Shiloh Walker's Blog, page 136
October 21, 2011
If You Hear Her…Random Snippets…
She couldn't stay in the kitchen brooding about why Ezra King had never called her back.
What in the hell did it matter?
They'd had one date.
One very wonderful kiss.
It didn't add up to much.
So what if she'd dreamed about him quite a few times since then?
In the end, what were a few dreams? A few really, really, hot, sexy, poignant dreams?
10.25.2011
A CRY IN THE WOODS
The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.
Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can't escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?
When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman's screams, his instincts tell him that Lena's life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her. Read more…
Amazon | BN | BAMM | Indiebound | Book Depository
don't forget to check out the Thrills and Chills giveaway… info in the sidebar…(this isn't a contest post…)
October 20, 2011
Thrills & Chills Giveaway… Jaci Burton Guest Blogging
Oh, suspense, how I love thee. One of my favorite genres to read in is romantic suspense. I love to grab a big juicy romantic suspense and settle in on my sofa for a read. I can lose all track of time. It's even better with the lights off, wrapped up in my pillow and blanket. If an author can grab me by the throat and make me lose all track of time, can make me swoon because the hot hero is right there with the heroine every step of the way, can give me a strong heroine who can hold her own with the guts to face down whatever happens, I'm hooked.
Some of my favorite romantic suspense authors are Nora Roberts, Brenda Novak, Lora Leigh, Roxanne St. Claire, Maya Banks, Stephanie Tyler, Linda Howard…the list is endless.
I also love watching suspense and police procedurals on television. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of the genre. My DVR is usually chock full of Law and Order, CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Castle, and if it isn't fictional suspense then I'm watching reality suspense, because there's nothing like a little real life murder to spark the creative juices.
I've written romantic suspense before—if you've read my Wild Riders erotic romance series, they're a lot of hot romance, a lot of action adventure and a mix of suspense. But I wanted to try my hand at straight romantic suspense, and that's where my Killer series was born.
This is a series about a group of kids who met as teens and forged a bond after a traumatic night. It centers around one woman and the man she loved when she was younger. She's a cop now, which lets me delve into my absolute love of police procedurals and forensics.
So to get a chance to not only write a romantic suspense, but to write one with a cop as the heroine? Total bliss. And not being at all squeamish, I got to delve into murder and all the ugliness that comes along with that.
Murder is ugly business, and I show every side of it in THE HEART OF A KILLER. The physical, grisly, bloody side of it, as well as the emotional impact it has on those closest to the victim. My heroine, Anna, was once a victim, and chose her profession not only to put away criminals, but because she never wants to be a victim again. And when murders start happening that are eerily similar to the trauma she suffered when she was a teenager, she has to put her trust in Dante—the one man who suddenly resurfaces in her life again. Dante is the man Anna once loved, but he left her when she needed him most. And he might be her number one suspect.
In THE HEART OF A KILLER you'll find tragedy, death, betrayal, and a lot of tears and anguish. But you'll also find friendship, forever bonds, and love reunited.
I hope you enjoy the book!
Jaci Burton
Website
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To enter the T & C giveaway, just comment on today's guest blog! 
Enter the Thrills & Chills giveaway…throughout the end of October and early November, Jaci, Shiloh & Lisa will be visiting each other's blogs, leaving excerpts & guest blogs. On those days, all you have to do is comment on the T & C guest blog or T & C guest excerpt (comment as often as you like, but you only get one entry per post). When the Thrills & Chills blog tour is over, one lucky commenter will win a Nook Color!
Void where prohibited
Contest is open internationally. In the event an international reader wins and doesn't want the Nook, a comparable prize will be offered. (Please note, the comparable prize will only be offered if an international reader wins.)
Comments must be made at the T & C guest blog/guest excerpts to count as entries
Comments left via facebook/goodreads, etc cannot be counted. (Facebook's rules mess things up, guys…it's not really in our control, hope you understand)
For the rest of the rules, please read the disclaimer…entering the contest means you've read the disclaimer and agree to it.
October 19, 2011
Hunters: Declan & Tori–blogger winners
October 18, 2011
The Thrills & Chills giveaway starts today…
First up! Jaci… she's visiting Lisa's blog…
More info on the giveaway can be found here (By the way…this isnt' a contest post. That's at Lisa's today)
Random Snippets…If You Hear Her
It's random snippet time…the book is due out next week. Eek, ack, and shriek.
Some will be short, some will be not-so-short. Some may be spooky-ish, some may be sexy-ish.
Here we go… a spooky-ish one…
~*~
Outside, the wind wailed.
A storm was blowing in and although it wasn't cold, she found herself rubbing her arms, chilled to the bone.
She thought about turning on the TV, but this late at night, her best bet was infomercials, lousy horror movies, or worse. Something gross and scary, the last thing she needed when she was already freaked out for reasons she couldn't entirely explain.
As midnight edged past and she still couldn't settle her restless mind, she thought about reading. Absently, she realized the wind was dying down. Maybe the storm would blow over. Making her way to the one of big, floor to ceiling bookshelves that Law had in damn near every room one the lower floor of his house, she sighed and moved over to the window, absently adjusting the blinds.
And that was she felt it.
The eerie sensation of…wrongness.
Her breath lodged in her throat and she eased peeked through the blinds, staring out in the darkness. Her breath came in hitching gasps as she tried to breathe past the knot that had suddenly lodged itself in her throat. Tried to breathe…and couldn't.
Tried to breathe…and damn near screamed.
10.25.2011
A CRY IN THE WOODS
The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.
Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can't escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?
When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman's screams, his instincts tell him that Lena's life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her. Read more…
Amazon | BN | BAMM | Indiebound | Book Depository
October 17, 2011
Thrills and Chills giveaway…
Coming up tomorrow…Jaci Burton, Lisa Renee Jones and I are starting our Thrills & Chills giveaway.
For the next couple of weeks, we'll be randomly dropping in on each other's blogs, leaving excerpts or guest blogs. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment at the blogs we visit.
At the end of the giveaway, we'll draw on random name to receive a Nook color…the rest of the giveaway rules are posted here…
(This isn't the giveaway post-forgot to close comments, meant to do that to minimize confusion…)
October 16, 2011
October 15, 2011
Saturday Snippet…workplace
From If You Hear Her
"Well, if you're going to keep staring at me, then maybe you should introduce yourself."
"Ezra King. And you are…?"
She held out her hand. "Lena. Lena Riddle."
A warm, rough palm pressed against hers. Strong. Calloused, like he spent a lot of time working with his hands. Damn, better and better. Her libido was going to be hard to control here in a minute, especially if he kept staring at her.
"So, Ezra King, why are you staring at me?"
"Because you're beautiful."
Lena didn't blush often. She rarely felt self-conscious. But in that moment, she could feel the rush of blood to her cheeks and she had to fight the urge to squirm around on her seat and fidget.
"Ahhh. Well, thank you." Behind her, she heard the squeak as the kitchen doors opened and she could have heaved a sigh of relief.
"Here you go, Lena." Mike, the assistant chef, set down her lasagna. Her mouth watered at the smell.
"Thanks, Mike."
"Sir, you had the wings?"
"Yeah."
As Mike retreated back into the kitchen, Ezra muttered, "I'd rather have the lasagna, though. How come you could still get it?"
"Because I made it and set it aside until I was done with work." She shot a smile in Ezra's direction. "I'm one of the chefs here at the Inn."
Other authors doing the saturday snippets...
Anne Rainey
Jody Wallace
Selena Robins
Eliza Gayle
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Mandy M Roth
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Selena Blake
Vivian Arend
Beth-Ann Mason
HelenKay Dimon
Shelli Stevens
Lauren Dane
TJ Michaels
October 14, 2011
Friday 56
Hey all, we made it to another Friday. So time for the Friday 56.
Mine this week is Blood Trinity, the first in Sherrilyn Kenyon and co-author Dianna Love's new UF series:
Even though he was a pain in the butt and made her work for every piece of intel she squeezed out of the old ghoul, he was one of the best informants when it came to anything supernatural.
To participate, just grab the closest (doesn't have to be what you're currently reading) book, turn to page 56 and give us the 5th sentence. You're welcome to post a few more, if you'd like, too . Happy Friday!
October 12, 2011
Writer Wednesdays… KevaD
Today's WW is KevaD
What's the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)
A: Learning my characters. I imagine them walking into my living room, and watch their movements, their unconscious habits. This one might rub the side of his nose before he speaks when he's nervous, another might rub a knuckle, yet another may shift her foot back and forth on the ball of her foot. Does one sniff his food before the first bite? Does the woman across from him demurely sip her coffee, or slosh it over her tongue to savor the flavor? Does the man line up his belt buckle with the buttons on his shirt? Is the woman's shoe heel scuffed from kicking it off, or polished because she removes her shoes by hand?
While these specific traits may or may not make it into the story, they teach me who the characters are and how they will react in the situations I place them in.
What's the one piece of advice you'd give a new writer?
A: Be honest with yourself. Make sure you really want to do this. Mom and family don't exist in the writer's world when it comes to sales and reviews. Professional editors exist to send the most polished story they can to publication, not to tell the writer how wonderful he or she is. Just because your story is contracted does not mean it's perfect or even close to ready for publication. Pay attention to what your editors say, as they are a treasure trove of information.
Of course there is another side to that coin. Unfortunately, there are some editors who couldn't find their way out of a phone booth with a GPS and guide dog. So, if you get assigned to a good, skilled editor, become their best friend; they will make your writing better than it is now.
What's the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?
A: That the writer has to follow "the rules" that exist within certain genres. Write the story writhing in your soul, begging to be told. While it may take some searching to find the right publisher, you will find a home for your work.
What's the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?
A: The one on your shelf you just haven't found the time for. Bookshelves and e-readers shouldn't be about amassing collections. Books are meant to be read. We not only do the writer and book a disservice by not reading, but ourselves as well. Find the time. Read.
read more about Writer Wednesday here...
