Thursday Threads: The Perfect Duke by Dawn Ireland

This week's Thursday Threads spotlight sines on Dawn Ireland, author of THE PERFECT DUKE, an historical romance set in the late Georgian era. The heat level is classified as "sensual."

Here's the blurb:

Known as The Marble Duke amongst the Ton, Garret Weston, the Duke of Kendal sets himself apart from his peers. Nothing will hinder his guilt-driven attempt to become a perfect duke.  Nothing that is, save the alluring and imaginative betrothed he’d thought dead. His intended believes-of all things-that she is a Vicar’s daughter. The “perfect” duke needs a “perfect” duchess, but how was he to discern her suitability? Employing her as a governess to his niece seemed like an ideal solution. But whose “suitability” is being tested? His betrothed refuses to see he is beyond redemption. And most grievous of all, she stirs his blood, making him forget what’s important.

Cara believes fairy tales really can come true, until she meets the unrelenting and arrogant Duke of Kendal. He looks like a Prince, but acts like a Beast. Why must he challenge her at every turn? Her greatest peril is her attraction to the vulnerable, seductive man behind the title. A match between them would be impossible. But can she show him, without losing her heart that “perfect” is in the eye of the beholder?

Here's a wee excerpt:

“The horse seems to know you.”

“He should. There was a time when I practically lived in the stable. Storm was my favorite.”

“What happened?”

“I became a duke.”

“Oh.”

He straightened and forced his features into a mask of indifference. “So, Rachel loves horses.” He turned to face Cara. “I can appreciate my niece’s fondness, but I can not allow her to frequent the stable.”

“Why not?”

“It is not proper for young ladies of her station.”

“Garret, she’s a child.”

It was the first time she’d used his name, and somehow, Rachel visiting the horses didn’t seem like such a large request. “I will only allow it if she uses the passageway. At least I can keep the knowledge of her visits to a minimum. If you come with her, you will need to use the tunnel as well.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She blushed and turned away. “I’m afraid.” She said it so quietly, he wasn’t sure he heard her.

“Afraid? Of what?”

“Dark, enclosed places. Even as a child, I fell asleep with a candle burning.” She faced him and gave a small smile. “Perhaps I’m afraid that a beast will gobble me up in the dark.”

“There are no beasts at Belcraven, Miss McClure. I would not allow anyone to hurt you.”

“Anyone?”

“Never.” He started toward her and stopped. Damn, it would be better if he didn’t get close to her. As he left the stable, her whisper followed him.

“Not even you?”

You can find/follow Dawn Ireland in the following places:

Author Website

Blog 

Facebook

Twitter

You can buy THE PERFECT DUKE on Amazon.com.

  

Romance Weekly

"Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions in the comment box."

. . .

Welcome to my wee slice of Romance Weekly. Here are my responses to this week's jackpot questions:

 

What is your writing process like?

Truthfully, it's organized chaos.  It also changes with each book because I evolve as a writer with each book. I'm still very much in learning mode as an author of fiction. I've been a writer all my life, and an avid reader of novels, but those don't necessarily translate whole-cloth to the craft of fiction-writing. At present, my process starts with a rough idea. I sit down with index cards and try to work out the goals, motivations, and conflicts for the central characters and a rough idea of plot. I then try to rough out a map of the scenes. Once I start writing, things tend to change. New ideas come to me or I find something didn't work and needs to be rethought. Now, thankfully, I have a wonderful critique partner in Sarah Hegger, who busts my buns when my characters behave inconsistently or my writing doesn't delve deep enough into POV. She sees the forest when I'm lost in the trees and it's enormously helpful! Thanks Sarah, for all your help.

Do you listen to music to enhance your writing?

The short answer is, I don't. Well, I did listen to some Scottish Christmas music (you haven't lived until you've heard traditional caroles on the bagpipe, lol) in the background while I was writing during the holidays, but nothing specifically to inspire my creative muse. I prefer silence when I write. I am, however, deeply moved by music in general. I play the viola (badly and hardly ever anymore) and was a freelance rock journalist once upon a time. Perhaps I should listen to music next time I get stuck for a scene idea. 

What two songs best describe your overall body of work?

At this point in time, my "body of work" consists of three completed manuscripts (under contract but not yet published) and two works in progress. All but one are paranormal romances. The other is a political thriller. When I asked my one beta reader who's read all of my finished books if she saw a common thread among them, she said, yes, all my characters have demons to fight. Not real demons, mind, but the internal kind that get in our way. So, for that reason, I'd have to choose  "Demons" by Imagine Dragons. For the second song, I'd pick either "Losing My Religion" by REM or one of three by The Police: "Every Little Thing She Does," "Every Breath You Take," or "King of Pain." Yeah, my characters suffer a lot of angst. Can't imagine where they get that from, lol.

. . . 

Now, enough about me. Time to head around the circle and see what my fellow romance authors have to say in response to the same three questions, starting with Carrie Elks.

 

Book Launch Blog Tour Extended!

Attention book bloggers: I've extended the Book Launch Blog Tour for The Queen of Swords, a paranormal tale of undying love, through May 20. There are still dates available in late April and most of May. If you're interested or know a book blogger who might be, please sign up or share!

Here's the link to the sign-up form.

One Month Till Release of The Queen of Swords

Today marks one month until release of The Queen of Swords. To help spread the word, I'm asking friends and fans to share this poster. Can you help?

Thursday Threads: Casey's Courage by Neva Brown

Title: CASEY’S COURAGE by Neva Brown

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Heat Level: Sensual

Here's an excerpt:

When they finally stopped swimming and stood up in the shallow end of the pool, the icy wind of early fall shocked them both into quick action . . . he grabbed a huge beach towel and wrapped it round her and hugged her tightly, pressing her body against his own.

Shivering from the cold, Casey snuggled close to Tres. As her shaking eased, she became more aware of his body. He had one arm round her shoulders and the other lower. His hand was on her bottom, pressing her against him from head to toe. He wasn’t cold. His hot, full arousal pulsating against her abdomen fueled a new kind of shiver in her. She leaned into his maleness with primal need. His eyes, bright and feral, devoured her. As she wiggled to step away, he moved his hand from her shoulder to the back of her head. His lips brushed her temple and cheek, trailed down to her neck, then settled gently on her lips that had parted in awe at the sensations she felt. The motion of his mouth against hers sent sparks through her blood. His tongue traced her lips, slipping inside to touch her tongue as he moved his hand to palm her breast and smooth his thumb across the engorged nipple.

The towel slipped to the floor. He gently brushed aside a strap of her swimsuit. As his lips left hers and closed over her exposed breast, her eyes flew open in panic. Jerking her arms from around his waist, not remembering having put them there, she whispered, “Tres, please. I can’t handle this.” She breathed in shallow gasps.

Slowly, he released her breast and raised his head. Pulling the strap up and encasing her throbbing breast, he frowned. “You look like you’ve never been kissed before.”

In awe, she said, “Not like that.”

Tres studied her through a haze of thwarted desire and let her step away from him. His thoughts raced. Has she forgotten that part of her life, or is she telling the truth? 
 

Buy it now at Amazon.com

Last Call for Bloggers

In another few days, I'll be closing sign-ups for the Book Launch Blog Tour for THE QUEEN OF SWORDS. The tour is slated to run from March 22 to April 20. If you're a book blogger and would like to participate, I'd love to have you. Click here to access the online sign-up form.

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS, a paranormal tale of undying love, tells the story of a bookish white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her earthbound soul mate, a Scottish nobleman turned Celtic vampire by a dark wizard's curse. Can she free him this time around so their souls can finally be together?

The book will be released on March 22 in both Kindle and soft-cover formats by Vamptasy Publishing. The pre-release reviews are starting to come in.  All are five stars so far. Here are a few excerpts:

"This book is a must read. It is an engrossing story of love that has spanned centuries. The lyrical writing and enticing story made it a memorable book that I just couldn't put down."

"This is one of the best books I've read in a while. Considering how many books I've read, that's really saying something."

"I give this book ***** (five stars). Great writing, great vision, and a definite work of art."

Romance Weekly

"Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions in the comment box."

. . .

Welcome to my wee slice of Romance Weekly. Here are my responses to this week's jackpot questions:

How did you get the idea for your book?

This is a tough one, since I’ve written several books and there’s been significant evolution as each went from the first kernel of an idea to the finished product. My first book, The Queen of Swords (releasing March 22 from Vamptasy), I can vaguely recall as a reaction to some of the things I was reading on the Internet in response to Twilight. It was clear people didn’t understand the history of vampire literature, so I set out to write a vampire book that referenced the genre.

How did you decide on the title?

I have a devil of a time coming up with titles. All of my books have had several. The title for The Queen of Swords references the tarot card the hero draws which references the heroine. The idea for my second book, The Knight of Wands, came to me on the freeway on my way to the national RWA conference in Atlanta last summer. I knew it would be the first in a series of four, each featuring a faery knight and one or more forms of divination. The light bulb came on as I was plowing through Midtown. The four knights of the tarot. In hindsight, it seemed pretty obvious, but I find most good ideas do. For the series name, The Knights of Avalon, I was sitting at the bus stop with my daughter one morning, debating between two names for the title of the magical island ruled by the wicked fairy queen who enslaved the knights—Avalon, after the legendary island, or something I made up. One of my neighbors drove by in a Toyota Avalon, which I took as a sign from on high.

What motivated you to get the book completed and published? 

I’m a very self-motivated person. It’s much harder to make myself take time off from writing than to make myself write. I started sending out pitch letters to agents as soon as the first draft of my first novel was published. It took several rewrites and giving up on mainstream agents and publishers before I started approaching smaller publishers directly. The convergence of craft and approach resulted in getting contracts for all three of my finished manuscripts at the same time. I guess it was kismet that I publish them all in 2014.

Thanks for listening. Now on to Victoria Barbour's blog to hear what she has to say in response to these questions. 

Thursday Threads: The S.E.R.A. Files by C. T. Green

Yesterday was a bad day. On top of everything else, I totally spaced on the Thursday Threads, so I'm posting on Friday instead. Apologies to C. T. Green for the delay.

The S.E.R.A. Files Volume I by C.T. Green

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Heat Level: Scorching

This is a collection of short stories featuring the men and women of the Supernatural Entity Recovery Agency.

#1 RECOVERING GABRIEL

Angels are trouble. But a Fairy Godmother is The Law.

Callie Burns works for SERA, the Supernatural Entity Recovery Agency, aka the Scary Fairies. As a Fairy Godmother, it's Callie's job to grant wishes and deport supernatural creatures back to their plane of existence. Now she's got an angel in her sights... Gabriel's a gorgeous, sexy distraction to Callie doing her duty.  But she has a reputation to maintain and no smoking hot angel is going to mess that up. Gabriel is determined he's not going anywhere and he'll try everything he can to convince Callie he belongs on Earth. But she's equally determined to get the job done before the angel kills everything in sight - even if that means fulfilling Gabriel's deepest fantasy.

#2 HANDLING MERCURY

Vampires go for the throat. But a Fairy Godmother aims lower...

Elizabeth and Mercury both work for SERA, the Supernatural Entity Recovery Agency. Despite the fact Elizabeth's a Fairy Godmother and Mercury's a vampire, they make a deadly duo when it comes to deporting supernatural beings. But Mercury and Elizabeth's perfect partnership changes the night a wish is granted.

Now Elizabeth can’t think of Mercury without remembering how sexy the vampire is under his cool demeanour and designer clothes. And Mercury can't forget the taste of Elizabeth's blood nor the desire to have her in every other way as well. Can their partnership survive and will they find a way to grant their very own wishes?

#3 FINDING NAVARRE      

A lone wolf is about to find out old dogs can learn new tricks.

Navarre is a werewolf and the Director of SERA. It’s his job to oversee the agents who deport supernatural beings from Earth. He loves his work and his vaunted reputation for remaining calm under pressure. But all that is about to change. Tor is also a werewolf and SERA’s newest agent. He’s out to catch not only the bad guy, but his elusive boss as well. It’s love at first sight for Tor, but Navarre doesn’t seem willing to take another chance on a relationship. When a mission goes bad and suddenly it’s Tor’s life on the line, Navarre must overcome his fears if he’s going to experience true love before it’s too late.

#4 TASTING ABSINTHE

Two’s company, will three prove too much of a crowd?

Absinthe is a Fairy Godmother with SERA and Bryce is her irresistible partner. Absinthe is all about getting to know Bryce away from the job, but he comes with one big problem. His best friend Grey is a werewolf and Absinthe does not do wolves. Bryce is in love with Absinthe. Problem is, he’s also in love with Grey. It will take something extraordinary to bring Grey and Absinthe together. Tracking a cold-blooded killer may just be the start of a beautiful romance. Will Bryce’s stubborn wolf and prejudiced fairy overcome their differences enough to not only stay alive, but also form a bond strong enough to last a lifetime?

#5 CHASING SIN

A good SERA agent knows there’s only one Sin that matters.

As an agent and ‘evaluator’ for SERA, Jane is sent in to re-educate their only male Fairy Godmother before he does something even the Scary Fairies can’t ignore.

Sin’s sick of being the brunt of jokes and the latest pin-up after a nude picture scandal. He’s also indecently fascinated with his new ‘minder’, Jane. When a wish shows Sin a very different side to Jane, he’s desperate to find out more. On the hunt for a supernatural with a dangerous new toy and evil plans, Jane and Sin find out how well they work as a team. But can he get the prim and proper agent to loosen up enough to love a naughty fairy while she tries her very best to reform Sin?

Excerpts

RECOVERING GABRIEL

Callie

…Time to do her job and get this guy home where he belonged. In fact, that’s what Callie’s work entailed. Helping Gabriel get back to Heaven. Literally. The last thing anyone needed were fallen angels tromping about on Earth, causing havoc in women’s underwear…

Gabriel

He’d been wracking his brains for six months while waiting for her to approach him. Every time he thought she was about to pin him down, she’d shy away. It’d gotten to the point he’d nearly blown his cool, stormed right up to her, and announced his plans.

Today she’d caught him by surprise, cornering him in the alley, all sass and starch, taking the big, bad angel down. So damn sexy. 

HANDLING MERCURY

Elizabeth

 “Enough is enough, vampire.” Elizabeth glared up at him, but he just stared back with those deep silver eyes of his glimmering from between thick black lashes

“I’m sick of your overweening desire to be a hero all the time.” She gave him the hairy eyeball for a moment longer, but Mercury remained silent. And apparently unrepentant.

Mercury

…Mercury backed away, snatching up his clothes. He didn’t even bother to throw them on before he bolted into the darkness and away from his partner.

Because he knew that one taste of Elizabeth hadn’t been enough to satisfy him. It was never going to be enough.

FINDING NAVARRE

Tor

Tor Whitfield stood in the shadowed alley, upwind of the Thai restaurant and the wolf having dinner al fresco. Alone. 

He rubbed his shoulder where Navarre’s bite still tingled. Oh yeah, he’d gotten his wish all right. Just like Absinthe had promised…

Navarre

“There’s nothing wrong with you. I simply don’t feel the need to stare at you constantly.” Navarre chose to meet the dark eyes instead of gawking at the snug T-shirt and jeans outlining far too much tempting acreage.

Dieu, may I not get struck down for that blatant lie.

TASTING ABSINTHE

Absinthe

Absinthe sucked on an ice cube and ignored the squiggly feeling in her stomach. It reminded her an awful lot of jealousy and she simply didn’t care what Bryce did. Not one bit. There was no room in her life for a big, gorgeous, muscular, pain in the ass.

Bryce

“So beautiful.” Unable to resist the soft pink fullness of her lips, he leant over intending to sample them. Just once.

The gun muzzle against his head came as a bit of a surprise. “Okay, I’m going to sit up now. Would really appreciate it if you didn’t blow my brains out.”

“Believe me, I doubt anyone would notice.”

Grey

“Nothing to forgive. I understand.” Grey rubbed a thumb down her cheek, mildly surprised she let him. A lot more surprised when she turned her face into his palm and planted a kiss there.

“Thank you for saving my life.” Her words tickled his sensitive skin and caused his body to react the way it always did around her…

CHASING SIN

Sin

Those sky-high heels are not sexy. Especially when one’s tapping like a bloody drum.

Sin ground his teeth and ignored Miss Jane Pilkins, his SERA evaluator. He focussed on the grinning demon in front of him instead...

Who was he kidding? The heels were damn hot. So were those cute glasses Miss Pilkins kept peering at him so disapprovingly over.

Jane

It was just her imagination that she was the focus of all eyes because she was doing an illicit printout of a naked SERA agent. Well, Sin had been mostly naked.

Find C.T. Green at the following places:

Website: http://www.ctgreen-author.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/C.T.GreenAuthor

Google +: https://plus.google.com/+Ctgreen-author/posts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CTGreenAuthor

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.T.-Green/e/B009F86386

Blog Tour: Dark Indescretions by Shakuita Johnson

Join me in welcoming my friend Shakuita Johnson, author of Dark Indiscretions, a sexy paranormal romance.
 
Here's the blurb:
  
What happens when your whole family is scarier than any nightmare and you have no desire to be anything like them? Do you stay and go along with the family plans or do you rebel and have them possibly turn their viciousness on you? 
 
Jennifer Johnston experiences first hand why whispers are spoken in the dark about her species’ being evil when she was just a century old. What should have been another family dinner spent arguing over why she didn’t want to keep the bloodlines “pure” by being married off to her older brother turned into a nightmare and left her with more than tortured memories. 

Jackson Dawls and Taylor Durham had been pack mates, best friends, and the other’s mate for as long as they could remember. They were a deadly species all their own but even they feared the Mystics and their overly cruel and barbaric ways, but unforeseen circumstances bring them face to face with not one but a few. Will there lives be in danger or is something great and unexpected awaiting them? 

They also have to stay under the radar of the human society that is set out to destroy those they believe to be “Tarnished” and a danger to mankind. 

When the three meet long ago secrets are brought to the light. Secrets no one but Jennifer knew. Not only do they have to learn to get along with each other because they are fated, someone is also stalking Jennifer and preforming sinister acts without her being any the wiser.
Jennifer must seek guidance from old acquaintances and form alliances with those she never thought she would. She is met with riddles and startling revelations that she never would have imagined possible. 

Will they accept their fates and work together or will old fears destroy their lives? Will Jennifer be able to reclaim what was taken from her right from under her nose?

Here's Shakuita's bio:

Shakuita Johnson is a 29-year-old psychology major. When she isn’t going to school or
working, she is doing what she loves most – writing. She started writing in middle school. She would write poetry in her room or the middle of the night. Then she was introduced to short stories in a creative writing course her senior year. Her love for paranormal and supernatural started with R.L. Stine Goosebumps books and TV shows, Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles, and Christopher Pike books. She is an avid reader with over 100 books on her bookshelf and 1000 plus on her iPad. She also loved to watch Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer with her mom. Dark Indiscretions is her first novel.

Here's where you can buy Dark Indescretions:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble 
Smashwords 

Here's where you can connect with Shakuita:

Blog: http://www.dark-indiscretions.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/b3arcat26/
Facebook Book Series page: http://www.facebook.com/darkindiscretions