Please welcome Anya Richards!
As a reader (and a writer at times) I love creatures from fairytale, and never more so than when they're a little different. Today I have Anya Richards as a guest, talking about her latest release Stone Hard Passion, which has a troll who is just a little bit different to expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so if you haven't read it, go and buy it 
But, without further ado, I'll hand you over to Anya!
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Okay, so Mina invites me to visit her blog because my book, Stone-Hard Passion was released on July 27th by Ellora’s Cave, and I gladly accept. But, here’s the problem…every time I sat down to write this blog post, I just wanted to write about HER book, Aries Revealed. So, I have, and it’s up on my blog today, and if you haven’t read it, all I can say is, “Shame on you. Go forth and purchase it!”
So, although I love me a sexy cyborg or three, I don’t write ‘em. Nope, I leave that to the experts *grin*. My fascination lies in myths and legends, in magic and thoughts of the mayhem (and sexy times) it can cause. Setting my Unveiled Seductions series in the world beyond the Veil, where all the beings we silly humans consider to be figments of imagination live, allowed me to imbue each race of beings with their own style or type of magic. After all, you wouldn’t expect a storm god to have the same attributes as a troll, or a jinn to have the same skill sets as a banshee, would you?
Of course, figuring out what kind of magical abilities each race has led me to wonder how those abilities would affect their lovemaking skills too. And how would their magic react to their finding the one? That’s something I explore a bit in Fleeing Fate, book one in my Unveiled Seductions series. Gràinne, the banshee, could probably give you an earful about how her storm god’s electric personality gives their intimate encounters a little extra zing!
I also found myself wondering how different beings would feel about the magical abilities others possessed, and they didn’t. Does prejudice exist in their world? And if it does, how would it affect someone who is different from the rest of his or her race? If you ask Vidar, the troll hero of Stone-Hard Passion, he can tell you, but I warn you, you’ll have to coax it out of him. He’s a little shy.
I’m loving the versatility of creating my own world, the situations and customs that flow from dealing with gods and shifters, fey and trolls and goblins and, and, and…oh, my. You’ll have to read the rest of the coming series to find out who pops up, what pops up and what magical possibilities come to light in Unveiled Seductions.
Please enjoy the blurb and excerpt from Stone-Hard Passion below, and thanks to Mina for having me here today!
Anya Richards
Stone-Hard Passion
Anya Richards
Book two in the Unveiled Seductions series.
Tattoo artist Jasmina Elalmadhoun is on a mission to entice her client Vidar Jarlsen into bed, but getting the shy, obscenely ripped troll to agree is going to take some work. Even telling him straight-up she wants him doesn’t break through his reserved, polite demeanor. Just what does a jinn have to do? Maybe showing him the pleasures they can enjoy without jeopardizing their friendship will do the trick.
Beneath Vidar’s staid exterior his blood burns with the thought of having Jasmina for his own. He’s been carrying a torch for years, never thinking she’d be interested in a troll. Although he desperately wants to take Jasmina up on her offer, there’s something about him she doesn’t know, and he doubts she’ll still be interested if she finds out.
When Jasmina’s past threatens and Vidar offers her sanctuary, there’s no way to stop their passion from boiling to the surface. But despite their new closeness, secrets and dangerous enemies can destroy what they’ve built, forcing them to sacrifice everything to prove their love.
Excerpt:
She was trying to kill him, he was sure. He turned, caught sight of himself in the mirror at the back of the room. It was the first time he’d ever seen himself naked and aroused, but it was the juxtaposition of his and Jasmina’s bodies that really held his attention. His was so big and pale, hers slim and tawny. They were so close together, touching, and that made another shudder fire through his muscles. He swallowed a moan.
“What about—” He stopped, swallowed again, then said the first thing that came to mind. “You never told me how you came to be traveling around in the first place. How about telling me that?”
He’d already felt the pattern affix to his skin, but for a moment she didn’t move. Looking into the mirror, knowing she couldn’t see, Vidar let his hungry gaze roam her reflection. The black leather pants and sleeveless vest fit her like a second skin, hugging firm, high breasts, slim hips and thighs. Her tattoo only emphasized the wiry strength of her arms, the reds, oranges and gold of the roc a perfect complement to her skin. She always wore her hair up, sometimes under a cap or, like tonight, rolled into a casual bunch at the top of her head. It left her throat bare, and his fingers clenched into fists, the urge to stroke that smooth, glorious skin almost too much to suppress.
As though feeling his regard, she looked up. Her gaze swept over his reflection and he swore he could feel it rush like fire over his skin too. She licked her bottom lip and her fingers definitely trembled against his skin. Then she met his gaze in the mirror and gave his hip a little push with her hand, indicating he should turn back around.
“I can do that.” Was it his imagination, or did her voice sound a little raspy? “It is an interesting story, if I might say so myself.”
Vidar grasped the edge of the table and squeezed his eyes closed as the machine started to buzz. “Tell me.”
He was hoping to sink into her tale the way he usually did. Jasmina had once explained storytelling was an important part of jinn life, and her gift for it was evident. She wove words into strangely beautiful patterns and used her voice the way other people used their hands in emphasis.
There was the first touch of the needle and Vidar began to relax. Despite her hand moving lower and lower, holding the flesh in place to be inked, they were back on a more businesslike footing. And there was nothing unusual about the fact that she didn’t start the story right away. Making him wait, building anticipation, was part of her natural showmanship.
She lifted the needle away from his skin and wiped the area with gauze.
“I come from a very traditional, old-fashioned jinn family.” She pitched her voice so he could hear it clearly over the hum of the machine as she went back to applying the tattoo. “So old-fashioned that if my father had his way, I would never see anything but the inside of his house or, should I marry, that of my husband.”
Jasmina paused to wipe at the tattoo again, and gave a little chuckle.
“What’s so funny about that?” Vidar asked.
“I was just picturing my father seeing me tattooing your ass and reading my mind, realizing just how badly I want to fuck you. He’d lock me away forever.”
Every muscle in his body went into rigor, and Vidar couldn’t restrain the low moan that broke from his throat.
So much for getting lost in the story.
She definitely was trying to kill him. He just knew it.
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