Vivian Arend's Blog, page 73
October 25, 2011
Cool new books: Sweet and/or Sexy
It's like that question: which do you prefer, Sweet or Savory?
There are two books releasing this week at Samhain that really play up that difference. Stacy Gail's is a 'too spicy to be sweet' book. Ie, it's got more heat and passion than your average sweet romance. In contrast, Kelly Jamieson's new menage book has a 'definitely spicy' flavour.
The cool thing? I like both types. The sweeter the book the more I seem to get invested in the characters. There's more room for personaities to shine through. The spicy? Hehheh. Okay, enough said…
I'm going to pop up the blurbs for both of these and you can enter to win an ebook copy of both books, or just one, depending on how you like them. I'll give out 4 books total, and winners will be announced next Monday.
To enter to win: in the comments, let me know if you like sweet or spicy foods and if that carries over to your reading… 
He's the one problem she can't solve.
From hysterical bridezillas to grooms with sub-zero feet, renowned wedding planner Claire Pomeroy has never met a disaster she couldn't handle. Then she runs afoul of her client's not-so-best man, a devilishly flirtatious rogue with a killer smile and a chest as solid as a concrete roadblock. Yet their sparks of attraction only highlight his obvious quest—to make sure this wedding knot never gets tied.
Confirmed bachelor Ryder Price knows one unshakable truth: marriage is nothing but a fairy tale. No way is he going to stand idly by while his wingman face-plants into the dreaded marital trap. But there's a problem. A dark-eyed, dangerously curvaceous problem who's bound and determined to pull this wedding off.
As her suddenly skittish clients teeter on the edge of cancellation, Claire challenges her nemesis to imagine long-term as something more than a quickie and a vague promise to call. Ryder counters with a challenge of his own. Let him give her a taste of just how fulfilling a little no-strings-attached passion can be.
Product Warnings
This product contains cold feet, heavy petting, heavier breathing, and chocolate-covered fingers. To avoid a sweet-tooth side-effect, the author recommends having a chocolate-covered man nearby.
The boys are back in town…
Ten years ago, Kaelin Daume spent a steamy summer home from college secretly hanging out with town bad boy Tyler Wirth and his best friend Nick Kernsted. The connection was warm, complicated, and came to a crashing end when she walked in on her two forbidden friends with another woman. The shocking scene of sex and bondage has haunted her boring, oh-so-vanilla life ever since.
The fallout from that night tore Tyler's life apart. He left Mapleglen, disowned and disgraced, to build a successful advertising career and a unique relationship with Nick. Nothing could bring him back except his sister's wedding, and he plans to hightail it back to Chicago as soon as it's over. At least one good thing hasn't changed: Kaelin is as sweet as ever. Except she doesn't seem too thrilled to hear it.
As tensions run high, Kaelin can't resist the temptation to commit one crazy act of rebellion. Once the web of secrets, sins and lies starts to unravel, though, their lives will never be the same…
Product Warnings
This book contains a nice girl who gets her naughty on with two hot men. M/M/F and M/M scenes may cause an increase in body temperature, pulse rate and respiration. Read with caution! For adult use only.
October 24, 2011
Winner and WIP
Happy Monday!
So last week I introduced you to Denise Thompkins and her new dragon shifter series that starts with Legacy. The winer of the $10 Gift Certificate from that post is:
Nancy Gilliland (which is kind of cool because I know she's a SUPER dragon fan. Her signature line proves it!
Give me a shout with the name of the store you want that for, and we'll take it from here!
~~**~~
Come back tomorrow to hear about more excitement, and sneak peeks at more romacne trading cards 
. Oh, and a snippet from the current WIP, Wolf Line, out June 12.
Keri made her way down the hallway toward the grand ballroom, a lingering sexual buzz hovering like a carrion bird. At some point she would step back over the line between aching need and romping desire. Heaven help anyone caught between her and her mate when she snapped, because it wouldn't be pretty.
But ten days. Surely she could hold off the edge for ten days. She simply had to avoid him completely. Keep away from his addictive scent. If she concentrated hard enough she could do this. Heck, she'd heard of others holding off their mating for longer than ten days.
She sighed. The fact the people in those stories were mainly stronger wolves had probably helped. Yet another reason being in the middle of the pack was a pain in the ass. Not only could more powerful wolves in the hierarchy boss her around, but her own body as well.
Her wolf shuffled inside, almost…gloating. She slapped the beast down hard, as far from the surface as she could. Fine. She would do this. Show the lupine hussy the human had hidden depths. Maybe her wrist would get sore from masturbating, but she would not follow through on the mating just because her wolf said so.
October 22, 2011
Saturday Snippet- Villains BRAHAHAHA
We did this theme once before–Villains, and at the time I had a real problem. Because I have less villain-ish villains than most. Wimp. I love the internal conflict, the man against himself, or in romance cases, hero and heroine having to deal with past ghosts to move onto the HEA.
But there is ONE villain who is simply delicious (ie evil). Meet Doug, in Wolf Flight.
Even now her Alpha's gaze burned as she walked with her head down, attempting to remain small and unnoticeable as she slipped through the common area toward her apartment at the back of the complex.
"Missy," Doug called. "Come here."
She turned toward him, the hair on the back of her neck standing upright as a shiver of disgust raced over her skin. She had hoped to avoid this summons for far longer. Stopping a polite distance away to stand before the massive fireplace, Missy clutched her fingers together and averted her eyes at the last second.
"Jeff has been gone for a month now," he noted, his long well-groomed fingers tapping on the arm of the overstuffed leather chair. His stylish business suit, clean-shaven chin and immaculately groomed hair sharply contrasted with what she knew of his personality. She'd seen his wolf kill more often than necessary, even for an Alpha trying to maintain order in a large pack.
Missy rocked on her feet uneasily. Doug rose from his seat to tower over her petite frame, the heat from his body close enough to overwhelm the fire's warmth. She stared away from him, looking over the heads of the wolves sprawled on the couch immediately in front of them. Don't let him know how much you loathe him. Don't show any sign of disrespect. Others in the room looked on with curiosity for a minute before turning back to their own conversations. Only the wolf enforcers she spotted scattered inconspicuously throughout the room tensed, ready to spring into action if needed.
The level of paranoia her Alpha encouraged among his warriors shocked her. Did they really think she would challenge Doug? It seemed few pack members were aware he was less than the honourable businessman he pretended to be. Missy wondered how much the Alpha shared with his closest allies, how many of his wrongdoings the other leaders of the pack approved. Or were the Beta and the rest ignorant victims as well?
"Does it bother you to hear me talk about my brother? Do you miss him that much?" Doug's refined voice prickled in her ears. "I didn't think you pined for his conversation or longed for his arms to hold you at night."
He laughed softly and the sound grated on her nerves like nails on a blackboard. Over the past couple years Missy had become aware of slow changes in her abilities, including an increased sense of others' motivations. The evil Doug delved into permeated every fiber of his being, and Missy turned her head away to avoid showing her disgust. She swallowed hard and forced down the emotions that threatened to engulf her. Her anger, her fear. The almost overwhelming desire to turn and flee from his presence.
She couldn't run, not yet. She needed more time. Time to find an escape from the trap she knew closed around her as each day passed.
Doug ran a finger down her cheek, plucking at a blonde curl, and her gorge rose. Missy concentrated on presenting a calm façade, forcing her eyes to blink naturally as she slowed her pulse, her breathing. Calming all the telltale signs that could alert this powerful werewolf of her intentions.
He was her brother-in-law, her Alpha, but she refused to let him control her. The finger continued a slow path down her body as she stood stock-still.
"Jeff never did know what a treasure he had, did he?" Doug asked, his dark voice dirty like an oily slick over her skin. He leaned close to whisper in her ear. "My sweet Omega."
~~**~~
More info and buy links: here
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The rest of the villain sharing snippets:
Anne Rainey, Jody Wallace, Selena Robins, Eliza Gayle, Mari Carr, McKenna Jeffries, Mandy M Roth, Myla Jackson, Taige Crenshaw, Selena Blake, Vivian Arend, Beth-Ann Mason, HelenKay Dimon, Shelli Stevens, Lauren Dane , TJ Michaels, Shiloh Walker
October 20, 2011
Romance Trading Cards
This is a test…
I'm getting cards made and will have a full set of Granite Lake Wolves ready for the Emerald City Writers Conference. I'll have more information about other ways to get a set once I know for sure everything works out. So far, so good, though! Hmm, Keil…
Oooh, pretty! Thea Harrison's new cover!
I'm really excited that Thea Harrison (NYT bestselling author of The Elder Races with deliciousness like the dragon shifter Dragos in Dragon Bound) has a novella in the series coming out December 13 with Samhain Publishing.
And now she's got a cover. Wanna drool, I mean, see it?
October 18, 2011
Cool new book- LEGACY
New release today from Samhain with a DRAGON shifter. Yes, you got that right. I love dragons, and since I'm too busy to work on my own dragon story right now, that means I get to enjoy other's. Like Thea Harrison's the Elder Races (Dragon Bound) and this book.
I'll let the blurb for LEGACY speak for itself, but I will tell you I've had fun chatting with Denise on twitter and emailing with her. It's one of those treats of the writing word that I'm both a writer AND a reader.
When Fate makes you her bitch, accept it and adapt. Or die.
The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 1Looking back on the wish she made on Midsummer's Eve, Maddy Niteclif should have been more specific. She only wanted to escape the shadowy nightmares that plagued her nights, not to be thrust into a completely altered reality.
If a strangely familiar, sexy dragon-shifter named Bahlin, who causes a never-to-be-mentioned-again fainting spell, isn't enough to make her question her sanity, his insistence she's the Niteclif ought to do the job. Prophesied super-sleuth of the supernatural world—a world that desperately needs her help—isn't a job she's remotely qualified for no matter what her family tree says.
Catapulted into a very different London ruled by dark mythology, mystery and murder, Maddy makes a few startling discoveries. Paranormal creatures exist. Getting shot really sucks. And her body responds remarkably well to dragon magic—in more ways than simple wound healing.
But in this kill-or-be-killed world, reality bites. And Maddy must choose to go back to what she knows…or stay and fight for the man she knows she can't live without.
Product Warnings
This book contains a shape-shifting dragon with a Scottish accent, modern and archaic weapons, global inter-species politics that make democracy seem mild, some very steamy sex underground, a severed head, murder, and…oh yeah…a woman caught in the middle of it all.
I enjoyed this story, and I know books 2 and 3 are in the works as well. Instead of giving away copies of the book, I'm gonna be tricky. See, this is Denise's first release at Samhain, and I know how thrilling it is to see your book hit the top ten list there, or to see on Amazon or Barnes & Noble that people are buying your book!
Ahem, so, yes, it's geeky, but it's true. There's no thrill like it, and the thrill never goes away, not even after your first book. But ESPECIALLY for your first book. SO here's the giveaway for this week. I've got a $10 gift certificate that I'm going to give out next Monday—good for the bookstore of your choice. (Samhain, Amazon, B&N, All Romance Ebooks…etc. If I can give you a gift certificate, you can pick the store.)
In the mean time, if you're into sexy dragons and cool world building, I'd encourage you to check out LEGACY and buy it now. On sale at Samhain for $3.85! It slices, it dices…it…okay, you get the idea.
Now excuse me, I have a sexy dragon to try to take away from Maddy…
~~** | Samhain | Amazon | **~~
To be entered to win: Leave a comment and tell me if you've read any dragon books before. My first (after The Hobbit, of course) were Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. How about you?
October 17, 2011
Winner and WIP
Morning and happy new week to all. I've got some fun lined up for this week, including a spanking new book to tell you about tomorrow. Although, not a book about spanking. Behave!
First, winner from last week's meeting with Victoria Dahl and the lovely Donavon Brothers series. Hmmm, Jamie... Where was I? Oh yes, winner of BAD BOYS DO is:
Maria D.
Hurrah, Maria! Use the contact button to send me your mailing addy again, please and I'll get that out to you asap. Thanks to everyone who stopped in, and I hope you check out Vicki's stuff.
And…the WIP snippet for this week? Edits on Rocky Mountain Desire still.
Ohhh, BTW, MinnChia from The Book Pushers read the first two cowboys already for review. She said they were "crackalicious…"
~~**~~
Matt gritted his teeth, bracing himself to take the final steps to the exit door. A feminine gasp dragged his gaze off where he'd gotten trapped—her nearly naked breasts, dammit. He retreated in a hurry, smashing into the wall behind him as he forced himself to look at the floor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm going."
He rushed away, slammed a shoulder against the door and escaped through the exit into the warmth of the July evening air. His heart was still pounding like a freight train after he'd put his load away.
Shit. He was beyond pathetic. Now he was freaking out innocent women. He leaned on the door to Daniel's truck, closed his eyes and took a long slow breath through his nose, attempting to calm his body and his mind.
All he could see was the dancer's body, and his dick got hard.
October 15, 2011
Saturday Snippet- At Work
Hmm, stories set in the workplace. This gets tougher when you have characters who live/work outdoors. Well, maybe not. This is a worksite excerpt–the company TJ works for is his brother Keil's Maximum Exposure, based out of Haines, Alaska. They're leading a hike up the side of King's Throne mountain in Klaune National Park. From WOLF TRACKS:
Wolf Tracks
Publication Date: October 26, 2010
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60928-233-2
Type: eBook
Score one for the underdog…er…wolf.
TJ Lynus is a legend in Granite Lake, both for his easygoing demeanor—and his clumsiness. His carefree acceptance of his lot vanishes, though, when his position as best man brings him face to face with someone he didn't expect. His mate. His very human mate. Suddenly, one thing is crystal clear: if he intends to claim her, his usual laid-back attitude isn't going to cut it.
After fulfilling her maid-of-honor duties, Pam Quinn has just enough time for a Yukon wilderness trip before returning south. The instant attraction between her and TJ tempts her to indulge in some Northern Delight, but when he drops the F-bomb—"forever"—she has second thoughts. In her world, true love is a fairytale that seldom, if ever, comes true.
Okay, so maybe staging a kidnapping wasn't TJ's best idea, but at least Pam has the good humor to agree to his deal. He'll give her all the northern exposure she can stand—and she won't break his kneecaps.
Now to convince her that fairytales can remake her world—and that forever is worth fighting for.
~~**~~
The panoramic views when they reached the top were staggeringly beautiful. Pam wandered aimlessly and clicked picture after picture. Tufts of clouds clinging to the mountaintops. A ribbon of glacier ice trailing off into the distance. The sun reflecting in a million dazzling light spots on the surface of Kathleen Lake.
Every time she glanced up she found TJ's gaze fixed on her.
"Don't you have anyone else you need to take care of?"
He shook his head slowly. "I set up the picnic already, and everyone else is eating. I had to make sure you didn't stroll too close to the edge of the mountain or anything."
Oh dear, it was hot up here, under the blazing heat of his stare.
"If there's a picnic, I guess I should go join them."
"I kept some out for us. We can eat here. Alone."
Pam concentrated hard. Okey dokey.
They sat together, TJ pointing in various directions and naming the local mountaintops visible from their vantage point. Pam nibbled on her sandwich, all the while trying to think of a good excuse to bring up the aborted kiss from the other night. As in, maybe they should find a way and means to try it again.
She'd never been so attracted to a man and so tongue-tied. There didn't seem to be any appropriate openings, and she wasn't about to simply jump him.
Well, not yet.
"So, I was thinking." TJ passed her a juice box, condensation beading its surface.
"Dangerous thing to do."
He grinned. "I'd like to make it up to you, I mean, leaving you in the lurch the other day. I kinda hoped you would forgive me enough to accept a little peace offering."
Hmmm, bribery totally worked. "Like extra chocolate bars? Dark? I'd be willing to forgive just about anything for chocolate."
His laugh rolled over her as he grabbed his daypack.
"That's not the surprise, but I think I can still help you out." He dug out a Ziploc bag and reached in for an extra-large foil-wrapped bar. "Oops, it's too warm today to be hauling chocolate. Sorry."
He pulled one out. Chocolate oozed from the edges and ran down his fingers. Hello opportunity. She grabbed his hand.
"No problem, I like it this way."
She brought his hand to her mouth and sucked one digit in, licking the warm melted gooeyness clean before moving to the next one. His breathing sped up and her pussy grew wet. Okay, she was over being mad and there had better be private rooms available wherever they were staying tonight.
By the time she removed all traces of chocolate, she could barely breathe. He leaned toward her, his dark eyes fixing her in place as their lips touched.
Bells rang. Cool, they weren't even kissing and she heard bells.
~~**~~
Digital: Amazon | Samhain | Barnes & Noble | All Romance Ebooks |Sony
Print: See also Under the Midnight Sun – Amazon | Book Depository |Books a Million
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More authors taking you out to work for the day…
Anne Rainey, Jody Wallace, Eliza Gayle, Mari Carr, McKenna Jeffries, Mandy M Roth, Myla Jackson, Taige Crenshaw, Vivian Arend, Alison Kent, HelenKay Dimon, Shelli Stevens, Lauren Dane , Lacey Savage, TJ Michaels, Shiloh Walker
October 13, 2011
Oh the things that you'll see…
Over the years I've been very fortunate to travel/adventure into the wilderness: hiking, canoeing, driving…
Harbour at Valdez
In 2005 we moved to the Yukon for a few years, and while my hubby was working crazy hours to get his job together, I took the kids and we went camping in Alaska. We traveled to Valdez, took the ferry to the Kenai Peninsula, then drove back through Anchorage to Whitehorse. With two kids under 12 and a dog. During the rainy season.
There were many exciting moments on the trip, some good, some bad. A good highlight–my son caught a 12 pound salmon on 2 pound fishing line.
A bad/good moment? The night I woke at 3 am, terrified. We had pulled into a campground around 5pm, and I was surprised to find it totally empty. Out of the possible 40 spots to stay, we were the only people there. The campground being empty was weird enough, but then for some reason I woke up, heart pounding, this horrible taste in my mouth. I packed up the camper in the pitch black, manhandled the kids into the truck and drove for two hours. I finally found a pullout on the side of the road that had another camper (that screamed 'nice safe retired gramma and grampa') already parked there. Pulled over and slept for a few more hours.
The news later that day on the radio talked about some escaped convicts who were recaptured in the area of the campground.
Off the coast of the Kenai Penisula
October 11, 2011
Author feature- Victoria Dahl
I've got an author to tell you about. She makes me lol and smile and get all weepy. Not at the same time, thank goodness, but often enough that she's become one of my look forward to seeing people at conferences and online. (She rocks the karaoke, btw)
Vicki has a very cool contemp series you need to hear about. The Donovan Brothers is set in a family-owned microbrewery in Boulder, Colorado. Family! Drama! Beer! What's not to love?
There's a novella "Just One Taste" that's in the anthology The Guy Next Door. Click here for more info on "Just One Taste!"
Then the three novels are:
Good Girls Don't (Hqn) | Bad Boys Do (Hqn) | Real Men Will (Hqn)
Books 1 and 2 are out now, and book 3 releases October 25. I've got a copy of book 2, Bad Boys Do, in PRINT that I'll give away to one commentor. The hero? Hmmm, Jamie is delicious!! (He wears a kilt! **swoons**)
Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.
Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?
To be entered to win: What stereotypes/cliches are just so sexy you still love them? The kilts? Aussie accents? What makes a guy a total winner for you? I'll draw for a winner and announce next Monday. Have fun! (Yes, international entries are fine!)
