Bonnie Vanak's Blog, page 16

Book giveaway!

April is my birthday month, and I'm celebrating with TWO book giveaways!

First, I received my author copies of Phantom Wolf, my June Nocturne. I'll give away one copy to TWO lucky readers.



Some fires still burn when star-crossed lovers reunite…

When a dangerous mission leads him deep into the jungles of Honduras, Navy SEAL Sam Shaymore is confronted with his fiery past in the form of Kelly Denning. Once their romance had been forbidden because of class differences. Then a tragedy drove them apart. But the minute he looks into her eyes, Sam knows he's never forgotten the sultry kisses and luscious curves of the beautiful Enchanter Mage. Nor can he turn his back on helping her.

Sam's unit has been charged with arresting Kelly. But if he can believe her, Kelly needs his help now to save some kidnapped Mage children and to stop a conspiracy with far-reaching implications. Threatened with being kicked off his SEAL unit if he does not follow his orders, Sam must risk everything…even his heart!


Second, I will give away a free download of my new digital-only historical, The Patriot's Conquest, to TWO lucky readers.




Is the red-headed beauty who appears through the smoke in the blacksmith’s shop forged from a dream, or Jeffrey Clayton’s worst nightmare? An avid patriot aiding the colonies in the cause of freedom, Jeffrey knows Amanda Reeves is spying on him. He has vowed to never fall in love again after his fiancée betrayed him to the British. But the bewitching, fiery Amanda threatens to weaken his resolve. If he doesn’t tread carefully, Jeffrey could face worse than losing his heart — he could hang for sedition.

Amanda Reeves craves acceptance among the gentry, but a debt of her father’s threatens to send her family into the almshouse. If she finds evidence of Clayton’s treason against the Crown, the governor will forgive the debt and introduce her into society. But the handsome, dashing Jeffrey is a dangerous rogue, for he incites the very passion that caused her to flee her beloved England in disgrace. The prim and proper Amanda finds herself helpless to resist his advances, even as she fights the desire he arouses.

Amid the rumblings of revolution stirring sleepy Williamsburg, Amanda and Jeffrey surrender to the burning attraction flaring between them. But as sensual passion sparks into an inferno, an enemy lies in wait to trap Jeffrey, and will stop at nothing but his death . . . Is the red-headed beauty who appears through the smoke in the blacksmith’s shop forged from a dream, or Jeffrey Clayton’s worst nightmare? An avid patriot aiding the colonies in the cause of freedom, Jeffrey knows Amanda Reeves is spying on him. He has vowed to never fall in love again after his fiancée betrayed him to the British. But the bewitching, fiery Amanda threatens to weaken his resolve. If he doesn’t tread carefully, Jeffrey could face worse than losing his heart — he could hang for sedition.

Amanda Reeves craves acceptance among the gentry, but a debt of her father’s threatens to send her family into the almshouse. If she finds evidence of Clayton’s treason against the Crown, the governor will forgive the debt and introduce her into society. But the handsome, dashing Jeffrey is a dangerous rogue, for he incites the very passion that caused her to flee her beloved England in disgrace. The prim and proper Amanda finds herself helpless to resist his advances, even as she fights the desire he arouses.

Amid the rumblings of revolution stirring sleepy Williamsburg, Amanda and Jeffrey surrender to the burning attraction flaring between them. But as sensual passion sparks into an inferno, an enemy lies in wait to trap Jeffrey, and will stop at nothing but his death . . .

There are three ways to enter.



1.  Leave a comment on this blog about why you love reading romance.

2. Or leave a comment on my Facebook page.

3.  Or simply email your comment to me at bonnievanak@aol.com



Contest ends May 13.  Winners will be announced on my blog. Good luck!

New release! The Patriot's Conquest

My original, new historical, THE PATRIOT'S CONQUEST, is now available! This is the book of my heart that I wrote years ago, after the horrific events of Sept. 11. I usually use writing as an escape from trauma, and the terror attacks of that day affected me deeply. So I traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia and decided to throw myself into my country's history, and write a book about the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

The result was a book called The Lady & the Patriot. The hero was a handsome, dashing patriot pitted against a lovely British woman spying on him. 

I loved this book, but the time period was all wrong for many publishers. So I set it aside, and last year, dusted it off, heavily edited it, then gave it to a freelance editor.

The result is a new book called THE PATRIOT'S CONQUEST. 


Is the red-headed beauty who appears through the smoke in a blacksmith’s shop forged from a dream, or Jeffrey Clayton’s worst nightmare? An avid patriot aiding the colonies in the cause of freedom, Jeffrey knows Amanda Reeves is spying on him. He has vowed to never fall in love again after his fiancée betrayed him to the British. But the bewitching, fiery Amanda threatens to weaken his resolve. If he doesn’t tread carefully, Jeffrey could face worse than losing his heart — he could hang for sedition.

Amanda Reeves craves acceptance among the gentry, but a debt of her father’s threatens to send her family into the almshouse. If she finds evidence of Clayton’s treason against the Crown, the governor will forgive the debt and introduce her into society. But the handsome, dashing Jeffrey is a dangerous rogue, for he incites the very passion that caused her to flee her beloved Englandin disgrace. The prim and proper Amanda finds herself helpless to resist his advances, even as she fights the desire he arouses.

Amid the rumblings of revolution stirring sleepy Williamsburg, Amanda and Jeffrey surrender to the burning attraction flaring between them. But as sensual passion sparks into an inferno, an enemy lies in wait to trap Jeffrey, and will stop at nothing but his death . . .




Amazon link to purchase
All Romance link to purchase
Nook link to purchase
Smashwords link to purchase

New story! The Mating Chase

Hi everyone. I'm back from traveling to Guatemala for the day job and wanted to let you know about a new short story I just released called The Mating Chase . The novella is now available for only 99 cents! 

Welcome to the sensual world of the Lupine, where the burning drive to mate claims all...

Home from college, where men teased her for being overweight, Beth doesn't fit into pack life at the Mitchell ranch. Because she’s forgotten how to shift into a wolf, the pack alpha has ordered her to choose a mate or leave. The only male Beth desires is Dale, a fiercely protective Lupine who loathes the human lifestyle she embraces. She hungers for the handsome shifter’s touch, but fears their differences are too vast to overcome.

Dale has waited for four long years for Beth’s return. Her scent ignites his desire and her voluptuous body fires his blood. He is determined to awaken her to the sensual world of the Lupine. Although she acts more “Skin” than wolf, he can’t deny his overwhelming drive to claim her.

As the heat of passion threatens to consume them both, a new peril arises. Someone is killing a local rancher’s livestock and blaming it on wolves, endangering the pack’s ability to shapeshift. It will take all Beth’s courage and Dale’s skill to find the enemy threatening to destroy their world...


The Mating Chase is a novella that introduces a new series of ebooks called Werewolves of Montana, about werewolves in Montana determined to find mates. 

The next book is The Mating Hunt and has an anticipated release date of late May, 2013. Each story is an erotic romance, a little hotter than what I normally write. 

Although these are independently published books, each one will have been edited, proofread, and formatted by professionals.  

It promises to be a busy year, as I am preparing to release The Patriot's Conquest in April, an original colonial historical, followed by The Mating Hunt. Then on June 4, Harlequin releases  PHANTOM WOLF, my new Navy SEALS Nocturne . 

And I'm also traveling much more for the day job. I'll be in Jamaica in April and Nicaragua in May.

You can read an excerpt of The Mating Chase, and purchase the story on the links below. Happy reading! 

Link to Amazon

Link to All Romance ebooks (epub format)

Link to Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Link to Smashwords

The Proposition by Jennifer Lyon

Hi everyone, meet the fabulously talented JENNIFER LYON, who wrote a really yummy book called THE PROPOSITION. I asked Jennifer to guest blog about her book. Be sure to check out the link at the end for more info!
Thank you, Bonnie, for having me here today! THE PROPOSITION is the first book in my Plus One Chronicles series. This is an idea that has percolated in my mind for years. But after living through my son’s injury that has forever changed his life, Kat and Sloane exploded fully formed in my mind and demanded to have their story told. I set aside everything else I was working on to give these two characters the story they deserve.
This is a quick blurb of the story:
Ex-Ultimate Fighter Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda. Kat Thayne just wants to hide behind the light, sweet creations at her bakery. When a dangerous, sexy proposition brings them together, will Sloane chose vengeance or passion?

And here is one of my favorite scenes between Kat and Sloane from THE PROPOSITION:
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
     “Us.” He scooped up his fork and sank it into the piece of cake.     She leaned back, needing distance. Okay, yeah, she felt the attraction. Maybe he did too. But Kat wasn’t going there. The last time she’d been with a man sexually, five years ago, she’d had a panic attack. “I don’t date.”     He smiled. “Convenient. Neither do I. No time, no interest.”      Then what did he want? She was ready to demand an answer when Sloane lifted the fork laden with coffee cake, parted his full lips and slid the bite into his mouth. Then he pulled the fork out, slowly, as if he couldn’t bear to miss a morsel. His eyes went dusky, deepening from tawny to rich sienna.      “Mmmm.”     That sound, low and vibrating, speared through her. Tension tugged at her belly and chased out her ability to breathe. Sloane eased the fork back into his mouth as if he couldn’t bear to stop tasting the treat, his stare consumed her with the same ardor he applied to eating her cake.      She pressed forward, wrapping her hands around her coffee, desperate to touch…something. God, for years her desire had been mostly dormant, and she’d poured her passion into baking.     But this man, Sloane, was destroying her with one touch of his hand and one bite of her coffeecake. Jesus. She clamped her jaw, refusing to ask him if he liked it.     He lowered his fork to his plate and leaned in.     It took every speck of muscle control she had to keep from tilting toward him.     Then he said, low and slow, “Like tasting sin.”     Wet heat slid down her belly until she shifted in her chair. She had to get control of this situation. Making herself sit back and stop acting like she was in search of an orgasm, she said, “Why are you here, Sloane? Stop playing, I don’t have the time for games.”      “I want to see you, Kat.”     She sucked in a breath. “You just said you don’t date.”     “I don’t.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I plus-one.”     She was familiar with the concept of plus-one, but not his context. “That differs from dating how?”     “I’m busy. I don’t have time for complicated relationships and expectations.” His voice was pure business, then downshifted into a husky note. “But I like sex.”     “Huh, who would have guessed?” He oozed sex and danger like other men sweat.      “But I do have a lot of social obligations. It’s simpler to find a woman I have chemistry with and make her an offer. She’ll attend functions with me as needed. In return, I’ll give her something she wants. And we have sex.”
You can read more about THE PROPOSITION on here, and don’t forget to take a peek at the sizzling book trailer while you’re there! 

Blog guest!

Hi everyone, tomorrow I'm featuring the fabulously talented JENNIFER LYON on my blog, where she'll give you insight into her NEW romance novel, THE PROPOSITION! 

Click here to learn more about Jennifer's book. 

Have a great day! 

Phantom Wolf cover!

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been remiss in updating this blog. The past few months have been extremely busy. I expect to have much news to report soon.  In the meantime, here is the cover for my June Nocturne, PHANTOM WOLF. And the blurb:


Some fires still burn when star-crossed lovers reunite...

When a dangerous mission leads him deep into the jungles of Honduras, navy SEAL Sam Shaymore is confronted with his fiery past in the form of Kelly Denning. Once their romance had been forbidden because of class differences. Then a tragedy drove them apart. But the minute he looks into her eyes, Sam knows he's never forgotten the sultry kisses and luscious curves of the beautiful Enchanter Mage. Nor can he turn his back on helping her.

Sam's unit has been charged with arresting Kelly. But if he can believe her, Kelly needs his help now to save some kidnapped Mage children and to stop a conspiracy with far-reaching implications. Threatened with being kicked off his SEAL unit if he does not follow his orders, Sam must risk everything...even his heart!

PHANTOM is the second book in The Phoenix Force series about Navy SEALS with paranormal powers. It's available for pre-order on Amazon in either mass market paperback form OR Kindle.  Click here.

And it's also available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble in either mass market paperback form OR Nook. Click here.

Hope 2013 is treating you well so far. Happy reading! 

Meet the men of Seal Team 21, The Phoenix Force

Navy SEAL and Draicon werewolf Lt. Matthew "Dakota" Parker, from The Covert Wolf and Taken by the Alpha Wolf (short story). He's quiet, a wolf determined to get the job done, even when faced with the flame-breathing pyro demons that killed his best friend in Afghanistan




Navy SEAL and Chief Petty Officer Samuel "Shay" Shaymore. He first appears in The Covert Wolf. His book, The Phantom Wolf, is out in June, 2013. Shay is a Phantom Elemental Mage who can shapeshift into any life form, but once preferred the wolf. He meets his old flame, Kelly Denning, who is from a class of Mage his people detest. But Shay has sworn a vow to keep her safe, even though her father is suspected of killing Shay's entire family in a bid to take their enormous powers. To keep a war from breaking out between their people, they must learn to trust one another again, and work together despite the taut sexual attraction that still flares between them.




Navy SEAL and Primary Elemental Mage, Lt. Commander Dale "Curt" Curtis, commanding officer of ST 21. Curt first makes an appearance in The Covert Wolf. Look for a very special scene in The Phantom Wolf regarding Curt. I'm busy writing his proposal now in a book I am calling The Demon Wolf, the third book in The Phoenix Force. 




Stephen, the New Orleans vampire asset to the SEALs in the Phoenix Force. He first appears as Gabriel's neighbor in The Shadow Wolf, and then makes appearances in The Covert Wolf and a brief appearance in The Phantom Wolf.

Ex-military himself, Stephen plays it cool, loose and sexy, but hides a dark secret from his past which will come to light. With his chestnut curls, rich accent and smooth sensual nature, he is irresistible to most women, but will meet his match in Nicole, a woman he is charged with seducing.  I'm toying with Stephen's story now... he's so intriguing I had to start it! 

You can purchase The Covert Wolf here, and now, available for pre-order on Amazon is The Phantom Wolf! 

The next big thing!

Almost Christmas! I had a wonderful time at Heather Graham’s terrific conference in New Orleans. And now I’m in participating in the Next Big Thing - a chain blog. Initially, I had no idea what that was, until author Marcia King-Gamble invited me to join some wonderful authors.  Be sure to visit Marcia at - http://www.lovemarcia.com/ and read her blog.

THE NEXT BIG THING

1. What is your working title of your book (or story)? The Patriot’s Conquest


2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
After September 11, 2001, I wanted to write a book based on American history as my personal means of coping with the tragedy of that day. The book centers around a minor but important incident right before the war, when British marines stole all the gunpowder and ammo out of the magazine in Williamsburg under orders of Gov. Dunmore. It was the spark that began the war.
I had so much fun with this book and spent time in colonial Williamsburg doing research. The hero is a hunky blacksmith patriot who smuggles valuable information to Patrick Henry and the heroine is a British relation of Gov. Dunmore who’s ordered to spy on him or her father will be forced into the almshouse.


3. What genre does your book fall under? Historical romance


4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Wow, good question. Hmmm, Jeffrey is a black-haired, sexy and muscular guy who has burning gray eyes and a passionate spirit. I can see Henry Cavil as Jeffrey.  The heroine, Amanda, is a redhead with a spark of her own, who desperately tries to play it prim and proper but can’t stem the passion inside her. I can see Kate Winslet as Amanda because I loved how she played Rose in Titanic… who longed for freedom from convention, but still resisted fully breaking free.
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
To save her father from the almshouse, a British woman who left Englandto escape a sexual scandal must spy upon a sexy blacksmith smuggling covert information for the cause of freedom.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A couple of months. 

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Since there are so few books in that time period, I can’t really be certain.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The real American heroes of our past, the men and women who fought hard to make this country free. And the ones who still fight the good fight today.
  10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Although this is an historical set in 1775, with plenty of real life history (Patrick Henry makes an appearance), it’s very sexy. I like writing sensual books, so there is plenty of heat between the sheets! It was fun writing love scenes relative to that time period… for example, there is one scene where Jeffrey corners Amanda in the Governor’s Palace during a ball… and he nearly compromises her in order to steal out of the palace (he’s there going through the governor’s personal correspondence and she catches him).  He actually steals her garter and holds it hostage. It’s a very sexy scene!
AND… on Thursday, December 20, the fabulous Traci Hall will be blogging about her next big thing… a book called The Blood of Ra. The Blood of Ra is an action/adventure paranormal romance and features ancient Egypt meets Miami! Visit this link
to find out more about Traci’s cool new book!

New Orleans at Christmas

In New Orleans, LA, in the French Quarter for Heather Graham's Writers for New Orleans conference. Heather has put on this conference every year after Hurricane Katrina to bring business to the city. After attending the first conference, I've wanted to return, and this year finally did!

New Orleans is ablaze with Christmas and fun, like this street band that was playing great music...love the washboard! The impromptu style and energy is terrific... street bands will set up wherever there is an empty spot and begin to play.
 And then there are the window displays, such as this one on Royal Street. Author Traci Hall and I had lunch yesterday at Pierre Masperos, and enjoyed seeing all the holiday displays. That's Traci in the window reflection!

I'm having a great time, and doing the booksigning today at noon. And I worked hard yesterday... finally finished editing The Patriot's Conquest and sent it to the freelance editor! I'm hoping to get this new book online by January 1... the book is quite special to me. It's set in 1775 right before the American Revolution and the hero is an American patriot who catches a lovely British woman spying on him, who send him hanging. Stay tuned for details!

Back from Nicaragua

Back in the States again! I just returned from Nicaragua, where I was working for the day job. We went into the mountains of northern Nicaragua near Somoto, which is where I photographed these children.  It was a great trip, lots of success stories of families who now have real homes, and an equal amount of sad stories of families and children who still need food and housing.

On the writing front, I turned in revisions for THE PHANTOM WOLF, the next book in my Navy SEAL miniseries for Harlequin. Thanks to my editor's great suggestions, I was able to focus on totally revamping this book, making the plot and conflict more streamlined, and really fleshing out the internal conflict of both characters.  She approved the revisions (YAY!!) and I expect to have edits back this month.

THE PHANTOM WOLF is scheduled for release next June. The hero is Chief Petty Officer Sam "Shay" Shaymore, and the heroine is Kelly, a woman from his past whose father is accused of killing Shay's entire family.

And now I'm concentrating on two new projects. First up is the proposal for the third Navy SEAL book, which I'm calling THE DEMON WOLF. The hero is Lt. Commander Dale "Curt" Curtis, the commanding officer of my SEAL team. 

The other project is an indie book I wrote before I became published. It's an historical based in Virginia right before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. The working title is The Lady and the Patriot, but that will likely change. The book did final in a couple of contests. But although I completed the manuscript, no publisher wanted it because of the time period. So I'm going to self-publish it. The goal is to get this published by mid-January, if not sooner.

December is a busy month. I'll be in New Orleans Dec. 14-17 for Heather Graham's Writers for New Orleans conference, and doing a booksigning on Dec. 16 at the Hotel Monteleone. If you are in the area, stop by to say hello!

Until later, have a good one!