Carly Fall's Blog, page 11
January 25, 2013
Beverly’s Rebirth – Six Saviors Series
Coming January 31
There’s no doubt that Beverly has had her share of ups and downs. When we last left her in REBORN, she had told Hudson that she was pregnant with his child, he was happy about it, and they were about to be mated.
In Destiny’s Shift, we see Beverly and Hudson happy with their baby, but what happened in between those two books?
A lot.
This is Beverly’s journey into motherhood.
And it’s not an easy ride.
**Please note: this is not a stand-alone book. This is a novella that is to be read between REBORN and Destiny’s Shift.
EXCERPT
A minute later, Beverly pushed, and Cohen lifted the baby from the water. Hudson felt like his chest would explode with pride, as he was the proud Papa of a baby boy who had a head full of black hair.
The baby began to cry softly, and the sound made Hudson feel like someone had just stabbed him through the heart. The sound was nothing like he had heard before. The wail sounded like hope, despair, and the need for love all rolled into one long syllable.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hudson asked, panic lacing his gut.
“Nothing, that’s good. They’re supposed to cry. You want to cut the cord?”
That would be a definite negative, a “hell no” of epic proportions, and Hudson shook his head.
Hudson stared at the crunched-up little face, the little mouth that formed an O. He briefly counted the baby’s fingers and toes, and was happy to see ten of each. The cry from the kid increased tenfold.
“Oh, no,” Cohen said, his eyes on Beverly.
January 22, 2013
THE VRYKOLAKAS DEVIATION – Sherri Lackey
I’m happy to welcome Sherri Lackey today and her book, The Vrykolakas Deviation.
She will be awarding a $25 GC from Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
First Sherri is going to share her playlist for the book, and then we will get to check out an excerpt.
Take it away, Sherri!
Like many writers I know, listening to music as we write is inspirational and often helps set the tone of the story. My taste in music is eclectic, and I’m not limited to preferring any one particular genre of music over another. The tone of my novel is dark and lonely. In choosing a collection of songs that would fit that tone, I chose the following sample of five songs that would work as a playlist for The Vrykolakas Deviation. I hope to give you a sense of what The Vrykolakas Deviation is all about as I discuss these songs below.
Before I do that, I want to explain what a vrykolakas is exactly. A vrykolakas is a type of vampire of ancient Greek origin and they do not typically imbibe blood as do traditional vampires. In my story, vrykolakes drain the life from their victims with a touch from their hand. It’s an electrical transference of sorts. There are two deviant vrykolakes in my tale – Keeva, my main character, and her father, Sandor. They are labeled deviants because, instead of having the ability to drain human victims, they only have the ability to drain the life from other vrykolakes. Now that you know what my vrykolakes are, let’s look at the playlist.
The first song is Flight Response by Days of the New. As the song title implies, Keeva and her father, Sandor, live their lives on the run from other vrykolakes who view them as a threat. In fact, Sandor, for thousands upon thousands of years, has managed to hide his daughter’s existence from the vrykolakes altogether. That all changes when Keeva stumbles upon her friend being drained by an ancient vrykolakas named Severin, who also happens to be her father’s bitter enemy.
Keeva’s first impulse is to kill Severin. She ends up imprisoning him instead. Eventually, she releases him back into the world at large and immediately regrets her decision. When Sandor finds out what she has done, she must take flight lest Severin tell the other vrykolakes her whereabouts.
In the song If I Didn’t Know Any Better, Alison Krauss croons the words, “I turned around. Before I could run, I found you already settled down in the back of my mind. I know this is just a customary fever. The moon is a deceiver that will leave you running blind.” That line fits the scene so well in the book when Keeva first views Severin’s face, that it could easily have been her thoughts at that moment. She can’t understand her attraction to Severin, and running blind is what she finds herself doing next.
Bring Me to Life by Evanescence, on the other hand, could be the exact thoughts of Severin after Keeva sets him free. His time spent with Keeva has left him confused and disoriented. He doesn’t fully understand the change she has wrought inside of him. For over three thousand years he has lived a life a self-love, for vrykolakes only love themselves and no one else. Upon meeting Keeva, his solitary world begins to open up and he considers letting someone else in. He doesn’t understand that by doing so, it might cost him his life.
As Severin awakens to the possibilities of having a real relationship with someone, it takes him a while to adjust his behavior into something even resembling thoughtful and kind. He is used to simply taking whatever he has wanted in the past. That is why the song Shiver by Coldplay comes to mind when I think of Severin. One lyric in the song says, “And on and on from the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep, I’ll be there by your side, just you try and stop me.” That is Severin; he has no concept of personal boundaries.
Finally, there is the song The Sun Will Rise, a haunting tune sung by Brendan James. I think of this song as Sandor’s song. It’s melancholic but hopeful, which pretty much describes Sandor, who is an integral part of the story. In fact, when I was first writing The Vrykolakas Deviation, Sandor almost became the main character of the story. Despite everything that has happened to him in his three thousand plus years of life, for he has experienced several tragedies, he has an unfailing, hopeful outlook on life. This puts him in sharp contrast to his daughter, and if he were ever given to despair, Keeva could be just the one to push him over that cliff.
That wraps up the five top songs that could be considered as a playlist while reading The Vrykolakas Deviation. One more side note: Music is an essential daily requirement for me as a writer, and so it is not surprising that Severin, though he is a self-centered vrykolakas, is nonetheless an accomplished musician who can play any number of instruments. His personal preference is the cello. I hope you enjoy reading The Vrykolakas Deviation.
My hearty thanks to Carly Fall for letting me guest post on her blog today!
My pleasure Sherri, and now on to the book!
BLURB:
Keeva lives her life on the run, changing identities and personas. She is running from monsters she has never seen – vrykolakes, vampire creatures her father, Sandor, has told her stories about all her life. She had almost convinced herself that these monsters had all died in a volcano eruption on the island of Strongili long ago.
But when a vrykolakas named Severin kills Mandy, her best friend, she discovers the vrykolakes are alive and well. Keeva knows about Severin from her father’s stories, and her first impulse is to kill him and rid the world of the evil vrykolakas. She feels drawn to him however, and takes him prisoner. She hopes to better understand the vrykolakes and perhaps better understand herself. She is over two thousand years old. She doesn’t know who or what she is, but she wants to find out. In order to do that, she has to discover her past. Severin might be the place to start looking for a connection to the past. Or, he could be the worst mistake Keeva has ever made.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
“Good evening, Keeva,” Darrin mumbled. He quietly inspected my knots and seemed to approve.
“Evening, Darrin,” I said.
“Do you need some help?”
“That’s nice of you to offer. Thank you.”
“What are we doing here, where are we going with this?” He nudged my package with his foot.
“I need it brought into my apartment. If you could maybe grab that end and I’ll get this one.”
“Sure thing.”
It was much easier lifting Severin with two people. I momentarily wished I’d brought Darrin with me when I’d returned to the reservoir that night, but of course I had originally planned to kill Severin and not bring him back home with me. I couldn’t have known I would have benefitted from having an extra pair of hands.
Once inside my apartment, Darrin asked, “Where to now?”
“My guestroom just back there.” I indicated the direction with a nod of my head.
The cord I’d tied the blanket with had come loose and the vrykolakas was lying there in full view on the bed. Darrin and I both stood there looking at him for a few silent moments. It was a trifle bit awkward.
Finally, Darrin said, “Those knots you tied on his wrists should hold him pretty good. You did a good job there.” He nodded approvingly.
“Thanks.” I wondered how much experience Darrin had in tying knots.
“Need anything else?”
“No, that should about do it. Thanks, Darrin, you’ve been a great help.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sherri Lackey, born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, now lives in Montana where the cold northern climate inspires her to write. She writes science fiction and fantasy with 
dashes of speculative fiction, a pinch of steampunk, and a touch of urban fantasy. She lives with her husband, Paul, and their three children. She also has a faithful dog named Raymond who likes to sit by her side while she writes.
Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Vrykolakas-Devi...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Vrykolakas-...
https://twitter.com/sherrijots
https://www.facebook.com/SherriMLackey
Remember, the more you comment, the better chance you have of winning the Gift Certificate, so please follow the rest of the tour HERE
January 17, 2013
Blood Avenged – Gabrielle Bisset
I’m happy to have Gabrielle Bisset here today and feature her book, Blood Avenged. She will be giving away a $5 Amazon GC and swag pack from Sons of Navarus series (bookmarks, cover flats, trading cards). Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Jan 22. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You can enter at the bottom of the post.
Blood Avenged (Sons of Navarus #1)
by Gabrielle Bisset
Erotic Paranormal Romance (Action)
Self-Published/Indie
Heat Level: Sizzling
Word Count: 60,000
Available at…
Blurb
I am everything you desire. I am vampire.
Powerful and manipulative, Vasilije does as he pleases. A vampire beholden to no one, he takes what he desires, drinking deeply the pleasures this life has to offer.
When one of his own is staked, Vasilije must travel to New Orleans to exact his revenge. There he meets Sasa, a beautiful woman who arouses him like no other has for centuries. Vasilije’s need for vengeance is equaled only by his passion for her, but what he finds in his revenge is just the beginning…
Book Trailer
Reviews
“When you put a character like Vasilije in a beautifully written story like Blood Avenged you score an instant hit. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Bisset!” 5 stars (Just Erotic Romance Reviews)
“Dark, mysterious and sometimes violent, this sexy tale uses New Orleans and a taste of voodoo as a backdrop. It will capture your imagination from the first paragraph.” 4 stars (RT Magazine)
“Bisset is rapidly climbing up in the world of PNR and is a definite must-watch-for writer! I can’t wait for the next book in her new Sons of Navarus series!” 4.5 stars (A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick)
EXCERPT
At the street, he stopped and inhaled deeply, hoping to sense something that would help him find Teagan’s killer. Nothing came. But there’d been something in the apartment…something that he was sure he recognized.
Eyes closed, he let his other senses take over, but he got nothing. “What did he look like?”
“I don’t know. It was so quick. Blond, I think.”
Vasilije snapped his head to the left to look at her. “Man or woman?”
Instantly, Tatiana’s threat repeated in his head. Now I take something you cherish. Had she staked one of his vampires in retaliation over Alex? Vasilije doubted even Tatiana would stake a vampire herself, but she wasn’t above having someone else do it.
“Man.”
That didn’t mean Tatiana wasn’t behind Teagan’s murder. And who was this woman who claimed to be Teagan’s girlfriend?
“Did you see which direction he ran?”
Sasa shook her head sadly. “No, I’m sorry. Are you his sire?”
“How do you know about that?” he asked, more suspicious than he’d been just a minute earlier.
“Teagan was a vampire, and you just look like a sire would. That’s what you call them, right?”
As she spoke, Vasilije studied her under the streetlight’s glow, still unsure she was who she claimed to be. Not bad looking, she seemed like someone Teagan could like. He’d always preferred brunettes with big eyes and bigger tits, and although she didn’t measure up to porn star level, she still had a nice body. He could see her as Teagan’s girlfriend.
“Yeah, I’m his sire and right now I need to find the fuck who killed one of my vampires,” he said looking down the street.
“What’s your name?”
Turning to look at her, he raised one eyebrow. “You’re a curious one, aren’t you, pet?”
“Well, I think I should know your name if we’re going to work together to find Teagan’s killer.”
Vasilije continued to work on getting any sense of who he was looking for, but nothing came to him. Frustrated, he’d need time to think and find his way around this new place before he could search for the killer, and the last thing he needed was a weepy woman tagging along.
“Uh, no. We’re not going to be working together to find anything. Just point me to the nearest place I can get something to eat and I’ll be on my way.”
In a second, her hands were back on his arm and squeezing. “Please let me help. I want to see the person who did this brought to justice.”
Justice? Vasilije smiled at the idea of justice, sure she would be appalled by what he intended to do to Teagan’s killer. Humans were always more squeamish than he thought they should be, considering their own history.
“How long were you and Teagan together?”
“Why?”
Vasilije noticed her defensiveness immediately. Her body language screamed she was hiding something.
“You just seem very attached. That’s all.”
Sasa shifted her weight between her feet. “I was. I mean, we were. Attached. And even though we had problems, we were trying to work things out.”
“Problems?”
A sheepish look came over her face. “I forgave him and we’d have worked things out…”
Sasa’s lip quivered for just a second, and Vasilije was afraid she’d begin crying again. Teagan hadn’t changed in his new home, it seemed. A notorious ladies’ man, his wandering eye had been the reason he’d moved four thousand miles away from the only place he’d ever called home. Obviously, that relationship hadn’t survived since Sasa stood next to him all dewy eyed over his death.
“I see.”
“It’s not like that. It doesn’t matter what you think anyway. I just owe it to him to find out who did this.”
Vasilije smiled at Sasa’s words. She was probably completely unaware that the one she’d caught her boyfriend with was likely one of many. Such blind devotion.
“Love, I don’t think you understand what’s going to happen when I find the guy who did this. My idea of justice and yours aren’t the same, I guarantee you.”
About the Author
Gabrielle Bisset’s first book was released in June 2011, and since then readers have fallen in love with her paranormal stories with just the right amount of history thrown in. From her own creations, the Aeveren, to her vampires of the Sons of Navarus series, Gabrielle blends the genres of urban fantasy and paranormal romance in her own unique way. Her stories are sexy and smart, transporting the reader to another world.
When she’s not writing, she loves to relax with family and friends making great food and memories. Find out more about Gabrielle and her books at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/.
Connect with Gabrielle Bisset
Website: http://www.gabriellebisset.com/
Blog: http://gbisset.blogspot.com/
Sons of Navarus Website: http://sonsofnavarus.weebly.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabrielle-Bisset/135134056553049
Sons of Navarus FB Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/SonsOfNavarusSeries
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabriellebisset
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/gabriellebisset/
You can find more of the tour here:
January 14, 2013
Love of Shadows – Zoe Brooks
I’m happy to have Zoe Brooks here today and her book Love of Shadows. Not only does the books sound good, but she may have one of the cutest writing companions I’ve ever seen. Check it out under the Author Bio.
Zoe will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Zoe will first tell us the inspiration for the book, which is a remarkable post in itself, and then we will read about Love of Shadows.
Take it away, Zoe!
When I was a little girl, my mum used to buy me a kid’s comic called Bimbo (yes it really was called that!). I could hardly wait for it to arrive and then I would turn to my favourite bit – The Further Adventures of Snow White. I would read the story and then run up and down the entrance hall imagining the next instalment. And you know what – my version was always more exciting than the magazines. Snow White was too much of a straight-laced drip in the comic. My version was much more adventurous.
My reading of Bimbo stopped but my favourite character stayed with me as the heroine of my daydreams. She came in all sorts of guises and her trials and tribulations evolved as I matured. I both used her as a means to understand and explore the people I met and myself. I still do.
I like to write about women who survive and overcome adversity. Up until a few years ago I worked with some of the most disadvantaged people in our society, including the homeless, refugees, people with mental health problems, and abused women. I was privileged to get to know some remarkable women and hear their stories, which were awful, unimaginable in some ways, and inspiring. But it was hard work emotionally. I remember very clearly standing in the office of a helpline for South Asian women as the helpworker spoke to a woman on the telephone: “Your husband held a knife to your neck…” How did I process this? Of course I worked it out through my stories. After twenty years even that was no longer enough, I wanted to help, but to protect myself I had to walk away. Only I didn’t completely, I decided I would write novels. At first I thought I would write children’s books, something not too emotionally demanding. But that woman, the one I had been daydreaming about all those years, insisted on demanding my attention.
Judith is a loveable but frustrating at times, definitely flawed but one can see where the flaws come from. She merited more than one book, so I set about writing a trilogy about her and her Shadow Sarah. Shadows are almost human, very rational but do not have emotions like humans. Each book is designed so it can be read on its own. In book one, Girl in the Glass, she escapes from the home of her abusive aunt and the prospect of a forced marriage and comes to the city with Sarah. There they are homeless and living on the margins of society. By the time Love of Shadows opens Judith has created a new life for herself and a new identity. She has a job making and selling perfumes, but Elma her employer and mentor has just died of cancer. Judith is devastated by grief and facing accusations that she made medicine for Elma.
I try to create a very realistic fantasy world. I am helped in this by the fact that I studied history at university and I pick up themes from the past. In the case of Judith I used the story of the persecution of women healers during the 14th – 17th centuries. Prior to that, traditional herbal medicine had been the only form of medicine there was, some of it was bunkum but much was based on centuries of experience and we now know that many herbs used really did have medicinal powers. But at the time with the rise of the university trained male doctors, the women healers came under attack from the powers that be and the church. It is impossible now to put a figure on the number of “witches” who were killed for trying to heal people. Horrifyingly anti-healer propaganda actually stated that good witches were more dangerous than bad – it became enough for a woman simply to have cured someone to be condemned. Inspired, I took this theme and developed it in my fantasy world, which is set in a period closer to our own, possibly late nineteenth century, although no time period is specified in the book. Judith’s mother had been a healer, and Judith feels the calling, but what will she risk to help people? Following one’s destiny is a major theme in the book.
The book is also a love story. In Girl in the Glass Judith, like so many girls who have been told that they are worthless, has had some disastrous relationships with abusive men. These relationships have left Judith wary of making emotional commitments, even though she desperately needs to be held and loved. In Love of Shadows I set myself the task of exploring what might make Judith lower the barriers enough to fall in love again and how she might react. What sort of man could persuade her that she is worth loving. Enter Bruno, stage left.
BLURB:
“I had always felt most alive, when I was healing. Without healing I was a tin top spinning out of kilter soon to catch the ground. It took all my energy to hold myself from skidding into chaos.”
But in the city of Pharsis traditional women healers are banned from practising and the penalty for breaking the law is death by hanging. After being arrested and interrogated twice Judith is careful to avoid suspicion, but then scarlet fever breaks over the city like a poisonous wave, leaving in its wake the small corpses of children. What will the young healer do?
Love of Shadows is the second novel in The Healer’s Shadow trilogy, which began with Girl in the Glass, and follows the lives of Judith and her Shadow, Sarah. It is a study in grief, love and defiance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
“Your second accuser, as I’m sure you will have worked out, was your mistress’ nephew. He claimed that you murdered her deliberately to get her money. A simple case of murder in the eyes of law, no fudge there.
“Both your accusers are men who if they found someone dying in the street would not stop to help, or rather they would – they would help themselves to whatever was in the dying man’s pocket. No, I don’t like either of them, but that doesn’t make their accusations wrong.”
He sifted through the folder and produced Elma’s legal will and her real one – the letter to me. There were nicotine stains on his fingers as they unfolded the fine notepaper my mistress always used for special letters. Holding it in one hand and the cigarette in the other, he read in silence. I had planned to keep the letter forever to remind me of her, lest I forget some day that that fine singular old woman had loved me. I knew that was in part why she had written it, knowing how much I doubted myself and others. I treasured it more than any money Elma could have given me and here it was an object of little interest in a police file, to be stowed in some drawer perhaps or worse waved in court as evidence to condemn. That young interrogator was nothing compared to this man, the Rottweiler knew how to worm under the skin without stunts or threats.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Zoe Brooks is a British writer and poet, who spends half her life in a partly restored old farmhouse in the Czech Republic, where she writes all her novels and 
poetry. She aims to write popular books, which have complex characters and themes that get under the reader’s skin.
Zoe was a successful published poet in her teens and twenties, (featuring in the Grandchildren of Albion anthology). Girl In The Glass – the first novel in a trilogy about the woman and healer Anya was published on Amazon in March 2012, followed by Mother of Wolves and Love of Shadows. In May 2012 she published her long poem for voices Fool’s Paradise as an ebook on Amazon.
Social Media Links
Blog: http://zoebrooks.blogspot.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/ZoeBrooks2
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZoeBrooksAuthor
Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0034P3TDS
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Remember the more you comment, the better your chances are to win the gift certificate, so you can see the other tour dates HERE
January 10, 2013
THE FATES SERIES – Lola James
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I’m happy to be hosting Lola James and her Fate’s Series.
Lola will award one commenter at every stop a small prize(s) Swag pack (signed bookmarks and post cards – US & Canada Only), and one randomly drawn commenter on the tour will receive a $25 Gift card to B&N or Amazon, winner’s choice.
More tour dates can be found HERE
Fate’s Design
Blurb:
During a summer trip to Italy, a teenage girl falls in love and is pulled into the world of vampires, witches, and magical powers. As she becomes more deeply entrenched, her nightmares begin to make sense, and the girl realizes that she’s been part of this new world since birth.
Villain’s Fate
Blurb:
Does good always prevail over evil? What happens when the villain triumphs?
This is a short (prequel) that can be read before or after Fate’s Design.
EXCERPT
I found myself encompassed in total darkness, pitch-blackness. I spun around in a complete three-sixty with my arms extended in front of me, searching for anything that would offer a clue to my location. I found none, but moved forward with caution while I continued groping for something familiar. As instinct kicked in, my senses went on high alert. I began to sniff the air around me, slowing my stride just a little so I could take deeper breaths, but I was unable to detect any kind of a scent from the air. The certainty that nothing existed around me chilled my bones.
Suddenly I heard screaming. I turned toward it, listening closely to the high-pitched sound. Was it screaming or crying? Male or female? The urge to flee overtook me, but despite my fear I started to run blindly toward the noise.
The shrieks stopped abruptly. I stomped my foot in frustration and encountered something. When I squatted down and felt the surface, I realized it was gravel and I was outside somewhere. When I stood up, suddenly my air supply was cut off and I couldn’t breathe. Instinctively, I reached for my face, finding nothing was on my face, but my body gasped for air.
I continued to struggle for air, but my efforts to remove whatever it was made it worse. I stumbled and fell into darkness with my heart racing, and then suddenly there was air.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lola James has been reading romance novels since her teens, and fell in love with the paranormal after discovering Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Her love of the dark worlds of vampires and witches, as well as her fascination with Greek mythology led her to create the Spellbound Series, an ongoing Paranormal Romance combining all of the above into tales of suspense with a little bit of humor in an Urban Fantasy setting.
A longtime lover of reading and writing with a passion for a great story, James became discouraged by the complicated and arbitrary publishing process, James had initially set down her laptop and her hopes of being a writer. However, with the purchase of her first e-reader, James became re-energized by the new possibilities for an undiscovered author to reach the masses. Dusting off her keyboard she finally finished Bound to Remember, the first book of the Spellbound Series and self-published it. Energized and ambitious, James is now hard at work on both the Spellbound Series as well as the Fate Series, a paranormal romance about dreams and what happens if they come true.
Living in Southern California with her two beautiful children, James finds time to write in between her full-time job as a mother as well as her other full-time job as an HR manager, as well as her academic schedule as she studies for her Master’s degree which she hopes to complete in 2013. With the success of Bound to Remember, James hopes to continue to reach an audience that will allow her to leave her HR job and focus on her writing as a full time career.
Website: www.lolajames.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/1lola_james
My Blog: http://lolajames-author.blogspot.com
Fate Series Blog: http://thefateseries.blogspot.com/
Spellbound Series Blog:http://spellboundseries.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLolaJames
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lola_james
Buy my Books on:
January 7, 2013
Suspense from Joan Hall Hovey
I’m happy to be hosting Joan Hall Hovey today with her books The Abduction of Mary Rose and Night Corridor.
Joan is giving away a piece of Micmac jewelry – silver dreamcatcher earrings (her main character learns she is of Micmac ancestry) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (USA ONLY).
The more you comment on the tour, he better your chances of winning, so please leave a comment.
BLURB:
THE ABDUCTION OF MARY ROSE
A suspense novel interwoven with threads of romance and paranormal.
I
magine discovering everything you believe about yourself to be a lie. And that the truth could stir a killer from his lair.
Following the death of the woman she believed to be her mother, 28-year-old Naomi Waters learns from a malicious aunt that she is not only adopted, but the product of a brutal rape that left her birth mother, Mary Rose Francis, a teenager of Micmac ancestry, in a coma for 8 months.
Dealing with a sense of betrayal and loss, but with new purpose in her life, Naomi vows to track down Mary Rose’s attackers and bring them to justice. She places her story in the local paper, asking for information from residents who might remember something of the case that has been cold for nearly three decades.
She is about to lose hope that her efforts will bear fruit, when she gets an anonymous phone call. Naomi has attracted the attention of one who remembers the case well.
But someone else has also read the article in the paper. The man whose DNA she carries.
And he has Naomi in his sights.
EXCERPT
Chapter One
1982
The teenage girl hurried along the darkening street, head down in a vain attempt to divert attention from herself as she headed for her bus stop, still over a block away. The car behind her was a soft growl in the still, warm air.
It was mid-June, only two weeks till school closed. The air was fragrant with the smell of lilacs that grew here and there along the street. She wore a jean skirt and white cotton shirt, and yet she felt as exposed and vulnerable as if she were naked. She was anticipating the freedom of summer and thinking about spending more time with her new friend Lisa, when she became of aware of the car following her. She had been thinking maybe she and Lisa would swim in the pond edged with the tall reeds, near her house where she sometimes fished with her grandfather. She’d let grandfather meet Lisa. She knew he would like her. It would be impossible not to like Lisa, even though her grandfather didn’t quite trust white people.
The growl of the motor grew louder, and she heard the window whisper open on the passenger side, close to her. “Where you goin’ in such a hurry, sweet thing?”
She didn’t turn around, just kept on her way toward the bus stop, one foot in front of the other, as fast as she could go without running. Music thumped loudly from the car radio, pounding its beat into the night. It was not music she would have listened to, not like the music they’d played on Lisa’s tape player tonight, and that she and Lisa had danced to in Lisa’s room. Lisa had tried to teach her some new steps; it had been so much fun. They danced to songs by Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross’ Mirror, Mirror and a bunch more she couldn’t even remember. Lisa had a lot of records.
The music that blasted from the car sounded angry and unpleasant. The car drew up so close to her she could smell the alcohol the men had been drinking, mixed in with the gas fumes.
The car edged even closer to the curb, and the man said something ugly and dirty out the window to her and his words made her face burn, made her feel ashamed as if she had done something wrong though she knew she hadn’t. She pretended not to hear, made herself look straight ahead, her eyes riveted on the yellow band around the distant pole that was the bus stop, just up past the graveyard. She kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, trying not to look scared, and prayed they would go away. Fear made her heart race.
The day was fast fading, the sky a light mauve, only a sprinkling of stars yet. Soon it would be dark. She was always home before dark. Grandfather would be worried. A few more minutes and you’ll be at the bus stop, she told herself. Ignore them. But it was impossible to do with the car following so close that the heat from the motor brushed her bare legs, like a monster’s breath.
The car crawled along beside her. She moved as far away as she could get, but the pavement was next to none along here and broken. “Hey, sweet thing,” the man said. “You trying to get away from us.” He laughed.
Despite herself, she turned her head and looked straight into the man’s face. He was grinning out at her, showing his square, white teeth, causing her heart to pound even louder than the music. He made her think of the coyotes that sometimes came skulking around grandfather’s house at night hunting for small cats and dogs. No. I am wrong. He is not like the coyotes. They are just being coyotes. It is a noble animal. An evil spirit dwells within this beast. One tied with the most fragile of chains. She could feel him straining toward her, teeth bared. She would not have been surprised to see foam coming from his mouth.
Softly, he said, “Hey, Pocahontas, want a ride?”
Feeling as if a hand were at her throat, she darted a look behind her, praying to see someone, anyone, who might help her, but the street was deserted. She’d left the row of wooden houses behind her a good ten minutes ago and was now at River’s End Cemetery. There was no sidewalk at all here, just the dirt path, broken curb on her left and the empty field to her right, leading up into the graveyard. If a car comes along, she thought, I’ll just run right out into the middle of the road and flag it down. But none did. She visualized herself safely inside the bus and on her way home to Salmon Cove, to her grandfather’s small blue house on the reservation. She would tell him all about Lisa, her new best friend from school. Her grandfather would smile at her, and be pleased for her and call her his little Sisup. She fingered the pendant around her neck that he had made for her, a kind of talisman. To keep evil spirits away.
Grandfather didn’t always understand the white man’s world though, and there would be worry on his weathered face because she was not home yet. But she would make them a pot of tea and they would talk, and he would forget his worry. She was still focused on the bus stop, the utility pole marked by its wide yellow band. With the car so close, the thrum of the motor vibrating through her, the bus stop seemed a mile away. She walked faster, a chill sweeping through her body. She was forced now to walk on the slight incline that led up to the graveyard. Only the ruined curb separated her from her tormentors.
A taxi fled past, but she’d been so intent on getting to the bus stop she’d noticed it too late. It had been going so fast, out of sight already, just pinpoints of taillights in the distance, then nothing.
“Hey, what’s your hurry, squawgirl?”
She gave no answer, swallowed, and kept going. When the man did not speak for several minutes, she became even more frightened by his silence than his talk. The boys at school sometimes called her Indian, and other dumb stuff like pretending to be beating on war drums, or doing a rain dance, and though it hurt her feelings and sometimes even made her cry, this was different. The boys thought they were being funny. Not so with this man. She could feel his contempt, even hatred for her, and something else, something that made her mouth and throat dry and her blood race faster. As she continued to put one foot in front of the other on the worn, rocky path edging the graveyard, she was very careful not to stumble and become like the wounded deer under the hungry eye of the wolf, she kept her eyes on the pole with its yellow band. In the darkening sky, a high white moon floated.
Everything in her wanted to break into a run, but a small voice warned her that it would not be a wise thing to do. Anyway, no way could she outrun a car. Why did the bus stop seem so far away? It was like a bad dream, where no matter how fast you run you don’t go anywhere, and whatever is behind you … draws closer and closer.
She shouldn’t have stayed so long at Lisa’s. But they’d been having such fun, just talking and listening to music, sharing secrets. It was nice to have a best friend, to feel like any other teenager. But you’re not like any other teenager. You’re an Indian. She should have listened to her grandfather.
The man spoke again. “C’mon, get in, Pocahontas,” he said, his tone quiet, chilling her. “We’ll have us a little party.” He reached a hand out the open window and she shrank from his touch, stumbled, nearly fell, tears blinding her. She heard the driver laugh, a nervous laugh and she knew he was a follower of the other man. There was an exchanged murmur of words she couldn’t make out, then, the car angled ever closer to her, wheels scraping the curb, making her jump back.
“Got something for you, sweetheart,” the grinning man said. “You’ll like it.”
More laughter, but only from him now. Adrenaline rushed through her and she started to run, ignoring the warning voice. But it was too late. The car shrieked to a stop and instantly the door flew open and the man burst from the car and grabbed her. She screamed and fought to free herself from the steel arm clamped around her waist, but it was no use. She kicked and clawed at him, but he lifted her off her feet as if she were a rag doll and threw her into the back seat, and scrambled in after her. He shut the door and hit the lock. “Go,” he yelled at the driver but the car remained idling. The man looked over his shoulder, started to say something but the man holding her down yelled at him a second time to go, louder, furious, and they took off on squealing tires.
“Please let me out,” she begged. “Please…” Her pleas were cut off by a powerful back-hand across the mouth, filling it with the warm, coppery taste of blood. “Gisoolg, help me,” she cried out, calling on the spiritual god of her grandfather, and of his grandfather before him. But no answer came.
Up in the graveyard, an owl screeched as it too swooped down on its night prey. And all fell silent.
Review quotes:
“…Ms. Hovey’s talent in creating characters is so real, you feel their emotions and their fears. You want to yell at them to warn of the danger . . . and you do! Your shouts fall on deaf ears . . . and you cry! The best suspense writer I’ve ever read!
Beth Anderson, Author of Raven Talks back
“…Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…”
J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen
“…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…” James Anderson, author of Deadline
NIGHT CORRIDOR
At 17, Caroline Hill was torn from the boy she loved by her tyranical father. Then they took her child. Finally, her grasp on reality.
Now, after nine years in Bayshore mental institution, once called The Lunatic 
Asylum, Caroline is being released.
There will be no one to meet her. Her parents who brought her here are dead.
They have found her a room in a rooming house, a job washing dishes in a restaurant. She will do fine, they said. But no one told her that women in St. Simeon are already dying at the hands of a vicious predator. One, an actress who lived previously in her building.
Others.
And now, as Caroline struggles to survive on the outside, she realizes someone is stalking her.
But who will believe her? She’s a crazy woman after all.
Then, one cold winter’s night on her way home from her job, a man follows and is about to assault her when a stranger intercedes.
A stranger who hides his face and whispers her name.
Review Quotes:
“…another winner. I highly recommend it to any lover of suspense, mystery, romance, or thriller. You’ll not only race through this book, but clamor for more works by this talented and polished author. Aaron Paul Lazar, author of Healey’s Cave
“…The mystery and suspense in this novel is outstanding, truly top notch, in the vein of Mary Higgins Clark, but—dare I say—even better? – In the Library
“…intricately plotted and the ending will surprise even the most devoted mystery and susense reader. Gripping suspense. – Sandy Heptinstall – Whispering Winds Reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author
In addition to her critically acclaimed novels, Joan Hall Hovey’s articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Toronto Star, Atlantic Advocate, Seek, Home Life Magazine, Mystery Scene, The New Brunswick 
Reader, Fredericton Gleaner, New Freeman and Kings County Record. Her short story Dark Reunion was selected for the anthology investigating Women, Published by Simon & Pierre.
Ms. Hovey has held workshops and given talks at various schools and libraries in her area, including New Brunswick Community College, and taught a course in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. For a number of years, she has been a tutor with Winghill School, a distance education school in Ottawa for aspiring writers.
She is a member of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick, past regional Vice-President of Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Website: http://www.joanhallhovey.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
Please follow the rest of the tour HERE
January 1, 2013
New Years Blog Hop
Happy New Year to you!
I read some interesting statistics on New Year’s Resolutions the other day:
Percent of Americans who usually make New Year’s Resolutions: 45%
Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution: 8%
Top Five New Years Resolutions for 2012
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less and save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
So do you make New Year’s Resolutions? If you do, what’s yours? If you don’t what would it be if you did? Leave a comment with your email address to be entered in for the big prize!
I’d like to introduce you to Destiny’s Shift, my latest release, and the fourth installment in the Six Saviors Series.
Click for excerpts and reviews. And please note that the 1st book in the Six Saviors Series is free at all major ebook outlets
One hundred and fifty years ago, Warrior Jovan of the Six Saviors realized he had a gift: the ability to feel emotions through touch. Over the years, the gift has intensified allowing him to hear others thoughts, and this uncontrolled skill has forced him to keep his distance from both humans and those of his race. He fears the impact on his sanity if he doesn’t.
Liberty, an SR44 female has come to Earth by a set of circumstances beyond her control. Born into a life of servitude on SR44, she is alone, afraid, and stumbling her way through learning the customs and language of her new home on Earth. When Jovan meets Liberty, it becomes clear that they are of the same species, and Jovan takes Liberty under his wing, despite his commitment to himself to limit interaction with others.
As Liberty reveals the reasons for her coming to Earth, it becomes apparent that the Six Saviors are in danger, not only from the FBI, but also from those who have journeyed to Earth with Liberty, and they are seeking revenge. Jovan must quickly learn to control his gift, and Liberty is the only one who can help him. As they deal with danger from all sides, Jovan and Liberty must find a way to compromise on the lives they desire, or they will be forced to go their separate ways.
Big Blog Hop Prizes:
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $300 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
I’m giving away two ebook copies of the second book in the Six Saviors Series, Finding My Faith
December 21, 2012
The Temperate Warrior Book 1 of the Warrior Sagas by Renee Vincent
I’m happy to have Renee Vincent here today with her book The Temperate Warrior. She is giving away the entire Emerald Isle Trilogy – Ræliksen (book 1), Mac Liam (book 2), and The Fall of Rain (book 3) in ebook format to one lucky winner after the tour is over. Please enter below.
The Temperate Warrior
Book 1 of the Warrior Sagas
Renee Vincent
Genre: Historical, paranormal romance, Viking
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
ISBN: 9781622370924
ASIN: B00AH14MCY
Number of pages: 206
Word Count: 72K
Cover Artist: Erin Sendelbach
Purchase Links: Kindle | Nook | All Romance Ebooks | Smashwords | Turquoise Morning Press | Book Strand
Blurb:
He was her champion. She was his weakness.
Together, they loved with wild abandon
Gustaf Ræliksen lives by the blade of his sword. After avenging his father’s murder and reuniting with his family, he wants nothing more than to settle down and have sons of his own. Only one woman will do—a fiery redhead he saved from the spoils of war.
No longer forced to warm the beds of the men who’ve taken everything from her, Æsa has nothing to offer the noble warrior but her heart.
When someone with a deep score to settle seeks revenge upon her, Gustaf’s world is torn asunder. He has but one vow—saving the woman he loves from the ignorant fool who dared to best the temperate warrior.
EXCERPT
Gustaf’s hearty laughter echoed around her. It was a rarity she had come to cherish. With their troubles far behind them, she could only hope it would be a common occurrence, especially after they became husband and wife. She longed to be the source of his joy for the rest of his days and imagined giving him the sons he’s always wanted.
Their conversation on Skúvoy circled back into her thoughts. “I want to fill our house with many sons.”
“And daughters?”
“Aye, and daughters. I can only hope they resemble your beauty and speak with fire on their tongues.”
“And if they do not?”
“I shall love them anyway for they will come from your womb.”
She envisioned him cradling a babe in his arms and teaching the youngster all there was to know about the new world he’d been born into. That was, if she could provide him a child at all.
Given that no man’s seed from her sordid past had taken root, she worried her womb was barren, incapable of even producing Gustaf’s heir.
“What are you thinking?”
His voice broke apart her sullen thoughts and she struggled to fabricate a credible answer to his question. “I was thinking of us and you as a father.” A half truth was better than a blatant lie, and she’d only disappoint him with mentioning such nonsense, especially since they’d yet to give conception a fair try. “I am eager to be your wife and the mother of your children.”
Gustaf tipped his head in surprise. “From where did that thought come?”
Another bout of spirited shouts erupted, followed by a considerable splash as if some poor bloke had hit the water. “I suspect it came from the devious seven we already have in our company. It would bring me great pleasure to birth that many or more with you.”
“Seven children, you say?” Gustaf nodded as he considered the thought. “You do realize I am a man of mature age. ’Twould require a considerable amount of lovemaking to acquire that number of offspring.”
“I am willing if you are,” Æsa stated, leaning up on one elbow.
Gustaf scooted closer and inclined his body across her torso, bracing his weight on one arm at her side. His dark blond hair fell over his shoulder and hugged the sharp angle of his jaw shadowed with soft scruff. She dared to reach up and stroke the soft curls of his thick mane, but the serious look in his eyes had her hesitating.
“I am most willing,” he said softly, “as long as it makes you happy. For the rest of my life, I will do whatever it takes to ensure it. As my wife, you will not want for anything. What you desire, I will provide.”
“I desire only you, m’lord.”
He bent to kiss her, but stopped midway. “Would I disappoint you if I said I wished to wait until we returned to Inis Mór to marry?”
The warmth of his breath across her lips caressed her starved skin. The blue of his eyes sparkled like the depths of the crystal sea. He was a beautiful man and it still seemed hard to fathom that he was all hers. She could barely contain her emotions as she lay motionless in their near kiss. “You could never disappoint me, Gustaf. Knowing you are eager to share our union with your family is more than I could hope. I have been without a family for so long and to be united with yours is an honor I cannot put into words.”
His smile stroked her all the way to her soul and the anticipation of his mouth meeting hers consumed her whole being. Nothing mattered except this moment, this kiss that made her keenly aware of her heart beating in her chest. Her entire body tingled as his lips finally made contact and her will to tolerate much more of this deliberate torture disintegrated in an upwelling of exhilaration.
She arched into him, craving the feel of his hard body against hers. It had felt like forever since he’d touched her intimately, despite that it had been only a few days. She hated going a single moment without his touch and drew toward him like a delicate flower in desperate need of warm sunlight.
He forced his body over hers and cupped the underside of her breast as he ground his erection into her sex, now swollen and aching with need. There was so much passion in this one little kiss that it seemed to surpass all others in comparison.
She shifted beneath him and opened her legs, eager for him to pull up her tunic and bury his rock hard shaft inside her. As she felt his arousal more prevalent against her flesh, she was reminded of the previous promise he’d made to her: This will not be last time you feel my arousal at dawn. One morning when we are without eyes, I will have you.
She hoped this very morning was the instance he’d relinquish his vow. Wrapping her legs around his back, she encouraged him, giving him permission to take her in the fashion she knew he longed for. “Throw your temperance aside, m’lord. Please.”
He drew in a sharp breath and shuddered, his hands fisting the fabric of her kirtle at her hips, ready to hike it up. The hard scrape of his knuckles demanded his need for more persuasion.
“Aye, Gustaf. Take me.”
“I cannot,” he finally spat, breathing heavily. His jaw clenched and his eyes closed. The pain he endured of restraining himself cut across his face. “We are not alone. My men.”
His clipped words resounded in her head. “I was hoping you forgot about them.”
Gustaf sighed and let his forehead rest on hers. “All of me wishes I had.” He nudged himself against the open area of her thighs. “All of me.”
In one swift shove, he propelled his heavy body off hers and faced the fire, his breathing weighty and intense. Reaching between his legs, he shifted his burdensome erection and groaned. His chin fell to his chest and a long sigh heaved from his lungs. “Odin’s blood, you are but wicked temptation for the weak.”
Æsa sat up, feeling the strain of her sore muscles in the process. She ignored the sting of her aching back and touched his cheek, stroking his hair away from his tormented face. “Wicked enough to be punished?”
Gustaf stared at her, his eyes boring into hers. “Punished?”
She drew her finger over the hard angle of his jaw, down his neck and back up into the thick of his hair. “Call it what you will, but there is a fine line between punishment and pleasure. I have known great pleasure under the tenderness of your touch, but I long for more. I yearn to feel the wrath of the unchained warrior. To know what the abandonment of your restraint feels like between my thighs.”
She saw the column of his throat bob as he swallowed. Her words had struck him as hard as any blow to the gut, but she knew they likely caressed him like a warm tongue up his throbbing length.
“Perhaps having to abstain from your urges will force the wild animal from its barred enclosure when the time comes.”
“Perhaps,” he repeated, his voice cracking under duress.
She smiled and threaded her hands through his hair, wrenching his face closer to hers. “I can only hope.” With lust still blazing in his eyes, she took his lips and plundered his mouth with her tongue. As fiercely as she began the kiss, she broke away, capturing his wanton stare. “Sooner, rather than later.”
About the Author:
I am an author with a passionate interest in Irish and Norse history. I live in the rolling hills of Kentucky with my husband and two children on a beautiful secluded 
farm of horses and hay fields.
I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee (lots of cream and sugar…and whipped cream if I can get my hands on it), great conversation, and a lilting Irish accent. I love to read and I can’t resist watching great epic historical movies.
From an early age, I’ve always had scenes playing out in my head. Whether it was a story with a moral or a tale with a twist, those ideas have never let me sleep until I wrote them out. And considering I have an eclectic ensemble of stories swarming in my brain at any given time, I write under a couple pen names to accommodate the various genre categories.
Renee Vincent
(Historical & Contemporary Adult Romance)
From the daunting, charismatic Vikings, to the charming, brazen Alpha male heroes of modern day, you’ll be whisked away to a world filled with fast-paced adventure, unforgettable romance, and undying love.
Visit my website at http://www.reneevincent.com/
Gracie Lee Rose
(Lighthearted, Fancy-free Women’s Fiction)
For those who love to read fun, wholesome, and endearing romantic stories that your mother, sister, friends, and daughters can enjoy.
Visit my website at http://www.gracieleerose.com/
Website: http://www.reneevincent.com/
Blog: http://pasttheprint.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reneevincentauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReneeVincent
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3005290.Renee_Vincent
Romance Blog: http://www.deepintheheartromance.com/
December 20, 2012
KINDRED OF THE FALLEN Kindred Chronicles Book One Isis Rushdan
I’m very happy to welcome Isis Rushdan today with her book Kindred of the Fallen. We’re going to find out about the book, and then she is going to tell about the challenges of writing about soul mates. She has a $75 gift card up for grabs and a signed cover flat up for grabs.
KINDRED OF THE FALLEN
Kindred Chronicles Book One
Isis Rushdan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Date of Publication: January 8, 2013
ISBN: 9781619212893
ASIN: B009R89AF2
Number of pages: 444
Word Count: 115,000
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Book Description:
Serenity’s soul-reading ability lets her easily create custom tattoos. Everything else in her life is a struggle, from trying to make it work with her best friend, Evan, to nightmares and visions that make her question her sanity.
Then she meets a man who sharpens her craving for something more.
Cyrus has been preparing to claim her as his Blessed mate—the other half of a split soul that, once reunited, is his only chance to break the curse that plagues his people.
One moment, armed militants are firing questions Serenity cannot answer. The next, she is safe in Cyrus’s arms…and learning she isn’t even human. She is Kindred, blessed with preternatural powers, cursed to suffer the twin horrors of the blood rage and the dark veil.
Their union is the greatest hope for redemption in a thousand years, but not all Kindred want to be saved. A dark secret could snuff out their lives before love has a chance to unite them…and redeem the Kindred for all time.
Greater the love…sweeter the pleasure…higher the price that must be paid.
EXCERPT
Cyrus stroked Serenity’s arm, his heart tight as a fist and throbbing. His pool of energy gushed and swelled inside of him. Exhilarating jolts, unlike anything he’d ever felt, set his skin aflame. His nerve endings tingled like bare wires.
He’d watched her for the last ten days from a distance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to meet her. After his reckless disaster earlier in her office, he needed this to go the way he’d planned. For more than two hundred years, he had imagined this, when he’d finally meet his kabashem, the other half of his soul. If he ever found her, his mission was clear.
Claim her at any cost and put an end to the curse.
“My house outside the city offers a spectacular view. It’s the perfect place to appreciate the stars. And I promise you’ll enjoy a meal you’ll never forget.”
Was he being too forward? His impulsive, less aggressive tactic at her studio had backfired.
Sweat slicked his palms and his pulse raced. Ten days should have been long enough to prepare. What was wrong with him? He’d never been nervous going into battle, not even the first time he held a sword ready to kill. But having her within reach threw him off kilter worse than taking a fist to the head.
“I can’t have dinner with you,” she said in a solemn voice that wavered.
“We both have to eat. Why not do it together?”
She raised her left hand with the ring facing him. “I’m engaged.”
“Happily?”
Her eyes grew wide for a moment.
“You’re used to getting what you want, aren’t you?” Her gaze slipped from his face. “Women probably throw themselves at you all the time, tossing away their morals along with their panties, eager to get into your bed. I hate to disappoint you twice in one day, but I’m not that type of woman.”
He sucked in a breath, smooth and slow. “You’re right, I am used to getting what I want, but you’re wrong about the women. Casual sex is for the undisciplined, and none of the pursuits in my life are casual.” He leaned closer. “I didn’t mean to offend you with my invitation. I admire your moral compass. Means you’ll never get lost.”
She rolled her eyes and snickered.
Time for uncensored honesty. “Forgive my forwardness, but I sensed a connection between us and thought you had as well.”
She met his gaze.
“The kind of connection one can’t deny or ignore,” he continued. “The kind that happens once in a lifetime. The kind for which rules are meant to be broken.”
Guest Post
Thank you so much, Carly, for having me on your blog today. I’m thrilled to be here to discuss the upcoming release of my debut paranormal romance, Kindred of the Fallen, and the challenge of writing about soul mates.
In Kindred of the Fallen, Serenity and Cyrus are kabashem or halves of one soul spilt into two different bodies. As literal soul mates, I couldn’t make it too easy for them. I had to be mean to characters I love, which is tough for any author.
Luckily, the story had all the inherent obstacles needed. When characters come to life with rich, complicated backstories, problems naturally arise.
A Sticky Past – Instead of a heroine with no attachments or a disposable life, Serenity has a sticky past. Her tragic childhood drives her to create a safe life with someone she can trust, her best friend who is the only family she has. When Cyrus enters the picture like a bolt of lightning, she has to decide if she’ll dismantle one life with a wrecking ball in order to have a different one. Unfortunately (or fortunately to keep the reader turning the page), Cyrus doesn’t make the choice simple by giving Serenity plenty of reasons to doubt his true intentions and to fear the precarious world of Kindred.
For Cyrus, he made a grave mistake years ago, selfishly putting his personal desires ahead of duty. He’s spent the last two hundred years trying to erase the shame by serving his House. He is dedicated to breaking the curse wiping out Kindred if ever given the chance. Even though Serenity isn’t human, she has a human mindset and wants absolutely nothing to do with redemption or what it entails. Suddenly, Cyrus is faced with the agonizing choice of following his heart or performing his duty.
Love must come at a price – A sense of security is of the utmost importance to Serenity. Her union with Cyrus is the greatest hope in a thousand years, but some will do anything to prevent the curse from being broken since it would mean the loss of Kindred’s preternatural powers in exchange for redemption. Not only will she have to break the heart of her best friend and abandon a thriving business to be with her soul mate, but she’ll be hunted by the battle-guard of a major House until they kill her.
Finding his mate invites a new danger Cyrus didn’t anticipate. Although Serenity is the one who has to make difficult sacrifices, he could end up losing more than he ever imagined.
Writing about soul mates in a fresh and interesting way was a fun challenge. I hope readers enjoy the journey.
About the Author:
Isis Rushdan was born and raised in New York City. She has a B.A. in psychology from The Ohio State University. Wanderlust has taken her across the globe and 
has kept her moving every three years. Fortunately, she is blessed with a husband who shares her passion for travel, movies and fantastic food. Prior to following her bliss as a writer, she had a bright career as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force. She currently resides in sunny Florida, where she hopes to finally establish roots, with her husband, son and canine kiddies.
http://www.facebook.com/Isis.Rushdan.Author
http://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/isisrushdan
December 18, 2012
Flirting With Fangs – Peg Pierson
I’m happy to have Peg Pierson here today with her book, Flirting with Fangs. She is giving away 3 ebook copies, so make sure to enter below. I also had the opportunity to review the book, and I will post that in a few days.
Flirting with Fangs
Peg Pierson
Vampire romance novelist Bailey Hamilton thinks her life is over. Her two-timing husband dumped her, she has a paralyzing case of writers’ block, and her big toe is bleeding.
Torin Kane, fictional Vampire Hero, is miserable. Chapter after chapter he has battled dragons, demons, and despicable villains, but his secret desire is to find true love and a tan.
With a twist of fate, their worlds collide. A magical teardrop summons Torin to life. And Bailey finds herself face to face, with quite literally, the man of her dreams….
EXCERPT
“Don’t move,” Bailey said with her blow dryer poised over the stranger’s head. “How did you get in here? Huh?” She was wrapped in a towel and wet tresses clung to her flushed cheeks.
The intruder pulled himself to a sitting position. He had the most amazing eyes she’d ever seen. They sparkled like dark jewels, and his long lashes were worthy of a mascara commercial.
“Pardon me, m’lady. I mean you no harm.”
“What the hell are you doing in my bathroom?” Bailey raised the blow dryer higher.
“I beg your forgiveness, but I have no memory of entering this….ah…what did you call this chamber? The bathroom?”
In the back of her mind Bailey wondered why she was kneeling next to a potential criminal instead of dialing 911. But somehow, even though he had scared the bejeezes out of her at first, once she was near him, all fear melted away. Some inner voice convinced her he was not a threat to her safety. Although by the looks of him, he could be a huge threat to her recent celibacy. Whoever this man was, he was drop-dead gorgeous, and Bailey found her thoughts sprinting off into the forgotten erotic section of her cerebrum.
He needed to lose the outfit though. With knee high boots, a ruffled shirt and the long black cape he looked like he just stepped out of a B movie. Or off the cover of a romance novel?
And something about those captivating eyes, and his noble aura, seemed familiar. Very familiar.
Eyeing him suspiciously, Bailey asked, “Who are you?”
“I am Torin Kane, dark warrior of Night Temptations.”
Bailey’s blow dryer clattered to the tile floor. And so did Bailey.
What Reviewers Are Saying About Flirting with Fangs:
“Peg Pierson truly brings her hero to life with this fantastically funny vampire tale. I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next. I’m still holding my sides from laughing so much while reading this story. If the next adventure is only half as funny it will well be worth reading.” ~Night Owl Reviews
“I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. I enjoyed the wild tale of romance, terror, and undying love. She has a very interesting imagination and can summon up horrors Stephen King wouldn’t think to put together in one book.”
~ Kathy F at The Romance Studio
About the Author:
Peg Pierson is a full-fledged Fang Fanatic and slightly deranged Halloween 
Enthusiast, with a closet full of plywood coffins, an assortment of plastic dismembered body parts, and of course…skeletons.
Currently, she lives in Minnesota and is busily typing away on a new paranormal comedy. Along with vampires, she loves her family, pecan kringle, and a good laugh.
Please visit her at www.flirtingwithfangs.com
https://twitter.com/PegPierson
