P.G. Forte's Blog, page 63

Love's a Beach

Aloha, bloghoppers! Welcome to my private beach!  



 





Why not grab a little refreshment...







Okay, I saw that! I meant one of the drinks. Sheesh. Then sit back and enjoy the scenery...










You know the beach is also the perfect place to do a little reading...


      



...and Moira Keith has a new book (Blood and Moonlight, available August 19th at Smashwords) that sounds fabulous...



Though she shares the bloodlines of both Fae and
Wolf, Kiara Morrigan O'Conaill refuses to claim her place in the Fae courts or
submit to the animal within. Witnessing the murder of her Fae mother two years
ago drives her back into those worlds, to search for answers and revenge.



Devlin McClure lives for one thing-the Pack.
When their leader, the Cadeyrn, disappears, desperation sends Devlin to the
last person he should be asking for help-the Cadeyrn's estranged daughter,
Kiara. 



Kiara and Devlin are drawn to each other by fate
and destined to embrace the very thing that threatens to rip their worlds
apart. Now, Kiara will have to decide which is stronger, blood or moonlight? 





Here's an exciting excerpt from Blood and Moonlight  :





From the corner of my eye I watched Reese and
Keenan walk a circle around us. The low murmur of their voices made the words
difficult to make out, though I knew when they closed the circle, because the
suffocating power that came with it was unmistakable. Now I was trapped in the
circle with Reese and Devlin. Keenan stayed outside of the circle merely to
ensure that if something went wrong, we had a link outside. 



Devlin stood just behind me. "Kiara, listen
to me." 




The wolf paced inside me and the feeling of
claws raked across my insides, tearing a scream from me. My arms flung out. I
tried to grab onto something—anything—for support, but there was nothing but
air. Devlin moved to kneel in front of me and caught my face in his hands,
forcing me to look at him. His eyes were glowing, an ethereal blue, with the
light blue shade mixing and swirling with a darker shade of sapphire I hadn't
noticed before. His very presence demanded I take notice. That I allowed him
control. No! I scraped my nails across the bare
skin of his arms. 




My wolf did not want to be tamed, she wanted
retribution. Anger built, driving the need to destroy something. I reached
behind me and drew my mother's dagger from the sheath at my back. Odd that I'd
failed to remove it and that neither of my guards called attention to it.
Devlin caught my arm as it arced around to his right, but not before the blade
sliced him across the chest, cutting through his shirt and where I knew the
crescent moon on the lower right side of his ribcage sat. I glared at him. A
rich coppery scent filled the air and I reveled in the knowledge that I'd drawn
first blood. 




"Back off." I snarled. 




Without turning his attention from me, he called
out to Reese. "Something is feeding the wolf's need for release." 




"She is blessed by God and Goddess and a
direct descendant of Morrigan. Who decides to come to her aid when she works
magic depends on their will. Kiara's control has never been strong enough for
it to be any other way. Normally, when the wolf comes it is the result of the
deities of war and hunt, though I'm not really sure how that will help
you." 

Reese's voice reverberated off the magic holding
us captive within its circle. 




"Morrigan is counted among the deities of
war and hunt as well so it makes sense that Kiara, being of the same lineage,
would draw their aid. This could backfire—" Devlin sucked in a breath—
"but here's hoping she doesn't kill me." 




"What are you going to do?" The note
of concern in Reese's voice was unmistakable. 




"Try to calm her wolf."    (excerpt continues  HERE)









My own book, Waiting for the Big One , doesn't actually take place at the beach, but it does have a very beachy cover--and an equally beachy trading card, which I'm happy to send to interested readers. 




Just email me with your name and snail mail address!



"Gabby Brown refuses to consider her best friend Derek for the role of soul mate because she fears sex will ruin their friendship. When she meets Zach, she’s convinced that he could be The One. But, Derek has ideas of his own, and they don’t include sharing Gabby with anybody."


Waiting for the Big One is also available as an audiobook. Here's an excerpt for your listening pleasure...










Enjoy the rest of your blog hop! And, remember, if you lose your way, just go to JustRomance.Me to get back on track.

The Automatic Reboot

Welcome to another Tasty Tuesday...



There are days when your brain just needs a reboot.



Maybe you've had a sleepless night. Maybe you've had a busy day. Maybe your eighty-five-year-old mother-in-law who insists on wearing her reading glasses for non-reading-related activities is convinced there's a flock of sheep grazing on your deck...



Please note the picture at left. These are not sheep.



Maybe it's all of the above and you'd been so preoccupied dealing with everything--plus a couple of dozen other things that didn't even make the list--that you forgot about the promo-spot you had scheduled on blogtalk radio until hours after the fact. Awesome!





Days like that, all you really want to do is go to bed and worry about it tomorrow. But those sheep won't feed themselves, you know! And with a wound-up, elderly in-law wandering about the house... Well, to mis-quote a famous apron I once read in a Tacky Souvenir Shoppe, "If Mama can't sleep, can't nobody else sleep neither." Or use proper grammar. Obviously.



When the words of that bedtime classic, Go the Fuck to Sleep, are muddled up in your brain with the final lines of Robert Frost's poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and it all begins to seem Just Too Much, take heart because I have just the cure for what ails you.











The Automatic Reboot.



Step #1. Take your largest coffee mug.

Step #2. Combine 1 shot cinnamon schnapps, 1 shot Kahlua and 1 shot Irish whiskey in said mug.

Step #3. Fill mug to the brim with very, very, very strong coffee. I like Wake the Fuck Up! for this.

Step #4. Dust with cinnamon. Or nutmeg. Or cinnamon and nutmeg. Whipped cream is also nice.

Step #5. Drink.

Step #6. Immediately begin to feel better.



May also be chilled overnight and enjoyed cold the next day...although, in retrospect, 8 a.m.might have been a little early to indulge.



For more coffee-related cocktails, check out Starbucks' coffee-ice cream martini or these favorites from Starbucks' Secret Menu.




And please stop by the following blogs to check out these other tasty treats:




Recipes from my Erotic Garden by Selena Robins 

"The Quickie" by A. Catherine Noon

Chocolate Cherry Dream Pie

Welcome to another Tasty Tuesday. The inspiration for this week's recipe comes from a few sources, including the chocolate-amarena gelato my daughter enjoyed in Venice last week (that's it over there on the left) and Nick Greco, one of the heroes of my Oberon series, who has an abiding love of all things chocolate-and-cherry, especially as they pertain to his wife...



            [Nick] kissed her until he felt her knees weaken.  Until the sun had begun to heat the back of
his neck.  Until Cole, half forgotten in
his arm, began to squirm and whimper fretfully. 
And still, he could not quite identify that flavor.  “Okay, I give up,” he broke off the kiss to
ask.  “What the heck have you been
eating?”

            “Huh?”  She frowned at him uncomprehendingly,
automatically taking the baby from him. 
A curious smile played over her lips. 
“What are you talking about?”


            Man, he loved
that smile.  He kissed her several times
again just because of it.  “What.  Have you. 
Been eating?  It’s driving me
crazy.”

            “Oh.”  Eyes darkening, she kissed him again.  “You like that, huh?  I stopped on the way out here and got a
milkshake.”

            Ahh.  A milkshake. 
Of course.  “Chocolate?” 

            “Well, of course
chocolate.”

            “With a cherry?”

            “And whipped
cream, yes.  Is there any other way?”
            Not as far as he
was concerned.  Chocolate and
cherry.  He hadn’t tasted that
combination on her lips in twenty years. 
He kissed her once more. 
“Mm.  Come on, let’s go home.”



That snippet came from book five in the series, Touch of a Vanished Hand, by the way, but it's not the first time Nick's preoccupation with this had been mentioned. The first time was in book three, Sound of a Voice That is Still (yes, there's a pattern there *g*) and that excerpt is currently posted on This Week's Excerpt. 



Nick happens to be Italian. In fact, his last name, Greco, was my grandmother's maiden name. I'm only half Italian myself, being Irish on my mother's side. Why do I feel the need to mention this here? Simply because the Irish eat more chocolate (per capita, I believe) than any other country in the EU. So, this recipe is also a nod to my family heritage because while I'm using Italian cherries, I'm also adapting an Irish recipe for chocolate mousse. Oh, and I'm also specifying Irish butter because it's the best and what's the point of using anything else? 






Just as a side note, this recipe is gluten free because I couldn't resist adding a hint of almond to the mix.




Super Simple Almond Pie Crust




Ready? It's got just three ingredients 1 1/2 cups almond flour, 3 Tbs sugar and 3 Tbs Irish butter. If you can't find Irish butter, I'd suggest substituting coconut oil and 1/2 a tsp of Celtic sea salt. I also like to add a splash of Amaretto, but that's just me. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and hand mix until crumbly. Then press into a greased, nine-inch pie plate and bake empty at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 



Pie Filling



4 1/2 ounces extra dark chocolate, chopped into pieces 

2 tablespoons kirsch 

2 tablespoons Irish butter 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 1/2 cups Amarena cherries in syrup (Fabbri) 

3 large eggs 

1 cup heavy cream



 Combine chocolate, kirsch, sugar and butter in saucepan. Melt over very low heat, then scrape into a bowl and allow to cool a little. 



 Separate eggs. Whisk whites until they reach soft peak stage. 



Whip cream. 



Beat yolks into slightly cooled chocolate mixture. 



Next, fold in 1 cup of the cherries and syrup (reserve remaining 1/2 cup for garnish). 



Finally, fold the egg whites and cream gently into chocolate mixture, alternating, 1/3 at a time, until it's all incorporated. 



 Spoon mixture into cooled crust and chill for several hours. Serve with more whipped cream if desired (or with grated white chocolate, dark chocolate or a combination of the two) and drizzle with the reserved cherries. 



As a variation,  this may also be made with white chocolate in place of the dark chocolate and with an addition of 1/3 cup of grated dark chocolate folded into the mixture. 



Ready for another short excerpt? This one is from book eight, Dream Under the Hill. Yeah, that's where the 'dream' in the recipe came from. So now you know. ;)



             [Nick] set the tray on the table, along
with a plate of chocolate dipped biscotti, Lucy’s predictably perfect Tiramisu,
a large bowl of very early strawberries from one of Dan’s 

greenhouses, and the cherry tart Sinead had baked specially for him.


           “I
used Amarena cherries to make it,” she’d said, smiling wickedly as she handed
him the 

pie plate. “Imported from Bologna. 
I don’t know what those Italians do to them, but the flavor 

is...exquisite.  Out of this world. Enjoy.”

           Nick
had nodded, feeling almost dazed by the sweet cherry scent that was rising from
the pastry

 shell. Cherries had always been his favorite fruit, and just the
smell of these—dark, intense, almost 

sinful––was enough to make him drool.  “Thank you,” he murmured, as he gave her a
hug.  “I’m 

sure I’ll love it.”

            “Oh,
I know you will,” Sinead had replied, laughing softly as she whispered, “it’ll
make 

a great bedtime snack.”

           “Good to know,”
he’d said, returning her smile. The woman certainly knew his tastes––




Please stop by the following blogs and load up on their tasty treats:



Devilishly Decadent Dip by Moira Keith 



Stress-Free Layered Salad by Nancy Lauzon 





Decadent Angel by Sloan McBride




Sexy Sassy Saucy by Selena Robins




Sweet & Sassy (Oriental) Chicken Wings – Fab For Any Gathering! by Renee Wildes 




Aunt Noony's After Glow by A. Catherine Noon

Sweet Summer Lovin'

It's Tasty Tuesday and a few of my fellow authors and I have gotten together to share some sexy, fun recipes for you to try out.




For me, nothing says summer quite like lavender, so today I'm going to share a couple of my favorite lavender themed recipes, lavender shortbread and lavender lemonade. Together they make up a perfect snack to enjoy while sitting outside, enjoying the summer sunshine and, of course, a good book!






Lavender Shortbread




Ingredients




1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt






Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cookie stamps will work well on these too. Place on cookie sheets.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.







Amy's Lavender Lemonade




Ingredients



1 tray ice cubes
1/4 cup dried lavender
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup white sugar
8 lemons
5 cups cold water, or as needed






Directions

Place ice cubes into a 2 quart pitcher. Place the lavender into a bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes, then strain out the lavender and discard. Mix the sugar into the hot lavender water, then pour into the pitcher with the ice.
Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the pitcher, getting as much juice as you can. Top off the pitcher with cold water, and stir. Taste, and adjust lemon juice or sugar if desired. Pour into tall glasses, pull up a lawn chair and a good book, and relax!




Both recipes courtesy of allrecipes.com  





Please stop by the following blogs and load up on
their tasty treats:




Sweet & Spicy Menage-a-Trois, by Selena Robins 

http://selenarobinsmusings.com/2012/07/31/sweet-spicy-menage-a-trois.




Bewitching Bailey's Cupcakes by Moira Keith

 http://moirakeith.com/2012/07/31/bewitching-baileys-cupcakes/





ROGUE REFORMATION (CHEESY POTATOES) - The Ultimate Comfort Food For Heating Up A Cold WI Winter Night!

 and WHO YOU CALLING A TART? (CRANBERRY MUFFINS w/BUTTER SAUCE - sweet & tart with a decadent buttery finish...) by Renee Wildes

 http://reneewildes1.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/tasty-tuesday/





Ambrosia by A Catherine Noon

http://taurusandtaurus.blogspot.com/2012/07/tasty-tuesday-ambrosia.html










Happy Trails Trail Mix by Nancy Lauzon

http://chickdickmysteries.com/2012/07/31/tasty-tuesday-happy-trails-trail-mix/




Salacious Salad and Naughty Nachos by Denise A Agnew

 www.deniseagnew.com/blog





http://sloanmcbride.blogspot.com/
















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And speaking of summer reads, tomorrow kicks off the start of the Orangeberry Summer Splash, a month-long mini book tour marathon, which is sure to be chock full of great books to make your summer better! 




Check it out at: 




http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2012/07/orangeberry-summer-splash-event.html

Season's Greetings and G'Day

Last December, authors JK Coi, Stacy Gail, Jenny Schwartz and I celebrated the release of A Clockwork Christmas, our steampunk-themed Christmas anthology from Carina Press.

  





For three of us, that happy glow warmed up our winters very nicely. But for Jenny, who makes her home in Australia, December is the middle of summer.



It's winter there now, however, and she's celebrating with a contest and giveaway sure to warm the heart of one lucky winner--a rare print copy of the anthology. To enter is simple; just visit her blog located here:



http://authorjennyschwartz.com/2012/07/01/an-antipodean-steampunk-christmas/



I love this anthology. I love the stories and the way they work together, but even more, I loved being associated with these immensely talented authors. If you're not already familiar with them, please click on their names above to check them out!  And for more about the anthology just go HERE.



Thanks and good luck!









http://ebooks.carinapress.com/C8E25291-66CD-40AD-9915-DA23C7DE17EE/10/134/en/SearchResults.htm?SearchID=10592411&SortBy=Date

Earth Day Blog Hop

Happy Earth Day everyone! And welcome to our Blog Hop. That scene over there on the right  is the view from my deck this morning, but the photo might as well have been taken in Oberon, the fictional California coast town that was the setting for my first series.




Fellow  Naughty Novelist Kelly Jamieson wrote a blog post recently about her trip to Chicago and how much fun she had re-visiting places where several of her stories are set. I get that pleasure every day.












For today's post I'm sharing an excerpt from the most environmentally-focused of the Oberon books, A Taste of Honey. This is Lucy and Dan's story and, in a lot of ways, it's still my favorite. I'll be giving away a free download of the book as a prize today AND, I'm also giving away a free novella to anyone who'd like to see what Oberon is all about. Just email me at pgforte@pgforte.com with Oberon Novella in the subject line.






Before we get started, I just want to remind everyone if you get lost somewhere along the blog-hop trail, just go to www.justromance.me and pick up where you left off.  Now, on to the post...






There's something magical about the tiny California coast town of Oberon.  Something that transcends explanation and defies description.  Things happen here that could happen nowhere else. 

But living in 'Psychic Central' is not all white light and fairy dust.  Danger lurks beneath the bright surface, and the all too human emotions of jealousy, hatred and greed occasionally rage out of control...

















 A Taste of Honey: 




Lucy Cavanaugh has it all - the perfect family, the perfect husband, the perfect marriage. What more could she wish for? Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams.








When the Cavanaugh's near perfect marriage goes off the rails, it takes a band of angels to get them back on track.  





Excerpt (This scene takes place shortly after Lucy and Dan met, when they were still just "getting acquainted with one another): 




Dan was a big guy, and Lucy expected him to have a big appetite.  The Lord knew she was feeling absolutely famished after the
afternoon’s exertion.  So when she followed him into his kitchen, the very last things she expected
to see him pulling out of his refrigerator were what appeared to be the makings of a salad. 







He was wearing nothing but a pair of blue plaid boxers, and
although it wasn’t the
first time she was
seeing his broad, bronzed chest, or the powerful muscles in his shoulders and
arms, the sight
gave her an odd, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Probably
just hunger, she told herself,
determinedly pushing the dangerous idea that it could be due to anything else
to the backof her mind.



He looked up as she entered the room, and when his glance took in
the fact that she was wearing
his shirt, he smiled--with entirely too much smug satisfaction, she thought as
she frowned in response. Even
despite what they’d just
gotten finished doing, she didn’t
exactly feel comfortable with the intimacy that borrowing his clothing implied.  But she
hadn’t been able see the point
of getting dressed again, either--not when she
was only going to take her clothes back off a short while later.  Nor had she liked the idea of parading around his apartment in her
underwear, as he was doing.  So it
had seemed, at the time she made her
choice, like the least evil of her options. 



Until she’d put
the damn thing on and the scent of him clinging to the fabric made her go weak
in the knees. She’d had to
sit right back down on the edge of his bed while she buttoned it. Her heart thundering in her ears, her mind dizzy with
thoughts of all the things his hands and mouth had done to her.

 Still scowling, she
gestured at the cluttered countertop.  “What’s all
this?”  



“Dinner.”  He motioned her towards one of
the stools pushed beneath the breakfast bar.  “Here.  Sit
down.” 



She surveyed the platter he’d arranged on the counter. “Are you a vegetarian or something?”  It wasn’t like
she had anything against it, but he sure didn’t seem like the type.

Dan grimaced.  “No, I’m not.  But I wasn’t exactly planning on entertaining anyone here tonight, either.  So we’re just
gonna have to make do with what I’ve got
on hand.  Okay?”  He’d picked up a slice of avocado as he spoke, and now he held it out to her.



 “Yeah, sure.  Whatever,” she said as she
reached for it, but he pulled it away from her hand.                   



 “Uh-uh.”  He shook his head, a tiny smile
just teasing the corners of his mouth.  “Not like that.  Open up.” 



Lucy felt her stomach tense.  He had
to be kidding?  He
wanted to feed it to her?  She
frowned at him again,
but his smile didn’t waver
and his eyes held a challenge she couldn’t back
away from. 
Reluctantly, she
opened her mouth and he gently slid the slippery green-gold chunk inside.  It was perfectly
ripened, soft and buttery, with just a hint of
balsamic vinegar.  Her
taste buds—traitorous little beasts
who couldn’t care less how the food got to them, it
seemed—immediately went into
ecstasy.

 “Good?” he
asked popping a piece into his own mouth.



 “Mm,” she murmured, non-comittally.  She helped herself to another piece.



“Here,
try the tomatoes next.”  He
picked up a tiny orange cherry tomato, and once again held it inches from her mouth.  Lucy sighed, and rolled her eyes, but this
time she opened her mouth for him just a little more willingly.  The
tomato was also delicious, and just slightly warm, as if it still retained some
trace of sunshine.  She bit down on it and it burst inside her
mouth with a rush of flavor.



The second tomato was as good as the first, but this time, instead
of popping it into her mouth he brushed it back and forth across her lower lip
teasingly, until she grew impatient and took it between her teeth and tugged it free of his fingers.  She smiled at him, triumphant at having
beaten him at his own game.  But  Dan was
smiling too, as if she’d done
exactly as he’d wanted her to.  His blue eyes gleamed wickedly, and she felt her breath go as she caught sight
of the heat that smoldered there.  She was
no longer certain she understood
the rules they were playing by.



“My turn,” she announced recklessly, picking up a
tomato and dangling it in front of his face.  He
leaned forward and took it into his mouth.  His
lips and tongue briefly caressed her fingertips.  A tiny tremor ran through her at the touch and she felt a flush
of heat spread across her face.



 When he
turned to remove something from the oven, Lucy took the opportunity to gather
her wits; slipping
another piece of avocado into her mouth with trembling fingers.  



The rest of the meal went much the same way.  They fed each other from the wheel of
melted Brie that Dan had
heated in the oven.  The
soft cheese stuck to their fingers and had to be scraped away with their teeth,  as well
as their tongues.  A
surprisingly time consuming process, Lucy discovered, and one which left her fingers tingling from his touch.  Next, he’d
produced artichokes dripping with melted butter and firm, briny, black olives; sweet peppered pecans, and
last of all, a whole can of smoked oysters.  All of
it washed down with
several glasses of a locally produced Cabernet that was deeply dark, almost
earthy in flavor, with an elusive
cedar scent.  It
tasted like a summer night in a pine forest, Lucy thought, feeling dizzy after
a couple of
glasses.

For dessert, Dan brought out fresh strawberries.  When those were almost finished, he suddenly remembered the can of whipped cream
that was supposed to have accompanied them.



“Well, no
sense in letting it go to waste, huh?” he
said, after the berries had all been eaten, “Let’s just take it
back to bed with us.”



Lucy frowned.  “You don’t really
want to eat that in bed, do you?” she
protested, trying to free her
mind from the warm drowsiness the food and wine had produced.  “It
sounds awfully messy,”



 “Well, we’ll just have to be sure we clean up after
ourselves then, won’t we?”  Dan answered with a sly smile, tugging at her hand
and leading the way back to his bedroom.



*



They stretched out together on the bed and in between kisses Dan
amused himself by squirting  whipped
cream first into his mouth and then into hers.



“All
right, Cavanaugh,” Lucy
sighed, after this had gone on for awhile, “Don’t you think we’ve had about
enough to eat now?”



 “Nope.”  He grinned at her, and then
threaded his fingers through her hair, using it to turn her head just slightly to the side, holding her there
while he leaned in to kiss her again, lightly.  “As a matter of fact, we’re just
getting started.” 



 And then, before she had any clue what he was planning, he’d
sprayed whipped cream all the way down the side of her neck.  She gasped as the cool cream hit her skin.  Her heart began beating so quick and hard it was almost painful,
and her eyes drifted shut as he lowered his mouth to her throat and slowly
licked and kissed his way down her neck, leaving a trail of cool, damp,
shivering skin in his wake.  







For my charity, I've chosen Garden Harvest to honor Lucy's love of chickens. Click on the link to read more about it. 










For more information on the Oberon series, please check out the Oberon website: www.OberonCalifornia.US  or email me at pgforte@pgforte.com to receive a free novella (offer good for this weekend only).  




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On the Radio

If you missed listening to me last night on Linda Mooney's Other Worlds of Romance, discussing Old Sins, Long Shadows--never fear!



I know you were soooo very frightened of that, weren't you?



You can simply click here to hear a re-broadcast of the program, giggles and all:































Listen to internet radio with Linda Mooney

on Blog Talk Radio

Six Sentence Sunday

Today's six sentences are from Old Sins, Long Shadows book 2 in the Children of Night series.



Regaining what he could of his control, Armand banded more tightly around Julie's body. He backed her deeper into the now-deserted doorway, using his own body to shield her from the night, from prying eyes, from any harm that might threaten her. When he came up for air, just long enough to drag one ragged breath into his lungs, she bit softly on his lip. Venom spread swiftly through his system, a warm tide of want that left him reeling with desire.




Worth the risk, he decided as he fell back into her kiss; their hearts beat rapidly in tandem and now it was his own blood he tasted on her tongue. How was it, he wondered, that his thoughts could be this hazy yet still crystal clear, or that what once seemed uncertain, should now feel so sure? Definitely worth the risk.





And please join me tomorrow night, February 27, at 11 p.m. EST on Other Worlds of Romance with Linda Mooney on BlogTalkRadio where I'll be sharing more from Old Sins, Long Shadows  and discussing the Children of Night series. Hope to see you there!






Living forever is hard. Loving forever? Damn near impossible. 





1856, New York City. Moments after Conrad Quintano drives his life-mate away, heartache and guilt descend around his heart like a pall. Convinced that Damian's hatred is as permanent as the scars Conrad has inflicted on him, Conrad steels himself for an eternity of emotional torture.



Present day, San Francisco. For the sake of vampire twins Marc and Julie Fischer, Conrad and Damian present a united parental front. In reality, their truce is a sham. Conrad, weakened by his recent ordeal, struggles against the urge to bring his mate back to his bed. And Damian misinterprets Conrad's explosive temper as proof their relationship is irreparably broken.



When an old enemy's quest to create a dangerous new breed of vampire threatens the twins' lives—and the precarious state of vampire peace—it's imperative the estranged lovers put the past behind them. Or the shadows of the past will tear apart everything they hold dear.



Warning: This book may not be suitable for readers with an aversion to emotionally damaged vampire heroes. Caution is advised if you have experienced prior sensitivity to any of the following: costume parties, fencing lessons, interspecies, inter-generational or intra-gender dating, occasional mild violence, and/or recreational blood-drinking.

Cupid's Choice

Hello, everyone. Welcome to another fabulous blog-hop and Happy Valentine's Day! As usual, if you get lost and need to hop back on the blog-bus, just go to www.justromance.me and pick it up again. 




I've been buried in packing boxes these past few weeks thanks to the-move-that-will-not-end, so instead of writing a special short story for this hop, I thought I'd go with a Valentine's excerpt from Sound of a Voice That is Still, the book I'm giving away as part of this weekend's very cool prize package. Then I got a look at this very cool and very sexy banner. It reminded me a lot of the picture I used for the back of one of my Romance Trading Cards. 








See what I mean? Okay, I know he doesn't have wings here, but he's an angel just the same. Also, in both pics he looks like he can use a kiss. And who doesn't love a "first kiss" scene? So that decided me.  Here's a blurb and excerpt from Edge of Heaven...




Welcome to the afterlife, where men are men and the angels are fallen.



It was a reckless act of passion that ended Edge's life and left him in Limbo -- literally. Now, he's stuck here. While most of the other angels-in-training move quickly up the celestial ladder, Edge knows it can never be that simple for him. He's dealing with issues that are a lot more complicated than a simple lack of closure.



While Edge doesn't know for sure what it will take to get him into Heaven, there is one thing he's certain won't help -- his latest assignment guiding angel-baby Matteo Matinucci while the newbie find his wings.



But twenty-something Mattie -- sexy, beautiful, recently departed, and openly gay -- could turn out to be the answer to all of Edge's prayers, as well as the fulfillment of all his fantasies, even the hot, sweaty, secret ones he's never confided to anyone. And by helping to send Mattie to Heaven, Edge just might end up saving both their souls.









Excerpt:




There's a wicked look in his eyes as he twists round to face
me. It's exactly the kind of look that makes you remember the devil's an angel
too. "Ridiculous or not, there's something that's been driving me nuts ever
since we met." 




Before I can come up with a response—before I even have a
clue what he's planning—damned if he doesn't kiss me. His hand latches on to my
shoulder, keeping me still when I would have drawn back. He leans in, slanting
his head at the last minute, angling in just right until our lips and noses are
so perfectly aligned it's as though we've been doing this all our lives.




Surprise has short-circuited my reasoning. I know this to be
true because before I'm even aware of it, I'm kissing him back. It's shock;
that's all. A reflex. And maybe a little curiosity. I've been wondering for so
long what something like this would be like. I've been wanting it for so long.
Craving it, really. And his lips—so warm and gentle at first, so insistent an
instant later—how can I resist his lips or the scratchy stubble that surrounds
them, so different from anything I've known before? But it's purely shock. Or
mostly shock…partially…




Okay, look, the shock's there, all right? It's definitely
somewhere in the mix; that's all I'm gonna say.

My body seems to have switched to automatic pilot. Without
any encouragement from my brain, my lips part for his tongue. My eyes are
closed tight in bliss and denial. The taste and the smell and the feel of him—it's
enough to overload my senses, so sweet, so tangy and male. So good. So right.




So…fucking perfect, actually. And who could ever have
predicted that would be the case?




I suck on his tongue, pulling it deeper into my mouth. I'm
startled by how much I want that, how much I crave the feel of that agile
muscle filling my mouth, taking possession of every inch. My hands grope
blindly, searching for some way to anchor us together, clutching at his
shoulder, his waist, anywhere my fingers can find a purchase.




Matteo sighs against my lips. He shifts a little—is he moving
away? Is he breaking this off? I can't be certain, but I'm taking no chances. I
tug him closer, canting my head to the side to tempt him with greater access. I
shudder in pleasure at the way our bodies fit together. I can't let this end. I
won't let it end. Not yet.




Why should I, anyway? It's just a kiss, after all. Innocent.
Harmless. Nothing to get too excited about. Just a kiss and yet…my cock swells
and throbs, demanding more. Demanding pressure and friction. Movement. Heat.
I'm giving serious thought to the idea of tumbling backward into the sand,
pulling him down with me, on top of me. My head spins with the thought of how
it will feel to be pinned to the ground, helpless beneath his weight. I want
that. Oh, how I want that.




I'm breathless and fevered, and suddenly, in the midst of it
all, my conscience makes a belated and completely unwelcome appearance.




Oh, holy crap. What the
fuck do you think you're doing? This is a mistake. Stop it.




Right. A mistake. I knew that.




I start to pull away, only to find that—somehow—Matteo's hand
is cupping the back of my neck. How it got there, when it got there, I have no
idea. His fingers are tangled up in my hair; they tense as I try to move,
tightening their grip. Then his other hand joins the party, caressing my neck,
my shoulder. Obviously, he intends to gentle me into staying right where I am.




You might think knowing what he's up to would be enough to
cool my blood, to clear my head, to stop my body from responding just like he
wants it to, but it's not. Not even close. I exhale on a shudder, let my tongue
curl with his, and I'm lost again. This is too good, too right, too fucking
sexy. I'm not going anywhere.




And you know what? I'm really kind of okay with that.




 









Join me on February 27 at 11 p.m. EST on Other Worlds of Romance with Linda Mooney on BlogTalkRadio




I'll be talking about Old Sins, Long Shadows (Children of Night, book 2). Hope to see you there!








Living forever is hard. Loving forever? Damn near impossible. 





1856, New York City. Moments after Conrad Quintano drives his life-mate away, heartache and guilt descend around his heart like a pall. Convinced that Damian's hatred is as permanent as the scars Conrad has inflicted on him, Conrad steels himself for an eternity of emotional torture.



Present day, San Francisco. For the sake of vampire twins Marc and Julie Fischer, Conrad and Damian present a united parental front. In reality, their truce is a sham. Conrad, weakened by his recent ordeal, struggles against the urge to bring his mate back to his bed. And Damian misinterprets Conrad's explosive temper as proof their relationship is irreparably broken.



When an old enemy's quest to create a dangerous new breed of vampire threatens the twins' lives—and the precarious state of vampire peace—it's imperative the estranged lovers put the past behind them. Or the shadows of the past will tear apart everything they hold dear.



Warning: This book may not be suitable for readers with an aversion to emotionally damaged vampire heroes. Caution is advised if you have experienced prior sensitivity to any of the following: costume parties, fencing lessons, interspecies, inter-generational or intra-gender dating, occasional mild violence, and/or recreational blood-drinking.

There's a Party Going On!

Actually there's several, but here are a few that I hope you'll be interested in attending.









The first one is going on now. I'm late, actually. Big surprise, huh? It's a multi-author, live chat and it's happening at Cassandra Carr's Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/BooksByCassandraCarr





If it's anyone like the last one, it should be a blast. You have to like her page before you can comment . While you're at it, why not "like" my page if you haven't already done so...shameless promo? You betcha!




http://www.facebook.com/AuthorPGForte    















Next up (and something else I'm running late for) is the all day chat with Loose Id authors over at Love Romance Cafe 




http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveRomancesCafe/




C'mon, would you disappoint that face?










Finally, at the Here Be Magic blog  http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-will-be-magic-again-here-be.html we're feeling extra generous this holiday season. 








http://herebemagic.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-will-be-magic-again-here-be.html





Here's the scoop:




A group of us at Here Be Magic wanted to do something really special to celebrate the season of giving. From December 17th until December 24th at 8:00 p.m., commenters on this post will be automatically entered to win one of three AMAZING prizes!

So tell us, Here Be Magic readers, what is the one thing that never fails to put you in the holiday mood? It could be a food or drink, a song or movie, a tradition.

Whatever it is, we want to hear about it! Three winners will be chosen at random. The first place prize can only be offered to U.S. residents, but international readers, 2nd and 3rd place prizes are open to all,so don't be shy!

First place prize is A BRAND NEW KINDLE FIRE!  

Sponsored by Carina Press authors Christine Bell, David Bridger, Joely Sue Burkhart, Angela Campbell, Ruth A. Casie, Sharon Cullen, Seleste deLaney, Susan Edwards, PG Forte, Loribelle Hunt, Shona Husk, Jeffe Kennedy, Jane Kindred, Julia Knight, Barbara Longley, Linda Mooney, Janni Nell, Tia Nevitt, Nicole North, Cindy Spencer Pape, Jenny Schwartz, Veronica Scott, Keri Stevens, Eleri Stone, Dee Tenorio, Jody Wallace, Brenda Williamson, and Rebecca York

Second place prize is a Carina Press e-book "basket" with 26 books, including:Allegra Fairweather, Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell, Badlands by Seleste deLaney, Cry Wolf by Angela Campbell, Dark Magic by Rebecca York, Dark Vow by Shona Husk, Demon Crossings by Eleri Stone, Golden by Joely Sue Burkhart,Heart of the Druid Laird by Barbara Longley, Her Dark Knight by Sharon Cullen,Hunting Human by Amanda Alvarez, Kiss of Darkness by Loribelle Hunt, Knight of Runes by Ruth A. Casie, Laird of Darkness by Nicole North, Quarter Square by David Bridger, Sapphire by Jeffe Kennedy, Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape, Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens, Tempting the Enemy by Dee Tenorio, The Devil's Garden by Jane Kindred, The Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell, The Viking's Sacrifice by Julia Knight, This Winter Heart by PG Forte,Three Wishes by Jenny Schwartz, White Dawn by Susan Edwards

Third place prize is a $25.00 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice)!

If you put your email address or Twitter handle in your comment, we can contact you, but we will also announce the winners on the blog and Tweet the winner's names at 10:00 p.m. on December 24th (our twitter handle is @herebemagic if you want to follow along). 

The winners will have three days to collect their prizes. If we do not receive a response, another entrant with a listed email address or Twitter handle will be chosen so that we can contact them directly.



So, There you have it. Happy Holidays!