Hey, do you think I have a thing for books with "The" in the title? Oh, well. Here's to everyone who's read my blog and to everyone who will read my books.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Happy New Year
Hey, do you think I have a thing for books with "The" in the title? Oh, well. Here's to everyone who's read my blog and to everyone who will read my books.
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Another Excerpt from The Queen of Swords
The following excerpt is from the start of the book:
“Just so ye know, vampires don’t kill—except
by accident, of course, or to commit deliberate murder.”
The sound of his deep, musical burr quickened Cat’s pulse. It could only be the good-looking Scot who’d been checking her out from the stacks for the past twenty minutes.
“Excuse me?” She raised her eyes from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, but did not turn around. There was no need. She’d already memorized every detail of his appearance while he skirted her gaze. Each time she looked his way, hoping to catch his eye, he was conveniently reading the book in his hand. Each time she returned to her work, the prickling hairs on the back of her neck gave away his game.
He seemed uncannily familiar too, though she couldn’t place him. The proud stance, powerful build, and thick copper hair all struck a chord—a sweet arpeggio that resonated somewhere deep inside.
“The average adult has five liters of blood,” he began to explain, “and the average stomach can hold fewer than two.” He paused to shift gears. “She’s also wrong about the coffins. And the impotence—though the book remains one of my favorites of the genre.
“Mine too.” She set the gold-clad novel on the table beside her laptop. “Do you go here? You seem familiar."
“Nay. I went to Saint Andrew’s ages ago.
She still didn’t turn. “Oh? Then what brings you here?"
“I just moved to the village,” he said, “and heard the university had an impressive collection of vampire literature. So, I thought I’d see for myself—to kill a wee bit of time. But it seems ye’ve beaten me to it.
“For my dissertation,” she offered quickly, pinging with guilt. She did not add that renewal of her faculty contract hinged on her finishing her Ph.D. before the term ended in three more weeks. Or that she was hopelessly behind. If she told him how under-the-gun she felt, he might leave. And she wanted to keep talking to him.
He was undeniably handsome. Bodice-ripper, book-cover handsome. Straight nose with a slight flare at the end; strong jaw and jutting chin; prominent brow and cheekbones; intense, deep-set eyes that turned down at the corners ever so slightly; and a sweet, kissable mouth whose tucked lower lip made it both boyish and sensual.
Apart from the biker jacket and boots, he might have stepped out of one of the Highlander romances she read every chance she got—a longstanding guilty pleasure. For some inexplicable reason, she’d been attracted to all things Scottish for as long as she could remember.
He reached past her, selected Dracula off her stack of reference material, and began looking through it. She could hear the pages turning behind her, but couldn’t bring herself to turn round. If she met his eyes, she would melt like butter.
“He was lucky to have no reflection to fuck with his head.”
His voice brought her back, but only partly. “Who?”
“Oh.” Embarrassment scorched her cheeks. “It was meant to symbolize that he had no soul.”
“I ken that. But is it true, do ye think?”
Cat knew from her Highlander romances the word “ken” meant “know” in Scots, but was otherwise confused by his question. Why did she find his closeness so discomposing? Men, even good-looking ones, rarely had this effect on her.
“Is what true?”
“That vampires have no souls,” he clarified. “That they’re eternally damned.”
“I don’t believe in—”
When she didn’t go on, he prodded. “Ye don’t believe in what?”
She was going to say “eternal damnation,” but remembered it was never a good idea to discuss religion—especially her religion—with any but like-minded practitioners of the craft. And even then, it could lead to heated disagreement.
Turning at last, she met his eyes, an astonishing shade of gold—like topazes or whisky backlit by the sun. They also were so gnawingly familiar she wanted to scream.
She tried to speak, to wrench her eyes away, but couldn’t seem to. Images of heather and bracken, of misty hills and crystal lochs, washed over her like a dream. What in the name of the goddess was happening to her?
Unable to bear his riveting gaze any longer, she turned back to the table, winded and shaken. She took a couple of breaths to slow her pulse and regain control. As he reached past her to return Dracula to its place, her eyes followed his hand—a sculptural marvel with long fingers tapering from furrowed knuckles to lustrous nails. She shivered as she imagined those fingers traveling over her flesh. He smelled good, too. Natural and earthy. Like a walk in the woods on a crisp autumn morning.
“How do I know you?”
She had to force the words through her throat. “Have we met before?”
“Oh, aye.” His
breath brushed her ear. “A couple of times.”
Join the Cover Reveal Blogosphere Blitz
Cover Reveal: Cogs in Time, a steampunk anthology
Cool cover, eh?Cool book, too.
It's already on my TBR list. The book releases January 9th. Here's the blurb:
Go on an adventure through unheard of places in time and existence. Here in these remote areas, thriving cities, and secret worlds, a strange technological revolution reigns. Inside these pages inventors, dreamers, and revolutionist rule in worlds of steam driven machines, cog powered humanoids, clockwork miracles, and paranormal magic. Dressed in corsets, top hats, and cog lined finery the heroes and heroines face down immense obstacles as they take to the skies in airships, use incredible technology that is a mix between ancient and futuristic, and discover love.
Sixteen talented authors, artists and poets have come together in the must read anthology of 2014. The product of this collaboration is an incredible journey through a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, history, paranormal, and romance that embraces the roots of Steampunk while pushing the genre to new, bolder limits
Friday, December 27, 2013
Recruiting Book Bloggers for Cover Reveal
My debut novel will be released by
Vamptasy Publishing on March 22 and I'm hosting a Facebook cover reveal
event on January 19th (my birthday). I'm revealing the cover to the
public via blogs and book sites the following day. I'm looking for
bloggers who might like to participate in the reveal. The book, titled
The Queen of Swords, is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy about a white
witch who returns every hundred years to try and free her soul mate,
who's been earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. If you'd like to participate, please leave a comment with your contact info or send a message via my Facebook author's page.
The book trailer follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDpqAmn-DdQ&feature=youtu.be
The book trailer follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDpqAmn-DdQ&feature=youtu.be
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Don't Miss My Birthday Bash/Cover Reveal
THE QUEEN OF SWORDS, a paranormal tale of undying love, tells the story of a white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her eternal soul mate who's been earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. Will she free him this time around or will history repeat?
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
The Pen And Ink Blog: The Twelve Days of Writing for 2013
The Pen And Ink Blog: The Twelve Days of Writing for 2013: We posted this last year, but history repeats. by Lupe Fernandez On the Twelfth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me: Twelv...
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Excerpt from The Queen of Swords
 |
| Not the actual cover. |
THE QUEEN OF SWORDS tells the story of a white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her soul mate, who's been earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. Will she find a way for them to be together this time around?
Here's a wee taste:
Graham had just
come upon the misplaced diaries—in the cupboard under the stairs—when he caught
a whiff of something burning. Concerned, he stepped back into the foyer. A
quick look around revealed nothing unusual. He sniffed the air, again detecting
smoke, though none of the toxic undertones of a house fire. Neither did it
smell of a choked chimney. It was, in fact, pleasantly herbal—like the
juniper-laced bonfires of Beltane he
knew in his youth. Was Branwen burning incense...or Benedict trying out a new
pipe tobacco?
Shrugging
it off, he grabbed the box of diaries and headed for the stairs. As he climbed,
so did the smoke. A picture of Caitriona came into his mind. Or was it
Catharine...or the new one? He couldn’t be sure as she was naked and her hair
hung loose. As she reached for him, he saw something odd: a blue fire the size
of a pilot light in the center of each palm.
Like moth to flame, you yearn for light.
Come from shadow into my sight.
The words whispered. Caitriona disappeared. Desire blossomed.
What was going on? At the top of the stairs, he
was sweating and dizzy. Every nerve ending, every vein, burned like fire.
He raced down the hall toward his bedchamber, dropping the box as he shot
through the doorway. Bending to collect his spilled diaries, he startled at
what he saw:
He had no hands. And no feet.
The
smoke and ethers enveloped, pulling him apart cell by cell until he felt like
the sands of time moving through an hourglass. The cosmos was silent except for
a haunting echo—like the sound inside a seashell. He felt at once connected to
everything and nothing. Adrift yet highly attuned; blind yet all
seeing; numb yet hypersensitive; defenseless yet omnipotent. Others were there,
too—phantasmal energies blowing past and passing through like sleet.
The
next thing he knew, he was on his back, winded and disoriented. The room was
dark save for the flicker of a solitary candle. He could make out only two pale
shapes. The larger one, he presumed, was a bed, the smaller one, by the window,
his summoner. His nostrils flared, seeking her scent, but found only the spices
of the smoke.
“I told ye to stay away from me,” he growled. “Why did ye not
listen?”
Friday, December 20, 2013
The Queen of Swords
Here's the new and improved version of the book trailer for The Queen of Swords, releasing March 22, 2014.
If you want the larger version, go here: Copy of The Queen of Swords
If you want the larger version, go here: Copy of The Queen of Swords
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Release Date for Queen of Swords!
When Graham Logan, a Scottish nobleman turned immortal
blood-drinker, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love
of his life—for the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking
her life or making her what he is, two things his beliefs won’t allow him to
do. Graham, who walks a tightrope of regret and sacrifice, rages at God: Why
give her back only to take her again?
Cat Fingal, the latest incarnation of Graham’s soul mate,
won’t let him slip away so easily. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon
him—for answers and to deflower her—making refusal impossible.
Graham is convinced she comes back every hundred years to
punish him for abandoning her and his unborn heir on the eve of their wedding
back in 1815. Cat believes she returns to free his soul by forcing him to
reevaluate the beliefs that keep him stuck and miserable. Before he can defeat his
demons, both internal and external, Graham must put his faith in the power of
love.
|
Promo for the Queen of Swords
Here it is: my promo poster for The Queen of Swords. I looked and worked long and hard on it. And it looks like this might end up being the image for the actual cover--since the cover artist for Vamptasy loved it. I love that she's goth, has long brown hair, and is reading a book. In the text, the heroine, Cat Fingal, is a total bookworm who also is a white witch and teaches literature at a British university specializing in occult studies. So, books are mentioned often, especially in the vampire genre. When the book opens, she's working on her doctoral dissertation on the evolving vampire archetype in literature.
Anyway, I worked hard on the graphic so I hope it doesn't suck (pun intended). :P
Playing in PicMonkey
Still working on poster for THE QUEEN OF SWORDS. Much harder to conceptualize, for some reason. Spent all day yesterday on PicMonkey and iStock and still not happy.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Give someone you love a Hellhound this Christmas!
Here's the blurb:
Halo Bay has had nothing but bad luck with men her whole life, from a cheating high school boyfriend to the abusive one she just stabbed through the eye. Fatally wounded from her last fight with him, she falls unconscious, only to wake in purgatory with two choices before her. Sew her own eyes and mouth shut and wander around purgatory for an eternity, or, follow an extremely hot man, by the name of Gunner, to Hell. There she will train to be a "Hellhound," a hunter of all things nasty that escape Hell and go topside. Only with this can they try to redeem themselves and possibly gain their freedom. Settling into her new life as a HELLHOUND is almost easier than the amazing love affair just starting to grow between her and Gunner. His inability to open up, and her problems with trust, tend to make things difficult. Not to mention, she has another who admires her, the Prince of Fire himself, Lucifer. Halo becomes frustrated and makes a fatal mistake that could cost her everything.
Doesn't it sound fabulous? And it's only 99 cents today for the Kindle edition! Go forth and bring your HELLHOUND to heel before Book Two hits the streets on Jan. 4.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Woo-hoo! Three Books Releasing in 2014
Great news! I just signed two books, THE QUEEN OF SWORDS and THE TIN MAN, with CHBB/Vamptasy. Tentative release date is late February or early March in both electronic and paperback formats. Another book, THE KNIGHT OF WANDS, will be released in late spring as a Kindle book by Soul Mate Publishing.
Here are the blurbs for the newly signed:
THE TIN MAN, a political thriller:
The last thing Alex Buchanan, the editor-in-chief of a formidable news site, expects as he looks around the newsroom at the bodies of his editors, is that he'll soon be teaming up with The Ball Buster to solve the crime and stay alive. Well, maybe not the last thing. The last thing he expects is to fall for her or any other woman. Because he's The Tin Man--a suit of armor without a heart.
Or so he believes...
The Ball Buster is his private nickname for Thea Hamilton, a smart, gutsy, and insecure investigative reporter for The New York News, America's newspaper of record. They went out once years ago--an unmitigated disaster during which she jumped all over his case about smoking.
When events force them together, they embark on an emotion-charged, high-octane quest for the truth, ending up in bed, but also in the clutches of a sociopathic corporate raider. "Zeus" is obsessed with James Bond and owns a hardcore S & M club in an old fallout shelter. Is he the killer? And, if so, what's his motive? What he hopes to gain by torturing the journalists is clearer: the proof they've uncovered of a corporate takeover scheme that threatens the future of democracy. And he'll stop at nothing to get it.
Here are the blurbs for the newly signed:
THE QUEEN OF SWORDS, a paranormal romance:
When Graham Logan, a Scottish nobleman turned immortal blood-drinker, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life—for the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life or making her what he is, two things his beliefs won’t allow him to do. Graham, who walks a tightrope of regret and sacrifice, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?
When Graham Logan, a Scottish nobleman turned immortal blood-drinker, draws the Queen of Swords, he knows he’s about to meet the love of his life—for the third time. But surrendering his heart will mean risking her life or making her what he is, two things his beliefs won’t allow him to do. Graham, who walks a tightrope of regret and sacrifice, rages at God: Why give her back only to take her again?
Cat Fingal, the latest incarnation of Graham’s soul mate,
won’t let him slip away so easily. A white witch, she casts a spell to summon
him—for answers and to deflower her—making refusal impossible.
Graham is convinced she comes back every hundred years to
punish him for abandoning her and his unborn heir on the eve of their wedding
back in 1815. Cat believes she returns to free his soul by forcing him to
reevaluate the beliefs that keep him stuck and miserable. Before he can defeat his
demons, both internal and external, Graham must put his faith in the power of
love.
. . .
THE TIN MAN, a political thriller:
The last thing Alex Buchanan, the editor-in-chief of a formidable news site, expects as he looks around the newsroom at the bodies of his editors, is that he'll soon be teaming up with The Ball Buster to solve the crime and stay alive. Well, maybe not the last thing. The last thing he expects is to fall for her or any other woman. Because he's The Tin Man--a suit of armor without a heart.
Or so he believes...
The Ball Buster is his private nickname for Thea Hamilton, a smart, gutsy, and insecure investigative reporter for The New York News, America's newspaper of record. They went out once years ago--an unmitigated disaster during which she jumped all over his case about smoking.
When events force them together, they embark on an emotion-charged, high-octane quest for the truth, ending up in bed, but also in the clutches of a sociopathic corporate raider. "Zeus" is obsessed with James Bond and owns a hardcore S & M club in an old fallout shelter. Is he the killer? And, if so, what's his motive? What he hopes to gain by torturing the journalists is clearer: the proof they've uncovered of a corporate takeover scheme that threatens the future of democracy. And he'll stop at nothing to get it.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Release Day: Avenging Innocence by Samantha Ketteman
It's release day for AVENGING INNOCENCE, a dark fantasy thriller by Samantha Ketteman. Here's the blurb:
In the aftermath of a devastating judgment, a mother tries to understand how justice could have failed her daughter so completely. Nightmares plague Jemma about the horrors her daughter experienced, slowly driving her to seek her own vengeance. There is nothing more beautiful or dangerous than a mother's love for her child, and Jemma will stop at nothing to avenge her daughter's lost innocence.
To celebrate its release, the publisher (CHBB/Hot Ink/Vamptasy) is offering the Kindle edition today for only 99 cents. Get it here: www.smarturl.it/avenginginnocence
Here's a little bit about the author:
Samantha Ketteman has resided in southern Illinois for seven years (though still claims to be an Alabama girl), with her husband and three crazy demon children. She started reading novels at a very young age and decided to write for herself. She is working on The Forgotten series, as well as the Destiny Discovered series, the Reaping Justice series, and various other projects. AVENGING INNOCENCE is a stand-alone novel. When she's not writing, Samantha is thinking about writing. Novels are an escape from the harsh reality of a cantankerous teenage boy and two drama-queen girls.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Six of Swords
Isn't this a beautiful card? It's from the Illuminati tarot deck. One of my Facebook friends shared it with me this morning so I thought I'd take a few minutes out of writing THE KNIGHT OF CUPS (yes, there are tarot cards in the book) to blog about it. Yes, I read tarot cards--mostly for myself and family members, and not all that often anymore. A few weeks back, I did a Celtic Cross spread asking about my books: what would happen with them? Would they sell? Would I know success with my writing? The cards I drew seemed to suggest that I would sell all three of my completed manuscripts within the next few months--and guess what? I've signed a contract for one and have been offered contracts on the other two. The cards also suggested that I would receive both intellectual and creative fulfillment from my writing--a very good thing. Financial success would be nice as well, but you can't have everything, right? I did, however, draw the Three of Pentacles in the position of "what is passing out of your life"--the card of turning a creative pursuit into a profession (moving from apprentice to craftsman, in other words).
Now, to get back to the Six of Swords. As you can see from the image, the card shows a ferryman or gondolier taking a rather downcast-looking woman and child across the water to a distant shore. Note the water. On the near side of the boat, it is rough; on the far side, calm. This indicates the moving away from difficulties to better times. It can mean a literal journey, of course, but I have no plans (and no money) to travel, so I suspect it's the former. Times have been hard for me and my family for the past several years, so this card brings the best possible news: Things will soon get better!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
It's re-release day for Being Mrs. Dracula
is the leading Indie Publisher for Dark Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Suspense novels and short stories for the Young Adult and New Adult Market.)
Be sure and pop by the re-release party on Facebook tonight from 8 to 10 p.m.
Here's the blurb for BEING MRS. DRACULA:
When Valeria’s hand was given in marriage to the handsome and powerful Count Vlad Dracula, she dreamed of happiness but instead her life was filled with longing for her absent husband, their country ravaged by war. When Vlad at last returned from the battlefield, he was a changed man, an alluring and dangerous creature with a thirst for her blood . . . and for more wives.
For over one hundred years, tales of Count Dracula have haunted and seduced the imagination of readers worldwide. Now experience the story of Dracula from a new perspective, as told by the three women who knew him best. Discover their stories, their secrets, and find out what it would be to love and be loved by history’s most powerful vampire in Being Mrs. Dracula.
In a marriage that spans centuries, one man shared between three women, love may be eternal but happiness is not guaranteed . . .
Buy it now at Amazon.com!
Here's an excerpt from a recent review:
"Bram Stoker . . . knew that each of Dracula's wives had a story, and an interesting one at that. But that was not the story he was telling. Faith Marlow came along to remind us, and to bring us that forgotten story. It is well worth your time and money to buy this story and read it. It will stick with you for a long time after."
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Bruce McAllister nominated for Cybil Award!
Woo-hoo! I'm thrilled to share a bit of news I just picked up on Facebook: Bruce McAlister's magical new novel, The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic, published by Aeon Press, has been nominated for the 2013 Cybil Awards.
I wish my old friend Bruce--a great person and fantasy and sci-fi writer--the best of luck in the judging. For a recent review of
the novel, see what the award-winning author Paul Di Filippo has to say
on Locus Online. Here’s the novel’s blurb: During the Cold War a 13-year-old American boy, Brad Lattimer, moves with his family to a fishing village in Northern Italy. It is no ordinary village. But Brad is welcomed like a long-lost cousin. His teacher is a gentle hunchback with a lisp who is more than he seems to be; and there are witches in the olive groves who will poison your cat, but not for the reasons you imagine. In those same groves there is a village so small it shouldn’t be a village, its red doorways too short for normal men to pass through easily; and at night, on its narrow cobble street, creatures that should not exist walk while a single baby cries forever. On the sands of the next cove sits a pale girl who somehow knows the poetry of the great Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and wants you to drown with her, just as Percy drowned near this village over a century ago. This is the village where Brad, too, will start to dream strange dreams and write his first stories; where he will fall sick because the village’s magic has a hold on him: It wants him to become something other than a boy–something that can never leave it–something it can have as its own forever.
This is Bruce's third novel. Years ago, in another life, Bruce and I worked together at the University of Redlands, he as a professor of creative writing and me as the news bureau manager. The book is 172 pages and is available to purchase here on the Albedo One website in print for just 11.00 (euro), and can also be bought in eBook format on Amazon.com (here) and Amazon.co.uk (here).
Author Spotlight: Danita Minnis
How
did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?
I
began writing my new novel Love Entwined before I was aware of its genre. In
those early days of the story brewing in my mind, I only knew that I wanted to
read a romance with an ancient mystery attached to it, preferably something to
do with reincarnation, which fascinates me. I came away with a contemporary
paranormal romance with a bit of historical in it and healthy portions of
horror.
Writers
write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle
or last child and how does this shape your view of the world? Being the ‘baby’
of the family was very enlightening. With four older sisters, there was much to
absorb in various stages of our lives. As children often do, you revisit
conversations, things that happened when you really weren’t paying attention.
When you’re older, these things come back to you and sort of click into place,
maybe answering a question you’ve always had or confirming a stance. It has
turned out to be a constant education, these little lessons of the past, and being
a contemplative individual I am really grateful for them.
Where
is your favorite place to write?
Besides
writing in a hammock surrounded by a beautiful garden (which I’m determined to
have one day), I love to write in a quiet corner of my busy living room. I must
have some sort of background noise around me, whether it’s an old mystery movie
on the TV or the dog playing nearby with his ball. Those mundane things are
very soothing to me.
How
do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?
I’m
ruthless. J I kill my darlings all
the time. If a character’s story doesn’t work with my ultimate goal, they’re
gone. Sometimes I write to the end of the story and when I get there if I don’t
like what I read, character assassination begins. Sometimes it is character
enhancement. If you love a character in one of my stories know that they will
meet harm at some point because I love shock value. I’ve always enjoyed a story
that takes me someplace I had no idea where it was going.
You
are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning
question you must ask them?
I
have many favorite authors but since I’ve been reading a lot of Anne Rice
lately, I’ll go with her. I would ask Ms. Rice what was her inspiration for
creating the Vampire Lestat, what started it all?
Inquiring
minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.
I
would hate to be in a dark, windowless room, devoid of sights and sounds. With
my imagination, I’d probably scare myself to death.
You
are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three
items are in your survival pack?
My
cell phone, laptop and British model David Gandy! Wait, he’s not an item. I
guess my last item would have to be David’s latest magazine cover spread. When
I’m not writing, I’d be ooohing and aahing. J
If
you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be? The power
to root out evil in a person, just lay hands on them and take it away! I’d
travel all around the world and touch millions of people. I’d be known as the
Evil Undoer.
Favorite
snack?
Egg
Nog – tis the season!
Indy
500 - Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed
limit? I definitely know how to get where I’m going although I’ve been good
lately. My son just received his driving permit, have to be an example now. J
Love
Entwined Blurb
Run,
little witch…
Amelie
Laurent is on her way to the top of the jewelry designing world with no time
for men. Her orderly life is about to come undone when jewelry tycoon Roman
Cardiff steals her away on assignment to a remote English estate. Roman wants
Amelie all to himself but St. Clair Manor’s resident ghost has been waiting for
her much longer than he has.
Run
home…
An
unseen gunman takes a shot at Roman and he blames a business rival. But Amelie
and Roman are to blame, for falling in love 200 years before in a time neither
of them remember.
From
the heartbreak of pre-Revolutionary France to modern day corporate
wars, Amelie and Roman uncover a history of blood jewels, lust and demons.
Good
witch, bad witch, you must decide…
When
Amelie discovers her inner witch she learns the real reason she was summoned to
St. Clair Manor. Il Dragone will kill to get her back. Amelie will kill if they
do.
Excerpt
Mr. Cardiff’s eyes burned into hers. There wasn’t anything
angelic about them now. She felt naked. Focus. He was saying something.
“…and I would like you to work on the designs.”
“Me?” She asked. Breathe.
She fought to regain her equilibrium. It wasn’t working.
“Yes and the timing is perfect, now that you’re no longer
working on that other project.” With a smug smile, Harold came out from behind
his desk to stand between them.
She needed some breathing room and stepped away from Mr.
Cardiff. She was still close enough to hear him chuckle under his breath.
He frowned at him. Was he making fun of her? No, what she
read in his eyes was a challenge.
He gave her a repentant grin.
Maybe it was three months of pent up anger at being—for
lack of a better word—manipulated in her home. Or, maybe it was three months of
the best sex—real or imagined—she’d ever had in her life with a phantom who
chose to introduce himself at this very inconvenient time when she was trying
to quit her exhausting job. It was also just as likely the fact that her warm
and generous dream lover was actually a pampered and conceited heir who
probably had more woman than the time required to service them.
Whatever the
reason, she had reached her limit.
Amelie faced Mr. Cardiff. Folding her arms, she
acknowledged what had passed between them and accepted his dare. “It would be
my pleasure.”
Harold gave her an odd look and guided her to the divan as
if she needed some guidance, which only served to irk her more. “You will be in
good hands with Amelie. Did you know that she was lead designer behind Bijou’s
Artisan Collection?”
“I had no idea.” There was a slight edge to Mr. Cardiff’s
tone, but it was nothing compared to the arrogance that frosted his eyes. “And
how is our old friend Garamonde?”
Was it possible to hate someone at first sight?
“Still old, I suppose.”
Harold coughed, and she refused to look at him. She would
stare Mr. Cardiff down until closing time, if need be.
As quickly as his eyes had frosted, they warmed up again
with amusement.
She could not quell the sinking feeling she had lost
control of the situation. She suspected it had never been in her possession in
the first place. But now that the fateful words of acceptance were out of her
mouth, the wind went out of her sails.
Mr. Cardiff smiled as smoothly as he had just engineered
this desired outcome. He sat down on the other end of the sofa and stretched
long, muscular legs out. They nearly reached the desk Harold leaned against. A
swimmer’s physique, she thought, and then shut that errant thought down as
quickly as it had surfaced.
“Excellent,” he said. “When will you be ready to
leave for St. Clair Manor?”
“Mr. Cardiff, this is highly irregular. I cannot be
contracted out…” She looked at Harold.
He shrugged.
She schooled her voice back to a modicum of
professionalism.
“Mr. Cardiff, we have everything we need here at Penrod’s
to do the job. I can forward the sketches to you in just a few weeks’ time.”
Harold cleared his throat and belatedly, she realized what
he was going to say.
“Actually, Amelie, we are also contracted for a
refurbishment project.”
Merde, it would
take months.
She had gone
from the verge of resigning her position to yet another commitment, to him, no less.
Still, she had been cornered by powerful men before. Men
who were born with advantage in the corporate sector. Men who obtained
everything they wanted and many things they didn’t, without even trying.
Some men, she snorted inwardly, don’t deserve the women
they have. Or had. But she’d promised herself she would not think about Emil
Garamonde anymore. As much as it hurt to know she’d lost control with Emil, she
had finally convinced herself that what happened between them was a normal,
human mistake.
It was ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. And,
oh, how she’d learned. She would never let her guard down again.
Mr. Cardiff’s good looks hardened her resolve. She tried
again to dissuade him from this kidnapping Harold was consenting to because
this time she wanted to win. She put cold steel in her voice.
“Another few weeks, and the jewels will be safe here in
our vault while I work on them.”
His chiding chuckle said they were both aware he had her.
It made her feel chastened, but it also made her legs weak with an unwelcome
tremor of desire.
The handsome devil had dimples to boot.
“Ms. Laurent, I am afraid that is impossible. The Cardiff collection never
leaves St. Clair Manor. I’m sure you will find our facilities more than
adequate. As for the sketches, I will need to work closely with you on
concepts.” His eyes raked her form again. “I am very hands-on.”
Her legs did
give way then. She sat down on the divan. How
could I have ever thought his smile was angelic?
Bio
Danita is a member of Romance Writers of America. She is a lover of chocolate, a good, scary movie, kittens and pubs--especially Siberian Huskies. When she is not writing, she exercises her lungs at her son's soccer matches and their favorite theme park, because everyone knows it's easier on the stomach to scream your way down a roller coaster.
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The Cardiff
Novels
Amazon UK
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tomorrow: Author Danita Minnis
Join me tomorrow when the spotlight shines on Danita Minnis , author of LOVE ENTWINED, "a contemporary paranormal romance with a bit of historical in it and healthy
portions of horror," according to Danita herself. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? Tomorrow, I'll have the blurb, excerpt, an interview, and more! Don't forget to stop by!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
One-Day Book Blitz: Bitter Fruits by Sarah Daltry
For fans of dark urban fantasy comes a novel that questions why forbidden fruit is always the most tempting . . . BITTER FRUITS by Sarah Daltry, a new adult paranormal romance releasing today (Dec. 1, 2013) as an e-book by Escape Publishing.Here's the blurb:
Attending a vampire-themed masquerade party seems like a strange way to spend a night, but Nora is sick of frat parties and bars. Meeting Alec was just a bonus. Despite their immediate attraction, Alec is wary of involving himself with Nora, and when she pushes it, she uncovers secrets that could destroy them both. Is she willing to risk everything for a man she hardly knows? How far into darkness will he take her?
When Nora attempts to follow, things only grow more complicated. Someone is hunting her--someone tied to a secret that goes back to the beginning of man. Soon, Nora finds herself drawn to two men, each with his own agenda. Can she save them both when one is destined to die?
Here's a wee excerpt to whet your palette for BITTER FRUIT:
He sits in front of me and brings me to his chest. Our flesh is hot and sticky where it touches and I can’t stop the ache between my legs. His breathing is ragged and he tightens his grip on the back of my head as he tries to slow it. I am hurt or angry or frustrated, but I don’t know which. He runs his hands along my entire body and I push against him, needing him and not knowing how to accept his denial.
‘I want you, Nora. I have wanted you since I saw you. You are gorgeous. However, there are secrets that... Please understand, the steps that you want to take will reveal things. This cannot end well for either of us. I don’t want to make you suffer, but I am fated to suffer. Don’t make me bring you with me into the darkness. I can’t bear to lose you.’
I sense the pain that grips him. The darkness that he speaks of sounds frightening, but I don’t feel fear when I face him and meet his eyes. ‘I will follow you anywhere. Dark or light. Stop trying to make my choices for me.’
Our lips meet again, but it is with doubt. Neither of us knows what will happen if we are to move forward, but I want to have a chance to find out.
My body is still crying out for him but now my mind is calm. I want him, but I want him when he knows that I’m ready for whatever that means. His hands touch me and his caresses are soft. We both slow our breathing and I try to let my will match his. When he pulls away, he gathers the picnic and looks at me with longing and a hunger I do not recognize. It’s not sexual, but desperate. Almost as a dying man looks in the last moments of his life.
‘In three days,’ he says, ‘I will meet you again at the church where we first met. In the meantime, I want you to look something up — and if you do not appear at the church, I’ll know that what you found changed everything.’
‘Okay,’ I say warily. I’ll do anything he asks, but his fear scares me. What kind of secrets can he possibly hold? Little right now could stop me from going to him in three days.
‘Find the name Charles Samuels. He was an Oxford student in the 1960s. And then we shall see how much of the darkness you are willing to face.’
‘I’ll look him up, but Alec, I’m going to be at the church in three days,’ I say.
‘For your sake, Nora, I hope that you’re not.’
Author Bio:
Sarah Daltry writes erotica and romance that ranges from sweet to steamy. She moves around a lot and has trouble committing to things. Bitter Fruits is her first full length novel. Her other two novels have already been released. Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley are simultaneous perspectives in the New Adult contemporary romance series, Flowering. Sarah also has three novellas (including Star of Bethlehem, part of the Flowering series) and several short stories available. She is currently working on Immortal Star and Daughter of Heaven in this series, and Orange Blossom, another novel in Flowering . When Sarah isn’t writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.
Stalker Links:
WEBSITE | AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE | BITTERFRUITS FACEBOOK PAGE | FLOWERING SERIES FACEBOOK PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST | TUMBLR
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Tomorrow: Bitter Fruits by Sarah Daltry
Don't miss the one-day blitz tomorrow (Dec. 1) for Sarah Daltry's new adult dark paranormal romance BITTER FRUITS.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Taking The Tin Man down from the shelf
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| Why's it called The Tin Man? Because Alex Buchanan, the hero, believes he's incapable of falling in love. |
Anyway, I just got word that it's a "go" (with a few changes). And on Thanksgiving Day, no less.
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