If you were to ask me what I love the most about Valiant Heart it’s definitely the strong female characters. I’ve been dying to write a book that features an Amazon-like tribe of Huntresses, women who reject their destiny of having to mate with either a werewolf or a Hunter.  Women who take what’s theirs and all the power that comes with it. And that’s what you’re going to get in my latest Order of the Wolf book. These women kick some serious ass.

I’ve always been fixated on the role that strong female characters play in fiction and on the screen. I love watching and reading about women who can take charge, lead, manipulate, control, maim, destroy…whatever needs to happen, as long as it’s a she in that role.

If I were going to build an apocalypse team with only female heroines, my top five from movies and books would be:

Buffy either movie of TV show (both have merits)

Sarah Connor from Terminator

Selene from Underworld

Cynthia Leighton from D.B. Reynolds’s Vampires in America series

MacKayla Lane from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series

There are many more, of course, but all of these women exhibit, not only strength, cunning wit and courage, but they are also loyal, smart, and sassy. They truly take no shit, can roll with the punches, and will lead or follow depending on what the situation calls for. All of these traits are what make a solid team and blow up the scenes with much kick-assery.

Who are your favorite female leads?

What traits would you look for if you were putting together an apocalypse team?

What are some books you’ve read with strong female characters?

Contest

I’m giving away 5 prizes of any one ebook copy from my backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When the choice is love or loyalty, no matter what she chooses the heart will bleed.

The Order of the Wolf, Book 6

Slay the beasts. Save the day. Such is Ariana’s role in her first mission for the Queen. She has no reason to think the rest will be any different…until, in the heat of battle, she uses her powers to heal an injured Order Huntress.

Her gift doesn’t go unnoticed. Lance, her very own Hunter, zeroes in, and a different battle is on. Lance is hot and very attentive, but this Amazon is determined to stay independent.

Lance has prepared his whole life to battle alongside his mate. Now that he’s found her, nothing and no one else matters. He’s not letting her go.

For the Queen’s second mission—bring the Oracle into the tribe—Ariana risks taking Lance’s bond to get more power. She never expected her body to crave more pleasure, her heart to lower its defenses.

As the battle rages on between Huntresses and beasts, there’s a foul plan in play that will force Ariana to decide where her loyalty lies. The cost of her choice could be a life.

Product Warnings

Contains a squirm-worthy love triangle, plus some scenes of debatable consent between a take-no-crap Huntress and a super-hot playboy with a come-hither smile and a come-multiple-times tongue.

Excerpt from Valiant Heart

“We’ve been tracking Lazarus’s pack for years to no avail. Lost quite a few of our members to his claws and so we retreated to build up our strength and our numbers.” I pushed myself from the wall and walked to the center of the room where Greer stood. “When we heard that he’d been defeated by one of yours, we put together a team to track what was left of his pack. What better time than now to eliminate the threat? While his pack is still reeling from the loss of one so powerful?”

“And so we’re here, offering our support.” Greer smiled. “All we ask is that you come with us.”

“Like hell! You’re not going anywhere with these bitches!” Lance bellowed from the doorway, his look less disheveled than I would have expected. His hair was damp and pulled roughly into a tail at his nape, his clothes clean, his stance wide, like he was loath to let the coarse fabric of his jeans touch anything in his crotch region.

That last assessment might have been some wishful thinking on my part, my anger suddenly rising with the memory of his attempted bonding.

“Lance, you have no idea what we’ve been talking about.” Kelly moved toward him, hands raised like she was cornering a wild animal.

I smirked as I shot a knowing look in Greer’s direction. She was raptly watching the scene play out, amused no doubt that Kelly was even bothering to calm the man down. As if a Hunter could control any Huntress.

“These women are not what they seem, Kelly.” Lance was furious, rightly so perhaps, but coming off as a raging lunatic. “Open your damn eyes.”

Kelly flinched and halted, her expression losing any softness she’d had moments before. “My eyes are open. For the first time in years, they are wide open. These women are Huntresses and they are offering me a chance to empower myself and find Andrew. What the hell are you so scared of?”

“Your power, sister,” Greer whispered. “That’s what they’re all afraid of.”

Copyright © 2015 Angela Addams

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

About the Author

Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband and children.

Website: www.angelaaddams.com
Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/blFHeL
Twitter: @angelaaddams
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelaaddams/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams

Buy the book here:

Samhain
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5634/valiant-heart

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca
https://www.amazon.ca/Valiant-Heart-Order-Angela-Addams-ebook/dp/B0118ZFOFQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1439915255&sr=1-3

Amazon.uk

Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/valiant-heart

BN
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/valiant-heart-angela-addams/1122273972

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/NO/book/id1017609140?l=en

It’s here! MONTANA SEAL is finally out. I hope you all run out and get your copy now. This is what you’ll find in the book:

• Hot Navy SEAL
• Strong heroine
• Romance
• Suspense
• Montana
• Escape!
• Great start to a new series

Available now!
Free on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon  | Amazon UK

Sign up for my newsletter for your chance to win these two great prizes! I’m drawing for winners in December.

Elle Jame’s Newsletter

Brotherhood Protectors Series Book #1

Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.

Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot, sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.
Hometown girl, now a Hollywood temptress, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job.

Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.

Excerpt:

His gut twisting, his nerves stretched, Montana clenched his weapon, holding it at the ready as he continued forward. If they had any chance of rescuing the aid worker, it had to be soon. ISIS rebels had a habit of torturing and killing anyone they could use as an example, rather than hanging on to them. Prisoners only slowed the attack and hampered their determination to take everything in their paths.

The tunnel opened into the bowels of what appeared to be a warehouse.

“I feel like we’re on a wild goose chase,” Swede muttered.

“And the goose is leading us to the slaughter. Not the other way around,” Irish concurred.

They climbed a set of stairs to a huge, empty room.

“Damn,” Swede said and bent to a dark lump on the ground.

Nacho released a string of profanity in Spanish.

“We’ve found the aid worker.”

What Montana had assumed was a pile of rags, was in fact a woman, her clothes torn, her body ravaged, her face battered. Her eyes were wide open, staring up at the ceiling.

Swede knelt beside her and touched his fingers to the base of her throat.

Montana’s stomach roiled at the sight of the woman’s damaged body. He could have told Swede she was already dead. What a waste of life. And for what? “We need to get out of here.”

The sound of footsteps made Montana glance up. A man stood on a catwalk twenty feet above them. He shouted something in Pashtu, ending in Allah, pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it into the middle of the team.

“Fuck!” Montana yanked his weapon around and shot the man. He fell to the ground, but killing him was a little too late.

The grenade rolled toward Swede, still crouched beside the woman’s body.

“Get down!” Lt. Mike shouted, and then threw himself over the grenade.

Montana shouted, “No!” as the grenade exploded beneath their leader.

The force of the concussion reverberated throughout the room, knocking Montana to the ground. His last thoughts were of the home and the girl he’d once loved.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

Remember that poll I ran for your favorite pick from among ideas y’all pitched to me for a story I’ll have in n upcoming cowboy collection? That title will also be the next story I have in the Cowboys on the Edge series. One of your top preferences was Cowboy Law. I liked that. But of course, then I played with variations, and this one struck me: Cain’s Law. So now I have a title, the hero’s name, and soon a cover. Do you like this for the image I want to use? He’s a little skinny (maybe my cover artist can stretch him a bit!), but I love the blue, love his pretty face, and all the shadow. So thanks so much for helping me “find” that title! Now, I have to think up a story to go with the title and the picture…

I need your help again.

I must write the next story in my Uncharted SEALs series. Here are the titles I have so far:

As usual, I have no idea what the next story will be about. But I need another provocative title. Each of these titles inspired my story. Let’s brainstorm. Throw out any idea you have. There’s no such thing as a dumb idea in brainstorming, because your suggestion might spawn an idea in someone else’s imagination. That’s how brainstorming works.

Submit your idea(s) for a chance to win a free download of either
Controlled Burn from my Cowboys on the Edge series,
or one of the first three books in the Uncharted SEALs series. 

Hi All! Cynthia D’Alba here. Thanks to my fabulous hostess, Delilah, for opening her door to me today. Luckily for you, today’s blog is short! 🙂

I am so excited about the next two weeks. Tomorrow (Nov. 10) marks the kick-off of 14 Days of Hustle. To celebrate the release of TEXAS HUSTLE, book 6 in the Texas Montgomery Mavericks series, I’m hosting 14 days of excerpts and prizes! A new excerpt and prize every day. Lots of different (and unique) prizes that could be yours! You only have to drop by daily and enter that day’s drawing! How easy, huh?

So what’s up for grabs? I don’t want to spill ALL the beans, but I’ll share a couple of items…

1. 50 x 60 Fleece Texas Hustle Blanket. If this can’t keep you toasty this winter, nothing will! 
2. Antique turquoise bracelet
3. 7” HD Kindle Fire

But you’ll have to stop by to see what else is up!

Wait! I forgot to tell you where to go!! Head over to my blog (https://cynthiadalba.wordpress.com/). A new link to the daily excerpt and Rafflecopter will be there!

A little more about TEXAS HUSTLE…

Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 6

Porchia Summers was born into a family who gave her everything except affection. She acted out until her parents sent her to Whispering Springs before their high-society friends found out about her arrest record.

She builds a good life in Texas, but then the old boyfriend who got her in trouble tracks her down. Desperate to find a way to keep her past and present separate, she places a bid at a bachelor auction on the one man who’ll get her out of town for a few days.

Darren Montgomery is thrilled when Porchia wins him and a week of camping with his entire family in a charity bachelor auction. He’s also curious. He’s been flirting with the town’s sweet, sexy baker for years. Sometimes she flirts back, but she’s never let things go further than that. Darren’s not complaining, but he wonders just what’s going on behind Porchia’s pretty eyes.

Warning: Watch out for chigger bites, love bites, and secrets that bite.

Pick up YOUR copy at

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5645/texas-hustle

https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Hustle-Montgomery-Mavericks-ebook/dp/B014SIHRD2

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/texas-hustle-cynthia-dalba/1122604901?ean=9781619231290

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/texas-hustle/id1036093424

Thanks for coming by. I’ll be looking for you for 14 Days of Hustle!

Yay! I’m on the wonderful Delilah Devlin’s blog! Thank you Delilah for inviting me back 🙂

For those readers who don’t know me, all my erotic romances are inspired by classics, so when I decided to write a Christmas story, it wasn’t hard to find the one I needed for inspiration. My favorite Christmas story has always been A Christmas Carol.  I have read it, seen it performed on stage, and I think I own every movie version of it :-} What I didn’t realize was that this one story would inspire a whole series!

PLEASURES OF CHRISTMAS PAST is the first book in the series and it’s primary focus is on the Spirit of Christmas Past. In my book, instead of Scrooge, I have Holly, a very young widow who is steeped in grief. Instead of Marley, I have her husband Cameron who supervises the spirits. And then there is Jessica, the soft hearted social worker who has been assigned to Holly as her Spirit of Christmas Past, except this is Jessica’s first case and she is required to have a mentor. That mentor comes in the form of the very hot, very single, and very Scottish Duncan Montgomerie who has been training spirit guides for over 200 years!

I have to say this story, which I wrote this summer, put me in the Christmas mood very early and it seemed like forever before I could legitimately start singing Christmas carols (I did wait until after Halloween). Now I can’t wait to start watching Christmas movies, particularly A Christmas Carol 😉 Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? Is there one you make sure to watch every year? I’d love to hear which one.

And don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win an ebook of your choice from my backlist because I just love giving away prizes! It’s sort of like giving a Christmas present 😉

Always, Lexi

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pleasures of Christmas Past

When present-day American social worker Jessica Thomas is assigned her first case as a spirit guide, she’s excited to serve as the Spirit of Christmas Past for her client and prove she knows her profession well. Unfortunately, her mentor, the very hot, very single, and very Scottish Duncan Montgomerie has little faith in her ability and plans to catch her when she falls. As far as she’s concerned, he’s going to be waiting a very long time.

Bachelor Duncan Montgomerie hails from late 18^th century Scotland where he enjoyed life to its fullest, something he continues in death. Having been dead a while, he is well equipped to handle the afterlife where time doesn’t exist and phasing is the norm. What has him stymied is his connection to the uptight Jessica and the strange feelings he’s experiencing being around her, even though she refuses to listen to his advice. Duncan needs to figure out what it all means and fast because the rules change after death and the path Jessica is headed down could cost her her soul.

 

Purchase at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo |
Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon DE

From what Jessica could tell, there was no such thing as calories in the afterlife. Thankful she’d finally mastered the art of solidifying and phasing at will so she could enjoy her earthly pleasure, she took a bite of the sweet, cold dessert. As the nutty flavor washed over her tongue, she closed her eyes in sheer bliss. Now this was heaven. Opening her eyes to take another bite, she froze. “What are you doing here?”

Duncan floated on the arm at the other end of her couch, looking absolutely delicious in his jeans, t-shirt and socks. Socks?

“This is when your private lessons start.” The sexy grin he gave her had her swallowing hard as excitement skittered across her skin and into her groin.

Shit. The man was a walking tease. Make that a floating tease. She wanted Mr. Knows-It-All back. He was easier to deal with. Not sure what to say, she dipped her spoon in the carton and took another bite as her mind raced. What kind of lessons? From his look, her bedroom would be the proper place for them.

“What are you eating?” He leaned forward and squinted at the carton.

She swallowed and tried for a professional air. “Pistachio ice cream.”

“I dinna think I’ve ever tried that flavor.” His body phased to solid and he plucked the carton from her hand.

“Hey! The least you can do is ask.”

He shrugged as he dipped his finger into the green ice cream. “You’d just tell me I could have some, so why bother?” He lifted his finger and stuck the ice cream in his mouth. “Hmmm, this is good. No wonder it’s your favorite.” His grin could have talked a Sunday school teacher into stripping.

She stared, her body revving at the sight of him dipping his finger in again while her brain caught up to his words. “How do you know it’s my favorite?”

He winked. “I know everything about you.”

She flushed as her body heated. Crap, this man was a flirt if she’d ever seen one and his lilting accent didn’t help. She reached across the couch and grabbed the ice cream out of his hand. “If you don’t mind, I was enjoying that.”

He chuckled. “Oh, touchy.”

Why did she now feel like a bitch? She wasn’t like this usually. Mr. Distraction had her off balance and she didn’t like it.

If only Cameron could have given her a different mentor. Duncan Montgomerie would ruin her concentration and make fun of any mistake she might make. Her definition of “mentor” was not that. “I’m assuming you came here for a reason? I mean, besides the beautiful view.” She pointed toward the windows with her spoon.

He glanced that way before letting his gaze roam from the tops of her bare feet, over her legs, past her shorts to the stretchy fabric of her white tank-covered chest. She held her breath, waiting for his eyes to meet hers, but they stayed riveted on her breasts. Thankful she’d left her bra on so he couldn’t see how hard her nipples had turned at his perusal, she moved the ice cream to block his view and took another bite to cool down.

He smirked at her move. “As I said, it’s time for your private lessons. I thought you’d be more comfortable here than at my castle.”

She stilled at his comment. “You live in a castle?”

Author Bio:

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of erotic romance. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she’s read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi’s first love is romance novels. In an effort to marry her two first loves, she started writing erotic romance inspired by the classics and found she loved it. Lexi believes there is no end to the romantic inspiration she can find in great literature. Her books are known as “erotic romance with a whole lot of story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her cat in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you will never see her without a hat.

Website | Lexi Post Updates | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | Email | TSU

This lush and lovely novella is coming your way Tuesday! I can’t wait to hear what you think! I love everything about it.

I love the cover. I chose the images, but my dear sister, Elle James, put it together! I had the cover before I wrote the book, so the story was greatly influenced by how that cover made me feel.

And I had that title before I knew anything about the story. Which made it fun trying to figure out how it would come into play in the story. Not that I consciously figured anything out at all. The story just kind of “happened.”

This time, the person suffering the PTSD and survivior’s guilt is the heroine. We love our tortured hero’s, but this time, you get to see what the heroine’s pain does to our lovely, sexy SEAL. And yes, Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing is playing in my brain… Sam really does rise to the occasion… Okay, so that was a little crass, but how can I describe my hero? Patient, except in bed. Gentle, except in bed. Rough and rugged…in bed, too actually. In love at first sight? Yeah, but he doesn’t know it right away…

This is the fourth story in the series. I hope you’re already hooked and ready for more. So have you pre-ordered your copy?

Enjoy the excerpt!

Comment below for a chance to win one of the prequel books to Dream of Me.

After losing her partner and lover in a shootout, New Orleans police officer Aislin Dupree is tormented by memories of the past and the day she lost Marc LeBrun. At her darkest hour, she discovers that Marc had planned a romantic getaway on a Caribbean island before his death. All expenses paid. She decides to take the trip, hoping the island getaway will help her come to terms with her sorrow. Instead, she meets a man, a friend of Marc’s from his past when he served as a Navy SEAL.

Sam Blalock is like Marc in so many ways that he makes her ache for what she once had. Strong, rugged Sam is her rock, holding her when she breaks, encouraging her to move on, because he knows about the pain of loss and the horror of violence all too well. She soon finds her waking hours consumed by Sam while she roams her dreams in search of Marc. As the time approaches for her to go home, she’s afraid to let go of the connection she’s found, and she fears she might be holding onto Sam for all the wrong reasons while she imagines another reality where dreams do come true.

Pre-Order Now!

Dread weighed her down, making her feel sluggish and stupid. I have to find the right door. She stumbled into a long corridor, wood paneling below wainscoting, and tattered, dark teal wallpaper with faded pink roses above. Like she’d seen in her grandmother’s house when she was a child. Only this corridor was endless and lined with teakwood doors—all identical, all closed.

How could she possibly find the right one? The panic in her body made her want to run and try them all, but she knew she didn’t have much time—a lesson she’d already learned. And turning the wrong knob led to horrors best left unknown.

She wanted to run but couldn’t, because her feet were as heavy as lead, mired in invisible muck, slowing her steps, making her tired. Her stride shortened. She dragged her feet on the floral carpet, staticky sounds following her, sparks biting her naked ankles. At last, she came to a halt, her body swaying. Too tired to care what she might find, she opened the door…

Aislin Dupree tugged at the collar of her dark uniform. She’d have a rash—a rosy red ring around her neck—because she’d sweated so much the collar was stiff.

“Stop messin’ with it, Ash,” her partner drawled from the driver’s seat. “You’ll only make it worse.”

“This stickiness is making me crazy. Heat’s so bad I wonder why I bother taking a shower before shift. I’m drenched again before I’m dressed. And why aren’t you sweating?”

She watched as Marc LeBrun’s smile in profile stretched in that lazy way that never failed to make her tingle from head to toe and exciting all the sexy parts in between.

He made a turn before glancing her way, flashing a smile. “I don’t fidget. Chillax, baby. It’s just another mornin’ in easy town. Good times…”

Good times… His sly code for sex whenever they were in company. “Stop,” she said, holding up her hand. “That’s not helping.”

He chuckled, but kept his gaze on the road ahead. “You think about Grand Isle?”

“Fishing on Grand Isle is not my definition of a sexy getaway.”

“Won’t be no fishin’, sugar. Just you ’n’ me. Bed and breakfast on the beach.”

“The sight of oil rigs kinda spoils the view,” she grumbled, but only half-heartedly. The thought of getting away from the city, which smelled foul this time of year, due to the rain and humidity and the sewage floating just beneath the street grates, did sound good. “Should just head to Thibodeaux. Nice hotels there. Might find one with room service. We can take an airboat ride into the swamps if we get bored…” she said, giving him a teasing, sideways glance.

“And that’s sexier than a B&B on the beach?” His chuckles grew and grew.

And she grinned, happy she was there beside him. Just another day on their beat. Most cops rode single, but this part of town was more dangerous. Extra manpower had been added to the shifts in this ward. They’d been paired now for six months. Lovers for the last three.

However they spent their time together didn’t really matter. It was always…good times.

Dispatch broke the silence with the code for robbery. “Be advised, female at location says pedestrian forced her to empty her register.”

The location was only five blocks away. Marc gave her a short nod and flipped on the lights.

Ash pressed the button on the mic. “51-12 responding. Five minutes to location.”

“51-12. 10-4. All units in the vicinity be on the lookout for a male, medium height, wearin’ a gray hoodie…”

The next few minutes passed in a blur. They arrived at the shop with its barred windows and shabby, white-washed exterior.

Marc entered first with his weapon drawn. “This is NOPD,” he called out.

No response came from inside.

Ash edged closer to his body, turning to watch their six. The hair on the back of her neck rose. She knew Marc felt it too because, for once, he was quiet and moving slowly.

The shop was small, just a twenty by twenty square filled with rows of racks stocked with snack foods and drinks. Glancing over the top of the racks, Ash spotted a door toward the back, partially open. Dark.

Both officers crouched down behind the racks as they made their way steadily toward the darkened doorway.

Marc pointed down an aisle, indicating she should come at the door from another angle.

Keeping her breathing even, she nodded and sped silently to the end of the row.

Another nod, and she moved with her back to the wall, easing toward the doorway. From this angle, she could see the bottom of a dirty sneaker, unmoving on the floor.

She lifted her finger and pointed to the door, indicating she saw one person. When they stood flanking the door, she reached out an arm to open it wider, a loud creak sounding in the silence. It thudded softly against the wall of the small office.

Marc edged around the corner, stepped over the young woman on the floor and went to the door at the far side of the room, which stood wide open, sunlight streaming inside from the alley.

Ash bent over the young woman and placed a hand on her chest, felt movement, and then pressed her mic to call for an ambulance. But behind her, she heard another creak and stiffened.

Marc swung around, his weapon raised. “Get down!” he shouted.

Ash ducked toward the woman, not wanting to get in Marc’s line of fire. Above her, a loud blast boomed—a shotgun round. Her body stiffened, and she glanced toward Mark. Blood burst from multiple places on his face and neck, spraying outward. His arms flung wide.

She screamed and came up, swinging back with her elbow and connected with hard muscle. No time to think. No time to pray. Marc had to be okay. She had to get to him. But first, she had to live.

As she turned, something struck her cheek. She went down, watching as though in slow motion as a man in a hoodie raised a gun and pointed it at her. Her own weapon entered her line of sight. A loud explosion sounded, the recoil jolting her arm. He jerked, his arms going limp, dropping the shotgun, and then he lurched past her, stepping on Marc as he exited through the door.

She got back to her knees and crawled toward Marc who lay so still, too quiet. His face was a mess, blood dripping down both sides into his thick black hair, pockets of flesh gone. What worried her most was the sluggish pulsing river flowing from his neck wound. She pressed her hands over it and leaned toward him. “Marc, hang on, baby. I’m here. I’m here.”

He didn’t blink. Didn’t move.

She pressed harder with one hand and lifted the other to her radio. “108. Officer down. Officer down. Shots fired.” She knew her voice sounded ragged, strained. They’d know the situation was bad. Please come fast.

She fought to control her panic. Do her job. Again, she pressed the button to let them know the suspect was fleeing the scene. “Six-feet-four male, gray hoodie, jeans, sunglasses. On foot.” She released the button and let the mic hang from her shoulder as she bent over Marc, all her concentration going now to her partner who was dying. She knew he was. Her chest pinched, and she could barely breathe. No miracle would save him.

When Delilah invited me to post on her blog, my first reaction was a fangirl squeal.

My second reaction was a Carlton dance.  And my third reaction was a complete, paralyzing writer’s block, which continued until last night.  How the hell do I choose what to write on Delilah’s blog? This is Delilah! Everyone has been in bed with her, and I’m just popping my publishing cherry!! Oh, the stress.

But I have a generally-calm, down-to-earth, hold-your-hand-through-hell hubby who said, “That’s what you write about.  Popping your cherry.” And he was right. With my first book only eleven days away, I haven’t taken a full moment to pause and articulate what I learned in this amazing process.  It started out as a small story on Fanfiction, then it grew on my blog, and now, finally, it’s hitting the stands.  It has been a beautiful whirlwind, filled with lessons.  And because I’m a list person (blame my legal job), here are the top five:

1. Write with my heart, then edit with my head. Oh, the blood and tears of that first draft. How precious each adjective, how darling each adverb! I had to step away in the end (okay, was dragged away by my hubby, but tomayto- tomahto).  I went out, saw my friends, combed my hair. And I learned that, for me, some distance was crucial. I needed it to be able to return to the manuscript with a gimlet eye. To delete huge chunks of it, and rewrite entire chapters.  To realize that adverbs are almost never needed if I use the right verb.  And that the best story is not the one I tell, but the one I show.

2. Pick my battles. So I could delete adjectives and adverbs on my own. But what would I do if my agent wanted me to strike an entire background story or remove a whole character? I learned to compromise. Not everything I thought was vital was actually interesting.  And not everything that was interesting was actually vital.  So that’s when I came up with my formula:  if it takes me more than three sentences to explain the importance of a background story or secondary character, that information is not vital.  Delete it.

3. Trust my gut. But there were some things that took more than three sentences to explain. Some things that were integral to my main characters, even if all my legal training couldn’t persuade my agent to see my point. For example, my alpha hero, Aiden, is a U.S. Marine with total recall. He can never forget anything. Especially not the horrors of war. My agent wanted to delete his memory. We talked, we argued, we tried hard—with zero progress. My head told me to listen to the agent—she was a pro; I was a newbie.  My heart wanted to listen to her, too—she was the first one who saw my potential.  But my gut kept saying “no”—loud and clear (and in Aiden’s deep, husky voice, which made it irresistible). In the end, I had to make the hardest decision of my writing journey: I had to part ways with my first agent. It would take up all of Delilah’s blog to explain how difficult that was. What the hell was I doing? I was lucky to have an agent at all! But my gut was absolutely right. Because, shortly after, I found another agent who loved the book the way it was, and an editor, and a publisher who followed.  And, above all, the 63,000 readers that visited my story online.  In the end, instincts matter.  (And that’s a big lesson for a newbie author.)

4. Listen to my readers. Looking back now though, I wonder: would I have had enough confidence as a baby author to follow my instincts without all the readers who followed my story online? See, I posted Thirty Nights on Fanfiction first—before it caught the attention of an agent. I thought I’d be lucky if I had one, maybe two readers. I ended up finding quite a few more.  And every single one of their 3,000 messages, reviews, and emails did its little magic. It allowed me to understand what they liked, what they didn’t. And to appreciate that although I write for myself, what I write is theirs.

5. Be prepared to gain about seven to ten pounds. This was a surprise to me. My Debut Author 15! All those nervous chocolate nibbles and take-out food around deadlines have left me with some pounds to shed. But that’s okay—it was worth it.  Because the final lesson in this whole process has been to give my body and brain what they crave every so often.  This writing business is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.  (And with that, I’m getting on my trek suit, and going for a run.)

Thank you for reading and please check out information on Thirty Nights below. And thank you, Delilah, for inviting me on your blog!

Thirty nights. Two hearts. One fate.

After her parents’ tragic deaths, Elisa Snow wanted nothing more than to escape her past. Eighteen and alone, she fled her quaint English village and moved to the United States. A starving science student by day and an artist’s muse by night, Elisa has slowly built a new life. She never dreamed she would lose everything again.

She is one week from graduation when her visa is unexpectedly denied. Given thirty days to leave the country, she must face the one thing she cannot survive again—saying goodbye and leaving her home. Yet within minutes of her world shattering, she meets a man with the power to piece it back together.

After finishing his tour of duty in Iraq, Aiden Hale traded battlefields for boardrooms, becoming one of the most successful venture capitalists in the nation. But all his wealth can’t buy him reprieve from the horrific memories of war. The only thing that gives him peace is a painting of Elisa.

Drawn together by their invisible wounds, they begin a passionate affair as they race against the clock to defy their pasts—and fight for their future.

Warning: Contains a blistering exploration of desire, sacrifice, and redemption…and love’s power to equalize us in ways laws cannot.

EXCERPT

The door rattles under four sharp, loud knocks. According to my dad’s watch,

I still have one hour before Hale gets here. I peek through the hole and freeze. Bloody hell, it’s the Dragon, with a capital D this time. What did I do today? Oh, maybe he is canceling the painting. I put a half-baked plan together and open the door.

“Mr. Hale, what a nice surprise,” I start with a big smile, my voice high enough for the bats to hear it.

He steps inside. I think he’s trying to calm himself but it’s hard to tell with the smoke coming out of his ears. He runs a hand over his hair. What the devil is wrong with him? He takes one deep breath and explodes.

“Are you so above the rest, Miss Snow, that you will not deign to attend even your graduation from the institution that has granted you its highest academic honor? Or is this how little your own life means to you?” He speaks through gritted teeth.

Oh, bollocks! How did he find out, and why does he care? Be strong, Isa. “I’m sorry, but that’s none of your business.” I ignore his second question. Something about it makes me recoil.

He looks at me like I just insulted his mother. Honestly, I think I see fire from his nostrils. “None of my fucking business? Is that your answer?” Still gritted teeth, which I suppose is better than fangs.

“Yes, that’s my answer.” I stay calm, hoping some of it will rub off on him. No such luck.

“Over three thousand people watched President Campbell announce Miss Elisa Cecilia Snow, valedictorian in absentia, and a full minute of silence fell over the crowd, and you say it’s none of my fucking business?” He is spitting fire.

Damn it! Why would President Campbell announce it? I emailed the traitor. Well, one thing at a time. The Dragon first. “No, I didn’t say fucking business. I said simply business.”

He looks at me with flared nostrils and roars, his fists hanging down.

“What is wrong with you?”

Oh, this is rich. He is morphing into a Tolkien creature and I’m the freak? I am usually a calm, rational agent. It’s probably not apparent based on this last week, but I am. But right now, with my newly shaved legs and my lacy knickers on, after practicing his name all day in front of a stupid fan, I want to scratch his eyes out.

“There’s nothing wrong with me, Mr. Hale. However, based on your behavior these last two days, may I suggest the very real possibility that there is something seriously wrong with you? I strongly recommend that you visit a psychiatrist, sir, and soon, before you become a menace on the streets of Portland and incinerate us all for exercising our right as free human beings to go wherever we bloody well please,” I hiss, feeling a kindred spirit with Medusa because he has turned to stone.

Before I can draw a breath, he takes the two steps between us and his mouth closes in on mine, his hands like a vise around my face.

The force of his kiss slams me against the wall and makes me gasp. His lips mold with mine, and his tongue is dancing inside my mouth. My knees shake a little. As if he knows, one of his hands leaves my face, trails down my body and rests at the small of my back, arching me against him and supporting all my weight. I move my tongue shyly around his. I taste cinnamon and something else, something Aiden. My blood ignites, and another gasp escapes me. At the sound, he presses his hips against me, and his long fingers reach into my hair. He pulls my head back until my mouth opens wider. Our tongues move together, and his anger changes to desperation and then to a slower rhythm that I can follow. Of their own accord, my arms reach up around his neck and my fingers knot in his hair. He tenses, so I try to let go but he draws me closer until there is no more space left. I feel every line of his body against mine. His teeth graze my bottom lip. It takes me a moment to realize that the moan I hear is coming from me. He pulls away, his breathing harsh and labored.

“Impossible woman,” he growls.

I open my eyes. His sapphire depths are blazing. Without his arm supporting me, my knees go back to shaky and weak. Then it dawns on me. Bloody hell, I’ve just been kissed by Aiden Hale! And what a kiss it was. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have much experience with such things, but I am willing to bet my supplement’s formula that no girl, anywhere, has been kissed like this. I pinch myself discreetly to make sure I’m awake. Yes, it was real. My lips are tingling.

“Are you ready to go?” he asks, his breathing now back in control. Apparently, we are not going to talk about it. That’s good. What if his next words end this? And what is there to say regardless? By some miracle, he wants me at some level, and I want him at all levels. That’s good enough for now. Good enough for forever for someone like me.

*~*~*

GIVEAWAY

I love this giveaway.  It’s Tiffany’s Iconic Necklace in Silver and Tiffany Blue.  Check it out and enter the raffle. I want this beauty to end up around someone’s neck.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb299/

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016NE32DI?keywords=thirty%20nights%20ani%20keating&qid=1444974890&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thirty-nights-ani-keating/1122799616?ean=9781619231283#productInfoTabs

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/thirty-nights/id1049521392?mt=11

Googleplay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ani_Keating_Thirty_Nights?id=97S6CgAAQBAJ

Samhain: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5639/thirty-nights

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/thirty-nights-3#readThisOn

AUTHOR LINKS

Come find me in the links below. I’d love to “meet” you.

Website: https://anikeating.com
Twitter: @AniKeating
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirtynights/?ref=hl  and https://www.facebook.com/ani.surnois