Selena Blake's Blog, page 3

What’s Resisting the Vampire’s Kiss about?

After a dangerous witch with a deadly plot escapes his grasp and costs a teammate his life, Vampire Alistar Kostas vows to hunt her down—no matter what. But he needs help…and he isn’t sure who to trust. Then sinfully gorgeous Lexi Meiers knocks on his door, volunteering. There’s just one problem. She’s oh-so-very human and he has a less-than-pleasant past with her kind.

Since Lexi’s mind works like a supercomputer, she’s the perfect partner for finding dangerous paranormals and uncovering the mole within New Orleans’s supernatural team of guardians. But if she thought her job was tough before, sexy Alistar makes it downright nightmarish. The arrogant vampire doesn’t trust her. He’s intent on learning her secrets. Worse, he keeps trying to distract her with heated looks and near kisses. Lexi isn’t having it. Well, not much.

Soon, the pair are in hot pursuit of the white-haired witch and fireballs are flying. Then their banter gives way to something more, and Alistar craves Lexi’s blood—and body. The tempting human isn’t torturing him like the others; she’s stealing his heart. And when the wicked witch threatens Lexi, Alister must choose between his woman and revenge.

Read an excerpt | Pre-order your copy

Available Now: Claiming His Forbidden Witch

Get your copy, curl up in your favorite reading chair, and enjoy an action-packed, romance-filled ride through New Orleans.

Mystery & HEA guaranteed.

Book of the Week: Scoring with the Football Star

He’s a legend on the field and in the bedroom.

Sinfully handsome NFL superstar Trevor Wyatt has lusted for journalist JJ Fairchild since before he retired from the sport he loved. Now she’s back in his life and he’s not going to miss his second chance to show her just how good they could be together.

Words may be JJ’s tool of trade, but when it comes to the bedroom, words escape her. Trevor’s an excellent teacher and before she knows it, she’s asking for what she wants. And what she wants more than anything is Trevor. But she won’t be just another notch in his bedpost.

When outside forces threaten to expose dark secrets from Trevor’s past, he’ll have to overcome his suspicions and learn to trust the woman in his bed. Because when it comes to the game of love, he’s playing for keeps.

Grab Your FREE Copy Now!

Available Now: Bewitched by His Fated Mate

It’s new release week here at Wolfpack Headquarters. I’m sooooo excited that Byron’s book is hitting ereaders and that you guys are loving the book!

Claim your copy now!

Artful Agenda for Authors

I’ve mentioned this several times, in several author ‘forums’ this year, but it’s about time that I broke down how I use Artful Agenda and what I love about it.

Perhaps you should know that I’ve used dozens of pieces of software to try to get myself organized over the years. Everything from Google Calendar to Google Keep to Google Tasks to Basecamp to Trello to OneNote. And probably about fifty others you’ve never heard of. Paper planners work for a week or so and then I’m donezo.

I take my iPhone everywhere and because of that, Artful Agenda is my JAM!

It syncs seamlessly between my desktop, iPad and Phone. And you can connect it to third party calendars like Google Cal. That’s perfect if you have a family calendar you need to import/sync.

Here’s a weekly spread:

A few things to note. The whole month is there on the top left which I find handy for double checking what dates are coming up and when. I like the little motivational quote.

If you’re like me and often have items that are due during a given week rather than a specific date/day, the goals/to do list on the left is super handy. I often use it well ahead of time to jot down things I know I want to get done during a specific week and when the week arrives, I might move that task to a specific date.

Or I might not.

This spread also shows ‘all day events’ at the top. Your daily schedule is in the middle. And then your Priorities and Meals are below that.

Priorities has been a game changer for me.

On any given day, I try to write down the three priorities that are most important, make-it-or-break-it for me that day.

I don’t generally use meals, fyi. But it’s nice to have.

Two other things to note in the above image. The planner cover is customizable. They have a variety of cute, seasonal options. And you can add stickers. The options aren’t limitless, and honestly, for someone like me, that’s probably a good thing.

It’s too easy for me to spend more time planning my planner than doing the work.

Here’s a peek at the Monthly Spread.

Normally, I use the Goals section but I didn’t this month. The Monthly spread shows you anything that’s in the calendar. Not Priorities. By the way, the calendar can sync with things like Google Cal, which I love and use. And you can color code each individual event/appointment you add to the calendar. So if you want all release days in green and all editorial deadlines in blue, go for it.

And here’s a look at the Daily Spread.

Again… stickers! Woohoo. Motivational quote. Nice. I do use the water tracker and love that.

Day Spreads have a secondary Task List which is great for a brain dump. Here I have a note about a client’s cover art and formatting. It’s not in the Priorities column because she messaged and said she might have the files to me today. Because she might not, it’s not on the priority list yet. As soon as I have everything I need to complete the work, I put it on the priority list and if needed, carve out time within the calendar.

Lately, I’ve been using Custom List as a tracker that I fill out at the end of the day. What things did I complete that day that wasn’t on my lists? Did I update my website? Good job, me!

And finally, here’s a look at Lists.

At the top left where it says Running To Do there’s a little arrow and that dropdown contains all my lists. Because it’s somewhat limited, I find that I don’t create unnecessary lists of things. And when I want to write down something I know I will come back to over and over, it goes in here. It doesn’t get written on an old Post-It with questionable sticking power. It doesn’t get lost in the four thousand Google Docs in my Drive account.

The lists keep my scope limited to actionable items. And that’s been super helpful to me. I’ve never felt more in control of my to-do list before.

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask me questions.

And if you want to give ArtfulAgenda a go, feel free to use my code: RS11913

Excerpt from Bewitched by His Fated Mate

“Don’t look now, but there’s a major hottie staring your way.”

Cassia Pershing shot the waitress a grin as she pranced up to the bar. “You say that every day.”

Lesley never missed an opportunity to play matchmaker. She was crazy in love with a hopelessly romantic vampire, and wanted everyone around her to find the same bliss.

And, to be fair, her friend had a pretty good track record when it came to setting people up. She might be human, but she seemed to have a gift for putting the right souls together. Three of their close friends were now dating the love of their life thanks to Lesley’s matchmaking ways.

Cassia didn’t have the heart to tell the other woman that love wasn’t in the cards. At least, not for the next 279 days.

But who was counting?

Lesley put her tray down and folded her hands over the edge of the gleaming, jet-black countertop, as if she had to hold onto something to keep from bouncing away. A mischievous smirk curved her black lips.

Any time a guy in Club G showed Cassia any attention, Lesley homed in on it. For a while, she’d been pushing Cassia at the three werebears that owned the club. The Lacroix brothers weren’t her type, and they weren’t interested in her either.

Except for her abilities.

Cassia’s power let her control things with her mind, and the businessmen paid her well because of it. Not that she needed the money, but it made for some nifty bar tricks.

After hiding herself and her powers for almost a century, she found she enjoyed entertaining people. Putting on a good show kept patrons coming back, dropping serious cash on luxe drinks in the exclusive, members-only club for paranormals.

A slender woman with super-pale skin scooted up to the bar. Cassia smiled.

“What can I get you?”

“A gin and tonic, please.”

Cassia nodded and plucked a square cocktail napkin from the stack. With a flick, she sent it spinning through the air. It looked like a magic trick, but it wasn’t. Just practice and a strong wrist.

The logoed napkin spun like a top and landed with a graceful flutter on the counter.

She placed a chilled, balloon-shaped glass in the center of the napkin, and felt a dozen pairs of eyes turn her way.

Using her power of control, she opened the mini-freezer door beneath the counter. An ice-cold bottle of gin levitated from the bottom shelf and swooped up into the air. Mentally, Cassia flipped a jigger end over end, catching it with her left hand as she tilted the gin bottle toward the two-ounce line.

“This time I mean it,” Lesley continued, undeterred. “I’ve got that feeling. Plus, he’s been staring you down the whole fifteen minutes he’s been here. And he hasn’t looked at that bachelorette party once.”

Lesley had a point on that one.

The group of gal-pals in the corner had started with a pitcher of sangria, moved on to wine, and now, three of them were doing shots.

The strawberry-blonde with all the pretty curves had been trying to corral her friends for the last half hour, but they were on their way to getting wasted. Which meant they were easy prey.

Cassia sent the gin bottle back to the fridge and pulled out a small bottle with a pretty, gold-foil label. Regular tonic water wouldn’t do for this recipe. The folks at the bar looked on, enthralled. It was like they’d never seen a witch in action before.

The bottle hovered in front of her chest and she glanced up, making eye contact with the woman who’d ordered the drink.

Mentally, Cassia sent the bottle cap flying.

The woman clapped, and Cassia grinned.

She didn’t have time to search the crowd for the mystery man Lesley was fixated on. Instead, she nudged the bubbly water toward the readied glass and tipped it carefully. At the same time, she tilted the jigger of gin so the two liquids would mix in a mesmerizing spiral.

The woman oohed-and-ahhed.

Picking up speed, Cassia plopped in a scoop of marble-sized, clear ice cubes. With a quick sweep of her hand across the top of the glass, she squeezed in the juice from a lime wedge.

“Club G’s G&T,” she said, and finished the drink by hand-placing slices of strawberry around the perimeter of the goblet, and a spiral of lime zest on a metal spike shaped like a crucifix. The vamps got a kick out of that.

“Show off,” Lesley said and blew Cassia a kiss.

There was a shift in the room’s energy, and Cassia’s gaze swept the crowd. The only ones showing her any attention were cozied up to the bar, but she’d learned to heed her higher senses.

Luckily, the Stigward crew was in the house tonight, and no doubt Basil would keep her eye out for trouble. The group of elite warriors sat across the room on the raised platform that lined the wall. They were total badasses, and most of the women in the crowd—and even some men—would try to get their attention before the night was up.

“Seriously, you should go say hello,” Lesley said, nodding her head toward the other side of the space, and then rattled off her order. Cassia popped the top on two bottles of beer and put them on Lesley’s tray.

“What are you girls chattering on about?” Xavier asked as he passed, a rack of glassware in hand. The big Black vamp liked to act as if he didn’t gossip as much as the girls did, but spoiler alert. He totally gabbed. But as a bartender, he also had a great ear and gave excellent advice. It didn’t hurt that he’d been around longer than some countries.

“The hottie drooling over Cassia,” Lesley said, as she added two glasses of water to her tray. She gave a little eyebrow wiggle for emphasis.

Cassia shot the other bartender a ‘whatcha gonna do’ shrug.

Truth be told, she had felt a tingling at the back of her neck for a while now, but every time she had a chance to look up, no one had been glancing her way.

That didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t being watched. In a club full of shapeshifters, vampires and witches, her senses were often a little…off. And these were the best hunters in the world. They could blend in with their surroundings, holding so still you didn’t even see them.

But, because she didn’t sense any dark energy, she brushed it off as one of those things. After all, she had been putting on a show with that gin and tonic. It would have almost been disappointing if no one had been watching.

Lesley took her tray and headed back into the sea of black leather, lace, and satin. Located in the heart of New Orleans, Club G was known only to the paranormal world. It boasted luxurious, Gothic décor, and a clientele that dressed the part. Some showed up in their all-black outfits for fun, like they were wearing a costume. And for others, it was their permanent style.

Cassia preferred her dark-wash jeans and black tank tops. A pair of quality boots rounded out her practical outfit. Blessedly, the Lacroix brothers had never established a dress code.

Cassia wasn’t like Lesley. Fishnet stockings weren’t her thing. Neither were intricate corsets of satin with chrome accents. Tonight, Lesley wore what she lovingly referred to as her Queen of Hearts dress. The black fabric hugged her curves, fell to mid-thigh, had sheer sleeves and an upside-down heart cutout above her cleavage. A pair of black thigh-highs and practical, but bedazzled, sneakers finished the look. Her long, silver hair quickly disappeared into the crowd.

As another order popped out of the machine, the music slowed and the couples on the dance floor began to sway.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and a flush of awareness raced over her skin. She’d learned to listen to that sixth sense, as she called it. More than any of the other five, it could be trusted.

She paused with the order in hand and surveyed the room. It wasn’t danger that alerted her, but expectation. Anticipation. Someone or something was about to happen.

The crowd drifted apart as if she’d asked them to clear a path.

Across the way, a man stared at her from beneath a collection of lanterns. He was utterly still. The distance made it impossible to detect the color of his eyes. But she could tell how watchful he was, not missing a detail.

A vampire?

They were often still and then stealthy when they hunted.

But there was something about his broad shoulders that made her scratch that option. He was hiding a mass of muscle beneath a pale, button-down shirt and a dark-toned vest. A slim tie completed the posh look.

Holy smokes. Who knew the buttoned up, casual-but-preppy look was such a turn-on?

“Everything okay?” Xavier called down the bar to her.

“Yeah.” She gave her friend a nod and a small smile. It was their code. No smile meant that everything was not okay.

He gave her a chin thrust of acknowledgment and went back to pouring drinks. When she glanced across the room again the crowd had merged but, through the swaying bodies, she saw the stranger talking to the man at his side.

Was he the reason she’d felt eyes on her?

Who was he? What was he?

And why did she feel so drawn to him? It wasn’t like the club lacked hot guys. On any given night, she could take her pick.

But her eyes were drawn to him. In fact, her entire body felt compelled to move in his direction.

How odd.

But not bad.

Curiosity piqued, she finished the latest round of orders and then volunteered to take a tray of shots to the bachelorette party.

“Maddie!” one of the women yelled, waving to the strawberry-blonde, encouraging her to join them on the dance floor.

Cassia narrowly avoided a collision with a guy who was more concerned with showing off than where he was going.

As Cassia approached her destination, the woman, Maddie, stood frozen and a little wide-eyed.

“Liquid courage?” Cassia asked, offering the tray.

Maddie’s eyes darted between Cassia, the shot glasses, and her friends on the dance floor. Another head-bopping beat bounced off the brick walls.

The woman’s other friends gave her a playful shove before reaching around her for a small, frosted glass of tequila. But she was stuck, immobile.

“What have you got to lose?” Cassia asked.

That was her motto. It’d served her well. Perhaps age had made her curious. Or bold. But she’d lived in the shadows long enough that when she saw something she wanted, she went for it.

And this woman was looking like the dance floor was both triple-layer-chocolate-mousse-cake and the worst idea she’d ever had.

But then, with a little nod and an almost imperceptible straightening of her spine, she reached for one of the little frosted glasses. Tossing back the tequila, she coughed, patting her chest and then before the fire even had time to reach her belly, she stepped around Cassia onto the dance floor.

“Go get ’em girl,” Cassia murmured, turning to watch the girls gyrate. They were happy dancing together, but men moved in quickly. Circling and surrounding the women like prey.

A quick glance toward her mystery man confirmed that he was looking at her again. Gael, the butler at the Stigward house, was talking to him, but he kept his eyes locked on her.

Since the Stigwardians kept to themselves, she assumed he was a friend or colleague. The idea that he might be the newest member of the New Orleans team, that she might see him on a more regular basis, sent a tremor of desire through her tummy.

From this angle she guessed his eyes were blue, or maybe a light slate.

Most men would have found an excuse to talk to her already. Or hit on her. The fact that he remained in his seat, watchful, obviously interested but didn’t make his move, intrigued her.

Perhaps more than it should have.

She headed back to the bar, giving herself a stern reminder that she didn’t mix her business with her pleasure. Which was too bad.

Because Lesley was right. He was a major hottie. More importantly, there was something about the big man that told her he could take her for a ride.

And rules were meant to be broken…

Newsletter subscribers get a free copy of Bewitched by His Fated Mate.

Rules were made to be broken

One of my favorite lines from Bewitched by His Fated Mate…

…rules were meant to be broken…

The last thing he needs right now is a mate.

Bloody hell. How inconvenient.

Werewolf Byron Adwell prides himself on his hard-won self-control. 

He’s hours away from beginning the most important job of his life. What seemed like a harmless drink with his new team suddenly feels like fate is meddling. His restraint is tested like never before the moment he spots her.

The gorgeous green-eyed, raven-haired witch has a magnetic energy that calls to him like a siren. She walked straight out of his dreams into the exclusive New Orleans club for paranormals.

What’s more, she makes him want to forget all his training, his plans, his duty.

This can’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

Not with the lives of the six resident Stigward Guardians in Byron’s hands. His time, focus and dedication must be on them, on his work.

He absolutely, positively does not have time for a mate.

Bewitched by His Fated Mate hits ereaders December 15th, 2020!

Cover Reveal – Bewitched by His Fated Mate

Raise your hand if you love a good fated mates romance.

*waves hands wildly*

For me, it’s the knowledge that your other half is out there, waiting for you. Maybe searching. Or in Byron Adwell’s case, not searching. He’s got things to do.

Important things… But you know what they say about best-laid plans!

Quick question: are you signed up for my mailing list? Because if you are, you get a free copy of Bewitched by His Fated Mate Tuesday, December 15th!

First round of beta readers are done!

Congrats to Jacqueline for reaching the finish line first!

Everley was a close second. Everley and Tina are taking home Busy Bee badges this week along with my heartfelt appreciation.

A big thank you to these ladies for helping make Bewitched by His Fated Mate as good as it can be!