Jeaniene Frost's Blog - Posts Tagged "ian-s-book"

Before we get to the latest Night Rebel snippet, I wanted to talk about Arcs (advance reading copies) of SHADES OF WICKED. Last week, my publisher shipped a bunch out to their list of reviewers. I know this because (1) they told me, and (2) people started Tweeting me pics of the book after they'd received it. A couple days ago, I Tweeted this in response, and I'm reposting it here because it's still 100% true:

"I'm seeing reviewers post about receiving their Arc of SHADES OF WICKED. Over 17 books later, it still warms my heart to see people say they're excited to read one of my books. It also still makes me nervous enough to puke, so if there's a happy/warmhearted-but-puking emoji, that's me ;)."

A little more about Arcs: they're not the final copy of a book. They're the copy before the final copy, so they still contain some missing and/or additional words, some spelling/grammar errors, some duplicate sentences and/or missing sentences, and sometimes, at least one plot-point screw up. Now, with every book, I strive to make sure that all the above is kept to a minimum. And, with every single book, I miss things because I know what the text is SUPPOSED to say, so my brain literally skips over errors without processing them. Sigh. 

However, with Shades, I was pretty confident after read my galley pages (the things Arcs are made from) that I'd at least avoided the dreaded plot-point screw up. Sure, there were some of the other errors listed above, but THIS time, there wouldn't be something that made me smack my head and say "D'oh!" in a Homer Simpson roar. In fact, I was so confident of this...well, here's my Tweet from July 25:

"Me yesterday to myself: Just turned in the galley pages for Shades of Wicked & there wasn't a single plot error that needed fixing. I rule!"

*grins* And here is the rest of the Tweet, when I realized I had patted myself on the back WAY too early:

"Me to my editor today: 'STOP! I suck! I need to add these sentences to the galley pages or I have majorly screwed up *censored* plot point!'"

Thankfully, the sentences were added in time to be included in the published copy, but, they're not in the Arcs. So, if you received an Arc, it's missing these two very important sentences on page 285 that are plot-pertinent. I'm posting them here because they're not spoiler-y on their own. They only make sense when you read them in context. This is Ian speaking to Veritas in the middle of a Big Reveal, and the missing sentences are: "I had every intention of getting away from you when you ambushed me at the bordello, too, though I was curious to see what you intended with your 'surprise prostitute' act. Yes, I recognized you straightaway, not that I let on until you arrogantly announced that we were leaving."

Why is it plot-pertinent that Ian immediately recognized Veritas when he saw her in Chapter One? I can't tell you or that would spoiler. But, Arc recipients, please bear the above in mind while you're reading. Speaking of Arcs, I will be doing the first of a few contests giving some away on my blog next week. So, if you're interested in a chance at winning one, don't forget to check my blog for details.

All of the above aside, let's get to the new scene from SHADES OF WICKED! Because you've waited for a while, I'm giving you the entire second chapter. If you missed the first one, or if you just want to refresh your memory of it, go here. (link: http://jeanienefrost.com/night-rebel-...). And now, let's get to the chapter!

Chapter 2

I didn’t jump down through the hole above him, which was what he would have expected. Instead, I made a new hole in the floor on the other side of the room. Ian leapt back to avoid my instant grab, then kicked me during the split second my back was turned. I sprawled forward, but even as he pounced, I spun away, leaving him to hit the floor instead of me. Then I jumped onto his back and clamped my legs around him to hold on.

He began to buck at once. I tightened my grip until his ribs broke. He didn’t slow. I began to whack the back of his head, using strength I normally kept dormant.

His head rocked from the blows, though he still bucked hard enough to throw us both around the room. Those demon brands might not be the source of his bewildering strength, but they must be causing him to heal even faster than a vampire’s normal swift regeneration. Soon, I was gripping him just to keep from being thrown off. Then he began to fly, smashing me against the walls, the ceiling, and the floor, all while bucking like a crazed, rabid bronco.

My bones began to break and my head rang after being repeatedly bashed against various hard surfaces. If he were anyone else, I would kill him, but I needed Ian alive. And cooperative. Maybe his brains hitting the floor would help with that last part.

I whacked his skull even harder to force him to the ground and hold him there. It took a lot of effort, which was why I kept punching his head while shoving his body against the carpet. I couldn’t allow him to get enough leverage to start flying again. If he did, I might have to reveal powers I’d rather he not know about and . . . wait. What was that sound?

I stopped hitting Ian to listen more closely. It almost sounded like . . . no. He couldn’t be.

“Are you laughing at me?”

He was, and now his chuckles sounded louder since they were no longer competing with the noise from our fight. I also realized that the long, hard object I’d felt near my foot was not a concealed weapon. He wasn’t just amused by my attempts to beat his skull open—he was aroused by them!

“Your bouncing up and down on my back plus all this rough chafing is really doing the trick,” Ian said, still chuckling. “Soon, I’ll have to pay you along with the rest of the whores. In fact, if you take requests, a bit more effort on your downstroke, luv—”

I threw a punch that should have sent my fist all the way through his head. His neck bent at the last second while the back of his body surged up. Too late, I realized the trap. My fist ended up flying past his head while the rest of me was catapulted off him.

Before I could regroup, he leapt on top of me. In the next instant, he was holding me down, and I felt the distinct burn of silver stabbing me between the ribs.

Damn him! He’d managed to goad me into recklessly acting without thinking again. If my legs hadn’t been pinned by his, I might have kicked myself for being so stupid.

“Don’t move,” Ian said in a conversational tone. “I don’t want to kill you, but I will if you force me.”

“Where did you get that knife?” I hadn’t been so distracted before that I’d forgotten to frisk him.

“From my jacket.”

“Liar. I felt you for weapons when I was on top of you.”

“Was that what you were doing?” His lips twitched. “Thought you were feeling around for something more interesting.”

At my contemptuous look, he shrugged and said, “You didn’t feel the knife before because it was only a small silver ball a few moments ago.”

My eyes widened. “You’re admitting to a Law Guardian that you used magic to transform a silver ball into a knife?”

“Did I forget that using magic is a death sentence for vampires?” Ian used his free hand to mime clutching a strand of pearls. “And so is striking a Law Guardian. Dear me, I’ve condemned myself twice! Please, have mercy!”

“Now you’re begging?” I let out a soft snort. “Don’t bother. I’m still going to punish you for what you’ve done.”

He laughed. “I have a knife in your heart and you’re still threatening me? I don’t know whether to keep laughing at you for your delusion or applaud you for your optimism.”

“If you’d listen instead, you could learn how to prevent Dagon from taking possession of your soul in two years.”

Nothing in his expression changed, though suddenly, I felt as if I were staring at a different person. A hard, dangerous one that I’d vastly underestimated. Then Ian flashed another carefree smile at me - and shoved that silver knife deeper.

I gasped when it pierced my heart. Ian tutted as if I was a child who’d merely stubbed my toe. “I warned you not to test me. Now, tell me what you know about my deal with Dagon.”

Silver twisting through the heart was one of the few ways to kill a vampire. It felt as if hot lava was being poured into me. Ian hadn’t twisted the blade, but the majority of my physical strength left me. Despite that, I kept my reply steady.

“I know I’m your only chance of escaping the deal you made with Dagon. If he’s dead, he can’t collect your soul.”

Ian let out a scoff. “If Dagon could be killed, I’d have done it myself decades ago.”

“I can kill him,” I replied, and though it might be a long shot, it was still the truth.

He rolled his eyes. “Hate to be rude—actually, that’s not true, I love being rude—but I’m far less powerful than Dagon and I bested you inside of five minutes.”

“You didn’t best me. I stopped beating on you when I realized you liked it.”

“Most enjoyable part of our time together,” he agreed. “But now I’m bored, so let me simplify things. I’m going to bash your brains in. Try to stop me, and I’ll twist this knife. Cooperate, and by the time your head heals, I’ll be gone and you can go back to scaring young vampires into obeying the ridiculous restrictions you call laws.”

Bashing my brains in would indeed work to incapacitate me. It was the same thing I’d been intending to do with him. His fist clenched. Before it could connect, I released an ability only one other person in the world knew I had.

Power flashed out, filling the basement in a blink. Ian’s expression showed the beginnings of disbelief before it, his fist, and everything else suddenly froze. Even the countless dust particles in the air now hung in suspended animation instead of floating in lazy, aimless circles.

I was the only one unaffected as time itself paused within the confines of the basement. That was the upside. The downside was the power that kept boomeranging back into me, hitting my body with invisible, painful waves before arcing out to fill the room again. Between that and the silver in my heart, my nerve endings felt like they were being hit with a blow torch. I couldn’t maintain this for long, so I had to make it count.

With Ian frozen, I used his hand to pull the knife free from my heart. Then I uncurled his fingers from its hilt and tucked the blade into my back pocket. Finally, I shoved him off me.

“That’s better,” I muttered once I felt my heart heal. Then I flipped Ian over and got to my feet. When I unfroze him from this moment, I wanted my face to be the first thing he saw.

It was tricky unfreezing a person from time without dropping my hold over the entire room. That’s why I started slow and only released Ian’s head. His eyes widened when he realized he was now in a completely different position than he’d been before, then narrowed when he tried to move the rest of his body and couldn’t. When he glanced around and saw the whole basement trapped in a state of suspended animation, they widened again.

“Bugger me blind,” he said softly. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”

He had no idea. “As I said, I’m your only hope of keeping your soul. Dagon might be able to freeze time, but I have that ability, too. That means his power won’t work on me, and I can also use my power to free anyone he’s caught in his time web.”

I left out the part where Dagon’s abilities were far more advanced than mine. I could freeze time in small spaces, but I couldn’t hold it for very long. Dagon could freeze time for days, and I’d heard he had once done it to an entire town.

Ian didn’t have to know that. All he had to know was that he needed me. I could imagine the wheels in his mind turning as he processed that. Once again, he didn’t let his real emotions show. They were hidden behind his half smile. The most real emotion I’d gotten out of him was his eyes widening. And his erection, I supposed.

“If I release the rest of you, will you listen, or attempt to fight me again?” I continued.

“Listen,” he said, with a new, impish smile, as if he found the prospect amusing.

“As I was saying, we have something in common, Ian . . . what is your last name?” I hadn’t been able to discover it, and I normally had extensive dossiers on the people I hunted.

“No need for formalities. They’re only for people impressed by the superficial and that’s neither of us.”

He was right, which surprised me. I hadn’t expected us to have anything in common except a hatred for Dagon.

“Then as I was saying, you want Dagon dead because that’s the only way out of your deal with him. I want Dagon dead for reasons that don’t concern you. I propose a temporary alliance so both of us can achieve our goal, but let me be clear: You would have to follow my lead and my rules. Do you agree?”

His impish smile never slipped. “Before I answer, tell me, how did you get this amazing ability? I searched for decades looking for someone of our kind with a hint of it, yet found nothing.”

You don’t want to know how I can do this, I thought grimly. And if you ever find out, I’ll have to kill you.

“That’s not important. What is important is that I can use it to counter Dagon’s time-freezing on both of us, and that means we can kill him. Do we have an agreement or not?”

“Of course,” Ian replied, as if there was never any doubt.

His tone was sincere and his bright turquoise gaze never wavered, but all my instincts told me he was lying. Even if I didn’t have those, everything I’d learned about Ian said he’d never give another person this much control over him. He must be intending to double-cross me the first chance he got.

Well, I had plans I wasn’t telling him about, too.

“Good,” I said, and released the power, which felt like it had been frying my every nerve ending. At once, heat blew from the vents again, dust particles swirled, and that oppressive pain left me.

Ian stood up and stretched as if relieving a kink. The motion almost concealed him taking in a deep breath, but I noticed because I’d been expecting him to do that.

I hid my smile. No, you don’t smell sulfur or anything else that would indicate another demon’s presence. I really am the one who stopped time the same way that Dagon can.

When he turned back to me, his cocky half smile had returned. “Now that we have an accord, where do you want to begin?”

“By leaving,” I said promptly.

Ian swept out both arms, drawing the jacket back to fully display his naked body. “Fine by me, but most people prefer that I wear trousers out in public.”

I found my gaze drawn downward, then quickly diverted it back to his face. He was smirking, which was the same as saying, Ha! Made you look.

It was nothing to look at a naked man. To do so and then glance away guiltily? What was the matter with me?

Maybe it was my circumstances. The brands Ian carried were my ticket to trapping Dagon—a feat that had eluded me for millennia. Now that it was within my grasp, I was feeling emotions I hadn’t allowed myself to feel for a long time. That must be it. In any event, I needed to get them back under control.

That’s why I crossed my arms and gave Ian a deliberate look from the top of his head down to his toes. Then, I met his eyes so that he could see he had no effect on me this time.

“By all means, get dressed, but only after you take a shower. I don’t need to tell you what you smell like.”

“Over two dozen whores?” he supplied.

“Exactly, so use plenty of soap.”

He winked. “Looking for an excuse to watch? Just ask, and I might let you.”

I was about to tell him I’d rather watch paint dry. Then, I caught myself. Clever. I’d been about to insist that Ian shower as far away from me as possible, giving him an excellent opportunity to escape or to conjure up more magic against me.

“In fact, I would like to watch,” I said, arching my brow. “Unless you’re going to claim that you’re suddenly shy?”

His gaze narrowed. Icy fingers skittered up my spine. In all my years, I’d never felt that unless I was in the presence of someone truly dangerous. Everything on paper said that Ian shouldn’t be, yet right then, I knew I could never drop my guard around him. If I did, I might not live long enough to regret it.

Then Ian smiled. It was so flirtatious and relaxed, I almost believed I’d imagined his hidden dangerousness. Almost.

“Shyness is a virtue, and you’ll be glad to know I have none of those.”

With that, he swept me a bow that managed to look elegant despite his being clothed only in a circus ringleader jacket. We might both be pretending that this was a real agreement instead of a race to see who could use the other person first, but I knew better. For now, though, I’d keep up the pretense.

And since I was currently pretending that I wanted to watch Ian shower . . . “After you,” I said, and followed him up the stairs.

***

Hope you enjoyed Chapter Two! If you want to pre-order SHADES OF WICKED, here are some links: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, iBooks, BooksAMillion, Kobo

Lots of stuff to cover in this post, so let's get right to it! First up, I have good news for sales lovers. For the month of September, Amazon is featuring two of my books in their Kindle Monthly Deal. So, for the next three weeks only, you can get the two ebooks below for just $1.99.

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE (Night Huntress book two, or more commonly known as the book with the infamous "Chapter 32";)) Description: Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.  Get it for $1.99 HERE.

FIRST DROP OF CRIMSON, Night Huntress WORLD book one, or more commonly known as the answer to the question "So which book did Denise and Spade hook up in?"). Description: The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together. Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost. Get it for $1.99 HERE.

Also, I know that audio book readers have been waiting for this, so I'm happy to announce that the audio pre-order link for SHADES OF WICKED is finally live: Get yours at Audible, Downpour, or your favorite audio retailer.

And now, to the giveaway contests! First up is the one I'm running on my blog. I have five signed ARCs (advance reading copies) of SHADES OF WICKED up for grabs, open to US and to international readers. If you’re interested in your chance to win one of the five Arcs, please follow the rules below:

1. Send an email to  jfrostcontest AT gmail DOT com  (obviously replace the “AT” with an “@” and the “DOT” with a “.” in your email.)

2. Make sure to include your name and the email address you want to be contacted at if you win (if it’s not the email you’re sending your entry from.)

3. You can only enter ONCE. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

4. Contest starts NOW and ends Friday, September 21st at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be announced the following day on my blog.

But wait, that's not your only chance to win! I'm also holding a contest giving away another 5 signed Arcs of SHADES OF WICKED on Goodreads. This one is open only to U.S. readers, so if you're international, skip this but enter the one above. Because this contest is on Goodreads, you have to enter on their site and follow their rules. Go HERE to enter (once on Goodreads, scroll down until you see "Win a copy of this book"), or copy/paste this link into your browser: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... 

Good luck, everyone!

Good news for readers who want to order a signed copy of SHADES OF WICKED: Malaprops Bookstore is partnering with my publisher to make that happen. Go to this dedicated page on Malaprops website and follow the instructions. Don't miss the part where you have to specify in the comment section of your order that you want your copy SIGNED, and if you want it personalized, specify who you want it made out to. Thanks so much to Malaprops and Avon Books for setting this up! 

Speaking of SHADES OF WICKED, allow me double squee because BOOKLIST and KIRKUS REVIEWS both gave it lovely reviews. I'm only allowed to share a line or two from each, so here they are:

“A flawless blend of high-stakes romance and action-packed paranormal adventure…Sexy, breathtaking, not-to-be-missed paranormal romance.” KIRKUS, starred review.

“The legion of fans for Frost’s super popular, darkly twisted Night Huntress titles will be thrilled by the first book in her Night Rebel series…Wild, magically enhanced sex and bloody, bone-pulverizing battles will keep readers turning the pages.” BOOKLIST.

Yay and yay! That said, a note if you subscribe to Kirkus Reviews and you want to read the entire review: there are three HUGE spoilers in it. So, if you read it, be warned that you will be spoiled on three major plot points. 

Finally, this Friday night is the end of my blog contest giving away 5 copies SHADES OF WICKED. If you haven't already entered for your chance to win one, go here for the details. 

Before I get to the chapter, a reminder that readers who want to order a signed copy of SHADES OF WICKED only have about two weeks to do so. The details: Malaprops Bookstore is partnering with my publisher to ship signed books to readers between now and shortly before release. If interested, please go to  this dedicated page on Malaprops website  and follow the instructions. Don’t miss the part where you have to specify in the comment section of your order that you want your copy SIGNED, and if you want it personalized, specify who you want it made out to. Thanks so much to Malaprops and Avon Books for setting this up!

Now, as promised, here is another excerpt from Ian and Veritas's upcoming novel, SHADES OF WICKED, Night Rebel book one. This time, I'm picking the entire third chapter to post. If you haven't already read chapters one and two, you can find them HERE, and I'm adding chapter three to that page for easy reading continuity.

If you've already read the first two chapters, then no need to click away to the other page - you can dive right in, the water's fine...as you can see from this chapter where Veritas is required to watch Ian shower to make sure he doesn't get away from her or use another spell against her. *snickers* Enjoy!

Chapter Three, SHADES OF WICKED, copyright Jeaniene Frost

Ian went to one of the second-level bedrooms as if he were very familiar with it. He probably was. Judging from what I’d seen, he’d been at this brothel for at least two days. That mock carnival in the basement certainly hadn’t been set up in a mere afternoon.

He stripped off his jacket as soon as he crossed the threshold. I made sure to keep a close watch on his hands as I followed him into the bathroom. I couldn’t allow him to magically fabricate another weapon. There were plenty of things in this room that a highly skilled practitioner could use.

Ian’s dossier revealed that he had spent time in the company of witches and mages, but it posited that he’d done so for excitement and socializing. Wrong and wrong. Most practitioners would’ve needed to recite an incantation in order to get the power to transmute one type of object into another. Another way would be to draw several specific magical symbols to create the necessary power. Ian had changed a silver pebble into a knife without a single word or scribble, and he’d done it while I was beating his skull half in.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, tactile magic was one of the highest forms of the craft. That’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off his hands. He’d need to use at least one of them to conjure up more of that kind of magic. Right now, he wasn’t doing anything threatening. He stepped beneath the shower spray and closed his eyes as that first blast of water hit him. Then, he washed his hair, his movements brisk and efficient. When he picked up the body wash, however, he slowed down, working the liquid into a rich lather before running his hands over his body.

Did he think I’d never seen a man make a show out of washing himself before? I had, and even the most seductive of them had always been a little too obvious, a little too sleazy. Women were much better at this form of manipulation, but if he wanted to give me something to look at, let him.

After a few minutes, I had to give Ian credit—he was good. He didn’t attempt to meet my eyes to gauge the effect of his actions. He also didn’t go right for his groin as most men did. Instead, he acted as if I wasn’t even there while he started with his arms, washing each with smooth, sweeping strokes that emphasized the muscled elegance of his limbs. Then he moved on to his chest, soaping it with a languid thoroughness that highlighted every ripple, hollow, and chiseled inch.

He gave the same unhurried attention to his lower body, his hands running down the tautness of his abdomen before sweeping over the hard globes of his ass. Those hands lingered over the thicker muscles in his thighs before moving down to his well-defined calves. Even his feet weren’t neglected.

Somehow, the never-ending sweep of his hands started to feel hypnotic. If I were a few thousand years younger, I might even start to imagine how each muscle, hollow, and sinew would feel if I were the one touching him. Or notice how his muscles appeared even more defined when the water washed away another swath of suds, or how his skin glistened beneath the bright lights in the shower stall.

Or fixate on how the thick appendage between his legs was growing as if also longing to feel the touch of those slow, skilled hands.

When I realized I was staring, I gave myself a hard mental shake. Again, I’d underestimated him. Ian was obviously as skilled at using his body as he was at using magic. That, or I wasn’t as immune to his decadent beauty as I’d assumed. Whether it was my newfound compromised emotional state or my extended bout of abstinence, I didn’t know. Either way, I had to keep my focus on both his hands. Not just the one currently slicking suds over the impressive appendage between his legs.

“I say, you’re looking in all the wrong places now.”

His voice held the silkiness of honey along with the lure of wine, but deadly potions could also taste sweet. My careful watch on his other hand revealed his true intentions. He wasn’t trying to seduce me. Like a magician, he was drawing my gaze one way while the real trick was about to take place somewhere else.

I gave a pointed look at his left hand, which was creeping behind his back. “Keep both your hands where I can see them.”

His smile changed into a scowl. “You’re no fun at all.”

He wasn’t even trying to deny that he’d been about to fling a spell at me. I’d take that roundabout honesty as progress.

“Law Guardians aren’t supposed to be fun,” I noted dryly. “We’re supposed to be good at our jobs, and despite a few slip-ups already with you, I am. Even if I couldn’t stop time, there’s still no spell you could fling at me that I haven’t defeated a thousand times before.”

He smiled again. For the first time, it seemed genuine. “I take that as a challenge. Let’s make it interesting, shall we? If I use a spell on you that you’re unable to defeat, you’ll drop your requirement that I follow your lead on our quest to kill Dagon. Instead, you’ll follow mine.”

He hadn’t been following my lead as it was, but damned if I’d let him off the hook. Plus, his arrogance could be useful. Good to know I wasn’t the only one letting emotion cloud my judgment.

“How long are you giving yourself to attempt this supposedly unstoppable spell?”

“Two weeks.”

Perfect. If all went well, I would be done with him by the time he tried it. “Fine, if you agree to stop trying to escape or trick me until this grand attempt. And when you fail to hit me with a spell that I can’t defeat, you’ll follow my lead plus give me three unquestioning acts of obedience.”

“Done,” he said at once.

He seemed so confident. He even smiled with the kind of anticipation I’d seen only on gladiators right before they struck a killing blow. Was it possible I’d made another mistake? He’d already surprised me several times today.

But no. He couldn’t best me in this.

“Done,” I said after a slight pause.

His smile turned sly. “How shall we seal this new accord? A blood oath?”

As if I’d assume his shedding a few drops of blood would suddenly make him honest. “Something else. Hold out your hand.”

He arched a brow but extended a still soapy hand. I closed my fingers around his, not surprised that his flesh felt far warmer than a vampire’s normal temperature. His time in the shower had heated his skin, and now, that water would provide me with what I needed to ensure an oath he couldn’t break.

Water was one of the main natural elements of the world. That made it powerful, if one knew how to extract that power. I did since I had a special talent with water. I hadn’t wanted to use more of my hidden abilities today, but if I didn’t, I’d soon be fighting off attacks from my duplicitous ally in addition to the ones that would be coming from Dagon.

A ripple of energy flashed through the room when I began to speak in an ancient language, the first one I’d learned. That energy settled on our joined hands. Ian hissed when he felt it.

“What are you doing? And why are you speaking Sumerian?”

I wasn’t about to answer either of those questions. In truth, I hadn’t expected him to recognize the long-dead language. Not that it mattered. These words weren’t significant.

Ian tried to pull his hand away. The spell I was creating trapped him. It wrapped around me, too, feeling inside us for the promises we’d both just made. When it found them, it tightened our hands together. Then I felt its energy crest before it slid beneath my skin to dissolve inside my bones.

Once it did, I opened my eyes. “Now neither of us has a choice about keeping our latest promise. The spell found them, and if one of us were to renege on them, it would rot our bones faster than either of us could heal.”

Ian’s eyes were lit up with emerald, and the muscle ticking in his jaw showed how displeased he was by this turn of events. But when he spoke, his voice was light, and instead of trying to pull his hand away, his fingers now caressed mine.

“A Law Guardian who practices forbidden magic. How irresistibly hypocritical of you.”

***
SHADES OF WICKED releases October 30th. You can also pre-order yours at Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, Apple Books, BooksAMillion, Kobo

Before we get to the new except and the Quote of the Day roundup, I wanted to give a final remainder to readers who want to order a signed copy: you only have a short amount of time left to do so. Malarops Bookstore has partnered with my publisher to ship signed books to readers between now and shortly after release. If interested, please go to  this dedicated page on Malaprops website  and follow the instructions. Don’t miss the part where you have to specify in the comment section of your order that you want your copy SIGNED, and if you want it personalized, specify who you want it made out to. Thanks so much to Malaprops and Avon Books for setting this up!

I also wanted to thank all the readers who joined in on the Facebook Live chat last Friday night. If you missed the chat, but want to see it, the link is HERE. Funny alert: the video starts out sideways since I wanted to get the wider view to include my editor in it, but as you'll see, that didn't work out so well. Thanks also to everyone who came to last weekend's KissCon event in Atlanta! It was so much fun chatting with all of you.

Next up, some additional early feedback about SHADES OF WICKED. For those of you who want to read a review, but don't want to get inadvertently spoilered, here's a new one from FRESH FICTION that has no spoilers. My favorite line, of course, is "SHADES OF WICKED is everything Jeaniene Frost fans hoped for and much more." I know it's impossible for every reader to have that reaction, but one can dream! Lol. The full review is HERE.

Don't want something as formal as a review? Looking for a fun summary along with alcohol recommendations based on Ian and Veritas? Then the SMART BITCHES, TRASHY BOOKS blog has you covered. Go HERE to see which drinks were recommended based on SHADES OF WICKED, and read the fun write-up. My favorite line is "The first time we meet him in this book, he’s wearing nothing but a circus ringmaster’s coat and proudly displaying his own pierced ringmaster, if you catch my drift." *snickers* I think we do. 

Now, to the excerpt. The HAPPILY EVER AFTER blog is hosting a never-before-seen excerpt from SHADES OF WICKED. This one digs a little deeper into Ian's past and his ties to Mencheres, so go HERE to check it out. Thanks for HEA for hosting this!

And now, to the Quotes of the Day. To recap, over a week ago, I started posting a Quote of the Day on my Twitter and Facebook pages, and will continue to do so until SHADES OF WICKED’s release on Tuesday (October 30th.) Here's this week's roundup of quotes previously posted (note: if you want to see them when they come out, follow me here:

Click to be taken to Jeaniene’s Twitter page. Or, here is the direct link: https://twitter.com/Jeaniene_Frost

Click to be taken to Jeaniene’s Facebook page.  Or, here is the direct link: https://www.facebook.com/JeanieneFrost



 

As the subject line says, SHADES OF WICKED is now out! As my publisher hilariously said, "Take a bite out of Ian." *snorts* Sure, go ahead. He'd probably like that ;).

The Rule Breaker

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless…and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he’s never been able to abide by the rules for long.

The Law Maker

Veritas’ normal role is police, judge and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait…well, all’s fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian’s devil-may-care, roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers that Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they’re drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences…

Order: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, Apple Books, BooksAMillion, Kobo or Malaprops (for a limited time, signed copes still available to order at Malaprops)

Thankfully, I'm not the only one excited about this book. Here's a sampling of what others have said: “A flawless blend of high-stakes romance and action-packed paranormal adventure…Sexy, breathtaking, not-to-be-missed paranormal romance.” KIRKUS, starred review.

“The legion of fans for Frost’s super popular, darkly twisted Night Huntress titles will be thrilled by the first book in her Night Rebel series…Wild, magically enhanced sex and bloody, bone-pulverizing battles will keep readers turning the pages.” BOOKLIST.

"SHADES OF WICKED is everything Jeaniene Frost fans hoped for and much more.” FRESH FICTION

" Shades of Wicked is a fantastic start to this new series...Bravo again, Jeaniene Frost.” THE READING CAFE

"Pulse-pounding action with some of the best characters you’ll have the pleasure to read about...Ian and Veritas had me hooked from page one and addicted for more.  The next installment can’t come soon enough.” UNDER THE COVERS BOOK BLOG

"With Ian's devil-may-care attitude, and Veritas's single-minded focus on her mission, the pairing off of these two is as delightful as it was unexpected." ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY

Of course, my favorite recommendation might have to be from Dromichaetes of Dacia, Master of the Dark Coven and unofficial spokesvampire of the Ministry of Undead Persons*, who rather begrudgingly has this to say: "The Ministry acknowledges that the Author’s Work in Question, SHADES OF WICKED, has literary merit and provides exciting entertainment value, while still torturing its principals hereinafter known as Hero and Heroine with a sufficient degree of cruelty to elicit sympathy from both Undead and the Living."

Ha ha ha! I knew Ian was gonna hook you, Dromeo! Resistance is FUTILE.

Of course, for those who'd rather try before they buy, you can read the first three chapters plus additional excerpts of SHADES OF WICKED here . You can also listen to an audio clip from Chapter One HERE.

Whether you spend your Halloween reading, chomping candy or both, I hope that you have wonderful Halloween!

*Disclaimer: No, I'm not claiming that an actual vampire endorsed this book, but author & BFF Ilona Andrews is. *giggles* See more here. For the backstory on this supposed feud between me and an aggrieved vampire, go here and here. 

I'm currently away from home, about to experience the out-of-this-world fun of AlienCon Baltimore, but my editor texted me last night to say that SHADES OF WICKED hit the USA Today bestseller list at #44! Thank you, readers, for making sure that Ian and Veritas's debut made such a wonderful splash! 

If you're saying "Huh? IAN'S book? I didn't know about that!" go here for all the details. Oh, and speaking of possibly not knowing about Ian's book, I recently found out that I'd had the WRONG link up for my newsletter on my website, so if you thought you signed up, but didn't get a New Release notice from me last week, that's why. Here is the updated link to my newsletter , hosted by CoffeeTime Romance. Of course, be sure to select my name for the author you want to receive information on. 

As promised, I also have updated pre-order links for the sequel, Wicked Bite. Note, the title changed, so if your copy of Shades of Wicked shows that the next book is Wicked Promises, scratch that! It's Wicked Bite now, releasing on July 30th, 2019, and here's where you can pre-order yours: Preorder: Amazon, Apple Books, B&N, BooksAMillion, Kobo, IndieBound

Once again, thank you so much, readers! *group hug*