Thea Harrison's Blog, page 19

NIGHT’S HONOR: a Peek Inside!

Oooh! This is exciting! I (Janine – Thea’s assistant) get to post a couple of excerpts today from Thea’s next Elder Races novel (book #7, NIGHT’S HONOR), which will be available on September 2, 2014. It is available for pre-order now. Click on any of these links to pre-order your copy today:

Amazon.com Book Depository (free shipping worldwide!) Barnes & Noble

I just read the book this week – it is REALLY GOOD! I can’t wait for you all to get it in your hands so we can chat about it! But in the meantime, some juicy snippets and another look at that gorgeous cover will hopefully tide you over.

Oh, yes… Xavier del Torro is just that HOT (or should I say, CALIENTE?)!

Here’s the blurb from the back cover to give you the storyline:

From the author of Kinked and Oracle’s Moon…In the USA Today bestselling author’s latest Novel of the Elder Races, a woman finds herself in need of protection—and seduced by honor…

On the run from her former employer, Tess knows that she’s vulnerable on her own amongst the Elder Races. That’s why she decides to audition to become the human attendant of a powerful Vampyre of the Nightkind demesne. But while her position affords her the safety she seeks, her protector turns out to be more than she bargained for.

The right-hand man of the Nightkind King, Xavier del Torro is both terrifying and alluring. While his true nature frightens Tess, she can’t ignore the appeal of his innate sense of integrity and self-restraint. Thrown into Xavier’s world, Tess must quickly learn to navigate the dangers—both to her life and to her heart. But the biggest threat comes from her own past…

Now, I’m going to share a couple of excerpts – just keep in mind that the book is still in the editing stage, so it is subject to a few minor tweaks, which means that what you see here may not be verbatim what gets published, but it’ll be close. Our main characters are Xavier del Torro, a Vampyre whom you’ve met before if you’ve been reading the Elder Races series, and a new character – a young human woman named Tess.

“Are you afraid of all Vampyres, or is it me?” He didn’t look as if he would be terribly bothered by her answer, either way.

Oh, to hell with it. It wasn’t like she could truly hide how she felt anyway. He was reading her as easily as he had read his book.

            “I’m intensely uncomfortable around all Vampyres, but even more so around you.” She forced a deep breath into her constricted lungs. “Is what they say about you true?”

            He lifted one sleek eyebrow. “To what are you referring?”

            She met his gaze. “That you were a priest when you were human. The Inquisition killed your family, and that was when you became a Vampyre—and you went after all of the Officers of the Inquisition until everybody who had been involved was dead.”

Something glittered deep in his eyes, a fierce, hot spark of reaction, until his eyelids lowered again to cover the expression, and he looked as cool and collected as he had before. “Yes.”

It was the smallest betrayal of feeling, that spark, but she had seen it, and her perception of him altered again.

What kind of rage and pain drove a young man to end life as he knew it, so that he could bring justice to those who had killed his family?

And then, later in the book, the heat gets turned up a bit – as we’ve learned to expect from Thea!

Over the centuries of his existence, he had witnessed so many things— miracles and tragedies, and mysteries that were simply unexplainable. He’d had considerate, humorous lovers, and he’d enjoyed every one.

None of it compared to the miracle of holding Tess’s body against his. Seeing the utter lack of fear in her flushed, angular face, when she had once been so afraid of him.

Realizing the passion that glazed her beautiful eyes was all for him.

“’Thy love is better than wine,’” he whispered against her softened, sexy mouth.

Better than wine.

He brushed his lips down the side of her cheek, along the clean, graceful curve of her jawline, and kissed her slender neck. Her skin. Dear God, was there anything else as perfect as her skin?

She cradled his head in both hands, her uneven breath sounding in his ear. “What was that? Were you quoting something?”

“Love poetry,” he muttered, kissing along her collarbone as he ran his hands underneath the hem of her sweater. “From the Song of Solomon.”

An exhalation of a laugh shook out of her. “You’re a romantic?”

“I was, once upon a time,” he admitted. He curved his hands around her narrow ribcage. She fit so perfectly against him. “I still am, on occasion. When life permits.”

“I’m not a romantic,” she confessed. Nuzzling his cheek, she slipped his jacket off his shoulders. He shrugged it off and let it fall to the floor.

“I forgive you,” he told her expansively, with a grin.

Anyone else craving a glass of wine…?

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Published on April 18, 2014 10:39

Cover Art & Blurb Reveal: Peanut Goes To School

I am over-the-moon excited to share the new cover for my short story coming out in July 2014! The story is about Liam, the son of Pia and Dragos, and is titled Peanut Goes To School. It will be about 15,000 words long, or around 50 pages, so roughly half the length of one of my novellas.

So, without further ado… … HERE IT IS:

This cover is so different from the typical romance novel cover, and I think it’s really eye-catching. The little boy representing Liam on the cover is exactly how I pictured him, and my wonderful cover artist, Angela Waters, did such a fantastic job (once again), right down to those dark violet eyes of his mother’s!

The blurb is a draft, so I might tweak it a bit before release day. It’ll still give you the gist of the storyline! Enjoy -

* * * *

Dragos Cuelebre is no longer the only dragon.

Dragos’s son Liam Cuelebre (a.k.a. Peanut) is springing into existence, reminiscent of the first of the Elder Races who were born at the beginning of the world. At just six months of age, he has already grown to the size of a large five-year-old boy. He can read, write in complete sentences, and his math skills are off the chart.

A white dragon in his Wyr form, Liam also holds more Power than almost anyone else. In an effort to give him a taste of normality, no matter how fleeting, his parents Pia and Dragos enroll him in first grade.

They hope school will help teach Liam how to relate to others, a vital skill that will help him control his growing Power. But school has a surprising number of pitfalls, and relating to others can be a tricky business.

When a classmate is threatened, Liam must quickly learn self-control, how to rein in his instincts, and govern his temper, because there’s no doubt about it—he is fast becoming one of the most dangerous creatures in all of the Elder Races.

* * * *

As with Dragos Takes A Holiday (Nov, 2013), and Pia Saves The Day (June, 2014), Peanut Goes To School (July, 2014) is a self-published project, so there won’t be any pre-order pages.

The best way to stay up to date on my new releases is to sign up for my newsletter (see to the right of this page). I will also be sure to post on my blog, on my author Facebook page and on Twitter when the story goes live and is available for sale.

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Published on April 05, 2014 12:51

Cover and blurb reveal: Pia Saves the Day (projected June release)

It’s time for another cover art and blurb reveal!

*** BLURB ***

In the latest story of the Elder Races, two mates face their deadliest challenge yet—each other…

Pia and Dragos’s magical young son Liam (the Peanut), is growing at an unprecedented rate, and if that isn’t enough, he is also exhibiting new, and unpredictable, magical gifts. To protect him, the concerned parents decide to move to upstate New York.

Both Dragos and Pia relish the idea of leaving behind the city. They finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. It’s a breath of fresh air—literally—but their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured in a freak accident.

Stripped of his memory and bereft of Pia’s taming influence, there’s nothing holding back Dragos’s darkest side. And in order to restore her family and save her mate, Pia must confront the most powerful menace in Elder Races history.

It’s going to take more than a penny to fix this…

*****

I have three stories in total planned for Dragos, Pia and Liam (the Peanut). The first was the novella, Dragos Takes a Holiday, which I released in ebook, print and audio last November.

The second story is a novella Pia Saves the Day (I’ll be releasing this one in June), and the third is a short story entitled Peanut Goes to School (this one will be released in July). As with Dragos Takes a Holiday, these are self-published projects, so they won’t have any pre-order pages. If you watch my blog, like my author Facebook page, follow me on Twitter or sign up for my newsletter, I’ll be sure to post the news when the sales links go live.

After I finish this story arc, I’ll be leaving the Cuelebres to focus on other stories.

(Edited to add: I’ll leave the Cuelebres for now, but that doesn’t mean forever. I’d love to swing back around and tell more about them some time in the future!)

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Published on March 13, 2014 11:04

New Blog Post: Myke Cole on Writing Romance

From Thea: When I first set up my blog, I posted a series of interviews on Men Reading Romance. I loved the different take on the romance genre by male readers, and had a great deal of fun setting it up.

One of the men who generously gave of his time was author Myke Cole. I was delighted when Myke approached me again and asked if he could guest with another post – about actually writing romance.

Here’s what Myke has to say about his writing journey over the last two years:

~~~

Love’s a Thing Worth Working For

Myke Cole

A couple years ago, this site was kind enough to host me at the start of my career. My first novel, CONTROL POINT, did pretty well. I guess it had the right combination of explosions and internal conflicts. It was a high-octane story that mixed magic and the military, sending Harry Potter off to train with Delta Force instead of to Hogwarts. The action rode on a layer of deeper issues: the constant tension between security and civil liberties, the price of the sprawling bureaucracies we rely upon to govern our use of deadly force.

I spent a lot of time fretting over the characters, doing my utmost to get them exactly right. This is because I firmly believe that character is the heart of any good novel. We’re herd animals, us humans, and we are infinitely interested in the thinkings, sayings and doings of our own. A plotless novel with dynamite characters is a fantastic book, but it doesn’t work the other way around.

But it was my debut, and I expected it wouldn’t be perfect. But I was crestfallen when the complaints about character rolled in. I was prepared for my craft to be flawed in some areas, but not that one. I had to get that one right. When I cast about looking for ways to learn, to improve, I sought out a genre where character rose above all else, where the intertwining of human beings was the absolute core of the story.

I am, of course, talking about romance.

I began reading the genre like a scout/sniper on a recon op. I was going to get in, learn the target, then get out and hit it.

See, here’s the thing with scout/snipers. They don’t usually get the drop on the target, decide they like it and then stick around for dinner.

But that’s what happened.

Outlander, anyone? Nalini Singh? Hell, even that Ellora’s cave anthology I picked up at the Nebulas. Y’all can write.

When I came on this site last time, I was boiling with righteous fury. A friend had told me that men generally couldn’t write romances under their own names, I was determined to break that barrier.

I had always pictured my efforts bearing fruit in a separate novel, a discrete foray into the romance genre that totally strayed from my established mode.

So, imagine my surprise when I typed THE END at the bottom of my third book, BREACH ZONE, and realized I had written a love story.

This is the thing about learning, it has a way of sneaking up on you. Remember learning to ride a bike? All that falling over. All those scabbed knees. All the frustrated crying and telling your dad that you weren’t getting any better. “You’re improving,” dad said, “you’re just too close to see it. Have some patience.” And then, one day, suddenly you’re balanced and moving under your own steam, the competence so shocking that you forget to smile for the first spin around the block.

Reading romance did that for me. It subtly taught me the intense complication that plagues all human relationships, and the delicious tension that it evokes in a narrative. It taught me how to convey emotion without painting it on. It helped me breathe life into my characters until they refused to follow my plot lines, giving that sublime authorial experience: watching one’s characters become so fully realized that they begin to dictate the path of the story.

And just like riding a bike, I was so amazed that I forgot to smile. And just like riding that bike, my first trip around the block was tentative, convincing myself that the balance was real, that I wasn’t about to pitch forward on my face. And once I had the confidence, it was time to push the envelope.

My fourth novel, GEMINI CELL, is another high-octane military fantasy, and that’s undoubtedly how it’ll be pitched. But it is absolutely and undeniably a romance. At its root, GEMINI CELL is a story of a love so powerful that it defies death itself, of a man so deeply in love that he will not rest until he has found his way back to the woman who anchors his soul.

Can I brag for a minute here? It’s the best thing I’ve ever written.

That’s because it’s about character. That’s because it’s about love. That’s because it’s got hot sex (and hot sex between married people, no less!).

Reading romance taught me how to do that.

So, I guess this post is two things. The first is this: I told you I was going to write a romance, and I wanted to come on here to tell you that, by god, I did.

The second is to say thanks. This genre has taught me about my craft. More importantly, it has taught me about myself.

I’ve still got a long way to go. There are many long miles before I can even come close to producing work that could go into the ring with Gabaldon or Aguirre.

But I will work as hard as it takes for as long as it takes.

Because love is worth it.

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Published on February 13, 2014 11:30

Blog Post: My latest book binge – what I bought today

Recently I posted a question, asking readers what ten books I should buy this weekend. I just finished writing a book on Friday night, and I’ve been planning to treat myself to a book buying binge as a reward.

You gave me so many wonderful recommendations! Many of them I had already read and loved. Many I hadn’t heard of before, so I added them to my TBR list, and still others were upcoming releases by favorite authors, so I was very happy to put them on my wish list to purchase at a later date.

Several of you also asked for me to post what I ended up buying, so here’s my list! As you’ll see, it’s a bit eclectic.

1. Dr. Sleep, Stephen King (it’s been a long time since I’ve read a King novel, and I’ve heard this one is really good)

2. Waking Kate, by Sarah Addison Allen (I found this one free on Kindle!!)

3. Queen of Swords, by Katee Robert

4. The Countess Conspiracy, by Courtney Milan (I’m very fortunate to have Courtney as one of my friends, and I’ve been dying to get my hands on this one!)

5. Maid for Love, by Marie Force (another one that was free on Kindle!!)

6. Poison Study, by Marie Snyder (I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while now!)

7. Master of Crows, by Grace Draven

8. Kindling the Moon, by Jenn Bennett

9. The Professional, (part 1), by Kresley Cole – mostly I had to buy this because I’m really intrigued by the fact it’s a serial, but I’m not really counting it as one of the ten I had intended to buy

10. Angelfall, by Susan Ee

11. The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion (this one looks really charming!)

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Published on February 09, 2014 11:55

Blog Post: Announcing seven winners

**POST HAS BEEN EDITED / there was a typo in the contact email address. It did say “INTO” and it SHOULD be “INFO” - Sorry about that***

To everyone who left a comment – Thanks so much for all the fantastic book recommendations! I loved reading about which books are your favorites, and which ones you’re looking forward to this year. It’s going to be so much fun to go book shopping the day after I meet my deadline!

Using Random.org, here are the seven winners from the FALLING LIGHT contest.

Tracy C

Susan (email starts with suze….)

Stephanie F.

Raychell

SandyH

Katafer

Ace

Congratulations! Email info@theaharrison.com with your mailing address (no PO Boxes, please), and we’ll send you your prize.

**Must respond by 5 PM MDT / 7 PM EST Tuesday January 28th. If any of the winners are unable to claim their prize, it will be allocated to someone else**

Happy reading!

Thea

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Published on January 24, 2014 08:33

Blog Post: If I were to buy ten books, what should they be?

Hi folks!

I’m planning a book buying excursion after I finish my latest manuscript, around February 8th or 9th, when I pretend to be a lady of leisure for a few days. This is possibly what I might look like, by the way:

I wanted to ask you–if I were to buy ten books, what should they be? They could be non-fiction, or fiction of any genre, although I’m particularly hungry for sci-fi fantasy recs, and contemporary romances. What do you think?

I would especially love some new release recommendations, since I’m completely out of touch with what is coming out in 2014. Also, other readers might get ideas from any comments you might make.

To spread the new releases around, I’m willing to give up to seven copies of my upcoming release FALLING LIGHT (A Game of Shadows novel) to any commenter that may want one. It’s perfectly lovely and fine to share your love of books without entering the giveaway – please mention in your comment if you would like to be considered for the contest.

Blog winners will be picked around mid-day on Friday the 24th.

Thanks so much, and happy reading!!!

Thea

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Published on January 18, 2014 22:17

Blog Post: Dragos Takes A Holiday contest winner!

I’m posting the winner a few minutes early, due to an unexpected scheduling conflict… Using Random.org, I picked the winner of the proof copy for Dragos Takes A Holiday – Shyral!

Congratulations! Email me at thea@theaharrison.com with your mailing address (no PO Boxes, please), and we’ll send you your prize.

**Winner must respond by 5 PM MDT / 7 PM EST Monday December 23rd. If she’s unable to claim her prize, it will be allocated to someone else**

Happy reading!

Thea

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Published on December 20, 2013 10:47

Blog Post: Who wants my proof copy? (Dragos Takes A Holiday giveaway)

Hi folks!

I have one proof copy of the print edition of Dragos Takes A Holiday, and I’ve decided to give it away. I love it so much! It turned out beautifully.

I’m keeping the giveaway simple – leave a comment for a chance to win this little beauty. Yes, the giveaway is international, and it’s open to anybody–readers, other writers and book bloggers.

I’ll announce a winner at 12 noon MDT on Friday December 20th.

Good luck!

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Published on December 13, 2013 10:50

New Post: Blog Tour for KINKED!

My wonderful publicist at Penguin had designed a lovely blog tour for KINKED! The dates and the stops are listed below. Here is what is included with each blog post: a review of KINKED, one Publisher-provided giveaway copy (U.S. entries only), and an excerpt from KINKED.

I also had a great deal of fun answering a Q&A compiled of questions from the different bloggers, so you can catch up on some of the latest.

Can you believe it? The blog tour starts Monday! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

October 28 (Monday)

v LITERAL ADDICTION – http://www.literaladdiction.com/

v Love To Read For Fun – http://lovetoreadforfun.com/

v Bitten By Love Reviews – http://www.bittenbylovereviews.com/

October 29 (Tuesday)

v A Book Obsession – http://www.abookobsession.com/

v HEAs Are Us – http://heasareus.blogspot.com/

v Fiction Vixen – http://fictionvixen.com/

October 30 (Wednesday)