The 4/15 release of BOUND IN DEATH is just days away, so I thought it would be fun to share the book’s prologue and first chapter with you. I hope you enjoy the start of BOUND IN DEATH!

Bound in Death-PrologueandFirstChapter by Cynthia Eden

My newest Bound book–BOUND IN DEATH–will release on 4/15! So very close!! For the first 5 day of its release, I will offer it at a special sale price of .99. So be sure to get your copy early!

For each of my Bound books, I have let a fairy tale inspire the story.

BOUND BY BLOOD was inspired by Beauty & the Beast.  BOUND IN DARKNESS was inspired by Snow White. But in my re-telling, Snow White (AKA my vampire heroine) fell for the hunter who was supposed to kill her. BOUND IN SIN was my vampire and werewolf take on Cinderella.  And BOUND BY THE NIGHT was my version of Sleeping Beauty (vampire and werewolf style, of course.)

Now…it’s time for BOUND IN DEATH. The fairy tale that inspired me this time?  Rapunzel.  When you read BOUND IN DEATH, you may be able to spot the parts of the fairy tale that inspired me most. No, I’m not talking about some long hair. I’m talking about some much darker aspects of the story.  Like…what happened to the hero in the original Rapunzel? Does anyone remember?  Something about his eyes…

Of course, I am putting my own dark and twisted vamp/werewolf slant on that fairy tale–and on what happens to the characters.

Tomorrow, I will post the BOUND IN DEATH prologue for you. That way, you can find out a bit early just what kind of past my hero and heroine share.

Until then, here’s the blurb for you:

***

She can’t remember him…

He can never forget her.

For over two hundred years, alpha werewolf Alerac O’Neill has been searching for his mate, Keira McDonough, a woman who was taken from him and imprisoned by a dark vampire master.  He’s hunted for her, endlessly, using vampire blood to extend his life.  He has become a vicious predator, feared by all  the supernaturals.  His hold on reality seems to slip more each day because he is consumed by her.

Only…the woman he discovers in a small Miami bar isn’t the Keira that he remembers. In fact, this woman doesn’t remember anything.  She calls herself Jane Smith, and she has no memory at all of Alerac—or of her own past.

Now that she’s been found, Alerac knows that his enemies are going to start closing in on her. Jane may try to act human, but she’s not. She’s a pureblood vampire princess, incredibly powerful and incredibly valuable.  His enemies want to use her, her enemies want to destroy her, and Alerac—he just wants her.

If he can’t make her remember him, then Alerac has to seduce Jane into loving him once again.  Because now that he’s found her, he’ll fight hell—and every sadistic vampire that stalks the night—in order to keep her safe at his side.

Some bonds go deeper than the flesh. Some go beyond life. Beyond death.

Jane will soon learn that a werewolf’s claiming…is forever.

It’s almost book release time!  The newest installment in my USA Today best-selling “Bound” series–BOUND IN DEATH–will be available on 4/15! (And you thought Tax Day was no fun…)

BOUND IN DEATH contains 60,000 words. It’s a sexy tale of vampires and werewolves. Love lost and…forgotten?  Just what would you do if the person you loved the most forgot you ever existed?  The werewolf hero of BOUND IN DEATH is about to find out.

BOUND IN DEATH blurb:

She can’t remember him…

He can never forget her.

For over two hundred years, alpha werewolf Alerac O’Neill has been searching for his mate, Keira McDonough, a woman who was taken from him and imprisoned by a dark vampire master.  He’s hunted for her, endlessly, using vampire blood to extend his life.  He has become a vicious predator, feared by all  the supernaturals.  His hold on reality seems to slip more each day because he is consumed by her.

Only…the woman he discovers in a small Miami bar isn’t the Keira that he remembers. In fact, this woman doesn’t remember anything.  She calls herself Jane Smith, and she has no memory at all of Alerac—or of her own past.

Now that she’s been found, Alerac knows that his enemies are going to start closing in on her. Jane may try to act human, but she’s not. She’s a pureblood vampire princess, incredibly powerful and incredibly valuable.  His enemies want to use her, her enemies want to destroy her, and Alerac—he just wants her.

If he can’t make her remember him, then Alerac has to seduce Jane into loving him once again.  Because now that he’s found her, he’ll fight hell—and every sadistic vampire that stalks the night—in order to keep her safe at his side.

Some bonds go deeper than the flesh. Some go beyond life. Beyond death.

Jane will soon learn that a werewolf’s claiming…is forever.

***

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE…For the first five days of its release (4/15-4/20), BOUND IN DEATH will be offered at a special sale price of .99.  Then, on 4/21, the book will return to a regular price of $2.99.  So be sure to buy early and get the deal! Deal! Deal!

BOUND IN DEATH will be a digital only release at this time, but I plan to make a print version available very soon.  The digital version will be available for the Kindle, Nook, and at Kobo, etc.

Want to read an excerpt from BOUND IN DEATH?  Check it out!

Have a great day!!

Update: Time to announce the BREAKING HER RULES winners!!  The five commenters are…Susan Platt, Lynn Kitchene, Alexandrea Ward, Zita R, and sequoia. Congrats!! I will email you with prize claim information.  

I am thrilled to have my friend and writing machine Katie Reus at my blog today!  Katie writes kick-ass romantic suspense and paranormal romance, and her latest release, BREAKING HER RULES, is currently on sale for .99.  Deal! 😉  Katie also recently celebrated her birthday, so I’d like to give her a shout–HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATIE!

Thanks so much to Cynthia for having me here today! Breaking Her Rules, the sixth story in my Red Stone Security series just released and I’m excited about its release for multiple reasons. Of course I’m always excited for any new release, but this one not only features the first female RSS agent as a lead, it has one of my favorite themes: reunited lovers.

I’ve always adored the ‘reunited lovers’ theme in romance, regardless of subgenre. The romance always starts off with tension because there had to be a reason these two lovers couldn’t make it the first time. Sometimes it’s something as simple as they were too young to know what they wanted in life. Or, the families of the couple tore them apart. Maybe time and distance proved to be too much. Secrets, lies or insecurities managed to cut through their relationship. One of the characters thought they were protecting the other by walking away … Whatever the reason, the couple once loved each other, or cared deeply for each other, and now they’re finally getting their second chance! I’m such a believer in second chances so that’s probably why I love the theme.

With Iris and Wyatt, the two main characters in Breaking Her Rules, they have a long history but only very recently before the story actually starts did they cross the line from friends to lovers. So while this isn’t a decade’s long separation, these two still need to work through their issues.

What about you? What are some of your favorite themes in romance? In addition to reunited lovers, I also enjoy beauty and the beast, and friends to lovers (which is another underlying theme in BHR!).

GIVEAWAY: Just leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of Breaking Her Rules! Open until 4/9/2013 at 10 AM Central. FIVE LUCKY WINNERS will be selected.

Breaking Her Rules:

Iris Tarango is a small-town girl from the wrong side of the tracks; she’s also a decorated former Marine who fought hard to become one of Red Stone Security’s most respected agents. But her perfectly ordered life is turned upside down when she’s assigned to guard the sexy, dominating tycoon she shares a secret history with. The instant Iris walks back into the billionaire’s diamond-studded orbit, the wild attraction flares between them…and her reputation, objectivity, and heart are in trouble.

After an attempt on his life, business magnate Wyatt Christiansen calls in major favors to hire Iris as his bodyguard. He knows she’s the best, though he has another motive, too. He sees this as his final chance to win her heart. But when danger spins out of control, all Wyatt can think of is getting Iris out of harm’s way—even if it means losing her love in the end.

Unfortunately, the killer seems to know their every move. If Wyatt and Iris don’t figure out who put out the hit, they’ll lose more than their chance at happiness together.

Available now for 99 CENTS from: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and All Romance eBooks

A little about Katie: Katie has been reading romance since a young age—ever since she discovered her mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with her into adulthood. She writes dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about her please visit her website, blog, facebook or find her on twitter @katiereus.

My werewolf short story,  A BIT OF BITE, is now listed for free on the Kindle!

(This isn’t an April Fool’s joke–it truly is listed for free now–yay!)

Blurb:

A killer is stalking the streets of Crossroads, Mississippi, and it’s up to Sheriff Ava Dushaine to stop him. But when suspicion falls on werewolf alpha Julian Kasey–Ava’s ex-lover and the man who still haunts her dreams–Ava knows that she’ll either have to prove his innocence…or watch the whole town go up in flames.

A BIT OF BITE is a short paranormal romance–the story contains approximately 11,000 words. A BIT OF BITE is intended for adults–it includes hot werewolves, a dangerous heroine, and graphic language. Consider yourself warned.

(Note:  A BIT OF BITE was originally published in the 2011 charity anthology, ENTANGLED.)

When I checked this morning, the free price hadn’t adjusted yet for the Kindle UK store, but I am going to keep checking on that. As soon as I see the change, I will be back to update this post.

Enjoy your April Fool’s Day!