The Assassin and the Virgin Princess… Back to Blog
Update: The winner of INSATIABLE is…Kate N. Congrats, Kate N.!
In two weeks, my third Federation Chronicles novel, INSATIABLE, releases from Berkley Heat. It marks the start of a three book mini-series called Phantom Corps, which is, you guessed it, about the men and women who are part of a shadowy special ops military team called –wait for it- Phantom Corps.
Desire is the most dangerous sensation of all.
With tensions between the Federation and Imperial ‘Verses rising, one woman may hold the key to victory. The dangerous mission to smuggle her out of Imperial Territory falls to Daniel Haws and his team, the ultra secret Phantom Corps. This elite squad of the Federation Military is the only one trusted and skilled enough to remove her from under the watchful eye of her father, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial ‘Verses.
Carina is used to wearing a mask. Her father and his men think her little more than a pretty prize to be won by a man more ruthless than the rest. When he announces his intention to marry her to one of his henchmen, a man known for his cruelty, Carina knows she has to move as soon as possible to get out. But getting secret information to the Federation has served her well for years and she appeals to them for help.
She expected rescue from a man who’d been her enemy. But she wasn’t prepared for just how intense her attraction to Daniel Haws would be. Born as adversaries into different ranks, and on the run for their lives, they now need each other to survive–by holding on to the only thing they have in common: a growing desire that is dangerous, irresistible, and insatiable…
Guest blogs are always fun, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to write about and not sound like a dork. So here’s my effort, though I am sure I’ll still sound like a dork 😉
For me, the key to every book, the heart and foundation of it all at once are the characters. I want to know who they are and what they mean to each other. How they draw things from each other. Do they make each other better people? Fill in the cracks? Shore each other up in bad times?
As I wrote Relentless and I began to draw Daniel as a character, I knew I’d want to write about him and what he got up to in an official capacity. He was real to me when I began to write Insatiable, even though he has a lot of flaws.
Daniel Haws is an assassin. He kills people for his job and he’s not really one to mope around about it. He knows there are things that have to be done and sometimes they aren’t pretty.
He presented a challenge – because he’s not, well, heroes aren’t supposed to kill people.
The kernel for Insatiable came to me as a flash of a scene. The hero standing, shooting a weapon, glittering cartridges shimmering in the light, falling to the ground all around the heroine, crouched at his feet. It was so vivid and so real to me, I even heard O Fortuna, from Carmina Burana in my head as I imagined the scene.
I wrote that one first. Because it rode me so hard there was no choice. And that scene is the one that helped me write Daniel as the hero he is. Because he’s there, taking the heat, making himself a target to protect his men and most definitely the woman at his feet.
As I wrote, I gained more understanding of Daniel, both as the leader of Phantom Corps and as a man falling in love with a woman he’s under orders to protect as his cargo.
Insatiable is an epic book. Daniel and Carina spend the first ¾ of the book on the run from people trying to kill them to stop them delivering the intelligence Carina has smuggled out of the Imperium.
Which brings me to Carina. I’ve written a lot of heroines over the years. Some are more memorable to me than others. Some were really easy for me to write. Nina Reyes from Enforcer comes to mind. Erin Brown from Laid Bare is another. Polly Chase. Other times, more usually, it takes me a while before I really get a handle on who my characters are.
When I’d finished the book, I realized Carina is one of my very favorite characters. Certainly not because she was easy to write. She wasn’t. I knew early on she’d have to be a virgin because of how she was raised and the level of security on her at nearly all times. But I wanted to make her inexperienced but not naïve. Which was harder than I thought.
She’s vulnerable in many ways, but also really strong. Intelligent. Cunning and at times, fearless. It’s why she throws herself into love with Daniel. She knows what she wants, even if there are times she knows she’s in over her head, she knows she wants him and she knows she wants to see the mission through. I loved writing her as a mix of all sorts of things and I hope the balance works for readers as much as it did for me.
In the end, the assassin and the virgin princess end up together and though I’m obviously biased, I think the combination works. I think she is exactly what he needs and she would be the first person to agree that he is exactly the person she needs.
I hope you all enjoy meeting Carina and Daniel when you read Insatiable!
SO, to help you do that (meet Carina and Daniel via the book, that is) I’m giving away a brand spanking new copy of INSATIABLE (they just came yesterday) to a lucky winner. What do you all think of unlikely heroes and heroines? Any that you love and want to recommend?
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Kayleigh – oh definitely Showalter!
Lucy – thank you!
Yvonne – thanks so much!
Sue – I just saw the trailer for that one today before Toy Story 3 – it looks delicious, LOL
Nancy – LOL, awww!
Jeanette – Sherrilyn Kenyon does a lot of great, tortured characters who redeem themselves.
Edie – thank you! It’s still one of my favorite scenes in the whole book
Joder – another vote for Zarek (loved that book)
Emmad – thank you!
Casey thank you very much!
Booklover – wow, thank you so much! I hope it lives up to the wait for you.
Mariska – thank yo – I hope so!
Laura Kinsale’s heroes almost all fit the bill. Christian from “Flowers In The Storm” & Sheridan in “Seize The Fire” come to mind.
Oh! I can’t wait! Sounds like a really wonderful series!
Unlikely heroes & heroines are THE BEST! There’s nothing like well written unpredictability to a keep a reader on their toes!!
Have a great day every one!
Kate (aka YzhaBella’s BookShelf)
mleger0546(@)rogers(.)com
Hi Lauren, Can not wait for this book!
There are many heroes and Heroines who are “unlikely couple”. I think it’s easier to create unlikely couples in paranormal/fantasy. How much more unlikely can you get with a human and a vampire or shifter or human spliced animal breed?
Lora Leigh has created a wonderful world with genetically enhanced humans from animal DNA. They have fought their human “handlers” who were more animals themselves, ironically. These breeds showed the world that they have human qualities like compassion, love, etc. They have one quirk (of many). Their bodies go thru major heat when they come upon their mate. Ms. Leigh plays with the idea of genetics and biology vs. love. They are one and the same.
My favorite reads are ones with “unlikely” heros and heroines. I absolutely loved Death Angel, and I’m ready for another assasin hero so your book sounds great. My most recent favorite was the former highwayman hero in Laura Kinsale’s The Prince of Midnight – he’s deaf in one ear, with never-ending dizzy spells due to the explosion that ruined his hearing, yet he still manages to save the day. He’s so vulnerable, yet so strong. Yum.
love unlikely heroines look at Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon he’s totally phycho but man he steps up for his lady. Love that. Can’t wait for this book. Love this series. It is one of my favs of yours.
Hi Lauren!
I’m very excited and anxiously awaiting Insatiable!! 🙂
I love unlikely heroes/heroines! Makes reading very interesting!
Congrats on the release!! And thanks for sharing today. It sounds like a great book. And I love unlikely heroes and heroines, they can really add some spice and excitement to a book.
Whoops–Lauren, I realize I just mixed up two great authors and books–it’s Melissa Schroeder’s Accidental Countess and Lucy Monroe’s Annabelle’s Courtship–both of them were excellent, but Mel’s book is the one with the plain-Jane heroine. I’m sorry!
Hi I think that most people are attracted to people different then themselves i know that I’m attracted to males that are braver and more out going then i am take charge kind of male.very different then me.me I’m very shy talk more on the combuter then i ever do in real life.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Oh…I want this book so badly!!! The cover is simply beautiful!!! Gosh, I’m sitting trying to rack my brain and I’ve read 100s of books with unlikely H/h matches but am drawing a blank right now….It’s been a looong day. Lora Leigh has several I love. I just finished reading Broken by Shiloh Walker and wow…Great story. Beth Williamson has some wonderful unlikely H/hs along with Kate Pearce too. Congrats on your new release….Can’t wait to read Carina and Daniels’s story!!!
mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net
Love your books! I really liked your character Brody as a hero. He was a bad boy that really was just too sweet. Those are my favorite. The hero covered in tattoos and a hard a** exterior, but then can be mushy too. I don’t like push overs, so sometimes finding good books with good bad a** heroes are hard. You find a lot that have the hero turn into complete mush when he’s around the heroine, but Brody pulled off being the bad boy.
Also just finished reading Never Too Hot by Bella Andre and that had a hero who had been majorly burned by a wild fire. I liked that he wasn’t just a hot guy but actually had to deal with the burns. It was still an easy plot b/c he had to deal with that but I enjoyed that he had to deal with it.
Congrats on the new releases! Can’t wait to check them out.
Hi Lauren 🙂
oh unlikely heroes – they made a story special and extraordinary… can’t wait to read your newest book!!
wish you all the best, Ina
Hi Lauren. Congrads on your new release. Cannot wait to read this book. I love unlikely heroes.
Am waiting for this book. Love unconventional pairings to see how my preconceived notions will be turned sideways. There is a series where the hero is a drug dealer and makes his money that way and his heroine is his high school sweetheart whose family works for the DEA. How do you reconcile criminal behavior with the one you love?
Oh man… I love unlikely heros ~ as long as they are believable.
Thanks for the chance!
Congrats on the new release as well!!!
Hi Lauren 🙂
Congrats on the release of Insatiable. I LOVE heros who are the “perfect” hero. Daniel and Carina seem like a perfect pair IMHO.
Mindy 🙂
Hello!
Congrats on your latest release. As for unlikely heroes and heroines, I love them; their actions always take me by surprise.
hot book love your books
cover sexy as hell
love the opppisites they make the best plot
whooo
I too like the quirkiness of unlikely heroes! It adds a little spice to the book.
BAD Attitude’s Sydney and Jason by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Squeeeee! Thank you Cynthia and Lauren!