Laura Kaye's Blog, page 69

Author Lisa Kessler on Reading as Escape

Welcome guest authorLisa Kesslerto the blog today!

See below for her giveaway!

Lisa's here to talk about her vampire romance Night Walker, a GDRWA Booksellers' Best Contest Finalist for Best Paranormal and Best First Book, and to talk about the importance of reading to a writer. Read on...
Hi everyone! Thanks for letting me visit the blog today! 
As a writer, I think it’s really important to keep reading.  There are a few reasons why…  It helps to know what’s being published in your genre.  It’s great to support other writers you know by reading their books and maybe even leaving a review on Goodreads.  But for me the most important reason is for my sanity!
Right now I still work a full time day job, and then I go home and write and edit all night.  It’s a crazy busy schedule, but I always reserve my lunch hour at work for reading. I treasure that hour to lose myself in a great book!

I’ve learned that I really need that reading time to allow my mind to escape into another world without deadlines, and bills to pay! LOL When I don’t make the time to read for pleasure, I can feel my frustrations creeping up on me.  My fuse gets shorter, and when I get home at night to write and/or edit I have a hard time focusing.
This might be a good time to meet the villain from Night Walker.  He’s extremely focused on his goals, and they’re not the goals his Monastery thinks they are…

Blood marred the stone wall of his modest dorm room. His knuckles stung each time his fist slammed into the rough rock. Pain cloaked the bitterness and rage that festered inside him.The monsignor had passed him over. Denied his chance at his destiny.        Again.It would be Brother Cardina who would fly across the Atlantic Ocean to San Diego. Brother Cardina would watch over the Night Walker and witness immortality with his own eyes.Grinding his teeth together, he struck the wall once more, imagining it was Brother Cardina’s pious face, but he held back, careful not to hit too hard. Bruised and bloodied flesh could go unnoticed within the ancient walls of the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo, but broken bones would not help his cause.Pain burned up his arm, calming him. He stepped back and basked in the ache.Brother Cardina was no match for an immortal blood drinker.He moved closer to the wall, drinking in the earthy scent of his blood. He would get his chance. Staring at the fresh crimson stain, he stuck out his tongue and allowed himself a long, slow lick. He closed his eyes and smiled, resting his cheek against the wall. For now, he would be patient.Clenching his raw fists, he opened his eyes and stared at his pencil sketches of ravens. His chance would come.Soon.

So why do you read?  And what are your favorite books to read when you need an escape from the real world?

He gave up his soul for a second chance to love her… 
Two and a half centuries ago, Calisto Terana lost everything when a zealous priest murdered the woman he loved. Now, desperate for another chance to love her, he wants redemption for the mistake that cost her life. 
She’s haunted by dreams of her own death… 
After catching her fiance with another woman, Kate Bradley returns to San Diego to clear her head. The last thing she needs is romance, but after meeting Calisto she’s drawn to him in ways she doesn’t understand. 
They’ve waited in the shadows for centuries… 
Calisto has no doubt Kate is the reincarnation of his lost love, but the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo has a new watcher with dark ambitions of his own. As old enemies reemerge and a new threat arises, the betrayal that enslaved Calisto to the night might destroy the only woman he’s ever loved again. 

Find Lisa Kessler on the Web at:Website | Twitter | Facebook

Thanks for being here, Lisa! Lisa is giving away a signed paperback of Night Walker, a signed Night Walker poster and a $25 Amazon giftcard! Isn't that awesome! So leave her some comment love and enter on the Rafflecopter form!
Thanks for reading,
Laura

#SixSunday 55: On blood & lust... + #ForeverFreed a BBA Finalist!

Happy  Sunday everyone! Can you believe it's May already? This week, I've got three good reasons to offer you an excerpt from my vampire romance, FOREVER FREED. May 20 is the books' 1-year publication anniversary! Look for a prize-filled event that weekend!Forever Freed is a finalist in the GDRWA Booksellers' Best Contest for Best 1st Book!Forever Freed is a finalist in the GDRWA Booksellers' Best Contest for Best Paranormal! So, without further ado, here's the consequences of feeding from your vampire lover... *winks*

In one moment, I shoved her panties and my boxers down and found her wet entrance from behind.
The whole night went on like that. We’d make love, and she’d sleep restlessly. Then she’d wake up, and one of us would need it again. My blood in her veins was calling me home. And it was clear both of us heard it.

Amazon | B&N
Don't forget to take a look at the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Laura

Come Play in the 12-Author Para Posse Ghost Hunt!

Hey guys! Come play with me and my fellow paranormal romance authors/bloggers in a ghost hunt that could land you a huge book package! It's fun and easy--just find the green ghosts on all 12 authors' pages (hint: they might be wearing disguises!).
Go here for more information and for links to all the participating authors' pages. And please consider following the The Para Posse blog, following the Para Posse on Twitter and liking The Para Posse on Facebook! There will be more paranormal fun to come!
Thanks for reading! And happy hunting!
Laura

Another Amazing Cover Quote for #WestofWant!

Wow! Wow! Wow!
As if Stephanie Draven and Elisabeth Naughton weren't amazing enough, I've received another incredible cover quote for my Hearts of the Anemoi series. After reading North of Need and West of Want, here's what MAGGIE SHAYNE, the RITA-Award-Winning and NY Times Bestselling Author of over 50 books, had to say:
"Sexy, emotional stories, powerful, evocative writing, a vivid and unique vision, and enough magic and mysticism to keep the most demanding reader satisfied, Laura Kaye delivers it all.  I love this series!"
 ~Maggie Shayne, NY Times Bestselling Author (Awesomesauce quote probably to be used on this cover, releases December...) Releases July 10th! PREVIOUS AWESOME QUOTES:
"Laura Kaye’s captivating writing and vibrant world-building will have readers hooked on the gods of the Anemoi. WEST OF WANT is steamy, spellbinding, and a must-read for all romance fantasy fans." 
~Elisabeth Naughton, author of the Eternal Guardians series
 “Using ancient winter mythology as an allegory for grief, Kaye has written a sexy story that packs a powerful emotional punch. NORTH OF NEED is pure winter magic and Kaye’s sparkling talent warms the heart.” ~Stephanie Draven, author of the Mythica series  And this is great time to share Maggie's awesome cover quote because, as of today, there's just ONE WEEK left to enter my West of Want Preview & Prizes Event , offering $300 in bookstore gift cards and super fun book swag at 45 blogs! Click on the above link for the full list of participants! Ends May 10! Don't miss it!

Pre-Order West of Want on Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thanks so much to Maggie, Elisabeth and Stephanie for their generosity and support! It means the world. And thanks for reading!Laura

Welcome Guest Author Cara Bristol! #Vampires #1NS

I'm very pleased to welcome guest author Cara Bristol to the blog today!
Welcome, Cara!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thank you so much for having me, Laura. I write erotic romance in the contemporary, domestic discipline and now, paranormal subgenres. For fun, I read, travel (my husband and I have been all over the world), and watch reality TV shows. My biggest project, other than writing, is that my husband and I are having a house built.
[image error] Ooh, I’ve always wanted to build my own house! You’ll have to share pictures! Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
A SCENT OF LONGING is vampire romance, and Decadent Publishing released it on April 13 – Friday the 13th. How perfect is that? It’s about a newly turned vampire who is having a tough time adjusting to her new reality. Though she’s lonely, Lily Dansen is adamant about not dating other vamps – until she meets a Half Breed who’s been shunned by vampire society. They both despair of meeting anybody, of being able to fit in. A Scent of Longing is a 1Night Stand story and my first paranormal.
I think this sounds fantastic! And that cover is to die for! I’m such a sucker for vampires…no pun intended! What do you think is different about this vampire story than others?
Two things. First, Luc Fortier, as a Half Breed, retains part of his humanity. Second, A Scent of Longing has a tenderness and poignancy that you don’t usually find in vampire romances.  One reviewer said it made her cry.
Ooh, hanky alert! I love it! Which character is your favorite and why?
Lily, the heroine. She’s a mix of innocence and gutsiness that to me represents hope. But I like the hero, Luc because of his willingness to make himself vulnerable and risk heartbreak. So I don’t know. Let’s flip a coin.
Authors can never pick! *grins* As the author, what surprised you about this story?
It surprised me how easily it came together. It was one of those stories that seemed to “channeled.” I think readers will be surprised that even though this is a story about blood-sucking vampires, it’s a tender love story. You could take away the paranormal element and it would still be a good story (although I’d have to change a few of the “facts.”)
Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
I don’t have one in the works, but Phillip’s story demands to be told. He’s the vamp who turned Lily. And Roxie, Lily’s best friend, has secrets too.
[image error] Oh, the possibilities! What are you working on right now?
I’m in editing on my second Rod and Cane Society domestic discipline romance, False Pretenses. Loose Id will release it June 12. And, I’m writing another paranormal! This one, which I’m tentatively calling Destiny’s Chance, is a reincarnation story.
I read the first Rod and Cane Society story—so hot! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
How do you define “first?” I wrote a “novel” in the fifth grade. It was 30 pages long and I still have it -- “The Mystery at Woodland National Park.” The first mainstream novel I wrote as adult, I self-published over a decade ago under another name. And Intimate Submission, my first erotic romance was published by Black Velvet Seductions. It’s available on Amazon for 99 cents and in the anthology, Spanked!(The exclamation point is part of the title. I’m not being overly exuberant).
LOL! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
Really, it varies by book. But in general, dialog is easiest, sex scenes are the hardest because they require so much thought. It’s a like dance – it looks easy from the audience, but you don’t see the hours and hours of painful practice that goes into making it look easy.
Ooh, that’s the best way I’ve heard writing sex scenes described. I identify with that a lot! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
Would you believe I was once a vampire? LOL. I do incorporate little snippets of detail, but my works are fiction. I lived in the Los Angeles area for more than half my life and set A Scent of Longing in the LA area. I once attended a meeting in a high rise Century City office building and could see the Pacific Ocean from miles away. I incorporated that view in A Scent of Longing.
[image error] You’re a hoot, Cara! Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Surprisingly, forgiveness. That’s one reason why I want to write Phillip’s story. Readers need to know why he turned Lily. In Reckless in Moonlight, a contemporary romance with Loose Id, the heroine forgives her cheating ex-husband. In False Pretenses, my second Rod and Cane story, the main character does something that hurts quite a few people, and she seeks forgiveness.


Ooh, I read Reckless, too—also hot! *grins* What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a very ordinary, pragmatic, down-to-earth person. I once had a boyfriend tell me I was “too pragmatic to be romantic.”  I guess I express my romantic nature in my novels.
Pffft! He apparently just didn’t inspire your romantic side! Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Dark
Salty or sweet? Salty. Pretzel crisps are my favorite (They’re flat pretzels).
Bed or kitchen table? Bed. But my characters have used the kitchen counter!
Beach or mountains? Beach. There’s just something about the call of the water…
Give or receive? Depends on what you’re talking about. Wink

[image error]Lily Dansen refuses to date vampires. The last time she trusted a one, he turned her. She agrees to a date arranged by 1 Night Stand, believing that a quick tryst is all that’s left for her.
A 376-year-old half-vampire, half human Luc Fortier can’t continue to satisfy the vampire fantasies of young ladies while his dreams go unfulfilled. He vows to bedazzle one last date before he calls it quits.
Neither Luc nor Lily expect more than an evening of passion, but they haven’t counted on Madame Eve’s superior matchmaking skills.

Where can we find you on the web?
Blog | Facebook| Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon Author Page

Buy A Scent of Longingat:Decadent Publishing | Amazon| ARe

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST, CARA!
Thank you, Laura, for having me! I’ve enjoyed your books, Hearts in Darkness and North of Need, and it was a pleasure to be here.
Thanks for reading everyone! Please leave Cara some new release love! Laura

INHALE Flash Mob #PNR #Whales #Awesomeness

Hey guys! I'm pretty excited to be part of a group of blogs hosting author Kendall Grey today as she does something pretty dang special: launch the first in a new book series from which all profits will go towards programs that educate people about whales. Put that awesomeness together with a book with unique paranormal figures, a worthy environmental message, and a kick-@$$ cover! Read on...  INHALE, an urban fantasy romance by Kendall Grey, is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. Watch the video to find out why.    
Kendall encourages interested readers to consider purchasing an e-book instead of a paperback. E-books save trees, cost considerably less, and bring in much more money for the whales.
Thank you for supporting INHALE, and most importantly, the whales that need our help.
INHALE blurb:
Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country. *This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.

Find Kendall Online: Blog | Facebook | Despicable Tweets | Goodreads | Newsletter

Thanks for reading!Laura

Stay Cool This Summer Gift Set for #BNDA! #NorthofNeed

Hey everyone! Just a quick post to let you know I am one of many, many people contributing great items on which you can bid to help raise money to find a cure for diabetes. Author Brenda Novak has been hosting this online auction for a number of years and raised well over a million dollars. This is my first year participating and I couldn't be more thrilled to help out!
Here's what you could win from me, to recreate your very own NORTH OF NEED snowcone scene (igloo and Greek snow god not included): Includes 1 signed print copy of NORTH OF NEED, romance trading cards from NORTH OF NEED and WEST OF WANT, an Anemoi bookmark, a Sunbeam snow cone maker plus snowcone cups/straws, Hershey's chocolate syrup, strawberry snowcone syrup, pens, lipbalm, a snowglobe, and snowman wine glass charms. Isn't that fun?

Head on over to the auction site - and check out my item's specific listing here. Bidding takes place May 1 - May 31 and there are prizes to win for participating, too.

Thanks for reading!Laura

#SixSunday #54 What a bad, bad elevator...

Happy Sunday everyone! Can you believe it's the end of April already? I sure can't. I'm SO excited for May, though, because it's the first of three months in a row when I'll have a new book release! Woot! Last weekend I celebrated the one-year publication of my contemporary romance HEARTS IN DARKNESS, and I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone for all your support. It was so much fun and I owe it all to you! As a thanks, here are six more from HEARTS IN DARKNESS, the last from this book for a long while...and how awesome that I got to make an elevator both an aphrodesiac and a c*ckblocker??? LOL

Her orgasm was going to be tremendous. The whole middle of her body was already tense from the build up of tingling pressure that felt impossibly hard to contain. She concentrated on the way his fingers stroked her, on the connection between him and the center of her arousal, and gave herself over entirely to the pursuit of pleasure.

God, just a little more…almost…oh God.

The elevator whirred and shook. The lights blinked back on.

On sale! Amazon | B&N
Be sure to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Laura

Oh, two final notes: 1) be on the lookout Tuesday, May 1, as The Wild Rose Press (FB | Twitter) celebrates its 6th birthday with book fun and prizes, including 5 $25 gift certificates and a Kindle Fire! 2) Please consider voting for me in the GraveTells readers' choice awards for fave author! Thanks!

Conversations with Ghosts by Laura Bickle

Please click here for the Spring Fling Blog Hop Giveaway!

I'm very pleased to welcome guest authorLaura Bickleto the blog today!
Take it away, Laura...
Talking with the dead isn’t a new pursuit.
I’ve always been curious about how it happens, from both historical and modern perspectives. In my Anya Kalinczyk books, my ghost-hunting protagonist is the rarest form of spiritual medium, a Lantern. Where other mediums in her world allow spirits to use their hanModern ghost hunting involves investigating haunted sites in search of proof of life beyond death. Ghost hunters and other paranormal investigators often attempt to record data from their experiences using a variety of equipment beyond personal anecdotes. Such investigations can make use of EMF meters, thermometers, cameras, motion detectors, and audio recordings to capture evidence of paranormal activity. There’s a plethora of new evidence-collection devices available, with more invented and adapted as time goes on.
With all the technology used by ghost hunters and the recent popularity of such investigations, it may seem that such activities are a new phenomenon. In fact, organized attempts to contact ghosts have their roots in Spiritualism, a movement that peaked in popularity between the 1840s and the 1920s. As a belief system, Spiritualism assumed that spirits of the dead could be contacted by humans. Spiritualism relied on mediums, living people who have the special ability to communicate with spirits, to bring the words and deeds of the dead to the masses.
In 1848, two sisters, Kate and Margaret Fox, claimed to contact spirits through rapping noises. The experience of rapping by their audiences was considered to be vivid evidence at the time. Their experiences and the experiences of other mediums in the movement sparked widespread public interest in the afterlife. Seances, table-tipping, Ouija boards, and automatic writing became popular entertainment, even parlor games at parties. Communication with the dead became democratized, in a sense. It could be witnessed by ordinary people.
The movement began to wane under accusations of fraud. In the 1920s, stage magicians such as Harry Houdini campaigned to expose mediums defrauding grieving families. As analysis began to replace belief, many efforts to contact spirits were exposed as delusional or predatory.
Still, the interest in life after death is perennial; across cultures, it‘s a topic for philosophers and theologians. But the Spiritualist movement brought the search to the masses. Ordinary people were able to touch and see evidence of an afterlife for themselves.
Modern ghost hunters are the heirs of much of those grass-roots efforts. Ghost hunters come from all walks of life, and are ordinary people with an interest in the afterlife. But we now live in a scientific age. Armed with technological tools, many ghost hunters depart from Spiritualists by embracing skepticism, rather than blind belief in things that go bump in the dark. By embracing scientific methods, such investigators are likely to come closer to the truth than the Spiritualists that came before.
The curiosity is the same, but the methods have changed. Rather than seeing contacting spirits as a game, modern ghost hunting views contact with the dead as an investigation, worthy of measurement and accumulation of evidence, not as a form of entertainment. As a result, we may come closer to answers, answers that curious people a century before could only speculate about.
Oooh, so interesting! Hey, guys, do you have any good ghost stories from your own life? If so, do tell! And please thank Laura for such an intriguing post!
Thanks for reading!Laura & Laura

Read excerpts of Embers and SparksEMBERS is available from Amazon and Barnes & NobleSPARKS is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble  

Spring Fling BlogHop

I love a good blog hop, and since I'm soon to be celebrating the release of a book about a Greek God of the spring season (West of Want: coming to bookstores everywhere on 7/10!) , the Spring Fling Blog Hop seemed like the perfect one for me to join!
So, I have THREE ways for you to win:
1) Win a $10 amazon gift certificate in this blog hop - see the form below to enter to win. Open to international. Contest closes to entries at midnight EST on April 27. Winner to be chosen by random.org
But also consider checking out my other open giveaways:
2) Click here to enter my Hearts in Darkness Book Birthday Bash - 6 possible prizes up for grabs! This ends on Monday, 4/23, so don't hesitate!
3) Click here to enter my month-long West of Want Preview & Prizes event, hosted at 45 blogs through May 10. I'm giving away over $300 in bookstore gift cards and swag. And you can read a total of four fun excerpts from the book!

"Laura Kaye’s captivating writing and vibrant world-building will have readers hooked on the gods of the Anemoi. WEST OF WANT is steamy, spellbinding, and a must-read for all romance fantasy fans." ~Elisabeth Naughton, author of the Eternal Guardians series

WEST OF WANT BLURB: Betrayal is all he's ever known, but in her, he'll find a love strong enough to be trusted...

When Marcella Raines' twin brother dies, she honors his request to be buried at sea, never expecting the violent storm that swamps her boat. Though she's gravely injured--and still emotionally damaged from her recent divorce--Ella fights to survive.

Zephyros Martius is the Supreme God of the West Wind and Spring, but being the strongest Anemoi hasn't protected him from betrayal and loss. Worse, he's sure his brother Eurus is behind it. When Zeph's heartbreak whips up a storm that shipwrecks a human, his guilt forces him to save her.

Ella is drawn to the vulnerability Zeph hides beneath his otherworldly masculinity and ancient blue eyes. And her honesty, empathy, and unique, calming influence leave Zeph wanting...everything. When Eurus threatens Ella, she and Zeph struggle to let go of the past, defend their future, and embrace what they most want--a love that can be trusted.

For the full list of Spring Fling Blog Hop Participants & learn more about the Nook Giveaway, Click Here!

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