (And Zorro. Yu-um.) Please welcome Natasha!
 
I have to admit, I’m not really a fan of traditional ‘Latin’ heroes in contemporary romance. All those Greek, Spanish and Italian billionaires don’t really float my boat... but when it comes to a French guy, now that’s a different matter!
No, make that two French hotties.
The Study in Seduction series features two separate but related books about two brothers, Alex and Olivier Lemaitre who are both into BDSM relationships.  They’re not ‘Doms’ in the traditional sense because they’re not interested in living by the rules and regulations of the whole ‘lifestyle’– as they would very firmly point out to you!
What they are into is having a lot of sexy, kinky fun with partners who feel the same way.
But life’s not that simple is it? Because the two smart and sassy women they encounter, challenge everything they thought they wanted and needed in their lives.
DARK BLUE is the first book in the series and features Alex and Carla – out now. Book 2 is called FRENCH BLUE and is the story of Olivier and Lisa – published in June 2014.
Dark Blue is a Night Owl Top Pick.

The hottest lessons require the strictest discipline…

Study in Seduction, Book 1

Five years after losing her husband, Carla Jonas has finally decided to go for her dreams—all her dreams, from studying literature at Oxford to exploring a secret desire to be dominated and disciplined. A desire she never knew she had until six months ago, when a mysterious masked man pleasured her at a fetish party.

She’s stunned when she meets her new college professor. Not only is the gorgeous French academic, Alex Lemaitre, notoriously strict, this isn’t the first time they’ve met. She’d know that exotic accent anywhere—he’s her masked lover. Except he won’t even admit he was there that night.

There’s no mistaking the sexual attraction smoldering between them, and when he issues her a challenge, she’s more than up for it. Even when his unique tutoring methods drag her far beyond her comfort zone.

But as he leads her on a journey of sensual discovery, she’s not sure if any degree of submission will find its way into his guarded heart, or if she’ll end up with her own heart broken. 
 

Product Warnings
Contains an intense relationship between a hot French professor and a smart woman who knows what she wants from him. Also features desktop discipline, fantasies fulfilled, secrets revealed, and motorbike sex.  
 

Enjoy this excerpt from Dark Blue!

Copyright © 2013 Natasha Bond
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication


Carla Jonas set one foot in the drawing room of the swanky Victorian terrace and knew she’d made a huge mistake. She’d promised herself she would give the party a good hour before she decided whether to stay or not.

She’d given it five minutes and was ready to bail out.

Despite the magnificent chandelier suspended from the ceiling, the room was lit only by candlelight. Nonetheless, Carla could see all she ever wanted to.

On a satin couch, a chubby man in hot pants and a dog collar was feeding grapes to a woman in a latex catsuit. Over by the fireplace, a bearded nun flicked a rubber flogger at the rear of a matronly lady, and the tangle of limbs in a dark corner told her that at least three people, all naked except for their masks, were getting to know each other very well indeed.

Carla hiked up the front of her velvet basque for the umpteenth time. She’d worked hard to keep her figure, but the leather trousers that were comfortable a decade ago required a shoehorn to get into and out of. Her heels, an impulse sale purchase from a shop aimed at girls half her age, were killing her. As for the silver mask, a relic from a New Year’s Eve do, it had cut her peripheral vision to almost zero.

Which was why she felt rather than heard the bald man who’d appeared at her side. Mainly because he’d greeted her with a heavy slap across her behind.

“Ow!”

Two eyes peered out from a Dracula mask, and he swished a black cape that Carla suspected had come from his kids’ Halloween box.

“Well, hello, you. Are you ready to play?” His attempt at a sexy growl sounded more like indigestion.

“Um…I’m not sure.”

Dracula grasped her butt cheek. “Of course you are.”

“Ow!” Carla shot backwards out of reach. “I’d really rather you didn’t do that.”

“Oh, we are a skittish little thing, aren’t we? This is a fetish party, love. What did you expect? Look around you.”

She had. Too much. Glancing at the panting, giggling mass of people of all ages, shapes and sizes in various states of fancy dress and fancy undress, she just felt ridiculous.

Dracula clamped his fingers round her wrist, and Carla wrenched her arm away. This party might have been some people’s wildest dreams come true. Fine. She now knew it wasn’t hers.

“Actually, I was just on my way out. I really don’t think this is me.”

He waggled eyebrows that reminded Carla of caterpillars. “Then why are you here, you naughty little minx?”

Carla gagged as he ran a fat finger down her cleavage. In any other situation, she’d have kicked him in the nuts and called for help. Not in here. Hitting Dracula in the balls might save her from getting pawed again, but there was no way she wanted to draw any attention to herself. A dignified exit was the best she could hope for now.

“You know, I don’t really know why I’m here, and I’m not sure I should be. In fact, this has probably been one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”

Dracula’s pudgy claw clamped down on her wrist.

Stop right there.

Another man appeared in Carla’s vision. She had to crane her neck to take in all of him, and what she did see was dressed from head to toe in black—boots, jeans and silk shirt. His thick, dark hair was slicked back from a tanned forehead, his eyes obscured by a black silk mask.

Dracula squared up to the new man. “What’s it got to do with you, pal?”

“A lot. The lady is with me.”

That accent… It was perfect English with a hint of something more exotic. An image slid into her mind and made her want to giggle. He was the man in the mask. Zorro.

“So why don’t you just leave us to it, Dracula?”

Carla made to protest, then clamped her lips together. While Zorro and Dracula beat the crap out of each other, she could quietly slip away.

“You don’t bring your own food to this kind of party, mate, and even if you do, it’s share and share alike around here,” said Dracula.

“Firstly, I’m not your mate, and second, I never share.” Zorro sneered and very beautifully, Carla decided, transfixed by his full, sensual lips. He hadn’t resorted to silly gear either, just what he’d found in his closet, by the look of it. Wow. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted this kind of scene either and was exploring or curious like her.

Dracula stepped closer until he was face-to-chest with Zorro. “Then you shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t and neither should my girlfriend. We’re both leaving.”

Carla turned her back and headed for the door. Before she knew it, Zorro’s arm was at her elbow, propelling her out onto the landing. She shook off his arm. Shit. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. But what a fire, her wicked side whispered. Although he made no attempt to touch her again, his footsteps followed her as she hobbled down the marble staircase that led to the foyer.

“Please don’t come after me. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself,” she said, making it into the foyer without breaking her ankle.

“I’m sure you are. My question is, what on earth are you doing here?”

She turned, one hand on the polished balustrade to steady herself. What was she doing here? It was a question she’d asked herself ever since she’d managed to get an invite to this fetish party. It had been on her list of Mad Things to Do since her husband, Stephen, had died four years previously, along with giving up her job and using Stephen’s inheritance to go to university. In fact, it was only in the past few weeks that she’d finally found the courage to embrace the desires she’d pushed into the darkest corners of her subconscious while her husband was alive—and that afterwards she’d been too crushed by grief and betrayal to even contemplate.

This party was meant to be her first step, a safe, toe-in-the-water adventure suggested by a friend of a former work colleague.

She fished in her bag for her mobile. “I have no idea, and right now I’m leaving.”

Zorro sighed deeply, causing Carla to look at him more closely. His eyes were darkest caramel, glinting in the flickering candlelight. “Yes. I’m guessing we both thought this was a good idea at the time,” he said.

Sparks flew between them, or at least they flew from her to him. Even with the mask obscuring the top half of his face, she could tell he was sinfully gorgeous, and as for that accent, it made her want to drool. She couldn’t place it, but, judging by the tanned hand, she guessed he was at least partly Mediterranean. Automatically, she checked out his ring finger. There was no pale band where a ring might have been, though that didn’t mean he was single. She just couldn’t bear to hook up with a man prepared to hurt his partner the way that Stephen had done to her.

Down here in the hall, the situation had started to edge back into her comfort zone, and she smiled. “A friend of a friend I used to work with mentioned this place to me; now I wish she hadn’t. What about you?”

“Something like that… I can see you don’t belong here. Neither of us does.”

Though he hadn’t so much as touched her, the intense look he gave her reached out and caressed her whole body. She felt as if she had been stripped naked by his words. You don’t belong here. Neither of us does. The party had been a disaster, but meeting this man might be fate. She’d never felt such a powerful and instant attraction to a man before, not even with Stephen. Was this the moment when she would finally dare to take a chance? With this exotic stranger?

Amazon B Samhain 
Natasha Bond is the pen name of a multi award-winning author of hot and erotic romance. She lives in England with her husband, Mr Bond.

 
 

Thursday, November 7, 2013

My Author Tool Bag

Introverts can thrive. Here are some tips, to CIOs but they apply to writers too. From my husband Gregg.

http://www.itnews.com/business-issues/70148/how-introverted-cio-can-survive-extroverted-world?source=ITNEWSNLE_nlt_itndaily_2013-10-31


My Author Tool Bag features sites I use in writing, editing, and marketing. It's stuff I've found online. The usual caveats apply--no recommendations either expressed or implied, don't click on blind links, have a good antivirus, etc. You know the drill.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

November 1T Olio

Cover reveal! Just in time for the holidays, I'm re-releasing the holiday honeymoon short stories. Releasing later this month. Multi-author release party to follow. Watch for news.

Biting Holiday Honeymoons


That special night for Nixie and Elena each with their master vampire is interrupted by Dracula and Santa Vamp.

Short-shorts Biting Halloween (originally Biting Dracula) and Biting Christmas (originally A Biting Christmas Special) updated and expanded.

Biting Christmas—Nixie and Julian slide into a hot-tub honeymoon, but things turn nasty when Santa Vamp and Mrs. Claus show up.

Biting Halloween—Elena and Bo's honeymoon in the Dells is derailed when they get run off the road by a vampire. They chase him, only to find out Dracula—the real Dracula—is on the loose. Introduces Glynn Rhys-Jenkins from Biting Oz.

Warning: These titles contain vampires. Fighting, biting, loving vampires. And adult couples trying to have sexy times on their wedding nights. Explicit language. Slang guide included.

Thanks to Tibbs Design for the wonderful cover!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

She's All In--Guest Cathryn Cade!!

Cathryn Cade is a wonderful Samhain author whose new release She's All In has amazing chemistry between the couple and a romantic dom. Please join me in welcoming Cathryn back to my blog!

For her sexy Dom, she’ll open up…but only love will take her all the way.

Club 3, Book 1

When Daisy joins Big Iron Fitness, it’s to get fit and more comfortable in her skin. But what really makes her sweat is gym owner Dack Humboldt. Watching him pump iron sets off an endorphin rush that has nothing to do with exercise.

Dack isn’t looking for love, and doesn’t usually waste time on vanilla even when it’s packaged in a bombshell blonde. Until he hears Daisy’s been asking questions about the goings-on at his private sex club. He’ll be happy to show her the ropes…on his terms.

Daisy gathers the moxie to ask Dack out on a date, and gets an offer she can’t refuse. The chance to explore some of her most private fantasies and move beyond her fears about her body.

As Dack leads Daisy by the thong into the Dom/sub world, she feels as if she’s finally in her element…until Dack issues a command that brings her up hard against her last emotional barrier. And Dack must decide how far he’ll go to bring his bombshell back into his arms.

Product Warnings
Body builders showing off their physiques, blondes looking to have more fun, and members of a private club sharing more than conversation.  
 
Copyright © 2013 Cathryn Cade
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication


If it weren’t so hot, Daisy would have walked to the restaurant, but as she emerged from the gym, the sun slapped down on her head and shoulders like a heated blanket. She loved summer but preferred to be by a pool or a lake when it was this hot.

The air-conditioning barely had time to cool her car off before she rolled to a stop in the busy Zellaby’s parking lot. She grabbed her small turquoise purse and slung the long strap over her head and one shoulder before locking the car.

As always, she gave her new baby a pat before she walked away. The cocoa-hued Nissan Altima was a gift from her parents. She knew the purchase had sprung from the guilt and helplessness they felt at being unable to help her through her ordeal, but she hadn’t even tried to talk them out of it. She loved the sporty coupe too much.

The restaurant was busy. The small foyer was crowded with people waiting for a table. Air-conditioning, voices and pop music poured over Daisy. She sidled past a pair of small boys tussling while their seated mother ignored them in favor of her cell phone.

Next she had to duck around one of the luxuriant ferns hanging from the restaurant’s low ceiling. The decor was cheerful and old-fashioned with everything from antique toys to vintage movie posters hanging on walls and support beams. Daisy wasn’t sure where the ferns fit in the theme, but she liked them.

Her friends were waiting at a table by the street-side windows. Sara wore another Lycra tank and shorts like the one she’d worked out in, these brown, her long auburn hair bundled up on her head. Carlie had taken the time to apply fresh makeup. She wore a sleeveless cotton blouse in her signature coral pink. Daisy couldn’t see the rest of her under the table, but she knew her friend, who considered herself fat, was probably wearing conservative capris despite the heat.

As Daisy slid in beside Sara, Carlie took one look at her and pushed a tall glass of iced tea toward her. “What’s wrong, Daise?”

“Yeah, you’re all…agitated.” Sara eyed her keenly.

Daisy took a sip of the cold tea. Should she tell them what she’d overheard? It was really just gossip at this point. But as she looked into their curious faces, she gave in to temptation.

“You’re not going to believe what I heard in the locker room,” she said, leaning forward to speak in hushed tones. There was a large, noisy family on the other side of them, and the booth behind her was still empty, so she felt sure she wouldn’t be overheard.

By the time she finished repeating the locker-room conversation, Sara’s and Carlie’s eyes were wide and their mouths open in identical O’s of astonishment.

Daisy stirred sweetener in her tea and took a long drink, enjoying their reactions. She was still shocked and, yeah, fascinated herself. It was a relief to share her turmoil with her friends.

“They own a…a sex club?” Carlie whispered. “Oh…my…God.”

“Picturing Jake in leather?” Daisy asked wickedly.

Carlie’s rounded cheeks flushed a dusky pink. She pressed manicured fingers to her full lips. Then she nodded, a nervous giggle bursting through her fingers. “With one of those floggers.” She mimed cracking a small whip.

Daisy looked at Sara, who was staring at her frosty glass of soda as if trying to remember what it was. Daisy nudged her with her elbow, and Sara flinched.

“So that’s why Trace is so scary,” the redhead blurted. “He’s into that kind of stuff.”

Daisy grinned. “They all are, evidently.”

“And why does that make you so happy, Ms. Don’t Touch Me?” Carlie’s words were teasing, but she appeared genuinely curious.

Daisy took a deep breath. “You want the truth? I’m so freaked out about my body image now and who I am sexually that it would just be nice…” She broke off, stirring her tea, not sure she could even vocalize her fantasies. Not without at least two margaritas inside her, anyway.

“Not to have to worry about what the guy wants, or whether you’re doing it right?” Sara finished for her. She took a long drink of her soda, looking like she too wished it were an alcoholic drink. “Not to be so busy figuring out how to please him that you miss out on all the fun yourself?”

“To let him teach you what feels good?” Carlie added, her blue eyes shadowed. “And have him make you feel special, maybe even treasured?”
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Shes-All-Club-3-ebook/dp/B00D89OGAA/ B S
 
 
 Cathryn Cade considers herself incredibly blessed to live in the Big Sky Country of Montana. She and her husband share their property with dogs (usually golden retrievers), cows and the various deer, antelope and elk that wander through their hay fields. From her computer, Cathryn looks out across the prairie at the rugged Rocky Mountains. With not much effort, she can visualize the cowboys, Indians, settlers and vigilantes who once rode the range--some from her own family.

Cathryn's fate was set from the moment she picked up her first book--The Little Red Hen. She hasn't stopped reading since. She wrote her first stories on ruled paper, with large crooked letters and plenty of eraser smudges. She began writing romance when she was home with two little boys in a very small town in the Rockies, had read every romance in the local library, and wanted more! In 2008 she published her first book with Samhain, and hasn't looked back.

When she's not inhabiting her fantasy world--um, when she's not writing, she is usually reading, quilting or trying a new recipe. In the great outdoors, she enjoys boating with her husband, hiking and exploring their home state's colorful history in museums and ghost towns. She and her husband also love Hawaii, and on their yearly visits love to snorkel, stroll on the beach and fantasize over mai-tai's about how to make the Big Island their second home.

Cathryn spends way too much time on the internet, and can often be found chatting on her BlogFacebook, Twitter, or via E-mail. She loves to hear from readers. Stop by her Website to read fabulous reviews of her books, and enjoy her Free Reads.
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Entangled Stories--Guest Edie Ramer--plus Giveaway!

When I didn't have a guest today, the awesome Edie Ramer stepped into the breach. Where do I start to introduce Edie? Besides being a terrific author of bestselling paranormal romance, romance and women's fiction, she's an amazingly kind and generous person. Kinda like Rocky actually, in that she doesn't even know it. But other writers are constantly saying, "I got my start in Indie publishing because of Edie Ramer." Including me. I owe her more than I can say. Please welcome Edie!

Thank you so much for having me here today! I’ve had a lot happening to me lately – publishing a new contemporary romance, Christmas at Angel Lake, the 3-book set, Miracle Interrupted Set, and I’m part of the 10-book Romance Super Bundle that’s on sale for only 99 cents.  But today I’m talking about a paranormal anthology of short stories and one novella, titled Entangled, a Paranomal Anthology, that author Misty Evans and I published a little over 2 years ago. It includes stories by at least 3 New York Times authors and another 3 USA Today bestselling authors. (The actual numbers might be higher; it’s hard to keep up with these fabulous authors.) All the proceeds are going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (which has a 5 star rating; the highest there is). Even the cover was donated by the wonderful Laura Morrigan.

I can’t tell you how proud of it I am. Yesterday, I lunched with Mary and three other area authors. Mary had heard that we’re taking the book down after October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and she wondered why and if the Entangled book would disappear from our e-readers. First, we never planned for it to go on forever. It’s been on longer than we planned – mostly because we were all too busy to think about it.

It’s only $2.99, very much a bargain, and none of us are getting even a penny of it. To answer Mary’s second question, no, it won’t disappear from your e-readers. You bought it, you keep it. Here’s the official blurb:

Ghosts, vampires, demons, and more! Entangled includes ten suspense-filled paranormal short stories from authors Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, and Michelle Miles, plus a Seven Deadly Sins novella by Allison Brennan. 

Here’s a short excerpt from my short story, “The Fat Cat”:

Of all the cat houses, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.

Tory locked eyes with a fat, black cat and shivered. It wasn’t really misquoting Casablanca at her, was it? She was a witch, not a cat whisperer.

It had to be in her mind. The cats she knew wouldn’t lower themselves to speak human.

“I don’t like this place.” Sorcha’s gaze around the cat playroom in the Humane Society was as scornful as if the place was violating the Geneva Convention instead of crammed with carpet-covered climbing thingies and scratching posts, plus strategically placed litter boxes that looked barely used.

Tory glanced around, too, from one cat to another, twenty or more. All colors, all sizes, all ages. Even the fat, black one who’d been staring at her since she walked into the oversized cat cage.

Or, as Sorcha called it, their prison.

“It’s clean,” Max said.

Sorcha stared at her husband, Tory’s brother, her expression as horrified as if he’d said she needed to stop eating ice cream. “So are hospitals. I don’t like them, either.”

Tory sniggered. She could always count on her sister-in-law to cheer her up, even after a break-up with her boyfriend.

She was replacing him with a cat.


A B 
B&N: http://bit.ly/1cPwnXZ  
Kobo: http://bit.ly/19oMI4p  
Apple/itunes  http://bit.ly/15Yl123  
All Romance eBooks http://bit.ly/RayaPA

I’m giving away a copy of my Miracle Interrupted Set to a commenter. Two of the authors are breast cancer survivors. (I’m one of the two.) Every author in this anthology knows someone else who had it or is going through it. What’s your experience with this disease?

Edie Ramer

A B  

Thursday, October 17, 2013

My Author Tool Bag

The Internet is a dangerous place for authors. Here are some great tips on how to weather the storm.

http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-laws-of-amazon-jungleeight-rules.html

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

3T Writing Tidbit

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.
Assorted editing stumbling blocks.
  • sidetrack is one word
  • bloodsucking is one word
  • check all helping verbs and modals (he had rescued, she would love) to make sure they're absolutely necessary. Verbs are often sharper and cleaner without the added words (he rescued, she loved).
  • don't hyphenate -ly adverbial phrases (nearly whole love, not nearly-whole love)
  • ... = trailing off
  • — = interruption
  • Current practice is to italicize present-tense thoughts.
  • Black market is the noun, black-market is the verb and black-market blood is a compound adjective

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Evil is in the Eye of the Beholder--Guest Vivi Andrews--plus Giveaway!

One of my most popular guests, Vivi Andrews, returns with a post that will blow you away. She's visiting to celebrate the release of her much-anticipated Karmic Consultants book, Karma's own story, Naughty Karma. An amazing author and great person. Please help me throw confetti to welcome Vivi!

Thank you so much for having me here today!  I’m thrilled to be celebrating the release day for Naughty Karma, my latest paranormal romantic comedy release with you!
There’s a great quote by one of the original paranormal authors, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: “No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”  That’s Prometheus, the hero of Naughty Karma, all over.  He’s not a bad guy… but he’s not particularly good at being good either.  He’s got a definite every-man-for-himself, survival-of-the-fittest attitude.  Until he meets Karma.  (And, yes, okay, even for a little while after he meets her.) 
Prometheus played the villain role in several of the earlier Karmic Consultants books – providing the catalyst for all manner of havoc that was wrought on the consultants as they fell hopelessly in love – but he was also the only one I could think of who could be the hero to Karma’s all-powerful heroine.  The only one who could really match her.
So how do you turn a villain into a hero?  It’s all about perspective, baby.  Like Madame Shelley said, no man sets out to be evil.  And Prometheus is no different.  It was important to me that he not be constantly apologizing for his actions.  He had to think he was in the right – and when both he and Karma are certain they are on the high ground, oooh, baby, is it ever fun to watch. 
Here’s a short excerpt of Karma and Prometheus going toe-to-toe. 
“You ass.” She stalked into the heart of his shop, the rap of her heels sharp on the hardwood floor. “I was willing to overlook the medallions you’d sold all over town, causing all manner of magical havoc.”

“Overlook? If no one was causing supernatural problems, you wouldn’t have any to solve. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to your business. I should get a commission.”

She didn’t appear to hear him. Her smoky, sex-kitten voice rasped over his words, gaining volume. “I chose not to respond to the pranks around Samhain and Beltane, and I ignored what I suspect was a curse of some variety designed to prevent me from being able to keep a receptionist for longer than a week.”

“I lifted that curse weeks ago.” Immediately after he’d semi-accidentally summoned a demon to harass her. It seemed the least he could do.

She went on as if he hadn’t spoken, though her hands clenched, rewarding him for the comment. “I refused to sink to your level, decided not to engage, but this? Siccing a demon on my brother’s wedding. A demon.”

“You have an exorcist on staff.”

“You sent a demon to stop my brother’s wedding!” she shrieked in an admirable impression of a banshee.

“It was a minor demon. And it wasn’t tasked with stopping the wedding. Just disrupting it a little.”

A little? You almost killed my wedding planner!”

“Are you always this concerned with things that almost happen? I almost rescue orphans from burning buildings on a regular basis. Then I remember I don’t particularly give a shit about orphans.”

“You want things that actually happened? He actually possessed the wedding planner’s car and crashed it. He stalked her for three weeks. He kidnapped her!”

“What’s a little kidnapping among friends?”

“We are not friends. You’re—” She broke off, reduced to sputtering her rage.

“Dashing? Magnetic? Unscrupulous?”

If she could have lit him on fire with her eyes, he would have been a smoldering pile of ash. “There are no words vile enough to describe you.”

“You realize all of this could have been avoided if you’d let me hire you in the first place.”

“My people don’t work for ethical black holes.”

“Ethics.” He flicked his fingers dismissively. “Rules we make for ourselves are easily changed, bent or broken. Survival of the fittest is the truest law. Unbreakable.”

“I’m not going to debate morality with you.”

“What are you going to do? Punish me?” He smiled wolfishly. “That could be fun. I have been a bad, bad boy.”

**
When a do-gooder matches up with a certified bad boy, I think they both get what they deserve.  Who’s your favorite semi-redeemed villain?

Comment through Friday to enter.

From Mary: Hey!! Can you believe it? Vivi is offering any of her ebooks--*including* Naughty Karma if the winner hasn't already picked it up ;) What are you waiting for? Comment today!
Thanks again for having me, Mary!  My pleasure as always, Vivi!

BOOK BLURB: Double crossing the devil is a dangerous business.

Karmic Consultants, Book 7

Nearly two decades ago, Prometheus sold his beating heart to a devil in exchange for epic power. That contract is about to expire—and so is he. There’s only one woman with the power to help him see his next birthday. And he’s willing to use every manipulation in his arsenal to pry that power from the ice queen’s grip.

Karma, who values order above all else, has had enough of the unscrupulous warlock’s pranks endangering her people. But when she confronts the wily trickster to demand a cease-fire, his terms throw her for a loop. The bastard wants her to save his life—and he wants her in his bed.

Clinging to her hard-won control is the only way Karma knows to keep her abilities from overwhelming her. If anyone can tempt her to embrace the chaos of her magic, it’s Prometheus.

One kiss brings her defenses crashing down. But can she trust Prometheus…or has she lost her own heart to a warlock with a hidden agenda? 

Warning: This book contains scheming, manipulation, bargains-with-the-devil, and meddling consultants. All’s fair in love and magic.


A B S


BIO: Vivi Andrews is the award-winning author of over a dozen paranormal romance novels and novellas.  A nomad at heart, she lives in Alaska when she isn’t indulging her travel addiction.  For more about Vivi and her books, please visit her website (www.viviandrews.com) or blog (Ramblings from the Road, www.viviandrews.blogspot.com).

 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Amber's Five Top Tips for Getting It On with a Hybrid--guest Roxy Mews--plus Giveaway!!

Samhain author Roxy Mews writes 'em hot and sassy, just how I like 'em. I'm thrilled she's visiting today with her debut Top Pick book! Please welcome my good friend Roxy...wait. Wolf shifter Amber is here!! Now this party's really rocking :)

Roxy can’t keep me quiet! I got to talk once before, and I liked it. We are taking over this place from Mary Hughes, and I have to admit, I like it here. She doesn’t have any hybrids, but there are some big blond vampires that look like they spent their lives pillaging and lifting weights. Don’t get me wrong. I love my mate Jake, and there is not a vampire alive…er…undead? Whatever…I might be mated, but I can appreciate a good looking man. Maybe I can introduce Shelly to some of the dudes around here. Shelly is a little blond Barbie-looking chick. I don’t like her, and she seems to lean a little too close to my Dad at times. She needs something a little more bitey to chew on.

Speaking of something to chew on, I am late for a wolfy run in the woods with my clan, so let me give you what I came here to share. It’s my top five tips for getting it on with a hybrid. For anyone who is thinking of mating with a vampire/werewolf hybrid, I thought I would share some things that would have helped me and my mate. Jake and I also had a homicidal vampire leader after us, so that might have been an issue too, but anyway here are my top five tips.

Top 5 tips for getting it on with a hybrid
  1. Solid wood bed.
    Dude. When a hybrid loses control, cheap furniture breaks. And trust me when I say, you totally want him to lose control. NOM.
  2. Mini Fridge at the Ready
    The last thing you want to do when you are in afterglow is go out for a sandwich. Keep some grub around. A LOT of grub. Sex tends to tweak an appetite.
  3. High Iron Snacks
    So, you have found a hybrid. No matter what side of them you are dealing with, biting happens. Trust me when I say, you want it. Oh man. It’s so good, but you do tend to get a little drained. Heh heh. Drained. So keep the spinach meatballs in the cupboard for the after those long glorious bitey times.
  4. Toss out the toys
    Just like beds don’t hold up, neither do the cheap plastic things they sell in the stores. If someone out there knows where there is a supernatural rabbit vibe, I am all for it. I like rabbits.
  5. Extra Clothes
    This is self-explanatory. When you need to venture out where people live, it pays to have more than Sponge-Bob pajama pants at your disposal. Trust me on this. Just…Trust me.

Thanks for letting me play over here, Mary. Roxy is busy freaking out over becoming an author. Personally, I think she needs to fight off an angry horde of vampires before she can talk to me about nerves. I am taking her bacon and cookies. Don’t worry. She’ll be ready to venture out of her writing cave soon. She won’t last long against the sweet meat candy and chocolate.

She told me to say she will give a copy of my story away to one lucky commenter. You might want to keep a cool drink nearby. It’s my story so you know it gets pretty hot. (Mary jumping in here. Comment through Friday! Roxy--or maybe Amber--will announce the winner here this weekend. :) )
 

A Love Worth Biting For

Who’s afraid of the big bad hybrid?

Hart Clan Hybrids, Book 1

Amber Paulson’s wolf has chosen a mate for her, but Amber is not amused with its pick. Jake Meyers might look amazing in a wet T-shirt and have the cheekbones and strong jaw that artists drool over. Too bad he is missing a pulse.

Jake is a vampire, well, mostly. Then a tall, curvy redhead pops up on his radar and something awakens in him. Even though he tries to stay away, Amber gets under his skin, and his vampire/werewolf heritage starts to become more bark and less bite. For the first time, he feels the call of the moon, and he knows it’s all because of Amber Paulson.

Amber’s trying to stay away, and Jake’s trying to not turn furry. They both fail miserably—and with a lot of sweaty and enjoyable property destruction.

By giving in to her mating call, Amber finds out more than she ever wanted to know about herself, her family, and the rogue wolf who took so much from her so long ago. As her past comes back to bite her, she’ll have to decide what she’s willing to give up for her mate. Her home? Her pack? Her…heartbeat? 



Product Warnings
This book contains a snarky shifter heroine who could give Sookie a run for her money, a hot hunk of a vampire with a soft (and furry) side, and sex so sizzling that even an inter-species war can’t get in the way.
 
AmazonB&NSamhain 


Roxy Mews wrote her first story at age six on an electric typewriter. It was about a cat and a haunted house. Thankfully, her stories and technology have matured since then. Roxy spends her days fighting the evil day job in hopes of conquering the stories that run rampant in her head.  To connect with Roxy Mews, find her babbling on Twitter, friend her on Facebook, visit her Blog, or find all these links on RoxyRocksMe.com.