Liza Street's Blog: not your grandma's romantic fiction, page 17
November 28, 2017
Book Giveaways (including paranormal romance)!
I’ve been really lucky to take part in some great giveaways and book promotions lately. Here are a few that are happening now! Feel free to browse through (click the images or the descriptions beneath) and find some new favorite books. 
November 15, 2017
7 Shifter Heroes I Have Known and Loved
*This post first appeared on McKenna Dean’s blog on 9/19/17.
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We all have book boyfriends, the fictional men who make our hearts beat faster and could probably convince us to step out of our warm reading chairs and join them in a more dangerous, paranormal setting. (Probably. I mean, only if I could still wear my ratty old yoga pants.) Here are seven shapeshifting hotties, in no particular order–
Clayton Danvers from Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Clay was my first shifter heartthrob, and he will always hold a special place in my heart. Despite the violent acts he does to ensure the safety of his pack and his questionable behavior toward Elena in the early stages of their relationship (which I won’t spoil just in case there are one or two PNR fans who haven’t yet read this book), I fell hard for his southern accent and his absolute devotion to his mate. In my head, he’s even hotter than the guy who plays him in the television series. Is he flawed? Very much so. But since he’s my first, I go easier on him.
Matt Barns from Gray Back Bad Bear by T.S. Joyce
It’s impossible for me to talk about how much I love Matt without saying how much I love his mate, Willa. These two were absolutely perfect together, at turns vulnerable and hilarious. Willa, especially, brought some geeky levity to their relationship, and while I adore Matt on his own, I love him even more with Willa.
Arik from When an Alpha Purrs by Eve Langlais
So this guy is completely vain, especially about his hair (that is, his “mane”), but…I sort of loved him for it. Sure, I also wanted to throttle him, but I liked that even though he thought so highly of himself and his mane, he was still vulnerable with his friends. His vanity was great for laughs.
Alcide Herveaux from Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Alcide…sigh. I really couldn’t care less about Bill or Eric. I wanted Sookie to end up with Alcide. Of course, a whole lot of random complications kept them apart throughout the series, but for a while there, I was Team Alcide.
Lucas Hunter from Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Okay, I’ll be honest. I read Slave to Sensation a long time ago and I can’t remember any details about Lucas except that he was totally hot and there was tons of sexual tension. Hmm, might be due for a re-read….
Derren Hudson from Spiral of Need by Suzanne Wright
If you love a good alphahole, you will love Derren. He starts off the story with all kinds of prejudice against Seers, and of course the heroine just happens to be a Seer. He’s controlling and derisive and super controlling. Something about Ally has him rethinking his prejudices, and you know what happens to a controlling man whose worldview is challenged? He’s cranky. So yes, Derren’s an alphahole. If you don’t like violent sex, this book might not be for you. (Not violent as in non-consensual or rapey, if I’m remembering correctly. Just…violent. Explosive. Demanding.)
Adam Hauptman from Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Hello, Hot Neighbor! This dude is just solid. Solidly built, and solid at heart. I don’t want to say too much and spoil later events in the series, so I’ll just say that I absolutely adore his love-hate relationship with Mercedes in Moon Called, and the way she teases him by leaving an eyesore junker car in sight of his house. Sa-woon. I love those two.
So those are my guys! Who’s your favorite shifter hero?
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In case you haven’t joined my newsletter yet, you can sign up here and get some free shifter romance goodies!
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November 1, 2017
Wild Atonement – a New Shifter Romance Set in the Dark Pines Pride
Eeeee! I’m so excited about Hayley’s book!
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Foul-mouthed shifter Hayley Jaynes is determined to prove herself trustworthy and responsible. Even considering dating grizzly shifter Marius Nichols would be directly at odds with her goal. He’s wild, he’s done wrong to her family, and he’s so hot that she doesn’t trust herself around him. Too bad she needs a fake boyfriend, and he’s her only choice. There’s no harm in having a little fun on their not-dates, until her inner mountain lion is screaming for more.
Marius deserves worse than Hayley’s scorn, and he knows it. Bad enough he helped torment her family—there are more secrets he’s keeping. If they came to light, he knows Hayley would never forgive him. One kiss and Marius can’t get enough, one lie and it’s over before he can tell his mate what she means to him.
But in the Dark Pines territory, secrets have a way of coming out, and when an old treaty between Hayley’s family and a rival pride puts Hayley in danger, Marius must put aside his guilt and step in, or risk losing his mate forever.
Wild Atonement is part of the Dark Pines Pride series, but it stands alone and has an HEA. As usual, it’s starting out at 99 cents on Amazon and it’s in Kindle Unlimited! I hope you love it as much as I do.
October 25, 2017
Hunks & Howls – A Paranormal Romance Giveaway
This is a paranormal romance giveaway on BookFunnel, a fantastic book-sharing site that I recently joined. Stop on by to collect 30 FREE paranormal and shapeshifter romance books!
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October 18, 2017
Corona Pride – Shapeshifter Romance Book Sale
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If you’re a paranormal romance lover and you haven’t yet snagged my Corona Pride series, this might be your best chance to do so! The first book, Savage Yearning, is free through Sunday 10/22, and the others are marked down to 99 cents as countdown deals! Each book stands alone and features a separate couple with their own HEA, but together the books tell a larger story. Click the titles for each book’s Amazon page.
(Please note: At the moment, Amazon doesn’t enable authors to do countdown deals anywhere except the US and UK. I’m not voluntarily leaving out other countries! Savage Yearning is free everywhere, though!)
Mountain lion shifter Laura has tried to avoid Dristan, the guy in her pride who rocked her world during an amazing one-night stand. But when vampires invade their territory, they’re forced to work together. In order to defend their pride, they must confront the desire that threatens to consume them.
Brigitte Mayfair has worked hard to keep herself cool, professional, and detached after the scandal she left behind in Michigan. But when she’s abducted, then released three days later with no memory of her captivity, she feels anything but cool and professional. Mountain lion shapeshifter Rafe Corona has purposefully kept his distance from all potential mates, believing that he doesn’t deserve happiness. Something about Brigitte calls to him, though. He must overcome the danger that threatens to keep them apart and find the passion hidden within them both, or risk losing her forever.
Famous in the book-blogging world for her honestly hilarious romance reviews, mountain lion shapeshifter Nina Vidal detests the irony of her life—she makes a living off of analyzing happily-ever-afters, but her own HEA is sadly out of reach. Grizzly shifter Jameson Cooper has enough on his mind without worrying about the sexy lion girl who’s taking over his clan. But he finds himself drawn to her again and again. When it turns out that vampire trouble has followed her from the Corona Pride and Jameson’s clan wants to turn Nina away, Jameson must fight to keep her safe and close by his side.
Gracie Jane Moseley, a vampire, has had over a hundred years to thirst after revenge for her lover’s murder by the local sheriff. When she learns one of the sheriff’s descendants is living right here in Belnedge, Montana, she can’t wait to sink her fangs into him and sate her rage…and her thirst. Mountain lion shifter Frasier Rhees has been wishing for a mate for years and Gracie Jane captivates him, body and soul. Determined to overcome his pride’s loathing of the vampires, Frasier’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep Gracie Jane close, even if it puts him in danger.
When mountain lion shifter Viviana Corona’s rebellious streak nearly lands her in the hands of hostile vampires, her mother hires a bodyguard…a human. Seth Hudson’s widowed mother accrues astronomical gambling debts, and now Seth will take any good-paying job he can find to help her get well again. He didn’t count on falling in love with the sexy little shifter he’s hired to protect, but when he faces the prospect of losing her to a crazed vampire, he realizes he’ll risk anything to get her back.
October 11, 2017
Film Discussion – No Men Beyond This Point
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In a world where women have become asexual and are no longer giving birth to males, a quiet, unassuming housekeeper named Andrew Myers (Patrick Gilmore) finds himself at the center of a battle to keep men from going extinct.
My husband and I still argue over who added this DVD to our Netflix queue, and once it arrived, it took us weeks to sit down and actually watch it. But once we did, we were delightfully surprised. It’s awkward at points, which isn’t our usual comedy preference, but the concept was interesting, and the images of men doing all the manual household labor was…well, I don’t know that it was funny, except maybe for the visual of a male character hanging bras and panties out on a clothesline.
The film is set up as a documentary, and focuses on a household run by two women who have “hired” a man to keep house. He’s the youngest man alive–the last male infant to be born. A forbidden romance develops, and it was fascinating.
Men are definitely set up as second-class citizens, which I think was supposed to be humorous on its own. It’s…funny, I guess? Except for the fact that it’s too easy to see the roles reversed, and that’s not funny at all. I mean, I read The Handmaid’s Tale. So other than the clothesline part, I wasn’t really laughing.
The subject matter was at turns humorous, enraging, and sad, and if my husband still refuses to take credit for choosing this DVD for our queue, well, I’ll happily shoulder the responsibility.
October 4, 2017
Wild Homecoming – a New Paranormal Romance
Writing news – I’ve got a brand new release to share with you, for a brand new shifter romance series!
The brief version is that the Dark Pines Pride features three mountain lion shifter siblings who are finally coming home after four years of wandering. The first book features Jackson, a funny, laid-back guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.
Screw the territory—all he wants is her.
Summer Grieb is thrilled to be single. Her butthole ex stole her credit info and the resulting legal battles have pretty much thrown her off guys forever. She gets along just fine with her online friend, Jackson, with whom she exchanges messages nearly every day. He’s safe because he’s always on the road and they’ll likely never meet in person.
Mountain lion shifter Jackson Jaynes is willing to risk everything, even his relationship with his siblings, to return to the Dark Pines territory and meet the woman who sends him those funny, flirty messages. But when his return sparks a new wave of violence, he’ll have to decide whether to fight it out, or leave home again, in order to keep Summer safe.
Like all of my books, Wild Homecoming is a paranormal shapeshifter romance with an HEA, steamy sexytimes, and an abundance of naughty language. I’m extremely thrilled to share it with you! It’s 99 cents on Amazon, and it’s a part of the Kindle Unlimited program, so free to KU subscribers!
September 27, 2017
Why Paranormal Romance Rocks
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to McKenna Dean, author of The Panther’s Lost Princess. I’m really excited about her book, which sounds awesome!
Liza Street invited me on her website to share with you what I love about paranormal romances. Thanks for having me here, Liza!
I love ‘what if’ questions. What if a vampire wanted to live a normal life? What if a gargoyle wanted to be human? What if gaining special powers didn’t make your life fantastic but utterly ruined it instead? Does reincarnation exist, and if so, are we doomed to repeat our past mistakes?
To me, this is the meat and drink of storytelling. Despite being a pragmatic, no-nonsense person in my day job, I have a closet weakness for romance. I want to see lovers overcome odds to end up together. I want my protagonists to battle circumstances and self-doubt to wind up in a happily-ever-after ending. I might wear sensible shoes to work, but in my daydreams, I’m sporting Cinderella’s glass slippers. I might decry overt sentimentalism in my daily life, but I long to have a romantic proposal under circumstances that hold meaning for me. I wear Victoria’s Secret lingerie under work coveralls. My fingernails must stay short and painted with only clear nail polish, but I splurge on fantastic colors with my toenails. There is a hidden element of ‘naughty’ that runs through every aspect of my daily life.
Or maybe not naughty so much as secret. Yeah, the average person on the street has no idea what’s going on inside my head on a given day, and I like that. I think that’s something else that draws me to shifter stories—stories where characters must make peace with what they truly are and stories where being yourself isn’t necessarily an easy path. I think many of us understand what it’s like to be ‘Other’ and not part of the in crowd.
I realize contemporary romance outsells every other subgenre. I’m proud of the contemporary stories I’ve written. But by far and large, I need that little ‘twist’ that makes a story different, that takes it out of the ordinary. That’s what truly makes writing fun. Paranormal romance does that for me. I have the focus on the couple, which I love, but I also get the ‘what if’ questions and the world-building that results out of it.
[image error]Ellie, my heroine in The Panther’s Lost Princess, is at first glance a very average person. Raised in foster care and on her own as a young adult, she has dreams of leaving her life as a waitress behind and making it big as a singer. Only deep down, she harbors a fear that she might be some kind of monster—that there was a reason her parents abandoned her as a baby. What if she’s not wrong? What if some terrible creature really does live inside of her? Will she be able to control it? Come to terms with it?
I love that. I love working with that kind of uncertainty, and throwing Ellie head first into a world she wasn’t aware of when she meets our hero, Jack Ferris. I thrill to the politics behind shifter clans, and whether or not people would be open about their shifter status. I like knowing that the rules I’ve created for shifters work in my universe, and that they have a sort of weird logic to them.
Having fun is important to me as a writer. Sure, I might be more popular if I churned out more formulaic stories that fell into the category with the highest demand by readers, but bottom line, the straightforward contemporary doesn’t grab me to the same degree as the ‘story with a twist’. A certain amount of conflict is necessary for good storytelling. Paranormal romances seem to give me greater scope for introducing that conflict without having it be a simple misunderstanding or a seemingly endless back-and-forth dance between the protagonists, when in reality, there is often very little reason they can’t be together. I prefer romantic suspense stories to the average ‘boy meets girl’ because I crave the kind of excitement I don’t get in my real life. As a reader, I’m always going to choose wands, magic rings, and spaceships over just about any other stories, so it only makes sense I want to play with dragons, wolves, and tigers in my own tales.
[image error]McKenna Dean has been an actress, a vet tech, a singer, a teacher, a biologist, and a dog trainer. Finally she realized all these jobs were just a preparation for what she really wanted to be: a writer.
She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her family, dogs, cats, and various livestock.
She likes putting her characters in hot water to see how strong they are. Like tea bags, only sexier.
You can find McKenna’s book, The Panther’s Lost Princess, here on Amazon!
Links:
Website: http://mckennadeanromance.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B075CRHQ7B/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/McKenna-Dean-Author-262328784224302/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/McKennaDeanFic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckennadeanromance/?hl=en
Tumblr: https://mckennadeanromance.tumblr.com/
Email: mckennadeanromance@gmail.com
September 6, 2017
The Rose King – Now for Sale!
Subscribers to my newsletter have been getting installments for free online, but for those of you who want an ebook they can put on their Kindle, Nook, or Apple device, that can happen now!
He will have to fight for the woman he loved and lost.
Rex has known since he was a teenager that his neighbor, Gemma, is the one for him. But as a wolf shifter, he’s been told that his life is too violent to bind himself to a fragile human. For the past eight years, he’s been fighting in cage matches and trying to forget the woman who holds his heart.
Now that Gemma has found her long-lost best friend, she can’t believe he’s the Rose King, a violent fighter. When cruel men want to control Rex, Gemma must confront the reason he left her, all those years ago. If she knows the truth about him, can their love endure?
The Rose King is available now on iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Amazon, Scribd, and Thalia! You can click this link, which is a universal book link and will magically whisk you to your online retailer of preference (if you haven’t used it before, you can set your preference. If you want to change your preference now or later, that’s possible, too).
August 30, 2017
First in Series Freebie Event and Book Sale!
For the next three days, Savage Yearning and many other first-in-series books will be FREE. You can try out lots of new authors without handing over your hard-earned cash! Click here to check out the event, or click the image below:
To help celebrate the First in Series Freebie event, Savage Loss is a Kindle Countdown deal. With a Kindle Countdown deal, a book’s price incrementally goes up, so grab it today if you want the best value.
