Eden Ashe's Blog, page 14

Sunday Funday with Amy Lee Burgess!

Welcome back for another fun episode of Sunday Funday! This week (and next, because I wanted to feature the whole series, and not just a single book from it) my guest is a fellow Lyrical sister, Amy Lee Burgess, the author of the Wolf Within Series. Now, if you’ve been following me at all, you not only know how I feel about romance of any genre, but that I love shifters of all types, which makes Amy the perfect guest for this week.

When I asked Amy, who by the way, was incredibly brave by volunteering to be the second Funday guest, to tell me a little about

It’s a continuing series told from the first person POV. The main character is Constance Newcastle. Her nickname is Stanzie. She’s American and from a small pack in Massachusetts called Mayflower. The series follows her adventures. In the first book Beneath the Skin she meets and bonds with Liam Murphy. He’s from a big pack, Mac Tire, in Dublin, Ireland. They both become Advisors to Councilor Jason Allerton of the Great Council.

My Pack is governed globally by the Great Council and locally by Regional Councils. The Councilors all have one or two Advisors. To serve on a Regional Council you must have been an Alpha of your pack and an Advisor (either to a Regional or Great Councilor). To serve on the Great Council you must have been a Regional Councilor.

Advisors are sent by the Councilors to investigate things like inter-pack disputes over territory, bond mates, things like that. Broken laws, mysteries.

So each book in the series is semi- stand alone in that there will always be a new mystery/dispute to investigate and solve, but the characters are drawn from previous books (for the most part). I introduce new characters too, but I like to bring back old favorites.

The main arc of the series is that there are two factions within the Great Pack – Pack First and the Guardians. Pack First wants to come out to the Others (regular humans) and stop hiding the fact they are shifters. They want this mainly because in hiding their true natures, Pack have had to stay in the shadows. So not many of them have lucrative jobs or professions. Mostly they are blue collar – like mechanics, construction workers, retail. The ones that do go to college and have professions normally use their knowledge for their packs – like becoming doctors and lawyers. So most packs have to struggle to keep afloat financially.

The Guardians want to keep the status quo. The legends are that in ancient times Others knew about the Pack and sought to destroy them. The only way to tell who was a shifter and who wasn’t, was to slaughter them in wolf form. So that is why Others hate and distrust wolves to this day and why wolves were killed out in Ireland and England, etc. So the Guardians are convinced that if Others know about the Great Pack, they will rise up and and slaughter them or marginalize them by putting them on reservations without rights or even prison and say they are terrorists. Or labs for study.

Then there is the disparity between the bigger packs and the smaller ones. Bigger packs have more money (everyone in the pack contributes to the Alpha fund and the Alphas handle the pack’s money) and yet in smaller packs there is more freedom and less of a hierarchy. If they were able to live out in the open, much of this disparity would even out.

So it is not clear cut which side has the right idea. Councilor Jason Allerton is the leader of the Guardians and Councilor Celine Ducharme heads Pack First. They are two most powerful people the in Great Pack and they are constantly jockeying for position. At first it looked like the Guardians would prevail, but there have been a series of murders within the Great Pack and it has come out that they were committed by Guardians trying to destroy Pack members who held the good jobs and had the education. But Councilor Allerton swears these murders were not done on his orders and in fact he sends Stanzie on several missions to root out these rogue Guardians and bring them to justice. But the credibliity of the Guardians is slowly eroding much to many people’s despair.

The series is currently six books in and the battle between Pack First and the Guardians is heating up.

Not every book deals directly with this issue though. At least half of them (so far) have concentrated on bad things happening in small packs. For example: A missing teen. A territory dispute got out of hand.

Stanzie and Murphy’s love affair is also a continuing arc. They were bonded under extreme circumstances. He was trying to save her from Councilor Celine Ducharme who thought Stanzie was guilty of murder. He and Stanzie both had bond mates before and lost them tragically – victims of the rogue Guardians. Their love story has its ups and downs. In fact, in one book, Inside Out, Murphy actually leaves Stanzie and wants to break up.

So, without furthur ado, let’s dive into the action!

Eden: Where did I get the idea for the series?

Amy: I sat down in front of my keyboard November 1, 2010 determined to finish a novel in 100,000 words or less for NaNoWriMo. All I knew was that I would write about wolf shifters because the idea fascinated me and I love wolves. I came up with Stanzie’s name the night before and then just started writing without any sort of a plot in mind at all.

Eden: Did you always plan on it being a series, or did the characters and world surprise you?

Amy: I figured out about halfway through the first novel when I realized I was going to make Stanzie and Liam Advisors that I had the bones for a series. A different adventure each novel. So I guess the world and the characters surprised me!

Eden: That’s awesome! I love when things change up on me, and I don’t have to say goodbye to beloved characters right away. So, can you tell me a little about Liam and Stanzie?

Amy: Sure. Liam is one of those Alpha types who think he has to save the world – without help. When he fails (and he has a couple of times in this series), he takes it really, really hard. He loves Stanzie so much, but what I like is that as the series has progressed, he’s come to trust her instincts. He encourages her to develop her skills as an Advisor and branch out without him. He was once Alpha of Mac Tire, the biggest pack in the United Kingdom and Ireland and people look up to him and in times of crisis, they flock to him for comfort. He tries really hard to be what people need, sometimes to the detriment of himself and what he needs. Oh, and he’s sexy and gorgeous of course!

Stanzie grew up in a small pack and never lived up to her father’s expectations, so she’s always struggled with her self-esteem. Her wolf is different as well. More childlike and stubborn than the other shifters’ wolves. She never wanted to change her wolf and instead indulged her and sheltered her. But when she bonds with Murphy and joins Mac Tire, she has to face up to the fact she needs to grow and change – become more self confident. And her wolf needs to become more submissive and grown-up. There’s a catch to it all that comes out in the fourth novel, but I won’t spoil it. Stanzie has gradually come into her own as an Advisor. She’s got an instinct about people and can read them really well, so she usually figures out secrets. And this has put her into danger more than once. Every book she trusts herself and her judgment more. She’s a joy to write. She loves Murphy so very much and is so grateful for a second chance at love with him.

Eden: What about these characters fascinated you, and made you want to tell their stories?

Amy: Stanzie’s wolf was the thing that most fascinated me. I didn’t realize until I sat down at the keyboard to begin the novel that her wolf was different. Her wolf’s struggle for independence and clarity has been awesome to write. I love Stanzie’s story too. I love her growing self-confidence and her skill at being an Advisor. She started out thinking she would always be Liam’s sidekick but she has actually branched out on her own without him at this point.

The thing that gets me most about Liam Murphy is his backstory. He met his first bond mate and was smitten by her immediately. Usually pack members are initiated by older pack members and learn how to shift from them – without romance. Liam was stubborn and wanted to be in love with person who initiated him. Enter Sorcha who was a crucial few years older than him and he fell hard for her. Most pack members have no issue with sleeping outside their bonds. Since shifting is tied so closely to sex, it makes sense and is encouraged. But Liam won’t sleep with anyone but his bond mate. He’s loyal and funny and smart and sexy. I love how he tries to help everyone and is so selfless about it. I am sad too, because I think he tries so hard because he feels he is worthless unless he can make a difference to somebody. Stanzie is working on that with him though!

Eden, leaning forward in excitement: Can I meet them?

Amy: Sure! Let’s see if I can find them!

Murphy: We’re right here. Pack are really good at blending into the shadows.

Stanzie: Yeah, but we weren’t trying to blend into the shadows. At least you weren’t.

Murphy: Are you really going to kiss and tell, Stanzie?

Stanzie: Ha. No. I don’t have to because you just did!

Amy: Can you tell us anything about what’s going on with the conspiracy in the Great Pack?

Murphy: Things have just gotten a lot darker and the stakes higher. But everything will be revealed in our next adventure, One Step Ahead. You’ll have to wait because it’s not coming out until next year.

Stanzie: All I know is that just when I think I know the score and who is right, stuff happens to make me question everything. I hate not being able to fully trust everyone.

Murphy: Does that go for me too?

Stanzie: No. I trust you with my life. We don’t always see eye to eye about Pack First and the Guardians though. I know you don’t want the Great Pack to reveal themselves to the Others, but. –

Murphy: You do? Because sometimes I get so angry about what some of the Guardians are doing I’m ashamed to be a part of the whole damn thing.

Stanzie: Neither one of us officially belongs to a side, although with Councilor Allerton heading up the Guardians I guess the Pack assumes we believe what he does.

Murphy: Really? That idiot, Colin Hunter, is Pack First and Allerton’s newest Advisor. So maybe people don’t know what we really think.

Stanzie: They all know I don’t want to reveal ourselves. I always say that. I just want the murders to stop. That’s why I’m an Advisor and why I work so hard. With what just happened with my cousin —

Murphy: Don’t go giving away spoilers, honey.

Stanzie: True. I better stop talking. You know I always end up saying what’s on my mind even if it’s not the brightest thing to do.

Murphy: She gets herself into trouble all the time because she won’t stop to think before she speaks. But I love that part of her. You’re so fearless and confident. It turns me on, you know that?

Stanzie: You and your Irish blarney, Murphy. We’re trying to give an interview here. (Pause.) But I love you too.

Amy: Thank you for agreeing to talk, you two. I’ve got a lot in store for you in the future. So better go have fun together while you can.

Stanzie: You don’t have to tell me twice. Come on, Liam.

Murphy: Amy, you better keep Stanzie safe.

Amy: Don’t I always?

Murphy and Stanzie: So far!

Do you see how much fun they are? I love them! So make sure you join us for Sunday Funday with Amy Lee Burgess part 2! next week to see where these characters take us!

Don’t forget to find Amy on facebook HERE and twitter HERE.

Beneath the Skin is the first book in the series, which is well worth checking out.

Don’t forget to comment and show Amy some love for being brave and particpating!

~Eden

Sunday Funday with Emma Weylin

It’s no secret that I adore fairy tales. From the super-dark to the heart-tugging Disney versions. It’s also no secret that one of my favorite things about being a writer is taking an etched-in-our-brain fairy tale and turning it upside down. In my case, it’s making the dragons the good guys, and turning Thumbelina human-sized.

In Emma Weylin’s case, it’s turning the story of Little Red Riding Hood upside down. So today, I’m interviewing not only Emma about Dark Forest, but her characters decided to pop in as well, and answer some of the questions themselves. So grab your popcorn and Red Bull (oh, that’s just me?) and settle in for some fun.



Eden, taking her own advice and settling in: Emma, tell me a little bit about Dark Forest, and how it came into being.

Emma Weylin: Well, that’s almost a long story of how I got to the point of writing it, but the story idea came into being a few years ago when I was listening to a live band my father plays the keyboard in. They were playing a song called “Li’l Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham, and there is a lyric in it that goes “Even bad wolves can be good.” and I always thought it would make an awesome tagline on a novel. At the beginning of July I wanted to write a quick werewolf love story, and that line came back to me.

Eden: That’s awesome, I love that tagline. I also love this story, by the way. Now, tell me about the main characters, Aiden and Rose. Do they behave now that their story is finished?

Emma: Aww, thank you! Emma snorts It depends on what you mean by behave. Aiden is currently trying to convince me I don’t need to add him or Rose into the next story for the Secret Blood Series.

Eden: You’re welcome! So now you know you have to tell me all about him.

Emma smiles: Aiden is awesome. He’s a lone wolf, which in my werewolf universe means he doesn’t live inside a conventional werewolf pack. He’s known for many years Rose could be his mate, but the town believing he’s a murderer and possibly a werewolf has kept him from approaching her, but he has befriended Rose’s Grandmother who every affectionately calls Grams.

Eden leans in and grins: So, Aiden, what’s your favorite thing about Rose? Remember, my mother may read this, so keep it PG.

Aiden flashes a wicked grin: It’s my experiance women like the higher rated comments better, even if they are mothers. But if I have to choose something that doesn’t involve lots of pleasure and sweating, I’ll go with her instincts. She doesn’t spend a lot of time second guessing a decision once she makes it.

Eden snickers, then tries to go serious: So, are you going to let me talk to her about you? What do you think her favorite thing about you is? Other than the manly bits.

Aiden gives her the evil wolf eye, before he shakes it off with a huff: She can decided for herself if she’ll talk to you or not. Being awesome and a werewolf isn’t enough?

Eden grins at him while calling out: Rose? Hi Rose. So if you had to name one thing about Aiden that just sets him apart from everyone else, your favorite thing about him, what would it be?

Rose grins as she looks at Aiden, then turns her attention to Eden: His quiet strength. He’s just there, and you know it, and it makes you feel better, safer, like nothing in the world could hurt you.

Eden smiles at Rose: I asked Emma how the two of you are behaving now that your story is finished, and is available online. How do you feel about the world reading the story of how you and Aiden fell in love?

Rose blushes: I think it’s awesome. I love that saying about right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale. Love is magical, and I like sharing that magic.

Eden leans forward, her eyes sparkling: So, is there anything else you’d like to add before I let you get back to your forest and your happily ever after?

Rose shoots Aiden a look, before she shakes her head and smiles at Eden: I think we’ll keep up the world mystery for the readers. Spoilers are never fun.

Eden smiles back, because it was impossible not to smile back at Rose: Sounds like a plan. It was awesome to meet you both, and good luck with your story!

Aiden nods and hooks his arm around Rose: Nice meeting you.

Rose leans against Aiden: Thank you, and good luck with your first story when it comes out.

Eden does a quick little excited boogie: Thank you. Watches them disappear before turning her attention back to Emma: They are so much fun.

Emma half-laughs, half-snorts: They have something up their sleeve they haven’t told me about. I bet we’ll see them again as the series progresses.

Eden goes into full-on happy dance mode: That would be awesome, I would love to see more of them in the series. So, since it’s in the middle of the night, do you have anything else you want to add before I let you get some sleep?

Emma: The only thing I will add at this late hour is keep an eye out for Druid’s Wish, which will be out November 25th!

Eden: Yes! And I’m looking forward to interviewing them, too! Thanks for coming!

Emma: I had a lot of fun! Thanks for having me!

So there you have it. How much fun are they? Dark Forest is available now, everywhere ebooks are sold, so go pick up your copy now, and don’t forget to leave a comment here so Emma will be awesome enough to come back for her next book!

Emma Weylin’s website

Emma Weylin on Facebook

Love you all, and thanks for stopping by for the first edition of Sunday Funday!

~Eden

The Dragon’s Heart

 

The dragon-shifter king will do anything to keep his mate alive…even if it means war.

“We’re dragons. We don’t do the mushy friend thing.” – Daniel

 

Dragon Lore, #1

After millennia as king of the dragon-shifters, Daniel Ashborne wants a little peace and quiet, especially from the beautiful Hollywood starlet who haunts his memories. His escape tactics end abruptly when he is called to the ER to save the one woman he wants to forget, but who now bears his mark.

Shelby Kincade’s life and movie career were nearly destroyed when Daniel vanished a year ago. Now he’s back, claiming they have been accidentally mated. Getting over him once was hard enough, but she must choose either the life of her dreams or the man she can’t live without.

With peace finally on the horizon between the dragon-shifters and the Hunters, an assassination attempt on the dragon king and his mate shatters everything. Tensions rebuild as Daniel and his loyal team of shifters try to discover who put out the hit. Enemy and ally lines are crossed, but in the end–after the battle ash has settled–no one could have foreseen who has plotted for their own gain.

CONTENT WARNING: Graphic fight scenes, lots of great sex, and hot, hot, hot dragon men.

A Lyrical Press Urban Fantasy Romance

The Dragon’s Heart coming soon by Lyrical Press, Inc

 

https://www.facebook.com/Eden.Ashe.Author

www.twitter.com/EdenAshe

 

COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Friends, Snape, and writing characters

I should take a moment to clarify: I am a pop culture geek. I retain random movie and television facts the way I never could math or science, and once those facts are in my brain, they’re in for good. The scary part is I want to know all these things about my favorite shows and movies. I want to know all those little, minute details that seem unimportant to everyone else, but can make my favorite characters and stories so much more vibrant, or make me care so much more. I love that shit. I really do.

In fact, it’s those little details, those tiny little almost imperceptible…things that make me want to be a better writer. Which always has me striving to improve. Why? The Friends effect.

Think about the television show Friends for a minute. Think about Joey, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, Rachel, and Ross. Think about their characters. Now think about the scripts, and the dialogue in them. You could cover up the names, and still know which character was speaking because how well the writers wrote them. They were so well-defined, so perfectly written, that you knew them. Without seeing a single name, you would know which line was Chandler’s, or Monica’s.

Now take a minute to think about Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books. It’s no secret that I am in total and complete awe of Ms Rowling, and would probably just hug her if I ever got anywhere near her. I can’t even begin to explain the impact her books have had on my life. But in the entire series, in fact, out of every book I’ve ever read, and will probably ever read, Snape is always going to be my favorite character. Why? Because he destroys me. Just guts me to my core, cuts me so deeply that I will never get over the trauma and emotional damage he has caused my heart. I mean, think about him for a minute. He betrayed Voldemort, the most dangerous, evil being ever in their world, to save Harry. Not because he particularly cared about Harry, who treated him like a monster and accused him of the most heinous crimes, but because he loved Lily SO MUCH that he couldn’t let the last piece of her that he had die. When Dumbledore asks him if he still loved Lily even after all this time, Rowling rocked my world off its axis with a single word: Always.

Now, I have no delusions that my writing will ever reach Rowling greatness, but my love of Snape, and my love of Friends has taught me a lot about writing characters that stick in people’s hearts and minds. They’ve taught me that every character I write, no matter how minor, needs to have a personality all their own. It was hit home to me when I received the first email from my editor about her notes for Ever Mine, and she warned me to take a look at Nathan’s personality, to make sure he wasn’t too much like Daniel (the hero from The Dragon’s Heart) at times. Not because she didn’t love Daniel, but because Daniel already had his story, and this one was Nathan’s. So when I sat down to dig into the pre-edits, I knew right away where I’d gone wrong. Daniel is hard, grumpy, silent, and can be pretty doom-and-gloom if Shelby isn’t around to yank him out of his headspace. He is The King, and you really don’t want to fuck with him. Nathan, however, is much less dark. He’s fun, has a wicked sense of humor, and is very…ah…talkative during sex. He’s all slow burn while Daniel is frantic, never quite certain Shelby won’t disappear if he doesn’t devour her right then and there.

I have to say, character development is one of my favorite things about writing. It’s those little nuances that make them all different, that makes their stories worth telling, that makes me keep on keeping on. Like I’ve said before, if I don’t love these characters, who else is going to?

And I am so, so excited that I’m going to be able to share them with you.

~Eden

Update and Excerpt

So…

 

I finished my very first fairy tale romance. Based (very) loosely off the story of Thumbelina, Ever Mine is a fun, cute novella that follows a fairy who suddenly finds herself human-sized and tossed into the middle of the human world. I’m very excited about this story, and as soon as I do one more edit and ship it off to my beta reader, I will get it prettied up for submission.

Now. The Dragon’s Heart! The line editor loved the story and thought it was very cool, which had me doing ridiculous amounts of happy dances. Plus, I’ve been given permission to share a couple excerpts, so without further ado, I’d like you to meet Daniel and his mate, Shelby.

 

She counted to ten out loud. Then backwards again from ten. “Look at me, Daniel. I barely hit five-foot-two with shoes on. The last time I weighed myself, I wasn’t even a hundred pounds. You are massive. You’re supposed to be the biggest, the strongest and most powerful. You’re. The. King!” she shouted. “It was okay when I thought you were going up against a regular-sized psycho, because you’re you and you’re…well, huge, but I can’t do this. I can’t just sit here, pretending I’m not terrified down to my damn soul knowing there are things out there capable of hurting you.”

He saw it then. There were tears swimming in her eyes. She could have sucker punched him and it wouldn’t have laid him out as bad.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she closed her eyes. She turned her head away from him. “You have to come back to me. You get that, right?”

“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice a rough growl. When she met his eyes, he arched a brow. “I have you to come home to. Do you really think there’s anything in this world that can stop me from getting back to you? So stop crying, damn it.”

She let out an indignant snort even as she wiped at her cheeks. “I can cry if I want to.”

A frustrated growl rumbled in his chest. “I’m your king and I forbid your tears.”

His amazing mate laughed in his face. “I’m your queen,” she said, smiling sweetly. “I demand you take me back to the safe house and let me distract you until it’s time for you to…” her words cut off as her laugh bubbled out. “Daniel! I command you to let me down!”

He dropped her back on her butt and bowed low. “I am but my queen’s humble servant.”

She scrambled to her feet, then fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled his face closer to hers. “Daniel, did you know you have dimples?”

“The hell I do.”

She grinned up at him as she slid her fingers gently down his face, hesitating at the dimples that cut deep. “You do. Right here.”

“You know I’m armed, princess, right?”

She canted her head as she studied him, completely unfazed by the menace in his tone. “You know, when you grin like that, you almost look…boyish.”

“That’s it.” He turned quicker than she could prepare for, and before she could catch her balance or breath, he had her backed into a tree, his mouth devouring hers. He kissed her hard, his soul starving for one more taste of her.

“Ashborne. We’re waiting for you.”

Shelby groaned at Luca’s clipped tone, and just rested her head against Daniel’s. “I really will kill him.”

A soft chuckle escaped him at the irritation in her eyes. He turned and crouched low. “Hop up. I’ll carry you.”

She did as he commanded and climbed onto his back, hooking her arms around his neck as he tucked his arms under her knees to hold her in place. He headed back for the safe house.

She nipped at his ear. “You better be as affected by that kiss as I am.”

“More,” he murmured quietly.

Hehe, they are so much fun. A major pain in my backside, but still a ton of fun to work on, and I’m thrilled to be able to share them with you.

Anyway, back to work for me. I have the galley to read through, then edits to tackle. Thanks for checking in!

~Eden

COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Fall Into Romance Blog Hop!

Fall Into Romance Blog Hop hosted by TheRomanceReviews.com!

First off, are you registered at theromancereviews.com ? Registration is free, and you must sign up to win! So go do that, I’ll wait.

Okay now, for the good stuff. Spell Bound by Emma Weylin.

When the gods play games, souls are at stake. A thousand-year-old Viking with a curse on his soul must learn to love. A librarian bound from her ancient and mystical heritage is doomed to never know the love of a man. Only their passion can defeat the will of the gods.

Clover has a peculiar effect on men—they turn into homicidal lunatics. She swears off men and gives up her dream of the perfect boring suburban life. She hadn’t counted on finding a very large, very yummy Viking in her favorite part of the library courtyard. Clover finds she has to trust this Viking, because she’s in danger from gangsters hunting her to collect on her brother’s debts.

Rune is a thousand-year-old Viking trying to escape from a curse. He must fall in love with the woman the gods choose for him or suffer eternity in Norse Hel. Nine times he’s tried, and nine times he’s failed. This is his last attempt. Resigned to his doom, he vows to save Clover from the gods’ petty games before his death. As the last round of the gods’ game begins, Rune discovers there are worse things than losing his soul.

Spell Bound is an amazing debut release from Emma Weylin from .

Not enough? Good, because it wouldn’t be enough for me, either. So how about an excerpt?

Clover knew it. He was going to butcher her, and it wasn’t even going to be his fault. “Oh, no reason. I, um, I think I’ll just be going. My, ah, well, I think I should be…” She turned to hurry away from him when her phone rang. She should ignore it while she got away from this soon-to-be lunatic, but it could be Chaz, and he’d sounded frantic when he called her after breakfast almost seven hours ago. She stopped and acted as if by glaring at the delicious-looking Rune she’d be able to hold him off as she fished through her purse. She looked at the caller ID and ground her teeth together.

“Not now, Chaz,” she said in greeting. “I have a bit of a situation I’m dealing with.”

“Shit, Clover!”

“Don’t use that language,” she scolded him. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. They weren’t supposed to get you until after your shift.”

He did sound sorry, but the statement had the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. She stepped closer to Rune and looked around the courtyard. There wasn’t anyone she could see who wasn’t usually there on a warm-ish day.

“Who is coming to get me?” she demanded.

“Oh fuck,” Chaz mumbled under his breath. “Just go back to what you were doing like I never called you.”

“Chaz!” she screeched into the cell phone before the call disconnected.

She hadn’t realized it, but she’d steadily inched closer to Rune during the disturbing call. Great! Thugs were coming to get her to pay off Chaz’s gambling debt. She looked up at Rune. “They probably know where I live, huh?”

His expression was grim. “They do.”

At this point she was willing to believe Gypsy knew this guy. Gypsy wouldn’t put her into a dangerous situation. She’d said to believe in magic, and right now, Clover was going to need magic to get out of some scary real-world trouble. “No sexual thoughts. It should keep you from going insane a while longer while I figure out what I am supposed to do.”

He snorted, and an amused look lit his face. “In that get-up, søt en, you’ll have a difficult time getting a sex-deprived teenager to have a sexual thought about you.”

She beamed at him. “Then it’s working?”

“No,” he said with a laugh.

She glared at him, knew she was going to have to count spending time with him as a date. “Okay, then we have twenty-four hours max to find me a safe place and…” She blinked a few times and realized she was playing the stupid damsel-in-distress card. She in no way should expect him to protect her for any reason just because she was in trouble. She changed what she’d been about to say. “You know what? I figured it out. You die because you help me escape the thugs looking for money from my brother. You stay here and I’ll leave, and then I won’t have to worry about you dying.” She nodded to herself and then bolted back to the building.

He caught up to her as they got to the door. One of his powerful arms hooked around her, and the side of his face pressed up against hers. “Oh no, you don’t.” His voice was gruff in her ear. “We’re going to pretend like there isn’t anything wrong. We’re going to exit through the main entrance and go to your car. Understand?”

She let out a whimpering sound as she tried to decide what she was going to do. Would it be her fault if something happened to him for helping her? Then she saw Mona staring at her from the front desk. This wasn’t going well at all. “My boss is going to think you’re kidnapping me.”

He pressed the side of her face to shift her focus from the front desk to the middle computer tables. A dangerous-looking man stood to the right of the science fiction section, just beyond the computer tables. He was tall, bulky, and wore a suit. He had a bulge… She hoped it was a gun, or the man was seriously deformed.

She sucked in a breath and then whispered, “He’s here for me?”

“That would be my guess.”

“But Chaz said they wouldn’t come for me until after my shift.” She knew Chaz had called her to see if they’d snatched her yet, but she really wanted to believe her younger brother hadn’t sold her to pay for a gambling debt.

“Then he was wrong. We’re leaving now.”

The gaze of the scary man in the suit landed on her. His hand went to his weapon, and he took a step forward. His gaze shifted to just above Clover’s head, and then he audibly swore.

“Time to go.” Rune growled the words. He shifted the hold he had on her and moved her, so he was standing between her and the man with a gun. “We’re going to walk.”

Clover made a small squeaking sound. They started moving. Mona grabbed the desk phone. The man in the suit followed them at a brisk pace.

“Where are you parked?” Rune demanded.

“Th-third row, seventh car in,” she said trying to picture exactly where her car was in the lot. She wasn’t going to freak out—at least not yet. She could cry and be scared later; right now she needed to focus on not getting anyone—including herself—killed.

“Get your keys.” One of his large hands wrapped around her upper arm in an unbreakable grip yet didn’t cause any pain.

She groped and felt around inside her purse as they got closer to the door. It took up to two minutes to find her keys on a good day. The task seemed impossible, except she didn’t have to worry about where she was going or not running into things. Rune carefully, but quickly, directed her through the door and out into the parking lot. She found her keys as they went from the sidewalk to the asphalt. The door behind them burst open.

Rune grabbed her keys and shoved her in front of him, to keep between the thug and Clover. “Keep moving no matter what you hear.”

“What are you—” Clover finished in a scream as two gunshots cracked through the air. Rune’s body jerked forward, and then wrapped tightly around hers for ten seconds after the last booming sound faded before he let her go.

Rune roared. “Move!”

I mean…HOT, right? If you think Rune is awesome now, you need to read the book. He. Is. AWESOME. So… head over and follow Emma, and me, on Twitter, for a chance to win a copy.

Emma on Twitter.

Eden on Twitter.

 

Also, Emma has two more releases coming out this year from Liquid Silver. The follow-up to Spell Bound, called Druid’s Wish, and the first novella in her Secret Blood series, titled Dark Forest. So make sure you check out her facebook page for updates on those, and future projects.

Emma Weylin on facebook

And…one final thing. I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card when my facebook page totals 200 likes–and I’m only 9 away, so get your butts over there and ‘like’ it if you haven’t already!

Eden Ashe on facebook.

Now, start hopping!

Thanks–and love you all.

Eden.

 

 

Fall Into Romance Blog Hop!

Stay tuned…!

 

Cover Reveal

How AMAZING is this? Not only is the artwork gorgeous, he looks exactly like the Daniel I’ve always seen in my head. We’re still about nine months away from The Dragon’s Heart release date, but I had to share because, well, I’m absolutely in love with this cover.