Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blog, page 22
September 1, 2014
Stay With Me Giveaway Round 2
We’re getting closer and closer to the release of Stay With Me. So excited!
Stay With Me comes out September 23rd
Don’t forget, if you pre order Stay With Me, you will receive a very sweet and very sexy Cam and Avery bonus scene. All you have to do is go HERE to make sure you get the scene. For more info on the bonus scene, you can go check out THIS blog post.
You can also order signed print copies, and they also count toward the bonus scene. Just click on the image below to find out how you can get a signed and personalized copy.
Today I have a new excerpt for you from Stay With Me
(warning: there be a wee bit of mature language in this excerpt. Definitely some F-bombs)
***
Turning, I stepped around Jax and grabbed a bottle. When Mona’s got busy, it had to be crazy behind here, and I was kind of, surprisingly, excited about the prospect. There had to be a sort of Zen in being that busy. Heading back to the customer, I popped the lid, smiling as a little cool air rolled up from the open neck. “Tab or pay as you go?”
“Pay as I go.” He took the beer as he leaned back from the bar and muttered, “Shame.”
My brow arched up. “Shame?” Seriously doubted that was his name or something. “I’m sorry?”
The guy took a long swig of his beer and his brows knitted. “It’s a shame.”
I glanced around, not sure what he was talking about and wondering if he was already drunk. I hadn’t had to cut anyone off yet, and I really wasn’t looking forward to that moment. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Jax stop and angle his body toward us. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m not really following.”
With the hand holding his beer, he made a circle in the air around about where my head was. “Your face,” he clarified, and I sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s a shame.”
Every muscle in my body locked up as I stared at the guy. Somehow, maybe because I’d been so busy running back and forth, I’d done the impossible. Forgotten about the scar. That wasn’t an easy thing to do. Not only had the scar cut into my skin, it had sliced deep, becoming a very tangible part of me. I knew it was visible, even with the Dermablend, just faded into a thin cut, but I had forgotten.
Taking another deep swig of his beer, he continued. “I bet you were really hot one time.”
That statement stung. Oh yeah, it was like stepping on a pissed-off hornet. It shouldn’t bother me, some random asshole’s opinion, but the sting coursed through me. I didn’t know what to do or how to respond. It had been so long since anyone even commented on it. Probably because people who knew me, who weren’t shocked by the scar, always surrounded me when the makeup faded after a long day.
“Get the fuck out.”
I jumped at the sound of the deep voice growling behind me and turned. Jax stood there, his eyes flashing and jaw tight, set in a hard line. Dumbly, I wondered why he wanted me to leave. I hadn’t done anything, and it wasn’t like he didn’t realize my face was slightly on the disfigured side.
But he wasn’t talking to me.
Of course not.
Duh.
Jax was staring down the guy on the other side of the bar, and then he was moving forward. Slamming one hand down on the bar top, he launched up over the bar, landing nimbly on the other side, inches from the guy.
“Holy crap,” I whispered, eyes wide.
I’d never seen anyone do something like that. Didn’t even know it was possible. Jax hadn’t even hit a bar stool. It was like he propelled himself over the bar all the time. Maybe that’s what he did during downtime, winging himself back and forth over the bar.
Pearl stopped in the middle of the bar floor, staring at Jax, and she didn’t look too surprised, which I found odd. His buddy at the table stood. The rest of the guys at the table were twisted in their seats, faces set, but not with curiosity. More like they were ready to jump to their feet any second.
Jax snatched the bottle out of the guy’s grasp as he slammed a hand in the middle of the guy’s chest, knocking him back several feet.
***
Jax has got a potty mouth.
And I’ve also got an awesome giveaway for you today that includes some more of my favorite New Adult books.
18 Book Giveaway
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
All Lined Up by Cora Carmack
Finding It by Cora Carmack
Faking It by Cora Carmack
Losing It by Cora Carmack
No Attachments by Tiffany King
Come to Me Quietly by A.L. Jackson
Broken Promises by Monica Murphy (signed by author)
Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines
Never Too Far Abbi Glines
Forever Too Far Abbi Glines
Sharing You by Molly McAdams
Deceiving Lies by Molly McAdams
Capturing Peace by Molly McAdams
Needing Her by Molly McAdams
Also includes:
Swag
Skeleton Key Bottle Opener
Rules and disclaimer time: Contest is open to everyone. Author is not responsible for lost packages in the mail and cannot replace lost or damaged items. Prizes are not switchable with any other book or prize. Winner must claim prize with 48 hours of email notification.
August 28, 2014
Daemon Black invades Houston Bookrave
Exciting announcement about Houston Bookrave, taking place November 15th in Houston, Texas!
Pepe Toth, the cover model on the Lux Series books will be in attendance! We will be signing books between 1:00pm and 3:00pm and then there will be a special Q&A session between 4:00pm and 5:00pm whee you can ask your burning questions.
You can find all the information about the event and all the authors that are attending by going HERE . See you then!
August 27, 2014
Bonus Scene!
As many of you can remember, we’ve offered special bonus scenes to those who’ve preordered Trust In Me and Be With me, and we’re going to do it again!
So here’s how it works:
Pre Order Stay With Me, in print or in digital from any vender within the United States
(this is being held by the U.S. publisher. We can only honor U.S. vendors, but overseas folks can order the print via Book Depository for it to count)
You will go HERE to fill out the form.
If you’re on a mobile device, use this link: http://a.pgtb.me/pQrSCG
(You will be required to submit proof of receipt. No exceptions. If you’ve already pre-ordered Stay With Me, dig up that receipt
The bonus scene will be emailed to you beginning on September 24 and through the rest of the week
(Make sure you use a valid email address. Scene will NOT be sent before release date)
So what do you get?
You get a VERY special scene from Cam and Avery, in Avery’s POV.
You can order signed copies of Wait for You, Be With Me and Stay With Me by clicking on the image below.
August 25, 2014
Stay With Me Countdown
We are so close to the release of Stay With Me! The third book in the Wait for You series, but Stay With Me can be read as a standalone.
Releases September 23rd, 2014
At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.
But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought shed left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.
Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from they moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.
You can order signed copies of Wait for You, Be With Me and Stay With Me by clicking on the image below.
Today I have a quick tease of Stay With Me, where you get to meet Calla and Jax.
***
Jax caught my arm. “You’re forgetting something.”
“What?”
The half grin appeared as he turned his hand around my arm, tugging me toward him. I bit down on my lip as I stumbled forward, having no idea what he was about. I got close to him, close enough that when he reached down to a cubbyhole, his arm brushed my thigh.
“Got to wear an apron when you’re out there.”
My brows rose as I stared at the half apron. “Seriously?”
He jerked his chin at Pearl. I sighed when I saw she had one tied around her waist, and then snatched it from him.“Whatever.”
“It goes great with your shirt.”
I rolled my eyes.
Jax laughed. “Let me help.”
“The last time I checked, I can tie an apron without—” I gaped at him. Somehow theapron was back in his hand and his other hand landed on my hip, startling me. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you out.” He bent his head toward my left ear, and I immediately turned my cheek. “Jumpy?” he asked.
I shook my head, finding that I had no idea how to form syllables, and that was embarrassing.
Without saying a word, he turned me around so my back was to his front, and then he slipped an arm between his waist and mine. I didn’t dare move.
“You can breathe, you know.” His arm trailed across my lower stomach, setting off a chain of flutters, as he spread the apron.
“I’m breathing,” I forced out.
Amusement colored his tone. “You sure about that, honey?”
“Yeah.”
Pearl entered the bar just then, carrying a tray of clean glasses. She arched her brows inour direction. “Getting hands-on, Jackie boy?”
“Jackie boy?” I mumbled.
Jax chuckled not too far from my ear. “Tying knots is hard.”
***
Tying knots is hard.
Now I have a giveaway for you!
What’s up for grabs is:
Signed copies of:
Wait for You (UK Version)
Be With Me
Tempting the Bodyguard
Frigid
And a few of my favorite New Adult books (not signed):
Easy by Tammara Webber
Breakable by Tammara Webber
Foreplay by Sophie Jordan
Tease by Sophie Jordan
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Walking Disaster by by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Oblivion by by Jamie McGuire
Rule by Jay Crownover Jet by Jay Crownover
Rome by Jay Crownover
Nash by Jay Crownover
And that’s not all
Stay With me bookmarks and swag
A turtle charm
A vintage skeleton key bottle opener (Because can’t have a book about bartenders without a bottle opener!)
Contest is open to anyone and ends Sunday August 31st 11:59pm EST
By entering this contest, you agree that the author is not responsible for lost packages or damaged items. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize.
August 21, 2014
Signed Copies of Stay With Me and More!
Would you like a signed and personalized copy of Stay With Me or Wait for You, Be With Me, and Stay With Me?
Now here’s your chance!
Between now and September the 12th, you can place an order for signed and personalized copies. All the details on this link and this is being provided by the lovely ladies at TrinDee Events. If you have any questions, please read the FAQ portion of their post. Most likely your question is answered there.
Click HERE to order your signed/personalized copies!
Stay With Me releases September 23rd
Now, if you order, keep track of that recent. There’s a special announcement coming next week about pre orders of any type!
The Secret to Writing
There is none.
Ha.
That subject line was a wee bit misleading, eh? There are no secrets to writing. There is no one ‘ingredient’ that works for all authors.
Whenever I post my writing stats, I get asked how do I write so fast and so much. I actually get asked this question quite a bit. I’m not the only one. Last night, I finished writing my 33rd book (that I count) and my 4th book I’d written this year. I wrote 105,000 words in 38 days. During those 38 days, I had the RWA conference and a couple of signings.
How do I do it?
I wish I had something interesting to tell you about my writing style, because in all honesty, the truth behind how I write is boring. No radioactive spiders, no speedy happy little fingers. I don’t do anything extraordinary. And I’m not trying to downplay what I do, because that’s something I do have a tendency of doing. I don’t even know why. I do work hard. I’ve written until my neck and shoulders ache so bad I feel like a ninety-year-old woman. The only time I’ve taken a vacation in the last three years was to move into my new house. I’ve written on Christmas, on my birthday and on my anniversary. I’ve gone weeks without seeing my friends or family members. Seriously. My sister-in-law has to text me and be like, are you working on a book or can we talk?
Unless I’m traveling, I write 7 days a week for about 10 hours a day. There you have it. Boring, right?
I write full time. I don’t have kids. My husband is a cop so he works weird hours that gives me a lot of writing time with no interruption. There you have it. I’m totally not a special snowflake. There are many, many others who write faster and more than me, who actually have these little things they are responsible for watering and feeding. They are freaking special, because I’m all like my dog needs water in his bowl AGAIN?
Anyway, I write like this because it is what works for me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.
Yesterday, I got asked an awesome question that pertains to writing in general, and this is the real point of this post. The question was:
“… but don’t you think one of the most important ingredients of a good book is time?“
And this was me:
and
And here’s why this is such an important question (and kudos to her for asking) to be asked and answered:
Firstly, as a writer you must accept there is no such thing as a universally good or universally bad book. Just get that crap right out of your head. There’s no such thing. I mean, people give 5 stars to dino-porn books. I’ve seen it. With my own eyes. And you can’t unsee that shit. People have given 1 star reviews of some of my favorite, cherished and much loved books.
Quality of writing, of storytelling and of craft are TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE. What one person loves, another hates, and so forth. There are people out there who don’t mind a book where it looks like the English language threw up comma splices all over it. There are people who see ‘there’ versus ‘their’ misused and lose their ever loving mind. A good book is subjective. As a writer, you’ve got to write what you want to read, what you are passionate about, and what you think is good.
Secondly and probably most importantly, there is no one ingredient in the book-baby-making-process that works for every writer. That if every writer out there used this one ingredient, they would turn into book ninjas.
For example, for me, the longer I take on a book… the worse it gets. I’m not kidding. If I stressed over every little word, it would be one big steaming pile of crap.
Time does not work for me. It is not on my side.
For others, they need that time. They have to stress over every little world. That works for them. That is how they write. And you’re know what? That is…
It’s the same as some writers plotting out books while other writers don’t. It’s the same as some writers using prose while others adopt a more simple style. I’m the simple style writer. I used to get so offended when people were like “YOU’RE WRITING IS SO SIMPLE.” and it was so bad that one of my editors LOL’d every time she saw that, because she knew I was all like that doesn’t sound like a compliment.
It took me a while to realize that it was just a different style of writing. Like, I write everyday speak. That’s the best way for me to sum it up. How I think people think and talk goes onto the page. Then there are writers who gush out some prose that makes me want to go hide in my cave of-not-good-enough because their prose is just beautiful. Then there is the style where I’m all like WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME IN THIS PARAGRAPH ABOUT SITTING IN A CHAIR?!? But you know what? Prose isn’t better than simple. Simple isn’t cooler than prose. Purple pose has it’s time and place.
It’s all just different styles.
Whatever floats your writer boat, ya’ll.
The absolute worse thing as a writer that you could do is try to adopt something someone tells you is the correct way. To be the writer that you’re not. If you can’t write a 105k word book in a month, you are not lacking. If you write a 105k book in a month, you are not writing crap. You need to find what works for you.
And then, as cheesy as this sounds, you’re going to be the best writer that you can be.
August 13, 2014
A special Thank You
So as some of you might have heard already (probably heard my screaming), Opposition hit the USA Today Bestseller’s list at number 34 and put the Lux Series on the New York Times YA Series list at number 4 this week.
I was absolutely shocked by this. That series list is a beast to crack, and I think (I could be wrong) that the Lux Series is the first small press book to have ever debuted on the YA list (standard or series) for the New York Times. Either way, it’s an amazing way to celebrate the end of the end of the series.
I wanted to thank the team over at Entangled for bringing this series to you, a big thanks to Macmillan for their distribution prowess, and to the Inkslinger Team for all their support and to my agent for being awesome. But none of this would’ve happened without you, the readers of the Lux Series. Seriously, you guys are amazing. THANK YOU.
But I wanted to give you something a little bit more than a Supernatural thank you gif. I thought I could give you something that some of you have been asking for. So without further adieu, here is a taste of Daemon and Kat, a few years after Opposition. Needless to say, if you haven’t read the last book, don’t read any further. You’ve been warned, and please keep in mind, I just wrote this. It’s not edited.
_________________________________________
Gimmie now. Seriously. I cannot wait a moment longer without having Unleashed by Sophie Jordan in my hands…
Grinning at my screen, I trailed my finger over the mouse pad and hit publish on my latest Waiting on Wednesday blog post. I closed the laptop, and feeling entirely too lazy to get up, I forced my mind to clear. Concentrating, I summoned the Source. The laptop trembled, and then a second later, it lifted off my hand and sailed across the room, landing gently on my desk.
“I’m awesome,” I murmured.
“That you are.”
I gasped, sitting up as I looked at the doorway. My eyes narrowed, and I grabbed the pillow. “Would you stop doing that!”
A slow grin pulled at full lips. “Doing what?”
I popped onto my knees, letting the blanket slip away, and cocking back my arm, I threw the pillow as hard as I could. That fluffy cloud turned into a projectile.
Without taking his eyes off me, Daemon’s hand snake out and he snatched the pillow before it connected with his face. “Don’t hate.” Tossing the pillow back to the bed, he folded his arms. “At least I was agreeing with you.”
“You’re as quiet as a freaking ninja,” I muttered.
Daemon winked, and that was the only warning I had. He moved so fast that I could barely track him across the room. The bed dipped under his sudden weight, jostling me and then his large hands were carefully cupping my cheeks. With his knees on either side of my legs, he lowered his head to mine. When he spoke, his warm lips brushed mine, and a rush electricity crackled over my skin. “Hey Kitten,” he breathed.
“What?” I whispered.
He pressed a too-quick, tiny kiss on the corner of my lips. “Have I told you that you’re beautiful yet today?”
I grinned. “Yeah, you did. This morning before Dawson dropped Ashley off.”
“Okay.” Those lips made another sweet pass over mine. “How about this afternoon?”
Placing my hands on his arms, I rested my forehead against his. “Yep. That was roughly around the time Beth and Dawson picked Ashley up. But then again, I’m pretty sure you were just overjoyed by the fact your brother was able to get Ashley’s to drop her chokehold on you.”
“I can still feel that little monkey’s arms around my neck,” he said.
I laughed. “She likes you.”
“Everyone likes me, Kitten.” Kissing me softly, he slid his hands to my shoulders. “How about in the last hour? Have I told you that in the last hour?”
“You just did.”
His lips curved into a smile against mine. “Just making sure.”
Daemon stopped fooling around then and he really kissed me, and he always kissed me like it was the first time. Deeply. He scorched my insides, scalded my skin. And he always kissed me like it would be the last time we’d ever have the pleasure of doing so. My heart rate doubled and as he guided me onto my back and he carefully hovered over me, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, holding him tight. Without cause, a messy ball of emotion formed in the back of my throat and I squeezed him tight.
“Hey,” he murmured, lifting his head. The center of those beautiful green eyes glowed with white, luminous light. Concern poured into his expression. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong? Shit. Kat, what’s going on?”
My smile was wobbly as I gaze at his beautiful face. “It’s nothing. I’m just overly emotional right now, and it’s just that I… I love you.”
He smoothed his thumb along the bottom of my lip. “I love you, Kat.”
No matter how many years had passed between those horrible moments when I’d thought I’d lost him, I would never forget that bitter taste of fear nor would I ever take any second we spent together for granted.
Daemon eased onto his side beside me, wiggling an arm under me and gathering me close. He picked up my left hand and brought it to his mouth. He pressed a kiss against each knuckle. My gaze fell to the engagement ring and the white-gold band that was nestled close to it.
“I was thinking,” he began.
“Oh geez.”
“Hush it.” He lowered our joined hands to my belly, and I sighed, because even though I was flat on my back, my stomach still looked like I had swallowed a beach ball. “Anyway, I was thinking… well, it was really Archer’s idea.”
I arched a brow. God only knows where this was leading.
“What do you think about making Dee and Archer godparents?”
Not what I was expecting considering it was coming from Archer. “That’s going to make Luc really mad. He called dibs on that honor.”
Daemon grinned. “I know. I think that’s why Archer suggested it.”
I laughed. “You guys are terrible.”
“Yeah, a little.”
Turning my head toward him, I sighed. “I actually think it’s a good idea.”
“Me too.” Daemon let go of my hand and spread his hand across my belly, something he did every night. He was fascinated by how the baby seemed to do backflips whenever it was time to go to bed.
Sitting up beside me, he placed both hands on my distended belly and then he lowered his head, kissing just above my navel. “What do you think?” he asked, speaking to my stomach in a way that made me grin. “You think Archer would make a good godfather? It’s your call, Adam.”
At that moment, little Adam decided to kung fu my stomach and his daddy’s hand. Daemon’s head lifted, his eyes wide and shining. “You feel that?”
“Every organ in my stomach felt that.”
His smile spread, becoming stunningly beautiful as he turned his gaze back to stomach. “That’s my boy.”
_________________________
August 12, 2014
Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans
I got some exciting news to share with you today! First though, I wanted to say thank you to everyone for making the first week of the release of Opposition a pretty darn awesome time! You guys rocked it out.
Opposition, the fifth and final book is out now!
I have a couple more releases coming up very soon!
Up next is Stay With Me (book 3) in the Wait for You Series. Stay With Me is New Adult romance and can be read as a standalone, as can the first took books. (PS. Be With Me is .99 cents today and tomorrow I believe).
Releases September 23rd, 2014
At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.
But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought shed left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.
Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from they moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.
And then we have Stone Cold Touch is also up, it’s a young adult paranormal and the second book in The Dark Elements series.
Releases October 21st, 2014
Every touch has it’s price.
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
________________________________________________________________
But that’s not it, guys. I have a SURPRISE for you. A surprise that I’ve been super excited about and have been dying to share. Back in May, as corny as this sounds but totally true, I actually had a dream that I woke up from and thought “OMGee Golly Goo, this would make an excellent NA paranormal novel.” I even tweeted/Facebook’d about it back then. Problem was, I didn’t have time to write it, and had originally planned on taking August off from writing, but this idea– these characters: Ivy ( take Alex and Avery and you get Ivy) and Ren (take Daemon Black, mix him with Roth, and add a dash of Cam and you get Ren) would not leave me alone. I just had to do it. So I did it.
And ended up with Wicked.
***
Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.
Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.
Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.
But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.
***
Wicked will be self-published on December 8th, 2014 in digital and print formats. As soon as pre order links become available, if they do, I will share.
Wicked is a New Adult Paranormal Romance– it’s what I like to call contemporary paranormal. Like the Lux Series or the Dark Elements, when you sometimes forget you’re dealing with the paranormal.
Wicked is about the fae, but they ain’t your grandmother’s fae. Oh no, not at all. And the romance? Well, like Daemon Black says, I do know how you book people love your teasers.
Excerpt from Wicked
***
Clasping my cheeks with his large, calloused hand, he swooped in and tilted his head. He kissed me, right there on the side of the street, in front of Brighton and Merle’s house. And it was no chaste or quick kiss. I didn’t even think Ren knew how to do chaste kisses.
His warm mouth moved over mine, insistent and seductive. With my hands clutching the helmet between us, all I could do was let myself be swept away by the feel of his mouth on mine.
And it did feel damn good.
The bike still hummed under us, and as his tongue glided over mine, I gasped into his mouth. I felt his lips curve into a smile against mine, and I wanted to pitch the helmet into the street and climb all over him.
Ren’s mouth brushed mine as he murmured, “Mmm.”
“What… what was that for?” I asked, blinking.
He laughed as he turned, turning the engine off. “It was a ‘just because kiss.’ Get used to it. You’re going to get a lot of them.”
I stared at his back. “What if I don’t want them?”
He looked over his shoulder, arching a brow. “You want them.”
I sighed. I did want them.
***
Tee hee.
To celebrate this and all my upcoming releases, I have a contest for you guys. There are two prizes up to grabs!
Giveaway 1
Basket of Awesome includes:
Mini candles: leaves, autumn, autumn night
Lip smackers
Lip Balm
Lip Gloss in Watermelon
6 Fall antibacterial travel hand sanitizers.
3 Lotions
Foot soak
Owl Necklace
$15 iTunes Gift Card
Signed ARC of White Hot Kiss
Signed copy of Half-Blood (UK)
Signed copy of Don’t Look Back
Signed copy of Opposition
Giveaway 2
Signed books:
Extremities
Inconvenient
The Eleventh Plague
Sidekick
Elemental Reality
Empty
Dead River
Strike Three You’re Dead
Swimming Through Clouds
Grounded for Good
Traffic Jam
Triangles
Hippocampus
Cinderskella
Giveaways rules and disclaimers:
Contest is International. Author is not responsible for lost packages. Winner(s) must claim prize within 48 hours of notification. Winner cannot swap any prize for another prize. No purchase required to enter.
August 6, 2014
It’s the end… in gifs.
Yesterday was the release of Opposition, the fifth and FINNNNAAAAAL book in the Lux Series. Finnnnnnnnaaaal. That makes me all
I’m happy, because ya’ll finally get to read it, and I’m sad because it’s time to let Daemon and Kat go, and I guess it’s sort of like watching your kids go off to college.
I wanted to thank all of you — ALL OF YOU — for coming along on this Lux – a – licious journey. I never thought Daemon and Kat would wiggle their way into your hearts, especially considering the dude is an alien, and well, that’s kind of weird, you know, the whole intergalactic, cross species romance…
But ya’ll are the best readers any author could ever ask for, and I hope Daemon and Kat (and me) have done you proud. You guys deserve it.
Starting a new series is always exciting, like it was with Obsidian. An author never knows how a reader is going to feel about it. So I was kind of like this in the beginning. Will they like it? I mean, dude is an alien and he’s kind of a douche canoe. And did I say, he’s an alien. A total freaking alien made out of light, like a glow worm?
But then people were like: Daemon Black is hot. And I was all like
DO YOU SEE THAT PEOPLE THINK HE’S HOT AND THEY LIKE HIM? And I was also like this
And a wee bit of this
But enough about Daemon. Because the story is and always has been about Katy, and her journey and all that good stuff. Nothing makes me happier to hear that readers relate to her or they’ve started blogging because of her. And honestly, I can only thank all the AMAZING BLOGGERS I used as a source of inspiration for Katy and her book loving shenanigans. You know, book bloggers…
Seriously. This series wouldn’t be what it is today without your support.
Ending a series is terrifying. It was when I wrote Sentinel and it was published, it was when I finished Tempting the Bodyguard, and it will be for every one of my series. On release date, you’re kind of like
Ha. Just kidding. It is scary. But it’s also so much fun.
I also wanted to thank Blue Willow bookstore in Houston and BookPeople in Austin for hosting amazing signings in support of Opposition. You guys rock. Especially the staff at BookPeople for creating some of the most awesome event related stuff– kitten ears,
AND CUPCAKES, a LIFE SIZE CUT OUT OF DAEMON BLACK, to just name a few. Seriously, THANK YOU
And thank you for not kicking Cora Carmack, her sister Jen, Katie from Mundie Moms, and Vilma for Vilma’s Book Blog out of the bookstore for molesting the cut out of Daemon Black, and kind of breaking him, and were pretty much like this:
And this:
AND THIS
By the time they left that poor cut out alone.
The good thing about books though is that they’re never really over. They are always there for you to re-read at any time. Their stories never truly end. Ever. So you’re not really saying goodbye to them. You’re saying I’ll see you again soon to them.
So when you say:
The Lux Series will be waiting there for you.
So none of this:
Because when you’re ready to visit them again, it will be like this
But really, a huge thank you to every reader of the Lux Series and all those who have worked on it behind the scenes, in front of the scenes, and all. You’ve made this an amazing journey.
July 31, 2014
Vote for the song featured in the Stay With Me trailer
Stay With Me, the third book in the Wait for You Series, releases September 23, 2014
You may remember that for the Wait for You and Be With Me book trailers (showed below) each featured a song by Jamestown Story. And I’ve always felt that those songs made those trailers really shine–they set the tone for the trailer and the book.
Wait for You book trailer
Be With Me book trailer
For the Stay With Me trailer, we’re going to do something different and exciting. The wonderful Jamestwon Story has given us three songs for YOU, yes YOU, to vote on to be featured in the Stay With Me trailer.
Voting starts now and ends Thursday, August 7th.
Song Choices
Voting Poll
To check out more music from Jamestown Story (and you should), you can find them at the below sites:
