Laura Kaye's Blog, page 75

#SixSunday #42 - Enthralling her #vampire king...

Happy Sunday everyone! I've got more from my February 1 release, In the Service of the King ! Last week, the king admired Shayla's body. Today's he's quite taken with another aspect of her appearance...

He would've been impressed with her responsiveness if he hadn't been so completely enthralled by those eyes. Her left iris was a brilliant emerald, nearly rivaling his own in the intensity and clarity of green. Her right, however, was a bright turquoise, touched by green to be sure, but without question a deep, dazzling blue. The effect of her mismatched gaze, paired as it was with her fair, creamy skin and dark tresses, was arresting.
Powerless to resist, he leaned down and cupped her left cheek in his hand, his thumb stroking across her cheekbone and playing with the ends of her eyelashes. "You have been touched by magic."

Isn't she beautiful? Shayla's hair is actually midnight black in my story, but I couldn't resist this woman! LOL
Please check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter! Thanks for reading and, hopefully, commenting, too!
Laura

Immortal Hope, Fact & Fiction, by Claire Ashgrove #Angels #KnightsTemplar

I'm very pleased to welcome guest authorClaire Ashgroveto the blog today!

Look out below for a giveaway!

Immortal Hope, Fact and Fiction
CENTURIES AGO,Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll, revealing the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they forever roam the earth protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever-closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation – the return of the seraphs.
Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin's soul. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she's fated to heal. As he struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he's sworn to uphold. 
Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache, he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she's destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death.
One of the things that intrigues me most as a reader is when authors employ speculative fiction as a tool to their writing.  I did this somewhat with IMMORTAL HOPE, and I'd like to share some of those tidbits with you.  Today I've released a new page on my website that will go into more of these, if you're really interested.  But here's a few things that are factual, and a few that I tweaked for the purposes of my cursed Templar Knights.The Archangel Raphael's historical purpose has been of healing.  In The Curse of the Templars, he plays a warrior's role, his skill with his sword equal to the fabled Mikhail (Michael).  This deadly talent has placed him as the leader of the European Knights Templar.  I also tweaked his appearance, depending on which description you adhere to.The building that houses the Knights Templar in North America, does in fact exist.  It is the Odd Fellows home, in Liberty, MO, and it was also owned and founded by a secret society.  To my knowledge, the Knights Templar do not have a temple beneath the dilapidated brick shell.  But ghosts evidently linger on the premises.Anne's house in Atchison Kansas is indeed on the city's list of haunted attractions.  It is currently unoccupied, and it is believed an "old witch" last lived in the house… her and her many cats.  The tower room does not have power running to it.  Yet often a light is seen on in the room.  Cats have been heard purring inside, but no cats are in residence.There is a network of caves just outside of Atchison proper, running along the banks of the Missouri river.  Locals will tell stories of how the caves were at one time, (or currently, depending on the narrator) used for Satanic purposes.  A fitting setting for the entrance to Azazel's realm.In Merrick's history, he is the son of Geoffrey Martel, who is the brother of Fulk le Rechin.  His cousin is also named Fulk – the first's son.  These people are historical people.  Fulk I did imprison his brother at Chinon, thus claiming all Geoffrey's power and property, and Geoffrey did stay in prison until near the end of his life.  He did, in fact, die shortly after his release.  However, Geoffrey Martel had no heirs.Chinon did house Templar prisoners after King Phillip's forced Inquisition.  There are Templar engravings in the stone walls where the men were confined.  In recent years, documentation has been discovered showing that these particular men were given pardons from the Catholic Church for reasons unexplained.  This pardon has been essentially 'buried' in Church history.The Copper Scroll is an actual artifact found with the Dead Sea Scrolls.  It mystifies scholars today because it is written differently than the other items found with it.  The descriptions are written in familiar language, such as "behind the red barn", and it is believed to document, in some fashion, the lost treasure of Jerusalem.The Templar Code specified knights must maintain a vow of chastity.  The punishment for not doing so was to confiscate the knight's sword and surcoat until such a time that the leader decided to return them.  At the time, it would have been a grave punishment – a knight is not a knight without a sword.  However, given it is not logical to expect a man to remain chaste for hundreds of years, this was modified in IMMORTAL HOPE to reflect a minor oath and a futility of keeping swords.These are just a few of the historic facts woven into the series.  I'll be keeping that page updated as the series goes along, and the entries there will have more detail than this short summation.  But I hope you've found it somewhat entertaining!  In the end, this is what all the work turned into:
The Curse

In 1119, nine knights rode with Hughes de Payens to the Holy Land, becoming the Knights Templar. All were bound by marriage or by blood. Eight were recorded over time. The ninth vanished into history.
Beneath the legendary Temple Mount, the knights uncovered holy relics, including the Copper Scroll—a document written by Azazel's unholy hand. For their forbidden digging, the archangels exacted a sacrifice. The knights would spend eternity battling the demons of Azazel's creation, but with each vile death they claimed, a portion of darkness would enter their soul. In time, they would transform into knights of Azazel, warriors veined with evil, destined to fight against the Almighty.
Yet an ancient prophecy remained to give them hope. When darkness raped the land, the seraphs would return. Female descendants of the Nephilim would carry the light to heal their dying souls.
Centuries have passed. Azazel's might grows to intolerable limits. With the acquisition of eight holy relics, he will gain the power to overthrow the Almighty.
Six Templars stand above the rest in duty, honor, and loyalty. But each is haunted by a tragic past, and their darkened souls rapidly near the end. As they battle both the overwhelming power of evil and the nightmares of lives they left behind, the seraphs are more than tools to victory.
They are salvation.

SHORT EXCERPT

"Merrick, wait," she called softly.
"Nay," he answered on a hard swallow. "Nay, Anne. If I stay another moment, I will have you in that bed." He shoved a hand through his hair and reached for the doorknob.
"But that's where I want you," she whispered.
He nodded once, a sharp dip of his chin. Pulling the door open, he answered, "I know." Another protest, and he would turn right back to her waiting arms, cart her off to that oversized bed. When he finished with her, he would hate himself.
He entered the hall and shut the door.
Determination narrowed his gaze as he descended the stairs. He trained his thoughts to his cousin, focused on the oath he swore to Fulk. The very moment Anne discovered her intended, he vowed to leave. No sacred nail, no protected relic, no other oath would he honor until he fulfilled the promise to his kin. In so doing, he would free himself from this torment and lift his blade in Azazel's name. It was a price he no longer feared to pay.
Before we close up shop – Everybody's heard about the legend of the Knights Templar.  What do you think they found beneath the Temple Mount?
Thanks!Clairewww.claireashgrove.comwww.toristclaire.comTwitter:  @ClaireAshgrove

GIVEAWAY!
Claire will be giving away a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate to a second randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour.  Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! Click here for a complete list of blog stops.

Jason Momoa. 'Nuff said.

 



I'm of the opinion these images need no commentary. Enjoy and happy Friday! *winks*









Thanks for drooling viewing!Laura

#NorthofNeed is @FreshFiction's Fresh Pick!

After receiving this stellar review on Saturday, I was thrilled to learn that the readers at Fresh Fiction chose NORTH OF NEED as their Fresh Pick of the Day!


January 16, 2012
And this comes right on the heels of the fantastic news that I can indeed confirm an April 2012 release date for Book 2 in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, WEST OF WANT! Woot!
Thanks for stopping by!Laura

#SixSunday #41 - The #Vampire King Meets His Offering

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm a little sad to be leaving NORTH OF NEED behind for now, but I'm just as excited to begin sharing with you my upcoming release, IN THE SERVICE OF THE KING, which comes out on February 1. Here's Kael, the vampire warrior king, meeting the heroine for the first time.

Taking a deep, centering breath, the king eased the heavy wooden door open and stepped inside the feeding chamber.
Kael pierced his tongue with his fangs to keep from making an utterance he had no business making. But for the love of all that was holy, the creature before him was magnificent. Perfectly posed despite the thundering sprint of her heart, her long black-brown hair was braided and intertwined in the traditional way, ribbons and flowers threaded throughout. The sheerest of white silk robes did little to hide from his vision the sexy muscularity of her body. She was not thin, which pleased him.

This is the first in my Vampire Warrior Kings series. The second comes out early this summer. Watch out for my joint book tour with fellow Harlequin authors Stephanie Draven and Leia Rice all this coming week!
Please check out the Other Sixers' posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter. Thanks for reading and, hopefully, commenting!
Laura

Welcome Guest Author Cari Quinn! #BookGiveaway!

[image error] I'm very happy to welcome fellow Entangled author Cari Quinn to the blog today!

Look down below for a GIVEAWAY!

Welcome, Cari!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Hi Laura, thank you so much for having me here today! I'm a HUGE fan of your work and have told everyone I know to read HEARTS IN DARKNESS. Loved it!
I'm Cari Quinn, an author of mostly erotic romance, who is also branching out into more mainstream contemporary romance. My first sexy contemporary title, NO DRESS REQUIRED, recently released from Entangled Publishing as one of the first few Flirts, their new line of novella-length romances!
Awesome, Cari! Congratulations! [And thanks for pimpin' Hearts! *grins*] Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
NO DRESS REQUIRED just released in time for the new year, which is great as the story takes place on New Year's Eve! The heroine, Noelle, has had a big crush on her BFF's older brother for years, but he's always been taken. Now that he's not, she's sure he's slotted her into the dreaded "almost a little sister" role and sets out to change that. Now if only she'd get some good luck – or at least not so much bad – to help her out…
That sounds like so much fun! Which character is your favorite and why?
My favorite character in NO DRESS REQUIRED is probably Noelle. She tries to pretend she's confident and is comfortable only wanting to spend one night with Jake, but the truth is she's scared to admit she wants more. Plus I like holiday-themed sweatshirts too and I don't care who knows it! (Yep, I rocked my Snoopy holiday shirts at Halloween and Xmas!)
LOL Oh noes, not holiday sweatshirts! *winks* As the author, what surprised you about this story?
That Jake wasn't the cocky guy he appeared to be at first glance. His feelings for Noelle definitely made him question if he was truly the right guy for her. (Which he most definitely is!)
Aw, that sounds so sweet! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Actually, yes, I hope so! I'm about to start working on NO FLOWERS REQUIRED, Alexa's story. Alexa is Jake from NO DRESS REQUIRED's sister and Noelle's best friend. Her nickname is Type A, so I think her story will be fun! At least I hope so!
Awesome! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
It's a fun challenge trying to write a complete story in 15K words or less. I enjoy writing shorts as I think they exercise a different sort of muscles. Alexa's story will be a little longer, I think, and should fall into the Ever After range at Entangled, which refers to novellas that are 20-40K.
I like writing them, too! What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm working on NEED ME, the next book in my erotic romance series, Unveiled, at Ellora's Cave. As soon as I finish that, next up will be NO FLOWERS REQUIRED. I'm really excited for Alexa to find her HEA.
Good luck with everything! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
Actually, the first book I ever wrote, INSATIABLE, just came out in print from Loose Id! It changed a lot over the years but Rachel and Shawn starred in the novel I started the summer after ninth grade. It's going to be such a thrill to hold that book in my hands!
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Absolutely. I think my overall theme is that no one is truly how they appear on the surface. Everyone has layers and if you're very lucky, you'll meet that one person who will allow you to be your real, unvarnished self.
You KNOW I like that one! Very cool! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
Hmm…not so sure this is that surprising since I talk about my love of coffee everywhere, but if I had a choice between food or a decadent latte, I'd pick the latte every time (especially if it was pumpkin spice or peppermint!)
LOL! Er, psst, I don't drink coffee. At all! *gasp* Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don't write romance) do you wish you had written?
I'm actually rereading my favorite book for the fifth time right now, Angels Fall by Nora Roberts. I own it in hardback, paperback and Kindle. I love it that much. Nora is truly a word artist and I love AF the most of all her stories (and I've read most of them!)
Awesome recommendation! Of all the characters you've ever written, who is your favorite and why?
Without a doubt, Spencer from PROVOKE ME. He's such a conflicted, complicated guy – and he's so deliciously Alpha. Watching him fall in love and learn to deal with his needs was a lot of fun for me as an author. I'm looking forward to writing another story featuring him and Kelly, his heroine, to wrap up the Unveiled series.
You're a busy lady—so wonderful! Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Both? Swirls are always nice. ;D
Salty or sweet? Again, both. Chocolate covered pretzels are divine!
Bed or kitchen table? I won't say both again, so definitely kitchen table!
Beach or mountains? Mountains all the way. Preferably with snowy peaks.
Give or receive? Hmm, I like to give and then receive after!

[image error]After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There's only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend's older brother. Now that Jake's back in town, she's headed to his sister's New Year's Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she's become? Check.
Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.
When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he's glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister's party. His and Noelle's friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he's always wanted…and if he'll be able to walk away when it's over.

Thanks for coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Publisher Author Page

 GIVEAWAY!Cari is giving away one ebook of No Dress Required. Leave a comment with your email address to be eligible to win. Open to international. Winner to be chosen using random.org. Open through midnight EST 1/15! Good luck!

Thanks for reading! Laura & Cari

Announcing the Crave the Heat 3-Author Blog Tour! #HQN

 So, when me and two of my fellow Maryland Romance Writers realized we all had erotic Harlequin novellas releasing within a month of one another, the wonderful idea was born to host a joint blog tour. All next week, you can find me talking erotic paranormal romance with fellow authors Stephanie Draven and Leia Rice. There will be amazon gift card and ebook giveaways available along the tour, so we hope you'll stop by and join in the fun. And, zomg, wait til you see some of these excerpts. Yowzers!

Crave the Heat Blog Tour Stops [to be updated with specific URLs]:1/16/2012        WhippedCream Reviews 
1/16/2012        BookLovers Inc. 1/16/2012        MinaKahn's Blog 1/16/2012        Cocktailsand Books 1/16/2012        SOS AlohaBlog  1/16/2012        TheBook Faery Reviews 1/16/2012        GraveTells 1/16/2012        BookSavvy Babe 1/16/2012        BanditCreek Books
1/17/2012        WhippedCream Reviews       1/17/2012        Harlequin'sParanormal Blog 1/17/2012        SmexyBooks  1/18/2012        WhippedCream Reviews 1/18/2012        Smutketeers 1/18/2012        FantasyUnbound Blog 1/19/2012        WhippedCream Reviews 1/20/2012        WhippedCream Reviews  1/20/2012        TheForbidden Bookshelf
About the Authors:
[image error] Stephanie Draven is a multi-published award-nominated author of myth-inspired paranormal romance. Writing for HQN Nocturne, Stephanie's Mythica series asks the question: What if the monsters of ancient mythology still walked the earth...and what if you found out that you were one of them? Currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies, Stephanie lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.

Stephanie is celebrating The Fever and the FuryBuy Stephanie's BooksNewsletter | Twitter | Website & Blog | Goodreads | Facebook

[image error] Laura Kaye Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers' Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells' Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Laura is celebrating In the Service of the KingBuy Laura's BooksWebsite | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

[image error] Leia Rice is an avid lover of everything Parisian, Ancient Grecian and Ancient Roman. She wishes that women would still wear the pretty dresses and petticoats that they did back in the 18th century, but she's well aware how much of a pain they must have been. Leia writes historical fiction, romance and erotica in these  areas, because she cannot get enough of each respective time period.

[image error]Leia is celebrating The Revolutionary MistressBuy Leia's BooksWebsite & Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks so much for reading! And hope you'll tour with us!
Laura[image error]

Welcome Guest Author Dawn Chartier! #Vampires!

Welcome guest authorDawn Chartierto the blog!

Welcome, Dawn!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thank you for having me today, Laura. And congrats to you on your Breakout Author award. How awesome is that.
So a little about me, eh? Well, I live near the wonderful City of New Orleans, yet far enough from the craziness that the city is known for.  I'm married, and I have two of mine and two of his type of family. We also have two Goldens who are more spoiled than all four daughters put together.
I write paranormal romance, suspense, and contemporary erotic romance. I try to golf and I fish too.
Aw, man, thank you, Dawn! What a sweetie! Okay, now, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
I just self-published a novel called NOT AN ANGEL, that was once with The Wild Rose Press. Not An Angel is a second chance at love type of story between a human and Poryria vampire.
Here is a little blurb:
Kira McCoy wants to die. Losing her husband and daughter tragically left her without hope. Now her disturbed brother-in-law will stop at nothing to have her for himself. All she wants is to find peace, but instead finds herself on top of a bridge ready to end her suffering.

Protector of the Poryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embrace death. Defending humans is not part of the plan, but he cannot stop himself from saving Kira.

Realizing that he shares a special bond with Kira, Trace defies his Queen and rushes into the heart of darkness in order to rescue the woman he loves. Will Kira be able to reach past her own pain to pull them both into the light?
Oh, yum! How do I love vampires…let me count the ways!!! *grins* Which character is your favorite and why?
It would have to be Kira. She's lost so much, and grows the most.
Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
I plan to write a few more books to this series. Next up would be Drago's story after I finish writing another novella for another series.
Awesome! I love series! What are you working on right now?
Well, I just finished edits for DIAMONDS, a contemporary erotic novella which is coming out January 18, 2012, published with Siren BookStrand. Now, I'm working on revisions for Buried Magic, a witch and warlock novel.
W ow! So many intriguing projects! Love it! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
I still have it saved in my computer. My sister begs me to try and get it published. She said of all my books that was her favorite. (God, I hope not.) It was also a vampire novel.
That's a great story! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
Yes. My mom had neighbor who had tragically lost her baby and husband close together, and that is where the idea came from. I wanted to give the woman a happier ending.
Oh, that's really moving, actually. Good for you. Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Yes. Second chances.
I like that one, too! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
Probably that work in construction. I don't actually hold a hammer or anything, but I do get to go to the jobsites on occasions. (hard-hat and all)
That IS surprising! Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don't write romance) do you wish you had written?
Who wouldn't have wanted to write Harry Potter, right.  Although, how on earth she kept up with a bazillion characters, I've no clue.
Of all the characters you've ever written, who is your favorite and why?
To date it would be, Storm Morgeaux. (her story is not published yet) In my novel, Buried Magic, Storm learns that she's a witch, then discovers she's part warlock as well. Warlocks are not nice and she struggles with that, plus the guy she has the HOTS for hunts and kills warlocks.  Storm has big problems, but even a bigger heart.
Sounds intriguing! Now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Dark! Yum! (but I'll take either)
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Bed or kitchen table? Ha-Ha. My mind went in the gutter, but you could mean something else, right?  I'll say table so I don't sound so boring.
Beach or mountains? Love the beach! Haven't been to the mountains yet.
Give or receive? I'll give you anything if you give me dark chocolate.

Thanks for being coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Buy Not An Angel

Leave some new release love for Dawn, everyone! And thanks for reading,
Laura & Dawn

#SixSunday #40 - Owen introduces the Anemoi... #PNR #GreekGods

I've got a new book releasing on February 1, so this will be my last post from my contemporary fantasy romance, North of Need, for a while. SNIFF!!! Megan thinks on what she's learned about Owen's divine family...and gives you a sneak peek into the future books in the series! *grins*

In the days and weeks that followed, several of Owen's uncles, she supposed, had popped in to introduce themselves. Polite though reserved, Zephyros had found them immediately after the wedding, though he'd seemed uncomfortable around her and hadn't stayed long. Chrysander, on the other hand, invited himself for a whole weekend and left her feeling she'd known him forever. Using the face of a compass, Owen had long-since explained the Anemoi family tree, with the four cardinal wind gods representing the north, west, south, and east, and the dozen lesser ordinal and interordinal gods. While the father of the Anemoi, a powerful storm god named Aeolus, had sent gifts to the new couple, no one else had appeared. Yet.

Zephyros is the hero of Book 2, West of Want, coming in April (I think!) Next week, we shift to In the Service of the King, my dark vampire romance!
Don't forget to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter. Thanks for reading and, hopefully, commenting!
Laura [image error]

#ForeverFreed is up for a Paranormal Reviewers' Choice Award!

I'm humbled that another of my books is up for a best book of the year award. The fact that it's Forever Freed, the first novel I wrote and first I sold, makes it particularly special.
Forever Freed received this raving 5-star review from the Paranormal Romance Guild earlier in the year, nominating it now for one of their Reviewers' Choice Awards. There are great books nominated in four categories, and Forever Freed is in the bottom "Reviewers' Choice" category. Voting starts this a.m. and goes through 1/20. If you'dvote for it I'd be so appreciative, but after everything you guys did for me last in two other voting awards I ultimately won, I'm not going to push! *grins* I just wanted to share the award nod because, no matter how many books I publish, this one will always be close to my heart!
Thanks for reading!Laura
PS - Be sure to scroll down and leave comments for Rosalie Lario and on my previous award post - both are offering giveaways that end tonight at midnight EST![image error]