Laura Kaye's Blog, page 63
August 24, 2012
Sharing Birthday Good News and Gifts!
I am so full of good news today I don't even know what to do with myself! Monday is my birthday, so I have a gift for me AND a gift for you:
For me:
The gift I received is this: I have an agent! Squee! I am now represented by Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates! I couldn't be more thrilled!
For you:
If we were at a bar, I'd say the next round's on me! But since we're online, here's what I've got: I am giving away two paperbacks of North of Need on Goodreads beginning Monday! Haven't started the Hearts of the Anemoi series yet? Now's your chance! North of Need is the winner of the FF&P PRISM Award for Best Light Paranormal of 2012 and is the GraveTells Best Book of 2011 and was voted Sizzling Read of 2011 by readers at Sizzling Hot Book Reviews! Check out the giveaway here [link will go live when the giveaway does!]
So, that's my good news! Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!
Laura
For me:
The gift I received is this: I have an agent! Squee! I am now represented by Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates! I couldn't be more thrilled!
For you:
If we were at a bar, I'd say the next round's on me! But since we're online, here's what I've got: I am giving away two paperbacks of North of Need on Goodreads beginning Monday! Haven't started the Hearts of the Anemoi series yet? Now's your chance! North of Need is the winner of the FF&P PRISM Award for Best Light Paranormal of 2012 and is the GraveTells Best Book of 2011 and was voted Sizzling Read of 2011 by readers at Sizzling Hot Book Reviews! Check out the giveaway here [link will go live when the giveaway does!]So, that's my good news! Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by!
Laura
August 21, 2012
What Editors Want Workshop - Don't miss it! #amwriting
I'm pleased to share the below information with you about a workshop my local chapter, the Maryland Romance Writers, is sponsoring exactly one month from today! If you're within driving distance of Baltimore, Maryland, you should seriously consider attending!ALL DAY WORKSHOPWhat Editors Want: Beyond the Submission Guidelines
Saturday, September 22, 20129:00 am to 4:00 pm,Arbutus Public Library, Arbutus, MD
The Maryland Romance Writers Chapter of RWA is delighted to present our workshop, What Editors Want: Beyond the Submission Guidelines.
Come and hear Angela James of Carina Press, Kathy Cottrell of the Wild Rose Press and Stacy Abrams of Entangled Publishing tell you what they look for in a query, submission, between the lines and what they mean when they say “fresh voice!”
Two editors (Kathy Cottrell and Stacy Abrams) will be taking pitches. See guidelines on website for pitching.
Registration MUST be completed online before the event. No payments can be taken at the venue. Space is limited. Registration will be cut off at 70. Pitch registrations will be capped at 60.
Price is $35 for MRW Members, $40 for Non Members. Box lunch, beverages and snacks will be included. To pay and register, please click here.
Hope to see some of you there! Thanks for reading!Laura
August 19, 2012
Gorgeous Cover Reveal ~ Lea Nolan's YA PNR Conjure! #Giveaway
I could NOT be more thrilled to be participating in the cover reveal giveaway event for
Conjure
today. YA paranormal author Lea Nolan is my best friend, go-to crit partner, writing buddy, and sistah-from-another-mothah and I am so so excited to share her debut novel with you! Here we go...
Lea's Website | Lea on Twitter | Lea's FB Page | CONJURE on GoodreadsPre-Order on Amazon | Barnes & Noblea Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for stopping by! Please leave Lea some cover love!
Laura
Be careful what you search for...Now, for this most beauteous cover...
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Lea's Website | Lea on Twitter | Lea's FB Page | CONJURE on GoodreadsPre-Order on Amazon | Barnes & Noblea Rafflecopter giveaway Thanks for stopping by! Please leave Lea some cover love!
Laura
August 18, 2012
#SixSunday 70 ~ When a Greek God wants you... #WestofWant
Happy Sunday everyone! I've got six more from West of Want. Here's what happens right after Ella tells Zeph she wants him *winks*: His weight disappeared, then so did she. For a split second, her physical self seemed to vanish, and then they were on the bed in her room.Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to visit the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter. Thanks so much for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Dazed and awed, she laughed. “What just happened?”
Heavy-lidded eyes traced over her face. “I don’t have the patience to act human right now.”
Laura
August 17, 2012
Killian McRae on #eBook Price Points: Are we getting fleeced?
Welcome Guest AuthorKillian McRaeto the blog today!
I'm please to welcome Killian McRae to the blog today to discuss ebook price points - something both authors and readers care a lot about. Take it away, Killian...
Are we getting fleeced when it comes to ebooks?by Killian McRae
On Amazon.com, you can currently pre-order J.K. Rowling’s highly anticipated The Casual Vacancy in hardback for $20.93. Or, if you’re an ebook reader, for your Kindle for $19.99.
Wait, $19.99? That has to be a typo, right? I mean, a Kindle book is electronic. It doesn’t require shipping, paper, shelving, etc., so it should be far less than the hardback, shouldn’t it? *Looks back to Amazon.* Nope, that’s what it is. True, the MSRP on that title in print is set at $35, but when’s the last time Amazon charged full price for a new release of this magnitude? They buy in gross, get a discount, and pass that along to consumers. But still, twenty bucks for an ebook?
As an indie writer who, in large part, is responsible for setting the price for her own books, such considerations as “what everyone else is doing” weigh heavy in my price points. It is for this reason that since moving towards self- and indie-publishing last year, my eyes have been trained on trends in the market in this area.
And the trend, at least where large publishers are concerned, has been upward. You may not have been the only one recently who’s noticed that titles “traditionally” published are favoring Jackson to Lincoln these days. Prices in the $15-$25 range for new release books by prominent authors aren’t uncommon. Even middle list fiction works generally hit $10-$15. Sometimes the electronic version of a book costs more than the paperback or even hard cover edition.
At first blush, the logic on this is hardly logical. Firstly, the difference in production cost between print and ebooks is huge. As much as 70% of a print title’s cost is just to cover the paper, presses and ponies to get it to your hands. Even for mass market paperbacks (think any romance book you’ve ever seen at the checkout aisle of your local grocery store), that number tends toward one-third. For an ebook, however, the only per-unit production cost for a purchased copy is a nearly insignificant use of bandwidth to perform that transaction. (Assuming one already has the technology to display the book, but that cost is not unique or attributable to a single purchase, therefore I suggest we not factor that in to our consideration for the moment.) It should stand to reason, then, that if those production costs are eliminated, the final product cost should fall as well.
But herein enters the market. According to Reuters, in 2011, ebooks accounted for 30% of all retail sales in the United States, which is more than double its market share from just one year prior. While the majority of sales are, consequently, still print, the fact that a bigger slice of a publisher’s earnings come in this sector has caused a shift. For traditional publishers, there are still many upfront costs born of putting out an ebook in tangent with a print volume. Covers must still be produced; editors must still be hired; for big-brand authors, a marketing campaign must be launched. Whereas a few years ago, any ebook sales were but a few extra sprinkles of cinnamon sugar on piece of bread, now those very sales are becoming a publisher’s bread and butter. They hedge a heavy price against the hope that die-hard fans will be willing to shell out at a price comparable to what they have historically paid for print, and thereby be able quickly to break even on their investment. As a business practice, it seems a sound one.
But let me remove my author’s hat here and speak merely as consumer. For disclosure’s sake, let me back up and state this bluntly: I am a libertarian and a full-fledged believer in free markets in almost all cases. I have to remind myself that a house - as with most anything - is worth whatever someone is willing and able to pay for it. If there was not a significant share of the audience willing and able to pay $19.99 for an ebook, the price would fall. Simple as that. (And over time, as a title ages, its price tends to drop.)
I fear, however, the consequence of this reality. I have become such a firm believer in the ebook that I will not read print books unless fiercely required. No matter how much I want to read it as a fan, I refuse to pay almost twice the price for an ebook as its paperback counterpart costs new, knowing that the profit margin’s increase is the sole reason for the match to be made. If distributors really want us to adapt the technology (and no doubt they do; it’s a win-win-win between them, the consumer, and the author/publishers for so many reasons), why are they allowing publishers – with whom large companies such as Amazon and B&N have great sway – to give us suOne concluding note: the large publishers’ folly in all this may the indie- and self-publisher’s - and readers - gain. While ebook prices from the big six have been on the rise, most I/SP titles still retail for less than $5. Given the recent instances of self- or indie-published books that have exploded and been picked up by large publishers after having been first rejected by them (i.e. 50 Shades of Grey, Beautiful Disaster, and Slammed, just to name a few) due in part to this more reasonable range, methinks readers might find the density of enjoyment per penny is much higher in this brave and unrestricted world of that surely holds the next “big thing” than anything offered to us at 5th Avenue prices.
Thanks for reading!
Laura
I'm please to welcome Killian McRae to the blog today to discuss ebook price points - something both authors and readers care a lot about. Take it away, Killian...
Are we getting fleeced when it comes to ebooks?by Killian McRae
On Amazon.com, you can currently pre-order J.K. Rowling’s highly anticipated The Casual Vacancy in hardback for $20.93. Or, if you’re an ebook reader, for your Kindle for $19.99.
Wait, $19.99? That has to be a typo, right? I mean, a Kindle book is electronic. It doesn’t require shipping, paper, shelving, etc., so it should be far less than the hardback, shouldn’t it? *Looks back to Amazon.* Nope, that’s what it is. True, the MSRP on that title in print is set at $35, but when’s the last time Amazon charged full price for a new release of this magnitude? They buy in gross, get a discount, and pass that along to consumers. But still, twenty bucks for an ebook?
As an indie writer who, in large part, is responsible for setting the price for her own books, such considerations as “what everyone else is doing” weigh heavy in my price points. It is for this reason that since moving towards self- and indie-publishing last year, my eyes have been trained on trends in the market in this area.
And the trend, at least where large publishers are concerned, has been upward. You may not have been the only one recently who’s noticed that titles “traditionally” published are favoring Jackson to Lincoln these days. Prices in the $15-$25 range for new release books by prominent authors aren’t uncommon. Even middle list fiction works generally hit $10-$15. Sometimes the electronic version of a book costs more than the paperback or even hard cover edition.
At first blush, the logic on this is hardly logical. Firstly, the difference in production cost between print and ebooks is huge. As much as 70% of a print title’s cost is just to cover the paper, presses and ponies to get it to your hands. Even for mass market paperbacks (think any romance book you’ve ever seen at the checkout aisle of your local grocery store), that number tends toward one-third. For an ebook, however, the only per-unit production cost for a purchased copy is a nearly insignificant use of bandwidth to perform that transaction. (Assuming one already has the technology to display the book, but that cost is not unique or attributable to a single purchase, therefore I suggest we not factor that in to our consideration for the moment.) It should stand to reason, then, that if those production costs are eliminated, the final product cost should fall as well.
But herein enters the market. According to Reuters, in 2011, ebooks accounted for 30% of all retail sales in the United States, which is more than double its market share from just one year prior. While the majority of sales are, consequently, still print, the fact that a bigger slice of a publisher’s earnings come in this sector has caused a shift. For traditional publishers, there are still many upfront costs born of putting out an ebook in tangent with a print volume. Covers must still be produced; editors must still be hired; for big-brand authors, a marketing campaign must be launched. Whereas a few years ago, any ebook sales were but a few extra sprinkles of cinnamon sugar on piece of bread, now those very sales are becoming a publisher’s bread and butter. They hedge a heavy price against the hope that die-hard fans will be willing to shell out at a price comparable to what they have historically paid for print, and thereby be able quickly to break even on their investment. As a business practice, it seems a sound one.
But let me remove my author’s hat here and speak merely as consumer. For disclosure’s sake, let me back up and state this bluntly: I am a libertarian and a full-fledged believer in free markets in almost all cases. I have to remind myself that a house - as with most anything - is worth whatever someone is willing and able to pay for it. If there was not a significant share of the audience willing and able to pay $19.99 for an ebook, the price would fall. Simple as that. (And over time, as a title ages, its price tends to drop.)
I fear, however, the consequence of this reality. I have become such a firm believer in the ebook that I will not read print books unless fiercely required. No matter how much I want to read it as a fan, I refuse to pay almost twice the price for an ebook as its paperback counterpart costs new, knowing that the profit margin’s increase is the sole reason for the match to be made. If distributors really want us to adapt the technology (and no doubt they do; it’s a win-win-win between them, the consumer, and the author/publishers for so many reasons), why are they allowing publishers – with whom large companies such as Amazon and B&N have great sway – to give us suOne concluding note: the large publishers’ folly in all this may the indie- and self-publisher’s - and readers - gain. While ebook prices from the big six have been on the rise, most I/SP titles still retail for less than $5. Given the recent instances of self- or indie-published books that have exploded and been picked up by large publishers after having been first rejected by them (i.e. 50 Shades of Grey, Beautiful Disaster, and Slammed, just to name a few) due in part to this more reasonable range, methinks readers might find the density of enjoyment per penny is much higher in this brave and unrestricted world of that surely holds the next “big thing” than anything offered to us at 5th Avenue prices.
Killian McRae is an author of historical romance, science fiction, and fantasy. She’s proud to note that her regency romance, A Love by Any Measure, has never retailed for more than $4.99 in ebook format.So, what do you think? Killian would love to receive your comments or questions!
Thanks for reading!
Laura
August 11, 2012
#SixSunday 69 - Flat on her back with a Greek God! #WestofWant
Happy Sunday everyone! I've got six more from West of Want! Enjoy! She wasn’t sure what happened or, rather, how it happened, but the next thing she knew she was flat on her back, Zephyros’s huge body atop hers. The kiss was consuming and filled with gratitude, promise. His hands tangled in her hair, little appreciative and totally sexy groans echoing deep in his throat.Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Desperate for more contact, she spread her legs, and he slid into the cradle of her thighs.
The earlier heat between them returned and went molten. Her body remembered her unsated arousal, which surged anew with every suck of his lips, stroke of his tongue, and shift of his hips.
Don't forget to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter! Thanks so much for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Laura
Would YOU like a DEVIANT T-shirt? Join in the fun!
Following receipt of a humorous review on Amazon, a group of Twitter friends got to joking about making a T-Shirt, and this is what we came up with:
Creative credit goes to Jess @audsmom2002!!!Now the question is: would you like one? :-)
If so, here's the deal:
Email me at laurakayeauthor @ gmail.com with:Your real name and mailing addressYour size# of t-shirts you want Size Chart: S34" - 36" M38" - 40" L42" - 44" XL46" - 48" 2XL50" - 52" 3XL 54" 4XL 56" 5XL 58"
Site's Pricing:1 = $22.95 each6-11 = $14.92 each12-23 = $11.93 each24-47 = $10.33 each48+ = 8.95 each
BUT: If we get at least 10 people to buy one, the cost per person will only be $14, and I'll pick up the rest plus shipping.* If we get at least 24 people, the cost per person will only be $10, and again, I'll pick up the rest plus shipping.* *International friends, I'm afraid the cost will be $10 higher for you because the shipping is such a killer, but I'll still be paying a share of it! Once we know how many orders I have, I'll send everyone an invoice through PayPal.
So, what say you? Would YOU like to be the owner of this fine luxury t-shirt proclaiming your deviance loud and proud??? Say yes, say yes!
Thanks for visiting!
Laura
Creative credit goes to Jess @audsmom2002!!!Now the question is: would you like one? :-)If so, here's the deal:
Email me at laurakayeauthor @ gmail.com with:Your real name and mailing addressYour size# of t-shirts you want Size Chart: S34" - 36" M38" - 40" L42" - 44" XL46" - 48" 2XL50" - 52" 3XL 54" 4XL 56" 5XL 58"
Site's Pricing:1 = $22.95 each6-11 = $14.92 each12-23 = $11.93 each24-47 = $10.33 each48+ = 8.95 each
BUT: If we get at least 10 people to buy one, the cost per person will only be $14, and I'll pick up the rest plus shipping.* If we get at least 24 people, the cost per person will only be $10, and again, I'll pick up the rest plus shipping.* *International friends, I'm afraid the cost will be $10 higher for you because the shipping is such a killer, but I'll still be paying a share of it! Once we know how many orders I have, I'll send everyone an invoice through PayPal.
So, what say you? Would YOU like to be the owner of this fine luxury t-shirt proclaiming your deviance loud and proud??? Say yes, say yes!
Thanks for visiting!
Laura
August 10, 2012
4 Ways to Read an eBook Without an eReader! Spread the word!
Many times by email, blog post comment, tweet, or facebook message, readers have said some version of the following statement:I can't afford an e-reader, so I can't read your e-books.This post is for readers willing to read e-books, but who, for whatever reason, don't have, can't afford, or don't want to have to buy a Kindle or a Nook or an iPad, etc.
Here's the good news:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN AN E-READER TO READ E-BOOKS!Yes, I'm serious!
I'm here to let you in on some not-so-secret secrets. COMPLETELY FREE options abound to be able to read e-books without e-readers:
PDF format e-books. Many books are available as PDF files which can be read using FREE Adobe Reader software. Simply download this free software, and then buy books in PDF format wherever you see that option available. Admittedly, PDF e-books tend to be limited, but they are out there and often available from e-publishers' websites, which is true for my books Forever Freed and Hearts in Darkness, for example.ePub format e-books. Many books are available as ePub files which can be read using FREE Adobe Digital Editions software. Simply download this free software, and then buy books in ePub format wherever you see that option available. ePub format is often available through e-publishers' websites and book retailers like All Romance eBooks and Books on Board, among others.Get a Kindle for free! That's right! Turn your iPhone, Android phone, computer (PC or Mac), or Blackberry into a Kindle e-reader by downloading the FREE Kindle App from Amazon. Simply download this free software, and then buy books from Amazon or in Mobi format from other retailers, and read them on your Kindle app.Get a Nook for free! Yep, this one's true, too! Like Amazon, Barnes & Noble also provides FREE Nook Apps for Androids, iPhones, or computers. Simply download this free software, and then buy books from Barnes & Noble and read them on your Nook app.
So, don't be turned off of e-books because you don't want to have to lay out the money for a fancy new device and then have to learn how to use it. I own a Nook and have a kindle app on my iPhone, so I personally love e-readers. But whether you do or don't, whether you never want to buy an e-reader or just aren't ready yet, know that if you have a computer, you can read e-books using any number of completely free software options.
So, go forth and buy e-books! And happy reading!
Thanks for stopping by!Laura
August 6, 2012
Welcome Guest Author Cera DuBois! #Vampires
Welcome Guest AuthorCera duBoisto the blog today! See below for her contest!Welcome back, Cera! Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thanks for having me back, Laura!
I live in Central Pennsylvania with my hubby and two teenagers. I grew up on a farm that I couldn’t wait to get away from when I went to college…but now I write Westerns because I miss that way of life. I’ve been writing with the hope of publication for about four years. I write paranormals under my pen name Cera duBois and contemporary Westerns under my real name Sara Walter Ellwood.
Awesome! So, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
I’d love to… I like to think of it as The Black Dagger Brotherhood meets CSI (although, I just recently read the BDB. I was amazed by some of the unintentional similarities in themes between my Hunter’s Dagger Series and Ms. Ward’s BDB).
Here’s the blurb:The serial killer stalking Clayton, Pennsylvania, isn’t all that has Chief of Police Grace Wallace worried. For a year, she’s tried to forget Special Agent Ian McHenry and now he’s the expert the FBI sent to catch the killer. She can’t stay away from him, but something primal is telling her to run to save much more than just her heart. Despite the strict code of ethics Ian vowed to follow as a vampire hunter, he craves Grace’s blood above all others. If he chooses to stay, Ian risks losing his chance at divine forgiveness. But if he leaves Grace unprotected from the evil he’s hunted for over a century, he loses more than just his soul…Oh, my! Sounds awesome! Which character is your favorite and why?
I love the hero, Ian McHenry. I love his honor and his compassion for others that he doesn’t see. He’s also sexy as hell!
Swoon! *grins* As the author, what surprised you about this story?
That I actually got it published. This was my first book after I decided to stop writing fan fiction and try writing something “publishable” (meaning original). After getting about 25 rejections, I decided that it would never be published. We writers all have files on our hard drives of unpublished works, right? Well, after I’d decided I wasn’t going to write paranormals and focus on my contemporary Westerns, a male (non-writer) friend of mine who had read the rough draft talked me into rewriting it. I’m thrilled that I did. My first book became my first published book. Surprise, surprise...
Great story! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Yes, this is the first book of at least a three book series, but I’m tinkering with the idea of a fourth book… We’ll see if that happens.
The second book, A Hunter’s Blade, is currently in the final stages of editing at The Wild Rose Press and hopefully will be release either this fall or early next year.
I’m currently writing the third book, A Hunter’s Wings. I’m hoping to have it submitted by March of next year.
Although I have a good idea what the fourth book (if there is one) will be about, I haven’t come up with a title yet.
Tagline:All that stands between Evil and Humanity is the strength of The Hunter’s Dagger...
Awesome! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
Honestly, this book was one of the easiest I’ve ever written. If anything was hard about writing it, it was working in the info that was important to the story that had originally come out in the scenes I had cut when I removed the villain’s POV.
Interesting! So, what are you working on right now?
I’m finishing the editing process with The Wild Rose Press for A Hunter’s Blade (book two of The Hunter’s Dagger series). I’m in the midst of writing A Hunter’s Wings (book three) and I’m editing/revising Gambling on a Heart (book two of The Colton Gamblers series). The other project I’m finishing up on is a novella I’m planning to self-publish soon, a paranormal fantasy titled Fangs and Faerie Wings. Also I’m working on edits for my two contracted Westerns—Gambling on a Secret (book one of The Colton Gamblers, Jan 2013, Lyrical Press) and Heartstrings (May 2013, Lyrical Press).
Wow! You’re a busy lady! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
The first book I ever wrote was in eleventh grade. I still have the three notebooks that I filled with the twisted romance set during the Civil War on a Georgia plantation.
That’s actually pretty cool! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
I find the ending of stories easier to write than beginnings.
Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
No, I try very hard to make sure I don’t incorporate events from my life or people I know in my stories.
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Redemption and self-acceptance.
That’s a great one! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
That I didn’t know how to read until I was in the fourth grade. I have dyslexia and hated to read. I read my first book (well, the first book that wasn’t forced upon me) in eighth grade when I read the novelization of the TV miniseries The Blue and the Gray.
Wow! Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
My favorite characters come from my upcoming contemporary Western, Gambling on a Secret. Due out in January from Lyrical Press.
The hero, Dylan Quinn is a wounded veteran with PTSD, he’s the town drunk, a hard-ass with a bad attitude, but he has incredible honor and a great sense of humor. He’s not afraid to tell it like it is, as my dad might say.
Charli Monroe is the heroine, and she’s a super rich heiress with a hellish past as a runaway drug addict trying to heal. I love her determination to make things right with herself, with Dylan, and with a teenage girl following in her footsteps.
I can’t wait for that! Okay, now, just for fun: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk chocolate
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Bed or kitchen table? Bed
Beach or mountains? Beach
Give or receive? Give
Excerpt:“I’m in love with the man inside the vampire.” Grace moved her hand to thread through his silky hair. When she rested the other over his heart, a soft sigh escaped his lips. Underneath her palm, the slow beat was barely noticeable.
His thumb grazed her cheekbone and slowly trailed down to the hollow of her throat. Her breathing quickened at the zinging anticipation as he caressed the pulse point where he’d claimed to have taken blood from her. He glanced at the spot with eyes as haunted as he sounded. “I’m not a man.”
“But you were once.”
He met her gaze again. “Yes, once.”
His fingers lingered over her pulse. Her heart raced under his touch. She tilted her neck as if his touch awakened some base instinct to offer the sacrifice. “Do you still want my blood?”
Ian stepped away and locked his wide-eyed gaze onto hers. At last, he rasped, “No, I don’t want your blood. Oh, God, I still crave it. You have the sweetest I’ve ever had, but I will never hurt you again.”
She didn’t know what possessed her to do so, but she whispered, “You can take...some of it.”
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he acidly said, “No, Grace. I can never taste your blood again. It would kill you.”
Fear of what she’d wanted him to do tumbled through her. She stepped away, and for a moment, she considered telling him to leave. How did she know any of this was real? She couldn’t imagine she’d ever freely offer a vampire her blood. Did she really believe him? He was sucking her into his insanity. But if this was true and he could make people do things against their will, maybe he could control her feelings.
“Maybe I should go?” Ian backed away another step and headed toward the counter where he’d left his dagger. He turned back to her with the sheath in his hand. Her heart shattered with the knowledge that, if he walked out the front door, she’d never see him again. “Goodbye, my sweet angel.”
His jagged murmur ripped at her soul as his eyes took on a blazing intensity and snared hers. She felt a pressure in her mind, and she knew what he intended to do. He wanted to erase her memories of him.
No!
Thanks for coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon Author Page
Buy at The Wild Rose Press | Amazon
A Note from Cera: To find out more about A Hunter’s Angel, check out my website for a schedule of my blog stops over the next month. I will be presenting a series of short stories called The Vampire Encounters. Follow me as I interview Ian McHenry, Master Vampire Lucas Pomeroy, Vivian van Dyke Pomeroy, and have a scary run-in with Shane Chamberlain. Hope to see you along the way.
ContestPlease leave a comment and your email address to be eligible. (Sorry, only USA and Canada residents are eligible for any prize that needs to be mailed. Non-residents and residents of USA are eligible for free PDF copy.)Now, what to comment? Name a favorite line from the excerpt! Thanks for reading!
*One Lucky Poster will win either a custom-made pair of angel wing earrings, charm bracelet, or necklace (check out my website for photos).
*Two others will get a PDF copy of Bloodwine (for info on this short story check out my website)
*1st Stalker Prize: Every Poster will be entered into a drawing for a chance at a $5 gift certificate from The Wild Rose Press (four to be given away)—drawing to happen on September 1.
*2nd Stalker Prize: Every Poster will also be entered into a drawing of a $25 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice)—drawing to happen on September 1.
Laura
Welcome Guest Author Cera Daniels! #Vampires
Welcome Guest AuthorCera duBoisto the blog today! See below for her contest!Welcome back, Cera! Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thanks for having me back, Laura!
I live in Central Pennsylvania with my hubby and two teenagers. I grew up on a farm that I couldn’t wait to get away from when I went to college…but now I write Westerns because I miss that way of life. I’ve been writing with the hope of publication for about four years. I write paranormals under my pen name Cera duBois and contemporary Westerns under my real name Sara Walter Ellwood.
Awesome! So, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
I’d love to… I like to think of it as The Black Dagger Brotherhood meets CSI (although, I just recently read the BDB. I was amazed by some of the unintentional similarities in themes between my Hunter’s Dagger Series and Ms. Ward’s BDB).
Here’s the blurb:The serial killer stalking Clayton, Pennsylvania, isn’t all that has Chief of Police Grace Wallace worried. For a year, she’s tried to forget Special Agent Ian McHenry and now he’s the expert the FBI sent to catch the killer. She can’t stay away from him, but something primal is telling her to run to save much more than just her heart. Despite the strict code of ethics Ian vowed to follow as a vampire hunter, he craves Grace’s blood above all others. If he chooses to stay, Ian risks losing his chance at divine forgiveness. But if he leaves Grace unprotected from the evil he’s hunted for over a century, he loses more than just his soul…Oh, my! Sounds awesome! Which character is your favorite and why?
I love the hero, Ian McHenry. I love his honor and his compassion for others that he doesn’t see. He’s also sexy as hell!
Swoon! *grins* As the author, what surprised you about this story?
That I actually got it published. This was my first book after I decided to stop writing fan fiction and try writing something “publishable” (meaning original). After getting about 25 rejections, I decided that it would never be published. We writers all have files on our hard drives of unpublished works, right? Well, after I’d decided I wasn’t going to write paranormals and focus on my contemporary Westerns, a male (non-writer) friend of mine who had read the rough draft talked me into rewriting it. I’m thrilled that I did. My first book became my first published book. Surprise, surprise...
Great story! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Yes, this is the first book of at least a three book series, but I’m tinkering with the idea of a fourth book… We’ll see if that happens.
The second book, A Hunter’s Blade, is currently in the final stages of editing at The Wild Rose Press and hopefully will be release either this fall or early next year.
I’m currently writing the third book, A Hunter’s Wings. I’m hoping to have it submitted by March of next year.
Although I have a good idea what the fourth book (if there is one) will be about, I haven’t come up with a title yet.
Tagline:All that stands between Evil and Humanity is the strength of The Hunter’s Dagger...
Awesome! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
Honestly, this book was one of the easiest I’ve ever written. If anything was hard about writing it, it was working in the info that was important to the story that had originally come out in the scenes I had cut when I removed the villain’s POV.
Interesting! So, what are you working on right now?
I’m finishing the editing process with The Wild Rose Press for A Hunter’s Blade (book two of The Hunter’s Dagger series). I’m in the midst of writing A Hunter’s Wings (book three) and I’m editing/revising Gambling on a Heart (book two of The Colton Gamblers series). The other project I’m finishing up on is a novella I’m planning to self-publish soon, a paranormal fantasy titled Fangs and Faerie Wings. Also I’m working on edits for my two contracted Westerns—Gambling on a Secret (book one of The Colton Gamblers, Jan 2013, Lyrical Press) and Heartstrings (May 2013, Lyrical Press).
Wow! You’re a busy lady! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
The first book I ever wrote was in eleventh grade. I still have the three notebooks that I filled with the twisted romance set during the Civil War on a Georgia plantation.
That’s actually pretty cool! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
I find the ending of stories easier to write than beginnings.
Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
No, I try very hard to make sure I don’t incorporate events from my life or people I know in my stories.
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Redemption and self-acceptance.
That’s a great one! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
That I didn’t know how to read until I was in the fourth grade. I have dyslexia and hated to read. I read my first book (well, the first book that wasn’t forced upon me) in eighth grade when I read the novelization of the TV miniseries The Blue and the Gray.
Wow! Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
My favorite characters come from my upcoming contemporary Western, Gambling on a Secret. Due out in January from Lyrical Press.
The hero, Dylan Quinn is a wounded veteran with PTSD, he’s the town drunk, a hard-ass with a bad attitude, but he has incredible honor and a great sense of humor. He’s not afraid to tell it like it is, as my dad might say.
Charli Monroe is the heroine, and she’s a super rich heiress with a hellish past as a runaway drug addict trying to heal. I love her determination to make things right with herself, with Dylan, and with a teenage girl following in her footsteps.
I can’t wait for that! Okay, now, just for fun: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk chocolate
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Bed or kitchen table? Bed
Beach or mountains? Beach
Give or receive? Give
Excerpt:“I’m in love with the man inside the vampire.” Grace moved her hand to thread through his silky hair. When she rested the other over his heart, a soft sigh escaped his lips. Underneath her palm, the slow beat was barely noticeable.
His thumb grazed her cheekbone and slowly trailed down to the hollow of her throat. Her breathing quickened at the zinging anticipation as he caressed the pulse point where he’d claimed to have taken blood from her. He glanced at the spot with eyes as haunted as he sounded. “I’m not a man.”
“But you were once.”
He met her gaze again. “Yes, once.”
His fingers lingered over her pulse. Her heart raced under his touch. She tilted her neck as if his touch awakened some base instinct to offer the sacrifice. “Do you still want my blood?”
Ian stepped away and locked his wide-eyed gaze onto hers. At last, he rasped, “No, I don’t want your blood. Oh, God, I still crave it. You have the sweetest I’ve ever had, but I will never hurt you again.”
She didn’t know what possessed her to do so, but she whispered, “You can take...some of it.”
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he acidly said, “No, Grace. I can never taste your blood again. It would kill you.”
Fear of what she’d wanted him to do tumbled through her. She stepped away, and for a moment, she considered telling him to leave. How did she know any of this was real? She couldn’t imagine she’d ever freely offer a vampire her blood. Did she really believe him? He was sucking her into his insanity. But if this was true and he could make people do things against their will, maybe he could control her feelings.
“Maybe I should go?” Ian backed away another step and headed toward the counter where he’d left his dagger. He turned back to her with the sheath in his hand. Her heart shattered with the knowledge that, if he walked out the front door, she’d never see him again. “Goodbye, my sweet angel.”
His jagged murmur ripped at her soul as his eyes took on a blazing intensity and snared hers. She felt a pressure in her mind, and she knew what he intended to do. He wanted to erase her memories of him.
No!
Thanks for coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon Author Page
Buy at The Wild Rose Press | Amazon
A Note from Cera: To find out more about A Hunter’s Angel, check out my website for a schedule of my blog stops over the next month. I will be presenting a series of short stories called The Vampire Encounters. Follow me as I interview Ian McHenry, Master Vampire Lucas Pomeroy, Vivian van Dyke Pomeroy, and have a scary run-in with Shane Chamberlain. Hope to see you along the way.
ContestPlease leave a comment and your email address to be eligible. (Sorry, only USA and Canada residents are eligible for any prize that needs to be mailed. Non-residents and residents of USA are eligible for free PDF copy.)Now, what to comment? Name a favorite line from the excerpt! Thanks for reading!
*One Lucky Poster will win either a custom-made pair of angel wing earrings, charm bracelet, or necklace (check out my website for photos).
*Two others will get a PDF copy of Bloodwine (for info on this short story check out my website)
*1st Stalker Prize: Every Poster will be entered into a drawing for a chance at a $5 gift certificate from The Wild Rose Press (four to be given away)—drawing to happen on September 1.
*2nd Stalker Prize: Every Poster will also be entered into a drawing of a $25 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice)—drawing to happen on September 1.
Laura
