The Crazy Chicken Dance

I'm face-down in the crazy-chicken-dance of editing.  Final line-edits are due Friday.  ~dances~  So.  I share with you my favorite bit from Denis Leary (turn it down if you're at work, the language is a bit blue).

And here's the Super Sekrit Cover Reveal for Sealed by Fire:

Countdown to Ugly

I’m excited. Three days until the release of The Ugly Truth, my latest novel. Set in a small town called Ugly Creek, the story centers around a woman who visits a small Tennessee town. Where, you might ask, did I come up with the name Ugly Creek?
 

The answer is I’m not sure. I know, not what you wanted to hear. But, it’s the truth. The only thing I can figure is that I tried and tried for a long time to come up with a name for my fictional town, but couldn’t seem to find anything that felt right but wasn’t already taken by a real town. Finally the Ugly Creek name came into my head and I decided I had my name. Maybe because it was the best name. Maybe it was because it was the easiest. I don’t know.

The actual town from which the fictional Ugly Creek was drawn is easier to track down. I grew up a few miles south of Dayton, Tennessee. I drew on the entire area, plus other small southern US towns. I live in a larger area now, but it was a lot of fun using my childhood home as a template.

Would your hometown be a good basis for a book? Do you like reading about small towns? Do you like stories that take you to places you’ve never been, or would you rather read stories set where you live?

Have a great week!
Cheryel
www.cheryelhutton.com

What's Happening in Bianca D'Arc's Worlds Lately...

So much has been going on over here since the last time I visited this blog... I'm sure I'll miss a few things, but the biggest recent thing has been the release of TALES OF THE WERE: ROCKY, which is still burning up the charts. Here's a little bit about it:

On the run from her husband's killers, there is only one man who can help her now... her Rock.

Maggie is on the run from those who killed her husband nine months ago. She knows the only one who can help her is Rocco, a grizzly shifter she knew in her youth. She arrives on his doorstep in labor with twins. Magical, shapeshifting, bear cub twins destined to lead the next generation of werecreatures in North America.

Rocky is devastated by the news of his Clan brother's death, but he cannot deny the attraction that has never waned for the small human woman who stole his heart a long time ago. Rocky absented himself from her life when she chose to marry his childhood friend, but the years haven't changed the way he feels for her.

And now there are two young lives to protect. Rocky will do everything in his power to end the threat to the small family and claim them for himself. He knows he is the perfect Alpha to teach the cubs as they grow into their power... if their mother will let him love her as he has always longed to do.

Buy it now from: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Smashwords - and other etailers.

How about we look at some upcoming releases? I actually have one next week that will mark a bit of a milestone for me...

On Tuesday, 1/29, the last of my old Dragon Knights novels is being re-released. DRAGON STORM was revised for the release a bit more than the other five books in the series and marks the end of the re-releases. From now on, we will be having all NEW books in the series. Three new stories are slated for 2013 - one new novel, KEEPER OF THE FLAME, releasing on 2/26 and two new novellas - THE DRAGON HEALER and MASTER AT ARMS - which will be out in July and August of 2013.

First a bit about DRAGON STORM, in case it's new to you:

Their love will span the ages... and two very different worlds.Caught in a magical storm and deposited in modern-day Oregon, twin dragon princes Darius and Connor are looking for a way home. Instead they find something most unexpected - their mate. The one woman who holds both their hearts in the palm of her healing hand - along with secrets about her origins that link their shared destinies.

When Josie patches up the injured man on her doorstep, her snowcat instincts tell her he’s much more than a man. And so is his brother. She also knows her dragon lovers cannot fly free in the modern world. The only way to return them to their rightful place is to face the failures of her past, and leave the safety of her forest cabin to seek her estranged grandfather’s counsel. There she learns the painful truth: returning Darius and Connor to where they belong could mean giving up everything. Even her only chance for true love.

But fate has other plans for the trio. Magic swirls all around them. Whether it is for good or ill, only time will tell...

Warning: Contains a fiery hot ménage a trois, a wild cat-woman and two hunky dragon studs in black leather. A little time travel makes everything more interesting, doesn’t it?

Available for pre-order from: Amazon - Samhain

And in a surprise move, THE DRAGON HEALER is already up for pre-order, so here's a little bit about it:

What’s better than a knight sweeping you off your feet? Two knights.

Silla is a healer riding circuit on the border, helping those in need. When she hears the pained cries of a dragon in distress, she comes to his aid, using most of her precious supplies to help the badly injured creature.

The dragon’s knight, Brodie, is fascinated by the woman—the miracle worker—who has come to help his friend. She is both beautiful and kind hearted and he quickly realizes she is his destined mate. And if she is Brodie’s mate, she is Geoff’s as well, for Brodie’s dragon was mated to Geoff’s dragon many years ago.

Geoff doesn’t believe in the tales of love at first sight among knights, but he knows that when either he or Brodie finds a wife, they will share her. Hearing about the dragon’s injury, Geoff and his dragon race to help, only to find the dragon on the mend and Brodie in bed with the most stunning woman Geoff has ever seen.

Love at first sight turns out to be real and it strikes them all as they come together and realize that no matter what the obstacles, they are meant to be together. Silla is the missing link that will join their lives and make them a true Lair family.

Warning: Knights like to get frisky and these two are no exception. Beware the passion, playfulness, a bit of bondage and a whole lot of three-way loving with a tiny bit of exhibitionism thrown in for good measure.

Pre-order it now from: Amazon

And if paranormal or epic fantasy menage isn't  your thing, I also had a recent short story release in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF FUTURISTIC ROMANCE, which is also available as a standalone ebook called END OF THE LINE. Here's a bit about that one:

Jit'suku Captain Fedroval - Val for short - shoots down a one-man fighter out near the Galactic Rim, but the pilot, much to his surprise and horror, is a woman named Lisbet Duncan. The alien jit'suku have a strict warrior code. In their culture, making war on females of any species is a shameful stain on one's honor. The captain doesn't quite know what to do with Lisbet, but he can't let her die alone in space. He orders his men to tow her life pod into his much larger battle ship.

Val is the last of his line - heir to a legacy that cannot be continued on his own world - because no respectable jit'suku woman will have him after the destruction of his family. He has put all his considerable resources into building his state of the art battleship and joining the fight to take the human galaxy, hoping to restore his honor in some small way. This is Val's first foray into human space and his first encounter with a human female. And wouldn't you know it? He falls for her, head over heels for her.

Lisbet is attracted to Val as well. When he puts the moves on her, she can't resist his masculine charm, but she doesn't like being a prisoner - even if she is being kept in a gilded cage, treated more like a guest. She doesn't know a lot about jit'suku culture and it's pretty clear they don't understand much about humans. It's going to be fun educating her captor about just how headstrong, fierce... and loving... a human woman can be.

Buy it now from: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Smashwords - and other etailers...

I have hopes for a few more releases this year but no solid news except for the sequel to WOLF HILLS, which is called WOLF QUEST and is currently scheduled for release in December from Samhain Publishing.

So we're all caught up for now, I think. If I missed anything, you can always find information on my website: www.biancadarc.com or catch me on facebook. I'm on there as "biancadarc" if you want to find me. ;-)

Happy New Year!!!

New book! The Sword of Danu

I am the worst blogger, I know.  I think I've missed my day for the last two months. Honestly, I was living in Research Project Proposal Hell, and my brain was just bogged down with APA format and hunting down every. last. editing. mistake. My professor is worse than any copyeditor I've ever worked with, lemme tell ya.

But, now that's over. And I have a new book coming out! I am pretty excited about this book for several reasons. First, it's really fun, and some of my best work, I think. Second, it's Celtic mythology. No, actual Celtic mythology, not made-up fantasy elves and fairies. There's magic and artifacts, Tuath de Danaan, a dragon, and a smith god who looks a lot like John Barrowman.

Third, I am launching (if all goes to plan) the book at Balticon. My friend Danielle and I are doing a co-launch party, since her book is also Celtic mythology based. If you are coming to the con, please find me. I will also be reading from the book at the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading. Where I will also get to hang out with BTV girl Jean Marie Ward and all kinds of other people I haven't seen in far too long.

I will be posting teasers and stuff on my own blog the closer we get to launch, but today you get the cover!

It is probably my favorite cover of mine so far. I mean, I love the Crown of Zeus cover and all the others, but this one is, as a friend said, kick-ass. And it reflects the book. The graphic artist does tattoos by day, and I think those people are so very talented. Oh, okay, I'll give you the cover copy too:

Megan has embraced her role as the Librarian, protector of the Library of Athena. She’s spent her entire summer teaching herself magic (although it doesn’t always work out the way she wants) and studying the Library’s secrets. The Order of Ares, an organization bent on stealing all of the Library’s artifacts, are always at the back of her mind, though they’ve been quiet for awhile.
 
Then she is forced into yet another enchanted story. Or rather, the story comes to her, somehow ripped from the pages of the book and brought to life. She and her friends must fight their way through an imaginary Ireland, where danger lies around every turn, and find the mythical Sword of Danu.


It’s a race against time—because the magic is spreading. The manor is being overrun, and Megan, Rachel, Claire and Harriet must fight through what was supposed to be an imaginary world to find the sword and return things to normal.


Have a great week!

Holiday Traditions

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♫♪♫♪ Okay, not so much here in Ohio. In fact, the news people just informed us that this year alone Ohio received 69 inches of rain, making it the wettest year ever for us Ohioans. But it's December and my tree is up and so I sing that song.

I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, per se, but I think most people celebrate the holiday season in some way. And I'm betting that most people have some sort of tradition, something they do year in and year out in December that marks the holiday as something special.

For the Cullen Clan, we do a lot of things. There's the Annual Cookie Baking, which always stresses me out because everyone wants their favorite and there's NO WAY we can eat all thosecookies without looking like the Michelin man in January. Then there's the Putting Up of the Tree which entails lots and lots of boxes and lots of trips up and down the basement stairs.

But I think my most favorite tradition is the Buying of the Ornaments. Since we were married, oh so long ago, my husband and I have bought an ornament each year for each other. The ornament entails much thought and planning because it has to be the right ornament. It can't be something plucked off the shelf. It has to have meaning for both of us. As each child came along, the tradition grew and now we have enough ornaments to fill several trees.

Each year we pull out our boxes and we unwrap the ornaments and we reminisce about the past. You won't find a simple red or green ball on our tree. No, our tree is filled with Spongebob Squarepants and Star Wars figurines and Matchbox cars and American Girl Doll replicas. Each and every ornament means something to us.

My husband and I always said that when the kids move out they can take their ornaments with them to start their own trees. But, you know, I'm starting to rethink that. I think I might keep them to remember.

So what is your favorite holiday tradition?

ps - My paranormal romance, Her Dark Knight, released last week. If you like a hunky Knight Templar and a touching love story that spans seven-hundred-years, check it out.

New Release: A Way to a Dragon's Heart

A Way To A Dragon's Heart
Xakara
ISBN 978-1-59578-878-8

Dragon Shifter Kryssa Drake works twenty-hour days, seven days a week racing toward a sabbatical and hiding from the dating world after a devastating break-up that left her questioning her sense of self. The highlight of her day is the two hour lunches spent listening to Near Human, Xander Luciano, co-owner of Luciano's Deli across the street, and living vicariously through his on-again, off-again relationship with Avian, Caleb James. Over the years and countless intimacies of their friendship, Kryssa has grown to love Xander and the idea of Xander and Caleb but ideas and potential are not enough to brave the pain of the past so soon.

Pastry Chef and Near Human, Xander Luciano, has spent the last two years trying to charm Kryssa out of her vow of a five year isolation following her break-up. He's spent that same two years sorting out his feelings for his college sweetheart, Caleb, and trying to figure out a way to pin the restless Avian down or to finally make peace with a few months of happiness at a time. When Caleb opens the pastry café they always dreamed about and invites him to become a partner, Xander sees the flicker of hope that maybe half of his dream is about to come true. When he's volunteered by Kryssa's brother and boss to assist her in her current projects as well as help her relax in his cabin up north, Xander thinks his persistence and culinary skills just might help him have it all.

Sometimes the only way to get a good man to settle down is to have a good woman help. And oft times the most direct way to a Dragon's heart is through her stomach.

Contains: Scaly sex, make-up sex, not quite breakup sex, all marinated in an M/F, M/M and M/M/F awesome sauce

Read An Excerpt Here

Buy Link

Xakara
www.xakara.com

A Tidbit for Sampling from Moondancer Drake

Since this is my first post at Beyond the Veil, it seems appropriate to introduce myself. I’m an Eastern band Cherokee, a two-spirit woman (Native LGBTQ), a mother, a practitioner of earth-based spirituality, an environmentalist, an activist, in fact there are many sides to Moondancer.

The reason I say all this is that as a writer all these ingredients that make up who I am, are part of everything I write. Being a Native American woman growing up loving speculative fiction yet never finding anyone like me in the stories I read, all the fiction I write now is multicultural. My real live experiences and passions effect my writing as well. In the city where I live so many people are separated, segregated, in fact from very young our Western culture is taught to be selfish, to “look out for #1”. Culturally and personally I believe strong and supportive communities are crucial to a society’s well being, even to a personal physical and mental health. I love reading about women living in strong, supportive of communities where belief systems like mine (and other non-mainstream spirituality’s) are fully accepted and even embraced. As a writer of paranormal fiction I can create these communities I wish I lived in. I can fight the fights against the evil of this world that we also often feel helpless against by bringing that evil into my world and having my heroines fight it there. It’s an empowering feeling for me as the author of the stories, and I hope for my readers as well.

Currently I have two published novels; Ancestral Magic and Natural Order, a new ebook novella called Seeking Light in the Shadows, as well as numerous short stories published in anthologies. Today I thought I would leave you with a taste from my new urban fantasy coming out next week or so, Worlds Collide.

***

Once she was in place on the garage roof, Rune pushed the ladder away from the edge and watched it fall back to the grass with a low thud. She wouldn’t need it to get down and didn’t want to draw attention to her presence. Rune hung her torso over the gable of the garage and peered into the window below.

Beyond the glass, one man walked across the room with his armed wrapped around a busty blonde. Past him, Rune could pick out five more women and another ten men moving about the flat. They all looked normal enough, but that was the trouble with vampires — as long as they fed well, the leeches looked just like everyone else. It was their scent — a rancid mixture of sweat and old blood — that made them stand out to a hunter like herself. Vampires didn’t sweat, because they had no need to; neither heat nor cold affected them in any but the rarest of cases. The sweat she smelled was from the humans on whom they feasted.

Laughter from the back of the room caught her attention. A group of four vampires was gathered in a corner of the room. Above the din of the music, Rune could just pick out the sound of a woman’s voice behind them. A vampire roared with amusement, taking a step forward, and Rune realized it was his laughter that had first drawn her attention. That was when she heard the woman scream.

Rune grabbed the edge of the gable and lowered herself, dangling by her arms. There was barely enough time to shift before she swung back and crashed through the window. She landed on the carpeted floor, legs bent and spread in a combat stance. She had not taken the form of a wolf this time. The eyes of many of the vampires widened with fear to suddenly find a werewolf in their midst.

Pandemonium raged as the smarter of the vampires hurtled for the door. The bouncer took a step back and the crowd scrambled past him, stampeding down the stairs. He glanced at Rune, the group in the corner, and back again. She braced herself for the charge that never came as he swore under his breath and dashed out the door.

Smart man. She grinned and turned back to those remaining.

The vampires fanned out from the corner and Rune glimpsed the three people on the floor. The man’s body was stretched out on a wide strip of wood flooring just beyond the carpet, while his two female companions hugged each other and shivered, eyes closed.

“You know, Farrell, I’ve always wondered what shifter tastes like.” The vampire ran a hand over his shaven head and licked his lips hungrily. “You boys help me bag this one, and we can all have a treat.” Pete and Jumala glanced nervously at each other, but didn’t move forward.

Her eyes narrowing malevolently, Rune snarled at the bald man, “You’ll never live to find out, parasite.

Release Day for Wherever You Are

Hello, everyone! I'm super excited that today my pirate time-travel releases with Samhain Publishing. The road for this manuscript was rocky at best but I never lost faith in it. If you love action-adventure, time-travel and pirates, then check this out.

He’s in the fight of his life for a love that defies the centuries. The last thing Juliana MacKenzie remembers is sitting in a friend’s kitchen. In Kansas City. In the twenty-first century. How did she wind up on a burning ship in the middle of the ocean—in the eighteenth century? If that wasn’t enough to get her heart started, some dark corner of her memory responds to the ship’s enigmatic captain. A man whose touch ignites her senses even as he stubbornly holds her at arm’s length. It’s almost too late when Morgan realizes his stowaway is not only female, but a woman from a life and a time he’d almost forgotten. Desire resurges like an undeniable tide—but he is not the man Juliana would remember. She has been unwittingly thrust into a dangerous world, and now she, too, is a target for the pirate who once enslaved him, who still hunts him across the seven seas. Kidnapped by Morgan’s worst enemy, Juliana finds herself drawing on inner reserves she never knew she possessed. No way will she let anyone—not even the man she is growing to love—choose her path for her. And no way will she let him offer himself in trade for her freedom. Buy Link Read Excerpt

Helping a fellow author

As you've probably heard, Egypt is in revolt, attempting to throw out their dictator for a better form of government. In retaliation, the government has shut down all internet.

Olivia Gates is a fellow author who has a release out today with Silhouette Desire. She lives in Cairo and is unable to promote her book. I've never met Ms. Gates, but that doesn't mean I can't help her out. Today I am donating my blog time to her. To get the word out about her book.

To Tempt a Sheikh by Olivia Gates

He rescued hostage Talia Burke from his royal family's rival tribe and swept her into his strong embrace. But Prince Harres Aal Shalaan soon discovered there was more to the brave beauty than he knew. Talia held information vital to protecting his beloved kingdom…and she had every reason not to trust him.

Marooned together at a desert oasis, Talia couldn't resist Harres. Yet even as his sizzling seduction entranced her, his loyalty to his family and country would always make them enemies. Falling for the sheikh would be her heart's greatest mistake…but she feared it was already too late….

In stores February 1!

Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books A Million and bookstores everywhere. Also available at eharlequin both in print and as an ebook

Good News!

I just signed a contract for my time travel paranormal. This will be my 5th book with Samhain Publishing and my 10th book total.

All of my books are near and dear to my heart, but this one is probably the nearest and dearest. Its been a long road for these characters and their story. Wherever You Are was the third book I've ever written and its a huge understatement to say its been through quite a lot of revisions to become the book it is today.

Keeping fingers crossed that this will be the first in a trilogy.

I haven't received a release date yet, but when I do, you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, here's an unedited blurb:

Morgan's life takes an unexpected turn when the stowaway aboard his burning ship isn't an enemy spy but Juliana, the woman he left behind in the twenty-first century. Unwittingly thrust into Morgan’s dangerous world, Juliana gains the attention of Morgan’s enemy--the man who once enslaved Morgan and who will now settle for nothing less than Morgan’s return to slavery and possession of Juliana.

For the one woman he’s never forgotten and a love that defies the centuries, Morgan must conquer his fears and battle his deadly enemy to keep Juliana at his side.

Vermillion by MK Mancos releases 10/11 @ 11pm Liquid Silver Books

Kristabelle St. Lucus is an etheralmancer, one who can take the soul of a person and lock them away in the lovely stained glass she designs for the Portamere Cathedral. This is her punishment for daring to be born with what the clerics call ‘the witching talent.’ The Cathedral has become a prison for those who have defied the power-hungry clerics. It is not something she wants to do, but something she must do save her family from destruction. It is either that, or watch them burn for passing an unholy legacy on to their offspring.

Darius Castillo is a magi- a member of the sacred order who work directly for the Magus, the rightful head of the church. Darius has watched in wonder as Kristabelle works her magic. Only he knows of her torture and pain at having to perform this horrific duty for the sake of her family. Only Darius sees the tears she shows no one. Under the guise of an acolyte, he is on a mission to discover the extent of the clerics’ treachery. Nothing the clerics do can stop the burning passion he feels for the artist or the need to save her and the souls she’s been forced to entrap.
 
Enjoy!!!

MK Mancos

New Today: Bianca D'Arc's Warrior's Heart

He’s home to claim the girl he never forgot…but more than war memories have changed him.

Gifts of the Ancients, Book 1

Hal’s best-friend status with Casey’s brother always meant that the one woman he wants is strictly off limits. But now that he’s back from a harrowing mission in the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon, all bets are off. The strangely mystical experience left him and his Special Forces team with a new appreciation for life—and strange new abilities they are only beginning to understand.

Casey never thought she’d have a shot with the strong, silent Green Beret. Something about him has changed, though, and old feelings have risen up, demanding an answer. And her answer is an unequivocal yes. Now, to break the news to her brother and hope it doesn’t come to blows.

Her brother’s reaction becomes the least of her worries when Hal singlehandedly stops a car from running her down, then falls into her arms, weak from some kind of strange reaction. Whatever went down in Iraq has changed Hal and made him a target of foreign agents who’ve found his one vulnerability…Casey.

Warning: This title contains dirty talk, sweaty carpentry sex and a sexy Special Forces super hero.

Read An Excerpt
BUY LINK

Pinch me...

BLOOD AND DESTINY has launched on the world!

It's been a crazy week. The feedback has been kind, generous even. And I keep saying, "Pinch me."

Years ago, I swore I wouldn't write a book featuring a vampire as a primary character. I meant it with every fiber of my being. And when I introduced Marcus into the storyline, he wasn't intended to become the hero of the story. In fact, there wasn't a hero to the story at all.

He had other ideas. When I shared the opening chapter with my critique group, the Cookie Monsters, the general question was, "Does he know he's not a primary character?"

Marcus foiled every attempt I made to phase him into the background. He stubbornly refused to go away! After several revamps of the outline of the story to carry him forward a little bit further, I finally gave up and threw it out. If the blasted vampire wanted to be the hero of the story, then I was just going to have to let him.

Of course, it didn't help that Destiny was in love with the blasted blood-sucking playboy. Not that there isn't a lot to love about him, but it definitely interfered with my plans! And I couldn't be happier.

BLOOD AND DESTINY is close to my heart, not because it's my newest release, but because it is a story that wrote itself. I hope the readers enjoy it as much as I do.

Ohoh, before I skip off to share the blurb and buy link, let me metion that I am celebrating Destiny's release with a contest. The grand prize is a Sony Pocket Reader to be awarded on June 21st. Details can be found on the contest page of my website.

Now for the blurb: When the past bites, bite back.

Ladies of St. George, Book 1

For Destiny St. George, shapeshifting lioness and private investigator, her best friend’s looming wedding is little more than a reminder of her failed relationship with vampire king Marcus Smythe. Tired of being only one of many mistresses—and dinner entrees—she’s stayed away from the vampire scene altogether. Until a missing-person case forces her to seek his help.

Knowing that pressing Destiny is not the way to convince her to give their relationship another try, Marcus has been waiting her out—and his patience is rewarded when she steps into his nightclub. Now is his chance to lure her back into his arms. This time, he plans to keep her there.

Destiny’s not sure which is worse: working with Marcus, or trying to remember all the reasons she called it off with him. And when it becomes clear the case is an elaborate trap to avenge a millennia-old grudge, she finds herself caught between love and instinct—while the clock ticks down on an innocent victim’s life…

Product Warnings

Vampires determined to take more than a bite out of the heroine. A lioness sure that she’s going to have the last word.

Click HERE for the Buy Link.

New Release: Dragon Storm by Bianca D'Arc

Bianca's pretty busy with family right now, so I thought I'd toss tell y'all about her newest Red Hot Paranormal Romance release, Dragon Storm, book 6 of her Dragon Knights series. Congrats, Bianca! :)

Their love will span the ages…and two very different worlds.

Dragon Knights, Book 6

Caught in a magical storm and deposited on modern-day Earth, twin dragon princes Darius and Connor are looking for a way home. Instead they find something most unexpected—their mate. The one woman who holds both their hearts in the palm of her healing hand—along with secrets about her origins that link their shared destinies.

When Josie patches up the injured man on her doorstep, her snowcat instincts tell her he’s much more than a man. And so is his brother. She also knows her dragon lovers cannot fly free on Earth. The only way to return them to their rightful place is to face the failures of her past, and leave the safety of her Oregon cabin to seek her estranged grandfather’s counsel. There she learns the painful truth: returning Darius and Connor to where they belong could mean giving up everything. Even her only chance for true love.

But fate has other plans for the trio. Magic swirls all around them. Whether it is for good or ill, only time will tell…

Warning: This book contains red hot twin action ménage a trois, a wild cat woman and two hunky dragon studs in black leather.

Read an Excerpt

Buy from MBAM

A New Turn of Phrase...

This month has been a wonderful one. My Maggie Award novel, ANGELIC AVENGER, had its digital debut on Tuesday, Octover 6th. I was absolutely thrilled to say I downloaded it as soon as it became available…and yes, I paid for the priviledge. Why? Because it made it real to me. :)

My husband, as the dedication indicates, is greatly supportive of my writing efforts. In fact, one of the most memorable episodes involving Bella’s launch on the world comes from him.

He works at a hospital. One of his coworkers came up to him and asked about my book. The digital release in advance of the paperback had some of his coworkers wanting to know when they could go to the bookstore to buy it.

Well, the coworker asked what genre it was. When my husband, slightly embarrassed, told him it was a paranormal romance, the instant reply was:

“Oh. It’s one of those vibrator books.”

Having met the gentleman in question, I can hear the humor in which it was meant. And the more I think about it, the funnier it is.

Vibrator books. My new turn of phrase for the week.

Well, experts say that a good bit of a woman’s interest in sex comes from fantasy and intellectual stimulation. Isn’t that the purpose of romance novels? A little escapism and fantasy?

Men can learn from that. *grins* And if they took advantage of it, they wouldn’t be called vibrator books at all.

My poor husband may be getting flack at work, but he’s taking it with pride and amusement. Funny, I don’t think he’s complaining, either. *wink*

Excerpt time!

Following is the blurb and an excerpt from A Ghost of a Chance which released in print last week. Enjoy!

Blurb:

One life hangs on the thread of her imagination.

Legends, Book 2: Sequel to the award-winning Beaudry’s Ghost.

Troy Brannon is a ghost with no time for heaven. Thanks to his well-intentioned meddling, he’s got a missing soul on his hands. Fortunately he’s learned a skill no well-behaved spirit should have—the ability to zip through time and space.

A side trip to revive a drowning woman should’ve been simple. But the moment he locks lips with Carey Magennis, she generates an inner fire he’s never felt before, alive or dead—and his ability to time travel disappears.

When the rising tide closes over Carey’s head, it’s the end—but only of life as she knows it. She wakes up haunted by the idea she no longer fits in, and by the sexy, lion-hearted ghost of the man who saved her. No one wants to hear about the strange things that have been happening to her since her near-death experience, least of all her image-conscious fiancé.

Troy realizes Carey accidentally stole his gift—and she has no idea the danger she’s in. Wherever her imagination takes her, she goes with it. Literally. Plus, that fiancé of hers has an agenda that doesn’t include her survival.

Saving her will be as dangerous to his mission as she is to his heart.

*Warning: This title contains some gratuitous bad language; the sex of your dreams with a professional bad-ass hero; bloody Civil War battles; astral joy rides; and a heroine who “gets it” in more ways than one!*

Excerpt:

Troy had never stayed in a materialized state for this long. The strain tore at him, threatened to separate the layers of his energy field and send them flying off into space like water rings from a dropped stone.

It had taken every atom of his strength to make the three-thousand-mile spatial jump, on top of staying solid long enough to rescue the woman from the flooded cave. He’d intended to bring her all the way to the top of the cliff, leave her there to be found and be on his way about finding John.

But the effort had cost him.

Troy glanced down at the face of the woman in his arms, grit his teeth and held on.
If he lost control of his energy and faltered, she would die.

His superb sense of balance, an asset in life and still now in the afterlife, didn’t fail him as he crouched on the narrow rock ledge, braced so the woman’s body wouldn’t slide off into the roiling sea. Rain slapped them from above, and the wind and waves clawed at them from everywhere else.

Risking precious balance, he used one hand to gently unwind her long, matted black hair from around his arm and away from her face. Her lips were blue and slack, her eyes partially open and dull. He lowered his face to hers, checking for breath. Nothing. He let her head roll to one side and slid his fingers to the pulse point on her neck. If any life throbbed there, he couldn’t feel it for the vibrations of wind and storm.

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t do this to me, lady…” He tilted her head back and covered her mouth with his.

He blew once, then swayed, dizzy, feeling his grip on his materialized state slipping dangerously with the extra effort it took to breathe for her. He clenched his jaw, tilted his head back and growled deep in his chest, willing his form to stay together, just a little longer. Just until help arrived. He’d seen two people poke their heads over the cliff edge above them, so he knew it wouldn’t be long.

“Not yet,” he muttered, using the vibration of his voice to send binding messages throughout his energy field, reminding it that no matter what the laws of physics said, he was in charge here. Never mind the fact that before now he’d only managed to stay solid for a few minutes at a time, and only in dire emergencies. The last time he’d done it was for the lives of his sister and Beaudry, and for his effort he’d earned a bullet in his shoulder to keep company with the gaping hole he carried around in his chest.

He lowered his mouth and breathed for her again, turning his head to feel her automatic exhale, this time accompanied by a gush of water.

Yes! Another breath into her lungs. Were her lips slightly warmer? He left his own there for a second or two longer than necessary, testing. A faint green color flickered in front of his eyes, like the brief flash of a hummingbird, there and gone. He tore his mouth away from hers and looked up to see what kind of strange lightning this could be, then he ducked and pressed her body tightly to his as a heavy wave broke over them. The water lifted them both off the ledge, and only by sheer will did he manage to bring them back onto the ledge safely. How much higher was the tide going to rise?

He shook water from his face, pressed the woman’s body firmly between himself and the cliff wall and bent his head to hers once again. She had to start breathing on her own soon. He couldn’t keep this up.

A movement off to his right snagged his attention. A glowing figure, winged and silent, stood on a nearby ledge, observing, not moving. Her guardian angel, clearly. He spared the being a two-second glare, then lost patience.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to do anything?”

The guardian’s expression grew thoughtful, then regretful. But it didn’t move, either to help or to hinder.

“Thanks a bunch.” Troy turned back to the task at hand.

Breeeeeeathe…

Without thinking what he was doing, he willed life into her. Closed his eyes and focused his energy inside her body, targeting her lungs, her barely fluttering heart.
This time, he felt her jaw move under his mouth, and her body flex in his arms. The weird, pale green lightning flickered around them again. Her first strong heartbeat resounded like a bell throughout his being, her first voluntary breath sucking in what he’d given her.

Then, before he could lift his mouth from hers, she breathed into him.

Troy nearly lost his balance, and flung out one arm to find a fingertip hold on the rock. Her breath filled his mouth, his chest, and even with his eyes closed he saw the faint green flickers of light strengthen, steady, intensify into a solid glow more brilliant than any Ireland had to offer on its best day. Heat rushed through him, and it took him a moment to register the fact that he felt it at all. As a ghost, normal physical sensations were foreign to him. Now every drop of rain hitting his skin felt like a needle. And his wounds, normally painless, now screamed at him.

He tore his mouth away and stared down at her. Her eyelids trembled, opened, light grey irises expanding as her pupils focused on his face. The same fiery emerald light that flashed round them burned in their depths. Even with their mouths now separated, her strengthening heartbeat rushed around him as if he were a child enveloped in her womb.

What the hell is happening to me?

If he was anywhere else but perched on a narrow ledge, an inch from losing her to the maw of the sea, he would have done a quick about-face and put as much space and time between them as possible. But stay he did, her life force growing stronger and flowing like a river under his hands, into him, through him and back to her. She seemed to be studying him, her mouth moving slightly as if trying to form words. But if she made any sound, it was swallowed by sea and storm. Then her eyes slid closed and her head rolled to nestle against his chest, fitting perfectly under his chin.

He swallowed, trying not to take in any more of the living energy that still enveloped them both. Something about it was as seductive as it was disturbing, and all his instincts screamed to get outside it and look at it from an objective distance before deciding what to do about it, if anything at all.

He took her cold hands, intending to tuck them inside her coat, when he caught sight of the diamond sparkling on her left ring finger.

She belongs to someone. Absurdly, the thought felt like a sucker punch to his gut.

He looked up, and finally, finally, he saw two people rappelling down the cliff, red-and-black jumpsuits making ripping sounds in the wind. A metal litter dangling between them.

“Take her first,” he yelled above the crashing tide as the rescuers reached them. Their reply was lost in the noise, but they quickly assessed the situation and expertly relieved him of his burden.

The instant her body separated from his, he felt himself dissolving, the last of his strength leaving as the green light faded. One of the rescuers cried out in alarm, but could do nothing as his grip on the rock slipped, and the icy grey sea closed over his head.

Copyright 2009 Carolan Ivey, all rights reserved

*Watch the trailer!*

Web Site
Blog
Facebook
Myspace
Twitter

For more about A Ghost of a Chance and the Legends series, read my TRS Feature Interview!

Flawed Release Day!

It's here! Today is release day for Flawed, the sensual tale of a princess in dire need of a bit of help and the two shadow elves who fall head over heels for her.

Elves and magic and betrayal and hot, burn-up-the-sheets love - this novella has them all. This is a fantasy for adults, a love story for everyone who ever felt the weight of the world rested in the throw of a d20.

I hope you enjoy the story of Emilia, Rorek, and Jo'el.

Here's a snippet from the opening scene -

Attempting to calm herself from the ugly scene she had fled, she rolled her flushed face against the coolness of the wood. First one side, then the other, before she let the warming surface press against the useless dark rock that rested in her forehead. There was a distant sensation of pressure where the stone met her flesh, an unwanted reminder of her most obvious shortcoming. The stone that should have been a source of great magical power was nothing more than a daily reminder that she was, indeed, as flawed as a princess could be.

A low moan from the room behind her jerked her from her thoughts. Spinning around to find the source, Emilia stared openmouthed in surprise at the scene before her.

Gods alive.

Firelight cast a dim light over a couple near the fireplace. A large male body reclined across the brocade cushions of a finely carved settee, one long leg propped against the back of the small sofa and one braced on the floor. His thighs were spread wide, giving her a clear view of the naked muscled chest that rose from a slender waist. A cream-colored shirt of the finest shadowsilk was unbuttoned across his skin, framing the sculpted muscles and smooth ebony skin in light.

His head was thrown back in abandoned pleasure, allowing shadows to flicker across the planes of his face. A rising flame threw him into light, and then his features were cast again into the shadows. Through the haze of shock she felt a stab of recognition. Rorek Northmark, Lord Magician of Darkknell, the visiting ambassador and blood cousin to King Torek of the Shadow Elf, was sprawled in lusty abandon as she had never seen him before.

I'm giving away a copy of Flawed - this one is open to anyone who comments here or on my blog between now and midnight, July 2nd.

Happy reading!

New Release!

I'm thrilled to announce my 4th release with Samhain. Obsession is a romantic suspense but its more about two people finding their way back to each other. I really love reunion stories, how about you?

I must post the warning about this story though: This book does not come with a box of Kleenex, so please grab one before you start reading. Contains two people struggling to learn to love again along with graphic sex, explicit violence and realistic language. And some very hot cops.

Here's the blurb:

A killer’s obsession could destroy their second chance for love.

Only a year ago, Officer Alex Juran and his wife Tess had it all. Love, a solid marriage and a baby on the way. Then in one heartbeat they lost everything.

Now, Tess is doing her best to move on. She has a thriving business and while she may be lonely at times, she’s proud of the new life she’s built without Alex.

Two days before their divorce is final, Alex is shot in the line of duty and left for dead. He faces a difficult recovery so Tess finds herself postponing the divorce and offering to care for him until he can live alone again.

At first, cohabitation is little more than combat. Alex’s incapacitating injuries, the looming divorce, and his inability to remember who shot him have him lashing out at the nearest target: Tess. When someone begins stalking her, he suspects his shooter has returned. Convinced that Tess is in danger, Alex becomes desperate to recover his strength.

Because no matter how much she’s hurt him in the past, they’ve been given a second chance—and he’ll do anything to protect his wife.

Excerpt:

Alex opened his eyes and blinked several times, but nothing came into focus except the woman standing at the foot of the bed.

At first he thought he was dreaming. Why would Tess be here? And why was she crying? Then he saw his leg hanging in the air and wrapped in bandages. Something beeped behind his head and the memory of being shot came racing back, yet strangely he seemed disconnected from it.
Against his will his eyes closed, the exhaustion pulling him under.

When he awakened again he had no idea how much time had passed. He looked for Tess, but couldn’t find her. Had she been just a dream? Was this his hell, seeing Tess but not being able to touch her? If so, he’d been living it for months.

Something tickled his arm but he couldn’t move his head to look, so he shifted his gaze to the right. She was sitting in a chair beside him, her cheek resting on the sheets, her bright red hair trailing over the bed to touch his arm. His hand was curled in hers and she was caressing the back of it with her thumb.

“Mrs. Juran?”

Tess turned her head to look behind her and the ends of her hair grazed his hand. His fingers moved—slightly at first, then with more strength. He stared hard at them, willing them to move, and soon he was clutching her hair.

“We need you to step out for a moment,” someone said.

The words dragged his attention to Tess’s face.
Her hand slid from his but when she tried to stand, his hold on her hair pulled her back. She tugged it free. He forced his fingers to close over the few strands that remained.

“Can I stay a little longer?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, but no.”

Tess turned back and kissed his temple. Her hair fell in his eyes and the strawberry scent of her shampoo surrounded him. “I’ll be back,” she whispered in his ear.

He tried to reach for her, to grab her hand, but she disappeared before he could get his muscles to work.

Buy link

New Release - Scythe by MK Mancos

What started out as a short intro for a creative writing class I took back in 2003 ended up being the jumping-off point for a novel. This happens to me quite often. I'll sit down and start riffing on something that's just so eager o pound its way out of my head and the next thing I know it's a fully realized book with a contract and kick-ass cover.

The original short story was done in first person narrative and titled, My New Career. What a cleary suckworthy titled, and first person? What was up with that? But I loved the idea and knew somewhere in the character's future was a love interest rife with complications. Because I mean, let's face it - it ain't easy dating someone so directly related to the Agent of Death. And where else but a dark paranormal comedy could I introduce two of New Jersey's biggest sci-fi geeks in a hot romance and have it make complete sense?

In all honesty, I have to say this book was a kick to write, because I did pour my love for sci-fi, comic books and wisecracks onto the page with relatively few filters.

*sigh* Sometimes ya just gotta love being a writer.

Here's some blurbage for your reading pleasure.

A hot chick. A golden blade. Dead bodies. It’s enough to make a cop crazy.

Keely Montgomery doesn’t spend much time thinking about death. She’s too busy working toward a Ph.D. in social work—her ticket out of a low-rent apartment in a New Jersey urban center. Until an angelic courier delivers a scroll from the Office of Death and Dismemberment that could take her career down a new path—as one of Heaven’s Holy Assassins.

Her? Become a Scythe? No thanks, not interested. But she underestimates how persistent Heaven can be.

Detective Josiah Adler has seen a lot of weird things during his time on the force. A hot blonde wielding a golden blade, standing over a string of dead bodies? That’s a new one. So is the fact that her grisly deeds leave no blood or marks on the bodies.

The woman’s effect on his libido is another new development. One that leaves him no choice but to nail her before she kills again. And before his heart no longer stands a chance…

Warning: Contains wise-cracking heavenly bodies, sci-fi geekery and a bulldog named Pugsly.

Scythe by MK Mancos available now from Samhain Publishing.

-Kat

New Releases & New Sales

Since you're reading this, I'm already on my way to RT. For those of you who are attending the convention, look for me in Club RT, at the ebook fair and the booksigning, where I'll have goodies to give out. I'm also moderating the Demons Unplugged panel on Thursday morning and will have special goodies to give away at that.

For those of you who aren't going to RT, you can be part of the event in a way... I plan to collect some goodies at the conference and make up little prize packages that I'll give away on my blog after I get home. So remember to take a look the last week in April for your chance to win.

Other than convention plans, I've have a few news items to report. First, FireDrake is now in pint! Here's a taste:

Drake faces his estranged family and the dragon he left behind. He finds more than even he bargains for when a young prince is kidnapped and it's up to Drake, his childhood friend and rival, Mace, a warrior woman named Krysta, and two young dragons to track him down. Saving the prince will restore Drake's family honor, but it could also bond him with the dragoness, her mate, and the lovely Jinn warrior woman who loves them all. Dare he take the chance?

Second, Phantom Desires was just released in ebook formats. It's the third in my vampire novella series and all three of the stories, One & Only, Rare Vintage and Phantom Desires, will go into a single print volume sometime early next year. Here's the tagline for Phantom Desires:

This time, the creature under the basement is real. And dead sexy.

Cool, huh? ;-) Yet, it sums up the book really, really well! LOL!

Now for new sales - I just signed the contract for Grady's Awakening, book 4 in my Resonance Mates series. It'll be out in ebook later this summer and in print next year. I also got a verbal okay on a new series of military/psychic/menage (m/f/m) stories I'm calling the Gemini Project. More news on that as it becomes available.

For now, I'm looking forward to getting the cover art for my next release, Inferno. The sequel to Lords of the Were will release in ebook on June 30th (next year in print). Here's the blurb for it:

A forbidden union forged in love-and tempered in hellfire.

One last task and Megan will be free of the debt of honor owed by her family. Spying on Dante, a powerful vampire with questionable friends, sounds simple enough. But her mission is complicated by the fact she's got something every vampire wants-tangy, powerful, werewolf blood.

It's easy to capture his attention. The hard part will be getting out with her heart -- and soul -- intact. Not to mention her life, thanks to a crazed bomber.

Dante isn't the kind to forgive or forget easily, especially the grudge he holds against werewolves. Still, he is instantly drawn to the injured lone wolf in his care. When he and his friend Duncan treat her wounds, they discover something that marks her as much more than she seems.

The mark is a neon sign warning to be careful, but Dante can't help himself. He wants her and nothing will stand in his way. Not her species. Not his. Not the strange woman who keeps trying to kill him.

Not even the magical poison in Megan's blood...

Until next time,
Bianca
Come over to The D'Arc Side... http://www.biancadarc.com/