Heroines

Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony, Dolly Madison, Sacajawea we recognize them all and numberless others as those ordinary women who dealt with extraordinary circumstances and who are known as heroines.  Readers of romance novels may also recognize a few of these fictional heroines Eve Dallas, Maggie Winters, Scarlett O’Hara, Mina Wentworth, Heather Simmons, Virginia Brandon, Leonie Alistair. The fictional heroine from my June release, The Widow’s Revenge, has suffered extraordinary grief and loss.  Her immersion in this extreme emotional state leads her to plot revenge that plunges her into even more extraordinary circumstances.  She eventually rises to the challenges of those circumstances.

In researching this article, I ran across stories about huge numbers of heroines fictional and not who are largely unknown.  Many I found at Ancestry.com’s Heroic Women page.  Of these, the one that stuck most vividly in my mind is Deborah Sampson.  “Descended from several Mayflower passengers, Deborah served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War disguised "Robert Shurtleff". She fought in combat alongside the men, and went undetected until a malignant fever" sent her to the hospital where a doctor discovered her charade. After meeting with General Washington who gave her sufficient money for the trip home, she was honorably discharged and received a pension.”  She was “the first known American woman to impersonate a man in order to join the army and take part in combat.”  In a sense, she was the first American female soldier, spawning a tradition of honor, strength and courage that continues in today’s US armed forces where women lay down their lives on a daily basis for home and country.  I am proud of the tradition begun by Deborah Sampson and carried on by countless others.  I am most proud to let readers know of a small but growing community of author veterans known as the RomVets, founded by Merline Lovelace and Lindsay McKenna.  Please check out the RomVets website and follow these authors who served to secure our freedoms.  If you’ve read their books, please leave a comment and let me know, I’ll enter you in a drawing for swag.  I will also enter anyone who can identify the author who created each heroine in the list above. Everyone who comments will be added to my mailing list and entered in a drawing for swag.   Notice will be sent to the recipient on or before June 15, 2011.

EPIC's Looking for Judges!

EPIC^TM is looking for judges for their annual eBook awards. Are you an industry professional? If so, we want YOU! Each judge reads, and prepares scores for, no more than 5 eBooks. If interested, please fill out the form found HERE, today.

Well?  What are you waiting for?

Celia Kyle, EPIC PR Chairperson
http://epicorg.com
Are you an EPIC judge? http://bitly.com/eBookJudging

Memorial Day--Somber and Serious?

What do poppies, luminaria and flags all have in common?  The title of this blog says it all—Memorial Day. 

Why a Memorial Day? One day out of every year is very little to give back in remembrance of those who ‘gave their all’ on behalf of their nation and their fellow Americans. Remembering that great sacrifice adds a somber and serious note, which many of us tend to forget or ignore while in pursuit of three day weekend happiness. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for backyard barbeques, gathering with family and friends, parades, baseball games, hotdogs, Mom and apple pie. I’m human, and face it, fun is a lot more fun than somber and serious. I am also a veteran, who understands as well as any that the fun I enjoy comes at a tremendous price. Those who gave their all deserve the respect and remembrance of all who live and laugh freely because of that sacrifice. 

Oh, you thought Memorial Day as merely an excuse to have a three day weekend?  Not so grasshopper.  According to usmemorialday.org Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May.”

The ways we show our gratitude and honor the memories of the fallen are many.  Most common are the familiar parades, barbeques and gatherings of family and friends.  Less common and less familiar are efforts like that of the soldiers of 3^rd US Infantry who, as usmemorialday.org explains, “place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.”  The Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts of America “place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program).”  Nation-wide the VFW through their ‘Buddy Poppy’ program sells artificial poppies made by veterans. The cost of Buddy Poppies “to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, contributes financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's veterans.”

This year I will spend my Memorial Day weekend on a Blog Blitz (see Rue Allyn’s Tease Your Senses news page for details).  While one purpose of the blitz is to promote my June 1, 2011 release, The Widow’s Revenge, each blog will give a nod or more to those who’ve made my present very happy and personally rewarding life possible.  Leave a comment and let me know what you will do this weekend, to celebrate and to remember.  Everyone who comments will be added to my mailing list and entered in a drawing for swag.  Notice will be sent to recipients on or before June 15, 2011.  For more information about Memorial Day here are two interesting and informative websites. 
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history

Bigger Picture

The last few weeks I‘ve been busy setting something’s up. In doing that I had to take a look at what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. Laying out all the angles and all the ways I want to go. Then thinking of the long-term plan. After I combined both I had a clearer picture of what and where I needed to be. Sometimes it just takes building various parts to get to the bigger picture.McKenna Jeffries

http://www.mckennajeffries.com/
…. sensual, edgy, unexpected

Blog: http://www.mckennajeffries.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKennaJeffriesList
Free Reads Site: http:/ /www.satinnotes.com/

Conquering Jazz - What’s a woman to do when she unwittingly makes a tantalizing proposition to her best friend?

Be brazen, bold and set some ground rules. Her offer. One night of carnal bliss. No emotion allowed.

His counter offer. A continued affair to fulfill all their sexual cravings.

His hidden agenda. Conquer to make sure their affair never ends.

Buy here at Liquid Silver Book.

Hockey heroes

by Kelly Jamieson

Because it’s playoff season in the National Hockey League I’ve been watching a lot of hockey lately (I'm cheering for Vancouver, BTW! GO CANUCKS!) I’ve also been writing about hockey, working on a spin-off story to my most recent release, Breakaway. The hero of Breakaway, Jase Heller, has three brothers, all of them hockey players, and I’ve just finished writing Tag’s story which (fingers crossed!) I hope you will be able to read later this year.

I’ve read the advice that romance writers should never write about heroes who are athletes. But I’ve broken rules before and writing a romance with a hockey player hero was something I always wanted to do. I live in Canada, and hockey is a part of life here. I grew up watching hockey as a little girl, every Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. As a teenager, my boyfriend played hockey and when we watched games together he would teach me about all the rules, things like offside, icing and last change. I grew to love the game and I will admit to a certain bloodthirsty love of a good fight, although I don’t like it when players actually get hurt and in my head I know it's stupid and violent. As an adult and a mom, I’m both disappointed and relieved that my own son never wanted to play hockey! My husband and his two brothers all played hockey and he’s still teaching me obscure rules, but I think I know quite a bit about it.

Lately hockey has been BIG in the news here because of the possibility of a NHL team returning to my city. This actually formed the basis of the book I just finished, although it looks like my “fantasy” isn’t going to  come true quite the way I wrote it!

Lest you think that hockey players are big and ugly and have no teeth, behold:

Patrick Sharp

Zach Parise

Henrik Lundqvist

Ryan Kesler

But of course, it’s not looks that make a hero, although big muscles and a sexy smile do help! Qualities of determination, passion, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice and courage are important for heroes too. And don’t professional athletes have all those? In Breakaway, Jase is a man who grew up with a lot of struggles that made him determined to succeed. He’s loyal to his team, dedicated to his sport and passionate about hockey. He’s brave enough to fight when he needs to, but also brave enough to step away when fighting isn’t right. He’s not perfect—he’s afraid of commitment and responsibility (at least, at first) and he’s a fun loving guy rather than serious. But a hero is also someone who’s brave enough to face his flaws and fears and willing to grow.

In Breakaway, Remi’s best friend isn’t thrilled that she’s getting involved with a professional athlete. She’s thinking about the athletes that have been in the news lately—men who cheat on their wives. Men who are accused of rape. Men who get drunk and crash their cars. Men who take performance enhancing drugs. Some of the qualities that make them so successful—single-minded determination and ambition —can also turn selfish. And when an athlete becomes a “star”, when he becomes wealthy, able to do whatever he wants, buy whatever he wants, he can feel privileged, entitled and maybe above the law.

Jase is successful and he has reporters and puck bunnies stalking him, and he’s definitely wealthy, but at his core he remains profoundly grateful for the talent he’s been given and remains determined to make the best of that by working hard at his profession. Yes, it’s a game, but even fun-loving Jase knows that it’s a business and it’s serious. And when the chips are down—oh, sorry wrong sports metaphor. How about, when the puck is dropped Jase mans up and takes responsibility for his actions.

Any other athlete romance heroes you’ve fallen in love with? What do you like about athlete heroes?


My name is Kelly Jamieson and I write romance. I like to read it, too. I believe in the power of romance stories to portray strong, loving, romantic, sexual relationships that succeed, and to celebrate strength, courage, honour, and love. I believe love, romance and sex teach us about ourselves, about each other and about relationships, and break down barriers and boundaries.

Here's where you can find me:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
My Yahoo Newsletter group
Nine Naughty Novelists

What's your ghost story?

I'm not sensitive or psychic, even so, I've had my share of mysterious happenings that made me stop and go hmmmmm....

The first was when one of my best friends lost her fight with Type 1 Diabetes. She left three daughters behind, one of whom was in a very troubled marriage. I invited my friend's daughter to stay with us. Over the next few weeks, I kept catching sight of a shadow lurking down the hall, flitting around the corner before I could really focus on it. When the daughter moved out, so did the shadow. I have to believe that it was my friend, sticking around to make sure that her little girl was safe and settled.

The second was almost amusing. One of my boys was taking speech at the local elementary school, although he wouldn't start kindergarten until the next year. So, twice a week, I would drop him off at the speech class and then endeavor to entertain my baby boy, who was almost three. His favorite activity was to go into the bathrooms and, in the process of washing his hands, would play in the water. That Friday the 13th was no different. We were in the girls' bathroom, taking care of business, when a little girl began to sing her ABC's...only she got it wrong. The voice echoed eerily around the bathroom and I turned to see where she was. The bathroom was empty except for me and my son. The voice began to sing again. I thought, perhaps, the child was in the boys' restroom next door. But why was it so close? I went over to the boys' door and popped it open to take a peek inside. It, too, was empty. The little girl was now one her THIRD rendition of the ABC's... This time, I walked a short way up the hallway, down the hallway and still found no sign of the little singer. It wasn't until I claimed my son from his happy play in a sink full of suds that I realized I'd probably left him alone with a ghost. That thought gave me MAJOR chills. What sort of mother leaves her precious baby with a ghost!?!

So, do you have a ghost story?

Those are my real ones. However, I also have my fictional ones. Wild Ghost Chase is my most recent release.

Two reality-show ghost-busting teams versus one haunted house.


The first team to successfully exorcise the spirits wins the renewal of their television contract. It sounds like a pretty straight-forward competition, but something or someone at Harrington House has another agenda.

Over the course of a weekend, the two teams with their respective technical advisers, a supposedly impartial network executive, and the beautiful owner of Harrington House find it isn’t just the ghosts who are running amok. A killer is on the loose and if they don’t work together, they could all become permanent residents.

Wild Ghost Chase is available for Kindle, at All Romance E-books, and soon to be in print.

That All Important First Kiss

How did it happen that their lips came together?  How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill?  A kiss, and all was said.  ~Victor Hugo

            In romance, is there any more important moment than the first kiss? When I write about that kiss, I want the world to stop, not only for my characters, but for my readers as well. The universe must shrink to that very instant and everything else must fall away. Doesn’t matter if the earth is being attacked by aliens or if the Huns are about to storm the castle.  Nothing could possibly interfere with the euphoria of that first intimate discovery.

            So why is the kiss more important than the first time the hero and heroine make love or make eye contact? The second that kiss occurs, they’ve crossed a bridge from maybe to yes. It’s the definitive answer, when they know for sure that the other wants them, that friendship or acquaintance has turned to something much more intimate. It’s the first step down a path full of possibilities, two souls, sealed in a moment.

            A kiss is a game changer, which is why it is an important event in any sort of romance. Whether the characters consummate their love in the book or not, they are going to kiss. All that comes after is like whipped cream and cherries and hot fudge. We assume the sundae will have all sorts of delicious toppings but without that ice cream, it ain’t happening!

            Because it is such a pivotal point in the story, I give the first kiss special attention. I want my readers to experience the pounding heartbeats, the heat of arousal. Everything the point of view character sees, smells, tastes, feels and hears is about that kiss.

            As a reader, I want to melt as I read that scene. If I do, the author earns a spot on my auto buy list.

            What about you? What do you like/dislike in a romance book kiss? Do you prefer that moment to come sooner, or would you rather it be dragged out to the end like an old Hollywood movie? 

Leave a comment and I will enter you in a drawing to win a copy of Protective Custody

Protective Custody – Available from Carina Press

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

Wynter Daniels lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She writes for several publishers including Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Red Sage and Loose Id. Join her Facebook fan page HERE and her Yahoo! Group HERE. She loves to hear from readers, but only if it’s good;-)

Find Wynter on the web at http://www.wynterdaniels.com/

Visit her blog at http://wynterdaniels.blogspot.com/

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels

Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

A New Granddaughter

By Janet Quinn Cornelow

My big news is that I am a grandmother. Isabella Ruth is now almost two weeks old. She is my first grandchild. I was beginning to wonder if my sons were ever going to procreate. My sisters, who are not that much older than I am, are great-grandmothers.

Of course I think she is the most beautiful baby in the world, but then I am only slightly prejudice. She was eight pounds and 20 inches long. She has light brown hair with blonde and red streaks. I’m not sure where it came from. None of my boys had that color hair and mama’s hair is dark. She also has a rather large head. They had to measure it three times to make sure they had measured right.

She is a happy baby, which is always nice. She doesn’t like her bed though, and gives mom and dad a hard time about sleeping in it. She also insists upon sleeping on her left side. She is already opinionated and I can see her giving her parents a hard time as she gets older.

Chewbaca, my baby, met her. He snuffed her and stared at her. He even tried joining us on the couch, which is not allowed – ever. He squishes me when he gets up there. He was better than I thought he would be. Most times when he sees a child he gets scared, growls, and all his fur stands on end. He just snuffed her, over and over again. Then snuffed mom. Then snuffed her. Then decided to misbehave and demand my attention. He really didn’t like me holding her.

Needless to say, I have not spent much time writing the last two weeks. Pax is waiting for me to return, which I hope to next week. I plan to put Wild Honey up on Amazon for Kindle this week. Look for it. It is a great read.

Going Full Time!

The Journey to writing full time.


Now, I have never been without a day job. I have held down a 9-to-5 since I turned sixteen. (Minus six months after having my first child.) The thought of not having a steady, dependable weekly check coming in scares me witless.

There are so many questions. Will my publishers welcome more books from me? Hell, do they even remember me? Will I be able to write enough to justify not working in my own mind? Will I enjoy the solitude? Believe me the questions go on and on.....

Well, I may not know those answers but I do know a few easy truths:

1.) My house will be immaculate (before we move---right before we move. Of course it will be boxed up.

2.) My daycare cost will drop from almost $1100/month to nothing. But then again I will have a 1 ½ year old attached to my side 24/7. (Thankfully he can't read yet.)

3.) I will write more. ( I can't write less....talking about last 4 months....lots of pressure have decimated creativity.)

4.) I will be more organized. ( No choice here!)

5.) I will develop a better relationship with my publishers.

If you are a full time writer please paste your words of wisdom in the comments section. Or if you have stories from when you first started writing full time I would love to hear them ( I bet I'm not the only one.)

And for anyone who wants to watch my mad dash journey to move from Illinois to Alaska follow me on twitter. I'm posting under IL2AK (Just started this journey so it won't ramp up for at least 8 days.)

Wish me luck and bring on the stories and advice!

Leila Brown
www.leilabrown.com

Flowing Ideas

The ideas have been flowing a lot over the last few weeks. Ideas that I have been diving into flesh out into books. This means research of course and I love finding out new things.

I’ve discussed some of my stories with some friends and they gave some great insights. I’m excited about my project and eager to get to it. It’s amazing how clear something can become when you talk it out. The idea starts to flow and it is wonderful.

Taige Crenshaw
http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/
…increasing the sizzle factor

Blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crenshawcafe
Newsletter: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/newsletterandgroups.shtml
Free Reads Site: http://www.satinnotes.com/

Power of Instinct - A woman does whatever is necessary to protect the man who is hers but once he finds out he goes with his instincts and makes her his.

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

Very Superstitious

Very Superstitious
By
N. J. Walters


Welcome to Friday the 13th, a day that paralyzes many with fear. Why? It’s simply a day like any other. Isn’t it?

Oh, I could go into a long explanation for the reason why the day has negative connotations. The fear of the day even has a name all its own—friggatriskaidekaphobia. But that doesn’t really matter. The only thing that does matter is that this day has a profound effect on many people

That’s the funny thing about superstitions—they don’t have to make sense. They simply are.

How many of us have rubbed a rabbit’s foot for luck? Maybe lucky for us but certainly not for the rabbit. We wear medallions and trinkets as talismans to ward off evil and bring us good luck. Do they work? Maybe. But that’s a subject for another blog.

How about the saying: Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.

I’m sure there’s not one person alive who doesn’t have some special little thing they do to ward off bad luck or danger. Professional athletes are very superstitious when it comes to their gear and winning streaks. Some will wear the same shirt or socks until they lose, imbuing a simple fabric garment power.

And who’s to say it doesn’t work. Maybe it does.

Then there are all the superstitions around monsters out of myth and folklore, especially vampires. It is said they can’t enter a church. Maybe that’s true for some vampires, but not for the ones in my Dalakis Passion vampire series. Garlic doesn’t work so well either. The one thing that might bring down a strong, immortal vampire? Love.


BLURB: ENDLESS CHASE

Vengeance is at hand for Katya Markova and nothing will make her stray from her chosen path—nothing, that is, but Chase Deveraux. She’s spent the past year of her life searching for the person responsible for the bloody murders of her parents. Her quest has taken her around the world and into the dark realm of blood cults and killers, finally bringing her to Transylvania and the Dalakis family.

From the moment Katya first sets eyes on Chase, the emotional and sexual connection between them explodes. She wants him to the point of madness, risking everything she’s worked for to spend stolen moments locked in his heated embrace.

But Katya is enmeshed in a world of lies and deceptions, which now includes Chase and his family. Love, vengeance and honor are tested, and sides must be taken as the entire Dalakis family is now in jeopardy.


Buy The Book

Read an Excerpt


So whether or not you believe in vampires or the curse of Friday the 13th, take care, don’t walk under any ladders, don’t open an umbrella indoors and for heaven’s sake stick a lucky penny in your pocket. It can’t hurt.

Have a wonderful day!



N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Check out all my books at http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)

From the Kougar's Writing Den ~ White Fang, Ace Reporter

Wednesday greetings, everyone. It’s been a strange Spring in my neck of the woods. Colder than usual, and then when the temps heat up, they really heat up, and it’s like being in the middle of summer. These swings in temperature have been going on for the past decade here in the Midwest. However, not the longer periods of colder weather.

But no complaints! Given what is happening elsewhere, in this country, and all over the world. Mother Nature is on the rampage. The energy changes happening on the sun continue to ramp up Mother Earth’s force, fueling weather extremes and more superstorms. Likely this will get bigger and badder as we head toward 2012. No time like the present to prepare and strap yourself in for one humongous bumpy ride.

So, no, this wasn’t the topic I had in mind for today. Lots going on in my writerly universe. However, that news is suited to THE ROMANCE STUDIO BLUE blog. Suffice it to say, I have a new release coming out in August 2011. Right now, I’m in the cover art phase.

My latest WIP is a shapeshifter novella based on the ongoing story a group of us authors have been penning at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS. Talbot’s Peak is a town in Montana taken over by a werewolf pack, but is fast becoming a haven for all manner of shapeshifters, witches, goddesses and gods, the fae, time travelers, extraterrestrials, many other paranormal beings, and the humans who love them, or just lust after them.

I’ve been sharing as I complete each chapter. So, here ya go.
~~~

*Unedited Six Sentence* progress...

White Fang, Ace Reporter

Chapter One ~ White Fang Kent

Talbot’s Peak, Montana

White Fang Kent seated himself before the used desktop computer he’d picked up in town, not four hours ago. As an instant upgrade, he slid a formless silicon device into the USB port. Brought from his home planet, some four light years away, the adaptive technology did his bidding.

With urgency eating at his gut, he positioned his chair, then removed the specialized pair of eyeglasses he often wore while in public. They helped disguise the odd intensity of his eyes and changed the blue coloring to a shade Earth humans didn’t question him about.

In no time, White Fang scanned the online version of the town’s newspaper that had recently been taken over by a werewolf pack.
~~~

Chapter Two ~ Z’Pasha of Dendera

Z’Pasha stepped back into the concealment of the shadow she had created. Prepared to swiftly transport herself with magick, she observed the Super Wolf leap over the deck rail.

After quickly looking around, he focused like a hunting dog on a trail. Because he would remain unaware of her existence, Z’Pasha watched him flash inside the ethers. With her feline-superior gaze, she followed the streaming lines of his frequency.

Once the lines dimmed, she dissolved her shadow.
~~~

Chapter Three ~ Truth, Justice and the Shapeshifter Way

White Fang Kent sniffed the odor-laden air inside Talbot Peak’s courtroom. An unfamiliar, yet enchanting and sultry fragrance kissed his nostrils. If he didn’t know better, he would have said there was a goddess present. However, the magickal ancient ones rarely left their mist-shrouded enclaves for any length of time.

Even though, White Fang wanted to hunt farther down that luscious trail, the current situation demanded his complete focus. Besides, he would have recognized the pungent feline scent, now assaulting his nose, beneath a pile of New York City’s garbage.
~~~

Chapter Four ~ Drinks With a Renegade Werewolf

“Pasha.” Smiling with an allure she knew most men responded to, Z’Pasha introduced herself to Dante.

She offered her hand in the current-day, American manner to the werewolf biker. Earlier, Z’Pasha had singled him out as the alpha in charge of the rough-tough bar hidden away in the depths of the forest surrounding Talbot’s Peak.

He rose with careless gallantry from the barstool he’d occupied since she’d entered, about an hour ago. Dante clasped her hand, his gaze enigmatic and disconcertingly direct.
~~~

Chapter Five ~ A Story With Bite

White Fang stealthily moved behind a row of tall prickly bushes. Werewolf musk hung in the night air as heavy as his own balls. That is, ever since he’d first caught a whiff of the potent mating odor.

Hidden by deep shadow, White Fang halted next to the roughhewn lodge. He’d discovered the place inside an isolated forest clearing. By simple observation, he’d found out it was a local alpha hangout for bikers, and any shifter who was wolf enough to bloody his fangs, and ride with the top dogs.
~~~

Chapter Six ~ Shere Khan’s Dishonorable Ninjas

A whirling wind heralded dawn, and blew through Z’Pasha. Once Earth’s breath intermingled with her essence, she knew she had achieved her desired diaphanous state.

Z’Pasha retained the full use of her magickal skills as she would while fully materialized, yet she could also travel as the wind. Aware Shere Khan possessed a similar sorcery due to his disciplined practice of the esoteric knowing, Z’Pasha sent breeze-like tendrils to act as her alarm.

While the Yakuza leader’s ninjas were advanced in the art of fighting astrally, they did not match his abilities, as Z’Pasha had discovered. She considered Shere Khan a dangerous enemy.
~~~

Chapter Seven ~ Interview with the Biker Alpha

White Fang followed Dante through the bar’s rudimentary kitchen. The Biker Alpha halted, opening a storage room door.

Instead, they stepped onto a carpeted platform, and White Fang held his tongue as they moved down a wide, newly installed stairway at a brisk pace. Once they walked along a spacious corridor, atmospherically lit with gaslights, he estimated they were a good twenty-five feet below ground.

Dante stopped before a door at odds with the nineteenth century setting. It could have come from a medieval castle, and White Fang’s brows raised as he read the ornate sign: There Be Shapeshifters of Every Kind. Beware of Fangs, Claws and Tails.
~~~~~~

Happy Romance Reading in the Month of May...

Savanna

Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
~~~~~~

Savanna Kougar is a bestselling ebook author with Siren-BookStrand Publishing. She is also a print author with Siren-BookStrand and MojoCastle Press, and an ebook author with Liquid Silver Books, Aspen Mountain Press and MojoCastle Press. She writes love stories because that’s her deepest heart. She writes in the futuristic/fantasy/paranormal subgenres because that’s her fiercest passion. You can find her at her personal blog ~ Kougar Kisses ~ and at the following blogs as a contributor.

SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
LINDSAY’S ROMANTICS
Romance Writer’s Behaving Badly
TITLE MAGIC

Two Hot, by Riley Ashford Now Available as an AudioBook

AudioMinx Erotic AudioBooks (a division of AudioLark) presents: Two Hot, by Riley Ahsford, read by Renee Nausser.

Slayer Damon Phillips is dying. He figures if he’s going to kick the bucket, then he’s gonna do something really stupid: Seduce gorgeous vampire Belle DeLuc.

Belle has no problem spending a passionate night with Damon, even if he’s notorious for staking bloodsuckers. He excites her in a way no other man has for two centuries, and she wants him to stick around. Forever.

When Belle offers to give her new lover immortal life, she doesn’t realize she’s played right into Damon’s devious hands. But the slayer is having second thoughts. Should he abandon his mission and save the vampire… or unleash the deadly secret that will kill them both?

Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes

Click here for an audio demo and to purchase!

Retail Price: $7.99 Debut Price: $3.49!

Exclusive excerpt from Felicity Heaton's new Urban Fantasy Romance series!

Good morning everyone. I hope I find you all well on this sunny May day. I'm Felicity Heaton, a paranormal romance author writing as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton, and I'm here today to share an exclusive excerpt from my new urban fantasy romance novel, Ascension. Ascension is the first book in the Shadow and Light Trilogy.

Ascension
Felicity Heaton
A witch on the verge of achieving phenomenal power, Lealandra must turn to her half-breed demon ex-lover Taig for protection from the dark force that is after her and also from her own magic.

With her Counter-Balance dead and her coven against her, Taig’s blood and power is the only thing that can help her control her magic and survive the ascension and gain the strength to defeat her enemy.

Old feelings come flooding back as Taig allows her into his world and Lealandra finds herself fighting not only for survival but to win his broken heart again and heal the pain in their past. Can he forgive her for walking out on him all those years ago and will he ever believe her when she tells him that he’s not a monster but the man that she loves?


ebook price: $3.99
genre: paranormal / urban fantasy romance
length: 91000 words
rating: sultry
released: April 2011
Book 1 in the Shadow and Light Trilogy series

Available in e-book from:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle Germany: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004X6TWLK/
Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ascension/Felicity-Heaton/e/2940011267451/

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

“They killed Charlie to weaken you.”

Those six words sent fear into her heart, each an icy spear that froze her to her soul. She hadn’t considered that they had meant to kill Charlie too.

“I thought they’d messed up and got the wrong person. It was dark in the apartment and the shot that killed him came through the window. They could only have seen our silhouettes where we were sitting on the couch.” Her hands shook for a different reason. Panic erased any desire to touch Taig. Was he right? Charlie had been far less powerful than she was and the coven had chosen him as her Counter-Balance for that reason. He had been perfect for the job. His magic had craved the strength of hers. It had absorbed some of her power, making it easier for her to keep control. Without him, she was in danger of her magic consuming her. It was building inside her, growing stronger with every passing second. Soon it would push for control and, if that happened, it would force her to seek out what it wanted most. She shuddered.

Lealandra had seen witches turn. Her own mother had lost herself to her magic. If her father hadn’t been so powerful, none of them would have survived. Who would bring her back if the magic took control? No one at the coven was strong enough. Not even Gregori, the New York City coven’s leader. If the magic seized her, it would take all of them to join forces in order to save her.

Her eyes wandered to Taig. Would he help her? Could he help her? She studied his handsome face, watching the flickers of his thoughts cross his pitch-black eyes. He was as beautiful as she remembered—the kind of gorgeous that could win him any girl he wanted, even her if he tried hard and turned on the charm. She wasn’t strong enough to hold out against him forever. Something would give and it was likely to be her heart. He rubbed a thumb down the line of his defined jaw and then paused, his expression turning pensive.

“The curtains were closed?” he said and she found herself savouring the sound of his deep voice. She had never forgotten how he sounded, with his mixed accent, not quite American but not quite another unknown country either, or some of the things he had husked in her ear during making love with her.

Lealandra nodded. “They’re thin enough to see through when all the lights are on, but we only had the table lamp lit. They could have only seen our heads above the couch back. When they shot Charlie his—”

The memory of seeing her partner’s head blown wide open stole her voice. Her throat closed and she struggled to breathe, clinging to the last shred of calm inside her. There had been so much blood. It had covered the apartment. It had covered her. One second Charlie had been there, the next she had been sitting beside a corpse, still talking as though nothing had happened. It had taken almost a full minute for her senses to fall into order and make her realise that he was dead.

Taig’s large hand covered hers and she jumped and looked up at him through her lashes. The concern in his eyes made the tears in hers tremble on the brink of falling. She placed her other hand over his, completing the tangle, and closed her eyes. Focusing on their hands, she unleashed a fraction of her magic, giving it more rein but still keeping it under tight control, and drew strength from him. His power seeped into her hands and crept up her arms until it suffused her entire body, sending a heady rush through her.

“You’re hungry,” Taig murmured in a voice laden with sensuality.

No denial left her lips. Right now, she was more than hungry. Kissing him had been a mistake. It had given her a taste and made her remember how things had been, and how he had made her feel. Her magic had latched onto those memories and it didn’t want to let go. She held his hand tighter and stole everything that she could from him in an effort to calm herself and restore the balance of power inside her. Taig had once provided her with a substitute before she had found her balance in Charlie.

His own power.

His blood.

“It’ll cost you extra,” Taig said and she realised she was staring at the scars on his forearm.

She took her hands away from his, unwilling to pay the price he was asking for his help, let alone the price he would place on his blood now. What he had once given to her freely would now cost her everything. He would make her pay dearly for it just to spite her, and part of her couldn’t blame him for doing such a thing. She could understand why he would think that she deserved such punishment.

He gently brushed her long dark hair behind her ear, his touch comforting and speaking volumes, telling her that the desire she felt wasn’t one-sided. He was still attracted to her.

“He didn’t look after you properly.”

Lealandra didn’t have an answer to that accusation. Charlie had neglected her need for sustenance through blood. He had thought he had been doing the right thing, when in reality it had been nothing short of torture.

“He said I didn’t need it,” she said in a small voice and then straightened and found her strength. She didn’t want Taig to see her weak. It had been her decision to leave him and go with Charlie and the coven. She had to accept that and the things that had happened. She had to take responsibility and stick to her decision, even when she now felt it had been a terrible mistake. “You know he didn’t believe in that kind of thing. None at the coven do.”

Taig laughed and toyed with the two empty shot glasses. “He was more of a fool than I thought.”

His laughter died in an instant when his eyes locked with hers. Their fathomless black depths sparkled with intensity. Her breath shortened and her palms sweated with anticipation. She subconsciously leaned forwards, eager to be close to him, desiring to feel his hands on her again and have him continue to look at her with such need and hunger.

“I should never have let him take you.” His expression darkened with his frown, his lips compressing into a thin line that conveyed the anger flowing from him and through her.


Read more excerpts from this novel at:
Author's website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Ascension


Felicity Heaton

visit my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
read my blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton
find me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Writing Habits

All writers have different habits. Some write in the daytime, while others (like me) find their creativity flows better at night. Some like to listen to music while they work, others don’t. From the start of a story to the end, each person has his or her own way of doing things

One of my writing habits is before I'm ready to turn in a manuscript, I always read it aloud several times because it helps me get a sense of how the story flows. I also notice more details when I read aloud. For me it's easier to pick out a character removing his shirt two times in the same scene if I'm speaking the words instead of reading silently. I don't catch everything (thank heaven for editors!) but I always find more mistakes when I read out loud than when I don't and if I haven't read a story out loud, I won't turn it in. Because of this my pets have heard more than their share of romance. If they understood I'd wonder what they think about my shapeshifters!

What are some of your writing habits? Is there something you feel you absolutely need to do before you're ready to let someone else see your story?


About Kate

What do trips around the world, endless nights of breathtaking sex, and a muscular, 6-foot 3-inch, brown-haired, blue-eyed significant other have to do with Kate Hill? Absolutely nothing, but she can dream, can't she? In reality Kate is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies.

Currently, she might not be traveling around the world, but Kate has visited Europe and Africa and those beautiful places have been wonderful inspiration for her writing. While working at various times as a clerk, assistant karate instructor, house painter and banker, Kate dreamed of being an author. In 1996 her first short story was accepted for publication and since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history.

Inked 2: Cactus Juice
by Kate Hill
(Erotic M/M Shapeshifter)
Coming in May 2011
From Changeling Press

Stranded on a desert road, Adrian meets a sexy biker who offers him a ride in more ways than one. On his way to a yearly ritual, Eric didn't expect to find a handsome stranger lost in the Mojave. A night of fantastic sex turns to love, but Eric has a supernatural secret and despite his magical trip to the desert, Adrian refuses to believe in the paranormal. By the law of the deserts spirits, a man who shares his seed with anyone but the brotherhood or his one true love forfeits his extended life. Will Eric's love end his supernatural existence, or will Adrian join him as his eternal mate?

Writing Through the Pain

I think there comes a time in every author's life that the words just don't flow. Regardless of the reason, we have to push through to the other side of the blockage. For the last few months, my muse ran away and refused to come home. I think it was mainly due to the fact too many other things were packed in my brain taking up her space. I had to find a way to push through the pain and make her some room.

This month I've entered several events to try to force my missing muse home. I'm participating in the May Writing Boot Camp, goal 60,000 words. This will get me my first draft of my UF YA. I also threw my next book in the Dueling with the Devil series, Sweet Revenge. If I can get a good 1000 words a day on that WIP, I'll be a happy camper. I'll also be blogging at several sites, such as this one. Writing is writing, whether in a WIP or in a blog post.

With the help of my Boot Camp team, posting snippets for Six Sentence Sundays, and writing posts for great readers, I'm sure my muse will reappear. Today, she made a brief appearance for some writing and editing. Keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't go back into hibernation again.

How do you coax your muse out of her slumber?

While we wait for my muse to finish, Sweet Revenge, book 2 in the Dueling with the Devil series. Check out this excerpt from book 1, Soul Catcher.

Excerpt:
This must be what it felt like to be hit by truck. Truck or bullet, it didn’t really matter. They both hurt like a motherfucker. She sat next to Etienne wearing Jacque’s shirt, which covered more than her dress. Her chest pulsed with pain and her head throbbed as the bright lights of Bourbon Street entered the car.

Etienne’s driver parked in front of her house and Etienne ushered them inside, using as much of his long lanky body to shield them as possible. Nat snapped out of her comatose state halfway to the house. Jasmine went numb, not saying or doing much of anything. She aimlessly followed Etienne’s orders.

Marie and Faith rushed into the living room when Angel and the others entered the house. Horror distorted their faces as they stared at the group.

“What the hell happened tonight?” Marie inquired.

“Long story, Grand-mère. We have to get our things and get outta here. I’ll explain later.” Angel ran to the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of Vamp Juice. She tossed one to Nat when she returned back in the room.

“What the hell is this?” Nat scrunched her nose as she cracked open the bottle and took a whiff.

“You don’t want to know. Drink it. It’ll make you feel better. I know you used a lot of energy saving me. And yeah, you’ll be explaining how you did it later.”

“Okay ladies. I need you to gather all essential items as quickly as possible. We need to get out of here.” Etienne began packing the items in the dining room, all the potions, ritual items, and spell books. Marie and Faith went to pack Marie’s bags. Angel grabbed Nat and flew up the stairs.

She threw open the closet doors, debating what to take. “Nat grab the biggest suitcase you can find and make sure to get every designer shoe you can manage to carry. If nothing else, everything over $500 must come with.” Angel snatched her Louis Vuitton off the floor and shoved clothes into it. “I’ll take care of clothes.” Four suitcases later, she and Nat struggled down the stairs. Angel said a sad goodbye to those items she left behind.

Etienne shook his head in frustration. “Ladies, I said ‘essential.’”

Angel clutched her bags to her. “I don’t know how you roll, but all this is ‘essential,’ unless you plan to replace five years of collecting designer shoes.”

“Okay, the driver will put everything in the car. Come on, we have to leave.”

Everyone shuffled into the limo. Exhaustion tackled Angel like a linebacker. She rested her head on Marie’s shoulder as Faith patted her leg. “What happened?” Marie questioned again.

“I’m not sure of everything. We were at the club dancing. Then someone started shooting. Jacque and I got hit. I woke up in the back of this limo.”

“Who would be shooting at you?”

Angel yawned and stretched her arms behind her head onto the back of the seat. “Jacque and Laurent went back into the club to find out more information. Hopefully, they’ll have something when they meet us at Etienne’s.”

“Let’s hope they are safe and will return soon.” Marie forced a grin.

“The rougarous were there helping, too. I hope they’re fine. I have no more bargaining chips up my sleeve. Jacque better be fine!”

“Now, Nat, please explain what the hell you did to me. I’m not complaining, just what the fuck?” Angel kicked her friend’s feet, drawing a smile from her.

Where to find me on the web.

I'm giving away a copy of Soul Catcher to a new Twitter follower this week. So don't forget to follow.

Blog

Website

FaceBook

FB Fan Page

Twitter 

Smack in the middle of a release, I sell my house. Timing is everything!

If it ain't one thing, it's another!

Believe me, I'm not complaining -- we never had to put our house on the market. Word of mouth sold our house, and it truly is a blessing. Our house is problematic in some ways: small lot, heavily landscaped, no room for kids, not updated inside (still the original 1950s bathroom tile), with an attached one-car garage and a detached 2-car garage that was converted to an artist's studio.

That's what sold the house, you see -- the studio. Long story short: someone wanted the studio. So we didn't have to put the house on the market. But we have had to drop everything and do a few repairs, etc., to prep for the inspection. Plus there's the house we bought 300 miles away that we're dealing with (papers to sign, inspections to be done, etc.)

And right in the middle of all this I have a 3-book series releasing: one in April, one in May, and one in June. Which means I've barely had time to notice the books are out, much less promote them.

So consider this my May promotion for the Deadly Landscape series: 3 books about Cassie Whittington, a 50-something woman who starts a new career in horticulture only to be derailed by a murder in a greenhouse, a sexy new boss, an inheritance, and an ex-husband who still loves her.

See my web site for all the details (jayellwilson.com). I promise you some fun reading, a good mystery, and a heroine you'll love. Plus some great gardening tips, and who can't use those at this time of year?

Enjoy!