Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday's Thirty: J.L. Sheppard
J.L. Sheppard
Today we have J.L. Sheppard, author of the tantalizing Demon King's Desire answering our Thursday's Thirty.
1.
Sinful or Sweet? Sinful
2.
Night or Day? Night
3.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
4.
Leather or Lace? Lace
5.
Chocolate or Sex? Sex
6.
Pajama movie night or
Cocktails at the bar? Cocktails
7.
Happily Ever After or Happy
For Now? Happily Ever After
8.
Reading: Ebook or
Paperback? Both…
9.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars
10.
Dogs or Cats? Dogs
11.
Fruit or Chocolate?
Chocolate
12.
Hero or Heroine? Hero
13.
Twilight or True Blood?
Twilight
14.
Fantasy or Sci-Fi? Fantasy
15.
Writing: Plot or Not? Plot
16.
Sweet or Savory? Sweet
17.
Gold or Silver? Gold
18.
Vampire or Werewolf?
Vampire
19.
Werewolf or Shifter?
Werewolf
20.
Reading: Contemporary or
Paranormal? Paranormal
21.
Love or Lust? Love
22.
Naughty or Nice? Nice
23.
Christmas or Halloween?
Christmas
24.
Beer or Wine? Wine
25.
Games Of Throne or
Spartacus? Spartacus
26.
International or Home
Grown? Home Grown
27.
Movie or TV Show? Movie
28.
Brains or Brawn? Brains
29.
City or Country? City
30.
Piercing or Tattoos?
Tattoos
Demon King's Desire
·
After
a war in his demon plane and home that killed his entire family, Lucas has
dedicated his life to combating Malum Inmortalis, whose goal is to rule immortals
and mankind. The evil he has battled for centuries and his purpose is deferred
when he hears Jenna’s voice, the woman he has been waiting for centuries, the
woman he’s been dreaming of for centuries, his fated mate.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Featured Author: J Annas Walker
J
Annas Walker
walker.j.annas(at)gmail(dot)com
WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | BOOKSTRAND | AMAZON
BIO
After acquiring a bachelors of science in civil engineering technology, she worked for a number of years as a transportation designer. Designing road construction projects by day, she continued writing by night. Today, she writes more than she ever did and blends fantasy and paranormal into romance storylines. The fanged, spectral, magical, and furry have become everyday life.
J. Annas Walker lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and her cat/office assistant.
Getting To Know This Weeks Featured Author
Author
Questions:
What inspires you to write? Everyday things like a snippet of
conversation in line at the grocery store or a picture that catches my eye can
spark an idea. The story just takes off, and I feel compelled to write it down.
Are you plot or character driven? I let the character do all the talking.
It’s their story. I’m just along for the ride.
Do you listen to music while writing? If
so, what kind? If I listen to music at
all while working, I need something without words. I found myself typing lyrics
instead of the story one day. Now, I try to find quiet modern instrumentals or
traditional classical without words.
Tell us about the different types of
characters you like to write about? Why are these types so appealing to you? I like heroines with internal conflict. They
have to struggle with what is expected of them versus what they want from life.
I think real women are like that. It’s a hard balance to strike. I try to
approach that idea differently in the two series I write, House of Dracul and
Jewel.
Are any of your characters like you? And if
so, in what ways are your characters like you? I don’t think it’s possible to completely divorce yourself from your
characters. I can see a little of myself in all of them, good and bad. Claire
tends to roll with thing, even when they make no sense, and take the impossible
on faith. Cassy wants her own life on her own terms. Sabrina feels out of step
with those around her and just wants a quiet normal life.
Is there a particular genre you prefer to
write? I love sci-fi, but I write
romance. Fantasy and paranormal gives me the opportunity to create a world with
my own rule book.
Do you have a favourite character from your
books? Eleanor from Midnight’s Jewel
is a particular favorite. She’s not the heroine, but she totally kicks butt. A
demigoddess with a deep sense of duty and several life times worth of knowledge
and power makes a formidable enemy.
Reader
Questions:
What are your favourite genres to read
from? I read everything, literally. It
isn’t unheard of for me to read sci-fi one day, a technical manual the next,
and have a poetry book read for tomorrow. Nothing is off limits.
Who are some of your favorite authors and
why? Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison,
Darynda Jones and Stephen King top the list. These authors often take an
everyday item or subject and make the dark side of it seem perfectly normal,
expected even. After reading Cell by Stephen King, I never looked at my
phone in quiet the same way again. Bravo, Mr. King!
What are your comfort reads when you are
sick or feeling low? J. K. Rowling and J.
R. R. Tolkien works for me.
Do you have a favourite character from
another author? I like Sookie Stackhouse.
No matter what happens or how her world changes, she remains herself. She
doesn’t have a glamorous job, isn’t rich, and is incredibly kind. She has wants
and needs, like we all do, but she never seems to lose sight of who she is as a
person and where she came from.
What’s the one book you can’t live without
and why? The Harbrace Handbook. Don’t
laugh. As someone with a highly technical background, almost all of my college
courses centered around science and math. I need a guide to tell me where all
those flipping commas go.
Quickies:
Night or Day? Night. There’s more mystery in the things we can’t see.
Coffee or Tea? Sweet iced tea. I’m from the Southeastern US. It doesn’t come any
other way.
Leather or Lace? Steel-boned Satin
Chocolate or Sex? Chocolate covered sex!
Pajama movie night or Cocktails at the bar? Pajama movie night with my hubby.
Formal or Casual? Casual
Scion's Avalon
Three years have passed since vampire
princess Cassy Daniels, Scion of the House of Dracul, gave up her title to turn
and marry David Ashe. Together, they live in exile with the Council of Crones,
a group of elder witches. Isolated from the world, they found bliss. However,
vampire politics soon intrudes.
Born vampire women are being kidnapped, and
Cassy’s next on the list. After a failed attempt to take Cassy from the Council
of Crones estate, magical portals lead back to the missing women. Cassy and
David are tasked with bringing them home. David is sent after Elisabeta,
Cassy’s sister-in-law, who is still on Earth. Cassy, however, has what it takes
to enter the elf-kingdom of Avalon and retrieve the other three vampires.
Can Cassy and David hold onto their bliss
or will Avalon’s magic lure her from home?
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Saturday's Spotlight: Ariel Tachna
Ariel Tachna
arieltachna (at)
gmail (dot) com
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | AMAZON
| DREAMSPINNER
PRESS | TWITTER
BIO
Ariel Tachna lives outside of Houston with her
husband, her daughter and son, and their cat. Before moving there, she traveled
all over the world, having fallen in love with both France, where she found her
husband, and India, where she dreams of retiring some day. She’s bilingual with
snippets of four other languages to her credit, and is as in love with
languages as she is with writing.
OUTLAST THE NIGHT
Sequel to Chase the Stars
Lang Downs: Book Three
Office manager Sam Emery is unemployed and out of
luck. When his emotionally abusive wife demands a divorce, he contacts the one
person he has left, his brother, Neil. He doesn’t expect Neil to reject him,
but he also doesn’t expect the news of his divorce—and of his sexuality—to be
met with such acceptance.
Neil takes Sam to Lang Downs, the sheep station Neil
calls home. There, Sam learns that life as a gay man isn’t impossible. Caine
and Macklin, the station owners, certainly seem to be making it work. When
Caine offers Sam a job, it’s a dream come true.
EXCERPT
“Bloody hell,” Neil spat. “What is
he doing here?”
Before Sam could ask what that meant, Neil was
striding across the room. The man who had caught Sam’s eye saw him coming and
stood, hands at his side but clearly braced for a fight. A third man, one who
looked as hard as the granite beneath their feet, interrupted Neil’s progress.
“Don’t blame one man for his brother’s faults.”
“What’s he doing here?” Neil repeated.
“Working,” the older man said. “Caine hired him this
morning, so unless you want to argue with him over it, back off.”
Sam tensed, knowing how badly Neil reacted to those
kinds of orders when his temper was high. His jaw dropped when Neil shook
himself and took a step back. “If Caine hired him, I won’t make trouble, but if
he starts anything, I will finish it.”
“That’s fair, Macklin,” the other man said from his
place against the wall. “You know I’m not going to start anything, so as long
as he keeps his word, we’ll be square.”
“I keep my word, Taylor,” Neil ground out. “Unlike
some people.”
“Neil, that’s enough.” Another man entered the conversation,
a younger one, with short dark hair and an American accent. Sam figured that
must be Caine. “Jeremy asked for a place to stay and a job after he left Taylor
Peak. I’ve given him that. I’d appreciate it if you respect that.”
“Yes, boss. I’m sorry.”
“Introduce me to your brother.”
“Caine, this is my brother, Sam. Sam, my boss, Caine
Neiheisel.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Sam said, even though Caine
was probably Sam’s age. He owed the man the roof over his head and maybe a job.
Sam planned to mind his manners.
“Please, call me Caine. We aren’t formal here.
Welcome to Lang Downs.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you letting me stay for a
while.”
Caine smiled, and Sam felt warmth bloom inside at the
kindness he saw there. It wasn’t sexual. Sam knew Caine was with Macklin, and
if Macklin was indeed the man who had kept Neil from attacking Taylor, Caine
wouldn’t look twice at someone like Sam. It felt almost familial, like he’d
been adopted and hadn’t known it. “Get something to eat and get settled in
tonight. Tomorrow I’d like to talk to you. I have some questions, and Neil
thought you might be able to help.”
“I’m happy to help,” Sam said. “I don’t know a lot
about sheep, but other than industry-specific regulations, the laws don’t vary
that much from one business to another. I should be able to help you out. And
if I can’t, I might know someone who can get the information we need.”
“Good to hear,” Caine said. “We’ll talk about it
after breakfast tomorrow. Did Neil warn you what time the day starts around
here?”
“No,” Sam said.
“Early,” Neil replied. “Breakfast is at five. You
don’t have to come down then, but if you don’t, you’ll only get cold cereal.
Kami has no patience with people who don’t get their lazy arses out of bed.”
“I’ll be up,” Sam said. “I don’t want anyone to have
to go out of their way for me.”
“I’m going to finish my dinner,” Caine said. “I’ll
look for you both in the morning.”
Sam turned back to Neil as Caine walked back to where
he had been sitting before Neil exploded. Sam would ask again later about
Taylor and the reasons behind Neil’s animosity. For now, the food smelled
delicious, and Sam was getting hungry.
“What’s for dinner?” he asked, smiling at the
aborigine behind the counter when he approached.
“Wombat curry,” the man—Kami, Sam thought Neil had
said—replied.
“I’ve never had wombat before,” Sam said, holding his
plate while Kami ladled a thick stew onto his plate.
“You aren’t having it now either,” Neil said. “It’s
either beef or mutton, probably mutton. Kami likes to take the piss with blow-ins.”
“And I fell for it.”
“You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last,”
Kami said. “You want some naan with the curry?”
“Kami makes it fresh,” Neil said. “It’s as good as
anything you ever got in town.”
“Sure, I’ll have a piece,” Sam said. It wouldn’t hurt
to get on Kami’s good side. The man would be feeding him for the foreseeable
future. Better that Kami like him.
They found a seat at a table with several other men
and a pretty woman who smacked Neil on the back of the head as soon as he sat
down. “What was that?” she demanded.
“Not here, Molly, please,” Neil said.
Sam hid his snicker behind a bite of curry. He had
never imagined Neil looking quite so henpecked. “Fine,” Molly said, “but we
will discuss this when we get home.”
Neil looked so mortified that Sam took pity on him.
“Hi,” he said, “I’m Sam, Neil’s brother.”
Molly looked like she wanted to smack Neil again. “No
manners,” she muttered. “Nice to meet you, Sam. I’m Molly. Welcome to Lang
Downs.”
“Thank you. Everyone has been very kind.”
“It’s that kind of place,” Molly said, “which is why
we’re going to discuss Neil’s outburst later. He’s second in line behind
Macklin. He can’t go around acting stupid, or he’s going to lose his place.”
“It’s Jeremy Taylor,” Neil said. “What was I supposed
to think?”
“That your bosses pay enough attention to who’s in
their canteen to realize he was there and that if they know he’s there and
don’t have a problem with it, you shouldn’t either?” Molly suggested.
“Taylor?” Sam repeated. “Like the neighboring station?”
“Yes, that Taylor,” Neil said. “Well, the younger
brother, but that family. I said I wouldn’t start anything, and I won’t, but I
don’t trust him. Devlin Taylor wouldn’t know good management if it bit him in
the arse.”
Sam glanced at Taylor across the room, wondering what
had led the other man to leave his home and come here instead. Taylor rose as
Sam was looking that way, dumped his plate in the bin of dirty dishes, and
headed outside. Sam couldn’t help but think the man looked lonely.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Fantasy Friday: Peyton Elizabeth's SAFEWORD LLC
PEYTON ELIZABETH
Peyton
Elizabeth currently lives in the Midwest. She has a very supportive family,
which came in handy when she decided to switch her financial career of seventeen
years to writing.
Like
most authors, Peyton has been an avid reader all her life, and she has dabbled
in writing since her early teens. To her, reading and writing are an escape
from reality. We all have those times when reality becomes too much, and
we need something to lighten our hearts.
Reading
as always given that to her, but recently, Peyton was lucky enough to meet a
man who was able to do that for her in a different way. He has shown her
that reality can be just as much fun as fiction. As a mother, it's
important to her to show her son that life is full of surprises and that we
must cherish every day we are given. Here's to lightening our hearts.
SAFEWORLD LLC 2: DARE TO SUBMIT
Release is only
obtained after first being restrained...
Elena
Conti seeks out the help of Safeword LLC, a company that places submissives
with their appropriate Dominants. She’s tried to overcome her issues with
trust and the over usage of her safeword by herself, but realizes it’s
futile. Utilizing Safeword LLC is Elena’s last hope of eradicating her
fears, but she hadn’t counted on being placed with the two men whom she’d
specifically stayed away from for the past eight months.
Harrison
James is known for his expertise using a whip, the one implement that haunts
her dreams. Grant Delport uses pleasure as his method of training.
Together, do they have what it takes to convince Elena that trust is the
ultimate submission?
Excerpt
“Harrison’s
right. She’s scared of handing over control to a Dom, but yet can’t stop
herself from trying.” Grant shifted through the papers that were on his lap.
While Harrison was wearing a pair of jeans and a white buttoned-down shirt,
Grant had thrown on his favorite pair of leathers and a black T-shirt. The
material helped the folder stay in place. “And James couldn’t find anything to
indicate the reason for her distrust?”
“Not
yet, although he’s still working on it. For two men who claim not to be interested
in her, you both seem to know an awful lot about her.”
“Kennedy,”
Harrison said in warning, “don’t play games with us. I’m sorry to say, but you
got it wrong this time. And I’m surprised that if you’re still having James
look into her past, that you would still want to place her among the Order.”
“I
don’t play games, Harrison.” Kennedy didn’t blink an eye as she stared him
down. He had to give her credit. She wasn’t a woman who backed down and she
feared nothing. “Whatever Elena is hiding, if she’s hiding something, has
nothing to do with her character. If I didn’t believe she was worthy of being
placed, I wouldn’t do it. And don’t assume I only place submissives with the
Order. There are other Dominants out there who utilize my services.”
“She’s
not the one for us, Kennedy.”
“Her
father’s Richard Collins? As in, Judge Collins?” Grant asked, holding out a
paper for Harrison. He shook his head, refusing to be drawn into this
conversation any more than he already was. “Harrison, look at the bottom paragraph.”
“It
doesn’t matter what’s in there, Grant,” Harrison said, irritation setting in.
He could not stress enough that he wasn’t interested. He turned so that he
could see Elena. Lucas was talking to her and she was adamantly shaking her
head at something he said. Her heart-shaped face tilted up in impudence and it
was all Harrison could do not to go over there and take a crop to her ass. Damn
it. She wasn’t his type. He watched as she walked away from Lucas, heading
toward the foyer. “Elena’s got an attitude as well, and you know how I feel
about a sub topping from the bottom.”
“Maybe
if she had the right Doms, she wouldn’t feel it necessary to top from the
bottom,” Kennedy replied in a superior tone.
“Kennedy,
I swear it’s a good thing you’re not a sub, or I’d have you over my knee.”
“Since
you know nothing of my personal life, I wouldn’t make assumptions if I were
you.” Kennedy picked a piece of lint off of her gray skirt. “As I was saying,
you came to me knowing that I have an…instinct…for placing subs. If you trusted
me to go that far, trust me to follow through.”
SAFEWORLD LLC
.jpg)
Will You Dare to
Submit?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Thursday's Thirty: Isabelle Rowan
Isabelle
Rowan
WEBSITE | DREAMSPINNER PRESS | AMAZON | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Today we have Aussie author Isabelle Rowan in the hot seat, answering Thursday's Thirty, and revealing a little bit about herself!
1.
Sinful or Sweet?
Definitely
sinful – sweet gives me a headache!
2.
Night or Day?
Hmm.
Early hours of the morning – I love that time just before dawn.
3.
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee
– long and black. Although I do love peppermint tea.
4.
Leather or Lace?
I’m a
black lace girl, especially when teamed with velvet.
5.
Chocolate or Sex?
Can I
have both? If I have to choose… nah, still want both.
6.
Pajama movie night or
Cocktails at the bar?
Definitely
pajama movie night! I’m a total movie freak!
7.
Happily Ever After or Happy
For Now?
Happy
for now- I don’t think I’ve ever written a happily ever after even though
there’s always hope.
8.
Ebook or Paperback?
There’s
something very special about holding a book, so paperback.
9.
Star Trek or Star Wars?
Trek!!!
10.
Dogs or Cats?
Cats
– slinky oriental cats.
11.
Fruit or Chocolate?
Chocolate
– preferably dark.
12.
Hero or Heroine?
Hero
– like Aragorn.
13.
Twilight or True Blood?
I
like my vampires with bite so True Blood all the way.
14.
Fantasy or Sci-Fi?
That’s
tough because I love both. Fantasy maybe, but only just.
15.
Hard or Soft? —interpret
that as you wish ;-)
Hard
body, soft heart?
16.
Sweet or Savory?
Savory.
17.
Gold or Silver?
Luckily
I like silver because I can’t afford gold.
18.
Vampire or Werewolf?
Vampires
– I’ve always had a thing for vampires.
19.
Werewolf or Shifter?
I
think werewolf – darker and more dangerous for some reason.
20.
Contemporary or Paranormal?
Paranormal,
although I write more contemporary.
21.
Love or Lust?
Love.
*blush*
22.
Naughty or Nice?
But
isn’t naughty nice?
23.
Christmas or Halloween?
Halloween!
So much more fun.
24.
Beer or Wine?
Wine,
although I’m not much use after one glass!
25.
Games Of Throne or
Spartacus?
Oh my
God, I love Game of Thrones!
26.
International or Home
Grown?
Home
grown I think. Most of my characters are home grown Aussies.
27.
Movie or TV Show?
TV
series – long ones that come in box sets! I don’t sleep much.
28.
Brains or Brawn?
Brains.
Give me a geek.
29.
City or Country?
Country.
Cities are for visiting, not living.
30.
Piercing or Tattoos?
Tattoos
– I have several and am always adding to them. Ink combined my two loves;
vampires and tattoos! Plus Daniel in The Red Heart was a tattooist.
The Red Heart
An ex-soldier and an urban Goth walk into a
desert. It sounds like the start of a joke, but for Sam Collins and Daniel
Evans, it is the beginning of their story. Daniel walks to shed his drug-filled
past and make himself whole. But Sam, who hides the demons of war behind a
smile, needs Daniel more than either man knows. An old stockman’s wisdom sends
them on their journey together, a long hard road to find Australia’s sacred Red
Heart and—perhaps—each other.
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