Open Thread for Authors (Author Promo) for June 2010

39 Comments

1. Cara McKenna
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:09:49

   Ooh, ooh! Me, me!

   For erotica readers, my third novella from Ellora’s Cave, Ruin Me, (aka The Unfaithful Paper Merchant’s Forbidden Lumberjack) is coming out Wednesday June 9. It’s full of temptation and conflict and betrayal and heartache and frantic, occasionally ill-advised sex. One gal, two guys. If you’re one of those readers who can’t stand first-person point-of-view, this is your official warning-’stay away. Or if you hate flawed characters, stay away. And if you’re sensitive about infidelity as a theme, stay away. If your happily-ever-after must be dripping with glitter and babies, stay away. Otherwise, go ahead-’let me entertain you for an evening at the bargain price of $5.20. Here’s the blurb:

   In her head, Robin wants to marry her boyfriend. Everything about her relationship with Jay makes sense, makes her happy, but she can't bring herself to say accept his proposal. Her body has unfinished business with Patrick, the man who saved her life six years ago. For a long time she assumed her potent feelings for Patrick were fearful, wrapped up in the night she was attacked, but now she's realizing it's far simpler than that. She wants him. Always has, always will.

   More attached to Robin than the idea of her being faithful, Jay gives her the green light to go after Patrick in the hopes that it will demystify the man and get him out of Robin's system. It begs the question-’if you’ve got permission, is it still cheating? And which will ultimately sway the heart-’reason or attraction?

   To read an excerpt, watch the short PG-rated trailer, and find other info, you can head to the Titles page of my website. Thanks all, and thanks for the pimportunity, DA. Enjoy your Junes.

2. Joely
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:16:34

   Based on Maya mythology, my paranormal thriller with strong romantic elements, The Bloodgate Guardian, will be released by Carina Press on June 14th.

   Chapter One excerpt

   Blurb:

   Worlds within worlds await through the Maya Bloodgate…

   Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn't do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she's content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.

   After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won't fail. Even if it kills him. Again.

   Thanks for opening up the thread!

3. Dee Tenorio
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:31:58

   Okay, now, you’re probably going to say, once I get around to explaining things, “But Dee, what have you done with your new paranormal romantic suspense book that I haven’t seen a million times?”

   So let’s get to that first.

   My upcoming release, “Tempting The Enemy” (June 14, Carina Press) is about a woman with the power to bend light to her whims (and a few other nifty skills), who has been sequestered her entire life, particularly from the shifters because she’s half-shifter and the shifter genocide is nearly complete. When she’s thrust out of that seclusion to hunt for a serial killer, she’s also thrown into the “care” of a Alpha shifter police officer who has some secrets of his own.

   So, you ask again, what makes it different? Well, these shifters have a choice when it comes to their mates and until that final choice is made…there’s no telling what they might do to convince each other.

   And hey, even if you’re not a paranormal reader, you can still take part in the contest to possibly win one of a $75 gift card or a $25 gift card to your choice of selected stores. Details on the contest HERE.

   Thanks much, Jane!!

4. Voirey Linger
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:34:08

   Thank you for the opportunity to post.

   My debut novella, Risking Eternity, will be available May 26th from Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

   http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8389-50-risking-eternity.aspx

   An angel on the edge has few scrupels…

   For two hundred years, Dominicus has lived in isolation, sentenced to take human souls to hell. But this night's victim is unlike all the others. She tempts him. One kiss and she comes apart in his arms. One taste, and he can't walk away.

   But Maggie isn't the only temptation he faces. Dominicus fights an attraction to Renatus, his best friend through the eons and a male with whom sex is forbidden. With her, he risks Hell, with him, losing the only piece of Heaven he has left.

   Maggie cannot begin to understand what Dominicus has done. Demons covet her soul and Lucifer won't give up his prize. In claiming her, he's not only compounded his sin, he's sparked a war between Heaven and Hell. Angels battle demons, and Dominicus must make a choice. Does he deliver to Lucifer the human whose soul calls to him and ensure his salvation, or save her and risk eternal damnation?

   Reader Advisory: Contains passionate lip-locks between two male angels, hot enough to singe your feathers off.

5. Cara McKenna
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:44:28

   @Voirey Linger: Congrats on the debut, Voirey!

6. Kathleen Dienne
   May 23, 2010 @ 12:55:02

   My debut, Her Heart’s Divide, is coming from Carina Press on June 21st. First person, menage, two of the characters are married… but there is no adultery. No, really, I can explain.

   You can read a long excerpt here, but here’s the pitch that sold the book:

   Small town girl Lila Crosse has everything she ever wanted. She’s got a good job at a great company, where she met (and later married) the love of her life.

   When her husband’s truck came down the driveway after a long week of work, she was ready to welcome him home. When Jack saw her sprawled out on the car in a wet t-shirt, making love to his gorgeous wife was the first thing that came into his mind.

   The trouble was, Jack wasn’t her husband. He was her boss. And before that moment, she’d never even kissed him.

   Thanks for the open thread :D

7. Emily Winslow
   May 23, 2010 @ 13:03:51

   My debut novel, THE WHOLE WORLD, comes out from Delacorte Press/Random House on Tuesday. It’s not a romance, but I think its setting in Cambridge, England (which I had the pleasure of moving to four years ago) has an escapist pleasure.

   American students Polly and Liv are giddy over the accents and architecture of Cambridge University. They both fall for the same charming graduate student.

   Then he disappears.

   “Dealing deftly with themes of escape and rejection, Winslow announces her arrival as a dynamic voice on the literary landscape. Her elegantly plotted mystery follows five unforgettable characters and examines the seismic consequences of collected trauma.”
   –Powell’s

   It’s available in both hardcover and ebook.

   http://www.emilywinslow.com/

   Thanks very much for this thread, and for the consistently interesting reviews on this site. I’m a long-time lurker and this is my first comment :-)

8. Stacia Kane
   May 23, 2010 @ 13:14:47

   UNHOLY GHOSTS, the first in my new dark urban fantasy series, releases this Tuesday the 25th from Del Rey (US) (the UK/EIRE releases are May 27–July 1 in AU/NZ–from HarperVoyager):

   The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many false claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She's got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she's keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that's landed her in hot and dangerous water.
   Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump's ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

   Romantic Times chose it as a June Reviewer Top Pick (4.5 stars) and said:

   Fans of urban fantasy will find themselves sleep deprived after they start this new series. It's that hard to put down. Characters with larger-than-life personalities rule against a dark and dangerous backdrop. This is an exciting world you'll want to escape into again and again. Don't worry, the next will be out in July!

   From LOCUS magazine:

   “Chess is an intriguing character, a powerful Church witch with magic tattoos, but also a serious drug problem… She's not your usual heroic protagonist, and this isn't one of your humorous urban fantasies, but rather a lively thriller, full of action and ghostly encounters.”

   Reviewer Top Pick from Nite Owl Reviews:

   Unholy Ghosts is the first book in Stacia Kane's new series and is absolutely a full on winner!…The characters are kick ass and the plot will have you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely recommend it!

   BSC Reviews:

   I loved [Chess], and not just because I love the Bettie Page haircut (even though I really, really do). I went in expecting her to be a cardboard cutout ass-kicker and, instead, found an extremely flawed woman who, like all of us, makes bad decisions and then has to get out of them. She certainly doesn't consider herself a hero. … As far as she's concerned, she's just trying to keep herself alive however she can. …
   If you like urban fantasy, ghost stories, or maybe you just want to try something exciting, definitely pick up this book. At the very least, it'll be a fun ride. As for me, I think I'm a Chess Putnam fan for good.

   Michele Lee’s Book Love:

   Unholy Ghosts is a thrilling ride, textured and vivid, a powerhouse of fantasy.

   (There are more but I realize I’m going into overkill now.)

   The second and third books in the series, UNHOLY MAGIC and CITY OF GHOSTS, will be released in July! No long waits to find out what happens next!

   I’m extremely proud of the series and the reception it–and I–have been getting, and I really hope you decide to give it a try.

   If you’re on the fence, you can download the first FIVE chapters as a PDF here: http://www.staciakane.net/books/unholy-ghosts/

   I sincerely hope everyone else likes it as much as the reviewers, bloggers, and few early readers who’ve contacted me did.

   Thanks for letting me bend your ears–er, blur your eyes?–for a minute here, and thanks for the opportunity to post.

9. Jennifer Estep
   May 23, 2010 @ 15:23:57

   WEB OF LIES, the second book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, comes out on May 25. Here’s the cover blurb:

   Curios­ity is def­i­nitely going to get me dead one of these days. Prob­a­bly real soon.

   I'm Gin Blanco. You might know me as the Spi­der, the most feared assas­sin in the South. I'm retired now, but trou­ble still has a way of find­ing me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my bar­be­cue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the bar­rage of gun­fire on the restau­rant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Vio­let Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Vio­let and her grand­fa­ther pro­tect their prop­erty from an evil coal-mining tycoon, I'm begin­ning to won­der if I'm really retired.

   So is Detec­tive Dono­van Caine. The only hon­est cop in Ash­land is hav­ing a real hard time rec­on­cil­ing his attrac­tion to me with his Boy Scout men­tal­ity. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I'm a Stone elemental-’with a lit­tle Ice magic thrown in-’but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luck­ily, Gin Blanco always gets her man … dead or alive.

   Here’s what Romantic Times had to say about WEB OF LIES:

   Retire­ment doesn't seem to be in the cards for the assas­sin Spi­der. The sec­ond chap­ter of the first-person Ele­men­tal Assas­sin series is just as hard-edged and com­pelling as the first. Gin Blanco is a fas­ci­nat­ingly prag­matic char­ac­ter, whose intri­cate lay­ers are just begin­ning to unravel. Estep has truly hit the jack­pot with this out­stand­ing series!

   You can read the first chapter of WEB OF LIES, as well as some free short stories, at http://www.jenniferestep.com/excerpts-short-stories/. There are also recipes from the books on my site. Go to the Elemental Assassin page and scroll down until you see “Gin’s Recipe Box.” Happy reading! ;-)

10. Ann Bruce
    May 23, 2010 @ 15:46:59

    She was sexy, smart…and not for sale. But that won’t stop him.

    Parker’s Price, my first contemporary romance (or as straight a contemporary romance as I can write) is coming from Carina Press on June 14, 2010.

    Since I can’t put together a decent blurb if I tried, here’s an excerpt:

    Outside, the air was nippy and Parker pulled the wrap more tightly about her. It was thin, but it was silk so it was warmer than it looked. Still, she couldn’t suppress a shiver. A large tuxedo jacket settled over her shoulders, dwarfing her. However, it still retained its owner’s warmth, so Parker didn’t complain.

    “Think you’re up to walking two blocks?” he asked, standing close to her so he could be heard over the constant noise of traffic and people.

    “I live further away from here than two blocks.”

    “I want to stop by The Four Seasons.”

    She went still as warmth spread through her body. She swallowed, tipped her head back so she could eye him warily and said, “You said you’d take me home.”

    A small smile played around his mouth, like he knew exactly what her thoughts had been.

    “The restaurant. I will take you home after you get something to eat. I watched you all through dinner. You had maybe one canapé.”

    “I had something before I came.”

    “And that meal is called lunch. Or was it breakfast?”

    He was right, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. And now that her duties were completed, she was feeling a little hungry.

    She nodded at the hotel they’d just exited. “Why don’t we go back inside?”

    He lifted a brow. “The restaurants inside will be crawling with people who attended the auction. I thought you’d want to get away from that crowd.”

    She sighed, suddenly exhausted. “I just want to go home and forget I met you.”

    “Ouch.” He winced, but not convincingly. “But you got an extra forty thousand for your cause.”

    “I can donate that amount instead and we can forget the date,” she suggested, already mentally sorting through her portfolio and trying to decide which equity investments would be most advantageous to donate.

    He ignored that, placed a hand on the small of her back, and steered her toward the crosswalk. They covered the two blocks in silence. At The Four Seasons, she shrugged off the jacket and handed it back to him. The coolly elegant restaurant was busy with the after-theater crowd, as it usually was in the evenings. Despite not having one of the de rigueur reservations, they managed to wrangle a table in The Pool Room near the windows. The dining room was airy and, to Parker’s dismay, rather romantic with its twenty-foot windows and subtle lighting. Water babbled in the white marble pool in the center of the room, but the sound quickly fell into the background to blend with the other white noise. It drowned out the other diners’ conversations and the clink of their silverware against china.

    They ordered drinks, with Parker cautiously sticking to iced tea, and looked over the menu. Having made her decision, she put the menu down and looked up at the canopy of trees. “I haven’t been here in ages. How did you get a table? This room is always fully booked for dinner.”

    “I had a little help.”

    It took her a second to decipher his meaning. Then she queried dryly, “Do you always buy what you want?”

    The waiter stopped by, slid their drinks on the table, and took their food order.

    “Money has to be good for something,” he said after the waiter left. “I work hard for it and I can’t take it with me when I die.” He took note of her frown and chuckled. “I heard you when you said you’re not for sale.”

    She picked up the iced tea. “Good of you to remember,” she muttered behind the tall glass.

    He caught her gaze and held it. “I remember everything you said,” he murmured as he swirled the Scotch in his glass, ice clinking musically.

    Getting oxygen into her lungs was suddenly labor intensive. Parker swiftly swallowed a mouthful of iced tea and prayed she didn’t choke. Of course, if she spewed iced tea all over him, they might have to call it an early night.

    “Didn’t the woman you came with tonight get upset with you?” she asked before he could voice the question she saw in his eyes.

    His mouth twisted wryly and he allowed her the reprieve.

    “No. She was amused.”

    Parker was genuinely bemused. “She was?”

    “My sister thought it was hilarious. She’ll be telling this story to everyone she knows. And that’s a lot of people.”

    “Oh, God.” She picked up the iced tea, made a face, and put it back down. “I need something stronger.”

    He offered her his Scotch and, after a brief hesitation, she accepted the glass. Trying not to think of how intimate it seemed to drink from his glass, she took a sip of the amber liquid. It burned its way down her esophagus and she shivered slightly.

    “Better?”

    “Not yet,” she said, and took another sip. The warmth blossomed in her stomach, washing away the sick feeling.

    “Look on the bright side.”

    “What bright side?” she asked, sounding a little forlorn. She noticed the lipstick marks on the glass and rubbed at it with her thumb.

    “Your ex won’t be bothering you anymore.”

    “Please.” She made a face, an uneven mix of misery and hopefulness. “He’s probably figured out we were faking in front of him.”

    He took back the Scotch, brought it to his lips, and drained it, watching her out of darkened, enigmatic eyes. “It felt pretty real to me.”

    Parker froze, then wisely decided to ignore his remark.

    “But he did buy that Russian model. She should have no problems making him forget about me.” She took a deep breath. “And there was only minimal press. The auction won’t be anything more than a side note.”

    He caught the attention of a passing waiter and gestured for another Scotch.

    “Who has you so worried?”

    “My mother,” she blurted out. She glared at him. “Stop laughing.”

    He swallowed his laughter and cleared his throat. “Sorry. She wouldn’t approve of what happened tonight?”

    “No,” she replied emphatically. “Definitely not.”

    “Because of what happened or because of this reputation you seem to think I have?”

    She hesitated, then said, “Men like you always have a reputation.”

    “Men like me?”

    “Insanely wealthy, under forty, sexy.”

    Those sexy, sculpted lips stretched into a slow smile that made her feel like she had another sip of Scotch. “I’m glad you find me sexy.”

    “I’d be dead not to,” she admitted truthfully. “But I stopped allowing my hormones to make my decisions for me after I became old enough to drive.”

    “So, you were attracted to your ex’s intelligence? His sense of humor, perhaps?”

    Busted.

    “Okay, I had a temporary lapse in judgment. It happens. I’m not perfect.” She arched a brow. “Are you going to sit there and tell me all the women you date are for their brains and personality?”

    The waiter arrived and swapped the empty Scotch glass with a fresh one.

    “I never said otherwise,” he said, after nodding his thanks and the waiter retreated.

    Uncharitably, she wondered if he normally dated women whose names ended with an i.

    “However, since I enjoy intelligent conversation, I generally want an IQ that’s larger than the bra size.”

    “So, if I’m a drooling idiot, you’ll leave me alone?”

    His low laugh sent heat rippling over her skin. “Too late for you to fake it with me.”

    She blew out a breath. “It’s only one date. I can do it. And you’ll probably lose interest afterward.”

    “No other woman’s ever needed to give herself a pep talk to spend time with me.”

    “That you know of,” she qualified.

11. Faye Hughes
    May 23, 2010 @ 16:30:15

    I’m posting about Christie Craig’s latest humorous romantic suspense novel, Shut Up and Kiss Me, which will be released on Tuesday through Dorchester Publishing. She’s running a contest right now, so head to Dorchester (www.Dorchesterpub.com) for details.

    Here is the back cover blurb:

    “Quirky, Touching, and Fun!” — New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Andersen

    Welcome to Precious, now…
    SHUT UP & KISS ME

    “Christie Craig will crack you up!”
    -’New York Times Bestselling Author Kerrelyn Sparks

    WELCOME TO PRECIOUS, TEXAS
    …where fistfights serve as dinner theater and fire ants rain from the sky. The locals are usually very friendly, if a bit eccentric. No pictures please, or you may find yourself a guest of the county morgue.

    “Craig keeps the sexual tension as high as the suspense.”
    -’Publishers Weekly

    Photojournalist Shala Winters already had her hands full bringing tourism to this backward, podunk town, but her job just got tougher. Pictures can say a thousand words, and one of Shala's is screaming bloody murder. Now she has to entrust a macho, infuriating lawman with her life-’but she'll never trust him with her heart.

    Trusted or not, Sky Gomez isn't about to let a killer get his hands on Shala's Nikon-’or any of her more comely assets, for that matter. Her mouth might move faster than a Piney Woods roadrunner, but all he can think about is how good it must taste…and how she'll never escape true love.

12. Carrie Lofty
    May 23, 2010 @ 16:31:13

    I’ll keep it short and sweet. Here’s the blurb for SONG OF SEDUCTION, part of Carina Press’s June launch:

    Tormented by guilt. Haunted by scandal. Freed by love.

    Austria, 1804

    Eight years ago, composer Arie De Voss claimed his late mentor’s final symphony as his own and became an icon. But fame has a price: fear of discovery now poisons his attempts to compose a redemptive masterpiece. Until a new muse appears, intoxicating and inspiring him…

    Mathilda Heidel renounced her own musical gift to marry, seeking a quiet life to escape the shame surrounding her birth. Sudden widowhood finds her tempted by song once more. An unexpected introduction to her idol, Arie De Voss, renews Mathilda’s passion for the violin–and ignites a passion for the man himself.

    But when lust and lies reach a crescendo, Arie will be forced to choose: love or truth?

13. Faye Hughes
    May 23, 2010 @ 16:38:07

    And now to talk about the new non-fiction book I co-wrote with Christie Craig. :)

    Wild, Wicked & Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You’re in a Romance Novel is a humorous self-help/relationship book about what a real woman can learn about love and men from romance novel heroines. The official release date is June 18th and you can read more about it at our website, http://www.WritewithUs.net.

    Now for the blurb:

    Sure, romance novels are fun, pure fantasy,
    but can they actually teach a woman anything about love?

    Absolutely!

    In fact, if a woman spent as much time plotting her romantic relationships as authors did in plotting their romance novels, there would be less heartache. And if real women took their cues from romance heroines, there might be more real-life Happily Ever Afters. Romance authors Christie Craig and Faye Hughes have turned their philosophy into a humorous self-help relationship book that lists 101 ways a woman can love like she's a romance heroine.

    Now, granted, romance heroines aren't perfect. They make mistakes. But by the end of the book, they've earned their walk into the sunset. So, how do they do it? Courage, wisdom and some kick-ass gumption. Heroines don't wish they'd said something, they say it. They don't fret about their problems, they fix them. Couldn't we all use a little bit of their wisdom?

    Go a Little Wild, Wicked and Wanton

    Meet Jayne. Like most romance heroines – and most real life women – she’s had her share of heartaches. But her search for true love teaches her-’and can teach all women – some valuable lessons:

    • How to Recognize a Keeper . . . and a Creeper
    • How to Tame a Bad Boy
    • How to Trust Your Instincts
    • How to Find Your Own Mr. Right
    • And Much, Much More!

14. Shannon Stacey
    May 23, 2010 @ 17:01:52

    My contemporary romance, Exclusively Yours, releases June 7th from Carina Press!

    If you click on the book’s title, you can see the cover and read Chapter One. If you’d like to grab the first chapter for reading on your favorite digital device, I’ve made it available for download in ePub, PDF and Mobi.

    When Keri Daniels' editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

    Joe's never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he's intrigued to hear Keri's back in town-’and looking for him. Despite his intense need for privacy, he'll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

    He proposes an outrageous plan-’for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she's worked too hard to walk away from her career.

    But the chemistry between them is still as potent as the bug spray, Joe's sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn't ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.

15. Leah Braemel
    May 23, 2010 @ 17:04:25

    Whee, look at all the Carina Press authors.

    Count me amongst them — my Texas Tangle releases from Carina on June 28th. You can read more about it on my website or on my blog.

    Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an overdrawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy.

    Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki's life, but he's determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki's heart.

    Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

16. Abby Wood
    May 23, 2010 @ 17:27:14

    My book, Consent to the Cowboy, releases June 28th at Carina Press. It is an erotic bdsm western.

    Blurb

    Surrounded by beer-swilling, skirt-chasing cowboys her whole life, barmaid Daphne Norris has no intention of ever settling for any of the men in her Podunk hometown.
    So when bronc rider Will Hanson sends shock waves to her core with just one glance from his striking green eyes, no one is more surprised than her.

    But Will is no ordinary cowboy, and he can see that Daphne is no ordinary small-town girl. He can sense in Daphne the quiet strength and devotion needed to satisfy a man like him, a man who needs to be on top, in every aspect of his life.

    Daphne hasn't ever succumbed to her submissive desires before, and Will awakens her in ways she never imagined. While she's not prepared to give him her heart, she agrees to Will's offer of three days of intense pleasure, and then she's walking. But Daphne falls hard and fast, and now she has a decision: return to a normal life, or give up everything for Will…

    Read excerpt: http://authorabbywood.com/my-books/

    I also have a paranormal erotic (menage) book coming out May 25th at Loose Id and it is called Didja Know…?

    With a ghost for a best friend, it didn't surprise Chantel when Frank showed up at her house claiming he disappeared every night and wanted her help. What did surprise her was the undeniable urge to have sex with him, and the sudden revival of her fantasy to have a threesome-with him… and him? As she gets closer to learning what brings Frank…and Frank… to her doorstep every morning, she realizes her simple herbal cures are not the answer. But can she find the strength to risk it all when the cure may send her dream men away forever?

17. Jenny Schwartz
    May 23, 2010 @ 18:12:11

    The Price of Freedom weaves the romance of Arabia with the modern day tensions of the Middle East. It is a paranormal romance novella involving angels and a devastating djinni–think desert sheik with angel powers, bound to the service of humanity. The Price of Freedom is available from Carina Press on June 14.

    Duty will bring them together—and tear them apart!

    As a guardian angel, Mischa must protect the one man who may be able to bring about lasting peace to the Middle East. As a djinni, Rafe must fulfill the wishes of a terrorist leader. Their duties colliding, Mischa and Rafe become foes, but the heat between them is undeniable.

    When the terrorist learns that a guardian angel stands between him and his greatest wish, he orders his djinni to remove her. Taking creative license, Rafe spirits her away to his private oasis, where she will be unable to protect the peacemaker.

    Beyond their mutual desire, they find common ground in honor and loneliness. Passion quickly grows into love. But it's soon clear to Rafe that love cannot be bound, and Mischa must be true to her life's purpose. Even if Rafe must sacrifice his own taste of freedom to grant hers…

    I’m beyond delighted to be posting about The Price of Freedom here at Dear Author. Thanks Jane and everyone reading this thread! and congrats to Emily on her first novel and first post–isn’t it scary stepping out of lurkerdom?

18. Monica Burns
    May 23, 2010 @ 18:29:49

    Thanks for the opportunity to announce my new paranormal series coming from Berkley Sensation June 1.

    Assassin’s Honor
    Book 1 in The Order of the Sicari series
    Berkley Sensation
    ISBN – 978-0-425-23416-7
    PreOrder

    A woman with visions of the past
    Archeologist Emma Zale sees the past when she touches ancient relics. It’s how she uncovered evidence of an ancient order of assassins’ the Sicari. When a sinfully dark stranger shows up on her Chicago doorstep demanding an ancient artifact she doesnít have, he drags her into a world where telekinesis and empaths are the norm. Now someone wants her dead, and her only hope of survival is an assassin whoís every bit as dangerous to her body as he is to her heart.

    Bonded to an honorable assassin
    Ares DeLuca comes from an ancient Roman bloodline of telekinetic assassins. A Sicari, he’s honor bound to kill only in the name of justice. But when the woman he loved was murdered, Ares broke the Sicari code and used his sword for revenge. Love cost him dearly once before, and he’s not willing to pay the price again. At least not until hot, sweet, delectable Emma walked into his life. Not only does she hold the key to a valuable Sicari relic, she might just hold the key to his heart.

    Their dangerous passion will redeem an Assassin’s Honor

    Read the First Three Chapters

    ” …fast paced, deliciously sexy and highly unique — another winner [for Burns] and most definitely a must read.Two Lips Reviews

    “Sizzling talent Burns kicks off the Order of the Sicari series…a great start in a very promising series!” 4 Stars RT BOOKreviews

    “…evil villains…a brotherhood of Sicari warriors, and a hot romance. Lysanderís story is next, and I can’t wait!” óSmexy Books

19. Heidi Cullinan
    May 23, 2010 @ 19:51:48

    My fourth novel Miles and the Magic Flute is out June 7 from Dreamspinner Press.

    Excerpt/official link here

    Goodreads paperback giveaway here

    (I plan to do an ebook giveaway too but haven’t gotten organized about that yet. Follow the link on my name to get a notice from my blog, twitter, or sign up for an email notification in a newsletter.)

    Blurb:

    When the forest behind a Minnesota pawn shop turns out to be the doorway into a faerie paradise, Miles Larson doesn’t see any reason to complain. He’s bankrupt, single, and living in a trailer in his backwoods hometown after being laid off from his big city job: he could use a little downtime in a homoerotic dreamland.

    But Miles soon learns that in the faerie world, nothing is quite as simple as it seems. The beautiful faerie man who has captured Miles’s heart might also be after Miles’s soul. The frightening beast who chases him through the forest is actually a noble-hearted human under a terrible curse. And at the center of it all is the deathly beautiful Lord of Dreams, a faerie so powerful that if Miles so much as looks at his face, he will be lost in dreamland forever.

    The only hope for Miles’s escape is a magic flute, an enchanted instrument that holds the answer to the faerie lord’s defeat. But even if Miles is smart and strong enough to wield it, will he dare? When the cold light of truth dawns, if there is no reality beneath the love he’s found in the faerie realm, Miles will have to return to his own world-’alone.

    Thanks again to DA for giving authors this space.

20. Bernita
    May 23, 2010 @ 20:24:08

    Thank you Dear Author et al!

    Please add me to the list of Carina authors. My first novel DARK AND DISORDERLY, The Adventures of Lillie St. Claire, a paranormal suspense, will be released June 28th.

    Ghosts, an epidemic of them.

    Specters appear on streets and highways, spirits invade homes and businesses. They cause car accidents, lower property values and show where the bodies are buried.

    The town council of Waredale, deciding that the proliferation of ghosts is basically a mere exotic form of by-law control, hires Lillie St. Claire as paranormal consultant and ghost-buster.

    Lillie is one of the new and rare breed of exorcist who can safely and permanently eliminate, by simple touch, these disorderly shades, some of which are dark and malignant.

    Some people call her a Talent. Some call her a Freak.

    When the zombie of her dead husband crashes through her front door intent on murder, big, ugly psi-crime detective, Johnny Thresher becomes interested in her case – and in Lillie. She’s Suspect Number One in her husband’s death and he’d like to get his hands on her…

    And there’s Dumbarton (“Dummie,” for short), a Black Dog of legend, who seems to regard himself as Lillie’s watch dog – when he isn’t off chasing spectral squirrels and ghostly groundhogs.

    And a bean sidhe, who, in her aspect of a Woman of the Fords washing the bloody clothes of those about to die, frequents the local laundromat, and who warns Lillie about “the corpse pale on her doorstep.”

    While Lillie strives to do her job, it’s clear from the beginning that someone – or something – wants Lillie dead.

21. Margaret Mallory
    May 23, 2010 @ 21:22:35

    KNIGHT OF PASSION, the 3rd book in my ALL THE KING’S MEN medieval series, releases May 25th!

    ★ ★ ★ ★½ TOP PICK! “Mallory raises the genre to new levels.” RT Book Reviews

    Can This Passionate Knight…Trust A Beauty with a Past?

    Renowned beauty Lady Linnet is torn between two desires: revenge on those who destroyed her family or marriage to her childhood sweetheart Sir James Rayburn. One fateful night, she makes a misguided choice and sacrifices Jamie's love for a chance at vengeance.

    Jamie Rayburn returns to England in search of a virtuous wife-’only to find the lovely Linnet as bewitching as ever. Their reckless affair ignites anew, even hotter than before, although Jamie vows to never again trust her with his heart. Just as Linnet begins to make amends, she's tempted by one last opportunity to settle old scores. But a final retribution could cost her Jamie's love – this time forever.

    +Watch my book video or listen to me read an excerpt @ http://www.MargaretMallory.com

    Thanks!!
    Margaret Mallory
    2010 RITA® Finalist

22. Jessa Slade
    May 24, 2010 @ 00:12:13

    Thanks, DA, for giving us a place to purge our pent-up promo pressure.

    The second book of my Marked Souls urban fantasy romances (hot guys & chicks with knives!) FORGED OF SHADOWS, comes out June 1 with Signet Eclipse.

    “[F]or readers who love J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, the Marked Souls series will hit the spot.” 4 Stars RT Book Reviews

    The war between good and evil has raged for millennia, with the Marked Souls caught in the middle, but the new girl doesn't play by old rules…

    Liam Niall never meant to be a leader. Barely surviving the horrors of the Irish Potato Famine with body and soul intact, he escaped to Chicago…where he lost half his soul and gained a wayward band of demon-possessed warriors. Now, as the talyan face a morphing evil, Liam grows weary and plagued by doubt-’until a new weapon falls into his hands. Her name is Jilly Chan. To save her demon-ridden soul, Liam must win her to his battle…and his bed.

    Waging a one-woman war against the threats to the street kids she mentors, Jilly won't be any man's woman or weapon. But Liam-’with his hard eyes, soft brogue and compelling hands-’is a danger to her rebellious independence…and her heart.

    These two halved souls sharing one fierce passion will sear a fresh scar across the city. Who's in danger now?

    Read the first three chapters
    Pre-order

    Download the Marked Souls theme song (Why, yes, there are many benefits to sleeping with a musician…)

    Want to get caught up with the Marked Souls? The first three people to email me at jessa at jessaslade dot com with “I heart DA” in the subject line get a signed copy of Book 1, SEDUCED BY SHADOWS along with the requisite nekkid man-chest bookmark and temporary tattoo (no paranormal romance hero being complete without one).

    Thanks for reading!
    Jessa Slade
    jessaslade.com

23. Bonnie Dee
    May 24, 2010 @ 05:34:51

    JUNGLE HEAT avaiable at Carina Press on June 7. Blurb below, 1st chapter at my website, here: http://bonniedee.com/JungleHeat.htm

    Congo Free State, 1888

    On a mission deep in the jungle, Oxford anthropologist James Litchfield comes face-to-face with a local legend: a wild man who wanders with mountain gorillas and lives as one of their own.

    The chance encounter with the savage, whom James calls Michael, leads to a game of observation and exploration. Their mutual curiosity turns to an attraction; one that Michael has never experienced and James is desperate to deny.

    When members of the expedition unearth James's secret discovery, a living specimen of man at his most primitive, Michael becomes a pawn in their quest for fame.

    As their relationship deepens, James is compelled to protect Michael from the academics who would treat him as nothing more than a scientific acquisition and London society, which threatens to destroy their passionate bond.

24. Donna Lea Simpson
    May 24, 2010 @ 06:00:26

    Hi all,

    My newest historical romance is a Victorian, Love & Scandal, coming from Carina Press June 21st.

    —

    Nothing sells like love & scandal…
    Collette Jardiniere writes of passion and seduction but has experienced neither. Her pseudonymous novel, The Last Days of a Rake, has shocked Victorian society and become a runaway bestseller. Infamous roué Charles Jameson is "revealed" as the author, and Collette is outraged when the cad does little to curtail the gossip.
    Intrigued by the book the tabloids claim is his thinly veiled autobiography, Jameson tries to find the real author. Returning to London after an unsuccessful hunt, he is pleasantly distracted by a plain country miss reading the wicked book.
    Collette is dismayed when she learns the identity of the devastatingly handsome man who kissed her senseless. And Jameson cannot believe that she wrote The Last Days of a Rake. As Collette tries to convince him of the truth, their mutual attraction reaches a fever pitch, and soon they find themselves in a real-life scandal!

    —

    At the same time, Carina is releasing a freebie, the book behind the Scandal, Last Days of a Rake!

    ___

    In Love & Scandal, Collette Jardiniere is outraged when notorious roué Charles Jameson appears to take credit for The Last Days of a Rake, a novel she wrote under the pseudonym Colin Jenkins to satisfy Victorian convention.
    Can a rake be true to himself, yet remain free from sin?
    Edgar Lankin has lived the life of rake, a man who cares for nothing but the pleasures of the flesh. But it is the seduction—and abandonment—of a gentle maiden that turns him from mere gadabout to immoral cad. Too late, Lankin realizes his self-centered ways have left him incapable of finding enjoyment in anything. Now on his deathbed, he relates the shocking tale of his wasted life to John Hamilton, a school chum who chose a different path.
    In telling his story, can Lankin find redemption for the trail of ruined lives he leaves behind?
    Companion piece to Love & Scandal by Donna Lea Simpson
    —

    Read them together, and get the full story, June 21st, from Carina Press!

25. Marie Force
    May 24, 2010 @ 06:07:20

    Thank you for the opportunity to post! FATAL AFFAIR will be out June 21 from Carina Press.

    On the morning of the most important vote of Senator John O'Connor's career he is late-’again. His best friend and chief of staff, Nick Cappuano sets off to O’Connor's apartment expecting to roust him from bed and hoping he is alone. But what Nick finds is that O'Connor, the handsome, amiable Senator from Virginia, has been brutally murdered, and Nick's world comes crashing down around him. Complicating the disaster, the detective assigned to the case is none other than Sam Holland, Nick's one-night stand from six years earlier, the woman who broke his heart and haunts his dreams. With six years worth of unfinished business hanging between them and more than a few scores to settle personally and professionally, Nick and Sam set out to find the senator’s killer while trying-’and failing-’to resist the overwhelming attraction between them that seems to have only grown over the years.

    It soon becomes clear that the Senator's past holds secrets that not only led to his death but now endanger Nick and Sam as well. Working together to find a killer and to rediscover the love they thought they lost long ago, they must put the past behind them and build a future that offers a world of new opportunities for both of them-’including an offer from the Virginia Democrats for Nick to finish the last year of John's term.

    Read and excerpt here: http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com/2010/04/first-excerpt-from-fatal-affair.html.

    The second book in the series, FATAL JUSTICE, coming soon from Carina, continues Sam and Nick’s story.

26. Eve Langlais
    May 24, 2010 @ 07:56:02

    Coming June 1st from http://www.ChampagneBooks.com

    Take A Chance by Eve Langlais.

    Genre: Fantasy Romance with a heat level of sensual to moderately hot

    ISBN: 978-1-926681-49-8

    Samantha’s searching for a hero, but finds a wizard in need of rescuing instead.

    Shy librarian Samantha longs to find her one true love, but in today's modern world, finding a dashing hero seems to be an impossible to task. So Chance decides to step in and what follows is pure adventure as Samantha finds herself magically teleported to a tropical island where she meets a hunky wizard in need of rescuing.

    Sinclair, is a wizard of the high council, cursed to live alone on a tropical island with little hope of rescue, that is til a luscious librarian is dropped onto his beach. Having been betrayed by love once, he's leery of trusting again but as he and Samantha overcome the magical obstacles set in their way, they discover that true love awaits them if they only Take A Chance.

    A romantic, fantasy adventure replete with an evil soreceress awaits if you’re ready to Take A Chance. This 70k novel is coming June 1st, 2010 from ChampagneBooks.com

    For more info and an excerpt, please see my website EveLanglais.com

    Thanks for reading.

27. Joely
    May 24, 2010 @ 08:57:55

    Before The Bloodgate Guardian, I wrote a short story to help me figure out the mythology–both the real Maya mythology and the Bloodgates I was building. That story is available as a free read on my website: Well of Sky if you’d like to check it out.

28. Lynn Raye Harris
    May 24, 2010 @ 10:07:35

    My June release from Harlequin Presents, THE PRINCE’S ROYAL CONCUBINE, has been awarded a 4 1/2 Star Top Pick recommendation from RT Book Reviews!

    This is a first-class tale taken straight from today's headlines. The characters are multidimensional, and the reader will cheer at the excellently crafted ending. And the love scenes are definitely hot!

    CataRomance says

    Bestselling author Lynn Raye Harris vividly describes a lush tropical setting as a disastrous storm sweeps the island destroying all the glamour and luxury before it, leaving the hero and heroine stranded and in danger. Revenge and desperation play out dramatically, snaring the reader from the first titillating page of THE PRINCE'S ROYAL CONCUBINE. Charismatic characters and an unfolding romance insure readers a book they won't soon forget.

    For more about the book, including an excerpt and a Behind the Book section where I discuss some of my inspiration for the story, please go to my website. There are order links on the page, or you can find the book in stores, including Wal-Mart, Target, and many grocery stores, right now. :)

    Thanks for reading!

29. ehoyden
    May 24, 2010 @ 10:24:16

    @Ann Bruce: I’m intrigued. Where will this be available? I checked FW, B&N, and Powells and couldn’t find you. Thanks.

30. Lindsay Townsend
    May 24, 2010 @ 12:13:59

    My medieval historical romance ‘A Knight’s Enchantment’ is released on June 1st by Kensington Zebra. It’s been given 4 Stars by Romantic Times.

    Blurb:
    A beautiful alchemist and a valiant knight join forces to free their loved ones – and find an explosive passion…

    Desperate to liberate her father who is being held prisoner by the corrupt Bishop Thomas, Joanna of Glastonbury must use her skills as an alchemist to produce an elixir for eternal life. Gold is a key ingredient, and while panning for its rare gleam, Joanna struggles to rescue a boy who is drowning – until a knight comes to her aid. When Joanna lays eyes on the handsome man, a scorching desire is sparked deep within her.

    Hugh Manhill is captivated by Joanna’s stunning beauty. When he and Joanna discover they share a mutual hatred of the Bishop, they devise a daring plan to save their imprisoned family members. Their common mission strengthens their undeniable bond. Soon, neither can resist their all-consuming passion as they risk all for love…

    You can read more at my website,
    http://www.lindsaytownsend.net

    Thanks.
    Lindsay

31. Linda Mooney
    May 24, 2010 @ 15:56:49

    Coming June 15, 2010

    FROM OUT OF THE SHADOWS

    An Erotic Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
    from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
    (ebook) ISBN# 978-1-60313-829-1
    (print) ISBN# 978-1-60313-863-5
    Word Count: 75.5K

    Croat was a Lupan, one of the half-man, half-beast creatures long thought to be extinct or fabricated from fairy tales. Lupan were folklore, nothing more than a myth.

    Tora was a Sensitive. Her kind really existed, and normal people feared Sensitives because it was common knowledge that all Sensitives were evil and practiced the dark magicks.

    Captured and thrown together inside Baron Agrino's dungeon, they discovered a connection between them that defied all reason, and a love that transcended all boundaries.

    But is their love strong enough to stop the baron from what he'll do with every Lupan he plans to capture? Or, worse, what he'll do with Tora once he learns what she is?

    Warning! Contains torture, imprisonment, severe beatings, nasty bad guys, public nudity, molten wax, old wives’ tales, forest folk, bad horsemanship, and lots of pissed off townspeople.

32. Verona St. James
    May 24, 2010 @ 17:56:07

    My erotic short story “The Robber Wife” will be coming out in Whispers Publishing’s Erotiquick collection on June 25th.

    http://www.whispershome.com/erotiquick.html

    My story, “The Robber Wife,” is a sizzling confrontation between Jon, a former assassin, and his estranged wife, Cassie, a beautiful blonde who stole his heart and his wallet. Cassie has returned after several years apart and Jon has to decide whether he wants to kill her or kiss her.

    Erotiquicks are hot, steamy stories of 3,000 words and up. They are complete stories with a hero, heroine, and a plot and there’s a wide collection of genres and time periods in this upcoming collection.

    This is the first one of these I ever got to post to this thread. :)

33. Lilly Cain
    May 25, 2010 @ 12:02:13

    Dark Harmony, my debut erotic romance release with Red Sage Publishing is being re-released as a print book June 1! Check it out at http://www.amazon.com

    Running from a lover that has twisted her very nature, Lena Townsend hunts alone. Her mildly adventurous sexual life reached its pinnacle, and its end, when she met sexually dominant vampire Darien. He stole her life, and used her sensual nature to bend her to his will. In making her his own, he placed her in a position where she must constantly submit to him, yet be dominant to his pack. It’s a conflict that pulls her apart.

    In leaving the pack, Lena strives for independence, but her vampire instincts push her to find more – to find a new pack, a new family. Alone, she cannot share what makes her vampire, and she cannot find a lover she can trust enough to reveal her submissive nature. In her escape Lena discovers a power that could save her – the ability to read and influence emotion. With this talent she might survive the loneliness.

    Unfortunately, her old pack wants her back, no matter what.

    Richard Heron has given up everything for his daughter since the murder of his wife, but what he misses most is the chance to explore his deeply sensual side once again. Once the owner of a popular S&M club, and its favored dom, he left everything he was to shelter his family. Lena could offer him more than he ever expected, a level of sensuality he never knew existed and a love that could never die, but he must reconcile the danger she brings with his need to shield his family – especially when what killed his wife was certainly not human.

    Just Erotic Romance Reviews -5 Stars “Get your fans ready, because you are going to need them! Dark Harmony is an excellent beginning to a fascinating new vampire series that needs to be on your bookshelf. Don't miss out on this gem!”

    Night Owl Reviews – Reviewer Score: (4.25 out of 5) “This book was listed as “spicy” and boy was it! It definitely raised the pulse a few notches! I thoroughly enjoyed Lilly Cain's writing and flow of the book (after I got over blushing of course). The writing was direct, easy to read and the plot easy to follow… I will definitely add Lily Cain to my list of authors to look for and read.”

    Joyfully Reviewed – “Wickedly sensuous and boldly suspenseful, get ready to enjoy the dark tale of Dark Harmony. There is a wonderful balance between the characters here, from chilling menace to sweet tenderness and strength which helps to enrich Dark Harmony. Fast pacing keeps the plotline flowing in this deeply emotional and edgy story. Dark Harmony mixes mild BDSM, eroticism, and tormented characters into a heart pounding drama with satisfying results.”

34. Lilly Cain
    May 25, 2010 @ 12:08:34

    Popping on again to join my fellow Carina Press launch authors!

    My first release with Carina Press, an erotic sci-fi romance novella entitled Alien Revealed releases June 14th!

    Here’s the back-cover description!

    Inarrii agent Alinna Gaerrii was tasked with observing the Starforce base on Earth. Crash landing her observation pod onto the base was not part of her mission briefing. Neither was making m'ittar-’mind contact-’with Major David Brown, the human who discovered her amongst the wreckage.

    David thinks she's a psychologist sent to evaluate his Special Forces team, and Alinna goes along with his misconception, seizing the opportunity to observe humans up close. But their daily contact has unexpected side effects, and Alinna soon invades David's dreams. Through their intimate mental connection she allows him to express his forbidden physical desires.

    Alinna delights in the sensory exploration and grows excited by the prospect of a treaty with the humans and a potential life mate in David. But an attack from an unknown ship sends the base into chaos, and Alinna may be forced to reveal her lie, erasing all hope of a successful treaty, and driving David away forever…

    Thanks again Dear Author for having us here, hope you all enjoy these wonderful new books at Carina Press!
    Lilly
    http://www.lillycain.com

35. Lily Harlem
    May 26, 2010 @ 08:27:05

    Oh, this is great, thanks Dear Author.

    I hope readers will check out ‘Shared’ my debut novel with Ellora’s Cave due for release on the 16th of June.

    Since winning the Love Honey Vulgari Award for Erotice Fiction last year I’ve had several novellas published but this is my first ‘biggie’.

    Imagine you were penniless and had nowhere to turn so you answered an ad in the paper – Room to let, wanted, girl to share – and when you arrived you found that the two insanely gorgeous, but flawed guys who lived there, really did want a girl to share – in every sense of the word!!

    Check it out, it’s hot, sexy and our leading lady may just be the luckiest woman to have ever walked the planet…well, after she’s sorted out a past that’s come back to haunt her.

    Wet your appetite with the excerpt on my website http://www.lilyharlem.weebly.com and if you need a complete story like now, today, follow the link to read my winning entry from last year ‘Madam President’. Yes, the new, female American President really does have the hots for the UK Prime Minister!

    ‘Shared’ out 16th June and available from

    http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8441-50-shared.aspx

    Thanks everyone, love Lily x

36. Angie
    May 26, 2010 @ 12:41:21

    My urban fantasy novel A Hidden Magic has been released and is available through my publisher’s site.

    ===============

    Fey incursions into the mortal world have been on the rise, and Paul MacAllister’s trying to figure out what the king of the local Elven enclave Under the Hill is up to and how to stop it. Rory Ellison was caught up in one of those attacks and nearly killed by a gang of goblins. He doesn’t believe they were real, though, and is resisting anything Paul might say to the contrary.

    Normally Paul would be willing to let Rory go his own way, at least until he’s taken care of more immediate business. But Rory has a particularly rare gift, one the Elven king needs to have under his control in order to carry out his plan. Keeping Rory away from the fey who will use him, to death if necessary, means protecting him night and day, whether Rory agrees or not.

    ===============

    The rushing of the water and the squawk-twitter of the birds were soothing, almost hypnotic. The breeze blowing across the small river was cool; it felt good on Rory’s overheated skin and it smelled like green. It was a wonderful place to rest, but it was time to move. He opened his eyes and tried to stand up… and couldn’t.

    He tried again with no better luck. He was stuck to the bench.

    “Damn! Aren’t they supposed to put up signs when they paint?” Resigned to being a total mess, he put his hand down on the seat for leverage, but it didn’t help. And then he couldn’t move his hand. “What the–? It couldn’t have dried that fast!”

    Then he remembered he’d brushed leaves off the bench before sitting; it hadn’t been wet then, or sticky with anything. He tugged at his hand but it was stuck tight and pulling just hurt.

    “Got a problem, sweet thing?” A screechy, smarmy-sounding voice squawked directly into his ear, and Rory whipped his head around while jerking as far away as he could. Hanging off the back of the bench and grinning at him with far too many teeth was a scrawny creature the size of a small, scrawny teenager, with scraggly hair and round, yellow eyes. The backwards baseball cap, multiple pendants, baggy basketball shirt, and shorts that dragged nearly to his ankles said “juvenile hoodlum,” but the pitted, gray-green skin and the drooping points on the ears had Rory in a panicked freeze.

    It’s not real. It’s not, I’m imagining it, it’s not real and it can’t hurt me unless I think it can unless I want it to it’s not….

    “Umm, this one smells tasty!” cooed another voice. Rory forced himself to look. It (she?) was a grayish purple and had the longest tongue he’d ever seen outside of a cartoon. Her hungry expression wasn’t at all funny, though; it was pure menace, and the rough, pointed tongue-tip which rasped its way up his cheek burned like acid.

    A pair of gray-orange hands appeared from behind him, one wrapping itself around his throat while the other slid around his forehead and braced. He couldn’t move, and there were more of them, whatever they were, scooting and slithering around him, climbing up onto the bench and perching in his lap, hanging off his arms, rubbing and pinching and tasting. He couldn’t move and his vision was blurring and darkening as they pressed in around him, tugging at his clothes, touching and licking any skin they uncovered. He couldn’t move and all he could do was open his mouth to scream, but a long, dripping tongue slid inside and he couldn’t make a sound.

    Rory struggled instinctively at first, fighting the gripping fingers and burning tongues, but then he forced himself to relax. It’s just an episode, he reminded himself. They’re creations of a misfiring brain. They’re not there, they’re not real, they can’t hurt you, relax….

    He closed his eyes and let his muscles go slack, one set at a time as his doctor had taught him, while regulating his breathing. He pulled his awareness inward and focused on feeling the air rushing in through his nose and down to his lungs, filling them. He felt his heart beating, focusing his perceptions down into his own body until each lub-dub sent out a shockwave he could feel shuddering through his entire torso.

    Suddenly a nasal voice screeched into his ear, “You can’t hide from us!” and the creature straddling his lap sank her teeth into his shoulder. Rory screamed and jerked, trying to throw her off, but he could barely move between the skinny arms clutching at him and whatever it was that held him to the bench.

    Nothing! There was nothing holding him but his own imaginings. He fought to relax and focus but “nothing” yanked his head back by the hair and plunged her caustic tongue back into his throat, so deep he thought she’d taste the coffee he’d had on the way to the bus stop. He gagged and his stomach tried to expell the irritant but he couldn’t move and she wouldn’t stop and he tasted bile and couldn’t help gagging and then it was much easier to relax because he felt himself fading and slowing and everything went fuzzy and smeary and then dark.

    ***

    Paul plunged through the hole in the air as soon as Aubrey stepped back and nodded. He took off from hardwood and landed on packed dirt, near a particular curving bank on the Guadalupe River, which ran through the heart of San Jose. Paul came out with a Don’t-Look on him, which Cal had cast on the group while Aubrey worked on the Port. A quick look around spotted both the mob of goblins feeding at a bench a dozen yards away, and the fact that there was no one else nearby. Excellent — he wouldn’t have to waste time or energy distracting onlookers or hiding any fireworks.

    He stepped clear, his focus now on the goblins, and the others immediately followed one by one. They formed up on Paul and ran toward the goblin mob, yelling and waving cold iron weapons, hoping to at least startle the things off their victim.

    The goblins swarmed like starving hyenas around a corpse, which was an unfortunate mental image just then. He heard Manny call, “Alive, but fading!” the tension grating in his voice.

    Paul pulled his screwdriver out of a pocket inside his jacket and moved forward with Cal right behind him. Aubrey was prepping a banishing spell, but they needed to get the vermin off of Manny’s friend now, not two minutes from now, and cold iron would get their attention nicely.

    Cal moved up next to him, his favorite physical weapons against the fey — a pair of heavy wrenches — already in hand. Manny, on his other side, had his crowbar in both hands; pure iron, it was particularly effective.

    Paul descended on the gang of goblins, the other two flanking him, and a moment later they laid into the creatures, stabbing and bashing and yanking them off their victim.

    Magic sprayed like blood wherever their weapons hit. The goblins screeched and cursed and turned on them in a furious pack. Teeth snapped, claws slashed and curses stung, but each swing or thrust of a cold iron weapon sent a goblin shrieking and scrambling out of range, away from the bench and the pale, limp body draped across it.

    ===============

    Get the whole thing here.

37. Elizabeth Amber
    May 26, 2010 @ 22:54:06

    Dane, The Lords of Satyr released in print May 25th, published by Kensington Aphrodisia.

    * RT Book Reviews Top Pick, 4.5 stars
    * Night Owl Romance Top Pick
    * 5 stars from Romance Junkies

    Dane is an erotic historical paranormal romance novel about half-satyr/half-human brothers who guard ancient secrets in 1880s Rome during the time of the forum excavations.

    Excerpt: http://www.elizabethamber.com/excerptDane.html

    over 18 only please, due to erotic content

    I hope you enjoy it!

38. Annabel Joseph
    May 28, 2010 @ 08:46:07

    Thanks for the opportunity to do this!

    I have a new BDSM erotic romance novel coming out June 15th at Loose Id.

    Firebird is about a dancer from the back of the corps who gets chosen to star in a new production of Stravinsky's Firebird ballet. The choreographer originally chooses Prosper for her dancing but believe me…pretty soon it's about a lot more than dancing with these two!

    They start a really scorching D/s relationship but they have to keep it a secret. Add to that the stresses of rehearsals, a jealous prima ballerina, a flirtatious partner, a problem with perfectionism, a dangerous lift, and the fact that after the production, Jackson, the choreographer, will have to return to Chicago. It's a rollercoaster and there’s a lot more at stake than a ballet. I hope everyone will check it out. You can read an excerpt here at the end of this interview:

    Click here and scroll down to read an excerpt from FIREBIRD!

39. Lynne Murray
    Jun 09, 2010 @ 16:25:28

    Thanks Dear Author for the chance to announce Bride of the Living Dead, a romantic comedy for women who love monster movies too much, published June 1 by Pearlsong Press.
    

    Indie film critic, Daria MacClellan, wants to marry the man she loves, but she’s slipping on rose petals as if they were banana peels on her way to the altar. Big, beautiful and rebellious, Daria, who is most comfortable in a monster movie poster T-shirt and blue jeans, finds that her wedding is hijacked by family drama. How did she sign on for a formal wedding planned by Sky, her perfectionist, anorexic, older sister? Daria adores her fiancé and she loves horror films, but her wedding seems to be spiraling downward in that direction. Will a picture perfect pink wedding turn her into the Bride of the Living Dead?
    
    You can read an excerpt and check out a special offer at http://www.pearlsong.com/brideofthelivingdead.htm

    
    Advance readers have called the book “laugh out loud” funny. One described it as “Jane Austen meets the Marx Brothers.”