Mila Ramos - Jademystique Blog

Mishap and Chaos by M.M. Shelley

2012-01-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

Hey Mystiquers,

I just wanted to say hello, Happy New Year and lets get to those great new authors!!!

So here is another great way to bring in the year. I bring you a native Californian (because I'm currently in California) I give you MM Shelly and her book Mishap & Chaos.

_________________________________

Hello everyone! I’m M.M. Shelley and I would like to give a BIG thanks to Mila Ramos, for inviting me onto her blog today JadeMystique, so that I can share my latest book with you:

Mishap & Chaos

It’s about twin Latina girls, Grasiella & Tatiana who are hated and feared by the magical race to which they belong.

Twins Grasiella & Tatiana are hated and feared by the magical race to which they belong.

Deep within the Hawaiian Islands is a hidden danger an island witch who wants nothing more then to end the line of Pele, the fire goddess. Her influence has breached Pele’s inner circle.

The twins must face the consequences of a freed Mnemosyne who no longer stands alone and wants nothing more than to destroy them. Others from Mnemosyne’s world have traveled to earth with unclear intentions.

Grasiella and Tatiana’s only focus is to find their missing grandmother. Risking everything, not knowing if she is dead or alive...

EXCERPT:

The light caught again in his amber eyes as he said, “What else will you take from me?” He noticed that she was about to walk off with the carton of food and he quickly thought to stop her. “Hey, I brought that for the both of us.”

“You did?” She looked back over her shoulder.

He gestured her back with his head. “Where are you going with that?” He braced an arm on the table and with his other he leaned across for the carton in her hand.

She pulled away as she tried to keep it from him. “But I'm starving,” she said. Relenting she held up another fork, “I guess you can have some too.”

“I don’t use those, Haole.” He said jokingly. He pulled open a drawer and removed a pair of steel chopsticks.

Grasiella found that she was actually enjoying herself. ‘Why,’ she thought, ‘could they not be like this all the time?’

“What are you thinking?” He had a grin on his handsome face as he glanced over at her.

His question brought her out of her thoughts; she gave back an amused smile. “You never did answer my question about who you are living with here. You said once that it was only ‘sometimes’ that you have someone else living here.”

Kana’i’s smile faded from his lips. “I was only messing with you when I said that.” Then he added, “I thought you picked up on that.”

“With you I never know when you’re serious and when you’re not.” She hid her face behind a carton as she waited for his answer.

“Good,” was all he said before stabbing a piece of food with his chopsticks.

“You have such a quick temper,” she remarked.

“I don’t, not really. You just have to make everything into an argument.”

“I do not,” she argued then took a bite.

He could see that she was thinking about something, this time he decided not to ask her what it was. He watched the subtle way she kept eying him. “You have chopstick envy, don’t you?” he inquired.

She laughed then said, “I do.” She placed her fork on the table. “Teach me, will you?”

“I don’t know. It takes a certain type of skill and I don’t want you to embarrass yourself because you’ll just find a way to blame it on me.”

Grasiella gave a delighted grin as she took the chopsticks from his hand; which just happened to be in mid flight to his mouth. “It can’t be all that difficult if you can do it.”

“I do not believe this, I bring you food– good food too and you try to keep me from eating.”

Grasiella began laughing; his look of aggravation was priceless. He was serious as he narrowed his eyes at her.

“This is really good,” she teased. “Would you like some more?”

“Yeah, I will take the rest of it,” his tone serious yet she could see that humor had returned to his eyes.

Thanks again to Mila Ramos for hosting this stop on my Mishap & Chaos tour!

You can find me over at my blog; mmshelley.blogspot.com or on twitter @MM_Shelley.

About the Author:

M.M. Shelley is a storyteller, word smith and dreamer.

MISHAP AND MAYHEM, a captivating story of faerie's and magic, is her debut novel. She has traveled the world extensively in search of the magic which is often overlooked in everyday life. M.M. Shelley is a native of southern California, and a student of mythology from which she gets much inspiration.

Visit M.M. Shelley at her blog: www.mmshelley.blogspot.com

The Beginning by Kelvin O'Ralph

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

A handshake between strangers has never held so much promise for discovery.

When Stephen Wilson meets Lisa Morgan at his new school in Sloutenville, it is the simple act of extending his hand in greeting that flips both of their worlds upside-down. With the gesture, both discover that in some way they are connected, and that they share the ability to manipulate the elements, fire and water. Though their abilities vary, they share the gift of telepathy allowing them to communicate without words, which creates a bond between them stronger than either had expected.

As the two begin to spend more and more time together, David, Lisa's ex becomes wild with jealousy, and launches multiple attacks on Lisa. In the fight against the dangers that await them around every corner, Stephen and Lisa soon discover that they are up against much greater odds than they had originally known, and that their struggles are far from over

AUTHOR BIO

Kelvin O'Ralph is a student at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. He is an avid writer and reader, who loves writing Fantasy/Romance novels. LS: The Beginning is the first book in his fantasy series 'LS'. He released the sequel early October 2011.

Kelvin is a huge admirer of Emma Watson, the Harry Potter star and hopes one day she gets to act as one of his characters. Personally, he'd love her to act the role of Lisa Morgan in this book. At least, that's how he envisioned it while writing.

Still in his teens, Kelvin has released four books on Amazon Kindle in 2011. He's working on the final book on the 'LS' series and also on a new project. Like most authors, Kelvin hopes one day his books will be transformed onto the big screen.

Blog: - http://icire.blogspot.com

Facebook Page - http://on.fb.me/f953Nv

Twitter - http://twitter.com#!/KelvinO_Ralph

Goodreads - http://bitly.com/gVK7zX

Amazon Author Page - http://amzn.to/ukOKWD

The Last Post of 2011!!!!!

2011-12-31T10:47:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone,

As a final post for the year of 2011, join me as I skidaddle over to Mysti Parker's blog and talk about my favorite memory of the holiday season!

http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-memory-with-author-mila-ramos.html

Join The Mystique in early January as new authors and their books are brought to these lovely pages.

Please also join us as I can finally get back to my writing which I have missed so dearly!
The schedule will be up for those authors that are dropping by. :)

I'm off to Santa Barbara to go wine touring and tasting, stay tuned for some fun pics.

But as always be safe out there tonight Mystiquers.
Party hard and most importantly......

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T04:00:00.001-06:00

To all the fans, readers and beautiful people who have shared, will share and participated in The Mystique's fun,

I wish you all a great holiday and best yet a wonderful day with your families.

When we come back, we have a few authors coming to give you more book tasty goodness.

Finally a Winner!!

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

So according to Blogger, it didn't want to post the winner for the Second Drawing on the post like I asked...........Blasted Blogger...heh but I prevailed!.

So I entered all those who entered as the rules stated (and boy there were alot of you guys out there!!!!!!! So happy!!!!)

And the winner of the Second Amazon Card Drawing for $50.00

Tracey D!!!!!

booklover0226 at gmail dot com

You have 24 hours to contact me by email tribalbutterfly77 at gmail dot com to claim your prize!!!!
Congratulations!!!!

Stirring Sagas by Dennis K. Hausker

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

Just released by author Dennis K. Hausker, "Stirring Sagas" is an four-story anthology which aims for male and female readers.

Two stories are sci-fi mixed with romance and the other two are epic fantasy combined with romance. They're all written with a heavy dose of character angst struggling to face their daunting challenges. Though they're different stories, they share a theme of overcoming the odds and staying strong no matter how galling the affronts. There is even humor included in one of the stories, "Battle Master". Each of them (the stories) have the opportunity to be expanded into novellas or novels on their own. They're fun reads that sweep the reader away into intriguing realms and consuming scenarios.

You're welcome to visit my web site www.denniskhausker.com and go to my portfolio page.

Stirring Sagas can also be found at Melange Books LLC.

http://melange-books.com/authors/denniskhausker/stirringsagas.html

Book Review:

Four stories comprise this anthology of fantasy tales, each with themes of love set against war and treachery. I’ll list my review of each on below.

Princess of Varik takes us to the kingdom of Fragia, where the Viking-like Prince Evan, fifth son of King Grieg, the Hammer is sent to the Arabesque land of Varik to woo princess Siria and make her his bride. I particularly loved Evan’s humble nature. He’s been browbeaten by his older brothers so long that he knows how to handle himself in battle and how to treat others the way he wants to be treated. He respects his father enough to follow his wishes, even though he has to risk his life to do so. I had mixed feelings about Princess Siria. She seemed an odd mixture of both weak and stubborn, but I did empathize with her when she had to endure a traumatic event. The story up until the ending was fairly strong, but I wanted that yummy feeling of loose ends tied, characters where they needed to be, etc, and it didn’t quite happen for me.

Orbis Veritas takes place on a newly discovered, thought-to-be-uninhabited planet. Dillon Craig is a brilliant scientist and explorer, a man one might call a “nerd.” He’s been unlucky in love, so to mend his broken heart, he sets out to discover what he can about the planet’s extinct society. He ends up getting much more than he bargained for. In this one, I felt bad for Dillon. He deserved better than his love interest, Trina, who came across as shallow and fickle to me. In fact, I was rooting for him to end up with the alien woman he found instead. In this one, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters as much as I wanted, but it was an interesting story of alien technology gone haywire.

In Battle Master, s super-warrior by the name of Torik is shipwrecked on a primitive planet and must face the most challenging foe he’s ever come across-a woman who won’t take no for an answer. Alana is as persistent as Torik is militant, and the two of them combine to make the beginning of this story a laugh-out-loud, fun read. Things get more serious though, after Torik surrenders his heart. When his old comrades finally locate him, he learns there is much more at stake now that he loves someone. This one had some very poignant moments at the end. I think Alana was my favorite heroine out of all four of these stories. She knew what she wanted and didn’t back down, even in the face of death. Torik developed well and became a much better man by the end of the story.

Family Lost was a poignant journey about young Crown Prince Falen, who’s had to endure strenuous battle training his entire life, without the love and support of his family. All he knows is that his mother left his father and abandoned him after he was born, and that his father all but disowned him. He blames his very existence for his neglect, but unlike other stories in which the scorned child might take revenge, Falen remained a humble and steady man, though women confuse him to no end. What I liked most about this story are the lessons we can learn about our perceptions-sometimes things aren’t what they appear to be. There’s always more to the story, and it was a touching experience to see fallen learn that for himself. The ending was a good one, and well-fitting to end this anthology as well.

Overall, these were pretty good short stories. If you love plot-based stories with an epic fantasy or sci-fi flair, you’ll like these. For me, I would have loved to see all of the characters fleshed out more, perhaps each story expanded into its own novella or novel. Many times, I had trouble connecting with the sort of “distant” feel to the POV and couldn’t quite put myself into the setting. It’s no secret that I love strong characters. Their development was probably strongest in Battle Master, though Family Lost was a close second. But don’t take my word for it-grab your own copy and discover your favorites.

Love scenes are mild and non-graphic, but for the violence and adult situations, I’d recommend this book for adults who enjoy fantasy and sci-fi with romantic themes.

-Reviewed by Mysti Parker 11/29/11

Let the contest begin!!! Here is your chance all!!!

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, that is correct everyone, its the second Amazon $50 drawing!!

I've already inputted the names thus far of those who have left comments.
Those who have commented more often have a better chance to win!
So here is your last chance to get that number up for you!!!

To be eligible you must:
1. Leave a valid email in the comment box
2. Comment on at least 2 different posts.
3. Have fun, enjoy the excerpts and stories!!!

With that lets see how many people were paying attention.

There are two certain authors that spoke about themselves and their books.
The first author spoke about one of her characters Rhys. Which author was that??
The second author thought Pandora's box was a great way to get rid of writers block (which it is in my opinion).

So....who were these lovely authors?

The winner will be announced Dec 21st, and as always the winner has 24 hours to make contact.

Don't Stop Believing by Terri Molina

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

As any author will tell you, writing is hard. There’s a lot of heartache and dejection, and I’ve seen more than my share. If someone were to ask me advice on becoming a writer I’d say, go for it, but, make sure you wear plenty of body armor.

Like most writers out there, I started writing when I was a child. Although, for the most part, it was my way to stay sane. (heh) I was in my late thirties when I decided to actually plant rump to chair and start writing. However, my first attempt at a story did not receive the warm, glowing reviews from an editor I told myself it would and in all fairness, looking at the unfinished manuscript now, I was highly delusional to think so. However, that not-so-glowing response to my first attempt gave me the determination to do it right. So for the next four or so years I did as much studying and training as I could find on the internet. Living on a military income with four children to care for didn't allow me to spend real money on my training, so I read books and found a free online writing course which really helped me understand the craft....as opposed to reading published authors and trying to emulate them.

In 2003 I sat down and wrote my first book. I thought it was awesome! And really...the premise was...but when I sent it to another writer (who was fairly new at fiction writing) he tore it to shreds and all but said, I'd never be a real writer. I was pretty heartbroken, but instead of letting him dissuade me, I decided to prove him wrong and went back to my "how to" books and studied some more. It wasn't until an editor I had submitted a query to, asked to read the whole book that I thought ,Yeah...I can do this. Of course, that was short lived when the editor rejected the manuscript saying it "wasn't ready". However she gave me wonderful insight into what I was doing wrong. So, with her feedback, I returned to the manuscript and spent the next three months *fixing* it. When I was satisfied I'd done what needed to be done, I sent it to the wife of a friend. She loved the book! That was my sign. I sent it back out and three months later found an agent.

Of course, now you're probably thinking...so where's the heartache? Well, four months after I signed with this agent (who happened to be at one of the more prestigious firms in NY) I got a call saying she was leaving the house and could no longer represent me. Thus began my first "shot to the heart".

It took me a year to find a new agent (2005) and when I did she was very enthusiastic about the work and started submitting right away. About four months later, we got interest from an editor. That summer I met up with the editor at the RWA conference. We talked about what she planned to do for the book, she asked if I'd be able to do the revisions she wanted and she was genuinely excited about taking the book to committee. Then, in November that same year, she asked me if I'd write a novella for an anthology she planned to put together. She only gave me a 15K word count, because I'm an unpublished, unknown writer and she told me it had to be contemporary--I've only written suspense---and erotic---I can do a hot love scene...but there's a difference between my hot and the erotic she wanted. Needless to say, I was totally out of my comfort zone....but I wrote up three chapters and a proposal and sent them to her. Since it was the holidays and the publishing business pretty much shuts down in November and December, I didn't know what she thought of the story. Then.....

Heartache.

Before the editor could go to committee with my novel or submit the novella, she left the house. We still submitted the novella because the anthology was supposed to still be a "go", but the editors sat on it for three months with no reply and my agent pulled it. And, instead of resubmitting my novels my agent decided to wait for my current work in progress. However, life and things happened throughout the year that kept me from working on the story and I was unable to send her a completed manuscript, so she cut me from her client list.

Heartache. But only minimal.

For the past few years I've been kinda/sorta searching for a new agent. I’ve sent out a handful of queries at a time, because rejection in small doses is much easier on the ole bruised ego. Yet, despite the fact that I’m still un-agented and I’m like the Humpty Dumpty of the publishing world, I never gave up on my novels and I’m happy to say they both sold to online publishers. The novella, Her Will His Way, which is a contemporary love story set in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, can be found at Cobblestone Press and my novel, Forget Me Not, a romantic suspense that takes place in Southeast Texas, can be found at Decadent Publishing.

It just goes to show, if you believe enough in you and your work, you’ll find your audience.

Author Bio:

Website:

www.TerriMolina.com

FORGET ME NOT

A Latina version of The Bodyguard

Decadent Publishing

HER WILL HIS WAY

He seduced her with a dare. Will he lose her with a lie?

Order Now at Cobblestone Press

Books available for Kindle at Amazon.com

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

Set against the backdrop of a Coney Island summer comes The Vicious Deep, the story of sixteen year old Tristan Hart whose life is turned upside down when the mermaids make an unscheduled return to land in search of their new king.

When a sudden storm pulls Tristan from lifeguard duty into a deadly riptide, he discovers what he really is—a prince of the Sea Court. Turns out, his girlfriend hopping and talents as a swimmer aren’t caused by his teenage prime hormones after all.

In this modern Arthurian tale with a twist, when all a guy wants to do is get The Girl and enjoy the freak show that is a Coney Island summer, Tristan has to fight for his life, the lives of his friends, and his humanity, if he still wants it, as he’s caught in a race for a throne that is as ancient as the gods.

________________________________________

Dear Reader,

One day my name will be synonymous with mermaids and merdudes. While some might run to the hills for being known as “the mermaid girl,” it’s far better than being called a “cat lady.” Note: I don’t own any cats.

My debut novel, The Vicious Deep, on a larger scale is more than about mermaids. But you’ll have to read that for yourself. It’s about a guy who discovers a completely new part of himself. And YES, even that part. Tristan is faced with fighting for his life, his friends, and a lineage he’s only just discovering.

This is why I figured the world needs a little more Tristan Hart.

Zoraida: I understand you’re fresh out of Book 1 of The Vicious Deep?

Tristan: No spoilers, lady. And yes. It’s been wild. But I’ve got a pretty good idea of what to do. Well, more than I did before. Sort of.

Z: Describe yourself in three words or less.

T: Uhh, totally confused and itchy.

Z: What’s your favorite memory?

T: That’s easy, it was with Layla. She’s this girl you see. More than “this girl.” You know what I mean. She’s my best friend. Only, I want her to be more than that. We finally—

Z: Go on.

T: Cheater. That would be spoiling. Next.

Z: Prude. What’s you favorite thing about being a merman?

T: Swimming. I’ve always been a swimmer. Captain of my team and everything. But the moment I shifted, it was this whole new feeling. Like this entire time I’ve been swimming with ankle weights and now they’re gone. I’m pretty fast.

Z: I bet you are.

T: Why you gotta say it like that for? I’m going back…over there.

*splash*

For more of Tristan Hart, The Vicious Deep, or the author visit:

https://twitter.com/#!/zlikeinzorro

Blogger http://dirtypages.blogspot.com/

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12246929-the-vicious-deep

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CordovaBooks

Need a lift? Need a change?

2011-12-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

Take a Break from Everyday Life and Get Lost in a World Filled with

Passion, Drama and Romance!

Hi Everyone,

I’m Anna James, author of contemporary romance stories that allow people to take a break from everyday life and get lost in a world filled with passion, drama and romance. First off, I’d like to thank Mila for having me back today to talk to you about my new release Shattered Dreams – Bradford Sisters Trilogy #2.

Are you looking for a great story that will warm your heart? Characters you can fall in love with? Then Shattered Dreams - Bradford Sisters Trilogy #2 is a book you have to read!

Watch the book!! http://youtu.be/wX5UBsI3k8w

The characters of Natalie and Reed McNamara are lovable, passionate and real enough to linger long after the reader has finished this story. The issues are contemporary: the struggle over guilt, forgiveness, and love.

Here is a taste of the story to whet your appetite:

Natalie and Reed seemed so happy when they got married just a few short months ago, but an unexpected pregnancy and a subsequent miscarriage throw their marriage into turmoil.

Natalie deals with the loss by burying herself in work. Reed is supportive but doesn’t understand why she is spending so much after-hours time with her handsome, sexy boss. And what about their dream of having a family? How can that happen when with each passing day Natalie becomes more distant?

Will Reed and Natalie find a way to work things out, or will all their dreams be shattered?

Shattered Dreams is available from Sugar and Spice Press just in time for the holidays. Pick up your copy today!

http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=149

Get caught up with the trilogy and pick up your copy of Guilty As Charged – Bradford Sisters Trilogy #1 today.

http://www.sugarnspicepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10&products_id=123

For more information on me or my books please visit me at www.annajamesromance.com

Or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Anna-James-Author-of-Contemporary-Romance-Novels/129394040447020

Happy Reading,

Anna James

“Grin and Barrett”

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!!

Welcome today as we talk to pretty awesome author. Ruth J. Hartman is here, and is a fellow Melange author and cat lover, as she talks about her book Grin & Barrett.

Blurb:

Remmie Grin is a self-sufficient dentist who has her life right where she wants it.

That is, until handsome, flirty Dr. Victor Barrett moves in next door. He constantly bugs her about selling her practice to him—but she’s not budging.

How can she convince him to leave her alone when all she really wants him to do is kiss her again?

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Grabbing the sides of the wooden stepladder, Remmie Grin squinted against the bright sunlight. The sign she’d hung in her front window tilted, just a little. Rats. She’d have to climb back up there to straighten it. Did the New Patients Welcome sound too pathetic? Did that sound as desperate as she felt? She’d like to kick the new dentist who was moving in right next door. Hard.

How obnoxious could he be? With all the empty buildings in town, why did Dr. What’s-his-name have to come breathing down her neck? It made her want to spit. She wrinkled her nose. She’d worked her fanny off building her practice. Now she’d have to compete with the new guy. She wanted to claw at his ugly face.

This new dentist wouldn’t know what hit him. When she was through with him, he’d be nothing more than a pile of dirt on the sidewalk. And as for the man’s lawyers, she’d like to take a hunk out of their hide, too. Did they really think that calling her every single day would change her mind about selling her practice to them? Since they’d never revealed the name of the dentist, she’d have to come up with a name on her own. Hmmm. Gargoyle? Tarantula? Nah. Those names were too pretty for someone as repugnant as him. The creep.

“Looks good.”

A deep velvety voice shot tingles down her spine. She turned and stared. A Greek god with ice blue eyes and salt and pepper hair stared back. Oh my. Would he object if she reached up and tousled that perfect hair? Her gaze traveled down to his massive shoulders. The fabric of his sports shirt straining over hard muscles. He must be a stranger in town because she’d never laid eyes on anyone as pretty as him.

“Thanks.” Her breathing became shallow.

“So, you’re taking new patients?”

“Yep.” She crossed her arms. “Why, are you looking for a dentist?” What she wouldn’t give to have him in her dental chair right now. His luscious lips close enough for her to lean down and….

“Not really.”

“Oh.” Drat. She had such dreamy plans for him.

“Just admiring the scenery.”

He turned away from her and headed down the block.

No! She didn’t want him to leave. “Wait, the scenery?” She frowned. It took four seconds for it to sink in that he’d meant her. Yikes. And he’d just walked away? How was that fair? It wasn’t as if she got compliments from handsome men every day of the week. Not even the occasional Tuesday.

She blew out a frustrated breath as she picked up the lightweight stepladder, lugging it back inside her office. She leaned it against her front counter and snapped her hand back. She looked at her palm. A splinter, of course. Picking at the tiny wound only irritated her skin more. Hmmm. Too bad the handsome stranger from the sidewalk hadn’t stayed. She’d gladly let him get out her splinter. Which would involve him holding her hand. Kissing her neck, her face, and her lips. She sighed. But he hadn’t. So, she needed to put on her fuchsia big girl panties and get to work.

The town she lived in was small, so maybe she’d run into him again some time. At the very least, her postal carrier, June, knew everything about everyone. Maybe she would have a clue who the stranger was. If Remmie knew June, she’d have the stranger’s coffee preference, shoe size, and contents of his glove compartment in no time.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Grin-Barrett-ebook/dp/B005HB9850/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322676031&sr=8-2

Website:

www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com

Bio:

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days cleaning teeth, and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you giggle, laugh, and all-out guffaw. She, her husband, and their two cats, love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats, Maxwell and Roxy, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's. You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.

Ruth, a left-handed, tooth-scraping, Jeep driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey, who's counting?

Khantara by Michelle Franklin

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome author Michelle Franklin as she talks about her book Khantara.

__________________

Blurb:
Khantara tells the story of the Den Asaan Rautu's mother and father.

Khantara is a Haanta conquerer, meant to wage war and rule over the enemy nation of Thellis, but after vanquishing Thellis and occupying a construction of a Haanta outpost, he meets Anelta, a woman enslaved by her own people bearing a brand of servitude on her neck. Khantara contrives to save her from a cruel home and bring her to the refuge his people can provide, but how can he do so successfully when the eyes of Thellis are upon him?

Advance praise from Avery's Book Nook:
"After having read only a few pages of this book, I recalled how exceptional Michelle is not only at her world building, but also her character development- talents which completely draw the reader in, making them impervious to everything going on around them. I don't think it possible for the reader to not fall in love with Khantara and Anelta."

Excerpt:

Khantara could bear the sight of the woman standing before the dreadful home no longer. He must try to assist and console her, if she would accept his company, but as he separated from the shadows and walked toward her, he was stopped by the sight of a strange brand on the side of her neck. The Thellisian symbol for ‘marked’ was burned into her flesh, and though it could not answer for the exchange he had just witnessed, it could explain her bare feet and poor dress. He was aware of Thellisian slaves and thought her to be one, but her missing restraints, upright figure and elegant hands told him otherwise. He found, however, other features to excite his curiosity: a braid of thick hair so long as to sweep the backs of her thighs was his chief delight; blue-green eyes and a tinge of colour in her cheeks were his other concerns. He made a slow approach as she wiped her tears, and he bowed to her to gain her attention and convey his gentle civility.

In between her quiet sobs, the woman felt herself being overcome by a shadow. She looked up to discover an immense creature standing before her and inclining his head in her direction. She looked about her to see if there was someone behind her who deserved such propriety, but there was no one in the vicinity excepting herself and the giant. Astonished by such gallantry, she greeted him with the same forthcoming gesture and quickly dispatched all of her remaining tears. A Haanta, she thought, here. But what can he want with me? was the question that plagued her for some minutes when the giant remained in silence. She blushed first in a glow of animation to welcome so immense, so unspoken and so unexpected a creature, but all her happiness soon became embarrassment; he must have overheard her conversation and had now come to question the conflict. She lowered her head, touched the brand on her neck, and waited for a reproof with downcast eyes, but no such reproof came; he remarked her with a thoughtful expression and said nothing. She thought perhaps that Haanta custom called for her to speak first, though she knew not what was proprietous to say. She fidgeted with her hands, shifted in place, and began with, “Have you lost your way, sir?” in an expectant tone, hoping that the giant could understand the Thellisian language.

Khantara made a momentary smile and his eyes were aglow to see her features brighten. “No,” was his soft answer.

The woman stepped back, struck by the resonation of his low voice. He spoke to her: the creature of majesty, the dark mountain cloaked in shadow with nighthawks adorning his shoulders spoke to her. Her breath quickened, her mouth curled into a wider smile, her heart filled with the warmth of wonder, but soon fancies of her own inadequacy returned. He could not be here for her, for who was she but a marked woman. He must be here for someone else. His presence was too good of a mistake, and though she wished that he were here on her account by some means of providential intervention, she would not deceive herself only to be disappointed. “Have you come here on your way to town?” she said in a small voice. “If you are uncertain of the way there, I can show you, sir. But I can only lead you as far as the marketplace.”

Khantara only smiled.

Author Bio:

Michelle Franklin is a woman of moderate consequence who writes many books about giants, romance and chocolate.

Twitter: @MrsDenAsaan

When the Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome KaSonndra Leigh to The Mystique as she speaks about her YA book When the Copper Suns Fall.

When Copper Suns Fall

YA Dark Urban Fantasy

By KaSonndra Leigh

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden, and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

An Excerpt from When Copper Suns Fall

Forcing my eyes to open, I found myself outside the Cradlehack. I was standing in Frick’s arms, my head against his chest, my fingers entwined in his black vest. It was a smooth fabric that felt like silk. A cloth no one had worn outside of ceremonies since before the Tidal Years. This boy was no common citizen. His earthy-sweet smell made me feel hypnotically safe, as we stood among the crowd fleeing down the hillside. He lifted my chin, stared in my eyes. But this wasn’t some dumb player’s move.

No, a mysterious thing stirred behind his silvery-gray eyes.

“Feel better, Chela?” he asked. I nodded.

“Thanks for helping me,” I said, still fighting a light head. Still afraid the dreaded black blobs lingered somewhere around us. Somewhat ashamed I’d spoken so horribly to him moments ago.

“You probably shouldn’t do that,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Thank me.”

“Why? Because I caught you using alchemy? That’s what your kind does. Make magic in the shadows, right?” I said.

His left eye ticked. The girl in the hoodie had called him a Caducean. Could it be possible? Father told me Caduceans were a mythical group—demon slayers from a time long gone. Yet, here I stood with a boy who didn’t deny my claim.

Around us, fewer people were leaving the Shack. They paid no attention to the two idiots standing and staring at each other. Did Jalen and Lexa make it out safely? They were taking forever to reach me.

Did I really want them to find me?

“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.

“That won’t be a problem.” Frick smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you won’t remember me or any of this.”

“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.

“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”

“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.

He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.

He strolled off into the last group of stragglers hanging around the Shack. How did he know my nickname for Jalen?

I wiped away a tear rolling down my right cheek.

“Chela, there you are. You scared me, girl.” Jalen’s voice cut into the moment. He spun me around to face him. I blinked, clearing my eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?”

I glanced around us. The boy was gone. A dull headache joined the fuzziness in my head. Lost inside a clouded mind, I forgot what I wanted to say. The entire night’s events were hazy.

I fumbled with my thoughts.

What happened to me in there?

About the Author:

KaSonndra Leigh lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about teens doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora’s Box (good writer’s block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

When Copper Suns Fall is her debut novel.

www.kasonndraleigh.com

http://twitter.com/#!/kasonndraleigh

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5137209.KaSonndra_Leigh

http://www.facebook.com/pages/When-Copper-Suns-Fall-by-KaSonndra-Leigh/111665822268673

Seven days left before Amazon Drawing #2!!!!!

2011-12-11T04:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, that is correct everyone, the second Amazon $50 drawing will be on December 18th!!

I've already started inputting the names of those who have left comments. Those who have commented more often have a better chance to win!

To be eligible you must:
1. Leave a valid email in the comment box
2. Comment on at least 2 different posts.
3. Have fun, enjoy the excerpts and stories!!!

With that, how have you been liking this Magnificent Month of Marvelous? (Say that fast three times).I can tell you it's hard to pick. So many great books, such little time!!!! I have never wanted so many books at once. What a great selection of amazing stories!

So, tell me who has been your most interesting author so far?

Top Ten Lizzy Ford Characters

2011-12-10T04:00:00.035-06:00

Welcome Author Lizzie Ford as she speaks about her favorite characters and her book Damian's Oracle!!

Top Ten Lizzy Ford Characters

I hear often from my readers about my characters – both why they love some and why they loathe some! The most common feedback I receive is that my readers love: how flawed my characters are and how believable their motivations and struggles are. I am a fan of a character that earns his/her happy ending, and readers seem to connect emotionally with the characters as they are challenged and rewarded.

I reviewed a lot of reviews and feedback and compiled the list below of my readers’ favorite characters.

1. Rhyn (Rhyn Trilogy – “Katie’s Hellion,” “Katie’s Hope,” “Rhyn’s Redemption”)

Who he is: A half-demon with no control over his powers, a long list of enemies, and a family that’s disowned him. His only friend is Death’s favorite assassin. He’s never had a reason to prove everyone around him wrong – until he meets the human meant to be his mate.

Why people love him: He’s unapologetic about who and what he is. He tries – and fails – but he tries again, even knowing no one around him will accept him.

2. Katie (Rhyn Trilogy)

Who she is: A human whose otherworldly gift is immunity to the powers of Immortals. She’s Rhyn’s intended mate. Her adjustment to the Immortal world turns her into a borderline alcoholic who has no concept of how to raise the baby angel that’s been assigned as her child to raise.

Why people love her: She’s a walking disaster with a sharp wit. She’s the only person willing to stand up to the Immortals that think they’re superior to humans. She’s an imperfect mother who doesn’t know how to juggle the Immortal world and the angel she must care for, so she makes a lot of mistakes!

3. Sofia (War of Gods series – “Damian’s Oracle,” “Damian’s Assassin,” “Damian’s Immortal”, “The Grey God”)

Who she is: A human-turned-Oracle pursued by both good and evil actors for her ability to see the future. She is the mate of Damian.

Why people love her: Her courage. She risks everything to rescue Damian and his brother, even though she doesn’t fully understand her own role as Damian’s mate or Oracle.

4. Kiera (Kiera’s Moon)

Who she is: A poor artist living with her best friend, who takes her to another planet. Kiera is then kidnapped by the man she’s meant to be with.

Why people love her: She’s not afraid to cry or admit she’s scared, and she’s smart enough that she ends up impressing a culture that views women as subservient.

5. Gabriel (Rhyn Trilogy)

Who he is: Death’s top assassin, also known as a death-dealer, who befriended Rhyn as a child and has watched over him.

Why people love him: He’s the only Immortal with a sense of loyalty to Rhyn. His sense of humor is also noted by readers for being dark and dry.

6. Yully (War of Gods)

Who she is: A Natural (woman with extraordinary powers) who was adopted hidden away by an evil immortal set on destroying the world. She’s beaten and fed lies, until she meets her mate. (One of my readers named her, too!)

Why people love her: She trusts her instincts and chooses to help her mate, Jule, turn the tables on someone who would use her to destroy humanity.

7. Darian (War of Gods)

Who he is: The White God, Damian’s, brother, whose mind was erased while he was a slave of the Black God for thousands of years. He progressively regains his mind throughout the series.

Why people love him: Readers have loved seeing him develop and grow throughout the series, from a catatonic gargoyle to a teenage crisis stage to the thoughtful, brooding Grey God.

8. A’Ran (Kiera’s Moon)

Who he is: The exiled warrior-prince who has been hardened by betrayal and the death of his people and planet.

Why people love him: He’s a tough warrior whose heart is gold, and who is able to recognize how special Kiera is and defies tradition to treat her as his partner.

9. Jonny (War of Gods)

Who he is: The new Black God, whose descent from a troubled teen into the leader of evil is witnessed in books 2-4 of the War of Gods series. He became the Black God to save his sister’s life.

Why people love him: They pity him and hope he has a chance of redemption. (He doesn’t, but I still get emails asking me to spare him!)

10. Tristan (“A Demon’s Desire”)

Who he is: A half-human, possibly half-demon who has fought his dark side and won. He offers occult consultations and agrees to help Emma save her dying niece from a black witch’s curse.

Why people love him: He’s a dark angel. He controls the shadows and darkness, but uses them to help innocent people.

_______________________

Inspired by Slavic mythology, Damian’s Oracle is the entree into the ongoing battle between good and evil over the fate of humanity. The White God, Damian, and his Guardians protect the world from the Black God and his monsters while rescuing Naturals – humans with extraordinary paranormal gifts – from the Black God, who would kill or convert them.

Caught in the middle is cool-headed Sofia, a Natural whose gift will tip the scales in the war. Sofia begins her transformation from human into oracle, the first in thousands of years. Damian rescues her from the Black God in time to complete a ceremony that will bind her to him for eternity. Sofia struggles with her new world and her role as an oracle and Damian’s mate while haunted by a mysterious man from Damian’s past who’s supposed to be dead. Unbeknownst to her, her link to the dead man may be all that saves Damian, his Guardians, and the fate of humanity.

While he wants nothing more than for the petite beauty to take her place at his side like the oracles of legend did his White God forefathers, Damian can’t quite rationalize having to win her over instead of command her. Further complicating his life is the sobering realization that there are spies in his organization who are helping the Black God take out his Guardians. Damian must help Sofia reach her potential fast, especially when a threat from his past returns.

Damian’s Oracle links:

· BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damians-oracle-lizzy-ford/1029664032

· iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/damians-oracle/id416014301?mt=11

· Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10183211-damian-s-oracle

· Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Damians-Oracle-War-Gods-ebook/dp/B004JN0KHM/

About the Author:

Lizzy Ford is the hyper-prolific author of the "Rhyn Trilogy" and "War of Gods" series, both launched in 2011, as well as multiple single title young adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Lizzy's books have reached into the bestseller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK in multiple categories. Through her unconventional online marketing strategies, Lizzy has gone from selling 20 books in January 2011 to around 5000 books in September 2011 and from over 7,000 free downloads of her work in January 2011 to over 40,000 downloads in September 2011.

The Lizzy Ford team consists of: Matt, IT and search engine optimization expert; Christine LePorte, freelance book editor; Dafeenah, graphics artist; and Toni, English-Spanish translator.

Lizzy is considered by most to be the ultimate writing freak of nature for her ability to write and epublish a new book every 30-45 days. She is also a regular contributor for the Curiosity Quills website and is an active member of a small guild of nine passionate, talented writers, the Indie Eclective. Lizzy's books are available from Amazon, BN, Smashwords, iBooks/iTunes, and all other eReader libraries.

Lizzy’s links:

· FB: http://www.facebook.com/LizzyFordBooks

· Website: http://www.guerrillawordfare.com/

· Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LizzyFord2010

· GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4558309.Lizzy_Ford

· Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lizzy-Ford/e/B004XTTYOC/

What I know for sure about writing...by Isabo Kelly

2011-12-09T04:00:00.001-06:00

I’m going to steal from Oprah for a minute here (sorry Oprah) to say that, for me, there are two things about writing I know for sure. 1. I love love love the shitty first draft part of writing best of all. It’s why I write! And 2. If I want someone other than myself to ever read the book, I always need to edit a lot—my penance for the unadulterated glee of creative mayhem on that first draft. Given the passage of NaNoWriMo, I’ve been thinking a lot about editing *g*

The following is an excerpt from my latest fantasy romance BRIGHTARROW BURNING, which although it is a dark and angsty hot little romance, I did cackle in delight a lot while writing the first draft. Just thank the universe for my brilliant editor. Enjoy!

Excerpt from: BRIGHTARROW BURNING

Chapter One

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Layla Brightarrow flicked a glance over her shoulder, then returned her stare to the labyrinth of cobbled streets below. “What do you want, Ulric?”

“I’d like to know when you’re going to stop trying to kill my brother.”

“When he stops luring, capturing and selling my people.” She felt Ulric move up close behind her but refused to flinch. Her every sense, however, focused on his presence, his movements, his breathing. Her muscles instinctively tensed, preparing for action, but she forced her body to relax.

“You know I don’t condone what he’s doing…” Ulric murmured.

“So you’ve said.”

“But this is dangerous. For you.”

She snorted, still refusing to face him. Ulric of Glengowyn was beautiful, sexy, and the man she’d been in love with since she was old enough to understand what those strange feelings in her gut meant whenever she looked at him. He was also an elf, and while he wasn’t exactly an enemy now, he wasn’t an ally either. “Go away, Ulric.”

“No.”

“If you’re so concerned about your brother—”

“I could care less about that traitor, and you know it.”

She turned her head just enough to glance at him from the corner of her eye. “Do I?”

“Don’t play games, Layla. You know I don’t support the traitors.”

She made a vague noise in the back of her throat to keep from giving him a direct reply and looked out over the cityscape again. From her perch atop the abandoned tannery, she could see several blocks into the Sorcerers’ territory.

She tried to ignore the part of her heart whispering she could trust Ulric. The truth was, she couldn’t be certain if he sided with Althir or not. They were brothers, after all. And when Althir, along with a number of other elves, broke Glengowyn’s neutrality to side with the Sorcerers, he forced her to guard herself against Ulric’s motives as well. “Why are you here?” she asked on a sigh. “If you don’t care if I kill him, leave me be.”

Hard hands clamped onto her shoulders, and Layla found herself facing a very angry-looking Ulric. Her breath caught at the sight of him, as it always did. His dark hair was long and silky against his angular, pale face. She could just see the points of his ears poking out from his hair. His body was broad and well-muscled, bigger than the average elf, and so perfectly formed he’d been the fuel for her fantasies for years, even when she’d taken other men to her bed in an attempt to forget him. But in that moment, with the heat of his breath against her face, his eyes captured her completely. Dark blue and as sharp as lightning.

“How many times do I have to tell you this, Layla? I care if you get killed.”

For more on Isabo Kelly and her books, please see below:

Available from Samhain Publishing: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/brightarrow-burning-p-6480.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brightarrow-Burning-ebook/dp/B0057WU76I/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323189057&sr=1-1

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Brightarrow-Burning-Isabo-Kelly?dref=2207

And all good ebook retailers

Website: http://www.isabokelly.com

Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/IsaboKelly

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IsaboKelly

Hot Summer by Judy Powell

2011-12-08T04:00:00.005-06:00

I'm sure most of us had that summer that was a little bit too much. In this book by Judy Powell we are looking at whole different type of heat.

_______________________________________________________

Hot Summer

By Judy Powell

Genre: sizzling romance

A hot-tempered spitfire and a strong-willed, arrogant man – put them together and sparks fly!

After her first embarrassing encounter Summer Jones vows to stay away from suave, sexy and oh, so arrogant Lance Munroe. But then she ends up working for the man. Her quick temper and sharp tongue keep landing her in hot water with him but no matter how hard she tries she can’t deny her growing attraction for him. Then they go on a business trip to Jamaica – and that’s when things get really hot.

Lance is intrigued by the feisty woman who practically tells him off the first time they meet. When they begin working together he realizes how much he enjoys the challenge of taming the little tigress. But, before he knows it, he’s the one caught in the snare of passion. The tables are turned – the tigress has tamed the lion.

For a sizzling romance, follow Summer and Lance from Chicago to Jamaica and be swept away in the thrill of their hot summer.

Excerpt

Summer’s breath came in shallow gasps as she sat still, not feeling she could move even if she wanted to. She was like a bird frozen in the mesmerizing stare of a snake, knowing it was about to be eaten alive but not able to make a move to save its own life.

She moaned and closed her eyes as his lips stroked the sensitive skin then moved to the base of her throat where he licked softly and gently. She didn’t realize that she was still clutching the handkerchief tightly in her hand until she felt his strong fingers pry hers open to pull it away so that he could seduce her palm with his thumb.

“Relax, baby.” He moved his lips up her neck and to her ear. “You’re so tense. Just relax.”

As he spoke he pushed her back gently into the plush pillows and began to nibble her ear lobe. He gave a lick just behind her ear and shock waves ran down her spine.

“Oh, God,” she breathed, “what are you doing to me?”

“What someone should have done to you a long time ago, Summer Jones,” he whispered. “Teach you what it means to be a woman.”

He dipped his head and slid his lips back down her neck, over her collar bone and down to that oh, so sensitive place between the curves of her breasts. Here he paused and she held her breath, eyes shut tight, wondering if he was going to stop now. She prayed he wouldn’t.

She was not disappointed. An involuntary gasp escaped her lips as he slipped a warm tongue down her cleavage, sliding it between the orbs and teasing her soft flesh until her body screamed and she felt she would die from the sweet sensation. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed him into her, wanting more of the pleasure, more of the sweetness.

HOT SUMMER - LIMERICKS

by Judy Powell

There once was a girl who was hot.

A meek little lamb she was not.

Along came Sir Lance

Who got her to dance

And Summer was hooked on the spot.

Now Lance was intrigued by this girl.

How had she crashed into his world?

Her temper so quick

Gave him such a prick,

He kissed her and made her toes curl.

Then Summer was frozen in shock.

The man she had thought was a rock

Somehow had a heart.

Would this be the start

Of life filled with love and good luck?

And so goes the story of life,

When kisses replace all the strife.

The tables are turned,

The lion has learned

He must have this girl for his wife.

So lion and tigress are wed,

And then, my dear readers, to bed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judy Powell is a writer and marketing consultant living in Ontario, Canada. Her first romance novel, Hot Summer, placed second in the Toronto Romance Writers Contemporary Romance Competition. She has two additional romance novels in stores: Hot Chocolat, which is the sequel to Hot Summer and Some Like It Hot, her sensual romance. An excerpt from Judy's first novel, Hot Summer, is featured in Canadian Voices – An Anthology of Prose and Poetry by Emerging Canadian Writers.

Judy loves to learn, and has Master’s degrees in Spanish, Marketing, Literature, and Creative Writing and a BA in International Business/Foreign Languages. She loves to travel, and has lived and worked in various countries including France, Puerto Rico, the USA, Canada and Jamaica. She has also traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. International cultures are always featured in her work.

Judy shares information on her books and learning resources at www.judypowell.com

Day Nine of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!!

2011-12-07T04:00:00.003-06:00

Welcome to the last day of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!

To finish off such a great whirlwind of amazing authors, we have Stacey Kennedy with her book A Deadly Whisper. Book One of The Watchers.

Will destiny be enough to break her free of a lifetime of secrets?

Knox, the Seeker, has waited two hundred years for his Watcher and now he’s found her. Paxtyn, however, is unwilling to join him. The more he tries to prove himself to her, the more she pushes him away.

Paxtyn has spent a lifetime keeping her secret hidden from the world, but now, she must confront these deadly visions head on. When a string of murders brings her into New Orleans, she must come to terms with her personal demons and use her gift to communicate with spirits to discover who has ended their lives.

*WARNING: Explicit sex between a sassy Watcher and a sexy Seeker, and a ceremony that will certainly raise eyebrows!

BUY LINK

Teaser:

There was nothing odd about the woman in her late twenties. Her look was exactly what you’d expect in downtown Cincinnati—chic. She wore clothing that looked more like something off the runways in New York than from around here—her high stilettos were fantastically matched with her cute rose cocktail dress. The black lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders indicated it was chilly, but being that it was June, Paxtyn knew it was more for show than anything else.

And she could appreciate the look. But at the same time, she wished the woman had decided on different footwear. Then, those fantastic heels wouldn’t be about to go to waste.

Paxtyn’s hands closed around the chair as she prepared herself for what she was about to see. Her visions of the past always came the same.

She knew what the outcome would be and it wouldn’t be a good one.

Normally, watching the moment a life was lost was hard for her, but tonight, it was more than that, it was gut-wrenching. The woman looked so much like her—athletic. Even her shoulder-length curly hair was the same, except were hers was jet black; Paxtyn’s was strawberry blonde. But the one thing this woman didn’t have was Paxtyn’s turquoise eyes.

How many times had she heard “you have the most beautiful eyes”?

The line had run its course and she was sick to death of hearing it. The woman stopped at the curb, digging into her last season’s Gucci handbag and pulled out a cell phone as the street light beamed down. A smile grazed her face as she apparently received a text of interest. She raised her head, looking quickly, waiting for a moment to cross. When the cars cleared, she stepped off the curb, not bothering to look up as she continued to dawdle on her cell phone.
Paxtyn wanted to stand up from her chair, yell to this woman to stop, bang on the window for her to not move, but it was pointless. There was nothing she could do for her.

Within three steps, the life of this woman was forever changed.

A loud screech of the car’s tires, followed by a terrified scream, then the woman was about to discover those Christian Louboutin heels were going to be the only thing left of her.
She really didn’t have a chance. The car was going too fast for her to survive.

The moment the wheels locked, the woman’s ghost stood next to her broken body, shocked, scared and confused. The man who’d hit her jumped out of the car and, when he saw her body, smiled gloriously.

Paxtyn shuddered. Who smiled at such a thing?

Dying wasn’t how everyone thought it was. There wasn’t a flash of golden light with the soul drifting off to heaven. Most times, the spirit stayed, lingered. Couldn’t comprehend what had happened to them. And Paxtyn had witnessed moments of the past just like this a thousand times over.

“Earth to Pax,” Tate said loudly, snapping his fingers, completely unaware of the horror Paxtyn had just seen.

She glanced away from the window, but before she met his gaze, she did what she always did, found the smile to hide it all. “Sorry.” She laughed, but even to her it sounded shaky. The name was Paxtyn really, but Tate opted for the shorter form and she never minded.
“If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were a nut,” Tate said.

She laughed in agreement. He was right, if he did know her better, he’d believe such a thing. But he probably knew her the best out of anyone. Brought together at a welcoming party in their early days at the University of Cincinnati, they’d immediately hit it off.

A guy like Tate wasn’t to be passed over, and she hadn’t hesitated to try to snatch him up. It wasn’t his all-star bod, or his captivating baby blues, even those luscious lips that presently smiled at her that first caught her eye. It was his kind heart and loyalty. He was about as damn solid of a guy as she’d ever met.

They’d gone a round of it once after a blasted drunken night at a sorority shindig, but the next day, they’d woke up in bed, naked, and laughed. That was the end to anything romantic between them.

But what they had was better. Stronger. She could count on Tate for just about anything and there was no one else in the world who loved her more. Now, their relationship had blossomed into something found between a brother and sister. That was Tate, her protector.

Who just so happened to give her ear a flick. “Fuck, girl! Maybe you shouldn’t drink anymore.”

“I’m fine,” she said, grimacing from the throb of her ear lobe and shot him a look. It usually didn’t take this long to snap out of one of her horror moments.

She took a big gulp to drink away the sight of what she’d witnessed and kept drinking till the buzz settled in. Wasn’t ever a gift to see such horrible things, but one she saw often. Mom and Pa, back in Wyoming, had spent thousands on her as a child on testing and treatments to find out what was wrong with her. Why, as a child, she’d say that she was watching people die. She still couldn’t imagine what was going through their heads, knowing their child had this disability. But by the time she reached twelve, she realized it was best to keep her mouth shut. It ended the doctor appointments and saved her from being medicated or institutionalized.

Now, it was just something she lived with—suffered through. So, she put on her normal face and glanced around the pub. The crowd tonight was loud, as was the band blasting out the soft rock beats.

The O’Bryons Irish Pub had been their life while they’d bunkered down at University, and she guessed it had stuck with them, because they still came here every Friday night. Of course, it had only been two years since they’d completed their degrees so they really hadn’t had much time to grow and move on.

Tate, with his BS in Criminal Justice, had found a job right out of college with the Cincinnati Police Department. Paxtyn had majored in Business. Basically, because she liked the idea of being locked in an office where she could stare at blank walls and not have to look out windows or be anywhere she might have a vision.

When she’d seen the ad for Financial Specialist at the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, she’d jumped on it and, with some luck, she’d actually gotten it. Now, she spent her days glued to a computer, lost in numbers. As much as the job got to her, became a total bore, she couldn’t
really complain—it paid well.

Tate worked three times as hard as she did and his pay was nowhere in the numbers as hers.
“Looks like you have an admirer,” Tate said, drawing her back from her thoughts.
Paxtyn followed his gaze to see that she was in fact being watched, and the moment she met the man’s gaze she was locked in.

He sat off to the far side of the bar with a glass of brandy in front of him. He was older than the others in the pub, but it didn’t make him look out of place—it made him look distinguished. He wore a black dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves with the front unbuttoned showing a bit of smooth chest. His finger slowly rimmed the edge of the glass as his gaze was glued with hers. And those eyes were mesmerizing. Grey with a dark-steeled edge to them. But that seemed to be his thing.

He was all edge—hard and extreme. His features were made up of straight lines, including the squared jaw, high predominant cheek bones, perfectly shaped lips and even his mocha hair was buzzed with a hard look.

Tate knocked Paxtyn’s arm a good one. “Drool much.”

“Over him?” She nodded toward the hunk. “Doubt it.”

“Sure you weren’t.”

~*~

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband.

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, Facebook and Twitter, she loves to hear from her readers.

Day Eight of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!!

2011-12-06T04:00:00.003-06:00

Well we have a very special treat today! Not only is it Day Eight of the very awesome Kiss and Tell Tour but author Laura Kaye is offering two ways to win on her Kiss and Tell Tour Posts, 11/28 - 12/6.

1) One commenter who leaves their email address on this post will win a full signed set of Laura's romance trading cards for all four of her books.

2) A tour-wide prize will also be chosen on Friday, December 9: Laura will draw three commenters from across all Kiss and Tell Tour Posts to win one of THREE $5 Amazon gift cards.

The more Tour posts you visit for Laura and comment on, the more you'll be entered to win! So stay locked on her blog tour stops! Commenters must leave email address. Both are open to international!

Good luck!

About North of Need:

Her tears called a powerful snow god to life, but only her love can grant the humanity he craves...

Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she's recreated the very thing she'll never have.

Called to life by Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration--before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever.

EXCERPT FROM NORTH OF NEED, BY LAURA KAYE

His flaring eyes stole Megan’s breath. Already, the air around them sizzled. Something was happening.

Did she trust him?

“Yes,” she heard herself say. Her answer was instinctual. She didn’t need to think about it to know.

His heated, brilliant smile eased the nervous energy rushing through her veins. This day with him at Wisp had been unequivocally the best she’d had in two years. She had loved every minute of it.

Her body felt awake and powerful. Her heart, full and warm. She was alive. He’d brought her back to life.

“I want to share myself with you, Megan. I want to share everything,” he whispered, his voice nearly that same reverent intonation as when he’d murmured those foreign words against her heart.

“Yes,” she said again.

“It’s going to feel odd to you, like a tingling weightlessness. But it won’t hurt and I’ll bring you back the very instant you desire. If you want to say something to me, just think it. And I promise I won’t let you go.” He bent down and scooped a handful of snow, packed it into a loose ball.

Owen’s words did little to staunch the anxious excitement bubbling up inside her. Every nerve and muscle on edge, she could barely stand still. But she yearned to know what he wanted to show her. Something told her she was about to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “You lead, I’ll follow,” she said, echoing his earlier words.

The flare behind his eyes intensified. He dropped the snow into her bare palm. “Here, eat this, please.”

Megan brought the snow to her mouth with a shaking hand. The way he dragged his tongue back and forth against his bottom lip made what they were doing feel like foreplay. As soon as she’d closed her lips around the last bite, his mouth was on her, kissing, probing. Then, he pulled back, laced his hands around her neck and leaned his forehead against hers.

“Megan Snow, I love you.”

Megan gasped at his declaration. Her brain scrambled, tried to figure out how to respond.

Before she could, she ceased to be corporeal.

Owen! she screamed in her mind.

I’m here angel, and I’ve got you. Just feel. Take it all in.

I’m scared. Though she was no more than consciousness adrift, she would’ve sworn she felt his lips and hands caress her. The impossible sensation squelched the fear, left only a mystical thrill in its place.

I would never let anything happen to you, Megan. On my honor. On my life.

I believe you. What’s happening? The world glided under her, around her, like she was a bird soaring on the ebbs and flows of air currents.

We are the wind.

About Laura Kaye:

A multi-published author of paranormal, contemporary and erotic romance, Laura Kaye’s hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura is the author of the bestselling contemporary romance and award-nominated HEARTS IN DARKNESS and the bestselling and award-winning paranormal romance FOREVER FREED (NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011), as well as an erotic romance novella, JUST GOTTA SAY. Her fourth book, contemporary fantasy romance NORTH OF NEED, is the first in the 4-book Hearts of the Anemoi series. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Buy Laura's Books: Amazon | B&N | Books on Board

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Day Seven of the Kiss and Tell Tour!

2011-12-05T04:00:00.003-06:00

Well we have seen some amazing authors on this tour! So lets not stop any time soon and bring you Barbara Monajem and her book Tastes of Love & Evil.

________________________________________

BLURB:

Rose Fairburn is on the run. Her vampire nature can’t protect her from everything, especially not herself. Now, when she should be worried about escaping her past, she can only think about one thing. Her kind can’t live without blood or sex. Love they must forego.

Jack Tallis can slake her thirst. Tall. Handsome. Trustworthy. And not a man alive can resist a vamp’s allure. But…Jack can. And he has other secrets, like why underworld hit men are on his trail. How he can vanish into thin air. Love suddenly seems possible, but the shadows hide mysteries darker than Rose can even dream, and all will be revealed in the fetish clubs of one strange Louisiana town….

EXCERPT

Little jabs of allure sizzled toward Jack. “Why would I be in any danger?” Rose said.

Jack shrugged, fighting to ignore the fangs, to stave off his attraction. “I don’t have any specifics. I just think—”

“Move over.” Rose shoved at him.

He didn’t budge. Her fangs called to him, her allure tantalized and teased, and his stubbornness was morphing into simple stupidity, but he didn’t care.

Rose blazed. “Get out of my way!”

He was about to throw up his arms in disgust—seriously, he was thinking about it; really, he was intending to step aside—when she got right in his face and the allure locked him in. He couldn’t, really couldn’t, couldn’t possibly drag his eyes away from her hot delicious mouth, her tiny sharp fangs, her tongue ready to tangle with his.

Through drooping lids he watched her eyes close. Their lips touched. Ahhh. His hands dropped to his sides. His fingers itched and stretched and yearned toward her. He sucked in her heat, breathed back hot and hard in response.

A nagging voice in his head piped up. You’ll be sorry.

Shut up, said another, a voice with clear authority. This is Rose. You have one chance. You have to get this right.

He dabbed his tongue against hers, parried her response, thrust past her defenses, and raked his tongue across her fangs. She shuddered and opened to him with a mew of pleasure. He pressed his advantage, testing, tasting, exploring that sweet mouth, capturing her tongue and slipping away, nipping her upper lip, dabbing, teasing at her fangs. Her handbag slipped from her shoulder to her elbow, from her elbow to her hand, from her hand to the floor.

Jack ran his tingling fingers across her hips, feinting with his tongue as he slid his hands under her shirt to pinch at her waist, fondle the edges of those glorious breasts, feather past the taut nipples. Oh, love. A distant terror ran through him, but he pressed on, taking the kiss deeper, stronger.

Rose pulled away, growling softly, and lunged back at him in a flurry of lips, fangs, and tongue, her hands clawing into his hair, her everything jammed lush and pliant against him. In a surge of relief and lust he urged her on, sucked and licked and pulled at her lips, lifted and dragged her across his erection, ran his fingers gently down her butt and harder back again, up the crack of her ass. She moaned and writhed against him.

Breaking the kiss, Rose ran her fangs down his cheek and sank them into his throat. Oh, God. Heaven. If—

“Jeez, take it to the bedroom, will you?”

Hell.

AMAZON.COM BUY LINKS:

Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/tastesinpaper

Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/tasteskindle

WEB LINKS:

www.BarbaraMonajem.com

Twitter: @BarbaraMonajem

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=765733209

Blog: www.BarbaraMonajem.blogspot.com

AUTHOR BIO:

Barbara Monajem wrote her first story in third grade about apple tree gnomes. After dabbling in neighborhood musicals and teen melodrama, she published a middle-grade fantasy when her children were young. Now her kids are adults, and she's writing historical and paranormal romance for grownups. She lives in Georgia with an ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.

Day Six of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!!

2011-12-04T04:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the sixth day of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!!

Hasn't this been an awesome tour? I have absolutely loved it!
So let us keep it going with Nina Pierce as she gives us a little insight into her book, Deceive her with Desire.

__________________________________

BLURB:

A woman determined to protect her heart…

Landscaping in Delmont, Maine hasn’t been DEIRDRE TILLING’s only passion. Up until two months ago, it had included a live-in lover. Jilted for the third time in as many years, Deirdre’s decided to give up on love. But a one night stand with a dark haired stranger she met at her new employer’s party may very well thrust her into a world filled with danger and dark secrets.

An agent hell bent on proving himself…

DEA agent, AYDEN SCOTT, has a lot to prove after a disastrous drug bust in Miami three years earlier that left a member of his team dead. Working undercover as lead investigator, he’s determined to bring down an elusive drug cartel smuggling heroin into central Maine. He’ll use any means necessary to complete his objective, including sleeping with the suspected drug Lord’s landscaper, Deirdre. He just hadn’t expected the feisty redhead to be so much more than long legs and dangerous curves.

One night that will change their lives forever…

Deirdre and Ayden both thought one sexually explosive romp in the sack would be the end of their relationship. But Deirdre’s arrest for heroin possession and her father’s near-fatal heart attack prompts Ayden to confess his true identity. When Deirdre is kidnapped by the drug cartel and used as a pawn, Ayden is forced to choose between his heart and his mission. The question is…who will survive his decision?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Deceive Her With Desire
Author: Nina Pierce
ISBN: ISBN: 978-4580-8398-2

Buy from NOOK: http://tinyurl.com/6a8fqvy
Buy from AMAZON: http://tinyurl.com/63e9vzg
Buy from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68862

Excerpt:

Cautious, and working to keep his jangled nerves from pumping his legs in a dead run, Ayden strolled to the shelter of the dinghy. The noise grew louder. Ayden realized he wasn’t moving away from the sound. He was aimed right toward it. What a fool. It was a beautiful fall night. No doubt lovers were using the upended craft for a little private party of their own.

Turning on his heel, he started to walk away, when the noise came again. It wasn’t the moan of sexual pleasure. It was the keening sound of sadness. Someone was crying. And from the quiet hiccupping, it was female.

Ayden shot a longing look over his shoulder, debating between the refuge of the path and the complications under the boat.

Chivalry won out and he stepped warily around the bow.

The redhead sat on the wooden slats, her bare feet digging restlessly in the sand, her face cupped in her hands. Between shuddering breaths, she sputtered angrily into her bent knees, but her tears and her fingers kept the words from him.

“Uh-hmm.” He cleared his throat, not knowing how else to get her attention.

“Holy shit…” She tried to jump to her feet, but banged her head on the iron rigging attached to the upside of the boat and fell back down. “Fuck.” Her hand flew to her head.

“I’m sorry, you okay?” Ayden reached for her, but she shook him off.

“I’m fine.”

She looked up at him. Even in the pale light, he could see the sadness in her eyes.

“Actually, I’m not all right.” She pushed herself up, ducking her head away from the oarlock. She brushed the sand off her ass. “You scared the living shit out of me.”

Biting back a smile, Ayden watched her glistening tears turn to fury. That he could handle. An angry woman was one hundred times easier to placate than a despondent one.

“Again, I apologize.” He held his hand out as a peace offering. “I’m Austin Schaeffer.” How easily that name slipped off his tongue.

“Deirdre Tilling,” She shook the hand he offered.

Her grip was surprisingly firm. Ayden liked the touch of her palm against his skin. Not all soft and pliant, but callused and rough. He wondered how it would feel running up his back.

She was a beautiful woman. Her breasts swelled enticingly just above the bodice of her dress. Her long, muscular legs that he’d admired in the great room, started somewhere around her neck. No wonder Jameson had been seducing this lovely creature.

Jameson. Right. He mentally shook his head. Focus, Ayden. Tonight was about gathering information, not sexual conquests. But then again, there was that two birds and one stone thing.

“You come to Jameson’s parties often?” He immediately slipped into detective mode.

She pulled her hand from his and rubbed at the spot on her head. “What? Jameson? Oh, Shawn. No, never been to one of his parties. I’m one of his employees. Damn, this hurts. It’s already forming an egg.”

Ayden ignored the fact she’d called the owner Shawn. Obviously, he wasn’t getting any action from an employee who referred to her boss by his first name.

“Here, let me take a look at it.” He ran his fingers through her hair. It was soft as silk sliding over his hand. “Oh, yeah. You did a nice job. Probably could use a little ice.” At this rate, so could he, but not on the head on his shoulders.

“I did a nice job? Me? You were the one sneaking up like some pirate looking for lost treasure.”

The woman had no idea how close to the truth she was. “I wasn’t sneaking up on you, I heard you crying.”

And just like that the white knight had rendered her speechless.

Deirdre had started the evening with her moral compass pointing the way to a mindless hookup that would break her sexual dry spell. She’d quickly lost her way after her encounter with the brunette and the mansion’s owner. She was ending her evening hiding on the beach crying into her proverbial beer over not taking a damn risk.

The whole thing with Shawn earlier had been stupid. There had been nothing untoward about the man. Her own insecurities had total screwed with her head, imagining danger where none had existed. She’d run from a perfect gentleman like a skittish rabbit afraid of being snared.
Perhaps she’d been granted a second chance.

“Yes, well, as you can see I’m fine.” Deirdre looked at the guy standing over her. Her head throbbed, but it didn’t stop her body from reacting to his hungry gaze. He had nice features. A strong jaw that softened with the smile he kept flashing her. The light of the moon reflected in his eyes that held an attentive kind of glint. Her pulse rate skipped about with anticipation rather than concern. But he was a man. She hadn’t been with a guy since Bobby Mullins eighteen months ago, and she remembered vividly what a horrible, drunken decision between friends that had been.

Deirdre had sworn off men at that point. She shivered at the recollection.

“You cold?” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

“No, I…” His hand grazed the side of her breast, and her nipples immediately pebbled. “Yeah, maybe a little.” She had not just fluttered her lashes at the man. But what the hell? After the rejection from the woman in the great room, Deirdre was feeling more than a little needy. For goodness’ sake, she’d just been bawling her eyes out over not getting laid. What was the difference between the dildos she kept in the box under her bed, and real, live flesh and blood pumping into her? Emotional attachment, that’s what. But she was feeling hopeless enough to risk it.

“You want to go someplace warmer?” Austin’s hands continued to trail awareness up and down her arms.

“I live really far away.”

His head tipped back as if she’d struck him, and he dropped his hands. Then he laughed. “I was thinking up to the house. But I wouldn’t turn you down if you wanted a nightcap at my place. It’s not far from here.”

Heat pulsed in Deirdre’s cheeks. She’d been so focused on going home with someone—anyone— that she was practically throwing herself at this man. How could she have misunderstood? “No…don’t feel obligated. I mean, well…oh, hell, I’m not very good at this.”

He trailed his knuckle from her cheek bone to her chin. “A drink at my place. What do you say?”

“That sounds nice. But I’ll take my own truck.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Award-winning romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. So becoming enamored with books was only natural. She discovered romance stories in her early teens, falling hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who saved them.

Eventually, reading about alpha males and the journey to find their happy-ever-after endings wasn’t enough. She needed to pen her own stories of fated loves and soul mates. Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heart warming aroma of romance.

Nina resides in southern New England with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-seven years, their three grown children and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”.

Website: http://www.NinaPierce.com
Blog: http://www.NinaPierce.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.Nina.Pierce
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NinaPierce

Day Five of the Kiss and Tell Tour!

2011-12-03T04:00:00.028-06:00

Welcome to our fifth day of the Kiss and Tell Tour!

Today we will be taking a trip with Karen McCullough as we hear about her book Magic, Murder and Microcircuits.

_________________________________________

A powerful wizard with a physics degree and a checkered past invents a shield to ensure he'll never again be tortured almost to death…

The wizarding powers-that-be fear the repercussions of such a device and send his former girlfriend, an accomplished wizard herself, to retrieve the device or destroy it…

When the shield is stolen by the magical mafia, Ilene McConnell and Michael Morgan have to set aside their differences and work together to recover it. Michael claims he needs the device as insurance against the kind of injury and injustice he suffered once before. Ilene maintains its potential to upset the delicate balance of power makes it too dangerous and that it needs to be destroyed. But none of that will matter if they can’t retrieve it before a ruthless, powerful wizard learns how to use it for his own ends.

Buy links for MAGIC, MURDER AND MICROCIRCUITS:

Amazon Kindle Edition:

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Murder-and-Microcircuits-ebook/dp/B0060Y5IQ6/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319925543&sr=1-6

Nook Edition:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1035815244?ean=2940013212879&itm=3&usri=karen+mccullough

Order from Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/100257

Author bio:

Karen McCullough is the author of ten published novels in the mystery, romantic suspense, and fantasy genres and has won numerous awards, including an Eppie Award for fantasy. She’s also been a four-time Eppie finalist, and a finalist in the Prism, Dream Realm, Rising Star, Lories, Scarlett Letter, and Vixen Awards contests. Her short fiction has appeared in several anthologies and numerous small press publications in the fantasy, science fiction, and romance genres. Her most recent releases are MAGIC, MURDER AND MICROCIRCUITS, a paranormal romantic suspense now available in most electronic formats, A GIFT FOR MURDER, published in hardcover by Five Star/Gale Group Mysteries, and the re-released ebook of A QUESTION OF FIRE. She invites visitors to check out her home on the web at http://www.kmccullough.com and her site for the Market Center Mysteries series, http://www.marketcentermysteries.com

Web links:

Website: http://www.kmccullough.com

Blog: http://www.kmccullough.com/kblog

** Excerpt ***********************************

Chapter 1

Ilene smelled magic as she drove onto the bridge—a combination that included scents of sandalwood and nutmeg plus a sharper tinge of ozone. Michael’s magic. The aroma roused a trail of memories and evoked the same visceral reaction now that it had twelve years ago. Her pulse sped up and her stomach twisted with longing. Stupid, stupid. She was over him. Had been for years.

She sniffed again, more deeply, as a subtle wrong note in the smell penetrated her awareness. A fainter aroma of burnt coffee grounds mingled in. That wasn’t Michael’s magic, but there shouldn’t be another wizard on the island.

She glanced up through the windshield. Hazy, yellow-orange streaks of warding floated above. Michael’s scrying system. Could it identify her specifically or did it just warn him that someone with power approached? How would he react if he did know it was her? Throw her off the island, most likely, and tell her not to come back.

She planned to stay only long enough to deliver the letter from her father and get the information the Council needed, anyway.

A group of cyclists peddled ahead of her on the bridge, dragging her attention back to the road while she negotiated around them. The bikers all had packs hooked to their bikes and strapped on their backs. They spread out across more than half of the two-lane width. They had to be sweltering in the August North Carolina heat, but they waved cheerfully as she passed them in the left lane.

At the crest of the bridge she caught a glimpse of her destination.

She’d been told Michael Morgan’s home was the largest house on the island and sat on the only piece of high ground. The hulking Victorian-style mansion fit the bill on both counts. No light-colored paint or gingerbread trim softened its stolid proportions, harsh angles, and weathered-dark cedar siding. The place would make a perfect setting for one of those old-fashioned Gothic romances she occasionally picked up in a used bookstore.

Of course, no one but another wizard would see the colorful swirls of magic drifting around it. She could only spare time for a quick glance around, but it was enough to find the signs of a different power in the shading of green to the south.

She lost sight of both house and olive streaks as she headed down toward land. Enormous, twisted live oaks, bearded with Spanish Moss, lined the road, interspersed with the occasional Palmetto palm. Modest, low houses stood well back from the pavement behind the trees. They lazed indifferently in the sweltering heat and humidity, not feeling the prickle of the warding magic that sensed her.

Seconds later a different wave of magic hit her.

More accurately, it slammed into her Toyota as a gale-force wind, sending it veering off to the left, almost into the front yard of the closest house. Fortunately her reflexes clicked in before her brain could recover from the shock. She twisted the wheel and barely missed a Palmetto palm whose leaves sat still and calm except where the breeze of the car’s passing made them flap. Just when she thought she’d regained control, the wind struck again, from the opposite side, and she struggled to keep the car from rolling off the other way.

Turbulent air changed direction from moment to moment, pushing the car one way and then another in an erratic pattern. For some moments Ilene could only clutch the steering wheel, fingers digging into the leather surface, holding on tightly to keep it steady. The tires lost traction and started to skid. She turned into it, allowing her to regain control just before she hit the nearest live oak. Her door scraped against a low branch as she swerved back onto the pavement. The force continued to batter at the car, however, pushing it to the left even as she fought to keep it in the right lane.

This was some kind of welcome to the island. Maybe Michael did recognize her. This magic didn’t smell like his, but it had been twelve years…

With hands locked tightly on the steering wheel, she tried to get a feel for the power assaulting her, seeking a way to block it or turn it aside. She gathered her own power to answer until she realized she dared not pull enough of her concentration away from controlling the car.

The vehicle veered into the other lane and began to fishtail.

Someone really didn't want her on the island. The Toyota did a one-eighty, ending up moving in the opposite direction, back toward the inlet and the bridge. Seconds later, the span loomed ahead. The pack of cyclists was just rolling off it, coming toward her, spread out across the road.

A driveway ahead offered a place to turn around, but as she braked to swing into it, another blast of force jolted the car, and the tires lost traction again. The Toyota began to slide along the pavement at an angle. Panic sucked all the air from her lungs when she realized the cyclists were dead ahead.

Ilene glanced around wildly, fighting to stay calm. She had only an instant to make a choice.

She swung the wheel to right. It took an agonizing moment before the tires gripped and held. The Toyota jounced off the road, across a shallow ditch. She braked as hard as she dared, leaning into the steering. A sharper turn and she might just get past the huge live oak looming too close ahead.

“Oh, damn, damn, damn. God help me,” she muttered as the car headed for the tree. She stood on the brake and rolled the wheel as far as it would go to the right. Not enough room.

The next few minutes blurred. A jarring thud accompanied a series of bangs and scrapes as the car’s front left corner hit an enormous limb of the tree. Ilene snapped against the seat belt. The air bag smacked her in the face. Metal groaned, bent, and shrieked as it scraped other pieces. Parts crunched and banged against each other. Glass and plastic shattered, spraying shards that clattered to the ground.

And then it was quiet. Too shocked to move, she lay against the wheel and the deflating air bag. Her heart pounded furiously, but she couldn’t seem to draw any oxygen into her tight chest. It took a few panicky moments to fill her lungs again.

Ilene lifted her head gingerly. That seemed to work, so she tried fingers and toes. All wiggled on demand, although the effort brought a sharp pain in her ribs. She hoped they were just bruised and not cracked or broken. An experimental deep breath made her gasp and hold herself very still against the knifing pain.

Noises outside the car distracted her. A group of helmeted cyclists tugged at the driver's side door. The crumpled front must have messed up the frame, though. They couldn't get it to budge.

Someone yanked open the passenger side door and leaned in. Ilene twisted her head to look at the man. Not one of the cyclists. He wore a short-sleeved blue work shirt and no helmet. Forcing her neck to bend a bit more, she met the gaze of the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. Thready spokes of blue, in shades varying from deep navy to almost silver, wove together and meshed as they radiated from dark pupils. Another sort of shock jolted through her. They were familiar eyes, though it had been twelve years since she'd last seen them. "Michael!" It came out as half gasp, half exclamation.

"Are you all right?" he asked. His voice rasped along her nerves, just the way it used to when she was fifteen and he seventeen. There was a harder edge there now.

"I think so."

"Can you move your legs?" he asked.

"Yes." She shifted her left leg. “Damn, it hurts. Not broken, though.”

One of the cyclists interrupted. "I'm a paramedic. Let me check her out. Has anyone called 911?”

"Don't bother," Michael said while yielding his place on the passenger seat to the cyclist. "The only ambulance headed up to Danboro fifteen minutes ago. It’ll take it an hour or so to get back here. If we can move her, I'll take her to the hospital. I'll call someone to take care of the car also."

The paramedic asked her a bunch of questions and ran his hands over her legs and arms, along her neck, and down her sides. Ilene felt strange, almost distant from the scene, reluctant to move and indifferent to everything but the fact that Michael was there.

His rapid arrival surprised and worried her. Had he been responsible for the wind that caused the accident? She'd known he wouldn't be happy to have her on the island. But he'd responded to her arrival even faster than she'd anticipated. Why was he being helpful now? Because there were witnesses?

The paramedic finished looking her over and checking for damage. "I don't think anything's broken. Do you want to try to get out?"

Ilene nodded, but her aching ribs made it difficult to slide across the seat. The young cyclist assisted her until she could swing her legs down to the ground.

Michael waited nearby as she tried to stand.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel welcome," she told him, though the effect was ruined when she gulped on the last word. Her stomach lurched. Darkness gathered at the periphery of her vision, expanding rapidly.

Arms went around her shoulders and hips. Before the darkness claimed her completely, she felt herself being lifted and pressed against a masculine chest.

Day Four of the Kiss and Tell Tour!

2011-12-02T04:00:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Day Four of the Kiss and Tell Tour!!!!

Today we have the selection of Melissa Mayhue with Warrior's Redemption!!

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WARRIOR'S REDEMPTION

MALCOLM MACDOWYLT sees himself a failed warrior, haunted by the death of the woman he married to become laird of Clain MacGahan. Neither his Viking heritage nor his claim to descend from Norse gods can restore his confidence in his ability to protect his people. His sister is held captive, her life in jeopardy, and his Magically powerful half brother wants him dead. The last thing he needs is more responsibility, but that's exactly what he gets when his Faerie mother-in-law arrives seeking justice for her daughter in the form of an enticing woman from seven hundred years in the future.

DANIELLE DEARMON has waited fifteen years to discover the life she is supposed to live. She just never dreamed she'd end up in the thirteenth century with a handsome Scot bent on saving everyone but himself.

With the lives of those most dear to him hanging in the balance, Malcolm sets out to battle a powerful evil magic, only to learn that the redemption he seeks exists in the arms of the woman he loves.

BUY LINKS:

http://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Redemption-Melissa-Mayhue/dp/1451640870/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320640707&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warriors-redemption-melissa-mayhue/1101913999?ean=9781451640878&itm=1&usri=warrior27s%252bredemption

WEB LINKS:

www.MelissaMayhue.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter: @MelissaMayhue

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/Melissa.Mayhue.Author

AUTHOR BIO:

MELISSA MAYHUE began her writing career in 2005 after a vacation to Scotland and a hike on the Black Isle inspired her with the perfect setting for the characters running around in her head. Her resulting debut novel, THIRTY NIGHTS WITH A HIGHLAND HUSBAND, won the Holt Medallion and Book Buyers Best awards in 2008 and made the finals of the Colorado Book Awards.

Since then, her imaginary world of Faeries and Mortals has continued to grow. A HIGHLANDER’S HOMECOMING, sixth book in her award-winning Daughters of the Glen series from Pocket Books, was a 2011 RITA finalist in the Paranormal Category. WARRIOR’S REDEMPTION, her ninth book, is due out December 27, 2011.

Married and the mother of three sons, Melissa lives in beautiful Northern Colorado with her family and two very spoiled Boston Terriers.

You can visit her on the web at: www.MelissaMayhue.com