Do you love Highlanders?

I'm thrilled to announce my new Scottish historical romance novel, My Fierce Highlander, is out. It features a hot, protective and (of course) fierce Highlander. :) Alasdair is also a bit deprived because his wife died two years prior to his meeting Gwyneth. See what happens in the excerpt below when he wants a kiss. ;)


A scandalous English lady banished to the Highlands of Scotland and an injured enemy chief join forces against her malicious and violent family. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected.


Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.
Novel, 91,000 words
***
"Wow! I LOVE Highlanders and when I read My Fierce Highlander by Vonda Sinclair, I fell in love with Laird Alasdair MacGrath at once, and wanted to be the one rescuing him instead. Adventure, fighting, romance, the Highlands--what more can anyone ask for! Loved it!" Terry Spear, author of Heart of the Highland Wolf

"I loved the description of the Highlands. This compelling story of two wounded people who each heal the other is spellbinding and simply lovely. I WANT MORE!" Cate Parke
***

Exclusive excerpt

The sight of her bending over, touching the linens that had lain next to his naked skin the night before jolted him.

“You’re not a chambermaid.”

She spun around. “You startled me!”

“I only wished that you oversee the servants and make sure they do the work. Not do it yourself.” He could not abide watching her do household chores. He knew not why, but something about that felt very wrong.

“Willamena is sick, and I’ve taken over her chores,” Gwyneth said.

“You should’ve assigned it to someone else. You’re a lady.” He knew, without doubt, she was from the aristocratic class, though she refused to admit it. He could not fathom why.

She frowned and her eyes glinted with mysterious pain. A pain he yearned to get to the bottom of. What had happened in her past?

“I will earn my keep as well as my son’s,” she said with fierce pride.

“You’ve more than earned it with your healing skills. You saved my life and, to me, that’s worth a hefty sum.”

“Nevertheless…”

He paced toward the chest, trying to remember why he’d come. His attention strayed to Gwyneth as she approached the door.

“Um,” he said, hoping to stop her before she left. Why? He wanted to look at her a bit longer, listen to her soothing voice.

She turned. “You wanted something?”

Aye, I want something. Alasdair held himself back from suffocating in the blue of her eyes, bright as the loch reflecting the clear sky. “You must have been avoiding the garden of late.” And the kisses.

Her face flushed, but she held his gaze. “I would not wish to…cause a problem.”

“’Twould not be a problem, lass.” The only problem was that he wanted to kiss her again, but she’d made herself scarce. He longed for her cool hands to stroke over his naked skin, both inciting and soothing at once. He yearned to know what lingered in the depths of her thoughts. What did she want and need? What did she feel when he kissed her? Did she hunger the way he did?

She swallowed hard and stared at something behind him.

“Gwyneth.” Just saying her name aroused him as it would have to trail his tongue up her neck.

Her eyes darkened when she gauged his expression. He knew his desire must be written on his face. It had been a long time since he’d invited a woman into his bed, and his body was rebelling from the lack.

“What say you?” he asked.

“About…what, Laird MacGrath?”

She was attempting to remind him of his place, but he didn’t want to remember. He wanted only to be a man for a few minutes, and she a woman.

“What would you say if I locked the door and—” He inhaled a ragged breath, unable to vocalize what he wanted. So much.

She gasped. “No, you must not,” she whispered. “’Tis not proper.”

“Nay, not proper at all.” The fantasies playing through his mind threatened to render him senseless. Images of her naked beneath him, on top of him…squirming, arching bodies. The slide of her bare smooth skin across his. He was famished for the sweet, female taste of her. He wished to fill all his senses with naught but her.

“But ’tis beyond appealing to think about,” he murmured.

“Appalling, you mean.”

“Oh, nay, m’lady.” She didn’t mean that; she couldn’t. ’Twas obvious she’d relished those earlier kisses as much as he had.

She eased toward the door again, but he moved quicker and closed it in front of her. Hell. What am I doing? I should let her go.

His hand on the door, he tried to calm his need. Have I lost my mind? He wouldn’t do anything except touch her face, kiss her. Then he would stop. He would not dishonor her. He but wanted to cherish her for a moment. One stolen moment in time…for him and for her, amid all the thousands of hours of duty that devoured his time. Did they each not deserve a moment to enjoy something exquisite?

“Sir, this is not…this would not be wise.”

She was right of course. ’Twas foolhardy and reckless. Yet it was something he had to have, and whether she admitted it or not, something she also wanted.

“One kiss and you’re free to go.” By the saints, he did have the same blood as Lachlan running through his veins. Alasdair hadn’t used his seduction skills in so long they were rusty as a sword from the sea.

He inched closer to her, but in an attempt to restrain his primal impulses, pressed his forehead to his fist against the door. He didn’t touch her, though his fingers ached to stroke her silky skin. “The kiss in the garden,” he said. “And the one in the library…I cannot get either out of my head. Do you ever think of them?”

My Fierce Highlander Copyright 2011 Vonda Sinclair

My Fierce Highlander is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Thanks!!
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com

Hey friends! I'm blogging all day over at Coffee Time so pop in, leave a comment and enter to win some prizes. Hope to see you there.

Tory

VULNERABILITIES

On our trawler, INTREPID, my husband and I are exploring Alaska by sea. Everyone knows of the natural beauty of this state…its snow-capped mountains, glaciers, fjords and so many islands crowded with trees of deep green. As we’d heard, the wealth of wildlife is astounding. We’ve seen so many humpback whales in such close proximity to our boat, that we recognize the smell of whale blow (actually a pleasant odor). Some of our favorites…eagles, puffins, bears (both black and brown), sea otters…we’ve encountered in numbers too large to keep track of.

When you see so many of these special creatures, you begin to focus on anomalies:

-the comically awkward way a puffin takes off from the water

-the strange two-hour wrestling match of two grizzlies (including a tussle in the water)

-a mother and baby humpbacks visiting our boat…twice

-the differences in the whisker color of sea otter faces (lighter means older)

-eagles plunging into the sea (two incidents), and afterwards, unable to free themselves from the water.

This vulnerability of the eagle interests me. A puffin might look awkward in his take-off but he can get himself airborne. http://www.flickr.com/photos/deemacphotos/2582404092/

An eagle, one of the strongest, most elegant birds on earth, flounders at sea. Turns out, if an eagle can’t swim to shore before hypothermia hits it, the bird will drown. http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle3.html

Often the reason for an eagle’s dunk into the ocean is that he/she has wrapped her claws around a fish too heavy for her eagle to lift. Instead of letting the fish go, the eagle hangs on.

I am puffin-like in my take-offs in life…though I’m a bit awkward in my process, my projects eventually go airborne. The eagle’s cautionary tale is important to me: don’t be smug, and for heavens sake, don’t be be greedy.

My debut novel LAST RESORT is in take-off mode. Order this thriller about treachery and terrorism:

The Wild Rose Press http://tinyurl.com/682vwgv

and Amazon http://tinyurl.com/3cq6d7b

http://www.rolynnanderson.com

http://blog.rolynnanderson.com/

Here’s the blurb: Corporate fixer Rena Gordon needs to wrench a Canadian resort out of the red in time for the Canadian-American Winter Games-but employees bent on sabotage are blocking her every move. When her loose-cannon sister arrives after being kicked out of yet another school, Rena must face the past she's worked so hard to hide, while fighting her attraction to a local fishing guide.

CIA agent Neal Jackson is undercover as a fishing guide to find terrorists at Big Bay. He needs Rena's confidence to access her employee files without exposing his identity, but despite his vow to keep a professional distance, his feelings for her are anything but businesslike.

Caught between vengeful employees, a sister who likes to party, and a hot CIA agent-Rena's corporate training didn't prepare her for this. Can she trust her instincts to save the people and resort she's grown to love?

Rolynn Anderson

http://rolynnanderson.com/RolynnAnderson/HOME.html

From an idea to a series in one (not so) easy lesson....

Now that I'm known as the author of the increasingly popular LOVE COVENANT series from Evernight Publishing, some readers think that I planned the series.  That would be the grown-up, professional author way to do it but of course I didn't.   The LOVE COVENANT series featuring truck driving, Irish, cigarillo smoking, Shakespeare quoting vampire Will Brennan just happened.

It started with a late night inspiration out on a lonely two-lane highway where most of the other traffic consisted of big trucks and the idea that driving a truck could be a great cover occupation for a vampire.  Then I wondered just how and where that vampire could get involved with a very human lady.   A Texas gal singer popped into my head, telling her story in her own way and I wrote "Love Tattoo".   Cara - my heroine - just wouldn't hush up especially after my Evernight editor, Caitlin Ray, suggested there might be room for  another book.

So Cara kept talking and I continued writing.  "Love Scars" debuted and that Texas girl just wasn't done yet so we came up, Cara and I, with "Love Knots" which debuted yesterday, July 27.   At that point, both Cara, I, Evernight, and probably even Will Brennan realized we had a series going so we named it, pre-publication.  

The third novel in the Love Covenant series is out and I'm hard at work on the fourth, "Love Shadows".

So here, for reader enjoyment, is the details, the blurb, and an excerpt which - despite the sensual content of the book in places - is G-rated, for all audiences:

Title: Love Knots
Book 3 of the Love Covenant Series
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Publication Date: July 26. 2011
ISBN: 978-1-926950-69-3
$4.99
Ebook
135 pages (50, 540 word count)
paranormal (vampire) romance

Blurb:

After surviving the wrath of a wicked she-vampire bent on revenge, Will and Cara Brennan have a new task – finding Will’s brother that Sallie Hawkins made a vampire centuries ago. Both bear the scars of their battle but they’re glad to be alive and together.

Cara wants to find the only family Will has in this world and so they set out on a search for Seamus that takes them from Memphis to the rough bars of Oklahoma, Las Vegas casinos, to Hollywood Boulevard and to New Orleans. Along the way, their love deepens and the sensual connection they share heightens.

Whether or not they find Seamus isn’t the only issue – they have no way of knowing whether he has gone wicked or if he’s an average vamp like them. The journey defines their love as the story told in the Love Covenant series continues in Love Knots.

Excerpt:

           

              “It’s part of the surprise,” he said.  “Come,   mo ghra.”

              We walked away from the highway, leaving the parking area far behind us, and onto the beach.   Above us, the February sky sparkled with ten thousand stars, each one radiant and bright.   A full-bellied moon rose in the east, promising to bathe us in its rich, silvery light if we remained here long enough.  The wind that wafted ashore rippled across the water and ruffled my hair, cooler than Will’s fingers.  Anyone else, meaning someone human, would probably have shivered but it felt refreshing to me, clear and clean and good.

            My bare toes squished in the damp sand and I liked the feel of it, not icy but still cold.  We went right down to the edge of the water where the waves sluiced up onto the beach, gentle for now.  I stood, staring at the infinite ocean as it swept out to the farthest horizon, as far west as I could see, spread out north to south as well.   The night sky stretched above me, just as endless and vast.   I felt so small and yet not insignificant at all but empowered.  If I needed a visual to define eternal, to paint a picture of what an everlasting love that I shared with Will, then there could be none better than this moment.   I stared; eyes open wide and made a mental image, a brain snapshot to last forever, something to keep and remember always.

            I wanted to sweep all of it into my arms, to embrace the ceaseless space, the immeasurable beauty, and the ageless wonder of the sea, the sky by night.   I have no idea how long I stood there as the waves washed up around my feet, silent and yet filled with more emotion than I could ever select words to express but Will stood beside me, just as quiet, my hand clasped in his.   We were part of this and we remained one.  When I turned to him, eyes brimming with joyful tears, heart overflowing with love, he faced me and with his own eyes shimmering with moisture, he spoke words now familiar to me because he used them before.

Now, however, the beautiful poetry resonated with even more meaning for us both,

            “And yet I wish but for the thing I have, my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have for both are infinite.”

            The immensity of his love overwhelmed me, the power more enormous than anything, greater than any man made wonder.  The scope of it stretched beneath the timeless stars, the wonder of it expanded through whatever heart I possessed, and brimmed over to flood my soul.  What I had with Will Brennan, I thought, was worth all I gave up to claim it and whatever I might face at the end of time; I could because of this love.

            The truth of that sang in my soul, a greater, stronger song that any I ever attempted to sing before.  I wished I knew as much poetry as he did, Shakespeare or otherwise, but instead, the words that came into my mouth came, as usual, from a song.   Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman did a song that I loved back in the late 1970’s, vintage but with lyrics I loved so I sang some of them to Will now,

            “Our love is alive and so it begins, foolishly laying our hearts on the table, stumbling in, our love is a flame, burning within.”

             He opened his arms to me, as broad and open as the vast panorama of water, wind, and sky spread out around us and I walked into them.  I came home into his embrace and all the emotion, strong and potent, welled up in me and exploded so that I wept in his arms.   I sobbed not with sadness but with immeasurable joy, rich feelings too volatile to contain.   He wept, too, for I felt the rain of his tears, the tremors of his body against mine.   After we spent our emotions, poured them into one another, we sat down on the sand, wrapped together and listened to the wondrous night music of God.

Buy Links:

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/products/Love-Knots-by-Lee-Ann-Sontheimer-Murphy.html

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/76761

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Knots-Covenant-ebook/dp/B005EM9MUI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1311779136&sr=8-13

http://1placeforromance.com/vampires-/-werewolves/love-knots/prod_5065.html

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveknots-578762-139.html

LIVING WITH GHOSTS by Minnette Meador

LIVING WITH GHOSTS

“Keenan was used to living with hundreds of people. He no longer felt crowded, talked to himself, or went to therapists. Not that he liked it, mind you; given half a chance, he would have buried them all…” A GHOST OF A CHANCE, a paranormal romantic comedy by Minnette Meador (July 2011 – Resplendence Publishing)

Those words were the beginning of a journey that led me into strange supernatural realms and introduced me to demons, entities, angels, and yes, many ghosts. Why did I go there? Because I used to live with a very real, very funny ghost of my own; we called him Marvin.

I was living with my two infant sons, my 3-year-old, a lovely roommate, and her little girl in the bottom half of a duplex in Portland, Oregon. It was the year of Reagonomics and a tough time in my life. I was a single mom struggling to stay afloat.

After my twins were born, things started happening that we couldn’t explain; the TV would go on in the middle of the night when all of us were in bed. Things would fly off counters and crash to the floor. But the strangest of all happened about two months later.

We began to lose belts. And not just belts; scarves, ropes, loose electrical cords, and even shoes from time to time. Blaming the kids would have been easy, except for the fact that they lived in the nursery and didn’t have access to such things. During one frustrating search, late for work, Sarah finally came out to me, her face pale.

“I found your belt,” she said quietly.

“Great! Where was it?”

She held up the limp leather and said, “Under my mattress.”

“How did it…” But then we both headed for our respective bedrooms and lifted each mattress gingerly. Low and behold, there were the missing items. We knew we had an uninvited guest.

Marvin was actually a very polite ghost. Although he didn’t like belts of any kind (and tennis shoes for some reason) he quit throwing things at us in the kitchen and settled down to just watching TV late at night. He didn’t like men, apparently, because every time one would come over, he’d run upstairs to our neighbor’s place. I’d get a call…

“You have a man down there?” she would ask.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. Just checking.”

We learned to live with him… and to keep our belts hidden.

So, tell me about your own ghosts. Have you had an experience with one?

A GHOST OF A CHANCE - Excerpt
a paranormal romantic comedy
by Minnette Meador
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 22, 2011
Resplendence Publishing

Keenan Swanson is your typical, everyday graphic designer. Well, except for the hundreds of pesky, prank-loving poltergeists that make his life interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). He finds his situation precarious yet manageable—until witty, smoking-hot coworker Isabella enters the scene and Keenan decides he wants her all for himself. With a horny succubus who has other ideas, a burly city cop determined to lock Keenan away, and an evil entity who’s hell-bent on using Keenan’s seed to create a living demon, the reluctant psychic realizes he just might not come out of this alive—or with heart intact.

“Hysterical and very original!”

2-Time Rita Winner Wendy Warren

Creative Choices

This week, I'm at the very beginning of a new novel.  As a writer, this is a very exciting point because so many choices have to be made. Characters, setting, and point of view all have to be considered.  For me, these creative choices are a great deal of fun, and as a plotter, if I do my work well at this stage, I know the writing will go more smoothly for me. 

I'm fortunate to have a close friend who's an editor, and last night we sat for hours at a Mexican restaurant as I bounced my ideas off her.  I'm very fortunate to have a friend like this because her role as a sounding board helps me create better characters and plots. 

My new book is a sequel, of sorts, to my novella, Vampire Dreams.  I knew when I was writing that little story (only about 17,000 words long) that I had a great character in the villain, Vasilije, but I didn't realize how well he came across until readers began to ask me on Facebook and in emails if he would get his own story.  As I'd had this happen with Amon from Stolen Destiny (whose story, Destiny Redeemed, will be released this fall), I knew readers were on to something. 

Vampire Dreams is a paranormal erotic romance that is set in Victorian England, but for Vasilije's story, I've decided it will be set in modern times.  I've also decided it will be set in New Orleans.  The 200 year old vampire who made life difficult for Brandon and Arden in Vampire Dreams is now 400 years old, but time has served him well.  Still stunning and more hedonistic than ever, Vasilije allows me to run the gamut of ideas in his story because he's so open to everything.

With just the first chapter complete, the novel is still in the infancy stage, but with last night's brainstorming session, I know the plot, setting, and characters.  Now I get to flesh it out.  Who says you can't love your job?

To find out where you can buy Vampire Dreams, click the banner below. 

And to find out more about my writing, including Vasilije's story, visit my blog at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/

Hot Days of Summer

The last few days have been really hot but I've been enjoying the hot weather. LOL. I know it is strange. The last few days I’ve been happy. Even in this heat. People are moving fast to and from where we are going to get out of it. To get into the cool air. I've been moving fast myself but still noticing the beauty of summer. There is scent in the air that can’t be mistaken. A summery smell of summer.

Although it is hot like today it put a huge smile on my face and made me happy. Puts me in a very good mood that you want to share with everyone else.

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.

Some Rambles from Rue

So, The Widow's Revenge has been out for nearly seven weeks. I hope you're all enjoying this hot summer read, because the summer is certainly proving to be hot. I'm hard at work on my next story for Red Sage plus a few other projects that don't yet have publishing homes. In addition to writing, I've been moving. We finally sold our house with very short notice to move. So my sweetheart and I are temporarily in a 500 sq. ft. studio apartment while we look for a new home. We think we've found one, but must wait on inspections and a other formalities before we can say for certain that we're moving (again). At least this time the house will be larger than 500 ft. and we'll be staying. Our cats will be happier with more space too. I'd love to hear from you. Send a note to contact@RueAllyn.com and share your moving stories with me or let me know what part of The Widow's Revenge you liked best. Have a terrific summer and keep cool. Rue A.

What's the point...of view?

Most books (both "e" and paper) are written in third person.  Readers get to slip into the heads of several characters and you get to know just about everyone.  What's his motivation? Oh! That's in the next scene!  Hers? Keep on reading...

But, what about first person? You get to creep...and crawl...right into the main character's brain, hunt up their deepest, darkest secrets and see how they respond to all of the roadblocks the author throws in the way.

Personally, I love first person.  Both reading and writing.

So, what about you? The reader? The public at large and a writer's target audience?

Celia Kyle
http://summerhousepublishing.com

When romance collides with danger, sparks truly fly

It can be as simple as an ominous sound in the night. An unexpected knock at the door. A suspicious car parked across the street. You turn on all the lights in the house. Check the locks on the doors. Your heart races. A chill runs down your spine. Fear drowns out common sense. This…well, this has all the makings of a great romantic suspense novel.


Romantic suspense explores the dark places in our mind we’d like to keep locked away. The fears we all have. The sudden burst of danger, a step outside your norm. Romantic heroes and heroines are torn from their familiar worlds and thrust into nightmares, forced to navigate uncharted and perilous territory with little more than their brains, their courage and each other. And that's why as a writer, I love writing romantic suspense.

Romance and suspense make for strange bedfellows, don’t they? In real life, if you were caught in the crosshairs of a serial killer, chances are romance would be the last thing on your mind. In real life, disaster and romance are usually separated.

In the romantic suspense novel, it’s the adrenalin rush that makes the story click. When the hero and heroine face heart-palpitating danger that’s when the romance, along with the story, truly take flight in the reader’s mind.

Defining the romantic suspense can be as different as the author and reader of the genre itself. There are those romantic suspense stories that delve into the dark and gritty world of serial killers and then there are those stories with only light elements of suspense. In other words, what I’m saying is there is something for just about everyone’s taste in this genre.

I hope you have enjoyed our glimpse into the dark abyss with these great romantic suspense novels. But let me leave you with one last thought. Don’t forget to lock your doors because you never know what’s lurking out there in the shadows!


All the best...


Mary Eason
http://www.maryeason.com/
Shadow Games - Available now at http://www.champagnebooks.com/
Free Fall - Coming 9.11 to http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Count Rugen

By Janet Quinn

We have a new member of our family. Count Rugen joined us a little over three weeks ago. He is named for a character in the movie The Princess Bride who had six fingers since he has six toes on each of his front paws. He is a pure breed Maine Coon with papers. My son spent a bloody fortune on him.

When he moved in, he was afraid of Chewbaca, the dog, for about three hours. After that, he fell in love with Chewbaca. Chewbaca, not so much. Count Rugen follows Chewbaca all over the house and loves to grab his tail. He has also bounced off Chewbaca’s head and back a couple of times. Chewbaca is really very patient, but he is starting to be a bit nervous. He jumps every time I move or he thinks the kitten is after him. He also seems to think he needs extra bedtime candy.

We bought Chewbaca a new electronic dog door. There is a chip in his collar that opens the door. The idea was so he could come and go into the back yard as he pleased, but Count Rugen couldn’t escape. Chewbaca, however, had other ideas. He kept opening the door for the kitten. Luckily, Count Rugen never went out, but we had to turn of the inside sensor. We let Chewbaca out when he asks, but he can come back in whenever he pleases. Of course, yesterday, he stood with his head in the door keeping it open because the kitten was hiding behind the drapes next to the door. I had to get up from the computer and yell at the dog to get his butt in the house.

The two of them have this wonderful game they like to play. Chewbaca’s new collar has a part that hangs down that Count Rugen loves to bat. Count Rugen lays on his back batting at the collar and Chewbaca jumps back and forth across him. My biggest worry is that Chewbaca will slip and land on Count Rugen. Chewbaca weighs 95 pounds.

It is like having a toddler and a four-year-old in the house. The toddler steals the older one’s toys. All of Chewbaca’s squeaky balls are missing. Either Chewbaca has them stashed in the back yard where Count Rugen can’t find them or Count Rugen has hidden them somewhere. The toddler follows the older one around and makes him crazy. He chases the older one out of his favorite spots and grabs his feet. He even made Chewbaca cry one night.

So far Chewbaca has only barked and snapped, but only little snaps. He hasn’t gone over the edge yet and really tried to hurt Count Rugen. I am always yelling, “Careful. He’s a baby.”

Sasha and Pax are after the wizard in my alternate universe story. I have been doing a bit more writing. I plan on putting some of my short stories up at Kindle, so look for them.

Blade of the Wolf... hot werewolf romance!

Blade of the Wolf, a paranormal erotic romance novel, was released this week from Ellora's Cave...

Ronan, immortal werewolf and Scottish Sgian Dubh Guardian, faces his most challenging, yet enticing, mission in centuries. He must protect sexy clairvoyant medium Syrena Ellis from an evil incubus intent on stealing her powerful life force. She awakens a raging arousal in Ronan, but if he gives in to temptation, he will be punished.

Dark and edgy, Ronan captivates Syrena. He is hot, hard and in control, yet his scorching glances and sinful kisses tell her he yearns for her. Even though she’s only a job, she finds a way past his iron-willed resistance. She’s determined to explore the depths of erotic passion with him. They’re unaware that their explosive sexual encounters are providing the enemy incubus with heightened energy, making him almost impossible to defeat.

Syrena’s forbidden desire and scorching lust for Ronan could destroy them both.

A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

An Excerpt From: BLADE OF THE WOLF

Copyright © NICOLE NORTH, 2011

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Just before nine the next evening, Ronan took a seat at a table in the Red Brick Pub and ordered a single-malt scotch. The low lighting of the bar allowed him to wait in marginal anonymity near a window. He glanced out. The full moon was nigh. Damnation, only a few more days. The worst time for this assignment.

Under the waxing moon’s influence, the hum of testosterone in his body had already grown more potent, alerting him to the presence of nearby females. Like a physical touch, their gazes had followed him when he’d entered. Several men had given him wary glances. With his wolf senses, Ronan easily heard their hushed comments about him, a stranger they didn’t like the looks of. Maybe dangerous.

The women, on the other hand, were far friendlier. A few smiled at him.

“He’s hot. I wonder if he’s looking for company?” one of them said. The rock music blaring from the juke box couldn’t cloak her words.

The squeaking door ensnared his attention. The blonde psychic, Syrena Ellis, entered. His chest tightened. He’d dreaded this moment for the past twenty-four hours. Seeing her in person… Iosa is Muire Mhàthair! It would not be easy. But naught in life ever was.

“Mia, have you seen Jackie recently?” Syrena asked the waitress behind the bar. The soft, southern drawl was sensual and surprising, but he should’ve expected it, given the location.

“No, why?”

Syrena shook her head, her long platinum hair gleaming in the low light. “I’ve called her cell phone for over a week. She won’t return my calls. None of her other friends have seen her.”

“Hmm. She’s probably holed up in some posh hotel room with a sexy rich guy. You know how she is.”

Syrena nodded, slowly scanning the bar patrons. When her gaze landed on Ronan, she paused, her eyes widening a fraction.

Ronan held his breath. God, she was stunning. Though most men would likely not see this because she tried to hide behind those glasses. She was curvy and feminine, as a woman should be, but her most intense appeal lurked beneath the surface. A mystery waiting to be discovered and unwrapped.

Click here to read more... (18 or over only please)

Thanks!!

Nicole

www.nicolenorth.com

Uno… memories of the game

From the first time I saw it was intrigued. My first Uno game was when I was a kid. It was a Christmas gift and one that I to this day feel was the best gift ever. When I opened the deck, read the directions, explained to my family and then all my family present at Christmas sat down to play it was magical. It was fun, loud and exciting. When I won my first game and shouted “Uno” I was hooked. After that we played often. There was laughter, fun and teasing. I took my Uno game wherever I could and played with whoever was willing.

As the years went on I still played but not as often. In college I bought a new Uno deck so I could have some fun on those nights I had night duty as a RA for my college. And I found others who loved the game. During my night duty I would put out the word that an Uno game was on. People would come and we would have some cut throat games. Some with as high as 20 people with others waiting to take the place of the losers. It was a fun rotation of people to match Uno wit’s with. It was a great time. I even bought an Uno handheld game so I could play wherever I went.

But atlas time passed and I lost track of my Uno. At least until the last year or so. I noticed in the café at the day job there was a set of people playing Uno and my love of the Uno started to come back. Each time I passed the Uno players in the café I watched as they played and longed to join them. I didn’t but my Uno love continued to grow. Finally I asked to take part in a game and was accepted in. When I won my first game and shouted “Uno” it brought back memories of that first game. I was hooked all over again. Ahh Uno brought back so many memories or time spent with family and friends.

And since I love gadgets I am now in search of an Uno handheld game (grin). I love me some Uno. Now loud and clear. Come on and shout it with me “Uno”.

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.

Christmas in July at Happily Ever After... and Kandy Apple...

Romance lovers, is it hotter than blazes where you are? Has the latest romance novel you’ve read gotten you all hot and bothered, and there’s not enough ice to alleviate all that heat?

If you want to cool down with thoughts of snow and Christmas merrymaking, come on by the HAPPILY EVER AFTER blog. We’re celebrating Christmas in July. There are wonderful Christmasy blogs, with more to come, and there is a grab bag of ebook prizes.

As for me, I have a new release since yesterday. KANDY APPLE AND HER HELLHOUNDS belongs on the TRS BLUE blog. So, if you’d like to check out my latest book, click over there for the Sunday post, or read the excerpt at Siren-BookStrand.

So, what is the state of ‘romance’ in romance novels? These days books run the gamut from heart-rendingly sweet to edgy erotic. That is the beauty of publishing now. The variety of romance subgenres is about to hit the moon. A very good thing in my book.

However, as a writer, I suddenly felt a sense of loss in the romance department. I yearned for a style of romance that has gone out of style in our current culture. And, being a born romantic, I had to remedy that with my next book. That’s when Kandace, my heroine, made herself known, and tempted me into writing her witchy story.

Kandy is a woman who discovers just how much she likes being wooed and elegantly romanced. During several scenes I also focus on that dreamy romantic feeling depicted in some of the late thirties and early forties songs.... I’m in heaven... dancing cheek to cheek... the way you wear your hat... you do that voodoo that you do so well... down, down I go... Cole Porter, and other songwriters of that era, were geniuses when it came to creating this romantically seductive and lovely mood.

This era’s elegance is part of the story, as well, along with the gentlemanly manners that are guaranteed to make a woman feel both cherished and desired. Okay, I didn’t leave out the magickal high adventure, either, or the fierce bedroom passion.

After all, why not have it all? Romance, high stakes adventure, paranormal magick, beastly desires... and, of course, a happily ever after.
~~~~~~

HAPPY SUMMERTIME READING!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar

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

Savanna Kougar is the best-selling author of twelve ebooks, with five books in print. She pens love stories because that’s her deepest heart. She writes in the futuristic/fantasy/paranormal subgenres because that’s her fiercest passion. And, she writes erotic romance because she ferociously enjoys ripping the damn doors off.

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
Siren-BookStrand Authors’ Blog
~~~~~~

Coming soon to an eReader Near You - Sheer Bliss by Leigh Ellwood

I am pleased to announce later this week my shapeshifter novella, Sheer Bliss, will be available for all eBook readers! This is the first of a short series I've plotted for a while, and I'm excited for the coming release. If you like werecats, hope you are, too. Here's all the details and a short excerpt.

Sheer Bliss - Leigh Ellwood
Shapeshifter Erotic Romance
DLP Books, $2.99

Living in Bliss, New Jersey has it perks, unless you're a shifter looking for love or a human looking for peace and quiet. Not only does Calla Savitch, owner of Shear Bliss salon, have to deal with warring panthers and werewolves with overlapping appointments, she's fed up with their constant matchmaking attempts. The last thing she wants especially is a hook-up with the one shifter who broke her heart years ago.

Handsome were-panther Caleb Houlihan still nurses the guilt of Calla's heartbreak, but when presented with a second chance to woo her he is reluctant. Calla may forgive his youthful indiscretions, but when she discovers his aunt's true motive for wanting them together, will she send him packing?

On this stretch of the Jersey Shore, it's a different "situation"!

http://www.leighellwood.com
http://leighwantsfood.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/LeighEllwood
http://www.facebook.com/LeighEllwoodAuthor
http://www.arecafe.com/members/leigh.ellwood



Excerpt (c) Leigh Ellwood

Still in cat form, Caleb took to the sand with graceful stealth, staying to the shadows behind the light posts lining the edge where the sands met the residential area. Closer to Calla’s beachside home, he caught a familiar scent in the air—shifter, yet unmistakably female—and followed it directly to the brick wall that separated Calla’s property from the public walkway to the sea.

Interesting, Caleb mused to himself, and wondered if Calla herself had the ability to give off such a scent considering her alleged genetic makeup. He hadn’t intended to come here—he’d originally started in this direction to track down Trisha and her friends at The Wall, a favorite night club situated on the shore. If necessary he could shift partially—covering all the essential parts—and order the girl home if she appeared to be having too good of a time to threaten her betrothal to Malcolm Weaver.

And if I keep telling myself that, I can justify spying on Calla Savitch as a happy accident, he thought as the entranceway to her backyard came into view. On light paws, Caleb bent low and crept closer to the wall, picking up bits of conversation drifting from her porch. He stilled and kept out of view, tuning out the roar of the ocean behind him.

“So, how goes the search?” asked a woman sounding way too sultry to be Calla.

A barking laugh broke the short moment of silence that followed. “It’s not so much a search as it is a complete lack of interest.”

“Cute, Calla.”

Breathless silence followed. Though curiosity burned through Caleb’s senses, he didn’t dare raise his head even a centimeter over the top of the wall. He inhaled the crisp, heady scent of she-wolf and knew immediately the other voice belonged to a Winston—most likely the uninhibited Maya. He knew the two women were close, but the direction of their conversation—coupled with the amorous heat given off by the shifter—implied to Caleb a more unconventional relationship than friends might have suspected.

He closed his eyes to better detect their movements. He heard hands smoothing over skin, quiet sighs of pleasures, and finally a juicy, smacking liplock. Sweet Calla, I hardly knew ye. With Maya, of course, he expected a fondness for both genders—the she-wolf was a self-proclaimed trisexual.

Try anything sexual.

Caleb grinned to himself, remembering her drunken proclamation at a past Indian Summer Ball. He then wondered if the breakdown of his fling with Calla all those years ago precipitated this broadening of his old flame’s sexual horizons.

Sighs turned to steady moaning now, and by damn if Caleb didn’t begin to harden in panther form. That’s it, he decided, and shifted to human form. Given the vibes thrumming from the back porch, Caleb doubted either woman would spot him peeking.

Still crouched low in the sand, he bent his fingers over the brick and lifted his head to skim the yard area. In the glow of porch light, Calla and Maya stood locked in a tight embrace. Calla, willowy and pale in her nightshirt, rested one hand on Maya’s bare bottom, kneading the ample flesh while her other hand cupped a breast. Maya’s hand had to work as well, though with their position Caleb couldn’t readily see where the she-wolf touched her…friend. Wherever Maya devoted that attention, though, Calla appeared to enjoy it. Caleb’s keen eyesight picked up on the rapid flittering of the woman’s eyelids, her face twisting with ecstasy as she moved with Maya to deepen and prolong their kiss.

It seemed to go on forever, and Maya finally broke free and moved to Calla’s side, pressing her breasts against the other woman’s shoulder. Here Caleb made out Calla’s inviting shape underneath the skimpy shift—rock hard nipples denting the fabric, which dipped at the delta between her quivering thighs. Unconsciously he grasped the base of his cock, and his fingers curled around his sac, tugging and massaging to full arousal.

Maya lifted the hem of Calla’s short gown high enough to reach the waistband of her floral-patterned panties. She slipped her hand underneath the slim triangle—Caleb watched fingers flex and bend as Maya presumably worked Calla’s pussy and clit to a near-liquid state.

“Let’s go inside,” he heard the she-wolf buzz in Calla’s ear. “We can do so much more, comfortably.”

No sooner were the words said, though, when Calla’s heavy-lidded expression slowly sobered. She seemed to awake from a dream and turned to Maya as though seeing her for the first time. Her hand fell limp from Maya’s backside and she gently extracted the she-wolf from her private parts.

“You are definitely tempting me tonight,” Calla said, appearing to ignore Maya’s look of confused disappointment, “but I’m sorry. I’m just not feeling it right it.”

“I didn’t get that impression a second ago,” Maya said accusingly.

Calla, however, just smiled and offered a chaste kiss to Maya’s nose. “Come by the salon for a freebie. I’ll make it up to you.” Without another word, she backed into her house and slid the glass patio door shut.

“Calla?” Maya called after her, but her plea met with the quiet swish of a curtain blocking her—and Caleb’s—view of Calla’s kitchen. The she-wolf growled and turned sharply away, storming down the path toward the ocean. “I doubt it’s the kind of ‘freebie’ I’d want,” she grumbled.

Still in human form, Caleb pressed his back to the wall and hoped the aborted seduction preoccupied Maya enough not to detect his scent. At it was, he expected her to shift back to wolf form once she hit the beach, and dash into the dark.

Instead, Maya fulfilled half his prediction. Not seconds after shifting, those white socks trotted over the sand to where he hid. Caleb glared uneasily into bright blue eyes and the best approximation of a canine grin.

Hello, Caleb.

Suprise, suprise!

Some of you out there already know that I lost my husband to cancer early this year. To those who sent condolence messages, I thank you. It helped to know I wasn’t totally alone. My muse took a vacation when my husband was first diagnosed, and to be quite honest, I was happy with that because I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my partner of thirty-nine years.

Well, she’s back with a vengeance. The muse, that is. She’s kicking my butt and telling me to get my act together. More importantly, she’s given me back the enthusiasm for writing, the love of burying myself in a story and living out the dreams of my hero and heroine. And who am I to deny her? So it’s back to the writing for me. Now I just have to work out which of the half-dozen partially finished manuscripts sitting on my hard drive I want to work on.

I worried I’d been away from the writing world for too long and I’d have to start over again. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received a fantastic surprise. Honey Trap, published by Ellora’s cave, has been released as part of an anthology. And in print, no less. Three Australian authors in the one book. Wow! I hadn’t even realised it was coming out. Now that’s the type of surprise I like. What a way to re-kindle a girl’s enthusiasm.




Going Down Under
By: Alexis Fleming, Lexxie Couper, Tracy Cooper-Posey


Line: Breathless,Moderne,Twilight
Series: Going Down Under
Book Length: 318 pages
Book Type: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing
ISBN: 9781419963773








Ningaloo Nights -Tracy Cooper-Posey

New York cop Sherry Abandonato cashes in her savings and dashes to Ningaloo in remote northwest Western Australia to find her sister who disappeared ten days ago. The only one with the skill to guide her to Derremawan is Mason Hayward, once an official guide with a reputation for getting people out of trouble, but now the town’s bad man.

In a searing afternoon of unexpected passion, Mason strikes a bargain. He’ll get her to Derremawan, if she agrees to go there with him unconditionally, on his terms and his conditions.

Sherry is astonished to find herself agreeing to the insane bargain, and worse, responding positively to the idea of three days of Mason Hayward dictating terms out under the Australian sun.



Honey Trap - Alexis Fleming

Seductive scents…torrid suspense…

For Australian scientist Kyla Harris, danger is not her middle name, but when she invents cologne that acts as an aphrodisiac, she becomes embroiled in a CIA case. Sexy American agent Logan Matthews is assigned as her bodyguard when someone tries to steal her sensual formula. Kyla finally has the edge in the war of the sexes and Logan Matthews is her target. A little fun in bed…on the desk…in the Aussie bush—what better way to test her cologne?

It’s just a shame Logan is only reacting because of the formula…or is he?



Timeless Wrath -Lexxie Couper

Beatrice “Ricki” Sullivan is every man’s fantasy. Drop-dead gorgeous, she exudes a sensuality none can ignore. More than just a stunning face and body, she’s intelligent, kind, gentle…and madly, inexplicably in love with Evron, a man she’s known mere hours.

Evron McKenzie is troubled, struggling with undeniable anger that scorches through his veins. And the irrational feeling he is someone else, something more. Someone rich, powerful…someone to fear. But in Ricki’s arms, Evron may have finally found his place in the world. At last he is at peace.

So who is the seductive redhead who invades Evron’s dreams? Why does she urge him to touch a mysterious sculpture—a sculpture that seems to radiate death and sin? How can she make him hornier than he’s ever been in his life with just a look, and at the same time turn his anger into bloody, murderous rage? And, more frighteningly, why can’t he resist her?

Read an excerpt here

Link to Book

Alexis Fleming
Daring desires...otherworldly seductions.
http://www.alexisfleming.net