Lisa Renee Jones's Blog, page 159

Thrills and Chills giveaway –WIN A NOOK! And Happy Release Day to Jaci Burton!

Want to win a Nook?

Between now and November 3rd you have several chances to enter several times to win!

–Comment here today!

–10/20 At Shiloh's blog

– 10/25 At Jaci's blog

–10/27 here again!

–11/1 At Shiloh's blog

–11/3 At Jaci's Blog

The Heart of a Killer

Book One in The Killer Series



October 18, 2011

Mira

ISBN-10: 0778312593

ISBN-13: 978-0778312598

Subgenre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense

No one said coming home would be easy. But for Dante Renaldi, it's murder.

Before the Special Forces hero has even unpacked his bags from twelve years of active duty, he's embroiled in murder—corpses bearing the brutal trademark he's seen only once before—on the worst night of his life.

The last time Detective Anna Pallino saw Dante Renaldi, they were in love. Now, he's part of the connection to a string of fresh homicides and a horrible assault Anna only survived thanks to him.

More than anything, Anna wants to trust Dante. But as the bodies and the coincidences stack up, Anna will have to decide, and fast: Is the man she owes her life to the very same one who wants her dead?



EXCERPT

The Heart of A Killer

© 2011 by Jaci Burton

Anna looked down the street, then up. This wasn't going to happen to her again. She'd suffered the most incredible fear she'd ever known. Nothing would ever scare her like that again.

"I don't know what kind of game he's playing, but I'm not joining in."

Crime scene techs showed up. Anna directed them to the flowers and card. They photographed and bagged the evidence. Anna had them wait outside and directed them to check for footprints and fingerprints while she unlocked her front door.

Dante put on a pair of gloves and nestled in right by her side.

"You aren't coming in with me."

"You'll have to arrest me to stop me, because for all we know he could be inside waiting for you, and you've got nobody backing you up."

"And you aren't a cop."

His deep blue gaze bored into hers as he lifted the Glock and pointed it inside the house. "Trust me when I tell you I know how to use this gun. Either call for backup or let me go in with you."

Her teeth hurt from grinding them. She nodded. "Fine. Stay behind me and do exactly what I say."

She caught the slight lift of his lips. "Yes, Detective."

She waited for the techs to dust and lift prints from the doorknob, then turned the knob and nudged the door open with her foot. Light streamed in from the gauzy curtains in her dining room, making it easy to see inside the living room.

"Nothing looks out of place," she whispered to Dante. "I'm moving inside."

She felt Dante on her left flank as she stepped in, her gun pointed slightly down, her finger poised on the trigger. She made a sweep left, then right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. While she moved to the right, Dante swept to the left, opening the closet door while Anna headed into the kitchen.

Once they cleared those areas they went together down the hall and checked the two bedrooms and bathrooms.

Everything was clear.

"Nothing's been touched. Nothing even looks like it's been moved even an inch. He wasn't inside."

"Or he's good at putting things back in place."

She sighed. "I'll let the techs in and have them dust for prints, but I don't think he was in here. I'd know."

"Yeah? How would you know?"

"Instinct."

He nodded. "That I understand."

"I'm going to have to give my captain an update on all this. This sucks."

"First you need to get some sleep. There are dark circles under your eyes."

He reached out, swept his thumb across her cheekbone.

His touch sent shock waves through her body. Unprepared, she took a hasty step back and stumbled. Dante caught her with his arm wrapped around her, tugging her against him, which only made things worse. He was warm—solid, and not at all what she wanted.

This was all too much.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine." She jerked away from him and turned around, headed outside to the techs and led them into the house.

While they worked making a dustbowl out of her entire house, she contacted her captain and left him a message, letting him know about the flowers and card, then told him she'd give him a full report when she came on duty again.

Dante kept his distance, but she felt his gaze on her, as warm as his touch.

She didn't like the familiarity, the sense of closeness he wanted when she knew so little about him.

She had too many questions. Like why he had a gun and he'd swept through her house like a cop who knew what he was doing. Those were answers she was going to get from him.

He moved in next to her. "I know you're tired. And the tech guys are done now, so you can get some sleep."

She looked up and realized the CSU team had packed up and were leaving, shutting the door behind them. She hadn't even noticed.

"Okay, good."

She walked to the door and waited. He came toward her and stopped in front of her.

"If you'd like, I can stay."

"Stay and do what?"

His lips curled, and warning bells rang. She'd walked right into that one. She really was tired. "I don't need you to stay."

"He could come back."

"If he does, I can handle it."

Dante surveyed the double dead-bolt lock on her door. "I guess you're secure."

Anna felt anything but secure at the moment, especially since she was leaning against the door and Dante was about a quarter of an inch away from her, all that testosterone sending her libido firing in a way it hadn't since…

Since the last time they'd been alone together. She'd been full of raging teen hormones back then, which she sure wasn't now.

Now she was a competent adult capable of taking care of herself, yet here he was, trying to act as if she was in need of saving.

She hadn't needed saving in a long time. These days she saved herself.

October Blog Tour — prizes Daily! Win a NOOK!

Click HERE for the blog tour schedule. Every day I will be at a new place with different prizes!



TAB down to the next post for your chance to win a NOOK and for daily updates and random contests!

October Blog Tour — prizes Daily!

Click HERE for the blog tour schedule. Every day I will be at a new place with different prizes!

News, contests, and prizes!

I have so many contests and fun things going on for the rest of the year. I'm doing a blog tour for 6 weeks and then doing my Holiday Party here again where authors share their trees and recipes. Donna Grant and I are having a giveaway for a Honey Baked Ham, Godiva, and a Kindle Fire. More on that in November.

I am editing the proposal for the 3rd AMERICA'S NEXT TOP DANCER trilogy out next year. I love these characters. I didn't want to let them go. I love when I am so excited about a story.

Then an editor asked for a few more chapters of an Urban Fantasy I'm really excited about so I'm writing those this week. Once I finish them I have to finish up Hot Vampire Touch and Wicked Werewolf Night out in November and December. Busy busy busy! I love it.



So onward to the contests and prizes!

–On Monday the 17th I am at http://mybookaddictionandmore.com/ blogging and giving away a prize!

This launches a blog tour for October and November with all kinds of different prizes!The October part of the tour will feature my Vampire Wardens. I've been so excited to get a good response to this series because I am really enjoying writing it.

–Today my winner for last week's contest right here is Louise! Louise email me at lisarenjones@gmail.com for your prize

–Tuesday I have Jaci Burton here sharing an excerpt for HEART OF KILLER and your chance to win a NOOK!

–CONTEST ALERT United by Books is giving away some of my books and many other prizes for Halloween!

Happy weekend review! I got this at the beginning of the weekend so it was a great way to start it out right. A great new review from Talking Two Lips for HOT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION!

I can't remember if I shared this yet but I have a new cover for WICKED WEREWOLF NIGHT out December 13th. It's so beautiful. I LOVE it! Working on the cover for HOT VAMPIRE TOUCH. I'll have it to show off soon.

And finally THE STORM THAT IS STERLING IS NOW available on Kindle! I am so so excited about Sterling releasing November 1. Please help me pass the word so my Zodius guys can have lots and lots of stories in the future:)

I also have bookmarks coming for the Vampire Wardens and for Sterling and Damion — the Zodius series. Trading Cards soon too!

I want to say a special thanks to Wendy who has made it possible for me to get these blog tour stops to happen and for me to get bookmarks and Trading Cards in the works too. Also a special thanks to all my Underground Angels! I love you guys. And when you get THE STORM THAT IS STERLING you will see that my ANGELS are mentioned.

Lisa

Day two Smashwords contest and GET HEALTHY BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS

So all contests I post for the week are open all week long. I'll draw a winner Sunday night. Today's prize will be a Gift card from Smashwords. Yesterday was cookie dough bars:)

So the total prize will have a smashwords coupon and cookie dough!

My healthy eating tip of the day — A1 Steak Sauce or hot sauce or salsa on a baked potato. No butter. No nothing else. It's actually really really good with spicy A1. When we go out to eat I always do that even on cheat days. I'm so use to it and I actually like it.

I also get a chicken salad and instead of dressing I get salsa. It's really good.

But I figure no one wants me to send them A1 or hot sauce lol!

So smashwords it is!

How to win. Let's make today simple.

Just post here! I've given you too much homework.

So tell me three things about you.

Here are my three:

-I've been with a Mexican man for 7 years and he's given up teaching me Spanish. It's just not happening

-I could eat Mac N Cheese for every meal and when I visit Austin I go to Luby's Cafeteria to get their Mac N Cheese so many times everyone gets mad because they want something else.

-I did some independent films right before I started writing. I did stage work when I was younger then got into film. I loved it but it was hard to juggle with a busy life. So I decided to funnel the acting into writing. And here I am:)

Now what are your three?

Better late than never new contest

Hi all! I said our new contest would start on Tuesday and as I finish my word count and see 12:30 on the clock I think I failed miserably. So very sorry. I finished my book! YAY! And I started the next one and I am so into it that it has me excited.

So Friday was cheat day and today is Tuesday. Let me count the days to cheat day — TOO MANY, I say. Being good stinks but it sure makes Friday awesome.

And YAY THE DANGER THAT IS DAMION is up for pre-order and on sale. I'd insert the gorgeous cover but I can't seem to find it because I'm so tired I'm seeing double. But its gorgeous and have an awesome Stephanie Tyler quote on the front!

So another one of my favorite healthy day items that will be part of this weeks prize. One of my favs is today. Zone Cookie Dough bars. They are truly good. I've had some crap protein bars because I eat a lot of protein bars. These are so yummy.

So how to enter this weeks contest? The first two ways:

==click on the Win a Nook box on the sidebar and go comment and say LISA SENT ME

–Tell the world about the STORM THAT IS STERLING. Tweet it, Blog it, Facebook it, put it on your bookshelf at Goodreads or add it to a list at goodreads, whatever makes you happy!

Last weeks contest winner!

Desiree is the prize winner. Email me your address to lisareneejones@att.net. I picked up your loot this weekend:)

And I will start this weeks contest tomorrow! More fun prizes!

Lisa:)

BAD BAD reviewer behavior and BAD BAD ethics

There is an editor who is putting on a reviewer hat in order to list out all the errors they can dig and find. This editor then points out a short list of errors and says– I'd never buy this book because of the errors. Then you are threatened with — this is an EXACT quote:

This is just a tiny sample of problems in this story. If you really, really want a review on this story, I can do that but you aren't going to like the rip I'll do on the editing that's been done on this story.

Or, I could edit this for you. I charge $5 per page for a project under 100 pages and $3 per page for 101 to 750 pages.

EXTORTION — I will overcharge you to edit this book or 'rip' the book!

Can you say FURIOUS!!!!!

Cheat Day Friday contest

First– NO the book is not done. I am exhausted and WILL finish today. Today is Friday and its our cheat day here. NO GYM. NO GYMMMM! Thank you. I go to the gym 6 days a week and I work hard. Dripping wet hard. I do twice the cardio I did when I worked away from home and was younger for less results. Yet…I keep going. Normally we go out to eat but today I doubt I can. What do I LOVE on cheat day?

FRENCH FRIESSSSSS!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is the only day I allow myself fried food. The ONLY day of the week. No fried food any other time. And I mean NONE. So needless to say I gobble them up and I ask them to make fresh. If I get them once a week I want them fresh and hot.

So today's prize is a MCDonald's gift card.

That means the prize is Godiva coffee, Booty, Mio, and FRIES!:)

New contest starts Monday.

How do you enter today?

Each is an entry

-Do anything from the Monday-Thursday contests and come here and tell me

-Comment here

Lisa

No the book isn't done and contest day 3 – get healthy before the holidays!

Hi all — Zombie Lisa here. I wrote about 7,000 words yesterday and kept about 2 of that. I realized that I had gone the wrong direction and it was defeating. I am, however, 100% happier with the 2k than I was the 7k, so there is a bright spot. I am a cranky witch without sleep though and how Diego manages to make me laugh or chill out I don't know, but he has that knack — thank goodness for him.

So with my second extra large cup of Godiva in hand I say unto you (as they say on Iron Chef!) let the healthy stuff begin.

I work out 6 days a week and Friday is my day off and my cheat day. So Friday will be my day of favorite cheat items.

Today's cheat day item and prize is MIO. MIO has no calories, no sugar, no fat, no nothing but flavor goodness. I not only drink it in water all day, I use it in the protein I drink at the gym every day. Yes I drink protein. That's another topic on another day. MIO has none of the additives that soda, including diet drinks, have. One thing I think women need to be aware of is this:

Phosphoric Acid: May interfere with the body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, which can interfere with digestion, making it difficult to utilize nutrients.

No one thinks about their bones until they are in trouble but ladies its a common bad problem. Lifting weights, eating right, and taking supplements can prevent this.

The big thing about MIO is that I LIKE it. It's tasty and it comes in 6 flavors. You can use a little or a lot. I like the PEACH MANGO. It's my absolute favorite. I don't like the Berry but some people love it. They even have sweet tea flavor which is pretty darn good.

So this weeks prize will include:

-Pirate Booty

-Godiva coffee

-Mio

HOW to win?

Every day you get as many entries as you want. I am going to assign names and numbers and then have DH draw.

Today's ways to enter include:

-TELL SOMEONE about PROTECTOR. Blog it, tweet it, facebook it, LIKE it on AMAZON and BARNES AND NOBLE — come back here and tell me. Each thing is one entry.

-ADD Protector to a Goodreads bookshelf — TWO ENTRIES

-COMMENT HERE and tell me your favorite healthy snack so I can try it.

-Click on the link on the right to win a NOOK and leave a comment on the contest blog

Good luck!