Felicity Heaton's Blog, page 92

Wallpapers - February features my fantastic Prophecy Trilogy!

February's wallpaper features my one of my earliest vampire romances, the books that began the Vampires Realm romance series , and the story featuring some of my most popular characters / couples, Prophecy and Valentine (and Venturi). Yes, you guessed right! It's the Prophecy Trilogy!

You can download the desktop wallpaper for February in various sizes direct from my website. There's also a version of each wallpaper without the calendar element so you can have them on your desktop at your leisure.

Just click on the sample image of the wallpaper below to go to my site and find the size right for you!




If you want wallpapers with or without a calendar, I have them available for my books in the Goodies section of my website. At the moment, I have ones available for: Prophecy Trilogy, Heart of Darkness, Hunter's Moon, Love Immortal, Her Guardian Angel, Forbidden Blood, Ascension and Covet.

Yummy!

Why I will pursue an agent and a traditional publishing contract when the time is right

There's been a lot of publishing doom and gloom over the past year, with countless websites telling us the end of traditional publishing and the big six is nigh, and the ebook boom will change the world. There have also been a few murmurs of the ebook bubble bursting and so forth, and a few people piping up with how once an author tastes the high life of self-published royalties, they'll never go back to pursuing book contracts.

I, for one, am an author looking to have one foot in self-publishing and being indie, and the other firmly in a traditional contract with a big publisher.

I'm neither a naysayer nor a blind fool. I don't think the ebook boom will cripple the publishing industry. They were caught on the back foot a little last year and hadn't anticipated such a sharp rise to power by digital books or indie authors, but they are quickly catching on and will probably provide more competition this year. I don't think ebooks will suddenly go pop and we'll all go back to reading paperbacks. I also don't believe that we'll all go digital. My money is on half of readers turning to a mixture of digital and paperback books, and the other half remaining firmly away from technology and sticking with paper. If I see a book on offer in paperback format for cheaper than the ebook (not hard most of the time), I buy the paperback.

Now, many people think that authors who pursue traditional publishing deals are looking for validation. That's not what I need from a book contract or an agent. I don't need a publisher to make me feel that my books are worth reading or I've made it as a writer. The reviews I receive for my books and the support from my growing number of readers, and the fact that I sold over 155,000 books last year (note: Sold, not gave away for free. I also had over 50,000 free downloads too) is validation enough for me.

I have a plan as an author, and part of that plan includes finding a good agent and getting a great book contract because I want to reach a wider audience, people that I can't reach at the moment through ebooks and expensive POD paperbacks alone. You know, the people who shop in bookstores or prefer mass-market paperbacks? In order to reach the widest audience possible, I need to have one foot in the indie world and one in the traditional world of publishing. I don't care that I will probably make less money from the books I sign over to publishers. I care that I will have the power to reach more readers and touch more lives. I write books so I can reach readers and give them a few hours away from their daily lives. It's the number of copies sold that excites me and keeps me writing, not the dollars and pounds flowing into my bank account.

I would never give up being an indie author though. I have paranormal romance series on the go at the moment, such as my popular Vampires Realm series that I write as F E Heaton or the extremely popular Her Angel series that I write as Felicity Heaton, that I will most probably keep as indie published series. I do have series that I will write soon that will be for the traditional publishing market. My reason for doing this is above, and the fact that I have always wanted to see my books published with someone big and that I believe they will be picked up. I'm not being conceited when I say that I have faith in my books and that my writing is good enough for a book contract with a major publisher. I'm sure all authors feel that to some degree or we wouldn't pursue book deals at all.

But the time isn't right for me yet. My four year plan that started last year is only entering phase two right now and it's not until phase three and four that I intend to rope me an agent and then a publisher and wrangle them into submission. Of course, if a publisher or agent emailed me tomorrow and told me that they wanted to contract my books, I would seriously consider it. I don't leap into things without looking at it from all angles first. Ask my husband. I took weeks to decide whether to contract my Her Angel series with a Spanish publisher before deciding that it would be a good move for my career. I just hope that this first translation deal leads to others as I've found I like the thought of big foreign publishers translating my indie books.

I'm digressing. I think the point of this was to let new writers and old see that you don't have to join one camp or the other. If an author wants to get a traditional deal for her books, you don't need to sneer at her and call her stupid. She'll have reasons for what she's doing and in the end it's down to her. The same goes for an author who decides she only wants to be indie. Or someone who says they'll only publish their books on Amazon Kindle. We all have reasons for doing what we do.

Mine is reaching readers, not making money... so I intend to make my mark in the indie publishing world and then rock the boat in the traditional publishing market.

If you're a writer, what do you want for your books and what do you want from writing?

Covet Book Tour continues at The Book Nympho

It's time for an update on my Covet Book Tour . I hope you've all been following the tour and are enjoying learning more about the series. There are some great posts about this vampire romance book and the Vampire Erotic Theatre series coming up so keep following it!

Don't forget, if you comment on the tour posts, you're also entered into my grand giveaway for six signed paperback copies of my paranormal romance releases of 2011. Sounds good, right? You can read all about it by clicking the Covet Book Tour button above!

Today, I'm having my first appearance at The Book Nympho , where I'm interviewing Javier to get his take on the book and his romance with Lilah! Plus another great giveaway! It's my last appearance for week two of the tour with this erotic vampire romance novella but next week kicks off on Monday, so be sure to come back for more!


COVET BOOK TOURJAN 23rd: Riverina Romantics - Author Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayJAN 24th: Bona Fide Reflections - Introduction to the Book / GiveawayJAN 27th: Book Monster Reviews / Literal Addiction - Character Interview / Giveaway JAN 30th: Grave Tells - Writing the Book / GiveawayFEB 1st: Madame D's Boudoir - Introduction to the Series / GiveawayFEB 3rd: The Book Nympho - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 6th: Lush Book Reviews - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 7th: Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 10th: Bookin' It Reviews - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 14th: Page Flipperz - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 15th: Ex-Libris - Creating the World / GiveawayFEB 16th: Reading Between the Wines Book Club - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 17th: Bitten by Paranormal Romance - What's Next? / Giveaway
If you want to know more about my erotic vampire romance novella Covet, then you can read all about it or read an excerpt / download a sample at the following sites:

Author's website | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Apple iBookstore US | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

Her Demonic Angel (Her Angel romance series) progress on the novel

I was too tired last night to blog about my progress on the first draft of the next novel in my Her Angel romance series , Her Demonic Angel. Writing so much over the past three days really drained me and I needed to get away from work and just relax for a while. Having said that, it was gone 6pm when I stopped working. I really need to get the work/life balance thing sorted.

Her Demonic Angel is coming along nicely now and I'm 33000 words into it, and we're making progress with not just the plot but the romance too. Veiron is everything I had expected him to be and more. He's wicked, has a mind as dirty as his mouth, kicks arse, and is fuelled by cold fury and bent on revenge. Erin is giving him a run for his money though. This smart-mouthed sassy woman isn't about to let the tall hunk of handsome get away with trying to resist her.

It was hard to stop writing yesterday even when I knew that I had to because if I hadn't the Post Office would have closed and people would have been waiting another couple of days for their prizes! I think the reluctance to stop was because I had Erin putting on her brave face and giving Veiron a speech about his true demonic angel form not scaring her and demanding to see it again. Go Erin. I sense a kiss scene in the near future.

I had to stop though. I had written around 6000 words by 1pm yesterday before I was struck by a severe case of the yawns. I hate it when fatigue just sweeps in and knocks me on my backside like that. I had a break and a coffee and that woke me up enough to continue, but by the time I had reached 10500 words, I knew I was done for the day. There's really no point in writing when your mind is spiralling down to zombie level. That benefits no one.

The book is really coming along though, and thanks to everyone's kind words and pep talks about not being brought down by my apprehension about this book not living up to the last one in the series, I am feeling very bright and positive about it. Marcus and Veiron are two very different heroes and I have to treat them like that, and the stories too. Her Demonic Angel is not Her Guardian Angel , although the plot is just as grand and the twists just as huge.

Thankfully I have an idea about where the series is going to go after Her Demonic Angel and who is going to be at the helm of that book. I intend to wrap up the game and level the playing field in the next book so any story after that starts a new thread in this world.

I sometimes think writing is easy, and I'm sure that readers sometimes think that it's a pretty sweet life, but when you approach it with the vigor and determination that I do, it becomes clear that writing can be hard, very tiring both physically and mentally, and if you don't have the support of readers who weigh in when you have a heartfelt moan/confession about your feelings, then it can be difficult. It's the mental fatigue that always gets me.

My husband often ends the day saying things like "Use your words" to me when I can't speak for stumbling and saying the wrong thing. I always tell him that I save my words for my books. By the end of a writing day, all my words are gone :)

Still, 33000 words done on Her Demonic Angel means that I'm 27% done with the book. That brings my total word count for the year up nicely to 111500 which is also 27% of my target word count for the year.

Covet Book Tour continues at Madame D's Boudoir!

It's time for an update on my Covet Book Tour . I hope you've all been following the tour and are enjoying learning more about the series. There are some great posts about this vampire romance book and the Vampire Erotic Theatre series coming up so keep following it!

Don't forget, if you comment on the tour posts, you're also entered into my grand giveaway for six signed paperback copies of my paranormal romance releases of 2011. Sounds good, right? You can read all about it by clicking the Covet Book Tour button above!

Today, I'm at the fantastic Madame D's Boudoir talking more about the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series and what books are coming up in it, plus another great giveaway!


COVET BOOK TOURJAN 23rd: Riverina Romantics - Author Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayJAN 24th: Bona Fide Reflections - Introduction to the Book / GiveawayJAN 27th: Book Monster Reviews / Literal Addiction - Character Interview / Giveaway JAN 30th: Grave Tells - Writing the Book / GiveawayFEB 1st: Madame D's Boudoir - Introduction to the Series / GiveawayFEB 3rd: The Book Nympho - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 6th: Lush Book Reviews - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 7th: Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 10th: Bookin' It Reviews - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 14th: Page Flipperz - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 15th: Ex-Libris - Creating the World / GiveawayFEB 16th: Reading Between the Wines Book Club - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 17th: Bitten by Paranormal Romance - What's Next? / Giveaway
If you want to know more about Covet, the you can read all about it or read an excerpt / download a sample at the following sites:

Author's website | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Apple iBookstore US | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop!

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop is hosted by Reading Between the Wines Book Club and As the Pages Turn. The hop will run from 12:01 AM February 1st through to 11:59 PM February 5th, 2012.

What better way to celebrate the month of LOVE than with your favourite book boyfriend? Whether you have a valentine or not, the swoonworthy heroes we find in romances can't be matched anyway! So why not put on that naughty underwear and curl up with one of these steamy reads this year instead? Make your Valentine's Day perfect by joining the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop where fellow bloggers offer you the chance to win some of their favorite book boyfriends!


THE PRIZESOne signed paperback copy of Her Guardian Angel (angel romance novel), plus signed book cover postcards, bookmarks and romance trading cardsOne signed paperback copy of Hunter's Moon (vampire/werewolf romance novel), plus signed book cover postcards, bookmarks and romance trading cards
HOW TO ENTERSubscribe to this blog using the form below. You must subscribe via FeedBurner to participate. GFC doesn't count since they're getting rid of it in March.Fill in the Rafflecopter form.Leave your name and email address in a comment.If you want to do the extra entries, feel free to do them! I'm having an amazing giveaway for six signed paperbacks at my Facebook page too.
SUBSCRIBE AND ENTEREnter your email address:


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Teaseday - Her Guardian Angel - angel romance novel

I'm writing Her Demonic Angel at the moment so I'm getting back into the Her Angel romance series , and that means that the Teasedays for the next few weeks will have a very angelic theme... although don't expect the scenes I choose as the teasers to be all saintly and sweet.

First up is the last book in the series, Her Guardian Angel . I really loved writing this scene with Amelia and Marcus in Amelia's inner world created by Taylor, the part-demon girlfriend of one of the other angels, Einar. It's a long scene, so most of it will go behind a cut if you're viewing this from the home page of my blog.


HER GUARDIAN ANGEL - TEASER

It was the location that alerted Marcus to the fact that this wasn't his world.

A golden sunset filled the sky directly before him, the sun slowly sinking into the infinite ocean, its light rippling on the water and sparkling like diamonds. The soft sound of waves gently breaking against the pristine white sandy shore filled the silence along with the rustling of the swaying palm trees in the light refreshing breeze that came from the sea, carrying a salty tang and her fragrance.

Amelia.

She sat on a chipped white metal pole that created a railing along the seafront, separating the sun-bleached wooden boardwalk from the sand, her back to him and shoulder-length dark hair dancing as the breeze caught it.

The sound of the ocean and the warm breeze soothed away the anger he felt over Taylor and Einar's trick on him. They had sent him into Amelia's inner world rather than to his own. He would have a word with his old friend when he woke. This wasn't allowing things to progress naturally at all. This was matchmaking.

Marcus walked across the boardwalk to Amelia and leaned his elbows on the metal railing that ran at waist height to him. Amelia didn't look down at him. She continued to stare into the distance, her skin glowing in the warm light of sunset and her hair threaded with golden highlights. Marcus drank his fill of her beauty, taking his time to put her face to memory as it looked in this moment. A slight smile played on her lips, shining in her eyes, and he knew without asking that she was happy here.

It was definitely her world.

But it wasn't her happiness that gave it away.

He hated sand.

It got in his feathers.

He looked down at himself and shook his head when he saw that he was only wearing a pair of loose black swimming shorts. That wasn't going to happen either. Water was a pain to get out of his feathers, worse than sand, and for some reason his wings were out and he couldn't convince them to go away.

Were they out because Amelia wanted to see him this way? This was her world which meant that in part she was controlling it, and controlling him too.

When he turned to ask her about his wings and whether she wanted to see them, his gaze caught on the skimpy black bikini top she wore. He stared unabashed at the flimsy triangles of material barely covering her breasts, his stomach tightening and temperature rising, and then slowly lowered his eyes to her hips. A short black near-see-through strip of material covered her from waist to just past her backside, tied on her hip closest to him. The light fabric fluttered in the breeze, revealing her creamy slender thigh.

"It's peaceful here," she said, distant sounding. "Am I dreaming?"

Marcus forced his focus back up to her face. "I do not think so. We are both awake. Taylor can make a world in which we can hide but I am not sure how long it can last."

"I'm scared, Marcus," she whispered and her grey eyes finally came to meet his.

"Of me?" He wasn't sure why he said it. The gnawing feeling that she feared him now had lingered at the back of his mind since he had rescued her from the Hell's angels and revealed his true self to her, but he hadn't intended to say anything about it. Her look instantly softened, warming again, and she smiled.

"No. You're the only thing that doesn't frighten me." She went to touch him but he shifted to one side, enough that her attempt failed, and stared at the ocean.

How could she look on him so kindly and with such compassion? She had seen him fight those Hell's angels, had witnessed him kill without hesitation and had been covered in blood because of him. He had shown his darkest side to her and she still looked at him with warmth in her grey eyes. It astounded him and drove him to question her, to confess the things that he had done and the reason he had warned her away from him. Need burned deep in his heart, a desire to know if she really could feel something for a man like him.

"I am a guardian… but there are times when I have been a warrior…" Marcus couldn't bring himself to look at her. He clenched his fists and stared intently at the sunset, afraid of what he would see if he turned to face Amelia. Would she look upon him with such warmth after his confession? He didn't think so, and while he wanted to stop now before he ruined everything between them, the greater part of him needed her to know what sort of man he was and why he felt he didn't deserve the love of such a pure and beautiful woman. She might have managed to convince herself that he had only done what was right when he had killed those demons in front of her but she had feared him at the time. He knew that. He had frightened her. Now he had to do that again so she would know him, and he would see in her eyes and hear in her voice whether she could ever bring herself to love him. "A bringer of death. I am not a good man, Amelia. I have killed many without remorse… hundreds… if not thousands."

He uncurled his hands and stared at his palms. Hands made for killing in the name of Heaven. He had followed those orders without question, obeying his superiors, loyal to his duty and happy to carry it out. Not once in his life had he regretted the things he had done. Not until he had met her, and then he had wished it all away.

He had wanted to be a better man so she would love him.

He could see that now. For all his attempts to remain distant from her, he had fallen for her, but new to the experience, he had not realised his feelings until she had first touched him, thrilling him with little more than a brief caress and bringing him to life with emotions he had never known existed.

"If you've killed, then I believe you did so out of loyalty, just as Einar said about you. You killed to protect others, and to protect me. I can't offer you absolution, Marcus, but I can forgive you for killing others in order to protect me. You are a good man. I believe that."

Marcus looked up to find her watching him, her grey eyes not full of icy cold or hatred, but full of the warmth and tenderness that had been in her words. There was no fear in her, only a calm that he knew was real and it touched him, warming his chest and making him crave a stronger connection to her. She smiled, twisted towards him, still holding on to the railing she sat on with her left hand, and stroked the unruly strands of his hair from his face.

And he stared at her.

Awed and transfixed by the beautiful acceptance she showed towards him.

For her, he could be a good man. He could be the man that she deserved.

"Was that why you stopped me the other night when we kissed, or was it because you're an angel and it was wrong?" She lowered her hand from his face.

"No." His eyes followed her hand, leapt to her thigh, and then he lifted them to her face again.

There was such understanding in her eyes.

"Was it because you've never been with a woman?"

Marcus exhaled and stared out to sea. The sun had set and a full moon was rising in its place, beautiful as it hung over the darkening ocean.

"Einar told you?"

Amelia made a small noise and then touched his hands where they were clasped together in front of him. He looked up at her, wanting to explain and needing to ask her not to believe him any less of a man because of it, and she dipped her head towards him. She kissed him before he could utter a word, her lips soft against his, slowly shifting in mesmerising waves that drew him into responding. He leaned into the kiss, eager to taste her again and believe that this was another good sign. When she broke away, briefly resting her forehead against his before sitting up, she was smiling at him.

"I think it's beautiful that you waited so long," she whispered and his heart leapt in response, turning his insides with it. He stared up at her, torn between kissing her again and saying something that would bring another smile to her face.

"I never really thought about it. I never cared about mortals." Marcus straightened and then cupped her cheek, keeping her eyes on his. "But I care about you."

Amelia's smile was brilliant and he thought that she would kiss him, but she slipped down from the railing on the other side, landing softly in the sand.

A mixture of light from the strings of white lights that hung between the palm trees, illuminating the boardwalk, and the moon played on her, turning her skin pale and eyes dark. It had turned dark quickly and the moon was far higher in the inky sky now. How long had the kiss lasted? It had felt like barely a heartbeat had passed but it must have been close to an hour.

She crooked a finger at him.

"I think we should swim."

Marcus warily eyed the sand and then the water. "Unwise. I don't seem to be able to put my wings away."

She looked at them and his eyes widened when they shrank into his back.

"No excuses." She reached over the railing to him.

Marcus vaulted it and looked down at the warm sand beneath his bare feet. Amelia laughed and ran down to the sea, leaving footprints in the soft sand for him to follow. He hoped his wings didn't reappear. Just as he looked up, Amelia untied the slip of black material around her waist and tossed it aside.

A deep pulse of arousal beat through him at the sight of her in such a small scrap of fabric. Her bikini bottoms didn't cover her buttocks at all. A single dark line disappeared between them, leaving them on display. Hell. His groin responded in an instant, cock twitching against the loose swimming trunks. He had been intent on mentioning that he couldn't swim but the thought of playing with her in the shallows and seeing her wet all over had him striding towards the sea.

She smiled and crooked her finger again, and Marcus could only obey. He followed her into the shallows and then hesitated as a gentle wave came rolling in and the dark water reached his waist. The current wasn't strong but he didn't dare venture further out. Taylor hadn't mentioned what would happen if one of them got into trouble inside this world. Would his consciousness be trapped here if he drowned?

Amelia took hold of his wrist and tried to tug him into deeper water. He stood firm and she frowned.

"You can't swim, can you?"

"I don't know. I have never tried." He might be able to swim. Angels sometimes remembered how to do things that they had experienced in a previous lifetime. If he had known how to swim then, he could instinctively remember it now, but he wasn't willing to risk drowning in order to find out.

It didn't seem to bother Amelia. She splashed his bare chest and face, and he responded by sweeping his arm across the warm water, sending a wave rushing towards her. She ducked under the surface and the water settled around him, lapping at his waist. He turned on the spot, searching for Amelia. When she didn't surface after a few seconds, his pulse picked up and he waded further out, fearing that something had happened.

Something brushed his backside and he turned sharply, causing ripples to spread outwards from his chest. His senses blared in warning but he wasn't quick enough. Amelia launched out of the water, looped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. Her playful attack caused his heels to dig into the soft wet sand under his feet and he fell backwards, sending them both underwater.

It went straight into his mouth and stung his eyes.

He broke the surface a split-second later, coughing the vile water up, and Amelia re-emerged, her sheepish smile visible in the strong moonlight.

She swam towards him and then around him, and his anger faded away when she came to stand behind him and stroked his back.

"They're beautiful. Are they really a curse?" she whispered, her warm fingertips tracing the wings marked on his shoulder blades.

Marcus stilled, his focus so intently fixed on her that every light touch stirred his insides, fanning his desire for her. Her breath washed over his wet skin, teasing it and he closed his eyes, wanting to absorb how he felt when she was so close to him. Warm. Hungry. Mad for her.

"Apparently so," he said and she came around him. He caught her bare waist and drew her flush against him. She surprised him by taking hold of his shoulders, lifting herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He groaned and clutched her backside to support her, and then remembered the flimsy thing she was wearing on her lower half. He pressed his fingers into her bare bottom and groaned again, his body stirring and aching as he familiarised himself with her soft flesh.

"How did you get them?" Amelia leaned in and peppered his shoulder with kisses, gradually working her way along towards his collarbone and then his neck. He couldn't think straight to answer her when she was touching him like this. It seemed like torture to have to think at all. She placed a single wet kiss on his jaw and then leaned back and rested her hands on his chest. Her pupils were wide in the low light, darkening her eyes, and he stared into them. "Well?"

She really expected him to answer.

"I got drunk and when I came around, I was sleeping face down and couldn't call my wings. Heaven called me back to them and I discovered that someone had drawn this curse on me whilst I was unconscious."

Her hands ran up his chest to his shoulders and then she leaned towards him and caressed his shoulder blades, her breasts pressing against him.

"That's terrible."

He murmured his agreement and stared at her mouth.

"It explains why you didn't want to drink the wine. And you're really an angel?" Her eyes searched his.

Marcus nodded.

She glanced away and a sense of sorrow flowed through him. He frowned and ducked to one side, trying to see her face so he could understand the sudden change in her emotions. Her gaze met his and the edge of hurt in it compelled him to comfort her even though he wasn't sure what was wrong.

"What is it?" he whispered, his brow furrowing as he waited for her to speak.

"Einar said that you aren't omniscient… or some fancy word… that you couldn't have stopped my mother from dying… I wished that you could have."

He did too. Watching her grieve had been one of the most difficult trials he had ever endured.

"I wish I could have been there for you." He let the confession slip out quietly, unsure of whether it would only hurt her further to know that he had seen her suffering and had done nothing about it.

Amelia rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, her breath skittering over his collarbones. Marcus closed his eyes, leaned his cheek against her forehead, and held her close to him, comforting her in the way he had wanted to then. Waves lapped against them, rocking them back and forth. It had been a long time since he had felt such peace.

"I could sleep here, like this. It's so hard to sleep these days." Her words were a bare whisper and she sagged against him.

He remembered the couch in her apartment and the blanket. "You haven't been sleeping well?"

She shook her head. "Not since that break in."

Marcus frowned. He hadn't thought to piece the two together. Her mother had died during a break in and one had occurred in the apartment building they shared. It had frightened her and he hadn't noticed it. That was why her ex had shaken her up by trying to bang her door down. She had feared him breaking in and hurting her.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and pressed her close to him, enveloping her slender form in his protective embrace. Desire to call his wings out and wrap those around her too, to cocoon her completely, ran deep in his veins but he held them at bay.

"I will never let anything happen to you, Amelia. I promised you that and I mean to keep my word." The hardness in his voice surprised him as much as the intensity of the emotions that beat in his heart at the thought of her coming under attack and being afraid.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, rested his lips there for a few heartbeats of time, and then drew back. Amelia emerged from his embrace, her eyes sparkling with tears. He kissed away the ones that had fallen onto her cheeks. She raised her head into his kisses, until their lips were a hair's breadth apart.

"You really are an angel." Her lips brushed his as she spoke, stirring his passion.

When she went to speak again, he swooped on her lips, silencing her. Her words became a quiet moan that sent a shiver through him and he held her closer, one hand supporting her backside and the other splayed between her shoulder blades.

He didn't want to talk anymore.

He wanted to show her without words how she made him feel, how much he craved her taste and her touch, and that he needed her. He hadn't promised to keep her safe and protect her because he was an angel. He had made that vow because he was a man, and he cared about her.

Marcus ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth and she opened to him, her tongue coming out to play with his and tease it inside. He slanted his head and claimed her mouth, plundering it with his tongue and drawing another heated groan from her. She shifted against him, pressing closer until her warm body was flush against his, driving him mad with the need to caress every inch of her, to taste her and seek out her sensitive spots with his lips. The water lapped at his waist, knocking against him, and he turned with her and carried her back to the beach.

The moment he was clear of the water, he laid her down on the hard sand and covered her body with his.

Her Guardian Angel
Felicity Heaton
A simple mission becomes a fight for survival in this fantastic instalment in the Her Angel series.

A guardian angel dedicated to his duty, Marcus will do whatever Heaven asks of him, but even his loyalty has its limits. When his superior orders him to gain Amelia's trust through seduction, Marcus starts to question his mission and his feelings for the beautiful woman he has watched over since her birth.

Amelia has gone from one bad relationship to another, so when a gorgeous guy moves in next door looking like Mr Right, she hopes he doesn't turn out to be another black knight in disguise. But there's more to Marcus than meets the eye, and when he rescues her from three demonic men, Amelia is thrust into his nightmarish world—a world where God and the Devil exist, and only one angel can save her from death—Marcus, the angel she's falling in love with.

On the run from demonic angels and the Devil himself, aided by Marcus's angel friends and their amazing women, fighting for survival against the odds, Marcus and Amelia discover a love that will last forever.

A love so strong it will shake Heaven and Hell.

Available in e-book from:
Author's website | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

Available in paperback from:
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

Her Demonic Angel - First Draft is Underway!

I don't have a picture of the cover of Her Demonic Angel yet, as I haven't designed it, so I'm going to use a portion of the oh-so-delicious banner of my Her Angel series site (coming soon, I promise! I just need to finish designing the damn thing and get it built) for my posts about the book as I write the first draft. Her Demonic Angel will be the fifth book in the Her Angel romance series and will be the second full length novel.

I have to admit that I've been feeling more than a little apprehensive about this book. After the praise that Her Guardian Angel received from readers and reviewers, and how many of them stated they couldn't wait to see where I took the series next because Her Guardian Angel was a complete game changer, I've spent the past few months stewing and fretting that Her Demonic Angel will deeply disappoint.

This is a new feeling for me and the writer in me doesn't quite know how to process it yet. It's something I'm also experiencing with my Vampire Erotic Theatre series . I've never had reviewers and readers really get behind a book like this and a series, and have expectations about the next. I'm sure it happens a lot to authors and I'm also sure it's something that I will eventually be able to handle, but for now I'm going to write this one on the edge of my seat panicking that it won't be good enough. Paranoid? Probably.

I spent the weekend getting the outline of Her Demonic Angel together so I could start writing it today. I took myself off to my local cafe to avoid my new neighbours moving in and find some peace. Yes, I write best in cafes. I know most people think that's crazy because of all the comings and goings of people around me, and the screaming kids, but I have my music on and I really do zone out when writing. I become immersed in the book and can pretty much block out anything. Years of writing on trains with people sitting right next to me and in cafes at lunch have hardened me to writing in public.

Despite the frigid temperatures in the UK right now, I ventured out into the world to the cafe and assumed my usual spot hidden away at the back. Far from the door and the draught, and tucked into a corner in a comfy seat. I took a few deep breaths and then took the plunge. Thankfully I had already written the opening in a previous fit of scene-note-writing. So I tapped out the opening line and off I went. Want to know what the opening line is? Here it is:

It was the Devil who took her.
And that's it. Following that is around 10000 other words I wrote today, completing the first three chapters of the book. Veiron, the hero, has met Erin, the heroine, and they're starting their love story.

I'm hopeful that my productivity today can be matched tomorrow, and the next day, and every day until the angel romance book is complete in first draft. I take it as a good sign that during my walk home the opening of chapter 4 came to me and I had to pause to jot it down in my phone, even though I nearly froze my fingers off by doing so.

In other news, I also wrote four posts for my Covet Book Tour and managed to snag myself J R Ward's Lover Unleashed and Lover Mine for the princely sum of £3 from the local discount bookstore. That's under $5 US.

Happy days!

Covet Book Tour continues at Grave Tells!

It's time for an update on my Covet Book Tour . I hope you've all been following the tour and are enjoying learning more about the series. There are some great posts about this vampire romance book and the Vampire Erotic Theatre series coming up so keep following it!

Don't forget, if you comment on the tour posts, you're also entered into my grand giveaway for six signed paperback copies of my paranormal romance releases of 2011. Sounds good, right? You can read all about it by clicking the Covet Book Tour button above!

Today, I'm at the wonderful Grave Tells talking more about the book, Covet, and why I decided to write the book and the entire Vampire Erotic Theatre series, plus another great giveaway!


COVET BOOK TOURJAN 23rd: Riverina Romantics - Author Interview, Excerpt, GiveawayJAN 24th: Bona Fide Reflections - Introduction to the Book / GiveawayJAN 27th: Book Monster Reviews / Literal Addiction - Character Interview / Giveaway JAN 30th: Grave Tells - Writing the Book / GiveawayFEB 1st: Madame D's Boudoir - Introduction to the Series / GiveawayFEB 3rd: The Book Nympho - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 6th: Lush Book Reviews - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 7th: Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears - Author Interview / GiveawayFEB 10th: Bookin' It Reviews - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 14th: Page Flipperz - Character Interview / GiveawayFEB 15th: Ex-Libris - Creating the World / GiveawayFEB 16th: Reading Between the Wines Book Club - Exclusive Excerpt / GiveawayFEB 17th: Bitten by Paranormal Romance - What's Next? / Giveaway
If you want to know more about Covet, the you can read all about it or read an excerpt / download a sample at the following sites:

Author's website | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Apple iBookstore US | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

Manday Hotties - get your Monday mancandy fix!

It's time for the Manday Hotties Hop again! Be sure to follow the links in the list below to get your full fix of hot sexy mancandy this Monday.

I'm getting all excited because my favourite shows - The Vampire Diaries and True Blood - are returning to UK screens soon, and I'm FINALLY going to be able to watch True Blood season 4 (it has been torture waiting for it) and I can't wait. So, this Monday /  Manday I'm sharing the oh-so-delectable Alcide Hevreaux with you all... what a scrumptious werewolf!




Oh... he brings out my inner cat-shifter and makes me purr.

Don't forget to clicky click him to make him bigger!


Visit the other blogs in the hop: