Jeaniene Frost's Blog, page 3
July 1, 2021
Get your Grave Girls on, with a special giveaway, too!
You’ll also get two amazing stories from Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr, so get your copy from your favorite retailer. A limited number of signed print copies are available exclusively through Murder By The Book while supplies last. Murder by the Book is also hosting a virtual release party on July 14th with me, Kelley Armstrong, and Melissa Marr, where we’ll be chatting about all things paranormal, taking your questions, and giving away prizes. Click the link for more information: https://www.murderbooks.com/Hex-On-Th...
Note: Because we all have different audio publishers with different schedules, HEX ON THE BEACH is only available in print and ebook at this time. Audio editions of each novella will release separately at a later date.
Girls Night Out has never been so much fun–but what are they going to do with all these bodies?
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors Kelley Armstrong, Jeaniene Frost, and Melissa Marr deliver a sexy summer read with this novel-length anthology containing three all-new stories from their Cursed Luck, Night Huntress, and Faery Bargains worlds. Kennedy, Cat, and Gen are just trying to enjoy their respective getaways, but when immortals, vampires, and witches come out to play, things are bound to go awry. Let the supernatural hijinks begin!
“HEX ON THE BEACH is a hoot with a wide array of baddies, and a superb collection of paranormal female dynamos.” Fresh Fiction
To celebrate HEX ON THE BEACH’s release, I’m holding a contest giving away my two favorite things: books and money! Bff Ilona Andrews is hosting the giveaway on her blog, so to get all the details and enter for your chance to win, go here: https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/he...
Happy reading, and good luck!
June 29, 2021
A Grave Girls' Getaway playlist plus a new excerpt!
If you’ve already read that and you want another sample, I aim to please! Another excerpt is at the bottom of this post. Before we get to that, here’s the playlist I listened to while writing A Grave Girls’ Getaway. As many of you know, listening to music helps me concentrate while I write, and listening to the same songs helps keep me focused on that particular story. Usual disclaimer: there’s no hidden meaning for the book in these songs, unless I note a song with an asterisk. Some songs are recent hits, some are retro, and some are in between. Also, music tastes are as personal as reading tastes, so if you don’t like some of the bands/songs, no problem! Just please don’t tell me that I shouldn’t like them, because if a song/band is listed, then I do, and no arguing on your part will change my mind :).
The layout is artist name: songs. Artists are in alphabetical order for ease of reading, but this isn’t the order that I listened to while writing because I am not that organized.
Dave Crowder Band: Sometimes
Dua Lipa: Don’t Start Now
Duncan Lawrence: Arcade
Elle King and Miranda Lambert: Drunk and I Don’t Wanna Go Home*
Eminem: Venom
Halsey: Without Me
Ingrid Andress: Lady Like
John Mayer: Heartbreak Warfare
Katy Perry: Daisies
Kygo & One Republic: Lose Somebody
Lizzo: Good As Hell
Miley Cypress & Stevie Nicks: Edge of Midnight/Midnight Sky remix
Niall Horan: Nice To Meet Ya
Nicki Minaj: Starships
Nico & Vinz: Am I Wrong
Olivia Rodrigo: Drivers License
Passenger: Sword From The Stone
Queen Herby: Bad Bitches
Remedy Drive: All Along
Sia: Cheap Thrills
Tate McRae: You Broke Me First
Taylor Swift: Exile
The Script: The Last Time
The Weeknd: Blinding Lights
Tom Grennan: Little Bit of Love
Tones And I: Dance Monkey
X Ambassadors: Renegades
Young Summer: Waves The Rolled You Under
Zoe Wees: Control
*I played I’m Drunk And I Don’t Wanna Go Home on repeat while writing the below. You’ll soon see why, heh. Before I give you context for this scene, SPOILER WARNING: you’ll find out about a subplot from A Grave Girls’ Getaway in this, so if you hate to know any subplots in advance, don’t read on. If you’re still reading, then you don’t mind mild spoilers, so in the below, Cat’s been struck with an immobility spell, and Denise has called in the half demon, half demigod Ashael for help.
Excerpt, A GRAVE GIRLS GETAWAY from HEX ON THE BEACH. Copyright Jeaniene Frost. All rights reserved.
“I can give her something to weaken the immobility spell so she can move again,” Ashael went on.
If my hands could have shot out to indicate consent, they would have. Do it! Whatever it is, bring it on!
“But she won’t be good for much after that, and it’s very important that you kill whoever hexed you both,” he finished.
“Why won’t Cat be good for much?” Denise asked, echoing my own thought.
His smile was as bright as sunshine. “She’ll be too high.”
I stared at the demon. Now I knew what he intended to give me to counter the spell. His blood.
Demons weren’t just the inventors of magic; they were the walking embodiment of it. That’s why spells didn’t work on them. Their blood also had a unique effect on vampires, and by unique, I mean that vamps who drank demon blood ended up more wasted than a frat boy after a drinking contest.
Still, being wasted would be an improvement over my current state. Besides, Ashael was only half demon. His other side was of an indeterminate celestial nature, so maybe his mixed blood wouldn’t get me as trashed as straight demon blood would. Even if it did, Bones had once managed to win a fight to the death while sky-high on demon blood.
If he could do it, I could do it.
I stared at Denise, hoping she could intuit my answer.
She sighed. “I don’t like this, but…Cat says yes.”
Ashael rolled up his sleeve while grabbing one of the broken bottles I’d telekinetically hurled at him. Then, he came toward me with a wolfish smile.
“In that case, my lovely redhead, I hope you’re thirsty.”
Being born half vampire meant that I’d only been drunk once, after a ghost had tricked me into chugging an entire bottle of uncut moonshine. Not even my half-vampire nature had been enough to make me immune to half a gallon of 180 proof “white lightning,” as it turned out. Still, despite my relative inexperience with being intoxicated, I felt prepared to deal with the wonky side effects of Ashael’s blood.
Oh, what a sweet summer child I was!
The first splash shot past my lips and went right down my throat. If my muscles still worked, I would’ve gagged.
Be a little more gentlemanly when shooting your load, Ashael!
At least I didn’t need to worry about my lack of ability to swallow. With how forcefully his blood came out, it felt like it went straight into my stomach, and…wow, this rug was so thick. And lush. Had it always felt like this? And the colors in this room were so vivid, especially when reflected in the lights from all the broken glass.
“Beautiful,” I sighed, and then squealed in delight.
I was talking again! Sure, I’d dribbled blood to say the words, but who cared? I wasn’t wearing this dress again anyway.
“More,” I said next, and grabbed Ashael’s wrist.
“Uh, if she’s moving now, is that enough?” Denise asked.
“No,” I garbled out before Ashael could answer. Every swallow made the world more beautiful, warm, and glorious.
“Slow down, Cat,” I heard Denise say.
I loved her, but she seriously needed to shut up.
Ashael’s dark curls brushed my face as he bent near my ear. Even that slight touch felt like silk trailing over my skin.
“Last swallow, little vampire,” he murmured, his voice curling around me like warm, dark waters.
“No,” I said, my inhibitions drowned. “Eat you…all night.”
Ashael’s laugh was more decadent than the richest dessert. “If circumstances were different, I’d let you, but alas.”
Then, his wrist was gone, and that addictive flow stopped.
I tried to yank his wrist back and ended up only grasping air. I leapt up to see Ashael on the other side of the room, wagging a finger at me.
“Ah ah ah, my lovely one. You’re cut off.”
I lunged at him, and then staggered in surprise when the floor rose up to trip me.
“Stop it,” I snapped at the floor.
It undulated in response, taunting me. I stomped on it, and it surged up with an abrupt wave that knocked me flat.
Asshole.
Denise rushed over. “Cat! Are you okay?”
“Fine,” I said, brushing her aside. This was between me and the floor, and I was kicking its polished driftwood ass.
I stomped up and down on it with all my strength. Planks cracked and gave way. When I was ankle-deep in the floor’s wreckage, I howled in victory.
Take that, motherfucker!
“Cat…” Denise sounded worried, but she shouldn’t be. I’d beaten the floor, so it couldn’t attack her next.
“Don’t bother trying to reason with her,” Ashael said. “She’s too high. Give her a few minutes to adjust to the effects of my blood. She’ll be better by then.”
“I’m fine,” I told Ashael. “In fact, I’m fabulous.”
His grin was annoying in its smugness. Should teach him a lesson. Make him bleed a little…and then lick his blood.
“She’s, ah, growling,” Denise said with concern.
Ashael waved. “Pay it no mind. Now, care to tell what happened that caused you two to run afoul of a sea god?”
***
Hope you enjoyed the excerpt! Once again, A Grave Girls’ Getaway is in the HEX ON THE BEACH anthology releasing this Thursday, JULY 1st.
Girls Night Out has never been so much fun–but what are they going to do with all these bodies?
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors Kelley Armstrong, Jeaniene Frost, and Melissa Marr deliver a sexy summer read with this novel-length anthology containing three all-new stories from their Cursed Luck, Night Huntress, and Faery Bargains worlds. Kennedy, Cat, and Gen are just trying to enjoy their respective getaways, but when immortals, vampires, and witches come out to play, things are bound to go awry. Let the supernatural hijinks begin!
“HEX ON THE BEACH is a hoot with a wide array of baddies, and a superb collection of paranormal female dynamos.” Fresh Fiction
Get yours at #Ad Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or your favorite retailer.
March 2, 2021
Release party contest winners!
First, thanks so much to everyone who came out to the WICKED ALL NIGHT online release party last Tuesday! It was SO much fun getting to chat with you. Even if it was only hanging out in a virtual forum, it still felt like a little slice of normal, and I can't tell you how much I've needed a slice of normal after these past twelve months. I hope that you enjoyed it, too. Big thanks again to Ilona Andrews for hosting the release party on her forum!
I promised to pick winners from among those of you who came to the chat, and I am here to make good on that promise. As usual, winners were picked by random selection. So, without further ado, the 5 winners of a signed copy of WICKED ALL NIGHT are:
Susan Kim, Mistie Maskil, Sharona McKee, Brenda Pence, and Angela Nguyen. Congrats to all of you!
Next up are the winners of the two $25 Amazon egift cards. They are:
Ashley Occenad and Penny Brant. Congrats to you both!
Finally, the grand prize winner of a $50 Amazon egift card is...
Marilyn Keating. Congrats, Marilyn!
All winners, please email me at frostlight1 AT yahoo DOT com (you know what to do with the AT being @ and the DOT being .) In your email, please include the email address that you used to register to join the chat for identity verification purposes.
To everyone else, I'm sorry you didn't win, but once again, I loved hanging out with you, and thank you for making the release celebration of WICKED ALL NIGHT such a fun event--and my apologies again for my language. What can I say? Being locked inside for a year has done BAD things to my profanity filter, lol.
Even if you couldn't make the live event, I WILL be posting the video on my blog in the future, so you'll get to join in that way. You'll also get to virtually meet my new husky puppy, Leia, who burst into my closed--yes, CLOSED--office twice to demand attention during the interview. Funny: I'd said early on in the chat that my new dog could open doors. I think some of you thought I was exaggerating, but Leia proved me right! If you missed it, this happened during the "spoiler" part of the chat at the end. Guess Leia had had enough of being locked out by then, heh.
Once again, congrats to the winners, and to everyone else, I leave you with a picture of our intrepid, door-opening canine. See, she's an Ian fan, too ;).
February 13, 2021
WICKED ALL NIGHT contest!
Hi, everyone! Meant to post this earlier in the week, but time got away from me. Anyway, I owe you a contest, so let's get right to it! I'm giving away 5 copies of WICKED ALL NIGHT, the third Night Rebel book:
To enter for your chance to win, please follow the rules below.
1. Send an email to jeanieneprizes 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 Wednesday, February 17th at 11:59pm Eastern time. Winners will be announced on my blog the next day. Contest is open international readers.
Good luck, everyone!
February 2, 2021
WICKED ALL NIGHT release party!
In only three weeks, WICKED ALL NIGHT will be finally be here! To celebrate, I am having an online release party on February 23rd, at 8pm Eastern Time. Big thanks to fellow author and BFF Ilona Andrews, who is hosting the online event via Zoom, and will also be interviewing me. In addition to the Q&A with Ilona, I will also be taking YOUR questions, plus giving away five signed copies of WICKED ALL NIGHT, and giving away two $25 Amazon egift cards PLUS a $50.00 Amazon egift card. So, if you want to reserve your spot--and spacing will be limited!--click on the image below or go HERE. (full link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PwkeX_xOQtOT-AgtVLsfhw)
ETA: Pre-registration is now full, but we expect more slots to open up at the time of the event because some people who booked in advance will end up not making it since life stuff happens. So, try again on the 23rd at 8pm to join the release party!
December 14, 2020
A new Night Huntress story
Hello, all! Yes, the blog has been quiet lately. Sorry about that. I kept meaning to post, but then something would distract me and/or need to get done, so...poof. No post.
However, I'm breaking the long blog silence with some news. I've had lots of people ask "What's next?" after WICKED ALL NIGHT since that's the last Ian and Veritas book for the foreseeable future*. Now, I can finally tell you: I will be in an anthology with fellow authors Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Some of you might remember that Melissa, Kelley and I worked together before, on the NOLA STORYCON convention, so I'm thrilled to be collaborating with them again in :::drumroll please:::
Hex on the Beach
Girls Night Out has never been so much fun--but what are they going to do with all these bodies?
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors Kelley Armstrong, Jeaniene Frost, and Melissa Marr deliver a sexy summer read with this novel-length anthology containing three all-new stories from their Cursed Luck, Night Huntress, and Faery Bargains worlds. Kennedy, Cat, and Gen are just trying to enjoy their respective getaways, but when immortals, vampires, and witches come out to play, things are bound to go awry. Let the supernatural hijinks begin!
Releases July 1, 2021
Note: the cover will be released later, and while some pre-order links are up now, some of them are not. More links will be posted as they go live. For now, you can pre-order from: B&N, Apple Books, Kobo.
Will my local book store carry this?
On their online website, probably. But probably not in their brick-and-mortar stores because most physical stores don't carry books by self-published authors. So, again, the best way to get this is to order it online via your favorite book store. Again, we'll post more retail links when they go live.
Will it be available in paperback?
Yes, but due to print-on-demand limitations, the paperback version might take longer to receive than the ebook. Or it might not. We'll have more on this once we know.
Will it be available in audio book?
The whole anthology? Not at this time. As individual stories, probably. We're in the process of securing audio editions of our individual stories, so more later on that, too.
Why are you announcing this now if you don't have all the information on it yet?
Because earlier, B&N's site did an oopsie and posted the release date as TODAY, so we started getting "huh?" emails from readers who understandably had questions. This announcement is to answer some of those questions, and to set the record straight as to the correct release day of July 1st, 2021.
Is this a whole book's worth of a new Night Huntress story?
No. The anthology itself will be book-sized, but each of the three stories within it will only be novella-sized.
Is this a new Cat and Bones story? Or is it only Cat and Denise?
It's a Night Huntress story, so of course you will see Cat, Bones, and Katie in their new lives after the events of WICKED ALL NIGHT (inserts shameless plug here to read WICKED ALL NIGHT when it comes out in February if you want to know the big change for Cat and Bones since the last Night Huntress book!) However, the main focus will be Cat and Denise having a girls' night out that goes hilariously awry. Don't worry, you'll still get lots of Cat and Bones time, including sexy times, but I've been wanting to showcase the girls having fun kicking ass on their own for a while now, and I can with this story.
Wait, didn't you say you were DONE writing about Cat and Bones?
I did! I made a whole, lengthy blog post about it, in fact, and I meant every word...at the time. Then, years passed and I started getting new story ideas about them, but (1) I was contracted to write other characters' books instead, and (2) I had made SUCH a big deal about being done with Cat and Bones that I felt like I couldn't go back on that "I'm done" post no matter how much I still wanted to write about them.
Then, as many of you know, I started writing an unfinished, serial retelling of Cat and Bones's early days in THE OTHER HALF OF THE GRAVE back in late 2019/early 2020. At the time, I did it just for fun, but I later realized I did it because I missed them so much that I had to write about them, even if it was just in "his side of the story" form. When I posted it online, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many readers had missed them and wanted more stories about them, too.
It started to feel foolish to not do what I wanted to do, and what many readers wanted me to do, simply because of a post I wrote several years ago. Fast forward to me finishing WICKED ALL NIGHT and wondering "What next?" to Melissa Marr calling me and saying "I have this anthology idea. Kelley's already on board. Want to be in it?"
Yes. Yes, I did.
Again, this isn't an entire new book featuring Cat and Bones. I don't have plans to do another of those yet. But, I have had this particular story in my head for a few years now, and I'm so happy to get to tell it in this format, with friends. I hope that it makes some of you happy, too.
What's next after this anthology?
I'm not sure. I have ideas featuring more familiar vampire characters, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Once I do, I'll let you know.
What did "*" mean when you said "since that's the last Ian and Veritas book for the foreseeable future*" up at the top of this post?
It means that I think WICKED ALL NIGHT is the last Ian and Veritas book as I type this. But, since I apparently can miss characters enough to write about them again even after I tell everyone that I'm done, I've decided against declaring that the Night Rebel series is permanently finished after WICKED ALL NIGHT. Instead, I'll just say that it's done for now.
Wow, you're not very professional, are you?
Not really! It seems I'm not much different at this point in my career than I was at the very beginning of it, which is a person who loves to write stories about characters that I love. It's as simple as that, but no, it's not necessarily professional. So, for every reader who chooses to take this new journey with Cat, Bones, and Denise in this story, yay! For every reader who chooses not to because the Night Huntress storyline was supposed to end at UP FROM THE GRAVE, I totally understand, and thank you for taking the journey with Cat and Bones up to whatever book you stopped at :).
October 9, 2020
WICKED ALL NIGHT chapter one, plus read SHADES OF WICKED free!
Long time no update, but I'm back with goodies! First, are you a member of Amazon Prime? If so, then you can read SHADES OF WICKED, the first Night Rebel novel, for FREE on Prime for a limited time. Important note: you MUST be logged into your Prime account to read it for free. If you're not logged in, you won't see "Prime: free," you'll only see the $5.99 price point. Also, this seems to be for US Prime members only, so my apologies, international readers. But, if you're a US resident and a Prime member, read Ian and Veritas's first book for free here: #Ad Amazon
And now, to chapter one of WICKED ALL NIGHT, Night Rebel book three. Series timeline-wise, it picks up about ten days after the end of WICKED BITE, so warning: if you read the below, you will be massively spoiled on major events, including the ending, from WICKED BITE. Also, because this chapter ends on a bit of a cliffhanger (and so does the next one) I'm going to post Chapter Two next Friday, and Chapter Three the Friday after that. So, you won't have to wait long to get a taste of what's next for Ian and Veritas in WICKED ALL NIGHT. HOWEVER, if you're on my newsletter, then you get ALL THREE CHAPTERS TONIGHT as a thank-you for being a newsletter subscriber. So, if you're already on the newsletter, check your inbox tonight for the three chapters! If you're not on my newsletter yet, and you want early access to the chapters plus other exclusive treats, sign up HERE .
All disclaimers aside, happy reading!
Copyright, Jeaniene Frost
Chapter One
A week ago, a demon teleporting into my room would’ve sent me running for the nearest weapon. Now, I barely looked up when the bedroom’s shadows suddenly formed into a tall, handsome man with midnight-brown eyes, closely cropped black curls, and skin the rich, dark brown color of smoky quartz.
“Did you bring more blood?” I asked him.
Ashael slid a briefcase across the floor to me. I opened it,
relieved to see several blood bags inside.
“Thank you.” I hoisted the nearest bag onto the IV pole beside
me. This was the last ingredient I needed for my spell. Everything else was in
place.
Then, I watched as a thin stream of crimson streaked down the IV line toward the unconscious vampire on the bed. Please, I thought, fighting to hold back tears. Please let this spell work!
Magic flared the instant the blood hit Ian’s veins as the spell activated. My nails dug into my palms. Please, please, please . . .
A choked sound escaped me when Ian’s half-shriveled arm began to
change, transforming from a near-skeletal state into his normal, muscled limb.
Very slowly, his body began to follow suit, losing the shocking gauntness he’d
had for the past ten days to expand back to his healthy, brawny physique.
“Yes!” I shouted, so relieved my knees felt weak.
We’d finally defeated our worst enemy, but Dagon had had one last,
evil trick in store for us. At first I thought everything was great. Dagon was
dead, Ian had summoned me away from the vampire council, preventing them from
executing me, and we were safe at Mencheres’s house in the Hamptons. Sure, Ian
was badly injured from Dagon’s trap, but Ian was a vampire, and vampires healed
from everything except decapitation or silver destroying their heart.
Or so I’d thought.
Turned out, there was one more injury that vampires couldn’t heal
from: whatever dark magic Dagon had infused in his fucking trap. Ian had borne
the worst of its effects since he’d been the one to break us out of it. Or my
other nature had protected me from the trap’s lingering, deadly magic. Either
way, I was fine, but Ian fell unconscious the same day that he rescued me.
He hadn’t woken up since, and he hadn’t healed from his horrific
injuries no matter what spell I used to try to counter the lethal magic. Instead,
Ian had only grown worse.
Until now.
“It’s working.” My voice vibrated from the joy rocketing through me.
“Thank all the gods, it’s working!”
I’d put all my knowledge, every last one of my magic-infused gems, all my power, and more than a few stolen artifacts into this latest spell. Those last ingredients had netted me some new enemies, but I didn’t care. Ian’s magic-ravaged body was finally healing. Oh, I couldn’t wait until he opened his eyes again! I also couldn’t wait to hear his voice, to see his smile, listen to his laugh . . . wait. What was happening?
Ian’s body suddenly began to shrink back into itself.
“No!” I grabbed his arm, as if I could physically prevent him from
degenerating again.
That meant I felt as well as saw Ian’s formerly healed body reduce itself back to little more than tendon-covered bones. His pearlescent skin now also had a grayish undertone, and his thick auburn hair looked faded and brittle, like discarded straw. If anyone saw him, they’d think they were looking at a corpse.
“No!” I screamed, dropping Ian’s arm. If I held it any longer, I would break it from how frail it was.
And Ian wasn’t frail. He was the strongest, cleverest, bravest, sexiest, most stubborn man I’d ever met. He’d defeated every challenge anyone had thrown at him, every time. He’d even defeated death once, so he couldn’t end up destroyed by Dagon’s spell, after everything he’d overcome. He just couldn’t!
Ashael let out a deep sigh. “I am so sorry, my sister.”
Only then did I realize I was crying, the kind of deep, hiccupping
sobs that no one wanted to cry, let alone with an audience. I couldn’t seem to
stop, either. I, widely known as the vampire world’s coldest, most unfeeling
Law Guardian, couldn’t even slow my heaving sobs.
I’d put everything I had into this spell, and it hadn’t been enough.
Even from the grave, Dagon would win. He’d already made me watch Ian die once.
Now, Dagon would force me to watch him die again, unless I somehow found
another way to stop the magic that was inexorably killing him.
I would, I swore, swiping at my tears. I’d find another way, or I’d make another way.
Ashael patted my back in a soothing way. As a demon, he probably
wasn’t used to offering comfort, but despite his lack of practice, he was
pretty good at it.
“I’m okay,” I said once I’d shoved my pain down enough to speak
instead of sob. Then, I changed the subject because if I focused anymore on how
this spell had failed, I’d lose it again. “Have you had any luck finding our
father?”
It still felt strange to say “our” father. For thousands of years, I
thought I had no siblings. Then, a month ago, I found out that Ashael was my
half brother, though Ashael’s other half came from the demon race, while I was
half vampire.
“No. He hasn’t responded to any of my summonings.”
“How can he ignore both of us?” I asked. “No, really, how? If you draw the right symbols in my blood and called me using my true name, I have to come, and I inherited that from dear old Dad. So, how can he ignore both of us repeatedly blood-ritual summoning him?”
Ashael shrugged. “He is the epitome of the river separating life and
death. Who knows what he is capable of?”
“Exactly, which is why we need to find him. Our father might be the
only person strong enough to heal Ian.”
Everything Ashael and I had tried might have failed, but our father
was a netherworld god. He’d raised Ian from the dead before, so healing him
should be well within his purview.
“I will find him,” Ashael said. Then his dark eyes grew more
sympathetic. “But I have no idea how long it will take. If Ian does not survive
until then—”
“He will,” I interrupted, fighting back a new surge of tears.
Crying didn’t help Ian. It only took away the energy I’d need to
save him. Ian had never let impossible odds stop him from saving me. I wouldn’t
fail him now.
Ashael didn’t argue. He only inclined his head. “As you say.
However, Ian’s condition puts you at a disadvantage, since many enemies are
after you. The vampire council wants you dead now that they know what you are,
and you refused my offer to slaughter them—”
“I still do,” I said, though I patted his hand.
A human brother might bring me a bouquet of flowers to brighten my
day. My demon brother wanted to bring me a bouquet of my enemies’ body parts.
Gruesome, yes, but his motivation was sweet, even if his method of showing
affection was . . . less so.
“Very well, no slaughtering the council,” Ashael said, sounding
disappointed. “Their death sentence on you aside, you also have Dagon’s allies
seeking revenge against you, and you have that other concern.”
Other concern. That was one way to describe an unwanted celestial fiancé. But that was also the topic I least wanted to talk about.
“I’ll deal with that after Ian is well.”
Ashael frowned. “Then you cannot attract Phanes’s notice by piercing
a hole into the underworld again.”
Really? There went my after-dinner plans.
I didn’t say it out loud. Ashael didn’t deserve my sarcasm.
“Thank you,” I said. That, Ashael deserved.
A small smile curved his mouth. “Anything for my sister.”
It still felt odd hearing it. But also, it felt a little wonderful,
and that was the emotion I’d try to dwell on.
“Are you off again?”
Ashael never stayed long. The salt water in the air from the nearby
surf burned him. If Ashael wasn’t only half demon, he wouldn’t be able to stand
it at all. That’s why we were still at Ian’s sire’s house in the Hamptons. Its
beachside location made it demon-proof, and none of the Law Guardians looking
for me would assume I’d choose a ritzy vacation home for my hideout.
Ashael nodded. “I’m meeting an acquaintance that might have
information on our father. I should be back before dawn.”
I nodded. Ashael hesitated, and then touched my shoulder.
“I’m worried about you, Veritas. You’re so busy caring for him,
you’re neglecting yourself, and Ian wouldn’t want you hovering over him until
you wasted away. He’d tell you to sleep, to feed, to take a walk, take a drive,
or do something other than stare at him every moment as he sleeps. You know I’m
right.”
He probably was. But when I slept, I woke up screaming from
nightmares where Ian degenerated into dust right before my eyes. Plus, every
drop of blood I consumed was one less drop that might help Ian regain his
strength to fight Dagon’s spell. I knew that, even unconscious, Ian was still
fighting. I could feel it in his power, simmering beneath the dark magic that
was trying to destroy him. Some days, feeling the faint pulse of his power was
the only thing that kept me from going insane.
I couldn’t say any of that to Ashael without worrying him more, so I said, “I’ll walk on the beach for a bit after you leave. I did that the other night, too, so I’m not only spending my time hovering over Ian.”
He smiled. “Good. I’ll see you when I return.”
I forced a smile in return. “Be safe, and I’ll see you then.”
He teleported away. My false smile dissolved the next instant.
Still, a few hours later, I went outside to fulfill my promise to
him. The nearby ocean called to my celestial-born nature anyway. Waves grabbed
at my ankles like frigid fingers when I reached the surf. I didn’t mind. The
cold combined with the late hour meant that I was alone on the beach. The
Hamptons’ other residents were either gone for the winter or safely inside
their expensive beachfront homes.
When the next wave rushed over my ankles, I used my power to break
it into spirals that twirled around me like mini water spouts. Then, when the
waves departed back into the ocean, I sent the spirals chasing after them. My
ability to control water was more second nature than a learned skill. Very
second nature, considering that it came from my other half.
When I was in my mid-twenties, Tenoch, my beloved sire, had turned
me into a vampire, but I wasn’t human before that. I hadn’t known, of course.
I’d been enslaved by Dagon since I was too young to remember anything except my
first death. Dagon told me he raised me from that death, and from the
hundreds—thousands?—of deaths after it. I believed him because Dagon was a
powerful demon who could do many incredible things. I only found out decades
later that Dagon had nothing to do with my resurrections. My biological father,
the Warden of the Gateway to the Netherworld, was the one who’d repeatedly
brought me back from the dead. The Warden was also the source of my powers,
some of which had scared my sire, Tenoch, so much, I’d suppressed them to the
point of forming an entirely separate identity.
For over four thousand years, no one except Tenoch had known what I really was, since being a mixed-species vampire was so illegal that it was punishable by death. No one even knew what I really looked like. I’d concealed my celestial side beneath my rigid, vampire Law Guardian persona, and I’d hidden my true, god-resembling appearance beneath glamour that showed a thin, blonde, young woman to anyone who looked at me. Both disguises had allowed me to lead a safe, solitary life . . . until Ian.
Somehow, Ian had sensed the real me even before we spoke a single
word. Later, when circumstances forced me to show Ian what I was, he hadn’t
been frightened or appalled like everyone else. He’d been intrigued, aroused,
and then unstoppable in his pursuit of me. I’d done everything to guard my
heart, but I’d failed. By then, I hadn’t cared. Falling for Ian might have
ripped me in two—literally, considering the emergence of my other side—but it
had also been the highlight of my very long life. I’d never known it was
possible to be so happy, and now I couldn’t bear to lose him. Not again,
and . . . what was wrong with the sand?
Seconds ago, it had been grayish. Now, it was every shade of gold.
The air filled with golden beams, too, as if the brightest sun were shining
instead of the wan streaks from the crescent moon. In the next instant, lights
were suspended in the air like multitudes of tiny stars.
It was stunning, but I all I could think was Oh, shit!
I’d seen this before, and it had heralded the arrival of the very last person I wanted to see.
I flew toward the cottage, only to smack into a muscled chest before
I’d made it two meters. Suddenly, I was held aloft by two burly arms framed by
huge golden wings.
“My bride!” said my unwanted celestial fiancé.
***
Hope you enjoyed Chapter One! Remember, Chapter Two will post next Friday, October 16th, with Chapter Three following on Friday October 23rd. You can also pre-order WICKED ALL NIGHT from (#Ad) Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, BooksAMillion, IndieBound, or your favorite retailer.
June 12, 2020
Twice Tempted, the interactive Chapters game
I'm getting a lot of questions about when the next Night Prince book will come out on Chapters, Interactive Stories. Good news! TWICE TEMPTED, the Chapters interactive game story, will release next week on June 15th.
If you didn’t see my prior posts, and you’re wondering “What game version?” here’s a recap: Chapters, an interactive game company, acquired rights for the entire Night Prince series, and they just released their game version of ONCE BURNED last month. This game is meant to be played on cell phones, and you role-play as the heroine, Leila, where you choose some of what Leila does based on the options you’re provided (the game sticks close to the plot of the books.) In addition to that, you can also customize what Leila and Vlad look like (messing with Vlad’s hair cracked me up, I’ll admit, because if he were real, he’d torch me for that.) You can download the Chapters game App for your mobile phone at one of these links:
Google Play (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mars.avgchapters
Apple (iPhone, iPad) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chapters-interactive-stories/id1277029359
Use the Search bar and enter “Once Burned,” tap on it, and get to the fun! Again, Chapters will release TWICE TEMPTED next week on the 15th. Once I find out when they're releasing BOUND BY FLAMES, I'll let you know.
To celebrate TWICE TEMPTED's release on Chapters, they are giving me another 500 "game gems" to give away. Thank you, Chapters! Look for details on that contest next week, and head's up: Part of the contest will be for newsletter subscribers only, so if you want to double your chances to win, make sure you're signed up for my newsletter HERE or click the link at the bottom of this post.
Chapters, Interactive Stories has more than just ONCE BURNED and the upcoming TWICE TEMPED as interactive story games, of course. They feature lots of different stories in romance, fantasy, sci-fi, YA, drama, and more. So, if you need something to take your mind off things, try role playing as a character in an interactive game based on books Be advised, though: there’s sound in this game, so turn your phone on mute if you don’t want to get caught playing while you’re supposed to be working ;).
That's it from me for now. Back to finishing WICKED ALL NIGHT, and see you next week when I post the new contest!
April 4, 2020
Stress and baking
Hi, everyone. Sorry I haven't blogged as much lately. I've been busy trying to write while also freaking out over the news. First off, I hope that all of you are safe, well, and (unless you have a job deemed "essential") staying inside. Staying inside saves lives, so as much as you are able, PLEASE. Stay inside.
To those with jobs that make this impossible, I've said it before, and I'll say it again to all you first responders, doctors, nurses, medical and hospital staff, medical housekeeping, pharmacists, grocery store clerks, grocery delivery drivers, medical supply companies, businesses that weren't medical supply companies, but have stepped up to start making medical supplies, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, cooks, and so many more, THANK YOU. You are the heroes of this moment.
Speaking of cooks, my actual, professional bio has a line in it that says "hates to cook" because, under normal circumstances, that's true. For one, I'm not that good at cooking. For another, my husband is a VERY good cook. When we first met, he worked as a line chef for a couple restaurants, so unless it's something very easy like Hamburger Helper, Tacos, Man-which, or the like, he cooks. Not me. The joke in our house is that I only cook for people I don't like because the results usually aren't that good. However...being quarantined to #FlattenTheCurve has changed all that.
Who knew that during a terrible international crisis, I'd turn to stress-cooking? Not me, that's for sure, but here we are. In fact, in the past ten days alone, I have made:
2 batches of homemade lasagna
1 gallon of homemade crock-pot pork chili
2 chicken divan casseroles
1 batch box-mix brownies
1 batch box-mix red velvet cupcakes
1 batch box-mix blueberry muffins
1 batch homemade vanilla icing
Pecan praline pancakes
It's official: I have turned into my mother. All of her "you should learn how to cook!" nagging over decades didn't work, but my staying at home for quarantine apparently has. She's laughing at me from above, I just know it. Now, don't be alarmed. I haven't eaten all of the above yet. Most of the chili was divided and frozen for later, as was one of the chicken divan casseroles. Plus, the red velvet cupcakes didn't turn out well, so most of those ended up in the trash. But the rest...yeah. The below gif pretty much describes what happened:
Finally, to honor the saying "pics or it didn't happen!" here's one of the lasagnas I made:
That's it from me for now. Once again, I hope that all of you are staying safe, staying well, and (for those who can) staying inside. Cyber-hugs to all.
March 18, 2020
TV shows and author recs while you're at home
If you’re also home, and need a break from stress-watching the news, or suddenly having to home-school your kids, here are some suggestions for your down time. First up are my top ten favorite comedy paranormal tv shows. Note I said COMEDY paranormal tv shows, because I also have favorite drama and darker paranormal shows, but we could all use a laugh at the moment, right? So, if you like your supernatural laced with silly humor, these might be for you:
People of Earth
Santa Clarita Diet
Stan Against Evil
Ghosted
What We Do In The Shadows
Spirited
Misfits
Good Omens
Merlin
Warehouse 13
But I just want to read a good book to relax! some of you might be thinking.
Hey, I understand! That’s why I’m also listing my favorite paranormal authors, whose works encompass urban fantasy with a romantic element to paranormal romance (and some write excellent thrillers and other genres, too!) Notice that I can’t cap this list at ten because it was hard enough narrowing it down to my top twenty. I know I’ll kick myself for leaving some great names out. But, the good news for you is that if you’re not already familiar with these authors, many of them are very prolific, so you’ll have lots of great books to choose from. Authors are listed in alphabetical order. Happy reading!
Lara Adrian, Ilona Andrews, Kelly Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Kresley Cole, Alyssa Day, Jennifer Estep, Yasmine Galenorn , Colleen Gleason , Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Chloe Neil, Cherie Priest, Lynsay Sands, Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Maria Vale, and Rachel Vincent.
