A.C. James's Blog, page 13
October 9, 2013
Interview with Contemporary Romance Author Jana Richards
Tell us about yourself.
I’m thirty-nine years old, and I have a ten year old daughter. I own the Lazy J Guest Ranch.
What else can you tell us?
What more do you need to know? Those are the basic facts.
How about some of the less-basic facts, maybe a few details?
All right, fine, but I don’t think the details are particularly interesting. I’ve lived here in Paradise, North Dakota most of my life, except for a few years when I worked in Texas. I’ve been divorced ten years. Like I said, my daughter is ten. Her name is Leslie and she’s the light of my life. She has Down syndrome.
Interesting. You were divorced at the same time your daughter was born. I have a feeling there’s a story there.
The only story is that Leslie’s mother didn’t want her. She wanted a perfect child, but there’s no such thing as perfect. She made me choose – Leslie or her. I chose Leslie. And I’ve never regretted my decision for a second in the last ten years.
Tell me about Bridget Grant.
Bridget is great. She’s smart and hard-working, and she’s a great mom. I’m glad to see her again, but she doesn’t plan on staying in Paradise past the end of the school year, so there’s no point starting anything serious.
Do you want her to stay?
There’s no point wanting or wishing because her plans don’t include living the rest of her life in Paradise and mine do.
But if she decided to stay in Paradise, would you want a permanent relationship?
But she’s not staying.
But if she was?
I don’t know. We have a lot of things we don’t agree on.
Like what?
Like my daughter. Bridget doesn’t agree with how I’m raising her. She thinks I coddle her, that she doesn’t know how to do things for herself. I think she’s wrong. Leslie is simply not able to do everything for herself. She needs my help. I can’t just leave her to fend for herself. Bridget doesn’t understand what it’s like to raise a kid with special needs.
Are you still in love with Bridget?
(Hesitates) I can’t answer that.
You can’t answer that, or you won’t?
You can interpret it any way you want to. (Gets to his feet) Are we done?
Just one more question. If Bridget told you tomorrow that she loved you, what would you do?
(Runs hand through his hair) I don’t know. Bridget told me she loved me once before, twenty years ago, and then she left. This time there’s more at stake. Our daughters are part of the equation this time. How can we risk hurting them?
(Puts on his jacket) I’ve got to go.
Thanks for talking to us.
You’re welcome. (Pauses) Are you going to tell Bridget what I said?
I guess you’re just going to have to wait to find out. See you around, Jack.
(Glares) Right. See you around.
Jana here. Thanks for joining Jack and me for our little interview. I’m beyond excited about the release of FIRST AND AGAIN by Carina Press. I hope you follow along on my blog tour the next couple of weeks. You’ll find a schedule on my blog. It’s been great talking to you!
First and Again
Jana Richards
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Date of Publication: October 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-14268-9643-9
ASIN: B00E1UY6GE
Word Count: 87,000 words
Carina Press Amazon Barnes & Noble All Romance Ebooks Kobo
Book Description:
Bridget Grant is back in Paradise. Paradise, North Dakota, that is.
She’s swallowed her pride and moved back to her hometown with her daughter after her divorce and the loss of her catering company. Now she’s trying to navigate the strained relationships she’d left behind—including her first love, Jack Davison.
Jack never forgot Bridget, or the day she left town—and him. When Bridget caters a lunch at Jack’s tourist ranch, old flames reignite. They have more in common than ever—Jack’s also a single parent. Though they both try to keep things casual, Bridget, Jack and their girls are starting to look a lot like a family.
But Bridget’s only planning to stay in Paradise until she’s saved enough to relaunch her business. Jack’s invested too much in his ranch to leave. And with their daughters involved, both have a lot more at stake than heartbreak. How can they risk falling in love?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author:
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at:
Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards
Newsletter signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT
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October 7, 2013
Why I write BDSM romance?
This was listed in the BDSM for Writers Conference Newsletter get to know the authors weekly blog post. But for those of you who aren’t registered for the conference (although I can’t imagine why you’re not) or haven’t signed up for the newsletter or visited the website you missed my post that Dr. Charley Ferrer asked the authors presenting at the 2014 BDSM for Writers Conference to write to introduce ourselves.
I’m thrilled to be presenting two workshops that teach erotica writers how to use cutting edge software to self-publish their own anthologies and e-books. It’s nice to be able to use my previous skills as a software beta tester to help take some of the mystery out of self-publishing. If you have an interest in pursuing the world of indie publishing, please stop by my workshops.
Most of you that read my blog already have a pretty good idea who I am and what I write. Still, I figure the best way to tell you about who I am as a writer is to answer the question I get asked so often: Why do I write BDSM romance? This question is usually followed by—and do you live the lifestyle? I’ve never been a kiss and tell kind of gal. So I’ll leave it up to you to use your imagination when answering that second question. 
Sexuality is different for each individual, for each couple. I’ve loved books from the time I was small child drinking coffee and eating doughnuts while my grandmother read me the Sunday paper. As a teenager my taste in books leaned toward horror, science fiction, and paranormal romance. My first experience with romance books came from stealing bodice rippers from Sherry Luv’s bookcase. She was my babysitter.
Yes, that really was her name.
Some of the earliest erotic literature I read included the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy written by Anne Rice, published under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure which incorporated explicit BDSM themes into its adult fairy tale re-telling. I became fascinated not only with fiction but reading sociological and anthropological examinations of the culture. After all, my father instilled in me a deep appreciation for history. I’ve always needed to know not just the how but the why. This probably explains what lead me to software testing.
The most recent BDSM literature that I fell in love with includes the Original Sinners series by Tiffany Reisz. Its story compelled me at first because of its controversy and being the bad Catholic that I am, I felt an immediate need to read her books. Not only did she not shy away from material that may be deemed by some as offensive but by golly that woman can write! The intricate plot, the powerful characters, and well-written prose made me an immediate fan girl. In fact, I devoured her third book which ended with more questions than answers—to be fulfilled in the fourth book—that I went to buy the next installment right away and discovered it had yet to be released. Not realizing how active she is on Twitter I said something akin to, “Goddamn you and your cliffhanger” and she responded with, “Yeah, I’m a cocksucker like that” and I damn near spewed coffee on my computer screen.
The combination of the paranormal books and the erotic BDSM fiction I grew to love has played a huge part in defining the preferred sub-genres that I write. The psychology, the exchange of power and the trust that defines BDSM is what I find infinitely fascinating and it’s what draws me to writing it. A strong dominate man that has earned the trust of a submissive and cherishes her for what it is—a gift. Or the flip side of the equation—the man who is in control by day but by night enjoys being topped in the bedroom by a dominate woman. The beauty and honesty in well-written M/M BDSM romance that I love to read but haven’t been brave enough to write until I can do it justice. Writing sex scenes and erotica comes with its own technical challenges but writing BDSM is tricky. There are a million and one ways to get it wrong. I’d like to think that most of the time I rise to the challenge and that it rings with authenticity. But since I’m the new kid on the block I’ll stick to what I know best and show you the technical ropes of self-publishing instead. Stop by Twitter and say hello.
If you haven’t already registered for the 2014 BDSM for Writers Con you need to do it… like now… no seriously… stop reading this blog post and register to get flogged at Paddles. And if you think it’s just for writers, think again. This is a conference for anyone who reads the BDSM Romance genre.
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October 6, 2013
High Fantasy Tropes and Paranormal Romance Guest Blog by Nina Croft
My latest release, Daughter of the Dragon Princess, is essentially a paranormal romance but with its roots on the world of fantasy. So today, I wanted to write a little about how I think fantasy tropes can deepen paranormal stories.
Probably the book that had the most impact on me when I was growing up was the Lord of the Rings. It’s high, epic fantasy, with new worlds, fantastic world-building, and a huge cast of characters; heroes, villains, sidekicks… In fact it has everything: adventure, romance, (Aragorn was probably the first hero I fell in love with!) magic, comedy, action…
It was huge in scope and made me realize that as a writer you can create anything. You are only limited by your imagination. I’ve loved fantasy stories ever since then, especially great big fantasy trilogies. And one day I will write one, but I’m waiting for the perfect idea to thrill me into the commitment of a few hundred thousand words.
But while I still love fantasy, these days I have a hankering for faster paced stories, with more action, less world-building, and definitely more romance, but still with a hint of other worlds and characters who are more (or less) than human . And so started my love of paranormal romance.
I love mixing genres, and in the past I have mixed science fiction with paranormal (in my Blood Hunter series – Vampires in space) and thrillers with science fiction (The Descartes Legacy). With Daughter of the Dragon Princess, I wanted to write a paranormal romance set firmly in our world but give it a flavor of the high fantasy stories I enjoy so much.
For me great fantasy tropes are all about the fight of good against evil. There is a hero or heroine who must undergo a quest of self-discovery and somehow become more. There is usually a really great villain and a whole different world, fantastical creatures, and maybe even gods and goddesses who can intervene…or not.
For my fantastical creatures, I decided on dragons, as some of my favorite fantasy books have dragons at their heart. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne Mcaffrey, Game of Thrones by George RR Martin, Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy. But to give my dragons more of a paranormal twist, I made them into shape shifters.
For my fantasy world, I have the dragons’ world of Ankesh. But again, I wanted to give the story a more paranormal feel, so the action actually takes place on our world, in our time, where the dragons are trapped in their human form, trying to get home.
My heroine, Lily, is undergoing a journey of self-discovery, as she finds out just who and what she is and finally comes into her powers. My hero is also experiencing his own quest, from a man (or rather a dragon) bent on doing his duty to one who sees beyond that to what’s right and wrong.
I have a real baddie in Vortigen, the King of the dragons, various sidekicks and even a goddess…
I loved writing Daughter of the Dragon Princess and hope my love of high fantasy tropes has deepened the story. So which fantasy tropes would you like to see in your paranormal romance? There’s a Rafflecopter giveaway below for a chance to win a $25 gift card.
Genre: Paranormal romance
Date of Publication: 7th October 2013
Number of pages: approx.. 240
Word Count: 60k
Cover Artist: Keith Draws
Book Description:
Found abandoned as a baby and brought up in a children’s home, Lily Palmer has no clue that she is the last of the Dragon Princesses and destined to be mated to a king. But when she wakes up one night to find her apartment invaded by a stunningly gorgeous, but totally deluded madman, she can no longer ignore the dreams which have haunted her life.
Exiled on Earth, and trapped in human form, the dragons have waited two thousand years for the only person who can open the portal between their world and this one. Now they have found her and Malachite Smith has one job—to deliver Lily to his King. According to dragon law, only the King and the Dragon Princess together can open the portal and take them home.
But neither Mal nor Lily are prepared for the overwhelming attraction which flares between them. Or for his reluctance to hand her over to a king he despises. Can they stand as one and challenge the old ways, even if it means destroying his people forever?
Excerpt:
The hallway was dark, and she reached out her cuffed hands for guidance and encountered his hard body, her palms resting against him.
“Shit,” he muttered, then turned and backed her against the wall. She could just make out his form towering over her, as his head lowered and his lips slanted across hers. Her mind went numb, her body took over, and she didn’t resist as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. The kiss was hard and held an edge of anger barely contained. It didn’t matter. He tasted like her dreams, of heat and spice. Her tongue thrust back against his as a pulse started its incessant throb between her thighs. She stood unmoving as he deepened the kiss, pressing his long, hard body into hers so she was plastered against the length of him. Hunger ignited low in her belly, and she groaned against his lips while her hips shifted restlessly against him trying to get some relief from the craving building inside her.
One hand slid beneath her top to cup her breast, his palm rubbing over the peak, and pleasure shot from her nipple to her groin. Her head fell back, and she raised one leg, wrapping it around his hip so she could press her core against the hard length of his erection. Desire was building like a heaviness inside her, swelling…
A bolt of lightning lit up the room, briefly illuminating the savage intensity of his expression. His mouth stilled, his fingers tightened on her breast, then the light flashed again and he jerked free of her and swore viciously.
A second later, his fist slammed into the wall at her side.
Her hands came up to drag him back to her. She was clumsy in the cuffs and her senses returned—what sort of woman kissed a man who’d cuffed her? A crazy one, that’s what sort.
She pressed her wrists against him, so the metal dug into her skin and the fog of desire cleared enough for her brain to function. She shoved him hard. He didn’t budge.
“Get off me, pervert!”
His brows drew together. “Pervert?”
“You know, the sort of man who likes to tie women up?”
He didn’t answer, just took a step back, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He breathed out deeply and the tension drained from his body.
“Why?” she asked.
He didn’t pretend not to understand. “It occurred to me that we may not get another chance. And I was…curious.”
She gritted her teeth. “Curious?” Her tone was filled with outrage.
“Just leave it.” Lightning flashed again and he frowned, then took her arm. “Come on, I don’t like this.”
“Like what?”
He didn’t answer, just led her along the hallway and through a door. In the dim light, she could make out a comfortable sitting room. Everything appeared so normal and she blinked in confusion.
Mal pushed her toward an armchair. “Sit.”
“Yes, sir,” she muttered and sat. She didn’t understand him. Why would he kiss her like that, as though he cared?
He seemed about to say something but instead moved away to peer out of the window. She followed him with her eyes as he came back and stood over her again, rubbing a hand across his face.
“Lily…” he said.
She searched his expression, and he shifted under her gaze, not meeting her eyes. “What?”
“This man you are to meet tonight…”
“The one you’re handing me over to like an unwanted parcel?”
“Jesus,” he almost snarled the word. “Just don’t get him angry. Do as you’re told, and you’ll be all right.”
Was he actually afraid for her? “You’re frightening me,” she said slowly. “Mal”—for the first time she used his name—“am I going to die tonight?”
She held her breath waiting for the answer.
“No, he won’t kill you.” He paused. “But there are worse things than death.”
Icy cold washed through her. “Now, you’re really scaring me.”
Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Website: http://www.ninacroft.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nina.Croft.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nina_Croft
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NinaCroft
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What Makes a Good M/M Romance Guest Blog by Raquel Taylor
A good M/M romance has the same qualities that made any other romance good. The job of the author is to create characters that readers want to see be together. If the author writes erotica, then the job becomes two-fold because not only do the readers want to see the characters be together but they want to see them touch one another in intimate ways that reach through the realm of the physical and burn hot enough to touch the soul. If a writer can achieve these things, then they have written a good romance and that, ultimately is the goal.
Personally, I do not see a difference between M/M romance and any other kind. Love is, very simply, love. My goal is to create love between whatever characters I’ve decided to attempt to put together. And truthfully, sometimes they don’t fit. I believe all writers, at some point or another, have met those characters within themselves that they thought would be perfect for one another and the two couldn’t stand one another. Like people, characters have life and, if you are very careful or very lucky or both, they will fall in love within the pages of the tale you are telling. Gender doesn’t really have anything to do with whether two characters fall in love or not.
I consider myself a romance writer with a distinct lean toward the erotic. The heat level I am trying to achieve in any story that I write is always the same. I want to create people who cannot keep their hands off each other. I want to create people so deeply in love that they cannot live without one another. I need them to need one another—physically, emotionally, and completely. Is that the dream? Even if we have abandoned it, it was there once upon a time for each of us—the need to have someone as close to us as breath, someone we could trust, someone we could love without fear. In creating characters in answer to that need, the gender of the lovers has never been something I’ve been concerned about. I want the love. I want the passion. I want the need that inspires the painful honesty that it takes for someone to admit to someone else: “I love you. I need you.”
Are there differences between boys and girls? Yes, there are. A writer must adjust. It is my humble belief if you make those differences the goal of the story, though, then you are going down the wrong path. While those differences must be recognized, love is the goal. How you achieve that love, how many obstacles you throw in the path of your lovers, and how they conquer those obstacles is up to you. The obstacles to a M/M relationship may be different than those for a M/F relationship depending on the setting that you choose, but in the end, love is the symphony that you are playing for the audience that chooses to listen. If you remember that, then you cannot fail to bring something beautiful to life.
I’ve read M/M romances for years. I have a passion for Yaoi/Manwa like you wouldn’t believe, and, in my spare time (of which there has been a lot lately), I write naughty stories for people who appreciate my brand on that genre. I’ve seen flaws (or what I see as flaws anyway) that I’ve wanted to correct. First of all, there is a great tendency for M/M stories to end in tragedy for one of both parties. I do not read romances to cry my eyes out at the end. I do not want to be left asking: “Why couldn’t those two people just be happy, huh?” I know that all stories do not end well. Shakespeare is one of my favorite authors and he had a lock on tragedy. However, the tendency for M/M romances to end in tragedy is extremely high. Two examples that I can give you are: The King and the Clown and Legend of the Blue Wolves. The King and the Clown is a beautiful Asian thing, and Legend of the Blue Wolves is an anime. Both will rip your heart right out of your chest. Still, you will be happy that you saw them. The love is there. It’s undeniable, and while I’d like, very much, to slap the writers for hurting me in that way, I can do nothing but appreciate the beauty of the delivery of these particular stories.
Secondly, boys are not girls. If you’re going to write M/M, make sure that’s what it is, and not M/Pseudo-female. A boy is a boy even if his hair is long and his eyes are big and he likes to wear dresses part-time. Time and again, I’ve read stories where one of the characters was only missing a pair of breasts to complete him. While I realize that there are some lovely guys out there that truly feel this way, and I would like nothing more than read or write about something like that, it’s not what I mean here. I’ve read several manga where the author stopped in the middle of the story and made a note like: “Wouldn’t it be cute if he was a girl in this particular love scene?” Harsh as it may sound, I’ve put books down for that.
So, in writing M/M romance, let my boys be boys and let their love be deep, heartfelt, and fervent. It would help if they lived together, to a ripe old age, and died in each other’s arms, but I’m not telling you what to write there, simply what I’d love to read. I focus on the love, grow it in their hearts like flowers, and water those throbbing, crimson heart-flowers with lots of passion because we are people and when we are fortunate enough to find that marvelous other—passion.
Write people who fall in love…Hard…Tangled like a spider’s web…and make them love it. That’s what makes good romance.
Savage Love
Raquel Taylor
Genre: Paranormal Erotica
Publisher: Rogue Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: August 16, 2013
ISBN: 9780989392600
Number of pages: 260
Word Count: 78,000+
Cover Artist: Yana Golyshkina
Book Description:
Welcome to the world of Nyw’Gaia where genetically engineered werewolves and vampires have battled for centuries. They fight to the death. They, most certainly, do not fall in love…
An illegally made vampire in his father’s Nosferatu army, Prince Skyy Hi’daat leaves the city of Nocturne for the lush alien domain beyond. He finds this world filled with exotic inhabitants who would just as readily kill him as look at him. He is unprepared for the desire he feels in facing the werewolf that is supposed to be his natural enemy. Ravished and then rescued, his vengeance knows no bounds for the creature that dared put his filthy paws upon him.
Cathedron is the city of Arachnae’s greatest champion. On a deadly stealth mission to infiltrate Nocturne and discover the source of the infection that is eating the world, he finds he cannot help but hunt Nocturne’s gorgeous dark prince. Skyy’s scent ignites his desires in a way that is strictly criminal. Remembrances of Skyy’s body fires his blood against every law, against his own common sense. The wolf is determined to have the vampire again and make Skyy his forever.
Against the heat of the passion that threatens to consume them both, Nyw’Gaia is dying. An ancient darkness is infecting the denizens of the world and killing everything in its path. Their love is forbidden, but only their love can save Nyw’Gaia now.
Excerpt:
The wolf was covered in the pierced and tattooed designs so prevalent amongst the ruins of the First Colony. The markings denoted a complete surrender to savagery, a negation of even the faintest hint of civilization. Skyy had seen designs like them in the museums and art galleries of Nocturne. They were an intermingling of the human-like designs of the First Colony along with the artwork of the aliens that had populated the planet before the first human settlers had landed hundreds of years before. The werewolf wore inked bands across the hard muscles of his arms that might have favored the Celtic designs brought from Old Earth had they not been populated with ja’anaszi stones—tiny glittering jewels that radiated with the uncanny inner light found at the mined core of Nyw’Gaia. Ja’anaszi stones were illegal in the City of Nocturne, the tiny rocks imbued with a narcotic so strong it had been known to kill on contact. Once placed upon the flesh, the stones bonded with the skin and needed the aid of a skilled surgeon to be removed. Often whole limbs were lost in the procedure. And the werewolf wore enough of them to kill an entire human district. The stones were known to be a glittering white, the light inside them throbbing to the heartbeat of the wearer. The stones the wolf wore were an uncharacteristic blood red.
Raven hair slid in a straight black wave down the creature’s shoulders and inky eyebrows arched over long black lashes. His finely sculpted face, complete with smooth cheeks and high cheekbones, was the home of arched raven eyebrows, which rose to peaks over those incredible eyes. There was something so wild about the look of him that it captivated Skyy.
He could not look away as the wind picked up the long inky cape of the werewolf’s hair and played with it, jangling the multi-colored beads and tangerine feathers that decorated it. The picture was both spellbinding and incredible and the new vampire’s mind took its sweet time processing it all, down to the silver metal and ja’anaszi stone collar that decorated the beast’s throat. Still, not quite used to his new perceptions, Skyy found this creature as fascinating as the Trinity and his body reacted to its presence in much the same manner as he had reacted to the Three Moons. The beast sparkled, the blood red stones embedded in his flesh glittering like sustenance and Skyy was suddenly filled with the dark hunger that denoted what he was, but there was something else to it…a certain and undeniable lust of a completely carnal nature.
About the Author:
Raquel Taylor enjoys writing love stories with an erotic edge. Secretly, and under a crazy pseudonym, she writes multitudes of homoerotic fanfiction based on myriad anime worlds. She does this for the love of the written word. She does this for the love of the carefully crafted worlds and characters that others have created. Most importantly, she does it in order to satisfy a need she sees in the readers of fanfiction.
Outside of this rather clandestine operation, Raquel writes love and erotica in whatever form that pleases her. She truly believes that love conquers all. With pen and keyboard she creates worlds where only love can bring light to the darkness. She creates lovers who need one another and she brings them to readers who want to experience those worlds and those people.
She writes for the love of it, against all odds. And she will never stop creating.
You can visit Raquel’s worlds at: www.theroguepublisher.com
Blog: http://www.raquel-taylor.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @roguepublishing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raquel.taylor.5891
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October 3, 2013
Secret Surrender by Priscilla West
Welcome to my blog interview with novelist Priscilla West. If you like what you read, please investigate her books on Amazon.
A.C. James: Hello, Priscilla. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.
Priscilla West: Hi A.C. James. I’m based in Illinois and I’ve thought about being a writer for a long time. I’ve been writing short stories since high school and I’ve always kept up with it. After a certain point I started writing longer and longer stories until I realized that I was actually writing novels! It never occurred to me to publish my writing, but last year I had a friend tell me about publishing e-books online. At her encouragement I published The Sandstone Affair in serial format on Amazon. I honestly wasn’t expecting any type of response at all! When I saw that my books were actually selling quite well it was certainly a shock to the system!
I haven’t quit my full time job yet, but my stories have definitely helped me pay some bills.
A.C. James: I’m a big supporter and believer in indie publishing. I can understand why authors decide to venture out on their own. What genre do you generally write and what have you had published to-date? What do you think of eBooks?
Priscilla West: I mostly write erotic romance stories. Maybe it’s because I have a dirty mind, but dirty stories just come naturally to me. LOL! Right now I have published: The Sandstone Affair and Forbidden Surrender, the first book in the Surrender Series.
A.C. James: You’re definitely in good company. 
Have you self-published? If so, what lead to you to become an indie author?
Priscilla West: I am self-published. I had a friend who encouraged me to try my hand at it and it just seemed to make the most sense to me. I like the control I have over my stories and being able to share my stories with readers almost as soon as I’m done writing them.
A.C. James: I agree. Interacting with readers is one of my favorite things about writing and blogging. I get to meet so many amazing people—both authors and readers. Do you have a favorite of your stories or characters?
Priscilla West: I have to say that I love Riley in Forbidden Surrender¸ she’s such a fierce character yet she knows how to have fun too.
A.C. James: Which authors did you read when you were younger and how did they shape you as a writer?
Priscilla West: When I was younger, I used to read Janet Evanovich quite a bit. I think I’ve gotten some of my humor from her writing as well as having strong heroines in my stories.
A.C. James: Do you manage to write every day, and do you plot your stories or just get an idea and run with it?
Priscilla West: I don’t write every day but I do some form of work related to writing every day. Some days I’ll be plotting, some days reading for research, and some days I’ll just spend working on marketing for my books. I am definitely a plotter (mwahahaha). I will say though that despite the best laid out plots, during the course of writing the story, the endings tend to change. I know some authors can jump right into it and develop the story while they’re writing but that has never been me.
A.C. James: Do you do a lot of editing or research?
Priscilla West: Yes to both. After I finish a story I give it some time to breathe before trying to edit it. I’ve made some major changes to my stories this way. I do take research pretty seriously, but with the internet it’s mostly internet research. As much as I would have liked to, I can’t say that I’ve shadowed any hot CEOs as part of my research (Hot CEOs if you’re reading this … send me a message)
A.C. James: O.O I don’t know that any hot CEOs read my blog but I imagine that would make for very fulfilling research. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?
Priscilla West: First person comes most naturally to me, though I plot in the third person. I haven’t really experimented with second person too much, it feels kind of awkward and unwieldy to me. I suppose there are certain stories that can be best told in second person, but I’ve just never had to write anything like that.
A.C. James: What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?
Priscilla West: My favorite thing is hearing from readers! It’s really encouraging to hear that someone enjoyed your work. I guess my least favorite thing is getting distracted when I’m writing, but hey, real life gets in the way!
A.C. James: Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?
Priscilla West: No, not really. I’m mostly just focused on my own writing, editing and marketing at this point.
A.C. James: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Priscilla West: I do lurk on Kindle Boards quite a bit, but I’m shy. I’m not really active on any forums.
A.C. James: What are you working on at the moment or next?
Priscilla West: I actually just wrapped up the Surrender Series and I’m working on a new adult novel at the moment. I can’t give too many details about it right now since it’s still very early, but I’m super excited for it.
A.C. James: Tell us more about Secret Surrender and why it’s been such a big hit with your readers.
Priscilla West: I think Vincent is just full of contradictions which make him a very compelling character. On the one hand he’s an irresponsible bad boy surfer, but he’s also got this fire inside of him which makes him a ruthless businessman as well. Then there’s the fact that he hides so much of himself from Kristen, yet seems to care so deeply about her. I love complex heroes and I think a lot of readers enjoy that as well.
A.C. James: Where can we find out about you and your writing?
Priscilla West: I’m pretty active on Facebook so check me out there: https://www.facebook.com/priscillawestauthor
I also have a website here:
A.C. James: Thank you for interviewing today on my Paranormal Passion blog! Good luck with your new project and we look forward to having you back when it’s released.
Secret Surrender
The Surrender Series
Book Two
Priscilla West
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Date of Publication: 9/30/2013
Number of pages: 150
Word Count: 35,000
Book Description:
“What gives you a thrill Kristen?”
I knew that giving in to Vincent Sorenson was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. I had hidden my heart for so long and for the first time in a long time, Vincent was close to breaking down the walls.
When a trip to Vincent’s exclusive private island reveals the real Vincent underneath the layers of suave nonchalance, I thought we were close to the start of something special.
Just when things were looking up for us, I would discover the one secret that Vincent never intended for me to find.
Excerpt:
Vincent is calling Kristen over video chat while he is away on a business trip.
His dark eyes were scanning my surroundings. “You’ve got a nice bedroom. I like the stuffed animal in the background.”
I laughed. I’d seen it so often, I’d forgotten it was there. I got up from the desk and went to retrieve the stuffed bird from my bed to give Vincent a better look at it. And an explanation for why a grown woman in her mid-twenties had a kid’s toy.
“I also like those shorts,” he said. “I couldn’t agree more.”
I turned back to Vincent. “What do you mean?”
“It says ‘juicy’ on the back.”
“Oh God.” My face heated. “I didn’t have anything else to wear. I got these when I was in high school. A lot of girls wore them at the time and I caved to peer pressure. I should’ve thrown them out.”
He grinned. “I’m glad you didn’t. Suits you well.”
Hoping to move on to a less embarrassing topic, I picked up my bird and brought it back to the desk. “On the other hand, I’m never going to throw this out.”
“Why do you have a plush penguin?”
I squeezed the soft rainbow beak, posing its adorable face for Vincent. “It’s a puffin. It looks like the offspring of a penguin and a parrot if they ever mated. I used to be obsessed with them when I was like five. My parents got me this during a trip to the museum. That was back when I had a better relationship with them. I’m not as into puffins now but this guy still has a lot of sentimental value.”
“I can see why you like it. It’s cute.”
“Well I’m glad you and Mr. Waddles get along.” I wiggled its nubby feet at Vincent. “His approval of you means a lot to me.”
Vincent smiled in a way that was both charming and cute. If only I had a plush version of him to snuggle with on nights when he was away on business.
“Spunky on the outside, soft on the inside. You’re quite the combination.”
He continued as if another thought just occurred to him. “I know I’ve said this before. But thinking about you is making it difficult to concentrate on business. I don’t expect you to understand but it’s hard to focus on work when you’ve got an erection.”
“Well. . . I don’t know what to say.” I really didn’t because I’d never had an erection before but I could at least imagine the dilemma. I offered the first suggestion that came to mind. “Why don’t you just watch porn like a regular guy?”
His brows knotted and his lips frowned. “Wouldn’t work. You make porn look bad.” He opened his mouth to say something further but closed his eyes and sighed deeply instead.
“Something’s bothering you. What’s wrong?” I asked.
His elbow on the desk, he ran a hand through his wavy hair but stopped halfway so that he rested the side of his head in his palm. He looked weary. “I wished we didn’t have sex.”
Nerves shot through my system and my grip on Mr. Waddles tightened. Why would he say such a terrible thing? Was it because I dumped my baggage on him and now he regretted being involved with me?
“What? Why?”
“Cause it made me want you more. I can’t stop thinking about it. You in a blindfold. Your gorgeous body. . . It’s so damn frustrating being so far away from you.”
Relief washed over me like a cold shower in this summer weather. “You scared me for a second there. I thought you were going to say you didn’t like the sex.”
“I don’t like how much I liked it. I’m dangerously close to cutting this trip short to come back to Manhattan. I’m not sure how much longer I can go. I think I might be addicted to you.”
I felt his pain. Over the past two days, I’d constantly thought about him and our multiple sex sessions at his place. It had been distracting—something I welcomed given the drama of my ex lurking in the background; Vincent was a much needed diversion. But most of all, it made me realize how far I’d fallen for him in such a short time. It was frightening and thrilling. Knowing he was feeling the same way about me made it less frightening.
I had an idea.
“Maybe this will help,” I said as I placed Mr. Waddles on the far end of the desk away from me. I released my hair from its ponytail and let my locks drape around my shoulders. I shook my head to give my hair the voluminous and sexy look I’d seen in commercials. Then I smiled seductively at him.
He straightened in his chair. “You have my attention.”
I undid the top button of my shirt then the next two, enticing him with a view of my black bra beneath and an eyeful of scandalous cleavage. The nurturing side of me wanted to heal his pain.
“Mmmm,” he murmured.
“Like what you see?” I teased. His desire for me always gave me a thrill.
He nodded slowly. “I want to see more.”
About the Author:
Priscilla West is the author of the popular erotic romance series The Sandstone Affair and is currently writing the Surrender series. She likes to write stories with sassy heroines and strong but flawed heroes.
She enjoys: cuddles, men in suits, eskimo kisses, life-sized teddy bears, and eggs over medium.
You can find her at http://priscillawest.com
https://www.facebook.com/priscillawestauthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6761816.Priscilla_West
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October 2, 2013
Writing Demons in Fantasy: Sarah Gilman Guest Blog
by Sarah Gilman
Demons in fantasy stories make, in my opinion, endlessly interesting protagonists and antagonists. Being inherently evil—or inherently any one thing of limited scope—isn’t natural for a sentient creature. Personalities will always provide variation and growth. That makes the demon a perfect story character to examine—so much potential conflict. What will happen when they grow beyond the tiny little box of “pure evil?” How will they turn out when they sidestep expectations?
I admit I spent far too much time debating how to present the demon race in my Return to Sanctuary series. Of course I didn’t want little red guys with horns, but neither did I want men and women who didn’t resemble demons at all.
I wanted to use demons in the first place because I’ve always loved the idea of taking the “monsters” of other stories and making them the heroes and heroines. Vampires in modern paranormal romance are excellent examples. I’ve always been a fan of more traditional vampire stories, but I also love reading them as heroes. Just like with demons and other monsters, it’s hard for me to believe any creature would be one-dimensional. Give me a character that breaks the proverbial mold, and I’m hooked.
From there, I felt that it made sense to have demons and fallen angels on the same side, given their common enemy: human poachers. Giving them a sexy human appearance was crucial for a romance story, and I added the ability to create fire, one of my favorite paranormal abilities. I gave them fangs, not in a nod to vampires, but to give them a fierce visible trait that spoke to their “animalistic” image. Their final primary trait, which I won’t reveal as doing so could spoil part of Deep in Crimson, completes the picture by making them much more than mere “monsters.”
Of all the monsters-turned-romance-heroes or heroines, which do you find the most fascinating?
Deep in Crimson
Return to Sanctuary
Book Two
Sarah Gilman
Genre: Adult paranormal romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: September 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-1622668960
ASIN: B00BMKFR0A
Word Count: 64,000
Cover Artist: Libby Murphy
Book Description:
Kidnapped by humans and raised in a research facility, Jett was taught to believe his own race of demons insidious and violent. But a friendship with the archangel Raphael shatters Jett’s reality. Caught between two worlds, his first months of freedom find him lingering on the fringes of his home colony, Sanctuary.
When the human who stole Jett captures another demon youth from Sanctuary, Jett learns of the real plan—to steal Raphael’s archangel grandchildren. Jett wants to bring his captor to justice, but he must overcome the lies from his past and join forces with the demon Guardians, and the demon child’s older sister, Lexine.
Irresistible attraction grows between Jett and Lexine, but Lexine’s prophetic dreams of being mated to a poacher make her wary. And if Jett goes through the all-consuming process of becoming a Guardian, he may forfeit any chance they have of being together.
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About the Author:
Sarah Gilman writes wicked paranormal romance and fantasy in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she was born and raised.
Website: http://sarahgilmanauthor.wix.com/sarahgilmanauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Gilman-Author/161335997299439
Twitter: @Gilman_Sarah
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October 1, 2013
Deamhan – an Adult Paranormal Romance
Deamhan
Deamhan Chronicles Book One
Isaiyan Morrison
Genre: Adult, paranormal
Publisher: Rainstorm Press
ISBN: 1937758400
ISBN-13: 978-1937758400
Number of pages: 218
Word Count: 85,000 words
Formats available: Print. E-book
Cover Artist: John Cosentino
Book Description:Her soft golden skin, her warm smile…these are the only images Veronica Austin has left of her mother who disappeared without a trace twenty years ago on the streets of Minneapolis while researching the Ramanga, the Lamia, the Metusba, and the Lugat. Known only as the Deamhan, they are a different breed from the modern bloodsucking vampire.
A stranger to this world, Veronica’s search for the truth about her mother’s unexplained disappearance takes her into their sinister and precarious world. She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it’s her own father, president of a ruthful organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/JvXvINwJpH0
Excerpt:
The line crept forward and when she reached the front door, the bouncer waved her through without checking her ID. Veronica walked through the curtains and into the stodgy air and interior of Dark Sepulcher. She pushed her way through crowds of contorting dancing bodies, trying to create distance between herself and the Deamhan twins. Music thumped throughout her body.
“You’re back,” a familiar voice said from behind Veronica.
She turned to find the waitress who’d served her the night before.
“You ran out in a hurry the other night,” the waitress stated as she placed a napkin on a nearby table.
“Oh yeah, I-I lost track of time. Sorry about that.” Veronica had no idea why she apologized. She looked over her shoulder. Realizing the twins weren’t following her, she caught her breath and relaxed.
“Wow, you look like you just saw a ghost,” the waitress said.
“I’m fine.” Veronica slicked back her hair.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, nothing right now. Thanks.”
“You look like you need a drink.” The waitress ignored Veronica’s answer. “I’ll tell you what. We have a new drink. It’s on the house.” The waitress playfully slapped Veronica on her wrist. “It’s called Sensual Appetite, and it’s delish!” She patted a chair next to the table. “Sit and relax.” She leaned toward Veronica and whispered, “My name is Chelsea. If you need anything else, just holler.”
Before Veronica could refuse, the waitress pushed through the crowd and disappeared. A fresh burst of fog spewed from a machine above, engulfing the dance floor. The gyrating crowd cheered in approval.
Veronica’s eyes moved to the back at a small room nestled in the corner directly above the dance floor. A rowdy cheer to her left caught her attention. A group of scantily dressed men and women hovered around a circular table. The light flickered above them. Veronica recognized Alexis; her arms draped around the neck of a man sporting a business suit and red tie. He sipped from a chalice and pointed to the crowd on the dance floor.
Chelsea returned and placed a clear plastic cup on the table in front of Veronica. The dark red drink had no ice, but a hint of blue had settled at the bottom of the cup. “Here you go,” she said, tucking the tray underneath her arm.
“I’m not thirsty.” Veronica pushed the cup away.
Immediately Chelsea latched onto her wrist and pulled Veronica’s hand toward the cup. “Nonsense.” Chelsea’s eyes narrowed in on Veronica. Her eyes turned black and her mouth opened slightly, revealing her fangs. “Now drink up, researcher. Don’t let a good drink go to waste.”
Veronica looked to her left then to her right. The club music seemed low-set as all eyes in the vicinity were on her, including Alexis’. Chelsea released her grip and waited for Veronica to drink.
Veronica grasped the cup, lifting it to her lips. She closed her eyes, paused, and then tipped the cup. When the liquid touched her lips, she opened her eyes. The Deamhan now encircled her, standing close enough that Veronica felt Chelsea’s breasts pushed against her forearm.
“Drink,” Chelsea whispered, “or I’ll drink you.”
Veronica took a long, deep swallow; thick liquid slid down her throat. The wretched taste of iron and blood made her choke, and she dropped the cup onto the floor, gagging. The Deamhan laughed.
Veronica shoved a napkin to her mouth as the liquid circled in her stomach. Her eyes filled with tears and her mouth frothed. She rushed to the bathroom, elbowing her way through the crowd. Her stomach gurgled and heaved. A sudden gust of air pushed her forward, and cold hands grasped her arms and yanked her into the bathroom.
“Please struggle.” The voice of the taller twin tickled Veronica’s ear.
“Yes, please.” The voice of the shorter twin tickled Veronica’s other ear.
With the bathroom door slammed shut behind them, the twins pushed Veronica to the cold, dirty floor. She winced as her ribs smacked the tile; pain shot through her stomach and into her back. She stole a glance under the stalls before she raised her head. They were alone. Bare fluorescent bulbs flickered overhead, giving the room an ominous glow.
The taller twin gripped Veronica’s arms in her powerful grasp. She easily lifted Veronica to her feet and violently slammed her against the bathroom wall. Breathless, Veronica made a dash for the door, but was shoved back. The taller twin wrapped her fingers around Veronica’s neck. Veronica clawed, trying to break free, but the Deamhan was too strong.
Veronica stared into the twin’s dark, menacing eyes. Her vision twisted in and out. The bathroom floor rippled as if water suddenly covered the floor. Veronica’s head swooned and fear dissipated. The drink flowed through her veins, intoxicating her.
It was a high she hadn’t felt since she smoked weed for the first time in her teenage years. A sense of invincibility and relaxation overtook her. She tried envisioning a brick wall in preparation for the Deamhan twins to invade her thoughts, but the tingling sensation never came. Instead she drifted into the furthest part of her mind where she kept sacred memories of her mother carefully hidden from human and Deamhan alike.
“I told you, sister.” The tall twin licked her lips. “She’s ripe.” The Deamhan twins knowingly locked eyes and giggled.
With a handful of Veronica’s hair in her grasp, the taller twin pulled, yanking Veronica’s head violently to the side. She opened her mouth and her canines protruded from her pale gums. “Her scent is strong, Brandy. And her skin,” she said, sniffing Veronica’s neck, “is so soft.” She stuck out her tongue and licked Veronica’s neck from her ear to her collarbone.
Veronica shivered from the trail of wet spittle left on her skin.
“What to do with her.” The tall twin increased her grip around Veronica’s throat. “She doesn’t have the markings of a minion.”
Brandy stepped away from the door. “But, Branda, I heard she is protected.” Her mouth opened, exposing sharper and longer fangs than her sister’s.
“What Deamhan would be stupid enough to give a researcher protection?” Branda scoffed. “Especially one as stupid as her.”
Protected? Veronica struggled to keep her eyes opened. Darkness toyed at her periphery, and she thought she might faint from lack of oxygen.
“I want her first, sister.” Brandy’s eyes widened. “Oh, can I? Can I please have first bite?”
“Sure.” Branda slowly released her grip.
Veronica gasped, her lungs searing as they engulfed fresh air.
“But don’t get greedy.”
Brandy replaced her sister’s stance and shoved Veronica back against the wall. She sniffed the side of Veronica’s face and chortled as Veronica struggled against her. “I like it when they fight.” Brandy closed her eyes and swayed her head back and forth as she spoke in a singsong voice. “Like a fly, caught in a spider web, about to meet its maker.”
“Protected.” Branda huffed, her nostrils flaring. “What a crock of shit.”
A strong wind manifested, and Brandy instantly released her grip. Her head jerked to the bathroom door as it flew open on its own.
Veronica’s legs crumbled. She fell to the floor gasping for air. She looked up in time to see a fuzzy image of the Deamhan twins running out of the bathroom with Deamhan speed and the door slamming shut behind them.
Whatever scared them away had impeccable timing.
For a chance to win this adult paranormal romance enter this Rafflecopter giveaway.
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About the Author:
An avid gamer, writer, and lover of history, Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minnesota. She moved to San Diego, California while in the Navy. After serving four years of active duty, she moved to Los Angeles.
After a few years, she moved back to Minnesota where she started to pursue her dream to be an author.
Besides writing, she also likes to read, surf the internet, watch movies, and play video games. She likes warm drinks, pico de gallo, and her love for cilantro is legendary.
At one point she was sponsored to participate in video game tournaments. During that time she traveled to Canada, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Caribbean.
Her novel Deamhan, the first book in the Deamhan series, was accepted for publication by Rainstorm Press for release in mid 2013. She’s currently in talks to have the second book Sensual Appetite published by the same company.
Other novels the author has completed are The Carriers (Sphere Episode One,) The Bond (Sphere, Episode Two,) and Old Farmer’s Road to name a few.
She’s currently writing the third Deamhan book titled, Revelation, and Maris. The Brotherhood Files.
Website: http://isaiyanmorrison.com
Blog: http://isaiyanmorrison.com/blogger
Twitter: http://isaiyanmorrison.com/blogger
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/isaiyanmorrison
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163501.Isaiyan_Morrison
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112494687658017649418/112494687658017649418/posts
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September 30, 2013
Run to You by Rachel Gibson
By A.C. James
Run to You
By Rachel Gibson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Date of Publication: 9/24/2013
ISBN: 9780062069146
Book Description:
Rachel Gibson, New York Times bestselling author of Rescue Me, returns to Texas with a tale of what happens when a tough guy meets his match—and falls harder than a ton of red-hot bricks . . .
There’s nothing like fleeing Miami to ruin a girl’s day.
Stella Leon’s bartending gig was going fine until gorgeous ex-Marine Beau Junger decked her mob-connected boss, spirited her out of the city, and claimed that Stella’s half-sister—the one with the perfect life—sent him. Now Stella has no choice but to go along for the ride . . . and seduce Beau’s military-issue socks off …
The Marine Corps was Beau’s escape from his old man’s legacy of naval heroism and serial philandering, but no amount of training could prepare him for the day he looked in the mirror and saw his father staring back. The answer: swear off meaningless sex. Oh, and find a way to make Stella Leon quit being so damn hot…
Excerpt:
“Hello. This is Stella Leon.” Just in case he didn’t remember her she added, “Sadie Hollowell’s sister. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be calling to set up a meeting with Sadie anytime soon.” Once again, she looked through the blinds covering the door. “Ricky De Luca, my former boss, isn’t real happy about you punching him in the head and sent his associates over here.” She turned from the blinds. “They’re camped out in my parking lot, but as soon as they leave, I’m going to leave town for a while.” Where she was going, she didn’t know. “So now isn’t a real good time for a family reunion.” She pushed end and set the phone on the kitchen counter.
She moved into her bedroom and pulled a big duffel from her closet. She’d wait for a few hours. If they were still camped outside after dark, she’d have to call the cops, but she really didn’t want to call the Miami PD. She didn’t want to file a report. They’d ask her questions she didn’t know the answers to; she’d prefer not to make Ricky and his friends any madder than they were already.
She dumped underwear and bras into the bag. Maybe she’d be gone for a week. Surely that was long enough. She’d stay at a hotel and look for a job. Maybe in Orlando.
Next, she shoved shorts, tank tops, and two sundresses into the duffel. Makeup and hair products were followed by flip-flops and her iPad loaded up with about a thousand of her favorite songs. Everything from Regina Spektor to Johnny Cash.
She pulled on a blue ombré halter dress and her Docs. In case she had to run, she needed her good solid shoes. Her hair, she slicked back into a ponytail to keep it out of her face.
From the kitchen, her phone rang, and she walked into the hallway toward the sound. She didn’t recognize the number coming across but was fairly sure it had to be Ricky. She thought about not answering, but perhaps she could defuse the situation and convince him to leave her alone. “Yes.”
“Where are you?”
It wasn’t Ricky. “Who is this?”
“Beau Junger.”
Joe’s name was Beau? Didn’t seem to really fit him. It wasn’t hard enough. He looked more like a Buck or Duke or Rocky. “I’m in my apartment.”
“Are the Gallo brothers outside your apartment?”
She peered out the slice in the blinds. “I don’t think they’re brothers.”
“One short and fat? The other tall and skinny?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re brothers. Do you see their beige Lexus LS?”
How did he know that? “Yes.”
“Where is the vehicle oriented to your front door?”
“Several rows back and to the left.”
“Okay. Do you have a bag packed?”
“Yes. I’m waiting for them to leave so I can run to my car.”
“Forget your car. I’m still about an hour out. So at”—he paused as if looking at his big watch—“fourteen hundred hours, you’re going to hear a commotion. Grab your bag and haul your ass out of your apartment.”
“What kind of commotion? How will I know it’s you?”
She wasn’t sure, but he might have chuckled.
“You’ll know. There will be a black SUV parked at the curb closest to your unit. Get in.”
“Your SUV?”
“Yes,” he said, and the line went dead.
“Wait. Come back. What time is fourteen hundred hours?”
About the Author:
Rachel Gibson lives in Idaho with her husband, three kids, two cats, and a dog of mysterious origin. She began her fiction career at age 16, when she ran her car into the side of a hill, retrieved the bumper, and drove to a parking lot, where she strategically scattered the car’s broken glass all about. She told her parents she’d been the victim of a hit-and-run and they believed her. She’s been making up stories ever since, although she gets paid better for them nowadays
Website: http://www.rachelgibson.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RachelGibson
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September 29, 2013
Miranda’s Mate – A Hot Paranormal Romance!
By A.C. James
Miranda’s Mate
By Ann Gimpel
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
ISBN: 978-1-62210-021-7
Release Date: 8/5/13
50,000 words
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Work for The Company is nothing if not covert. Miranda’s life is on the line. Will Garen risk exposure to save her?
Book Description:
As an agent for an international security firm, Miranda has her hands full. Between secretly lusting after her boss, Garen, and making sure the dirty little secret about her double life as a wolf shifter remains hidden, she’s still a virgin at nearly thirty.
Sent to eliminate the head of a human trafficking organization in Amsterdam, she barely escapes with her life. Injured, frightened, and under attack the second her private jet lands in the U.S., she doesn’t know where to turn.
Garen’s been watching Miranda just as surreptitiously as she’s been eying him. Unfortunately, the fact that she works for him is a showstopper. Plus, Garen has a few secrets of his own that have kept him single. He’s frantic once he discovers his oldest friend is besotted with Miranda, too. When she insists on heading up a covert operation, he’s worried sick, but can’t come up with a plausible reason to stop her.
Miranda’s life is on the line. Will Garen risk exposure to save her?
Excerpt (18+ Age Rating):
…Garen threw caution to the winds. He clicked off his headset and tossed it into the next seat. His cock pressed mercilessly against the front of his pants; he could barely breathe he wanted Miranda so much. His wolf was nigh onto uncontrollable. It howled and snarled deep inside him. Garen forced it back. The last thing he needed was for fur or claws to sprout and ruin everything.
He could smell Miranda’s lust with his enhanced senses. She was so aroused, she was on the verge of coming. Strands of dark hair curled around her face. Her face was splotchy with excitement. Her blue eyes glowed warmly. Years of repressed desire slashed through him. He moved to the seat next to her and slid a hand between her legs. She moaned and pressed into him.
Possessiveness sounded an exultant note behind his breastbone. She wasn’t going to fight him. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. She opened hers and sucked hungrily on his tongue. His cock throbbed. She wasn’t the only one on the edge of coming.
He felt her fingers on the fastenings of his pants, and then her hands closed around his shaft. He wanted to do everything to her. Kiss her, lick her, suckle her incredible breasts, and run his mouth down her body to settle on her clit. All those things would have to wait. What mattered now was getting inside her. He yanked her headset off and reached for her pants, delighted to find they had an elastic waistband.
The logical part of his brain was nearly obliterated with passion, but it reminded him she needed at least one leg free of her pants, which meant one shoe off. Reluctantly, he broke away from their embrace and pried her fingers off his cock.
“What?” Her voice was muzzy with need. “You started this. Come back here, goddammit.”
He laughed. God, but it felt good to laugh and hold Miranda in his arms. “Patience, darling. I just need to get one of your pant legs out of the way. Then you can straddle me.”
Between the two of them, they managed to unlace a boot and jimmy one of her legs out of her pants. He folded the chairs’ armrests out of the way, settled his hands on her hips, and helped her kneel above him. When she lowered herself so the heat of her surrounded him, he gasped. Sensation so intense it set every nerve on fire lanced through him. Her muscles clenched around his cock and held on. Hard nipples pressed against his chest. He thrust upward and his balls tightened.
“Sorry, darling. I’m not going to last long.” He moved a hand between them and rubbed her swollen clit.
Her muscles milked him. Her teeth sank into his shoulder. He could tell from her rhythmic movements and the tension in her nub she was coming. Garen let himself go. He’d imagined coming inside Miranda forever, and now it was finally happening. He growled low in the back of his throat as his semen arced into her.
He moved his hands to the sides of her face and kissed her long and deep. She turned her head, captured the fingers that had just been rubbing her, and licked them clean. It was so erotic, his cock throbbed where it was still buried deep in her pussy.
She wriggled out of his grasp, reached for the napkin wrapped around the beer bottle, and stuffed it between her legs before she pulled her underwear and pants back into place. Her face was a gorgeous, rosy hue. He started to tell her how lovely she was when she said, “Sorry. I’m sorry about that. Didn’t mean to. You’re my boss. I understand what we did was wrong. Don’t worry, I won’t let my, uh, my, well, whatever it was, get out of control again. I’m going into the head to clean up. We should probably have used a condom. I have an IUD, but still—”
“Whoa.” He held up a hand. Garen was having a hard time with the transition from a sexual high to a we-shouldn’t-have-done-this conversation. “I enjoyed making love with you, Miranda. You’re an amazing—”
She shook her head. “No. It was a mistake. It won’t happen again. I promise. You caught me at a weak moment.” She pushed past him and headed for the rear of the aircraft.
Garen shoved his still half-hard cock back into his pants and zipped up. A leaden deadness settled around his heart. She may have had sex with him, but Miranda didn’t care about him. The post-coital conversation he’d thought they’d have was considerably different. He bit down hard on his disappointment. Better if he went back to the cockpit. That way she wouldn’t have to look at him when she came back from the john.
What could they possibly have to say to one another beyond him apologizing for being swept off his feet by her lithe body and firm curves? No way could he tell her he truly cared about her. Not in light of the revulsion he’d seen mirrored in her face as she stammered through her regrets. She was obviously appalled by what she considered a weakness.
Garen picked up his headset and settled it into place before walking into the cockpit. He wasn’t certain just what he’d say to Lars. No way he’d be able to hide the lingering scent of sex. He latched the door and sat heavily. For a time neither of them said anything. Garen almost started to believe he could escape a conversation he’d assumed would be inevitable.
“I do not like to pry, but I could smell sex even through door.” Lars glanced at Garen with a knowing grin on his face. “How was she?”
Garen gritted his teeth. “Hot, passionate, delectable.” He inhaled, the air almost painful in his lungs. “But she doesn’t care about me. Said I caught her at a weak moment. Apologized all over the place and said it would never happen again.”
“Hmph. Well, it would be untrue if I said I were sorry.” Lars flicked the front of his pants. “Imagining the two of you fucking got me going. I will need to take care of myself before I escort the fair fraulein anywhere.” A hesitation. “I do not suppose there is any possibility the three of us could—”
“No.” Something about the vehemence in Garen’s tone earned him a penetrating look from Lars.
“Your airplane, my friend. I will be back.”
“Miranda couldn’t wait to get away from me. She might not be done in the head.”
“If she is not, I will wait. Unless you wish to watch me.”
“In a pig’s eye. Go.” Garen waved both hands at Lars. “It’s a good thing we’re friends. My tolerance for perverts is pretty limited.”
“You know you love me.” Lars blew a kiss and exited the cockpit.
About the Author:
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche’s Promise are small press publications available in e-format and paperback. Look for two more urban fantasy novels coming this summer and fall: Fortune’s Scion and Earth’s Requiem.
A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.
www.anngimpel.com
http://anngimpel.blogspot.com
http://www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel
http://www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author
@AnnGimpel (for Twitter)
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September 26, 2013
A Horror Author, a Dark Fantasy Author, & an Erotic Paranormal Author All at One Table
I’m sure there should be a joke about walking into a bar or screwing in a light bulb in there somewhere but I couldn’t come up with a punch line. Sorry, I’m still on my first cup of coffee this morning.
Last night the Barnes & Noble in Easton, PA hosted local authors thanks to Karen Rose who organized the event. She hopes to have us back in the spring and by then I’ll have more books to share with you.
It was a pleasure see so many people come out to support their local authors and to meet so many wonderful people. Jennifer Tocheny is the winner of a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card from a drawing for those who signed up for my monthly mailing list.
See it pays to stop by and chat with us!
Today is also the last day to download Cursed Ever After (an erotic paranormal short story collection). I’m giving it to you for FREE as my Fall Reader Appreciation gift.
Enjoy!
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