by Cynthia Cooke, author of Black Magic Lover (Harlequin Nocturne, September 2010)

“I talk to dead people.”

Five little words and they strike terror into your heart.  Your mind immediately flashes to a scared little boy desperate for help and you tense, just a little.  Ahhh, scary stories.  How I love them.  And that’s why I LOVE Nocturne.  Not only can we write scintillating stories that get our blood pumping, but throw a hot guy in there to ride to the rescue and life is good.

My latest Nocturne, Black Magic Lover, is set deep in a Louisiana swamp where things definitely go bump in the night.  We have voodoo magick and creepy stalkers and, yes, a hero who can see dead people.  Even though he wishes to God he didn’t.  And what’s worse, he can see those touched by Death’s decrepit hand himself.  Those who are about to die.

Just thinking about it gives me chills.   What gives you chills? How about a cemetery where all the graves are above ground, a swamp so thick with algae, even the trees stand up on their knees.  A house so old, the wood creaks and groans, begging for release.  And yet, people live there.  People thrive there.  And you have to wonder, how?  Why?  What secrets are locked away behind their dark doors?

Ahhh, yes, I love Louisiana.  Love the swamps.  The history.  The exotic mysticism.  And, of course, New Orleans.   Birthplace of Lestat, the Witches of Mayfair, and so many other wonderful titillating tales.

What are your favorite scary stories?  What keeps you up at night?  What has you turning the pages because you’re afraid to turn out the lights?

Afraid to breathe….

Blog Widget

Browse

Share

Buy

This month, MIRA and Harlequin TEEN author Rachel Vincent will be making appearances on the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour with other popular YA authors like Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong and more! If you live in Texas or California, you can meet Rachel at 3 appearances:

Tuesday, Sept. 14 in Houston, TX at Barnes & Noble the Woodlands, 7pm

Monday, Sept. 20 in Pasdenca, CA at Vroman’s, 6pm

Tuesday, Sept. 21 in San Diego, CA at Mysterious Galaxy, 6pm

For more information about the tour and their full schedule, visit the Smart Chicks Kick It website, blog, or Facebook page.

If I could move into one of my books, I would pick the Intertwined world.  How could I not?  This (surprisingly) romantic world is populated by all the creatures of myth and legend.  Like a race of vampires who have demons trapped inside them!  Demons that like to come out and . . . play. With their food.  Which just happens to be whoever is standing next to them.  Like a pack of werewolves who protect the vampires – even though they are strong enough to wipe the floor with vamp faces.  Like witches who despise the blood drinkers and will do anything to destroy them.  Even cast spells to make the vamps appear ugly to anyone they desire.  (Soooo mean!)  Like goblins who consider human bones delicious chew toys.  Like fairies who walk between their realm and ours, their beauty so extraordinary it hurts to look at them.

Seriously.  I want to pop inside Unraveled (the second young adult romance in the Intertwined series) and hang out with the humans who have only just discovered the dark, seedy underworld that exists around them.

Aden has three souls trapped in his head – and he’s just become the vampire king.

His girlfriend, Victoria, is a vampire princess – yet her people want their new king dating other vamps. (I smell a catfight coming on!)

His best friend Mary Ann is in love with the boy of her dreams – but now she’s developed a paranormal ability that just might kill them all.

Riley is a werewolf shape-shifter far more experienced than his human girlfriend (and he should be, since he’s, like, a hundred years old) – but she’s driving him crazy, kissing him one minute and trying to break up with him the next.

Meanwhile, there’s a curse hanging over their heads, and they’ve only got one week to save themselves. Plus, Vlad the Impaler has come back from the dead and wants his crown back.

Sure, the battles will be tough and lives will be lost.  But dang it, I still want to hang out with them!  I just know I’d throw the best after-party evha.

So what book world would you most like to visit?

——

UNRAVELED is on sale tomorrow wherever books are sold! Plus, INTERTWINED was recently released in Trade paperback format.

To celebrate the release of UNRAVELED, Gena and her agent are having some awesome contests! Starting today, The Knight Agency is running an online scavenger hunt to win a $100 Visa Gift Card & signed copies on UNRAVELED — click here to for details. AND Gena is running a contest to win an eReader at Gena Showalter’s Official Fan Page!

Blog Widget

Browse

Share

Buy

Blog Widget

Browse

Share

Buy

by Tracie Sommers, author of Blame It On the Moonlight (Spice Briefs, August 2010)

I grew up reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Clive Barker among other genre fiction. I also write Urban Fantasy under another name. So it’s of no surprise to those who know me that I write slightly darker Spice Briefs.

I love my stories a little on the dark side. My first story, TONIGHT MY LOVE caused quite some contention. It was a love it or hate it kind of reaction I got from readers. One of the most memorable was from Wendy the Super Librarian. But when I got the idea of giving the Jack the Ripper story a sexy paranormal twist, I knew it was going to cause some controversy. The story came out in a rush, practically writing itself. And even Wendy is the first to admit that the story still sticks in her mind. You can check out her thoughts on TML and her review of my latest Spice Brief here http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/08/warped-minds-and-extreme-reactions.html

So when I came to write BLAME IT ON THE MOONLIGHT I was surprised at the direction the story took. It’s still paranormal, this time with shape shifters, but it’s much more romantic than any I have previously written.

It still has some dark undertones and my hero is one sexy beast, in more ways than one. He has that dangerous edge to him. One of my favourite parts of the story goes a little like this.

Jasmine stepped backwards until she bumped into something rough and solid—the tree trunk. He was on her in a second. His hands braced either side of her head as he leaned in close to her ear, his hot breath washing over her cool skin.

“Where are you going, little girl?” His gaze kept dropping to her lips as if mesmerized by them.

“I don‘t know who you are,” she whispered.

“Yes, you do.” He leaned forward, his breath a tender caress against her mouth. “I‘m the big bad wolf.”

*shiver*

Is there anything sexier than a big bad wolf with hot breath. Well maybe not if you are one of the three little pigs. But since our heroine, Jasmine, is a hot blooded woman who’s just sprung her boyfriend with another woman, the answer is no.

Do you like your stories with a dark edge?

Hey everyone. News.

You’ve all heard of Comic-Con, I’m sure. It’s the largest sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novel, and comic book convention in the world -

held in San Diego, California, in a beautiful convention center, on a beautiful stretch of water.

This year, I decided to go, promote my Nocturne books, and see what the hype is about. I applied as a writing professional, and proposed a panel I wanted to do.

WOW. Whoa. It all happened!

And let me just say that Comic-con International was a blast! Everything you’ve ever heard about it is true. The lights! The art! The crowds! The talent! The hype! Even Hollywood has taken a major role as a presence, knowing this is THE place to be, and giving everyone attending an extra thrill.

Here’s the really kicky title of my panel: “Kiss them or Kill them? Conflict management for the creatures among us.”

My objective in speaking was to bring paranormal romance into the limelight, in the midst of the huge urban fantasy and horror presence there. Let folks know what we paranormal romance writers are really doing nowadays, and to lay to rest some of the old cliches that still cling to the old “bodice ripper” genre.

There were eight authors on my panel, almost all of them urban fantasy writers. And well, you would have been proud of me.

I discussed the differences between the two genres, talked about the crossover going on between the romance and the sci-fi/fantasy bookshelves, and promoted Nocturne in the meantime. I talked about werewolves and vampires, how romance plays a big part in their stories, and how Nocturne authors tell those stories well.

More than 250 people showed up for my panel. Good questions were asked. And paranormal fans were smiling in the crowd when I was done. It was a success! Paranormal Romance infiltrated Comic-con! You just can’t ask for anything better than that.

And let me also mention – that my bright red “RED WOLF” cover, from this year’s Nocturne “Wolf Moon” series, really stood out from all the Urban fantasy covers with their badass girls in leather and tattoos, carrying weapons.

Yay!

The movie stars walking around (only a brief mention here, since there were way too many to list) — Jeff Bridges, Angelina Jolie, Nathan Fillian (Castle, Firefly, Serenity, Buffy), The Star Trek cast, Bill Shatner, the True Blood cast, virtually ALL of the oddball TV series casts, Stallone, Morgan Fairchild … oh, and Elvira, Mistress of the Night. Actors and producers and directors, galore. Authors aplenty. Artists. Comics and games creators…

And moi.

I highly recommend Comic-con. Crowds. Lights. Cameras. Action. And everyone there for one purpose – to see the latest entertainment options in every available playing field.

Comic-con did not disappoint.

Questions for you:

Have any of you participated?

Do you second my evaluation of the scene?

Are you excited about upcoming paranormal shows, movies, books?

Do you love paranormal romance as much as I do?

Well. Long-winded. I’m still excited about the way things turned out. Next year I’ll try again, and I’ll have my new Nocturne vampire series to promote, “Vampire Moons.” The first beautiful cover is here. Another stand-out, I think!

Cheers for now -

Linda

www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com

Want to chat with some of our favorite paranormal romance authors? Meet up with fellow readers online? Tonight is the monthly Nocturne Chat in the eHarlequin.com Community! It runs from 8-10pm Eastern Time.

Click here for the chat schedule, guidelines and to connect to the Harlequin chat room.

~Amy

by Alexis Morgan, author of A Vampire’s Vindication (Harlequin Nocturne Bites, August 2010)

I have to admit that until recently I’d never given much thought to writing short stories.  As a writer, I’ve always enjoyed working with a large ensemble cast of characters and exploring the complex set of circumstances that leads to the happily-ever-after for the heroine and hero in my books.  I really like delving into the thought processes of some of the secondary characters, and especially the bad guys.

In a short story, the plot has to be much more linear in nature.  Each sentence and each scene has to be carefully crafted to maintain a sharp focus on the hero and the heroine.  I often write far longer than the desired length and then go back to cut and restructure until I’ve polished the story until it shines.

That doesn’t mean that sometimes the story won’t take an unexpected turn, which is exactly what happened when I was writing A VAMPIRE’S VINDICATION.  The story is about vampire Griff Tyler and Keelie Bronson, a mixed-blood chancellor, as they come to terms with events from their shared past.  Together, they have to get beyond the lies to the truth, finding love along the way.

That’s all well and good, but what about the werewolves that decided to show up right in the middle of my well-thought out plot?   What was I supposed to do with them, especially in a story that was supposed to be about vampires and chancellors?   I’d like to say that I had the strength to ignore their howling insistence on being included in the story.  Unfortunately, I’ve always had a soft spot for wolves, even ones who sometimes walk on two legs and can pass for human.

My solution?   When Griff needs an extra layer of protection to keep Keelie safe during the daylight hours, he calls upon his “canine” security force.  Kipp and Garrett only make a brief appearance—just long enough to make Griff realize the strength of his feelings for Keelie as he watches her innocently petting his friend’s fur.

Oh, yeah, I definitely had great fun writing that scene because it worked on more than one level.   And I’m pretty sure Garrett and Kipp will soon be back demanding a story of their own.  I’m making no promises, but…Did anyone else just hear a wolf howl?

by Eve Silver, author of the Otherkin Trilogy: Sins of the Heart (HQN Books, August 2010), Sins of the Soul (September 2010), and Sins of the Flesh (October 2010)

Sins of the Heart, the first book in the Otherkin trilogy, and the e-prequel, Sin’s Daughter, have readers emailing me to ask about the names of the characters. How to pronounce them. What they mean. So I thought that would be a great topic to chat about.

The names definitely have specific meaning and reference, and from my perspective, they suit the characters to a T.

From Sins of the Heart:

Dagan—Pronounced: DAY-gan This name is associated with the ‘lord of the sacrifices for the dead’ or the ‘lord of sacrificial victims’ (Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible, By K. van der Toorn, Bob Becking, Pieter Willem van der Horst). Given that Dagan is the son of Sutekh, the Underworld lord of chaos and evil, and given that he harvests hearts and darksouls for his father, the name seemed apt. Dagan’s dark and deadly and incredibly hot.

Roxy—Pronounced: ROK-see. The meaning of Roxy’s name is: star, bright, dawn—words that embody the inner light and strength that keep her going through the worst of times and the greatest adversity. She’s one tough cookie who not only rolls with the punches, but leaps to her feet and comes up swinging.

From Sins of the Soul:

Alastor—Pronounced: uh-LAS-tawr. The name is associated with the deity/demon who avenges evil deeds. But Alastor is also the title of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley; the poem is a warning not to abandon sweet human love. Because of who and what he is, Alastor has secretly abandoned the hope of love. He has lost those he loved, and mourned them in silent pain. He craves control in any situation. Until he meets Nafré; she blows his neatly constructed world to hell.

Naphré—Pronounced: NAH-fray. Her name means goodness. Her middle name, Misao, means loyalty and fidelity. And despite the horrific things that have happened to her, the choices she’s made, the terrible things she’s done, there is a core of goodness in her heart, and a deep well of loyalty and honor. These qualities give her a backbone of steel, and she needs that when she’s up against Alastor, toe to toe every step of the way.

From Sins of the Flesh:

Malthus—Pronounced: MAL-thuh-s. Malthus is a deity/demon who is a prince of Hell. And Mal is a prince in Sutekh’s Underworld, third son of the Lord of chaos and evil. Big change from the years he lived in squalor, beaten, starved, a boy who stole what he could just to survive, who knew that hell had special place for boys like him. Only, back then, he didn’t know that he wasn’t human, and he didn’t know just how special that place would be.

Calliope— Pronounced: kah-LY-uh-pee. Calliope means beautiful voice. Mythologically, she was a muse and mate of the god of war. And she is Mal’s muse. He is taken with her, inspired by her, consumed by his interest in her. She calls to him as no one else ever has, despite the fact that she is his enemy. For her part, Calliope’s nature is suited to her voice: serene, calm, focused. A perfect match to Mal’s bad-boy inclinations.

So there you have it. What’s in a name? In this case, quite a bit.

Do you ever wonder where fictional characters get their names?

Blog Widget

Browse

Share

Buy

by Julie Kagawa, author of THE IRON DAUGHTER (book 2 of The Iron Fey series, August 2010)

Second books in a trilogy have gotten a bad rap.

The first book opens with a bang, introducing the characters, the world, and the problems the hero/heroine will have to overcome to triumph in the end.  The first book has to grab the readers and not let them go.  The third book is the climax, where everything finally comes together, the last battle or final confrontation, where the characters go off into the sunset of their Happily Ever Afters, or however the series may end.

That leaves the second book, the book that has to bridge the gap between the two, the book that, if not handled well, can sag, droop, or drag in the middle.  This isn’t to say all second books are droopy or slow (The Two Towers was just as thrilling as the other books in the trilogy, and lets not forget the most famous second movie of all time: “Luke, I am your father.”), but it’s happened often enough that a phrase called: “Slow Second Book Syndrome” has popped up on several review sites.

So, when I started The Iron Daughter, book duos of the Iron Fey trilogy, my first thought was how I could avoid the dreaded “slow second book” syndrome and write a sequel that could stand up to The Iron King.  Just as in the first book, Meghan and company have a clear goal and a villain to defeat before the end, but this time around, the stakes are higher, and the hints of romance in The Iron King have twisted into heartbreak.  Meghan struggles with her feelings, with rejection and a broken heart, and the love triangle between her, Ash, and Puck intensifies.  All the while, she must figure out a way to defeat the newest evil in her life, deal with the appearance of someone from her past, and stop a war between two powerful faery courts.  And this time, the choices she makes will not only affect her, but everyone around her as well.

Heartbreak, impossible choices, and a talking cat.  Book two of the Iron Fey, The Iron Daughter, releases this August, and will (hopefully) put the Slow Second Book syndrome to rest.

Julie Kagawa

Blog Widget

Browse

Share

Buy

by Zandria Munson, author of Heiress to a Curse (Harlequin Nocturne, August 2010)

It’s not every day that a woman learns that she is capable of casting fire spells. Or that the tall, handsome and utterly irresistible man she is beginning to fall in love with, isn’t a man at all – but a dark and lethal creature, peeled from the very pages of an ancient story book — a gargoyle!

In HEIRESS TO A CURSE Alexandra Barret has always had a complicated life. She’s never really been understood or allowed to fit in, what with her terrifying nightmares and unexplained abilities and all. She’s lead a pretty secluded existence until Marius Drakon appeared into her life. He’s charming and clearly interested in her, but her senses warn her of a mystery surrounding the man. Is he married? A con artist?

Alexandra never thought to make the connection between her handsome new neighbor and the dark and mysterious shadow that has been haunting the New York night sky. She’s far too distracted trying to learn why it seems that the creature is following her, protecting her even. Who was she and why was she singled out?

Marius Drakon, son of the leader of the gargoyle clan, has one mission in New York City – to end the Drakon family curse. The Spring Equinox approaches and he will have twenty-eight days to walk the daylight as a man. During this time he must seek out the last descendant of the witch who cursed his family and conduct a sacred ritual. Then before the final stage of the moon, he must end the life of the one woman who stands in the way of his family’s freedom.

It seems simple enough, but once Marius sets eyes upon Alexandra he is taken by far more than her beauty, but also the courage and selflessness she exhibits. And as the month wears on and what he must do draws closer, Marius can no longer keep his reluctance from his family. Chaos brews as they take matters into their own hands. And Marius finds himself torn between the decision to end his family’s curse by killing an innocent, or defy those closest to him in order to save the woman who has captured his heart.

Marius’s decison is a difficult one and will take far more than a stroke of luck to resolve. What would you do?

Zandria has a signed copy of Heiress to a Curse to give away! Leave a comment for your chance to win.