Zoe Ashwood's Blog, page 6

When Things Get Hot (in Trust the Wolf)

A sexy excerpt from Trust the Wolf by Zoe Ashwood

 

If you missed the first chapter of Trust the Wolf, you can read it here, but I have something spicier for you today! I hope you enjoy this little excerpt! 

 

 

Emilia followed him through the crowd, her hand gripping his as she bobbed to the music. At first, she stared around, awe and fear mingling in her expression; the shifters pressing in around them were a multicolored, sweaty mass of creatures. He tried seeing them through her eyes, taking in the sheer diversity of species and the variety of scents.

 

He saw the moment she noticed a pair of shifters against the wall of mirrors, one man leaning against the glass with his head thrown back, eyes closed, while the other man knelt in front of him. Her grip on Jason’s arm tightened, nails digging into the fabric of his shirt. A spike in her breathing was all the warning he had before the gut-punch smell of her desire hit him like a ton of bricks. He let himself feel the music and she caught his rhythm. They swayed together, hands finding skin, lips meeting lips until he no longer knew where his body ended and hers began. She snuck her fingers under the hem of his shirt and Jason hissed in a breath as he felt her palms on his back. Pulling her closer, hands on her ass, he ground his hips into hers.

 

Emilia arched her back and offered him her neck, surrendering without knowing it was the ultimate move of submission for a wolf. There was nothing submissive about Emilia, she took as good as she gave in every touch, every kiss, and yet she gave him this trust. Jason would have howled in triumph if he’d been a wolf just then, and he slid one hand to cup the back of her head as he bit her neck lightly. She moaned, frantic, and the sound sent bolts of lust running down his spine. He was hard as a rock and moments from lifting her up, spreading her legs and sheathing himself inside her heat.

 

The smell of her arousal was driving him insane, even more so because he knew others could sense it, too. Only an idiot would try to come between a wolf shifter and his mate—his mate. Was this why she was so irresistible for him? How could he be so sure of her after spending so little time together?

 

He hissed, refusing to think about that now that he had her in his arms, and bit down harder on her neck; she gasped and clawed at his shirt with increasing urgency. All Jason wanted was to take her against the cool mirrors that would reflect their passion back to the—fuck. Back to the dozens of shifters in this goddamn club.

 

He drew back from the kiss, making Emilia protest with a moan as she tried to chase his lips with hers. Smirking, he caught her hands in his.

 

“Em, let’s get out of here.”

 

Annnnd that's it! Sorry, folks! Trust the Wolf will be on your Kindles soon - make sure you preorder on Amazon and add it to Goodreads! 

 

Happy reading!

Zoe

Trust the Wolf Chapter 1

Read the first chapter of my upcoming novel, Trust the Wolf!

I'm so happy to share my first chapter with you! I hope you like it - we have less than a month to go before TRUST THE WOLF release. Enjoy!

 

 

Chapter One

 

Emilia

 

 

The music in the club throbbed louder, assaulting Emilia’s sensitive eardrums. It was past midnight, and she was grumpy as a bear. She couldn’t shake the feeling that people were watching her as she sat alone at the table, and the first tendrils of a headache unfurled behind her eyeballs. She’d just about had it with this evening.

The blind date Anaya had set her up with hadn’t shown, leaving her as the odd one out with a couple eager to party. Anaya swore she’d murder the guy, but Emilia told her not to bother. Blind dates were always torture, and she’d have weaseled out of this one if her friend had let her. So Emilia couldn’t really blame him for bailing. She’d never let Anaya set her up again, though.

Gulping down the remains of her cosmopolitan, she set the glass on the table with a click. She found Anaya’s gaze in the crowd, where she was dancing with her date, pointed toward the opposite end of the club, and mouthed, “Bathroom.”

She picked up her purse, took a quick, shallow breath, and dove into the mass of people. Insomnia, the newest sensation of New York City’s Meatpacking district, was crammed full of sweaty, gyrating bodies that jumped and swayed under flashing lights. The smells mixing in the hot air were enough to make Emilia’s head spin. Perfume and spirits, hairspray and body odor. She lifted her head in search of a gust of fresher air from the vents but had no luck.

A hand snaked from the crowd and clamped down on her wrist. She tugged, but the person only squeezed tighter. Annoyed, she followed the arm to its owner and met the narrowed eyes of a thin, disheveled man. He grinned at her, leering, and Emilia’s sense of unease tingled. She pulled again, ready to yell at him, but a pair of women came barreling through the crush, each holding two cocktail glasses high above their heads.

One cut between them and shouted, “Ex-cuse me! Coming through!”

The man released her and was gone. Emilia shook off the encounter and headed toward the restrooms. The third DJ of the evening was about to start his show, and the crowd coming from the bathroom jostled her as she fought her way in the opposite direction. She decided then and there to call it a night.

She placed her hands under a cold tap, cooling her wrists, and pressed her palms against her hot cheeks. Her reflection stared back at her, sweaty and annoyed. Pulling her long black hair into a ponytail to keep it off her sticky neck, she stepped into the hallway.

A body slammed into her, pushing her into the wall. Her breath got knocked out of her lungs, and her head hit the concrete with a painful thump. Rancid body odor assaulted her nose, and she flinched from it instinctively. This cost her; the man seized her wrists and pinned her arms to her sides, leaning so close, his entire body was plastered to hers.

Emilia gasped in pain. What the hell? Her instincts kicked in, and she struggled, but the man—the same man who’d grabbed her wrist earlier—just gripped her tighter, his fingernails digging into her skin. She gagged from the smell of his breath and fought to get her stomach under control. Her muscles tensed, and she jerked, trying to wrench away, but it was impossible with the wall at her back. I need to get out of here, fast.

“Get off me!”

Remembering a self-defense trick Mat had taught her in high school, she lifted her foot and slammed it onto the man’s instep, but their legs were too close together.

“Keep fighting, little cub,” he rasped in her ear, then licked it with a hot tongue.

She shuddered, revolted, and twitched away. He released one of her wrists to paw at her breast. Her first thought was to slap his hand, but she gritted her teeth and cupped her free palm instead, remembering Mat’s lessons. With as much force as she could gather, she slammed the palm onto his exposed ear.

He staggered to the side, releasing her, just as she’d expected, and she wasted no time in breaking free, ready to run and scream for help. Why hadn’t anyone noticed yet? From a distance, they probably looked like a couple hooking up in the empty hall. Picking up her pace, she started down the hallway toward the crowd and caught a glimpse of the man who was already regaining his balance, his face contorted with fury, lunging after her once more.

Before he reached her, a dark shape hurtled into him from the side, and his body collided with the wall, a sickening crunch punctuating a quiet lull in the music. The man howled and crumpled to the sticky floor, clutching his wrist to his chest.

Emilia stared, wide-eyed, at the tall man who’d stopped her attacker and now crouched to speak in a voice too quiet to carry over the music. He pulled something—a card?—from the jerk’s jacket pocket and inspected it. When he was done, the smelly guy on the floor grabbed his card and backed away in an awkward crab-like crawl. He stumbled to his feet and disappeared down the passage. Emilia retreated a step, ready to escape into the crowd, when her savior stood to his full height and turned to her.

Her breath caught in her throat at the feral look on his face. He was furious—but not with her. His gaze was already softening and losing some of its wildness.

He stepped closer, his hand out like he was trying to calm a frightened animal, and Emilia realized she was still tensed to run, half-turned toward the exit. She made herself straighten up.

“Are you okay?” he asked. His voice was deep and low, barely audible in the loud hallway.

Emilia’s heartbeat slowed, her breaths no longer fast and panicked, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. His scent hit her nostrils, fresh clothes and spicy man, and she found herself leaning forward—both to hear him better and to get another whiff. Then she pressed her mouth into a thin line. Don’t sniff people in public.

“Yes.” She schooled her expression into a neutral one, eager to appear as unaffected as possible. “And thanks. For scaring him off.” She waved her arm in the direction her attacker had disappeared.

“No problem.” A small smile tugged at the corner of his serious mouth. “I thought you had it covered, but damn hyenas never know when to quit. They’re a fucking nightmare to track.”

She laughed, surprised and intrigued. “Hyena. I’ve never heard it used as an insult before, but it fits.”

He gave her a strange look. “It wasn’t an insult.”

“Oh.” Emilia frowned, unsure how to proceed. Was she supposed to be in on the joke? “Well, thanks again…” She trailed off and lifted her eyebrows in question.

“Jason.” He extended his hand toward her.

“Emilia.” His palm was big and warm, and he squeezed hers in a firm grip, his hazel eyes still locked on her.

Their handshake was just a bit too long to be formal, but she dropped his hand before things could get awkward. She cursed the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Now’s not the time.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll need your ID to file an incident report.” He was already pulling his phone from the pocket of his jeans. He wasn’t as affected by that handshake as she was, apparently, and Emilia fought to keep her cool.

“And I’m reporting his card number right now.” His thumbs flew as he typed. The light from the screen illuminated his face from beneath, shadows playing at the edge of his sharp jaw. “I fucking hate paperwork,” he muttered as if talking to himself.

Emilia studied him curiously. He didn’t look like the other club bouncers she’d seen around the dance floor, but maybe that was the point. Maybe he was undercover. Her lips turned up at the thought.

How dramatic.

She picked her ID card from her purse and handed it to him. “Here.”

Jason glanced up from his phone, then frowned at her. “I need your SANA card.”

“My what?”

“Your SANA card. This is your human ID. I need your registration number.”

She stared at him. Were they speaking the same language? “Excuse me?”

He was staring at her intently, his straight eyebrows drawing down in a frown. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I need you to hand over your identification now.”

She shoved her ID card back into her purse. He started at her abrupt movement and retreated a step, and Emilia got the sense he was sizing her up as an opponent.

She stepped back, too, though that put her even farther from the dance floor and the safety of the crowd. Too bad the guy was weird, because he was really hot. And he smelled amazing. But he wasn’t making any sense, and she was too tired to deal with this.

“Sorry,” she said. “That’s the only ID I’m carrying.”

“You’re supposed to carry your SANA ID at all times. Why can’t you follow the rules? It’s not that hard.” Now he sounded more annoyed than angry, like he dealt with this sort of thing a lot.

“Right,” Emilia said and nodded like this meant something to her.

He clearly thought she was some other person. In different circumstances, she’d have stayed to clear the misunderstanding, but right now, she wanted to go home, shower off the stench of the club, and sleep for fourteen hours. She stepped to the side, intending to move past him, but he shifted just slightly in her direction, not threatening but watchful.

His gaze swept her body, but she had the distinct feeling that this look wasn’t sexual. She still squirmed under the attention. There was something to be said about having such a man focus so completely on her. His nostrils twitched, and he closed the distance between them again, his posture relaxing.

“Why are you so confused?” His eyes were strangely bright as he waited for her answer.

“Uh, because you’re not making any sense. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

She glanced around and relaxed a little. Another couple wandered along the passage, so there was no danger of getting cornered by this guy. Yeah, a definite pity. In other circumstances, she wouldn’t mind getting cornered by such a fine male specimen. He was tall and lean, and his broad shoulders stretched his t-shirt to perfection.

“Shit.” Whatever the correct answer was to his question, she didn’t pass the test. He grabbed the back of his head with both hands and blew out a long breath. “Okay. Uh. Wait, please.” He seemed to be debating something with himself, then leaned right into her personal space and inhaled sharply.

Emilia jerked away and retreated until her back hit the wall. “Did you just smell me?” she asked, her voice shriller than she wished. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Really, was it too much to ask not to meet two freaks in one evening? And her senses deserted her in a really bad moment, because this guy didn’t feel weird. Apart from confusing her with someone else, he seemed nice. No, not nice. Dangerous, but not to me. Still. It was time to put this conversation to an end if her instinct wasn’t working properly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she pointed at him. “No. That’s enough. First that creep licked my ear, and now you’re sniffing me and talking like a crazy person. I’m done with this.” She felt like a hypocrite, going off on him about sniffing her when she’d done the same just moments ago.

She turned to walk back toward her friends, but he danced around her, his arms held out in a gesture that was probably meant to look non-threatening.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I had to check.”

“Check what?” She was close to yelling, and a pair of women passing them on their way to the bathroom turned to glance behind her.

“Please,” he said, his beautiful eyes earnest. “Keep it down. I’ll tell you everything, just please, calm down.” He kept his voice low, but his stance was still tense.

“I don’t need you to tell me everything, I need you to get the hell out of my way.”

He sent her an exasperated glare. “How about this: I stay out of your comfort zone and you give me five minutes to ask you some questions.”

“Are you trying to sell me something?”

He barked out a laugh. “No. I’m trying to figure out if you know you’re a shifter.”

“A what?” she asked.

“That’s a no, then. Fuck. I’m not sure I’m the right person for this.” He paced back and forth, his footsteps completely silent. He stopped abruptly in front of her. “This is going to sound weird, but I have to ask: have you ever, uh, turned into a bear?”

“A bear.” Emilia lifted her arms and dropped them back down. “What does that—” She trailed off and shook her head. “You know what, my friends are probably wondering where I am. I really have to go now.”

The man—Jason—seemed as frustrated as she felt, his frown deepening. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I know I sound like I’ve fucking lost it,” he said. “But I’m asking you, please, to stick with me for just a minute.”

Something in his expression made her stop. He didn’t look crazy despite his words; he, at least, seemed to understand what he was saying.

“Were you adopted?”

Emilia went still. Was this another random question? “Yes,” she said. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Jason closed the distance between them, and she didn’t flee. His clean scent tickled her senses, making it harder to think. Why, why couldn’t she have met him half an hour earlier? They’d have danced and flirted, and maybe she’d even have found out if his lips were as firm as they looked.

“What happened to your birth parents?” His question was serious, but his gaze was focused on her with predatory intensity, and she shook her head, suddenly certain he somehow read her thoughts.

“My birth mother died at the hospital hours after she had me.” Why was she was sharing this information with a stranger? But she’d already begun, so she added, “I don’t know who she was, or what happened with my birth father.”

He nodded like he expected a similar answer. “Has anyone ever acted strange around you? Or maybe something weird happened to you?”

Emilia started to shake her head but stopped. She remembered a cute guy in college who’d always taken a seat right behind her, which had made her think he was trying to gather the courage to ask her out, until she’d found him sniffing her hair that one time. And the angry owner of a bakery near Columbia University who’d chased her out of her shop with shrill yells in Polish that Emilia had interpreted as insults to her brown skin.

And the time just after her father’s death when she woke up in her bed, naked, with the covers and the magazine she was reading shredded to ribbons, and a blank, vacant period in her memory.

She swallowed and refocused on Jason, who gave her a knowing look.

“Okay, so people are weird,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Nothing new there.”

She didn’t like to think about the Naked Incident, as she’d dubbed it. It had scared her enough that she got herself tested for all sorts of neurological conditions. Of course, she hadn’t considered the obvious option—that she’d turned into a bear. A giggle that bordered on hysterical escaped her, and Jason stepped closer, a worried furrow appearing between his brows. She shook her head and composed herself.

“I think you’re a half-blood shifter,” he said finally. “One of your parents was human, and the other must have been a bear shifter. Probably your father since your mother died at a human hospital.”

“I still don’t understand what you’re talking about. What’s a shifter?”

“A shapeshifter. A person whose body can take two forms, one that looks human and the other that looks animal.”

Emilia blinked at him. There wasn’t the slightest tic or twitch to betray him and reveal this as some perverse joke. He sounded so sure of himself. His voice was level, his expression calm and assertive.

Emilia tried to come up with a polite way to phrase her worries but ended up blurting out, “Do you actually believe there are people who can turn into animals?”

“Yeah.”

Emilia nodded. “Of course you do. And my father was a bear.” She inched back toward the dance floor. This was too much madness for one evening. “You know, it’s been really nice talking to you, but I have to go now.”

She trailed off as Jason took off his t-shirt. Holy shit. She should probably be freaked out by the man getting naked in public, but really, the sight was too good to miss.

She caught an eyeful of golden, smooth skin stretched over gorgeous abs and strong, muscular shoulders before she snapped her gaze down to his belt, which was in the process of being unbuckled.

“What the hell are you doing?” she yelped. “Stop it!”

“Please don’t yell,” he said, calm, as if wearing nothing but his underwear in a nightclub was nothing new to him. “There’s nobody here, anyway.”

Emilia turned to glance around them, anxious for the first time since she’d begun talking with this strange man. He was right; there was a lull in bathroom visitors as the new DJ filled the club with a surging beat, and the darkened passage that led to the dance floor was deserted. She backed up against the icky wall and slowly opened her purse to see if she was carrying anything that could double as a weapon. Maybe she could swing her purse at him? She didn’t have any illusions that she could win this fight. He had six inches on her and looked like he could handle himself, unlike the stinking lunatic who’d attacked her earlier. She half wished she was facing Dog Breath again.

Jason sighed as she retreated. “This is the only way. I’m sorry.”

Before she had a chance to open her mouth, something happened to his body. It was a surge of energy, a tingling burst of warmth, and a blur of skin and hair. Emilia blinked and lowered her gaze to where a large gray dog stood in the middle of the corridor. No, not a dog—a wolf, complete with a pointed muzzle full of sharp white teeth and a powerful tail that curved from…a pair of black boxer briefs.

She choked on a panicked laugh and clapped a hand over her mouth. The animal padded closer on silent feet and sat on the floor. She stared into its yellow eyes and saw Jason looking out at her. It was the strangest sensation, but Jason’s expression was somehow trapped underneath the furry snout and soft ears that twitched almost imperceptibly as the music changed in the background.

A second shimmer followed, and Jason was back in his human form, sitting on the floor in his underwear. Standing, he backed away a step and calmly put on his clothes as if he hadn’t just been wearing fur.

“Breathe, Emilia,” he said in a low voice that rumbled through her and made her aware that she was still clutching her hand over her mouth. Lowering her hand, she noticed it was trembling and stuffed it into her jeans pocket.

“You’re a wolf,” she said. She needed him to confirm it to be sure she hadn’t been hallucinating.

He shook his head. “I’m a shifter who takes a wolf’s form. I don’t become a real wolf.”

“Right.” Emilia’s knees threatened to give way, so she slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. “Okay. So you’re a wolf.”

“I just said—” Jason tried again, but she held up her hand.

“For all intents and purposes, you’re a wolf, okay? And you’re saying my father was a bear?” Her voice was too shrill, but she couldn’t keep it under control.

“Yeah.” His eyes creased in the corners. He stepped forward, probably to help her stand, but her outstretched arm stopped him. She wasn’t ready to get up just yet.

He sighed. “Look, I know this is a lot…”

“It’s insane,” she said. “How do you know I’m half-bear?”

“It’s the smell.”

Emilia tried to sniff her top casually and failed. “I smell?” She probably did, but it wasn’t very nice of him to say so.

Jason smiled, and Emilia’s heartbeat stuttered. If she thought he was handsome before…

“Not like you’re thinking,” he said. “Every shifter species has a distinct smell. Like that guy earlier—didn’t you notice how he reeked?”

Emilia nodded. “When you said he was a hyena, you actually meant he turns into a carrion-eating beast?”

“Yep.”

“That’s…nice.” She had to focus on not hyperventilating. The stuffy air in the club suddenly felt constricting, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm down. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She heard Jason move closer and felt the heat of his body a moment before a hesitant hand touched her back between her shoulder blades. Another deep breath, and his scent flooded her senses, unfamiliar and yet achingly attractive. His palm was warm as he drew soothing circles on her clammy skin and lowered his voice, telling her to breathe.

His presence calmed her nerves, and his words brought her back from the edge of an anxiety attack. She pushed her hair off her sweaty forehead and took one more deep breath.

“What do I do now?” she asked, uncertain whether she was addressing herself or Jason.

He was still close enough that his quiet huff of laughter ghosted against the skin of her neck. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and she shivered.

“I was hoping you’d let me buy you a drink and discuss this.”

“Now?” Emilia heard the whine in her voice, but the adrenaline that had rushed through her body at the sight of a wolf sitting in the middle of the corridor was crashing now. She was exhausted.

Jason looked her over and offered a small, kind smile. “No, maybe not.” He dug into his jeans pocket and brought out a creased business card. “My number’s on there. Give me a call tomorrow?”

Emilia accepted the card and tucked it into her purse. She lifted her gaze to meet his and was startled by the concern reflected in his eyes. He offered her a hand, and she grabbed it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She took care not to stumble into him—she didn’t think she’d be able to let go if she got her hands on him.

“I need you to keep this to yourself.” He winced, then added, “I know it’s hard, but if you could refrain from telling anyone until I explain…”

“I’ll call you,” she said, still unsure whether she meant it. “But my friends will really be searching for me now.” She backed away down the corridor, keeping eye contact. “Bye, Mr. Wolf.”

His parting smile was wide and gorgeous. “See you around, Ms. Bear.”



 

***

That's it for today! I'll share an excerpt from later in the book soon. 

 

You can preorder TRUST THE WOLF on Amazon (it will be up for Kindle Unlimited once it releases) or add it to Goodreads! Thanks so much for reading!

 

Zoe

The Best Books of 2018

The Best Books of 2018 - or titles I'm fangirling about this year.

2018 is drawing to a close. It has been a very good year for me - even though not everything went according to plan. I'm grateful for my lovely family and for finally having the courage to pursue my dream career. I'm also grateful for all the wonderful books I read this year - as you'll see, there are MANY! I read nearly a hundred in 2018, some good, some bad (as always). 

 

I don't necessarily rate books according to their "literary merit" - as in, adherence to the rules I learned as an English major at University. There are a lot of books that follow those rules but do absolutely nothing for me. Instead, the books I rate highly are the ones that made me laugh or cry, the ones that left that clenching feeling in my gut, the ones I still think about even after months have passed. These are all titles I would recommend if you're looking for a gripping read! I sorted them by genre because I know I have readers who read various genres. Links go to Goodreads! (a) means I listened to it in audiobook form.

Paranormal / Urban Fantasy Romance

HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF by Molly Harper - a reread of a favorite series was a must this year.
WILDFIRE by Ilona Andrews - the third book in the Hidden Legacy series; I love Ilona Andrews so much! I need to read the Kate Daniels series next.
DIAMOND FIRE by Ilona Andrews - this novella bridges the gap in the Hidden Legacy series and it's wonderful! 
SHADOW WALKER by Anya J Cosgrove - a debut about witches and demons; I loved it! (coming in January 2019)
CLEAN SWEEP by Ilona Andrews - and the other two books in the Inkeeper Chronicles also. This was my best binge-read series of the year and I'm absolutely in love!

 

Contemporary Romance

THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne - omg, so much tension! A perfect office romance with an enemies-to-lovers plot.
HOTSHOT DOC by R. S. Grey - a cute contemporary romance based in a hospital! If you're into hot doctors, this is for you.
THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE by Lauren Layne - my favorite Stiletto book! I don't usually like second chance romance that much but this was so good! 
WALK OF SHAME by Lauren Layne - I reread this book probably five times now. I love it so much!
THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang - a great romance debut! It got the Goodreads Choice award this year.
THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE by Julie James - she always delivers a fast-paced, hot romance, and I can never resist! 
MAKING UP by Lucy Parker - book #3 in her series - and so, so good.
RIVEN by Roan Parrish - m/m rockstar romance at its best! I'm a big fan of Roan Parrish.
SMALL CHANGE by Roan Parrish - I did say I'm her fan, right? I loved her "unlikeable" heroine and the sex scenes are super hot.
INVITATION TO THE BLUES by Roan Parrish - yep, another! A m/m romance that's the best, most thoughtful exploration of depression that I've ever read.
ONLY THE TRUTH by Elle Thorpe - a free novella that's both hot and funny!

Historical Romance

THE GOVERNESS GAME by Tessa Dare - ohh, this was good. A historical romance with a POC heroine who's a commoner - done beautifully.
THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND by Jojo Moyes - this one is a bit of a hybrid, really, and not your typical romance (and not fluffy), but gut-wrenching and really, really good!

 

Young Adult

STARRY EYES by Jenn Bennett - this one made my top 5; a great adventure with some really cute romance thrown in.
TOWER OF DAWN by Sarah J Maas - the 6th book in a super long series - I can't wait to read the final one!
TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han (a) - well, I had to read the book before I read the movie! Loved it! 
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - a very powerful m/m story that I devoured entirely too fast.

Thriller

THIS FALLEN PREY by Kelley Armstrong (a) - this is part #3 of a really good, atmospheric thriller series. If you're into the genre, I can't recommend it enough!

Non-Fiction

ROMANCING THE BEAT by Gwen Hayes - this is the best romance writing book I've read so far. I love how simple the basic structure is, and I've been plotting according to it ever since.
NEWSLETTER NINJA by Tammi Labrecque - hands down the best newsletter resource I've read!
2K TO 10K by Rachel Aaron - probably my favorite writing book ever; this is the third time I've read it. She made me hate editing a little less.

 

I hope you give some of these a try - let me know if you do! 



Happy holidays to you and yours!

 

Love, Zoe

Trust the Wolf Cover Reveal

I'm so happy to show you the cover of my debut!

Hi!

 

I've been sitting on this cover for so long - it was so hard not to show you all how beautiful it is! Trust the Wolf is coming on January 24, 2019! The cover was created by the very talented Natasha Snow. 

 

Here's the blurb: 

 

You never forget your first wolf.

Emilia’s first encounter with Jason is memorable: it’s not every day you see a stranger change into a wolf. Her attraction to him is undeniable, but the secret he shares shakes the foundations of her life.

Jason’s need for Emilia unnerves him. It’s his job to report shifters without proper ID, yet he can’t make himself do it this time. The decision bites him in the tail when he discovers exactly who she is. He must keep his distance—or there will be hell to pay.

Their fates entwine when rogue shifters learn of Emilia’s identity and will stop at nothing to get to her. Emilia and Jason will have to fight together or risk losing everything.

But most of all? Emilia must learn to trust the wolf.

 

And finally, here's the cover! *drum roll* 

Isn't it beautiful?! I made a happy little gasping sound when I first saw it. 

 

You can preorder Trust the Wolf on Amazon (it will be available in Kindle Unlimited) or add it to Goodreads.

 

In the meantime, I have a free prequel novella, Bearly Married, to tide you over: you can get it by signing up to my newsletter! 

 

Happy reading!

Love, Zoe

Three Reasons to Read: Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne is one of my favorite romance authors. This is why you all should give her books a try!

Three reasons to read will hopefully become something of a regular thing around here - I want to write more about the stories that inspire me to write my own. Let’s share the love, yeah?

I was introduced to Lauren Layne’s books through a romance blog that no longer exists several years before I started writing. And then I proceeded to binge my way through her backlist while I waited for each of her new releases. She’s an auto-buy author for me (and even got me to read reality-show inspired romance, which is something I thought I would never-ever do). Here are my three reasons to read her books:

Her characters always feel real. Georgie from WALK OF SHAME might be the exact opposite of what I usually like in heroines: she doesn’t have a “real” job, she’s a trust fund baby who likes to party all night - and yet, she became one of my all-time favorite romance heroines. I have read that book at least four times now and my stomach still clenches every time I see her hurt. Her heroes are also swoony, even if some of them are typical alpha guys I sometimes dislike. But Layne layers so much real emotion behind their macho façades that I’m totally rooting for them by the end of the book (I live-tweeted reading one of her latest releases for my two critique partners in our group chat and they rode the entire roller-coaster with me).

She does the best NYC books. Layne lives in New York City - a fact she advertises a lot on her excellent Instagram account - and she gives a sense of reality to her stories by including little details that just make the narrative pop. But then she also has a small-town romance that’s fantastic. So, you know, she can apparently write a great story no matter where it’s set.

She’s a cool person online. Her entire brand is so on-point for what she writes it’s crazy. Her newsletter is filled with snippets from her current works-in-progress and sometimes make-up tips, her website (which she constantly updates because she’s cool like that) is neat and helpful both to her readers and newbie romance writers, and her Instagram account is the right combination of glamorous and goofy. Just go check them out.

 

If you’re new to Layne’s World (ha), where should you start?

If you want a sparkly NYC standalone, read WALK OF SHAME. It’s my favorite.

If you like weddings, read TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. This was the first Layne book I read!

If you like new adult, go for BLURRED LINES, a friends-to-lovers story.

And if you want office romance, IRRESISTIBLY YOURS is a great choice!

Then you can go on and munch through her entire backlist like I did.

 

And Lauren, if you’re reading this by some weird chance, thank you for writing amazing stories. I promise I’m a normal fan, not a crazy stalker. It’s just that I want good stories given the love that they deserve.

My 2017

What I wrote and did in 2017 - a year in review.

2017 was an eventful year for me. Not as difficult as it was for some people, I’m sure, but it was stressful at times. Overall, I think it was a good year, and looking back at these accomplishments and happy memories, I feel grateful for all I have, both personally and professionally. This post is as much for me as it is for anyone else - to look back on when I feel mired in day-to-day chores. Effort does pay off and every little step in the right direction counts, bringing me closer to my long-term goals (more on those in another post).

 

My writing life

In 2018

I started a Facebook group called Edit & Repeat with Candace. It now has almost 500 members who check in with us on their editing and writing projects. I think this is pretty cool. I also have a Facebook author page that I'm still learning to use properly. 

I edited my first novel, Deliciously Yours, twice, entered Pitch Wars with it, was rejected, started querying, and got a surprising number of requests for fulls. Still no offer of representation, but I received great feedback from agents and editors, so I know where I want to take it next.

I wrote the entire first draft of my third novel, The Art of Attraction, giving serious plotting a try - with great results. I think this might be my strongest first draft yet, and I actually can’t wait to edit this book.

I entered Trust the Wolf, my  second novel, into a submission call, getting a “maybe” from a major romance publisher - so I now have to edit it and send it in as soon as possible. I am really excited about this!

I started working with my two critique partners who are fantastic writers and great friends. We talk daily even though none of us live on the same continent. My stories would not be as good as they are (hopefully) without them.

I started researching self-publishing as a possible option and have found myself leaning more and more in that direction. I still haven’t decided for sure, but it’s definitely a possibility.

All in all, I’m calling 2017 a success when it comes to my writing. I’m in a good place right now, feeling inspired, and my most pressing problem is having too many ideas I want to turn into books.

 

My personal life

In 2018

My maternity leave ended in August, meaning I’m back to working full time as a freelance translator, but I’ve spent the past three months speed-writing my PhD thesis (because yes, I am a crazy person who decided she needed a PhD - not the wisest decision I ever made, let me tell you that).

The PhD has been the source of much stress and anxiety, especially as the submission deadline looms closer and my thesis advisor refuses to look at partial drafts, meaning I have to write the whole damn thing before she reads it - and inevitably tears it apart. I’m terrified it’ll be more work than I can handle in the short time I’ll have left before the deadline. It’s not particularly helpful that I’m in the “omg this is a steaming pile of shit” part of the writing process with no real time to make it as “perfect” as I want.

My husband and I celebrated out 10th anniversary of being together (and our 4th wedding anniversary). Since we also both turned 30 this year, this means we’ve been together for ⅓ of our lives, which is pretty damn awesome. He’s my best friend and partner in so many ways, and I’m so grateful for his support.

Our kids turned 1 and 3 this year, and it’s such an amazing experience (and privilege) to watch them grow. Kiddo #1 talks all the time and he has such a quirky sense of humor, it’s exciting to follow his thought processes. And Kiddo #2 is just starting with his first words, which means we’re basically learning a new language with him. I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings.

I also got help for the crippling anxiety I’ve been feeling - and was comforted to learn I’m not really depressed, just super sensitive to certain triggers because of where my life is at the moment. I’ve learned some techniques that help me cope - both protecting myself from said triggers and practicing daily mindfulness so I nurture my confidence in the world. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel like I’m slowly getting better at coping. Not that I’m less sensitive to those triggers, I’m just less likely to be completely thrown by them. It’s a work in progress and some days are better than others, but I’m very, very glad I got help. So if you’re stuck inside your head and don’t know how to cope with your mental problems, please, talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be an actual psychiatrist - but if you feel like that might help, don’t hesitate to make an appointment. It’s a huge relief to be understood. *hug*

My kids were sick a lot as soon as kindergarten started in September - just general stuff like a stomach bug, a nasty cold, etc, but we had to keep juggling work and taking care of them, which wasn’t easy. Not to mention being sick ourselves (usually worse-off than the kids, because kids bounce back really fast). So that wasn’t fun. I can’t wait for spring when virus season is over. It really isn’t great when you have to work while your little one is at home with a fever (even if he’s having a good time with Grandma).

World news were depressing as f*ck. I often had to avoid them in order to stay sane - there’s only so much crazy I can handle at any given time. I tried to do some charity work/donate to charities, but I feel like I could have done more on the local level. This is something I want to pursue in the next year. I don’t have a lot of time or money, but I have more than some people, so surely there’s something I can do.

I started doing yoga twice a week - and it has been great. I think this is part of the reason I’ve been struggling less with my anxiety. It helps me get out of my head, to relax and strengthen my body. I’m very proud of myself for this.

I started keeping a bullet journal. I’ve always been a list-maker and note-taker, but none of the daily or weekly planners really worked for me. I’m very happy with my journal - I also use it for my daily mindfulness practice and writing notes. I bought a pretty new notebook to start using in January.

We spent a lot of time with our relatives (my parents in particular), and I liked that. It’s really good that we have a solid support system, it makes raising kids so much easier when you can count on someone to jump in when you’re sick/swamped/want to go on a date.

We spent one week at the seaside and one week in the mountains in the summer - and I was surprised when I enjoyed the mountains more! We discovered some great new places and I can’t wait for next year’s trip.

Though there were some struggles, bad moments, and health issues, these were overshadowed by the good stuff that happened. Overall, we were healthy and happy for most of the year, and I guess that’s all that matters. My husband and I have always tried to be mindful of the little things that make life good, instead of focusing on the negative aspects, and I hope we’ll manage to carry this attitude over to 2018.

 

I’m curious: what was your 2017 like? 

November Writing Update

November Writing Update - my WIPs, a new FB page, and other fun stuff.

Hey everyone,

 

I decided it was time for an update on my writing. My life has been super busy these past months (work and family stuff), and I tried giving up writing for all of two weeks and ended up being really miserable, so I decided to just write in the evenings after kids go to bed and I've already finished whatever work I had for the day. This means I'm not writing as much as I want to, but I'm making good progress and that's what matters to me.

 

Right now, I'm about 75% done with the first draft of my romantic suspense - I'm currently calling it The Art of Attraction and it's been fun to write! I tried a new method of outlining (roughly following Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k book, which I mentioned here), and I find it extremely helpful. Knowing where I'm going - even if I need to replot some minor details every now and then - means I'm not wandering around, writing unnecessary fluff. 

 

I'm hoping to finish it soon and then I'll add the blurb to this site, but in the meantime, here's a graphic I created for it (and yes, I know creating book graphics is a form of procrastination). And if you want to see the whole moodboard, here's a link to Pinterest (you can also check out moodboards for my other works in progress here). 

 

 

After I finish the first draft of The Art of Attraction, I'm digging into edits for Trust the Wolf, my paranormal romance. I'm actually really excited to edit it - it's been months since I last touched it and I feel like I'll be able to be much more objective with it. And now someone please save this so you'll quote it back to me in a couple of months when I'll probably be moaning about how I loathe editing! The moodboard for TTW is here.

 

And while I'm at it, I can tell you that I've been toying with the idea of writing a new short story - slightly, um, hotter on the scale from sweet to erotic. I'm not sharing any details yet, and I don't really know how I'll get it out in the world, but I'm excited to write it and have been cheating on The Art of Attraction with it this week. I've never written a short story before (all my stories have been set up as novels, even if I didn't actually finish them), but this one just popped up all short and neat, so I'm going to try to keep it under 20k words and see what happens. I hope the characters don't go wild on me.

 

I also created a Facebook author page! You can come over and like it if you want - it's still very bare and basic, but I'm working on it. I am a complete newbie when it comes to Facebook and keep badgering my CPs on how to do stuff there (I only recently discovered the private message option and found several months-old messages waiting for me...oops?). If Facebook is more your thing than Twitter, I will now be active on both. As always, my social media links are up top, so feel free to follow me there! 

 

I've been listening to romance audiobooks courtesy of Audible's Romance package, which is taking over all my audiobook time, so I'll need to cut down on that. I'm also reading Phillip Pullman's Book of Dust and liking it quite a lot! I wish I'd re-read the original trilogy before I started it, though, I'm sure there are plenty of hints that I'm missing because of that. My next reads are Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, Write Naked by Jennifer Probst, and Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I can't wait to get to them! 

 

What are you reading? How's your writing going? I'd love to hear from you, so make sure to tell me in the comments. And while you're at it, you can sign up for my newsletter by clicking the "Let's be friends" button below. Have a great week!

 

Zoe

Is Romance Reading Hereditary?

Romance readers shared their path to finding romance books!

I was reading some comments on the Smart Bitches blog when I came across a reader who claimed that every romance reader surely had another romance reader in their family, a mother or a grandmother from whom they stole their first romance novels. 

And for me, that just isn't true! My mom doesn't read romance and neither does my grandma. I discovered romance when I was given Julie Garwood's Saving Grace to translate by my editor - and I never looked back. That story started a looong streak of historical romances featuring glorious Highlanders, and I went on to translate two more of those (incidentally, I also think those were the only romances my mom ever read). 

So I decided to do a Twitter poll to ask after other readers' path to romance - and I was surprised by the amazing number of replies I got! I collected some of them into this story. They're a bit out of order (for dramatic effect, haha), but they tell a fascinating tale of how many different paths lead to the same end: reading romance.

I'll admit that my initial question was poorly worded: some readers might have gotten their first romances from their relatives, but voted "no" because they didn't have to steal them. Others voted "no" because they stole them from their dads (or in one case, a grandpa!). The end result for my question Romance readers: did you start reading romance by stealing your mom's (grandma's, aunt's...) books? was that 45% of people voted YES and 55% voted NO. But the clarifications were the interesting parts!

 

As for how readers found their first romances, we've got:

sneaking them from their relatives' stashes - grandmothers in particular seemed to have been the victims of this terrible crime,
buying them because they were cheaper than other books,
mothers trying to silence their daughters by shoving romance at them,
friends lending their own copies (or trading them like a particularly hot kind of contraband...*snort*),
reading "new" classics like Twilight or 50 Shades of Gray,
reading them because relatives forbade it,
and possibly my favorite, buying a romance as a distraction from being caught in a snowstorm.

The hiding places for romance novel stashes were also interesting - readers found them in

living rooms,
attics,
basements,
closets,
and sewing baskets.

People who recommended or read romances before were:

mothers,
grandmothers,
great aunts,
aunts,
sisters, 
a dad, 
a grandpa,
cousins, 
friends,
teachers
and coworkers.

Most common "gateway drugs" were:

Georgette Heyer,
Victoria Holt,
Danielle Steele,
Stephanie Meyer, 
Barbara Cartland,
Julie Garwood,
and E. L. James.

Some readers were really young when they first started reading romances: the youngest on record was only ten! 

And romance reading had some downfalls, as well as some pretty cool results:

making older people (like relatives, teachers, or religious schools) criticize the reader's choice of reading material,
making their relatives read romance,
and helping readers figure out their sexuality.

 

What struck me as the best aspect of this entire giant conversation was the idea of books being passed down through generations. Feel-good stories borrowed and returned, read and re-read, kindling new passions for love and writing. I might not have had a background of romance readers but you can bet my mom will read my stories when they're published. 

I wonder if e-books are making this kind of lending more difficult, as it's more difficult to pass them around. Or will the relatively low price of e-books facilitate their distribution? And how do you feel about audiobooks? 

I'd love to continue this great debate, so feel free to leave a comment down below! 

Writing Resources - My Favorite Books and Blogs

Writing Resources - My Favorite Books and Blogs

While I studied English lit at Uni, I'm largely self-taught as a writer. I never took any creative writing courses (not for lack of want or respect for them), so I started studying all the resources I could get my hands on once I decided to give writing a serious try. It's now been more than a year since I first entered this wonderful world of writerly advice and I have a couple of favorites to highlight (in no particular order). 

 

Favorite Writing Blogs

Writerology , run by Faye Kirwin. Her background in psychology makes for really awesome posts on character development and she has a number of articles on the psychology of writing, what makes authors tick and so on. I also took part in her  Writember Workshop  that helped me a lot (I got the premium package in a giveaway after buying a bundle of ebooks which included Faye's). 
Well-Storied , run by Kristen Keiffer. The range of the topics she covers is fantastic and she really has great writing advice. Everything from outlining, editing, to building your author platform and publishing. 
Jane Friedman . This is an invaluable hub of publishing advice.
Helping Writers Become Authors , run by K. M. Weiland. Another blog with a great range of topics covered - plotting, drafting, editing. One of my go-to resources for when I need some writing advice.
Susan Dennard . She's a famous YA fantasy author but has been writing about writing for years and has a huge stockpile of great advice.
Jami Gold . A lot of her articles are specific to romance (which is really great for me because not many blogs/books are!), but she has some really good general writing articles, too.
Fiction University , run by Janice Hardy. This has some great resources for all stages of writing! 

 

Two Great Writing Books (disclaimer: I haven't read very many writing books, I've mostly been relying on blogs, which I'm doing my best to change, but my book budget doesn't allow for indiscriminate spending. But I enjoyed these two a lot.)

Take Off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker is about outlining a story in a very detailed, new-to-me way, and I'm currently giving this method a try. It makes sense to me and I enjoyed reading the book!
2K to 10K  by Rachel Aaron. I've been a fan of Aaron's fiction for a while (her Heartstrikers series is amazing!) and her blog, too, so when this popped up in my Amazon recommendations, I picked it up. It's so good! Common sense but very powerful. It's not that I think I'll ever be writing 10k words a day, but her method sounds so sensible! I'm currently trying to edit my first WIP according to her rules. We'll see how that goes! 

 

I also created this list of editing resources for our Facebook editing group - I update it as I find new and exciting links. 

 

What are your favorite writing blogs or books?

Are you self-taught or did you take any creative writing courses?

I'd love to hear from you! 

Best of 2017 (So Far)

What I read and loved in the first six months of 2017.

We're halfway through 2017. Whether or not this fact fills me with terror or not is irrelevant at the moment (*screams internally*), as I mostly just want to share the best books I read so far. They're a mix of genres, and not all of them were published in 2017, in no particular order. 

 

Romance - I have to say, most of these are the direct result of being subscribed to the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books newsletter...

The Theory of Attraction  by Delphine Dryden. This is a longish novella, but for once, I didn't feel like it was incomplete. The characters were well-developed and the chemistry explosive. 
Temptations of a Wallflower  by Eva Leigh. I'd previously read the first book of this series and though I liked it, I wasn't blown away. This one was really good, though. 
Brooklyn Bruisers  by Sarina Bowen. Okay, if I haven't made it clear yet, I'm a huge Bowen fan. This entire series was great, though I have to say I'm really waiting for Becca's story!
WAGs by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. These two are a dream team. Good Boy was super funny, and Stay was a fast, sexy read, I loved both main characters. Hockey romance is normally the only sports romance that I read because it's a sport I know well. 
The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband  by Julia Quinn. Pure, sweet goodness. I love Quinn's historicals, she's always fresh and funny.
Walk of Shame  by Lauren Layne. This is probably the best romance I read so far this year. Layne is one of my auto-buy authors and this one made it to the top of the list easily. I did find the ending a bit rushed, but the majority of the story is pure perfection.

 

Other Genres

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. This is young adult paranormal/urban fantasy, I binge-read the entire series in less than two weeks (the last time I did that was...when I read The Twilight Saga. Don't judge.). I absolutely recommend this if you're into the genre.
City of the Lost and Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong. I listened to these two on audio and they were fantastic. I don't normally read mystery/crime/thrillers because I'm such a chicken it's ridiculous. But these were just creepy enough and Armstrong really knows how to set the atmosphere!
The Naturals  by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is another crime/thriller, but it's YA, though no less addictive than the Armstrong books. I also listened to it on Audible and the narration was great!
Take Off Your Pants  by Libbie Hawker - the title might suggest this is a romance, but it's actually a book on writing (and becoming a plotter, ditching "pantsing"). I'll do another post soon on favorite writing resources, and this book will make it on the list for sure. I'm currently trying to draft a new book by her rules and it's going really well! 

 

And now for the books I'm excited to read in the second half of the year:

The rest of  The Naturals  series. I'm going to buy one book each month as my Audible credit comes in (I'm trying not to go overboard with spending on audiobooks...).
Our Dark Duet  by Victoria Schwab - this has already been published but I haven't gotten to it yet.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell - Rowell is one of my ALL TIME favorite authors and Landline is the last book of hers I haven't read, so I'm sort of...saving it. I already own a copy, so it'll happen soon.
Shades of Milk and Honey  by Mary Robinette Kowal - I just bought this because of friends' recommendations and because the cover is gorgeous. 
Hello Forever  by Sarina Bowen - yup, another one.
A Dragon of a Different Color  by Rachel Aaron - one of my favorite urban fantasy series, this is part #4, with one more to come. 

I'm sure I'll be reading a load of other books as well, but I'm going make an effort to read more of the books I already own. I really need to make a dent in my TBR pile.

 

What are you reading these days? Anything good to recommend? Have you read any of my favorites? 

I'd love to heard from you!