Mandy M. Roth's Blog, page 87
April 22, 2012
Just Released
The much anticipated next book in the Project Exorcism Series is now for sale! This is a brand new original book, never before released!
Civil Twilight (Project Exorcism)
Stegian is a man held prisoner in his own body by a demon. A demon hell bent on ridding the planet of all Janelles. He rules by fear and he rules well. But, when a mysterious, gorgeous woman arrives late one night, tempting him, claiming to want to save him from himself, everything changes. He longs for her and wants to believe her words are true—that she can separate him from the vampire he carries within. Dare he hope? Dare he believe?
Jacquelyn Janelle is no longer held to the same rules that apply to her people. She’s ascended and gained valuable insight into the universe and its plans for one thought lost to evil. More than that, she’s fully aware who he is to her—her true mate. She’ll stop at nothing to assure she saves him, even if it’s from himself.
Warning: This novella contains explicit sex and violence. It is a story about redemption against all hope and about how love can transcend time and space. Plus, it has hot sex scenes for those unconcerned with the frilly stuff.
And, because so many of you emailed asking when I was going to re-release it, Misfit in Middle America is now for sale with BONUS word count! That’s right. It had been 10k words. I expanded it out to 16k, adding in Beth’s POV!
Misfit in Middle America
Police Chief Adam Sisel has problems. He’s got three dead bodies, a murderer on the loose, a teenage son who’s as Goth as they come, an estranged wife, and the hots for a woman who doesn’t seem to know he exists. At some point, something has to give, and when it does, he finds out there is more to the tiny town of North Maple Ridge than meets the eye.
Warning: This short story was previously published at another house. It has been expanded by 6k words and now contains Beth’s POV. This short story contains graphic violence, explicit sex, adult situations, extreme gore, and is not for the faint of heart.
April 21, 2012
Saturday Snippet- Radar Deception
Paranormal Shifter Military Special Ops Romance
Snippet from Radar Deception: Immortal Ops 3 by Mandy M. Roth
Dr. Thaddeus Green survived a werepanther attack long ago, leaving him immortal and a member of the I-Ops team. He’s dedicated his life to genetics and to serving his country. After his mutated DNA led to the death of his loved ones, he vowed to never let anyone close to his heart again. Try as he might, Green is unable to stop the mystical pull to the tall, leggy blonde with a sharp tongue and an even worse bite. Thinking Melanie is suffering from mating withdraw, Green is prepared to do what he must to assure her survival, even if it means claiming her for himself, regardless of his need to protect his heart. Little does Green know that fate has been preparing him for Melanie Daly all his unnaturally long life.
When ghosts from the past resurface, in ways he never dreamt possible, the normally mild-mannered scientist finds himself drawing on his inner beast and rage to assure his mate and their future are protected. But even Green can’t fight all of Melanie’s battles for her. Some she has no choice but to face on her own. Can their bond stand the test of time?
Rating: Contains graphic violence, explicit sex and strong language.
Melanie woke to the soft sounds of someone playing a piano. She glanced around the large, white room in awe. It was beautiful. The ceiling was vaulted and the windows along the left wall went from the floor up. The bed was bigger than any she’d ever been in and considering the number of beds Melanie had woke to find herself in that was saying a lot. It was still dark out and she wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
She glanced down to find herself wearing one of her favorite nightgowns. The light pink silk gown was slit up the side and had spaghetti straps. It was like wearing nothing and she loved it.
Climbing out of the bed, Melanie listened to the sound of the music playing and smiled. She didn’t need to be told whose bedroom she was in. She vividly remembered Eadan threatening to put a sleep spell on her. She also remembered his threat—she’d wake up married to Green. The thought had terrified her when he said it. Now, as she headed for the door, all she could think about was being near Green.
She opened the door and stepped out into the large hallway. The sound of music filtered in from the other end so she headed in that direction. The hallway seemed to go on forever, making her wonder how many people lived in the house. The sound of the piano being played grew louder as she approached a large, half-circular staircase. As she headed down it, she spotted Green in what looked to be a formal living room, sitting with his back to her while he played. The room was amazing but nothing compared to the sight of him.
Her breath caught as she stared at him. It was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt on and it hit her just how muscular he was. He looked as though he were chiseled from the same marble of the floor beneath the area he sat in. Perfection. Plain and simple. The dark black wood of the piano he sat at only added to the sleek, streamlined, sensual look Green put out.
The black silk pajama bottoms he wore, rode low in the back, showing that he had dimples just above his ass cheeks. The urge to rush forward and run her hands over him was great. She managed to control it, only slightly as she walked slowly toward him. His head dipped slightly as he played, indicating just how into it he was.
She wasn’t familiar with the piece he was playing but she knew enough to know it was full of emotion. Raw. Powerful, like him. Melanie slid her hands over his shoulders and rubbed gently. The feel of his warm skin beneath her fingertips left her drawing in a deep breath, fighting to keep her breathing even.
Green stopped playing and stiffened. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll….”
Her nipples hardened to pebble-like peaks as they grazed against his back. Melanie put her lips to his ear and kissed it. The urge to bite it was great so she gave in and nipped playfully at it. “Don’t stop, please.”
His breathing grew shallow and he refused to look at her. “I can’t be by you if you’re in that and I’m only in….”
Run away. Don’t fall for him.
Ignoring her inner voice, Melanie slipped the straps of her nightgown down her shoulders and let it fall to the floor in a silken puddle. She lifted it with her foot and plucked it from her toe. She let out a sultry laugh as she dropped it in Green’s lap.
“There. Problem one out of the way. You take yours off and we’ll have everything worked out.”
Green stared down at the nightgown and put his hands out on the piano top. He bowed his head and it was easy to see him straining. The fact his knuckles were turning white only added to the matter. “Melanie, I can’t fight the beast in me forever. It wants to claim you for its own. I want to claim you, too.”
“Well, I’ve never heard a man refer to the urge to fuck me quite that way but I’m game if you are, Thad.”
He shook his head. “No. You don’t understand. Hell, I don’t even understand it. I controlled the beast easily when we were together before. Never once did I have to push you away to keep from marking you, from sinking my teeth into your smooth skin as I sank my cock deep within you. I was able to keep that side of myself from you. Why now? Why can’t I control it around you now?”
Her brow furrowed as she slid her hands into his dark red hair. “Honey, I think the sight of you makes my brain fuzzy because you’re not making any sense to me. I keep fighting this nagging voice in my head that’s telling me to run. To avoid you at all costs. You scare me, yet when I woke to find myself in your bedroom, I was upset you weren’t there with me.”
“Melanie, I won’t tie you to me. You don’t really want that. There is no way I can be with you and keep the beast caged. Please put your clothes back on and give me some time to be alone.”
“How long was I asleep?” she asked, biting back tears as he rejected her.
“About two hours, why?”
Two hours? That meant it was still technically her birthday. Barely, but it counted. The irony wasn’t lost on her. “You were my bright spot on this day, too,” she whispered, low enough a human couldn’t hear her. “Okay, I’m going to go lay back down for awhile. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Reaching out, she went to grab the nightgown and yelped when Green caught her wrist. He drew her into his arms and onto his lap before she could even blink. “Thad?”
His eye seemed to flicker with varying shades of emerald. “Don’t be afraid of me, Melanie. I can’t control it around you.”
She knew she should be terrified of what she was seeing but the feel of his hands on her body left her hissing out as she tipped her head back. “I want you inside me.”
“Melanie.”
She shifted on his lap, and swung one leg around so she was left straddling him. The feel of his hard erection just beneath the surface of his pajama bottoms spurred her onward. Green closed his eyes and moved his hands off her.
“I can’t do this. I can’t be gentle with you. It’s been over fifty years since I’ve had sex and even then I didn’t have to fight the urge to claim you on a supernatural level.”
Fifty years? Supernatural level?
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Lissa Matthews
Zoë Archer
April 18, 2012
Need a break from taxes? FREE ebooks
Take a break from tax worries: Our GIFT to you. TODAY only (April 18, 2012) Gypsy Nights by Mandy M. Roth is FREE on Amazon Kindle. Kindle apps are available for pcs, macs, and varying cells phones, ipads, and readers. Sorry, this is only offered through Amazon Kindle. We’ve signed a contract with them allowing us to reach the most possible readers. Thanks for your understanding! We hope you enjoy the book(s). Please pay close attention to assure the book is in fact being offered for free and that the offer has not expired.
Fighting Lady Jayne (April 18 ONLY)
MwM Author Spotlight: NJ Walters
Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: NJ Walters
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing and Ellora’s Cave.
A: My first ebook was released back in October of 2004 and, since that time, I’ve had 56 books published and have more under contract. My experience has been an incredible one. I’ve worked with many different editors, all whom have all made me a much better writer. The production staff at both companies has been extremely professional and wonderful to work with. The authors I’ve met and worked are the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known. I’ve seen my readership grow and I am very grateful to all the people who have paid their hard-earned money to purchase my books. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel as though I’m only getting started.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I’m not very comfortable with technology and I’ve had to step way beyond my comfort zone the past six years or so, learning skills I never dreamed I’d need. Time is precious to a writer, so I try to focus on venues where I know readers will be. Social media has opened up many new opportunities for writers and I enjoy chatting to readers at Yahoo groups and on Facebook. Blogging is fun too and I also have a newsletter. There are always lots of opportunities for networking with other authors or with romance review websites. I’ve done interviews, guest blogs and been part of group contests as well.
Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Don’t be afraid if you aren’t the most techno savvy person out there. It can be very overwhelming, believe me I do understand. Start simple with a website and blog. When I started you had to pay someone to build your website for you unless you were a computer geek. Now there are many sites that offer easy website building software as part of the packages they offer. They’re easy for you to use and update. I know this only because my hubby recently got his own website. I’ve taught myself to update my original website and have made some changes over the years.
And Blogger is great place for a beginner. If I can build my own blog there, so can you!
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: My latest book is Quinn’s Quest (February 21, 2012) and it’s part of my Legacy werewolf series being released by Samhain Publishing.
BLURB:
Kidnapped and held in a crazy doctor’s underground laboratory, Bethany Morris only manages to escape because Chrissten, one of her fellow abductees, creates an opportunity—by shifting into a werewolf.
Bethany’s desperate for help, but who’ll believe her story? The police? That’ll just buy her a one-way ticket to a padded room—because here’s the kicker: she’s discovered she’s a half-breed werewolf. Her only hope is to find Chrissten’s brother.
Quinn Lawton’s long, grinding search for his missing twin has turned up nothing…until Bethany rekindles his hope. Something else catches flame too—her heat cycle and a searing attraction branded with the word mate. Yet with so much blood on his hands, any future he might offer is already tainted beyond redemption.
Desperate for Quinn’s touch alone, Bethany has no choice but to take Quinn up on his offer to quell her terrifying need, no strings attached. And hope that as the search for Chrissten intensifies, the battle with their personal demons doesn’t destroy their razor-thin chance at forever.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?
A: I’m currently working on another Awakening Desires book for Ellora’s Cave. This one features one of the remaining Jewel sisters that readers met in Jackson’s Jewel, an earlier book in the series. Take one hunky bodyguard, one very independent woman and put them in a secluded cabin for two days and what you get is a whole lot of sexual tension that eventually boils over.
After this book I’ll be working on a brand new paranormal quartet, which I’m very excited about. But don’t worry Legacy fans, the next two books in the series have already been written and contracted.
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: Like many writers, I was a reader first. Back in the mid-nineties, I had some time off and, with my husband’s encouragement, decided to try my hand at writing my own book. Of course, it was a romance. That’s what I read.
That original manuscript was turned down by an early epublisher, but the editor took the time to give me some good advice. Many, many rewrites later, that book became my very first Samhain Publishing release—Discovering Dani—which came out in 2006, more than ten years after I first wrote it. It’s amazing how much I’ve changed as a writer since that first book, but I still love that story!
Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: That’s a trick question and one I struggle to find the answer to almost daily. I honestly don’t know how women with kids manage to balance everything. I find it difficult enough with my husband and the rest of my family.
I love writing but there is no nine-to-five as there used to be with set days off. I write in the mornings because that’s what works best for me. The afternoons are reserved for the myriad other tasks that come with being a published writer. I try to take weekends off but even then I check my emails, Facebook and various groups I belong to. But if I have edits from my editor then I’m working weekends too.
I think this is something most writers struggle with. When you love what you do the tendency is to always be doing it. That’s the way it’s been for me the past seven years. My goals this year are to develop some other interests away from reading and writing and to focus on my health.
LINKS:
April 16, 2012
Frank Joseph, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Frank Joseph, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
When people think of US history, they often talk about the Civil War or the Old West, but what about that time before recorded history? The mysterious people and cultures that populated the earth before Columbus sailed the ocean blue? Unearthing Ancient America: The Lost Sagas of Conquerors, Castaways, and Scoundrels explores the lives of these people, and the ancient mysteries that surrounds them.
Unearthing Ancient America: The Lost Sagas of Conquerors, Castaways, and Scoundrels author, Frank Joseph, has published several novels on lost civilizations, including more books about the lost civilization of Atlantis than any other author in history. His twenty-four published titles about ancient history, sacred sites and synchronicity have been released in as many foreign language editions around the world.
*****
Q: You’ve written several books, The Atlantis Encyclopedia, Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America, Opening the Ark of the Covenant. What inspired you to write about these topics?
Frank:I always wanted to know the truth behind these enigmas, and feel there may be some subconscious past-life energies at work.
Q: Have you always had a fascination with history and unsolved mysteries?
Frank:As long as I can remember.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Frank:All of them, because myth is the higher, metaphysical language of mankind.
Q: Specifically in Unearthing Ancient America you tackle a broad variety of archaeological enigmas. What are some of these enigmas?
Frank:How did an ancient Egyptian statuette find its way into an prehistoric burial mound in Illinois? Is Minnesota’s Norse rune stone an authentic 15th Century artifact? Did the Romans operate ships capable of making transatlantic crossings to America?
Q: How and why are they shunned as too heretical for consideration by conventional scholars?
Frank: Mainstream archaeologists are indoctrinated with the academic commandment, “Tho shalt not have any overseas’ visitors to America before Columbus!”
Q: Is Archaeology a science?
Frank:Archaeology is a “humanity” that its practitioners are supposed to apply scientific methods. Archaeological conclusions are cultural interpretations, not scientific facts.
Q: Why is this important when studying Ancient America?
Frank:It requires us to keep an open mind, as opposed to conventional archaeologists.
Q: In history classes, students are often taught that Columbus was the first European to “discover” America, but I’ve heard evidence has been found that in fact Vikings were the first. Which, if either, is true?
Frank:Both. The Viking discovery of America was lost by Columbus’s time.
Q: What are some of the significant events missing from most school history books?
Frank:Upper Michigan’s 5,000 year-old copper mining industry; the Viking exploration of North America; the Keltic contribution to pre-Columbian America; etc., etc.
Q: How did those pre-Columbian explorers reach the new world?
Frank:In purpose-built ships.
Q: For what purpose?
Frank:Numerous purposes: to escape persecution, for minerals (especially raw copper), on missionary quests, exploration, colonization, etc., etc.
Q: What secrets have the Giants of the California Desert preserved for a thousand years?
Frank: California’s “giants” are colossal line-drawings of anthropomorphic and animal figures created by a sophisticated people some 900 years ago.
Q: Has a Smithsonian photographer discovered an ancient city in the Grand Canyon?
Frank:Yes, Mr. Kincaid.
Q: Moving on to another of you books, Opening the Ark of the Covenant. Now I know many people automatically associate the ark with the Indiana Jones movie. Is this a true representation of the Ark?
Frank:The movie, like all Spielberg films, has as much bearing on the truth as Walt Disney’s “Dumbo” has on zoology.
Q: What exactly was the Ark of the Covenant?
Frank: A vessel containing a large quartz crystal capable of transmuting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Q: Is it a real object, or just a mythical construct?
Frank: Real.
Q: Does it still exist?
Frank:Several versions still exist in various parts of the world.
Q: When and where was the Ark of the Covenant last seen?
Frank:The most recent sightings were in Germany, 1945, and Tennessee, 1964.
Q: Where is the Ark of the Covenant today?
Frank:Quebec, Japan, Bavaria, Tibet, etc.
Q: What significance does the Ark of the Covenant have for our 21st Century world?
Frank:Presently, it is only a myth, because it (they) is (are) concealed. If made known and its function disclosed, it could alter the entire course of modern history for good or evil, depending upon the intentions of its 21st Century users, not a good prospect, given humanity’s present savagery.
Q: What powers was the Ark of the Covenant supposed to possess?
Frank:Transformational.
Q: Who were the Knights Templars?
Frank:12th and 13th Century followers of St. Bernard.
Q: What was the relationship between the Ark of the Covenant and the Knights Templars?
Frank:They were its discoverers and guardians.
Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal and the unexplained?
Frank:1. Because institutionalized religion has failed (the true meaning behind Nietzsche’s declaration, “God is dead”), and 2. all human beings are born with a spiritual instinct that is still seeking fulfillment.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?
Frank:”Supernatural” refers to anything narrow-minded persons are unable to comprehend outside the strict limitations of their immediate, physical existence; things are either natural or un-natural; that is all.
Q: Or are you a skeptic?
Frank:I strive for a genuine scientific approach; namely, always keeping an open kind, refraining from absolute judgments, but endeavoring to make conditional conclusions.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Frank:The books of Robert E. Howard and Edgar Allan Poe; cable tv’s “Psychic Detectives”.
Q: Do you have any pet projects?
Frank:My life is my pet project.
Q: What does the future hold for your work?
Frank:Oblivion.
Q: Any new books?
Frank:”Gods of the Runes” released in fall.
Thank you for joining us!
Frank Joseph’s titles Unearthing Ancient America and Atlantis and 2012 are available online and in bookstores.Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
April 14, 2012
Best Buy Triple Charging for Purchases
WARNING: Best Buy is triple charging for purchases and the company is aware of this glitch in system yet is NOT warning consumers at register. This is TRUE. I know. It just happened to me. Today (April 14th, 2012) I went in and made a purchase of $243.84. The terminal CC processor lagged and the clerk re-ran the card. Still lagged. Then, it required her to call in and verify the amount. She did. The purchase was then completed and she said “they didn’t give a reason why I had to call”. We left with our purchases. Curious, and fearful my debit card info might have been hacked or something else, I got to the car and logged into my online banking system only to find Best Buy had charged me $243.84 THREE times in a row, holding/deducting that amount from my available balance.
I went right back in and alerted the clerk who had checked me out. As I said it the boy clerk next to her said, “Oh yes, that’s been happening. Just had it happen the other day”. The manager came out, plastered a smile to her face and said, “Yes, Best Buy company is aware of this problem. Its happening company wide. Your money should be released/back to you next week.”
I said, “It has a hold of nearly $500 extra on my account now.”
She said, “Well, the money is not technically gone. Its just being held by your bank.”
I replied, “So, what you’re saying is Best Buy is holding nearly $500 of my money hostage?”
Continuing to smile, she said, “Um, yes, I guess they are.”
“I have the extra in the account,” I said, seething mad but maintaining a calm exterior. Mind you, I don’t consider $500 pocket change. “But what happens to someone who doesn’t and Best Buy does this to them?”
She said, “Oh, that’s already happened. We had a customer in here who was also overcharged three times and we had to call for verification on their card too, then when they realized they were charged three times they stood up here yelling at us, furious.”
I looked at my husband and I said, “What I’m getting out of this conversation is, good luck getting the hold off your money.”
I’m so disappointed in Best Buy. A company wide problem such as this should be posted throughout the store and at the registers, alerting customers of the possible glitch and letting customers decide if they want to make a purchase now or go and get cash. I can tell you I would NOT have purchased my items then. I would have gone and grabbed cash and returned.
I will keep you posted on how long/if my money is returned to me.
UPDATE: since posting this here, on facebook and on twitter I’m getting many reports in of this happening to other over the past weekend/several days. Some have gone to check their statements and have been surprised to see double or more charges. Others were alerted right away and are dealing with the same thing I am. One man was charged 10x’s for his purchase. Another is out $700 as well. Countless more. Please spread the word about this. Tell your family and your friends. Protect yourself.
The economy is in the toilet and no one wants to be “donating” money to a company that doesn’t seemed bothered by the fact their systems are glitching and doing this to hard working people. Money is hard to come by and when it is removed/held from your account without your permission it should not be addressed with a large smile and a “yes, the company is aware of the problem”. The consumer should be aware of this!
From my comments below: “I’m getting a lot of reports in about this very thing happening to others all weekend. These people don’t have the same social “reach” I do. I needed to be a voice for them as best I could. I am truly hoping the 10 k plus who read my blog monthly, the 2 k on Facebook, the 2 k on twitter and the thousands on yahoo groups spread the word. That they all warn their friends and family members. The economy is shit right now. No one can be playing games with their hard-earned money and no company should conduct biz this way.”
Post keywords to help others find it so they are informed:
consumer report, best buy, best buy overcharging account, best buy multiple charges to account, credit card, fraud
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Snippet from Adam’s Angel (League of the Unnatural) by Mandy M. Roth
Tori swirled her tongue around Adam’s lazily. Her nipples were like diamonds against her thin shirt, digging at his chest. She made no effort to hide what he was doing to her, even though it was outside her normal behavior. She bit lightly at his lower lip and growled playfully. “Mmm, this is different.”
“Good different or bad different?” he asked.
“Very good.”
A sonic boom went off at the other end of the club, cutting off their kiss in midstream. Screams filled the air along with a plume of smoke as the wall to the club crumbled, crushing patrons in the process. The enemy poured into the club, cutting through the humans as they went. It was easy to know they weren’t on the side of good. Aside from the fact they had a rather dramatic entrance, they radiated evil.
Lars, Adam, Adira and Pike ran headfirst at the enemy. There were too many for them to stop. The enemy spilled forth onto the dance floor. Mass pandemonium broke out. Screams and fear filled the smoke-riddled air. Tori spun around wildly, getting her bearings.
One of the men grabbed Roxy and Tori struck out fast, drawing on the strength she kept hidden from everyone in her life. She knocked the shifter clear of Roxy and stepped in front of her friend as the man extended claws from his fingertips.
He snarled, sniffing the air. “I found her! The one who put our leader in prison!” His shouts drew the attention of the enemy. They looked at Tori and in the blink of an eye were charging her.
There was a quick popping noise and suddenly Adam was there, putting his hands up and tossing power around them. He made a protective bubble of sorts. The bad guys slammed into it and bounced off.
Adam glanced back at her. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” Tori caught a glimpse of something flashing behind Adam and had a half a second to register what it was—the sword of Kanjana—a weapon capable of passing through any barrier, magikal or man-made.
“Adam, no!” She pushed in front of Adam as the sword pierced his power and lodged into her chest. Pain seized hold of her and she staggered. Strong arms wrapped around her.
“Tori! Oh, gods, hon, no.” Adam stared wide-eyed at the sword sticking out of her chest. “It was meant for me, Tori.”
She touched his lips, silencing him as she fought to take a breath.
“Ding dong, the bitch is dead,” a feminine voice said. “That should teach the humans not to interfere in our lives. They’re nothing in the scope of things. Little ants to be squashed under our shoe when they get in our way.”
Adam’s blue gaze locked on Tori. His lips trembled as he put his hand on her chest. “I can try to heal this, Tori. I can try to—”
“Pull it out,” she whispered.
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace
April 11, 2012
Elisabeth Naughton, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Elisabeth Naughton, Interview
by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Paranormal romance author, Elisabeth Naughton, left teaching Jr High science to write full time. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, heralded by Publisher's Weekly as "A rock-solid debut," was recently nominated for two prestigious RITA awards by Romance Writers of America in the Best First Book category and the Best Romantic Suspense category. She pens novels from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children and when she's not writing, she can be found hanging out at the ball park and daydreaming about new and exciting adventures.
Her latest novel, ENTWINED, book 2 in the Eternal Guardians Series, released in print and ebook July 27, 2010 (ISBN: 9780505528230). It can be found everywhere books are sold.
Please join me in welcoming Elisabeth Naughton!
*****
In your book, Entwined, you delve into the world of Greek gods and ancient myths. What inspired you to write about this?
Elisabeth:I have always been a huge fan of Greek mythology and the ancient stories. When I was writing STOLEN FURY, my debut release, I spent a lot of time researching mythology for the plot. IN that book, the characters were searching for three ancient Greek relics that depicted the Three Furies, the goddesses of punishment in crime in Greek mythology. When I got done with that book, I knew I wanted to do something else that centered on the ancient stories, and because I've always loved the possibility of the paranormal world, I decided to combine the two.
When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Elisabeth:My world is heavily rooted in Greek mythology. The warriors in my books are each descended from one of the great heroes from the ancient myths. Zander, the hero in ENTWINED, is a descendant of the famed hero Achilles. He, like Achilles, is a great warrior who seems to be immortal. He's lived longer than any of his warrior kin, has watched kings come and go as well as those he loves. He's been injured just about everywhere a man can be injured, and yet has never taken a mortal wound. But like his forefather Achilles, he has a vulnerability. He just hasn't found it yet.
What myths or legends inspired you?
Elisabeth:I think all myths inspire me in one way or another. I love reading mythology from any culture. The Aztec myths are fascinating. Irish folklore can keep me awake for hours. And I can easily get lost in the gods and goddesses from ancient Egypt. Historians believe Tolkien pulled from many myths when he created The Lord of the Rings. Someday, I'd love to do that with a series myself.
Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Elisabeth: Well, personally, I think people are always fascinated by what they don't understand. Would I really want to meet a vampire or werewolf on the street? I don't think so, but the idea those creatures might exist is what intrigues me and many others as well. Human beings by nature are always trying to wrap their minds around things they don't understand, and the paranormal is one instance where a logical answer just can't be found, no matter how long you look. And no matter what, someone will always claim they have evidence that will probably leave you guessing even more.
What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Elisabeth:I was a HUGE fan of the X-Files before it went off the air. I still watch it in reruns. I also enjoy paranormal romances where, even though I might get scared, I know things are going to work out well in the end.
Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Elisabeth:I used to teach science, and I remember talking to my students about the millions and millions of stars in the universe, and the millions and millions of planets circling those stars. The probability that we are the only planet in the solar system that exists in the life zone of a star is pretty slim. That means the chance that life exists elsewhere, beyond our reach, is highly likely. Do I believe in aliens and little green men? I believe there is a lot I don't know, and anything is possible.
As for the supernatural right here on earth? Again, I think anything is possible.
Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Elisabeth:Nothing exciting like a haunted house or being abducted by aliens. Mostly my interaction with the supernatural occurs in those déjà vu moments many of us experience. Something will happen that I could swear already happened, or it's similar to something I pictured happening. Not entirely sure what that means.
What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
Elisabeth:I would love to meet the characters from my books – descendents rooted in Greek mythology. They look human, act human, are, actually, part human, but have a little something extra as well.
If given the chance, would you become a character from your book?
Elisabeth:No. The hero in ENTWINED has a real issue with being immortal. Looking at the world through his eyes, it wouldn't be fun to live forever while everyone else around you comes and goes. It would be like that movie Groundhog Day, one day blending into the next with no endpoint in sight.
How would you react if you came face to face with a supernatural being?
Elisabeth:I don't think I'd believe it. Which means, hey, maybe I've already come in contact with something from the supernatural and just don't know it!
What does the future hold for the Eternal Guardian Series?
Elisabeth:The second book, ENTWINED, released on July 27, 2010 and will be followed by book three TEMPTED in February 2011. I'm contracted for two more books in the series after TEMPTED (currently untitled), but readers can expect them to hit store shelves about every six months.
Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at www.elisabethnaughton.com.Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
MwM Author Spotlight: Debra Mullins
Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Debra Mullins
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Avon, Tor and/or Samhain Publishing.
A: I wrote 14 historical romances for Avon Books. They were my very first publisher, and they really know what they are doing as far as publishing and marketing historical romance. I recently switched over to contemporary paranormal romances and have a trilogy I am working on for Tor involving the descendents of the survivors of Atlantis and their various cool powers. Most recently, I have been working with Samhain Publishing on the digital release of some of my backlist titles. Working with an electronic publisher is very different than a print publisher, but in good ways. Everything is done electronically, from the contracts to the communication with people at the house to payment of royalties. Print publishers still tend to do things in hard copy, which takes longer.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I'm not great a promotion, but I am very good at talking! I am very active on Twitter, and I try to do some guest blogging around the time of every release. I go to a lot of conferences. Sometimes I am a speaker and sometimes I just attend and sign at the bookfair. I almost always manage to get to RWA's big conference every year. I really like meeting and interacting with readers. In the end, I'm a reader, too, so we all have something in common.
Q: What is one thing you'd want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Don't get so caught up in the business of publishing that you forget the joy of writing. If you follow the joy, success will follow.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: My most recent releases are the first time ever digital publishing of three of my back list titles: ONCE A MISTRESS, DONOVAN'S BED and THE LAWMAN'S SURRENDER. All of these were first published by Avon Books, and ONCE A MISTRESS was the very first book I ever wrote. It was an RWA Golden Heart nominee back in its day, and then Avon bought it. DONOVAN'S BED and THE LAWMAN'S SURRENDER are related books. They're historical westerns, and DONOVAN'S BED was an RWA RITA nominee back in 2001. I'm very excited to have these titles coming out again, and Samhain has been really great to work with. ONCE A MISTRESS, a pirate swashbuckler, is already available (Dec. 2011 release). DONOVAN'S BED is coming out in February 2012, and THE LAWMAN'S SURRENDER comes out April 16, 2012. I'm especially excited about DONOVAN'S BED, since it's one of my personal favorites. Here's the premise: A mysterious man moves to a small Wyoming town and buys himself a ranch and a huge bed to go with it. The heroine is the editor of the town newspaper and is determined to find out all his secrets. But Donovan and Sarah are like oil and water, and when he insults her, she publishes a provocative article about his search for a wife in the paper. The article has unforeseen consequences, as every unmarried female in the area descends on the town, determined to be the woman in Donovan's bed. Watch for the sequel, THE LAWMAN'S SURRENDER, due out April 14, 2012.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP's?
A: I just finished the first book of my paranormal trilogy. It's in the revision/editing phase with my editor now. The hero is Rafe Montana, a bounty hunter from Vegas who is descended from one of the survivors of Atlantis. He's a Seer, and his powers include the ability to see if someone is telling the truth (which all Seers have) and the ability to find anyone, anywhere. The heroine, Cara McGaffigan, is a woman who has come to Vegas to find her missing stepbrother. There are other parties chasing the stepbrother as well, and Cara joins forces with Rafe to both escape the bad guys and find her stepbrother before anyone else can. I'm very excited about this series, as I've wanted to write paranormals for a very long time.
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: In junior high, a friend of mine started writing fan fiction about Battlestar Galactica (the original), starring me and her as the girlfriends of Starbuck and Apollo. This was before the internet and before everyone had a personal computer in the house, so the stories were written in spiral notebooks by hand. Periodically she would hand me the notebook and tell me to write some. I was afraid at first. What did I know about writing? But apparently I had a knack, because she started handing me the notebook more and more, and all our friends loved what I wrote. As we got older, I started writing my own stuff, one of which was the story that eventually became ONCE A MISTRESS, my first published work. I wrote that story in seventh grade English class, and years later when I was married and home all day with a baby, I decided to try and flesh out the story into a viable romance novel. The rest is history. J
Q: How do you balance family and writing?
A: For me it is a three way balance because I still have a very demanding day job. So the question is, how do I balance family, my day job and writing? The answer: by juggling as fast as I can. I met my current husband at my day job, so we still work in the same building and we ride back and forth to work together. He's very supportive of my writing, as he has his own creative outlet in music. He sees my writing as a job, and therefore when I am on a deadline, he understands if I have to lock myself in my office for hours at a time at night and on the weekends. My children are now both college age, but I have always been writing and publishing ever since they can remember. When they were little I would write at night after they went to bed and whenever I could on the weekends when they were off with their friends. I was a single mom for a few years before meeting my current husband, but the kids' father was great about spending time with them. Every other weekend I would be completely free to write since they would be off with their dad. As far as my day job, I would often get up an hour early to get in some pages before work and then write longhand on my lunch hour. I got many a book done this way.
LINKS:
April 7, 2012
Saturday Snippet-Tracks of My Tears
Contemporary Romance
Sometimes, it's possible to forgive but never forget. Can true love conquer all?
Devan Seward is in the process of starting over—moving to the big city and doing her best to move on from an ugly past. When she waylays "Mr. Right" in the stairwell of her new apartment building, she feels an instant connection to him. There is something about the tall, dark and handsome man that leaves her feeling as if she's known him all her life. Devan no longer trusts blindly, a hard lesson learned but can't seem to stop herself from confessing things better left behind.
Chef Kurt Holland is like a rock god in the culinary world. Cooking is his passion. His restaurant, E&E, caters only to the rich and famous. When a sexy blast from the past literally falls into his lap, he refuses to retreat like he did last time. No. Seizing the moment and Devan's heart becomes his ultimate passion.
Sometimes, it's possible to forgive but never forget and the web of hurt reaches out further than most realize. Second chances at first loves and shocking revelations leave Devan and Kurt fighting not only their true nature, but outside influences as well to be together, hoping love truly can conquer all.
EXCERPT
Must be 18 years and older to read. If not, please leave the site.
Simmering Seductions
By
Mandy M. Roth
Note to Readers:
This story deals with sensitive subjects such as domestic violence, drug abuse and deception. It has explicit sex, strong language and violence against the heroine (not by hero). It also deals with issues of abuser rehabilitation, second chances at redemption, forgiveness and the fact that life is not always black and white. In many cases, it is not possible to forgive or forget. In other's it is possible to forgive but never forget. Author cautions that this book is not for all and that it is merely the creation of a character that needed to tell her story.
Chapter One
"You're going to need to move that sexy ass or I'm going to toss it onto this sofa and carry it up four floors before having my way with it."
Turning, I saw only the green leaves of the oversized fern plant I carried. Unfortunately, I knew the voice and knew its owner, Jake, would actually do exactly what he threatened to do. "Let me go first so I don't have to play 'follow dink and dork' up the stairs."
"I'm dork," Jake called out, chuckling from his end of the sofa. "Your brother can be dink."
"What's a dink?" Gideon, my brother, asked.
Jake and I laughed. I did my best to find the door handle. Although covering my eyes and finding a needle in a haystack might have been more productive. "Nothing. It's a good thing, really."
"Uh-huh. Why am I not believing you?"
Jake snorted. "Probably because you've known her for over thirty years. Now, as for you, Devan, you need to get your ass up those stairs. This thing isn't getting any lighter. I've already lifted more things in one morning than I have in ten years."
"Hey, be nice or I'll do it."
Gideon groaned. "If she breaks into song again I'm kicking your ass, Jake. Then I'm leaving. I thought she stopped all that. Now, I'm afraid to turn my television on for fear of seeing her dancing and singing with some guy in black leather."
"Hey, your little sister is a gem. Back off," Jake said, laughing. "But if you do leave, can I keep her?"
"I'd like to see you try," I said, rushing through the door. I broke out into an interesting rendition of Do Wah Diddy replacing the she's with he's and hurried through the door. I knew the staircase was directly in front of the door so I lifted the fern high in the air to watch for the first step and began to jog up them.
"Watch where you're—"
"Nope. Not stopping until you both sing along and tell me that you will miss me horribly when you leave. Next up on the jukebox is an eighties song. I'm feeling very Madonnaish. Consider yourselves warned." I went right back into Do Wah Diddy.
I made it up about six steps before I slammed into something that felt like the equivalent of a brick wall. I went backwards instantly. When two large arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me forward instead of back, I realized the brick wall was actually a person.
Before I knew it, I was being twisted around and suddenly on said person's lap and we ended up sitting on the stairs. The massive fern blocked my view of him but if the size of the arms were any indication—the person was male, definitely. I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all.
Parting the fern, I peeked through to find a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at me. The squared face they were set in made my breath catch. This was no ordinary man. No. This man was amazing. He had a pronounced jaw and forehead, giving him that dark brooding look I liked so much. His black hair was cut in one of those stylishly messy ways. It stood about two inches off the top of his head but was cut close on the sides and back.
Taking a deep breath in, I caught the familiar scent of figwood and fruits. It was something I hadn't smelled in years and the memories it brought back made my insides flutter. Sighing was an option I was more than willing to take. As my gaze traveled over his thick, corded neck I laughed harder. "Only I would make an ass of myself in front of a living god. I am so sorry. Are you hurt?"
I leaned through the fern more and glanced down. The snug fitting short sleeved Roberto Cavalli shirt he wore drew attention to his steely upper body. I gulped as I looked down at his dirt covered groin. The flat front kakis he had on did little to hide the bulge growing quickly beneath them. "Looks really fine," I sang softly.
"Your eyes are…"
My gaze went to his as I soaked in the sound of his deep voice. It was the kind of voice I could get used to hearing whispering sweet nothings to me in the wee hours of the night. "Disturbing? Two different colors? Yeah, I know one is blue and one is brown. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry." He shook his head. "They're beautiful."
I blushed and did the only thing I could think of, I laughed. The man's eyes widened more before he too began to laugh. There was something about him that was so familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. "Do I know you?"
He stopped laughing and tipped his head a bit, seeming to study me. Something moved over his face that looked to be shock. "You can't be her."
"Her who?" I asked between chuckles. "To be perfectly honest, since I've already made an absolute fool of myself, you make me think of The Clash. Why is that? You aren't planning on rocking any Casbah are you?"
His green eyes widened. I fought the urge to trace a line with my thumb over his full lips. It was hard. Somehow, I managed.
"So, should I stay or should I go?" I asked, giving him a smile I hoped appeared to be sexy while I continued my Clash skit.
"Stay." He shook his head slightly and smiled back. His smile was for sure sexy. "How?"
"How?" I cleared my throat. "How am I me? Or how am I her? Are all sexy New Yorkers this odd? Do you feel like you know me, too?"
The slight, stunned nod was the only answer I got out of him.
"My guess is we've crossed paths. You don't play a professional sport, do you?"
"No," he said, staring at me with an odd fascination. "Is that a prerequisite?"
Liking the man more than I should, I shook my head. "No. My list of must haves isn't too long. Not playing a professional sport is at the top."
Jake snorted. "If you can pick up a phone and order a pizza she's yours. If you can actually make one yourself, you may never get rid of her. If you're able to make anything above that you just met your future wife."
"Why thank you, Jake." I shot him a dirty look. He grinned like a schoolboy. "I always love it when my friends try to push me off on men who could be married, in a serious relationship, or not ones to pick women over men."
"If you would spend less time trying not to drool and more time looking at the guy, you'd see he's staring at you like it's taking everything in him not to touch you and I don't see any rings on his fingers."
I snorted. "Oh, like that means anything. How many times did other women have at you know who?"
"Oh, right. I forgot."
The man touched my cheek lightly and I drew in a sharp breath as familiar feelings washed over me. Closing my eyes I savored the moment.
"Devan, get off the nice man and move. This thing is heavy," Gideon said, sounding annoyed.
The man's eyes lit. "Devan?"
"Right." I nodded and stood slowly. Lifting the fern off him, I gasped. "Ohmygod, you're covered in dirt now. I'm so sorry. Here, give me those and I'll take them to the cleaners." I set the fern down on the stair and turned to face him. "Wait, umm, I didn't mean to just ask you to get naked. But I'd honestly be okay with that."
"Devan," Gideon growled out. "I get you're an adult. All I'm asking is to not be reminded of that—ever."
"Jake, do you still have my wallet?" I glanced at Gideon. "Just so you know, I'm ignoring you."
Jake laughed. "Yeah, what do you need?"
"Five hundred dollars to replace the nice man's clothing. I'm guessing he doesn't want to take a check from a lady he just met in the stairwell. The Cavalli alone is three. It's in this season which tells me the guy pays attention to fashion. I'd get into the jeans but Gideon would demand to have his eyes gouged out and I'd enjoy it too much."
Gideon coughed, not bothering to hide his shock. "People here wear five hundred dollar outfits? I was with you when you bought a dress for a dollar at a thrift store, Devan."
"The one that's brown with obnoxious orange flowers on it?" Jake asked, knowing full well it was that one.
"Yeah."
I rolled my eyes. "It's a Betsy Johnson. I saved a few hundred dollars. And how can you think brown and orange is obnoxious, Jake?" I rolled my eyes. "Ooo, I really liked the avocado green sweater I got that day, too."
Gideon sighed. "What was that? A Lou Reed?"
Flipping him off, I smiled at the sexy man and did my best to avoid touching him. It was hard. "I feel like singing Little Orphan Annie songs. Who's up for a night of that?"
"Put the sofa down. I'm going to tape her mouth shut and hide her wallet. She does not need to be spending money."
Jake laughed hard. "Stop being over protective. If the girl wants to hand the man money to replace his clothes then let her, Gideon. Don't you think she's had enough issues with having control of her own life? Stop making her out to be on the verge of poverty. She's worked her ass off to have what she does and I, for one, am damn happy to know that she doesn't need to worry about money. You know, she still hasn't accepted a penny of the, umm, other stuff."
I wanted to throw my shoe at Jake. His code words for alimony were ridiculous. Instead, I glared at my brother, already anticipating the coming argument. "And I'm not going to, Gideon, so don't try to make me."
"Milk the bastard dry, Devan. You earned the right."
"Gideon."
"Hey, you're entitled to half," my brother said, his gaze narrowed and locked on me. "Ask Jake."
Rolling my eyes, I sighed. We'd had this talk more times than I could count and I was beyond tired of it. That didn't mean he'd stop. He'd chirp about me taking my ex to the cleaners until I was dead. Of that, I was sure. "I'll pretend you didn't say that."
Gideon growled. "Fine, whatever." He nodded towards the stranger before me. "Give the guy the money and get him off the step. This isn't getting any lighter. Tell me again why I didn't let movers do this for her?"
"Because you have a guilt complex that won't quit and the very idea of your baby sister being so far away from you is killing you on the inside. And you keep running various ways to get her to come home, or move your practice up here, through your head."
I snorted. "Jake, he pushed me through the living room window when I was five. I don't think that's it. Try again."
"I did not push you. You were spinning around pretending to be a princess ballerina and hit my model car," Gideon bit out. "I just moved you away from it."
"Yeah, and right through the screen. That bush had so many wasps in it that my ass hurt for weeks. It did get me out of a few annoying recitals. Thanks for that." I glanced down at the sexy man on the step. "For reference, wasps don't take kindly to people invading their area." I rubbed my butt for effect and winked.
He just stared up at me, looking as though he was both shocked and pleased. I hoped he was both. It wasn't every day that I felt I wowed someone.
Jake laughed so hard he sounded like a seal barking. "Why didn't I know about this?"
"You did," Gideon said. "Remember the month I refused to come… err… couldn't come out and play? It was because of that."
"Mom did not ground you. She didn't have to. You were a mess. You grounded yourself. Uncle Robert talked to you for like twenty minutes about how you only have one sister." I put my hand out and started to impersonate my very Italian uncle. "Gideon, look at her. She hurts but is worried about your toy. She is a gift, a dove sent to bring us all joy and happiness. Treat her as such for you do not know when they will ask for her to return home."
"Holy shit, that's why you were on your porch crying your eyes out. You were upset you hurt her." Jake's laughter wrapped around me and was infectious.
"Worse than that," I blew Gideon a kiss, "he kept sneaking into my room at night to make sure I wasn't dead. Uncle Robert convinced him that angels would show up at any minute and snatch me up. Tell him what you did, Gideon."
"No." His grunt was heard round the world. The tiniest of blushes stained my brother's cheeks and I couldn't help but laugh.
Jake grinned and gave me a 'spill it' look.
"Gideon found a spool of ribbon from one of those overdone dresses Mom used to put me in and tied my ankle to my bed. I woke up with it wrapped around me so tight that dad had to cut it off and then point out that if Gideon did it again I could lose my leg. That only made him worse. How he became a doctor is beyond me."
"See he loves you." Jake laughed. "He dedicated his life to understanding how not to kill you."
Gideon growled again. "I would like to get this to the fourth floor and then beat the living hell out of you, Jake."
"I'll sue you," Jake offered with a flippant gesture that only Jake could pull off with such flare and style.
The muscles in Gideon's neck worked overtime. I knew if he could get his hands on Jake, he really would strangle him for a good few seconds before they were laughing and carrying on again. "And I'll fuck up the meds I prescribe you next time you're sick. How's a little birth control sound? Having issues with feminine itch? Oh, what? You have flames shooting out of your dick?"
Rolling my eyes, I put my hand out to the sexy man staring at me on the step and offered him a smile. "I'm sorry. This is what happens when you take a doctor and a lawyer too far from home. If you give us a minute to get the sofa upstairs, I'll get you what you need to replace the outfit and I'll still have this one cleaned for you."
He shook his head, taking my hand and standing slowly. Warmth spread up my arm from his touch and my nipples hardened almost instantly. "No. It's fine."
Yes, you are.
"Wonderful, can we please get this up the stairs?" Gideon smiled at me and glanced at the sofa. "You would buy this before you moved. Couldn't you buy it once you got here?"
My jaw dropped. "Excuse me but you bought that for me. You and your shadow," I pointed at Jake, "insisted on it."
"In our defense, Devan, we did break your other ones," Jake said, running his hands through his shaggy hair.
"The idea of three grown men going at it like school boys had to be a sight to see. And for the record, you three trashed my entire lower level."
Jake glanced at Gideon nervously. "Yeah, school boys."
"Gideon, tell me you didn't go all Bruce Lee on him. You're thirty-four. You could hurt yourself." I let out a soft laugh. "You already had Jake helping you out. What more did you need?"
Jake cleared his throat. "Umm, Devan, I was actually trying get Gideon under control. I wasn't helping beat the crap out of anyone. I didn't think you wanted to have to visit your brother in prison or see his career get flushed down the shitter. I can get him off of just about any charge. Murder isn't one of them."
I glanced at the sexy man. "One second." I ran down the stairs, kicked my slip-on white tennis shoes off, hopped onto the sofa and walked across it to get to Gideon. Tossing my arms around his thick neck, I hugged him tight as I kissed his cheek. "I love you even though you made my ass hurt for a week."
As I pulled back, I found his eye glistening. He nodded and kissed my forehead. "Promise you'll call every day, Devan. Twice a day even. Maybe I should get you a cell phone that you can leave on all the time. Yeah, that might work. Like an intercom or something."
Drawing back, I knew he was fighting tears and Gideon was a big guy who didn't cry. I wagged my brows as I looked him up and down. "Hey, Jake."
"Yeah."
"Picture Gideon in a prison uniform. He'd no longer need me to buy all of his clothes so he matches. Plus, he'd land a boyfriend in about two seconds." I instantly launched into Jailhouse Rock doing my best Elvis. I rotated my hips and curled my lip not caring who saw me do it.
Gideon put his hand over my mouth. I continued to sing into it, sounding muffled and still not caring. He shook his head and laughed. "Jake, get the tape. She's back with a vengeance. If she starts laughing so hard she can't breathe I'm going down to the corner bar and grabbing a beer. I might need two. No fear. She'll still be laughing when I get back."
My cell phone rang. I put my hand out to Jake who had my phone on his hip. "Devan, that ring means work, so don't panic. It's not an emergency."
"You don't say. Gee, it's only my cell phone. The one I programmed the rings into." I kept shaking my hips as I took the phone from him. I opened it. "Devan Charter."
Gideon growled. "It's Devan Seward now."
"Everyone there knows her as Charter. It's easier for her to let it stay that way," Jake said, in a hushed tone.
"Fuck easier. She is divorced," my brother snapped. "I'll put it on a billboard for her."
I pointed at him. He shut up.
"Ah, Devan, I'm glad I caught you."
The sound of Chas Martins' voice made my eyes roll. "Mr. Martins, I didn't realize we were on a first name basis now."
Jake poked my arm lightly and smiled. "Is that dickhead? Dev, if it is you have to put the guy on speakerphone. Gideon never believes me when I tell him about the lounge lizard who keeps trying to get you to work for him." He clasped his hands together and dropped to his knees. "Please, it's funny as hell. Plus, Gideon never gets to hear you be a bitch for real. The man thinks you have no spine. Show him."
My eyes bulged as I stared down at Jake. I nodded. "Mr. Martins, I'm currently knee deep in Open to Buy reports so I need to put you on speaker phone."
"Certainly, I understand how that is."
I hit the button and held the phone out. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"You can start by calling me Chas. We've known one another for over five years. It's safe to say we can be on a first name basis, Devan. I consider you a friend and friends tend to share many things, including casual conversation."
Jake grinned.
I bit back a laugh. "I'm well aware of what friends share. What I'm not sure of is the reasoning behind your call. If you are implying this is casual then I should remind you I'm on company time here." I crossed my fingers and shoved them in Jake's face. He laughed, planted a tiny kiss on them and stood quickly.
Chas sighed. "You do like to make it difficult for me. That is exactly the attitude I want my consultants to have, Devan."
"Hmm, calling competitor's top executives while they are working, to attempt to persuade them to join the team, is the absolute last sort of practice I want the company I'm with participating in. It sort of screams unprofessional. And we are all professionals here, right, Mr. Martins?"
I'd built an empire, being a Jill-of-all-trades in matters of marketing consultations. If someone had a business problem, I generally had a solution. Martins operated the same way. He provided marketing and business consultations, often placing someone in-house with the company in question.
"Call me Chas. And, Devan, you're not thinking clearly right now. This is a trying time for you coming off a messy divorce and I'd like to help ease the burden. I know we started off on the wrong foot and I'd like to correct that. I've been told you're relocating to New York. This would give us the perfect opportunity to get to know one another better. I'd hate for you to be alone. This is a big city. I can more than keep you company. I think you know what I'm talking about."
I grabbed Jake's arm and laughed hard without making any noise. It took a second but I got myself together and stood tall. "As kind as that offer is, I'd prefer to go it alone. And when I say go it alone, that covers all areas. I do not currently have a red light above my office door nor do I want one. I would strongly suggest you focus on your client's needs and not your own. As lovely as our conversations always are, I really must be going. I'm meeting with my lawyer soon. He has some rather weighty issues he'd like to get moved forward." I winked at Jake.
Chas made a noise that sounded animalistic, like one would make during intercourse. I jerked back and held the phone towards Jake who covered his mouth to keep from laughing.
"Devan, you are the only woman I know who dares to talk to me the way you do. You know that I'm more than willing to offer you the world. I'm in a position to do it. You just won't accept it. I am huge."
"Yeah, I'm sure you think so." I snickered. "Oh, wait. You were talking size in relevance to your position. Sorry, I got a little confused on where this conversation was headed. It seemed as though it was headed south so naturally I assumed something else. I really need to be going now."
"Name your price, Devan," Chas said fast. "Everyone can be bought. Everyone."
"I'm sorry."
He sighed. "Well, at least we've moved to the point you're sorry for turning me down."
I let out a soft laugh. "No, I'm not sorry for that in the least. I'm sorry that somewhere along the line you actually came to believe that to be true. Not everyone has a price. Money isn't the answer to everything. In fact, in the end, it means nothing. Have a good weekend, Mr. Martins." I shut my phone and handed it to Jake. "Why do you enjoy hearing that scum bag's spiel? Does anyone else feel like they need a shower to get his voice off you? I think my phone has been violated. It needs a bath, too."
Jake looked proud. Gideon looked like he was about to blow. "Devan Jazz Seward, men try to buy you while you're working? Hell, anytime?"
"I'd hardly call Chas Martins a man," I said, hopping off the sofa and laughing. "He's more like a good looking, walking lounge lizard. He makes my skin crawl. But, I will say, he's a looker. He knows it, too."
Gideon tried to come for me but the sofa was in the way. "Did this just start?"
"What? Men trying to own me or lounge lizards," I smiled at Jake letting him know that I loved his name for Chas, "trying to bribe me to 'work' for them? Come on, women want to date you all the time. When they find out you're a doctor they flip out and start talking marriage. Dork," I pointed at Jake, "has the same problem."
Jake grinned. "Yeah, Dink. Leave her alone. She's not given an inch when it comes to this. Trust me, he's been nipping at her heels from the word go. Hell, she was very married when he started it all."
"What the hell is a dink?" Gideon asked again.
I smiled as I slipped my shoes back on. "It's a good thing. Trust me." Turning, I ran up the stairs and ran directly into the sexy man again. He grabbed me fast to keep me from falling. I held tight to him and stared into his emerald green eyes. "Thanks. You're really coming in handy."
"My pleasure."
I couldn't pull my gaze away from his green eyes. They were gorgeous and the same exact color as Brody's. "I know I'm going to sound like a broken record but you look so familiar. This is going to bug me. I'm positive I know you from somewhere."
Jake went to take his spot at the end of the sofa. "You know, I normally do my best to encourage only half of your insanity but you're right the guy does look familiar."
Mr. Sexy smiled. "Would you like some help moving in?"
"No, we'll be—"
"Yes," Gideon and Jake said, cutting me off.
The sexy man winked at me and I damn near fell over. "I'll run up, change and come back to help." He turned to head up the stairs. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm Kurt Holland."
"Hi, Kurt. Nice to dump a plant on you. I'm Devan Seward."
The grin that spread over his face warmed me. "Well, Devan, it was my pleasure."
I watched as Kurt jogged up the stairs. A small sigh escaped me. "I could get used to looking at that every day."
Gideon began to chuckle. I glanced back at him as he stood in the doorway holding one end of the sofa up while the other lay on the floor. "Didn't Uncle Robert tell you that when one door closes another opens?"
Before we'd left Ohio, I'd finalized my divorce and said goodbye to my family. They all knew how painful the divorce was for me and my uncle did his best to cheer me up. "Yep, he sure did."
"Ha, I bet he didn't think you'd waylay Mr. Right before he even got to the door."
He and Jake laughed so hard that I knew they'd be at it a while. I gave up and headed up the stairs to my new home.
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
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