Lia Davis's Blog, page 67

Tasty Tuesday: Ravished excerpt

Hi! Happy Tuesday! Welcome back to Tasty Tuesday where you’ll find tasty treats.

First, I wanted to let everone know where I’m at today.

Today I’m at two places today.

Darian, Ema, Kat, and I are being interviewed by Buffy Kennedy stop by to learn more about the characters from Ravished Before Sunrise.

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-lia-davis.html

 

It’s day two on my VBT and RBS is being spotlighted at Simply Ali with a GIVEAWAY!

http://www.simplyali.com/2012/06/blog-tour-ravaged-before-sunrise-by-lia.html

 

Now for your tasty treats. *grins*

Yum!

And here’s a yummy, yet steamy, treat from Ravished Before Sunrise. Enjoy!

A wicked grin spread across his face and he grabbed her ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She gasped at the sudden rush of adrenaline. Her vampire knelt between her legs and nipped at her right ankle. The tickling touch of his teeth and lips moved up her calf to her inner thigh. He lifted his head and met her stare with glowing eyes and smiled with gleaming fangs.

 

Ema’s heart pounded in her ears and a seductive voice within taunted her to take him. His energy called out to her, and she wanted to answer.

 

Thanks for stopping by. For more tasty treats check out the blog blogs.

Carrie Ann Ryan | Tempeste O’Riley | The Divinities

Manic Monday Updates: There is a release date!

Hi! Welcome back to Manic Monday Updates! Where you can catch up on on new developments since last week.

Special Announcement!

Forgotten Visions has a release date! It is scheduled for July 11, 2012.  (happy dance) I am so excited to have the first book in the Divinities series hit eBook stores everywhere. Hop over to the Divinities’ blog for more details.

 

Other book news:

With FV’s release date set, I’ll be starting Death’s Storm back up. I’m about half way done and at a huge turning point in Khloe and Jagger’s story.

First I’m finishing the draft of War’s Passion. I have reached and exceed my 10K word count goal, so I’m on track for the October release.

 

Newsletter

Sign up for my newsletter. It will be sent out quarterly and will include updates, book news, extras, giveaways, and much more.

 

Stop over to Carrie Ann Ryan’s, Fated Desires Publishing‘s, The Divinities’ and Lacey Wolf’s blogs to see what’s new on their side of the internet.

Have a wonderful week!

Fresh Friday Reads: witches and vampires

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Oh man, I’m glad it is finally here. These last few weeks have been busy. I’m ready to schedule more vacation days from the day job just to catch up on my writing business.

Any who. Last week I read an awesome book. It’s one that I’ve been looking at for a while and put off because it is very long. I finally broke down and got the audio book. The listening length is a little over 24 hours. Yeah, I said it was a long book.

 

A Discovery of Witches  By Deborah Harkness

The first book in the All Souls Trilogy. I LOVED it!! It’s richly written and full of history and science. And this one is only the beginning of Diana and Matthew’s journey. I highly recommend it.

Blurb

When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.

For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume.

Chief among the creatures who gather around Diana is vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Together, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript’s secrets. But the relationship that develops between the ages-old vampire and the spellbound witch threatens to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans—and will certainly transform Diana’s world as well.

 

What are you reading? Anything new, interesting, and sexy?

 

 

Meet the characters from Before the Morning by Zee Monodee

Happy Thursday! I have the lovely Zee Monodee and her hero and heroine from her latest release, Before the Morning, here today. So grab a seat and make yourself comfortable as we learn more about Ash and Rayne. 

Hello and welcome! Please tell us about you: job, hobbies, special talents, and anything else you would want to share.

 

Ash Gilfoy *looks at his wife, Rayne, sitting next to him on the couch*: I’ll go first. So I’m a former cop, who used to work in the Ministry of Defense Police in England. That’s the only police force in the UK whose officers are allowed to carry a gun all the time.

But, following the death of one of my closest friends and his wife, I left the force, to become a paramedic with the London Ambulance Service. My life pretty much revolves around my work schedule… *pauses, looks at Rayne with a smile* though I suppose that’s gonna change, now that I have my beautiful wife in my life.

Rayne Cheltham-Gilfoy *smiles at her husband and threads her fingers with his on the sofa*: Your life will just get better, now that you’ll have someone to take good care of you. *without releasing his hand, she turns to me again* I’m a humanitarian worker, with the international aid agency Angelos. I work primarily as a liaison officer between the agency and the governments of war-torn, strife-heavy, or poverty-ridden countries like those in Africa and South America.

 

Ash’s phone rings, and he excuses himself to get up and answer. Rayne watches him leave, then she leans forward and starts talking very softly.

 

Rayne: Actually, all I’ve just told you is a front. I’m not a humanitarian worker; I’m a spy, and a trained assassin. My job is to take out the world’s biggest criminals without leaving any trace of my presence behind and without leaving a clue as to the real cause of their death. I work primarily undercover, all over the world.

 

Ash joins us.

 

Ash: What were you two whispering about?

Rayne *looks up at him with a smile*: Nothing, darling. Just a little girl talk.

 

*Lia nods and smiles, quickly moving on to the next question* Tell us about the first time you met.

 

Ash *laughs*: She was already a walking calamity back then!

 

Rayne pokes him in the ribs with her elbow.

 

Ash: Seriously? Rayne’s always had her head in the clouds, and that day was no exception. Get this – she was trying to climb a chestnut tree while wearing ballet slippers.

Rayne: I climbed a lot of trees barefoot before that!

Ash: Not while wearing sating slippers, baby! If I hadn’t been there to catch you that day, you would’ve broken a bone or two of your delicate little body.

Rayne *huffs*: As if you were thinking of all that back then – we were both barely six years old!

Ash: I stopped you from falling down, didn’t I?

Rayne *bites her lip*: You did.

 

So, where did this happen? And you’ve known each other for all this time?

Ash: This took place in the expanse of garden between our two houses, in Hastings. Rayne had just settled next door to my parents’ house. Suddenly, the big Victorian was so noisy I just had to know who lived there. *pulls up Rayne’s hand, that is clasped in his, to drop a kiss on her knuckles*

Rayne: Yes, we’ve known each other ever since. Over that summer, we became best friends.

 

Aww. What drew you to each other?

 

Rayne: Ash has always been the most honorable man I’ve ever known. Strong, loyal, gentle, and caring. He’s always wanted to do good around him…

Ash *chuckles*: You tend to forget the times when I’d fly into a rage.

Rayne *shrugs*: I knew it wasn’t the real you in those moments. You were simply angry with your father—

Ash: Please. Let’s not mention him here.

 

Rayne nods.

 

Ash: Rayne is an enigma, a mystery I wanted to decipher. Like I said above, she has her head in the clouds more often than not. But I always knew she was all things good and bright at the heart of her. She’s always been there for me, especially when no one else dared to approach, too scared of my volatile temper that I didn’t know how to control as a teenager. Rayne was always just there for me… *smiles* And she’s grown into a fabulously beautiful woman, wouldn’t you say? What man wouldn’t want to have a woman like her choosing him over every other man she ever met?

 

Rayne blushes.

 

Rayne: We never really thought of it, you know. I just always knew I was in love with him.

 

What is your favorite part of each other?

 

Rayne: His noble, caring soul. Ash is indeed the epitome of the knight in shining armor.

Ash: Rayne’s always had a too-big heart. That’s her most beautiful feature.

 

Care to share future plans?

 

Ash: Beside attending the wedding of our siblings back in Hastings—

Rayne: —and finally letting our families in on the fact that we just got secretly married in Las Vegas. Nothing much, really.

Ash: Maybe we’ll also get started on a family…

Rayne *snaps her head up*: We haven’t discussed that.

Ash *cups her cheek, and runs the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone*: Why do you sound so worried, baby? Everything will be fine.

 

Rayne nods, and they both stand up now that the interview is over. But on the threshold of the door, Rayne lowers her head and softly whispers the following words.

 

Rayne: Ash has no clue who I am, and I’m trying my best to keep it this way. And everything is not fine, because there’s someone inside my agency who doesn’t want me to bow out of the game, and will stop at nothing to win my compliance.

 

You’re in a pickle…

 

Rayne *smiles*: Don’t I know it!

 

Before the Morning

Blurb:

Before The Morning

. . . is a time of great darkness. . .

 

A trained killer with borderline sociopathic tendencies:

Rayne Cheltham traced out her life’s path when she was twelve: she would marry her best friend and bear his children, and in the process, stifle the restless edge in her. When he vows never to marry, she gives in to the darkness and becomes a clandestine agent—until the day he walks into her world again, and her carefully fabricated façade crumbles.

 

A former cop burned by life and his personal demons:

When Ash Gilfoy meets a woman who reminds him of his childhood best friend, he starts upon a path that leads him down into an abyss once again. The day Rayne waltzes back into his life, he knows she is his second chance, and the one who will save him.

 

Each thinks the other is their redemption . . . until they discover how deep the other’s edge of darkness goes

No one knows Rayne used to be a spy and an assassin, and no one knows why Ash left the police force. The secrets between them make them sit on a keg of gunpowder with a lit fuse in their hands. Neither knows what ‘normal’ means now, especially Rayne, whose whole life is built on a lie. Truth is threatening to explode in their faces, and that is not the only menace they have to face. Someone is out to get Rayne, and she must disclose her past before it is too late.

Can Rayne and Ash survive all that’s thrown in their path? Can they hang on to the last thread of their relationship, and can they emerge, still together and still alive, in the morning after the deepest darkness?

 

 

Trailer on YouTube:

 

Excerpt

From the front-facing window on the second floor of the Shepherd’s Close freehold, Corpus secret agent Rayne Cheltham watched the ambulance pull away from the curb.

Shivers crept up her arms, and she hugged herself tight to ward them off.

Get a grip!

She was a professional on an assignment, an elite, trained operative from a clandestine agency that handled operations for governments and international forces as a stealthy left hand. Her agency entrusted her with the most important missions—nothing should faze her.

Before today, she would’ve said that nothing could affect her when she had her eyes on a goal.

But she wasn’t sure anymore. She’d never had her past collide with her present like a few moments ago, in the form of her childhood best friend.

Ashford Gilfoy, better known as Ash. The boy who had been there to catch her when, at six, she had slipped while climbing the chestnut tree that sat right on the border between their two houses in Hastings, two days after her family moved there from Salisbury. The boy who had taught her how to ride a bicycle without the training wheels on the long and winding, gravel-covered lane leading to her parents’ mansion. The teenager who had smashed the nose of the first lad who had broken her heart, at thirteen, during recess in the schoolyard. The young man she had left seventeen years ago on a platform at London Waterloo, on the day she bid her old life goodbye.

For the first time since that day, she was back on British soil, and kismet decided Ash should cross her path.

Why then, of all times? She was a hair’s breadth away from closing the contract on this mission. Seven months of intensive infiltration work and she was ready to achieve her aim—neutralize Nikolai Grigorievskiy’s criminal operations before she took out the man. The Corpus always sent her for the kill, but the trick was that she had to make her target’s death appear self-inflicted, at the bare minimum, or an accident, in the direst of cases. Measles, as such operations were known in their clandestine world—a planned assassination that didn’t leave any indication of the cause of death. She would then have to sanitize everything—leave no evidence, no witness, nothing that could lead back to her. Unlike her other agency counterparts, she wasn’t an out-and-out black ops assassin, but a different level of highly implicated agent provocateur.

In other words, a consummate actress who got to her ends by manipulating people and circumstances. All those years of drama school, at her mother’s insistence when, obviously, she’d be too tall to become a ballerina, came in handy. In fact, her portrayal of Lady Macbeth in the drama school’s end of year play had caught the eye of the people who had recruited her into the Corpus. Seventeen years into the agency, fifteen of them as Kali, her operative name, a sociopath with no apparent conscience who followed her orders with diligence. Never had any one of her targets come close to figuring she was an undercover agent. Her track record was flawless—each assignment undertaken with one hundred percent success rate and a marginal body count.

Until today, when she’d almost gotten burned.

Ash had recognized her down there. For a second, she’d thought her cover was blown. Then, she’d taken a deep breath and forced herself to remain in character. Never panic, always stay in control, breathe and gather your wits—the first lesson drilled inside the mind of any secret agent. Pulling on a blank face was one of her fortes, and Ash had bought the act. He thought she was Irina, clueless twenty-year-old from the dirt-poor suburbs of Moscow who didn’t speak any other language but Russian.

She’d had a few close encounters in the past, but never like that. Rayne and Kali had two separate, compartmentalized lives that ran parallel. The two should never have touched, because that would end up making a mess of her. She could keep each persona separate, as long as she could push Rayne to some dark corner of her mind. Her job taxed her, and she walked the tight line of paranoia every single second while undercover.

But if Rayne came to the front during a mission . . . .

Damn it, she wasn’t a rookie agent on her first mission. Cherries, as the CIA called them. Hell, even during her first undercover operation, she’d had no qualms and no trouble achieving her aim.

Why today, when everything was smooth sailing toward a much-desired goal?

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the windowpane. The glass was warm against her clammy skin.

She was sweating?

That will not do. I have to take control again.

She had to forget about Ash, about Rayne, and focus on being Irina, the one who would bring down a notorious criminal. Her agency and the whole world counted on her to take out the piece of scum. She was their last hope, sent in as the trump card after good cops got killed when trying to bring Nikolai to justice.

Someone knocked on the door, and she pulled away from the window. Damn it, she still had a job to do.

Willing confidence to steel her spine on a deep breath, she turned around. She blinked a few times, called forth tears. She was supposed to be a young wife who’d just been hit by her husband, a man she’d left downstairs at the party with a leggy blonde draped all over his side.

The moisture trickled onto her cheek, and she swiped her eyes to smear the kohl and mascara.

There—she should present the desired picture of despair.

“Da?” she answered as she stepped toward the door.

The panel opened quietly. “Zdrastuyte, Gaspazha Grigorievskaya.”

Hello, Mrs. Grigorievskaya. Such formality. Only one man addressed her with such deference and respect—Boris Petrov, Nikolai’s right-hand man.

“Zdrastuyte, Boris Ivanovich.” She replied him with the same formal greeting, using his patronymic name to further show her respect, as was customary in the Russian culture.

Boris was the least disposable target in the whole operation—the keystone. She had to bring him down, or at least create a rift between the two men. Everything would crumble afterward. Nikolai wouldn’t have his main pillar of support, and would thus crash down through the pyramidal structure of his operations.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

She shrugged, forced a small, tremulous smile. Russian wives, she’d learned, tolerated a lot of their husbands’ outbursts. “It’s nothing.”

“You shouldn’t listen to what Mikhail said. He is just jealous that Kolya’s attention is not wholly directed onto him any longer.”

“It does not bother me,” she said in a small voice.

Make a move, she silently urged him. For her plan to work, Boris had to capitalize on the simmering embers of passion that flared between him and his boss’ wife, and that he denied all the time. She’d already lost too much time, and had to start the measles process.

I have to take matters in my hands. There’s no other way.

She trained her eyes on him. Boris was a big, burly man in his mid-forties. Anyone could imagine him knocking out a person with just a flick of his thick wrist. Toying with him was like playing with fire—she could get burnt. But she had no other choice. The time had come. Five months to gain Nikolai’s trust and compliance; two months to insidiously plant the seeds of discord within the criminal’s entourage. She didn’t have much leeway to work at influencing outcomes anymore. No—she had to provoke.

Rayne inhaled, felt the oxygen fill her lungs and clear her brain. She forced herself into her character. What would Irina do?

She gasped, and brought her hands to cover her mouth. With rapid steps, she rushed to Boris’ side. She reached out with one hand and trailed the tips of her fingers along one of his eyes, swollen nearly shut from a blow.

“You shouldn’t have,” she said in a soft whisper, letting tears streak down her cheeks. “Not for me.”

Boris’ swift intake of air was the only sound that hissed between them. He closed his eyes under her touch.

Do it, she urged.

“I am so”—she paused and sobbed—”so sorry.” Her voice was small and breathless, heavy with sadness.

Boris settled a heavy, meaty palm on her hand, to keep her fingers unfurled on his cheek. “Forgive me, Irina. I couldn’t let him say those ugly lies about you.”

He is caving.

“Boris, please.” She pleaded with him.

“I will do anything for you.”

“I am a married woman.”

“Why don’t you leave him?”

She gasped. “I cannot. I pledged myself to him.”

“But look how he treats you!”

“Borya,” she said, using the nickname for Boris, “back in Russia, for every one like me, there are ten other girls, more beautiful, waiting to take my place.”

“There isn’t any woman more beautiful than you in all of Russia.”

She smiled, making sure she displayed sadness and resolution on her features.

“You are such a sweet man.” When he wasn’t forcing underage girls into the cargo holds of boats docking out of most major European ports, plying them with drugs before supplying them like meat to brothels and sex perverts.

“Leave him,” Boris said, the words a subtle urge.

“I can’t. Where would I go?” She gently tugged her hand from under his and took a step closer to him. “I can’t go back to that life, Borya.”

“Irina, please—”

The sound of the door opening startled them. Nikolai stood on the threshold, his tall, dark form an intimidating silhouette in the dim doorway.

Kali threw one look at Boris, shook her head softly, and took a few steps away. The back of her knees hit the edge of the window seat. She stumbled backward into a sitting position on the upholstered ledge.

Nikolai’s narrowed gaze went from Boris to her, and back to his right-hand man.

“Leave us,” he said softly, the words obviously an order.

Boris nodded and exited the room.

Good—she’d sown the seeds of doubt. Her “husband” would wonder what went on between her and Boris, and Boris would try to get closer to her. She would play on this nearness between them, subtly make people wonder if something was happening behind Nikolai’s back.

At that point, she would move her final chess piece—Nikolai would die at the same time as Boris. For the world, things would look like an altercation gone wrong between a spurned husband and a forbidden lover, with her caught in the crossfire. That’s how she’d ensure her exit from the operation.

Yes, all the pieces of the game were falling into place. She just had to play along.

Nikolai closed the door behind Boris, the click of the latch falling into place sounding louder than it should have.

He turned toward her, pressed his shoulder against the doorframe, and pushed his hands into the pockets of his Gieves and Hawkes champagne-coloured, tailor-made linen trousers.

Her “husband” focused his steely grey eyes on her.

The stare burned into her skull. Still, she refused to look up. Not yet.

 

About Zee

Stories about love, life, relationships… in a melting-pot of culture

Zee is an author who grew up on a fence – on one side there was modernity and the global world, on the other there was culture and traditions. Putting up with the culture for half of her life, one day she decided she’d stand tall on her wall and dip toes every now and then into both sides of her non-conventional upbringing.

From this resolution spanned a world of adaptation and learning to live on said wall. The realization also came that many other young women of the world were on their own fence.

This particular position became her favorite when she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of writing – her heroines all sit ‘on a fence’, whether cultural or societal, in today’s world or in times past, and face dilemmas about life and love.

Hailing from the multicultural island of Mauritius, Zee is a degree holder in Communications Science. She is married,mum to a tween son, & stepmum to a teenage lad.

Buy Links:

BEFORE THE MORNING (Corpus Brides: Book 2): An action/adventure, romantic suspense tale on the backdrop of a clandestine espionage agency – come read the story of Rayne, a spy who leaves that life in the name of love, & Ash, the man who changes her world!

https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/420/Before-the-Morning

WALKING THE EDGE (Corpus Brides: Book 1): Currently FREE – A romantic suspense novel, wherein an amnesiac woman is on the quest for her forgotten memory… Escape from London all the way to Marseille, France, and discover the secrets, deceit, danger, & the powerful love, she uncovers during her search! https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/304/Walking-the-Edge

Contact Links:

Blog: http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com/

Facebook & Goodreads: Zee Monodee

Twitter: @ZeeMonodee

Lacey Wolfe interviews Julie from Finding Home

Today, I’m sitting down with Julie, from Finding Home, to chat.

Lacey: Hey Julie, thanks for coming to chat with me today.

Julie: Anytime. It’s nice to have a break actually from the baby.

Lacey: I bet. I remember those days. Sleepless nights, demanding hours. Yup, I do so remember those. So tell me, how is your mom these days?

Julie: Great. She’s loving life in Florida. If it wasn’t for the baby, I don’t think she’d ever come back to Clearwater.

Lacey: I bet Grandma just can’t stay away. How is Mark?

Julie: He is the greatest. The absolute best man on this earth and he’s all mine. *grins*.

Lacey: Can I borrow him for a bit? My kids are home for summer break.

Julie: Do your kids sleep through the night?

Lacey: Point taken. Not to give to much of your story away, but have you regretted your decision to say good-bye to New York City and start over in a small town?

Julie: There are things I miss. Clearwater and the city are two totally different places. But, to be honest, the coffee at Express Oh’s is just as good, if not better then any of those gourmet shops I used to visit. And if there is anything I am missing, that’s what the internet is for. But Clearwater seems to have everything. And its constantly growing.

Lacey: Has your business taken off? Discovered any talent in Clearwater?

Julie: Yes and yes. The publishing world is changing and I love that I never have to get out of my pajamas unless I really want to. Though, I’d imagine Mark would like to see me in something other than loose fitting closes.

Lacey: He’d probably just like to see you naked.

Julie: *giggles* Yes, but I now have stretch marks and not yet feeling to comfortable like that.

Lacey: Trust me, he doesn’t care!

Julie: You sound like him now.

Lacey: Well, I enjoyed sitting down with you. I know you need to get back to your life. *looks around the house* I really like what you and Mark have done with the place. I wish I had thought of that.

Julie: Oh, you thought of plenty during our story.

Lacey: Well Julie, perhaps another snow storm will hit soon and you two can start working on baby number two.

Julie: Oh no….not yet!

To learn more about Lacey, visit her at www.laceywolfe.com

And to connect Twitter / Facebook

 

Finding Home
Clearwater Series

By

Lacey Wolfe

 

 

Blurb

 

Julie Miller has returned to her home in Clearwater, Wyoming after discovering she is pregnant. All she wants is her mother to comfort her after her boyfriend told her to either have an abortion or leave. The only problem is, when she gets to her mother’s house, she doesn’t find her mom—she finds a half-naked man cooking breakfast.

Mark Thomas has moved to Clearwater to escape his past. He needs a fresh start to try and forget the things that haunt him, and Clearwater seems like the perfect place.

As if it isn’t bad enough that Julie doesn’t find her mother, a blizzard buries the town, and she is snowed in with Mark. Leaving them no choice, they begin a friendship while trying to resist the attraction they feel for one another.

Once the snow melts, Julie is free to leave. Will she choose to start a life in Clearwater or run back to New York? Meanwhile, Mark struggles to let go of his past and, if he does, is Julie his future?

 

Buy Links: Amazon / Nook / Smashwords / Ruby Lioness Press / All Romance

 

Excerpt:

The sun shined brightly through the windows. Julie wished now she had noticed the blinds were open last night. Pulling the sheets over her face, she closed her eyes for a few more minutes as she tried to wake up.

Finally, after battling with herself, she climbed out of the bed. She put her jeans back on and then pulled her hair up in a ponytail. A sudden urge to use the restroom took over, and she rushed toward the bathroom. This was something new—no bladder control. She didn’t expect to already have to pee so much.

She quickly brushed her teeth then made sure everything was tidy as though she hadn’t been there. Grabbing her suitcase, she left the room. She expected to find Chloe up front, but she was nowhere to be seen. So she stopped by the front desk and scribbled a note, thanking Chloe for the stay and saying they would talk soon. After all, she was going to need someone during this process. As young girls, she and Chloe had always gotten along.

Outside, the sun was bright. There was a chill to the air, however. The few clouds in the sky were thick and fluffy. She bet there would be a light snow shower before the day was over. In fact, she was surprised to not see any snow on the ground yet. It would be anytime now.

The drive to her mother’s house was short. She lived on the older side of town, and it was unchanged except that the trees had gotten taller.

Julie was excited to see her mom. It had been almost a year since she’d seen her. Julie had flown her out last Christmas to visit her in New York City. She’d taken her mother everywhere, showing her every tourist spot there was to see. Her mother had loved it and said it had always been a dream of hers to travel. Julie hoped one day her mother would get to. Her father had died about ten years ago, and her mother had never remarried. She had a few close friends, though, and maybe one day they would all get together and travel.

But for now, Julie needed her mom. She couldn’t wait to have her mother embrace her and hold her tight, telling her it would all work out.

She pulled up to the house. It looked the same. A small ranch-style home painted a light blue color. It was time for a fresh coat of paint, that was sure. Perhaps she could get someone out here in the spring to spruce the place up. Her mother’s car wasn’t in its usual spot but instead pulled over near the picket fence. A pick-up truck sat where the car was usually parked. Maybe something was wrong with the vehicle, and she was borrowing the truck.

Climbing out of the car, Julie could smell bacon. A smiled crossed her face. Her mom was cooking breakfast. Shutting the car door quickly, she went up the front steps two at a time. As she turned the doorknob, she found it locked. Groaning, she dug through her purse until she found the key to the house and let herself in.

Loud music blared through the house. It was set to a local country station. This was so unlike her mother. In fact, as Julie looked around the living room and saw how untidy it was, she wondered if she was in the right house.

Following the smell of food, she stepped into the kitchen. Julie froze. A half-naked man stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. It was as if he sensed he was no longer alone. He turned, and Julie thought she was going to faint.

“Hi,” the man said.

“Who the hell are you, and where is my mother?” Julie demanded.

 

Today, I’m sitting down with Julie, from Finding Home, to chat.

Lacey: Hey Julie, thanks for coming to chat with me today.

Julie: Anytime. It’s nice to have a break actually from the baby.

Lacey: I bet. I remember those days. Sleepless nights, demanding hours. Yup, I do so remember those. So tell me, how is your mom these days?

Julie: Great. She’s loving life in Florida. If it wasn’t for the baby, I don’t think she’d ever come back to Clearwater.

Lacey: I bet Grandma just can’t stay away. How is Mark?

Julie: He is the greatest. The absolute best man on this earth and he’s all mine. *grins*.

Lacey: Can I borrow him for a bit? My kids are home for summer break.

Julie: Do your kids sleep through the night?

Lacey: Point taken. Not to give to much of your story away, but have you regretted your decision to say good-bye to New York City and start over in a small town?

Julie: There are things I miss. Clearwater and the city are two totally different places. But, to be honest, the coffee at Express Oh’s is just as good, if not better then any of those gourmet shops I used to visit. And if there is anything I am missing, that’s what the internet is for. But Clearwater seems to have everything. And its constantly growing.

Lacey: Has your business taken off? Discovered any talent in Clearwater?

Julie: Yes and yes. The publishing world is changing and I love that I never have to get out of my pajamas unless I really want to. Though, I’d imagine Mark would like to see me in something other than loose fitting closes.

Lacey: He’d probably just like to see you naked.

Julie: *giggles* Yes, but I now have stretch marks and not yet feeling to comfortable like that.

Lacey: Trust me, he doesn’t care!

Julie: You sound like him now.

Lacey: Well, I enjoyed sitting down with you. I know you need to get back to your life. *looks around the house* I really like what you and Mark have done with the place. I wish I had thought of that.

Julie: Oh, you thought of plenty during our story.

Lacey: Well Julie, perhaps another snow storm will hit soon and you two can start working on baby number two.

Julie: Oh no….not yet!

To learn more about Lacey, visit her at www.laceywolfe.com

And to connect Twitter / Facebook

Finding Home

Julie Miller has returned to her home in Clearwater, Wyoming after discovering she is pregnant. All she wants is her mother to comfort her after her boyfriend told her to either have an abortion or leave. The only problem is, when she gets to her mother’s house, she doesn’t find her mom—she finds a half-naked man cooking breakfast.

Mark Thomas has moved to Clearwater to escape his past. He needs a fresh start to try and forget the things that haunt him, and Clearwater seems like the perfect place.

As if it isn’t bad enough that Julie doesn’t find her mother, a blizzard buries the town, and she is snowed in with Mark. Leaving them no choice, they begin a friendship while trying to resist the attraction they feel for one another.

Once the snow melts, Julie is free to leave. Will she choose to start a life in Clearwater or run back to New York? Meanwhile, Mark struggles to let go of his past and, if he does, is Julie his future?

Buy Links: Amazon / Nook / Smashwords / Ruby Lioness Press / All Romance

Manic Monday Updates: Is it June already?

Man the time has flown by this year.  So much has happened in the first five months. The number one, and most important, item is I became a published author! Whoo Hoo! The second big step for me was starting the publishing company with my writing partner and BFF, Carrie Ann Ryan.

Speaking of Fated Desires Publishing…we are officially announcing our new upcoming series–Keys of Fate. Carrie Ann and I will be co-authoring the four book series. The first book is scheduled to release in the early part of 2013. Be sure to follow both of us to hear us grumble about the challenges and happily share the advantages of co-writing four books together.

 

When an angel falls in love, he or she also fall from grace. As the world evolves, the angels are dying. Four must fall to earth and find the Keys of Fate to save their people…and humanity.

Look for more information at the Fated Desires website and sign up for the FDP newsletter for updates and contests.

 

http://thedivinitiesseries.blogspot.com

I’ve opened up the Divinities blog again. With Forgotten Visions edging closer to release day, I feel they need their own space to hang out. The blog will be dedicated to the Divinities and will include character interviews, post, contests, tour dates, and more.

 

Stop over to Carrie Ann Ryan’s, Fated Desires Publishing, and Lacey Wolf’s blogs to see what’s new on their side of the internet.

Have a wonderful week!

 

INTERVIEW WITH LUCINDA FROM “DIARY OF A VAMPIRE STRIPPER”

Please tell us about you: job, hobbies, special talents, and anything else you would want to share.

Lucinda: Well….I’m a stripper! *lol* And yes, I do this because its fast easy cash, and I’m a nighttime person anyway. The human condition (and the human race in general) is something that always piques my interest, and it’s soooo interesting seeing the types of weirdos and jackasses that come into my club on a nightly basis. It never ceases to amaze me just how sick, perverted and twisted some folks can be. I still believe us paranormals are more civil than humans.

     I love glitter, makeup, (or both in combination), pizza, Chinese food, going to Goth clubs, howling under a full moon, and treating squirrels like squeak-toys.

     Did I mention I’m also a werewolf?

 

Tell us about the first time you met.

I met my boyfriend Ezra on a deer hunt one night. We almost tore each other to smithereens over the same buck, since we were both trying to claim it. But after a few seconds when we looked into each other’s eyes, we’ve been inseparable ever since. We shared the deer, btw. *grin* It’s a night we’ll always remember.

 

What drew you to him?

Ezra’s very take-charge when my group hunts together. When we’re hanging out as humans though, he can be one horny devil! He likes a challenge when it comes to finding a good make-out spot in public! I like a guy who’s assertive, strong, and confident, someone who’ll stand their ground and is not afraid to fight for what he believes in. That’s Ezra all the way.

 

What is your favorite part of  him?

Aw, c’mon, that should be easy! LOL! Seriously though, I love his eyes, they’re like this awesome greenish-amber color. And I looove his muscular arms and legs and his jet-black hair. Hell, ALL his parts are my favorite parts!! LOL!

 

Care to share future plans?

I’m more of a ‘focus on the now, and worry later’, kinda gal. Usually when I try to make plans for the future, the get all screwed up somehow anyway. That’s why I make every moment count. Life is terribly unpredictable, so I live and love hard. *grin*

 

Find out more on Diary of a Vampire Stripper at http://bloodtouch.webs.com/doavs.htm

www.facebook.com.Cinsearae

www.twitter.com/cinsearae

author website: http://bloodtouch.webs.com

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com./user/CinsearaeS?ob=0&feature=results_main and

http://www.youtube.com./user/Cinsearae?ob=0&feature=results_main

“DIARY OF A VAMPIRE STRIPPER”, COMING JUNE 1st!

Her best friend is a werewolf. Her boyfriend is a ghoul. And she really, REALLY can’t stand her vampire husband.

Trying to juggle college tuition and rent, young Audra Perez seeks a fast fix to her financial woes by auditioning as a stripper for the Hoochie Coochie Club. What she didn’t expect was to actually be chosen! Barely a few months into her new job, she becomes acquainted with a mysterious, distinguished gentleman by the name of Darren Von Eldon, and they secretly begin dating against club rules. Then one passionate night at his beach house changes Audra’s life forever.

Now as a newly-awakened vampire, this only adds to her day-to-day mundane burdens. Refusing to drain humans, she hunts birds for nourishment, and finagles a way to avoid going to classes during the day. But bigger problems loom ahead. Radical cops that know about her kind roam the night, seeking to destroy any and all ‘monsters’, and her best friend’s family has a bone to pick with Audra’s. Headless bodies are turning up on vamp and were turf, each side blaming the other for the murders. It’s up to Audra and her friend Lu to figure out who’s doing the killings, and their search leads them beneath the city streets to encounter an abomination neither one of them will ever forget.

And the relationship issues? Well, it’s not easy dealing with a boyfriend and a vampire husband, so let’s not even go there…

Download an excerpt from the first chapter
http://www.lulu.com/shop/cinsearae-santiago/diary-of-a-vampire-stripper-first-chapter-sample/ebook/product-20057675.html;jsessionid=31ACF4A6DA0A539D81F359C083584EE1

Download an different excerpt herehttps://www.createspace.com/pub/community/give.review.do?id=1094836&rewrite=true

Guest Blog: Xandra James talks about inspiring the muse.

Thanks so much for having me today on your blog, Lia! I’m going to talk a little bit about inspiring the muse, if that’s okay? ;D

You are so welcome, Xandra! It is a pleasure to have you today. And inspiring the muse is a great topic! 

My muse is an awkward gal. A little like me, she tends to think she only needs to work when the stars line-up, the wind blows in the same direction as the night she was born and there’s enough tequila consumed to make you forget your name for at least a week.

It isn’t unfortunately the way it works. I should know since I’d been waiting for inspiration to strike for too many years to mention, sitting back and waiting for the perfect story or the perfect opportunity or the perfect ___ (fill in the blank) to happen. Yeah, that doesn’t work.

But it wasn’t until I heard a quote – or read it somewhere on the internet when I was supposed to be writing my first story, that I knew that’s what I’d been doing. I can’t remember the exact wording but I’ll always remember the sentiment. Inspiration will never come and find you if you’re not working towards finding it.

Hearing that, I finally realised that I should be writing constantly, reading all the time and keeping my mind open to everything. Not just writing when my beautiful muse decided to get out of bed and crack open the nectar (i.e. coffee).

After I got a first chapter rejection (from mills & boon New Voices 2010) for that first story I’d been working on for a long time on and off, only getting as far as chapter 4, I knew I had to take this piece of advice to heart.

I cracked the whip, made my muse a strong coffee and wrote that story, working out the kinks that had held me up previously as I went along. And what do ya know? Inspiration came and tapped me on the shoulder and made the story even stronger, the characters even meatier and the hero even more hot My muse hadn’t let me down and inspiration had come calling when I’d at last gone looking for it.

Reluctant Revenge was born just a couple months later and unleashed onto the world, shortly followed by Shadow Justice.

What’s the moral of this story, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Don’t give up. That muse of yours is lazy (okay, maybe that’s just mine). Give her a chance and you’ll be in Mexico, watching the cabana boys rub sun tan lotion on themselves. As nice as that sounds (I say, looking up cabana boys on google. It’s research *cough*), it’s even better to be called a published author. Go out, read something, write something and people watch but make notes. Be inspired wherever you and keep those creative juices flowing.

And last but not least? Don’t wait for inspiration (or opportunity) to come and slam you in the face. It won’t happen and you’ll just be another writer in the world that didn’t write that bestselling story.

And that’s almost as sad as me looking for flight prices to Mexico…

 

Reluctant Revenge

Blurb:

Nash was bound to Sienna completely – by a blood connection and a deep desire. An Enforcer for the Supranormal community, he was obligated to protect his sexy assignment, despite her family devastating his world.

After being betrayed, Sienna falls into the arms of her surly protector; a demon with a secret of his own. But can she face her destiny knowing she’s more dangerous than those Nash was protecting her from?

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookstrand

Excerpt: 

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t believe what?” He made himself comfortable in the ratty looking seat and turned to her, his eyes already dismissive of anything she had to say.

“About the hunter thing. Why would you tell me that?”

“I don’t lie, Sienna. Your family has been doing this for many years.” He turned to look out of the windscreen. “Too many years. And they’ve hunted a lot of creatures.” Nash turned to face her once more. “And even a human or two. Not that your family seems to have many qualms about that.” His face had hardened, she noticed, lines appearing around his eyes as he glared at her.

Sienna looked at him hard before actually making herself jump when a gurgle of laughter erupted from her mouth. He frowned at her which made her laugh harder.

“I’m sorry, I really am. But I think you might have inhaled too much gun smoke.” She wiped her right eye where a tear had started to form. “I appreciate the save earlier on and obviously we need to get to the bottom of why I was chased, but I really don’t think it was ghosts that were behind it all.”

Nash looked like he wanted to throttle her. It sobered her slightly but the mirth still hovered. This sexy man was seriously cuckoo. Why were all the pretty ones gay or nuts?

“Ghosts weren’t behind it. I believe Strix were.”

“And what are Strix, may I ask?”

He hesitated for only a moment before speaking again.

“Vampires who eat flesh with animal ferocity.”

Now, that was what she needed to snap her out of her sense of humour. He was talking blood suckers now. Did the police force know he should be suspended on medical grounds? She thought about her dilemma. Here she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a cop who thought vampires were real. Although she was pretty sure he wouldn’t hurt her – hell, he’d saved her from certain death earlier on – he was still a tad unpredictable. Maybe she could talk to him about it all? Make him think she believed him until he dropped her off at the nearest police station? Mind made up, Sienna smiled sweetly.

“Tell me about these vampires then. Are they like the ones in the movies?”

“They are much, much worse. Believe me.” He smiled at her and if she didn’t know better, he had figured out she was just humouring him.

“So… can I see one?”

“That wouldn’t be your smartest idea, Princess.” Sienna nodded, pretending to be deep in thought and ignored the Princess quip.

“Are you one?”

“Nope.”

“But you are human though, right?” Nash chuckled again, looking back towards the front windscreen.

“Do I look human, Sienna?” Nash turned towards her and whatever she was about to say went out the window. Her breath caught in her throat and she stumbled away from the car door.

Eyes that were once green now shined in a golden hue, his pupils dilated into slits, reminiscent of a cat. But that wasn’t what had caught her attention and made her hair stand on end. As she watched, the once tanned face that she’d admired minutes before was changing. No more was his skin clear but intricate markings had appeared in a line along the side of his face and disappeared down under the collar of his t-shirt. The hand that held the steering wheel caught her attention then and she watched in horror as the nails grew into small points and turned a deep black.

Nash was a… he was a…

She didn’t know what he was.

Sienna’s brain finally gave her two choices. Faint, which she longed for to put her into a state of unconsciousness. Or, run.

Her feet made the decision for her.

 

 

Shadow Justice

Blurb:

Luka was a bounty hunter who just wanted to do his job and get paid. Being a banished Shadow, he’d learnt the bitter lesson long ago that he was alone, after he was expelled from his home world by his own blood. Now, he needed to understand why he was wanted dead whilst his desire for the fiery haired witch erupted, out of control.

As a rare moon-witch, all she’d ever known was a life of misery under the oppressive Fae-Guard. Nine years ago Cerys escaped the Meta-World after regretting the forced banishment of a Shadow. Now, she leads a normal life without her abilities and all she wants is to blend in. When a bounty hunter wants to take her back for a crime she didn’t commit, she’s willing to take a chance on her future by trusting the man who had no idea she’d wronged him years before.

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookstrand

Excerpt:

He watched as she looked incredulously at him and spun on her heel to march down the road in the direction they’d just come from. Her ass—the same ass he’d fantasised about when he hadn’t known it belonged to Cerys Bailey earlier—taunted him. So did that wavy red hair of hers. Luka had a thing for redheads. Who knew?

Cerys turned back to him, a fiery glint to her eye and stalked back toward him, standing toe to toe, “I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was happy. I wasn’t Cerys Bailey, moon-witch. I was Julie Travis, Ms Normal. And then you came along—”

“Technically, you’d already been busted. I was doing my job.” Luka tried not to grin, he really did, but she just looked so cute, all small and angry.

She spluttered for a few moments, the moonlight making her look wild as her hair fell in waves around her face and anger fisted her hands at her sides.

“I could tear you apart, inch by stupid inch if I wanted to.” She stood on tiptoes to face him almost eye to mouth, and Luka was temporarily distracted by the flowery smell that emanated from her hair. “I’m dangerous. Didn’t anybody warn you of that?”

Luka chuckled then laughed as steam practically erupted from her ears. “Sweetheart, if you could do more than heal yourself and look pretty, you’d have done it. I know that. Right now? You’re stuck with me until  we get out of the situation that you’ve got me into.”

“That I’ve got you into? Weren’t you listening? It’s you they want. I’m just a happy little bonus for them.” Luka scratched the stubble on his chin and shook his head.

“Either way, you’re still my bounty until I can figure out exactly where I stand.” Luka watched as Cerys’s mind ticked over and waited for the inevitable reaction, whatever that might be. She wasn’t a natural redhead, but she sure had their passionate temper, and that thought excited the hell out of him.

What he wasn’t expecting from her was a kick to his groin and for Cerys to hightail it back along the track through a cloud of his pain and a mass of her hair. Any blood that had amassed down there retreated to his face and ears.

Luka staggered and he sucked in his breath, pain shooting into his stomach. Moments passed, and he couldn’t move.

“Bitch!” The word was wrenched from the depths of his soul.

As soon as his eyes began to clear from the tears that threatened to fall, he began to run like a drunk chasing a ten pound note in the wind with little focus at first, but slowly he gained on her. She glanced around in panic and stumbled, allowing him to gain precious distance.

And then he switched.

Luka knew the moment it dawned on Cerys that he was no longer playing fair. The look of horror spread across her face as the inky blackness in front of her enveloped her and brought her down to the ground.

Although Luka preferred his human form, his Shadow made him feel alive—allowed him to become one with nature. He couldn’t touch her in his Shadow form but he could manipulate the air around her. It also wouldn’t stop his nuts from throbbing for the next few hours.

Appearing back to her in his human form, his mouth was inches away from hers. Cerys opened it to scream, but Luka took advantage and kissed her hard and fast. The woman was a menace. To herself and to him. The quicker he got to the bottom of all of this, the better.

She moaned beneath him, and any thoughts of resisting her charms, drifted away.

Luka didn’t want to feel anything from the kiss. He was scratching an itch that had been there since the moment he’d met her as far as he was concerned. Yet the more he tasted of her, the more he wanted. And that just wasn’t good.

Her skin was flawless, and he was momentarily taken aback by its perfection as he looked down at her. Luka swallowed as her tongue darted out to moisten her already damp lips. There was no way he should be doing this.

Pushing her away from him, he looked deep into her gorgeous green eyes and saw exactly what he was feeling—a deep longing desire.

Shit.

 

About Xandra: 

Xandra James has always wanted to write romance books. Even when she was sneaking peaks at the hot bits, too young to fully appreciate them, she dreamt of writing her own.

Now, older and wiser, she’s got the opportunity to project her slightly dark and wacky, British sense of humor onto others, whilst still writing the hot bits – bonus!

When not writing, Xandra is thinking of excuses as to why she shouldn’t be doing the housework, looking after a husband and cats that refuse to pick up after themselves and climbing the mountain in her house that’s affectionately called her tbr pile.

She currently holds the crown for Queen Procrastinator – something she’s very proud of – so you can usually find her online, somewhere, when she really should be writing.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Romance Blog / Goodreads

Manic Monday Updates: 5/28

Hey! It’s Monday, again. LOL

Last week was busy for me. Most of my time spend on the day job, so not much writing got done. I think I got a little more than 500 words down on War’s Passion. I found out some things about Markus and Gwen that I didn’t know before. The new info will help me move through the next couple of chapters once I can get back to them.

I got round one edits for Forgotten Visions! Whoot! I’m so excited to start back on this story. I’m taking advantage of the three day weekend to work on it.

I got a four star review on Goodreads for Ravished Before Sunrise.

Speaking of Goodreads. If your not already a fan or my friend, click on the icon at the top of the page and friend me.

I added a slideshow on the home page that will showcase new swag graphics and book covers. I’ll periodically add new stuff. Here’s my latest graphics for RBS. I’m thinking of printing them as postcards. What do you think?

What’s ahead? Well a lot of promo and writing. I have a 5 stop tour coming up in June for RBS and then I’ll be scheduling a tour for FV once I get a release date. I’m starting to feel like a real author with deadlines and tours. LOL.

Stop over to Carrie Ann Ryan’s, Fated Desires Publishing, and Lacey Wolf’s blogs to see what’s new on their side of the internet.

Have a wonderful week!

 

Spotlight: The Forsaken Series

The Forsaken Series

By Elise Whyles and Ciara Lake

 Series Overview:

Among us walk immortal beings – cursed to hide within the shadows they live along side us as they have for centuries. Using, feeding, living off the mortals so reviled for their weakness – yet there are some who will be awakened and immortality will be given.

Now, an ancient evil stirs – rising to threaten not only the Immortal Realms but the mortal world. A cursed vampire General stirs, plotting his revenge on those who have forsaken him…but he’s forgotten about the innocent, who like him have been punished.

There are those who are Forsaken.

It could be anyone among us…

Series Website   Elise Whyles Facebook   Ciara Lake Facebook

 

Forsaken Heart

Punished for sins not her own, can a mortal claim her vampire mate?

The world of immortals must unite to save both themselves and the mortals they co-exist with from an ancient evil.

For Bede MacTaggert this means trusting in the warrior sent for her sister—a man of mystery, of power, and one who could easily sweep her into a world she’s destined to be part of.

An imperial guard to the king of vampires, Gawain has always tuned out the needs of the flesh. Dedicating himself to the service of the royals, he’s lived on the fringes of his people for centuries. Now he’s forced from the shadows and into the arms of a woman who will awaken his heart and body to a passion unequaled.

Content Warning: sexy alpha vampire, explicit sex, violence

 

Curse of a Dragon’s Claim

The flame within a dragon warrior’s heart awakens Arianna’s passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she’s something more than she ever imagined possible.

The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they’ve been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage.

Clayne MacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he’s told that this woman is his fated mate, he can’t believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin’s death.

When Arianna meets Clayne, she’s convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he’s a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him.

Clayne knows he can’t fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he’s been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.

Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.

Content Warning: graphic sex, some violence