Welcome a fellow Samhain Author! Promise I’ll be back tomorrow! ~DD
Note from Kelly Jamieson:
I’m a blogging mad woman this week with the release of my latest Samhain book Lost and Found. I think I’m all blogged out. I’ve blogged about how many times this book was rejected because it didn’t fit into any genre quite right, combining elements of women’s fiction with romance. I’ve blogged about how much I appreciate digital publishers like Samhain Publishing who can publish books that take a risk and don’t fit the usual mold. I’ve blogged about all the rules I broke with this book, romance rules like not having a married heroine, and not tackling issues such as pregnancy, infertility and infidelity. I even have a blog coming this weekend about the importance of the setting in this story – the ocean plays an important role for Krissa and Nate, and there are symbols of their lives on the beach – tumultuous waves, tangled seaweed, an empty sea shell. And oh yeah, about the 4 STAR review from RT Book Reviews, who said it’s “emotionally complex, well-written” and a “complex, affecting romance”.
I’ve asked the questions about black and white, and shades of gray. For example, few people would ever agree that infidelity is okay. It’s a pretty black and white issue, right? Infidelity is wrong. But are there shades of gray? Are there powerful desires and emotions that compel people to make the choices they do? Can good people make bad decisions? Do they still deserve to find happiness?
Kelly Jamieson, author of romance with sweet heat, believes in the power of romance stories to portray strong, loving, romantic, sexual relationships that succeed, and to celebrate strength, courage, honor, and love. She believes love, romance and sex teach us about ourselves, about each other and about relationships, and break down barriers and boundaries.
Visit her website or email her at info@kellyjamieson.com.
I LOVE SEXY SHAPESHIFTERS! The sexier, the better! There, I said it. Anyone else? There’s just something about a man who has a primal side as well as a tender side; and shapeshifters fit that description to perfection. Take a Cat Shifter. Primal, Protective, Possessive. He lives to protect the ones he loves. My hero in UNDER A SHIFTER’S MOON, Lyon Savage is what I call the prime example of a SEXY Shapeshifter. Lyon is fighting for the position of being Alpha to his Jaguar Pride. If his brother wins the title, a Shifter’s war is on the horizon and the Pride will be in danger of extinction. In order to save them, Lyon has to fulfill a Decree that says he has to marry a special women destined to give him a son who will be the future salvation of the Pride. But, Lyon falls in love with her aunt, Kitlene. Now he’s left with the choice to either choose the love of his life OR the future salvation of his Pride. And there’s one more obstacle: if he chooses Kitlene, her life is forfeit.
Tell me what you think about those sexy shapeshifters! And be sure and visit my site for info on this book and my others. I also have FREE Short Stories available at my website.
My latest Book is UNDER A SHIFTER’S MOON
THE WINNER OF THE BEST 2009 SHIFTERS BOOK AWARD!
You can also view a Trailer
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Author: Kari Thomas
ISBN: 978-1-934912-21-8
Price: $14.95 paperback
Price: $8.00 Ebook (PDF format)
Pages: 204 paperback
He was fated for another, but created to love her …
Decreed by Elders, alpha Jaguar Shifters Lyon Savage and his brother must decide Pride rule in a way not seen for centuries. Under a Shifter’s Moon, a mating can take place with a chosen human to produce a child, and the father of that child will become the one Alpha. Now Lyon must choose the love of his Truemate—or accept the decree to save his Pride and secure his future.
Strong and selfless, Kitlene is a rare woman whose blood, like her niece’s, carries something of the Shifter within its DNA. Willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of family, she offers herself to the Alpha Cat whose very presence pulls at her soul—and whose love brings with it a deadly complication.
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She was facing the direction of the stairs so he could see her face clearly. His breath caught. She was incredibly beautiful; an oval face, softly pink-tinged complexion, cupid-bow mouth, small nose. Her long-lashed eyes were large and round. For some reason, her eyes made him instantly think of a Persian cat’s eyes. He grinned at the contradiction; he had the odd thought that her obvious spunk would keep her from being as sweet natured as the Persian breed. Even from his distance he could see the soft, dove-grey color.
They were the most fascinating eyes he’d ever seen on a woman. A man could easily—willingly drown in their mysterious, sultry depths. He could. He frowned at the disturbing thought. He let his gaze roam over her one more time before coming back to rest on her ethereal face. She wasn’t wearing makeup—or she was an expert at making it appear that way—and the look was as much innocence as it was sensual. The odd combination was fascinating and it intrigued him like nothing else had in a long time. He watched her gaze around the room. Her expression was neutral, but even from this distance he could see her eyes mirror her nervous thoughts. What would those expressive, lovely eyes reveal when her gaze first met his? He was suddenly anxious to find out. Lyon found his feet moving before he even had the actual thought. He bounded down the stairs, sending a glance toward the corner where Mason and Beau were talking to the coyote group. His body was tight, his muscles tense and ready to allow his jaguar self to emerge. But this time it wasn’t because of the anticipation of a fight.
No, his jaguar soul had sighted prey. His prey. His. That soul-felt confirmation only proved he was right. This woman was Ariel. Somehow his jaguar self already recognized her.
Whoa. That shocked him. Realization hit him like a hard, breath-stealing punch to the gut and then arrowed straight to his soul. He came to an abrupt standstill yards away from her. He inhaled roughly, taking her sweet, oddly familiar scent deep into him. His entire body immediately went into hard sensual overload. Stark, possessive instincts rose in him for the first time in his life. He’d never felt anything like it. His jaguar self pushed forward. Primal.
Please welcome fellow Ellora’s Cave and Samhain author, Mari Carr! ~DD
The Summer is Heating UP!
I’m a school teacher so I think it’s safe to say my time is summertime! I live for the months of June, July and August and spend weeks prior to graduation plotting my writing schedule. Why? Because those are the only three months of the year when I can be a full-time writer. I think it’s safe to say every book I’ve ever written has hit the page either on the weekend or during the summer.
I have several works in progress ready to roll out. My writing goals are to finish the Wild Irish series. I still have Saturday Night Special to tweak and all of Any Given Sunday to write. I also intend to write the romantic suspense sequel to my Samhain book, Because of You and I’m starting to co-write a series of four books with my writing pal, Jayne Rylon.
Other than that, I’m celebrating a recent release and a coming soon story at Ellora’s Cave.
Sweet Thursday, book four in the Wild Irish series released a couple of weeks ago.
And on July 9, Rekindled the standalone sequel to Spitfire will hit the virtual bookshelves.
In high school, Lily was too shy to do anything about her feelings for her best friends, Justin and Killian. Now she’s ready to put to rest her regrets with a proposal that might shock even her oversexed friends—the three of them, together, one night, multiple positions.
K and J are more than a little surprised to see Lily at their ten-year reunion. The plain Jane they remember is now a stunning woman—who wants to have sex with both of them. Who are they to deny her? Even if Killian suspects they might be treading on dangerous emotional territory.
The night stretches into the weekend and, as K suspected, none of them want it to end. But he and Lily know people live in pairs, not trios, and they call a halt now, before it’s too late.
Justin, however, knows a good thing when he sees it. He’s ready to fight for what he wants…what they all need. He just has to convince Lily and Killian that unconventional can also be extraordinary.
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“I’m not sure you know what you’re asking for, Lil.”
She looked at his friend, reaching over to take Killian’s large hand in her own. “I know exactly what I’m asking for, and I knew before I came here tonight that if there was the slightest chance of capturing your attention, I’d take it.” She glanced over her shoulder to include Justin in the “your”.
“God, K. I don’t think you understand how much I want to do this. I’m sick of coloring inside the lines all the time. I want to grab hold of this opportunity to be free and wild and uninhibited—for just one night. I don’t want to look back at my life in fifty years and realize I never did one daring thing. I’m tired of regrets.”
“If we do this—” Killian started.
She placed her finger over his lips. “When we do this,” she corrected.
“We call the shots. We decide what your limits are. If you can’t agree to that, then no deal.” Read the rest of this entry »
While I’m in Little Rock today, welcome my guest and fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Paige Tyler! ~DD
Here’s a note from Paige:
I’m so excited to announce that I have a new erotic romance out with Ellora’s Cave called GOOD COP, BAD GIRL that’s fun, sexy and smokin’ hot!
When people ask me where I get ideas for my books, I tell them anywhere and everywhere, which is true. Sometimes, I’ll read an article in a newspaper or magazine and it will give me an idea. Other times, someone will say something that will make me think, hey that’d be a great idea for a book. That’s how I came up with the story for GOOD COP, BAD GIRL. One of the women who works in my hubby’s office is a huge fan of the television show “Cops” and she was telling him about an episode in which a cop pulled over a pair of girls for speeding and they thought the whole thing was a prank because the guy was just way too good looking to be a cop.
When my hubby told me about it, I immediately had one of those hey-that’d-be-a-great-idea-for-a-book moments! Having the hero pull the heroine over for a traffic stop wasn’t going to work in the book, though, so I decided to have him show up at her apartment because the party she’s having for her birthday is getting a little too loud and disturbing the neighbors. And instead of thinking it’s some kind of prank, she assumes the hot cop is a male stripper her friends hired for her birthday. Hmm, a hot guy in uniform that comes with his own handcuffs. You probably think you know exactly where this is going, don’t you?
While I won’t tell you exactly what happens between the hero and heroine, I will share a sexy excerpt with you! Hope you enjoy it! And if you decide to pick up GOOD COP, BAD GIRL let me know how you like it!
Gotta love a guy who comes with his own handcuffs!
When a hunky cop shows up at Julie Hanson’s apartment to tell her the police received a complaint about the noise from her birthday party, she assumes he’s a male stripper her girlfriends hired. Upon discovering the gorgeous Kirk Chandler really is a police officer, she’s completely mortified, especially since she teased him about giving her a birthday spanking.
Kirk appears at her door for a second time later that night, bearing gifts and asking if she got her birthday spanking. Julie not only gets her bottom nicely warmed, but is treated to a night of pleasure that qualifies as the best birthday present any girl could ask for.
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Laughing, Julie yanked open the door and found herself face to face with the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen. Tall, with short-cropped brown hair and a perfectly chiseled jaw, he had a wide, sensuous mouth and soulful dark eyes. More gold than brown, they were the kind of eyes a girl could end up getting lost in.
She forced her gaze to move lower, taking in his broad shoulders and muscular biceps before coming to rest on the shiny badge on the front of his dark blue uniform. Directly across from it was a nametag that read Chandler. This hot hunk was a cop?
Abruptly realizing she was just standing there staring at him, she reached up to tuck her long, ash blonde hair behind an ear. “Can I help you, Officer?”
He glanced at the other girls still sitting in the living room before those incredible eyes settled on her again. “Is this your apartment, ma’am?”
She stifled a groan. Even his voice was sexy as sin. “Yes.”
“We got a complaint about the noise you and your friends were making.”
Julie automatically opened her mouth to apologize, only to close it again as the obvious suddenly struck her. God, she was slow sometimes. This mouthwatering specimen of a man wasn’t a real cop; he must be a male stripper her friends had hired for her birthday. And if he looked even half as good naked as he did in that uniform, then she was in for a real show. Her friends were the best!
She glanced at the other girls over her shoulder and gave them a wink before turning back to him. Her lips curved into a sexy smile. “And you’re here to arrest me, right?” she teased. “Or maybe you’d rather give me a birthday spanking instead?”
He lifted a brow, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion.
Julie was a little surprised by it herself. So much for not being able to ask a guy she’d just met for a spanking. She wasn’t usually quite so bold. Then again, she was already on her second margarita. Not that she was tipsy or anything. She was just feeling a little naughty. And if she couldn’t be naughty on her birthday, when could she be naughty?
When he didn’t answer, she gave him a pout. “No? And one of my friends just gave me the cutest heart-shaped paddle, too.” She shrugged. “Maybe later then. I’d much rather see you strip anyway.”
His brows drew together. “Strip?”
Damn, he was really good at staying in character. She nodded. “Yeah, you know, take off your clothes. Though I wouldn’t do it out in the hallway if I were you. Not unless you want my neighbors to really call the cops.”
When he didn’t move, she reached out and grabbed the front of his belt to give it a tug. He didn’t resist, but let her pull him into the entryway. As much as she would have liked to keep her hand right where it was, maybe even move it a little lower, she forced herself to release him. She should probably let him start dancing before she got too familiar. She waited, expecting him to make suggestive little moves with his hips and unbutton his shirt, but he only continued to regard her with that same authoritative expression on his face. Sheesh, this guy was seriously into his role.
Julie took a step closer to him. He was taller than she was by almost a foot and she had to tilt her chin to look up at him. Up close like this, she could see light flecks of green in his golden eyes.
“You’re really good, you know that? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a real cop.” She circled him slowly, running her hand up his arm and over his shoulder, then across his back. “The uniform looks real, that’s for sure.” She let her fingers trail over his opposite shoulder and down his other arm, her gaze going to the gun in the holster at his hip as she walked around to stand in front of him again. “So does the gun. And the handcuffs.” She ran a finger over the badge on his chest. “And that badge is the best I’ve ever seen.”
As she studied the radio clipped to his left shoulder, she realized it looked real, too. She didn’t know male strippers wore such authentic getups. She was about to say as much to him when the radio suddenly hissed.
“All units in the vicinity of Bayview, we have a 2-11 in progress…”
She frowned. Bayview was a neighborhood in the southern part of the city, across town from where she lived in the Lower Pacific Heights section of San Francisco. Oh…crap. This guy wasn’t a stripper. He was a real cop! She jerked her head up to look at him, her eyes wide.
A slow smile curved his mouth as he folded his arms across his broad chest. “That’s right, ma’am. The uniform is real. The gun is real. The handcuffs are real. The badge is real. And you,” he added meaningfully, “are in real trouble.”
Tagged: Guest Blogger Posted in General|11 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Rachel Lynne - Fedora - Anna Shah Hoque - Estella - Carol L. -
I’ll name Monday’s winner at the bottom of this post. In the meantime, welcome my an old friend of mine from Texas, Meg Benjamin! Here’s what she has to say about her latest release:
As I’ve said before, probably way too many times by now, I can’t listen to music while I write. Wish I could, but I can’t. That doesn’t mean I don’t like to listen to music while I’m doing other things, however. In fact, one of the things I really miss about Texas is the great music you hear all the time. Texas musicians just rock, and no matter where you live in the state, there’s always a road house around the bend somewhere. You know how there are some songs that just kind of wash over you, like audible warm water, and some songs that make you just want to, well, move? Texas musicians specialize in the latter.
Which brings me to my subject—James McMurtry’s song “Red Dress.” Now McMurtry is one of my all-time favorite Texas musicians, probably best known for his “Choctaw Bingo,” which is a real rave-up. But “Red Dress” is one of those songs that makes you want to do a little hip swinging. Every time I hear it, I end up swaying in my seat. It’s slow, sensuous, with a really heavy beat and oddly ominous lyrics (you get the feeling the singer is going to be ripping that red dress to shreds any minute). And it haunted my thoughts when I was writing Wedding Bell Blues. I wanted a scene where my heroine, a “good girl” named Janie Dupree, could cut loose and give some hints about the bad girl that lies beneath the surface. That gave me the idea for a scene where Janie and her friends danced to McMurtry’s “Red Dress” while the hero, Pete Toleffson, watched. I have to say, every time I worked on this scene, I started by playing “Red Dress” to get myself in the mood. Here’s an excerpt. If you want to judge how well the song fits the action, there’s always iTunes!
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A series of guitar chords, rhythmically hypnotic, came over the sound system. Docia jumped to her feet. “Come on, ladies, let’s do it,” she called, heading for the concrete slab. Allie trooped behind her, as Janie turned to beckon to Bethany.
“Oh, Christ,” Cal murmured. “Here we go.”
“Here goes what?”
Cal shook his head. “You’ll see.”
The song had something to do with a red dress. Pete managed to get his brain to register that much. The singer seemed to be upset because his girlfriend was wearing a red dress he didn’t recognize and he figured she was playing around.
The slow, sensuous rhythm of the guitar and bass filled the air and the four women moved their bodies more or less in unison, like some cowgirl chorus line.
Pete glanced at Wonder and saw him swallow hard as he watched Allie.
Then he looked back at the women again.
Janie Dupree moved in a graceful swaying motion, her eyes closed, as if she were dancing for herself alone. She raised her arms above her head and moved her body back and forth, the most elegant bump and grind he’d ever seen. Read the rest of this entry »
You hear a lot of complaints from authors about their publishers and you know? That’s understandable. My husband works for an amazing company, but there are days he wants to sit upper management down for “a talk”. 🙂 The entities with so much control over our livelihoods are bound to inspire both positive and negative feelings at times. Right now? I’m just truly loving Harlequin.
For such a behemoth company, they are incredibly innovative. They’re always trying new things, looking for ways to reach more readers and opening doors for their authors. I’m sure you know they were the first major publisher to put their books out in digital format en masse. And I’m betting you’ve heard of their new electronic-only publishing venture, Carina Press. But I wonder if you know about all the print alternatives they continue to provide beyond their regular lines and imprints. The Manga versions of popular books and most recently their new venture—the Harlequin Showcase. Showcase is a single title venture (shelved with all the romance books, not the Harlequin series) that brings back previously released series books in a 2-in-1 format for readers who missed the books the first time around.
As an author, I’m thrilled by this new venture. Why? Because I get tons of letters weekly asking where readers can find my now out-of-print and often unavailable even in used venues Presents. So, when I was told one such story, “The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement” would be in the May launch, I was over the moon! I have a lot of readers who have asked about this story and where to get it and now, it’s available again in a 2-in-1 with Julia James’ “The Greek’s Virgin Bride.” How cool is that?
It’s your turn: If you could sit the publishers down and talk to them, what would you ask for as a reader?
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The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement
Harlequin Showcase: Reissue
ISBN-10: 0373688024
ISBN-13: 978-0373688029
Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciana di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background. But Luciano’s sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy—until she discovers that Luciano married her to fulfill his own ruthless agenda…!
The book also includes the fabulous “The Greek’s Virgin Bride” by Julia James.
Look for Showcases in the single title romance section of your favorite bookstores!
Award winning author Lucy Monroe published her first book in September of 2003. Since then she has sold more than 50 books to four publishers and hit national bestsellers lists in the US and England. Whether it’s a passionate Harlequin Presents, a sexy action adventure, or a steamy paranormal historical, Lucy’s books transport her readers to a special place where the heart rules and love conquers all.
“This dark paranormal novel is the latest in Fox’s Eternal Pleasure series about shapeshifters. Fox brings together two unforgettable characters, transformed after one devastating night, adds plenty of erotic tension and draws readers irresistibly into their world. It¹s all about second chances in this sexy, suspenseful and satisfying read.” — 4 Stars, RT Book Reviews
He is the hunter.
She’s fled her alpha wolf—and the entire paranormal community of Serene. Now a free woman—wolf, Sunray returns to Chicago, full of bittersweet memories. The last thing she expects to find there is her reincarnated lover, who died at her feet the night she was changed into a lycan a century ago. Still, Sunray knows they can never revive their intense passion. Because now he’s a lycan hunter—and she is his prey…
She is the hunted.
Not for a minute does Kane believe this beautiful lycan’s story, that they were once lovers. Still, he recognizes Sunray as the woman who’s been seducing him in his dreams. For now, prey and predator have forged an uneasy, temporary truce as they join forces to capture a rogue shifter. But after their work is done, will either of them be able to resist a passion that could be dangerously all-consuming?
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Chicago: A Century Ago October
Hurried steps carried Ray Bartlett across town; his dark clothes and the black sky masked his foolhardy presence. As he approached the train tracks, the silhouette of the old abandoned building on the other side of the railroad came into view, prompting him to reach into his pocket and pull out the heavy tin can he always brought with him—a familiar beacon in a dark, eerie night.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” he called out as he gently shook the scratched and dented container of sardines, letting the thick oil inside slosh about in an effort to herald his approach. He pitched his voice low, knowing the sound would carry in the breeze and alert the lone occupant of the building to his presence, and signal her to free the latch. His glance darted around, and he hoped like hell he’d gone undetected by any resident gangs, should they be lurking about. After all, he was a far cry from his elite Gold Coast neighborhood and was now stepping foot into Chicago’s seedy south side—a testament to his foolhardiness, for sure.
As he took note of his shaking fingers, he slid the can back into his breeches and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets to still his rather unusual jitters. His discomposure was partly because he’d snuck out of his dorm (and should he get caught, the consequences doled out by the headmaster would be most severe), and partly due to his excitement at seeing the girl waiting for him on the side of town he had no business frequenting—the side of town the folks in his social circle avoided like a diseased wharf rat. But, unlike him, they didn’t have Sunni Matthews waiting for them.
Sunni…
God, his heart raced and his body grew needy just thinking about her. She had a certain energy: a light in the darkness that filled him with a deep warmth and unearthed things he’d never felt before.
Everything from the way her golden hair framed her porcelain skin and the way her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with love and laughter to the way she trusted him completely and thoroughly with her body, heart, and soul rattled his emotions and rendered him practically senseless. Ribbons of want—no, need—worked their way through his veins because he knew he was only minutes from gathering her into his arms, pressing his mouth to hers and paying homage to her lush body until the early hours of the morning.
As he took in the shape of the slumbering structure tucked just inside the woods, a mixture of joy and sadness invaded his thoughts. He was thrilled to spend a few stolen moments with Sunni—he ached to embrace her, to feel her naked body against his skin—but it pained him to know that he’d wake up tomorrow between a set of starched white sheets, and she in a dusty cot. His heart twisted and his stomach clenched. He halted his forward momentum and fought down the feeling of helplessness, as well as the pang of loneliness that ate at his guts like a thousand hungry cockroaches.
Soon, he reminded himself. Soon they’d be together forever, and he’d make things better for her. It was a promise he’d made to her a long time ago, and a promise he intended to keep. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m a blogging mad woman this week with the release of my latest Samhain book Lost and Found. I think I’m all blogged out. I’ve blogged about how many times this book was rejected because it didn’t fit into any genre quite right, combining elements of women’s fiction with romance. I’ve blogged about how much I appreciate digital publishers like Samhain Publishing who can publish books that take a risk and don’t fit the usual mold. I’ve blogged about all the rules I broke with this book, romance rules like not having a married heroine, and not tackling issues such as pregnancy, infertility and infidelity. I even have a blog coming this weekend about the importance of the setting in this story – the ocean plays an important role for Krissa and Nate, and there are symbols of their lives on the beach – tumultuous waves, tangled seaweed, an empty sea shell. And oh yeah, about the 4 STAR review from RT Book Reviews, who said it’s “emotionally complex, well-written” and a “complex, affecting romance”.
I LOVE SEXY SHAPESHIFTERS! The sexier, the better! There, I said it. Anyone else? There’s just something about a man who has a primal side as well as a tender side; and shapeshifters fit that description to perfection. Take a Cat Shifter. Primal, Protective, Possessive. He lives to protect the ones he loves. My hero in UNDER A SHIFTER’S MOON, Lyon Savage is what I call the prime example of a SEXY Shapeshifter. Lyon is fighting for the position of being Alpha to his Jaguar Pride. If his brother wins the title, a Shifter’s war is on the horizon and the Pride will be in danger of extinction. In order to save them, Lyon has to fulfill a Decree that says he has to marry a special women destined to give him a son who will be the future salvation of the Pride. But, Lyon falls in love with her aunt, Kitlene. Now he’s left with the choice to either choose the love of his life OR the future salvation of his Pride. And there’s one more obstacle: if he chooses Kitlene, her life is forfeit.
Author: Kari Thomas
