Update: The winner of Marie’s giveaway is…Savannah Miller. Congrats, Savannah!

It’s no secret that I’m a Marie Force fan. I love her stories! Can’t get enough. So I’m very, very happy that she’s got a new release out now–one I can load onto my e-reader right away. I’m also happy because she’s my next guest. And you should be happy, too. Know why?  Because she’s awesome fun and because one commenter will win her tales, Treading Water and Marking Time.

Second Chances

By: Marie Force

I love writing and reading stories in which the hero or heroine—sometimes both—get a second chance at love. Don’t you? There’s something so poignant about a wounded souls finding the magic they thought they’d lost forever with someone new and unexpected. That’s exactly what happens to Clare Harrington and Aidan O’Malley in Marking Time, book 2 in my new trilogy that began last month with Treading Water.

Marking Time is a book I never intended to write. In Treading Water, Clare makes a selfless gesture that results in her being single for the first time in more than twenty years. I can’t say too much about that selfless gesture without giving away the ending of Treading Water, but let’s just say, it’s a whopper. Early readers who loved Treading Water kept telling me they needed to know what happened to Clare. They chipped away at me until I wanted to know, too. That’s how Marking Time came to be, and it’s a story I’ve come to love so much because it’s all about second chances and new beginnings for Clare—and her daughter Kate, who strikes out for Nashville in search of fame and fortune in the music business. Their intertwining stories take us from Newport, RI, to Stowe, VT, and Nashville, TN, from the Green Mountains of Vermont all the way to Graceland. In Marking Time we meet the irrepressible O’Malley family, which is featured in Starting Over, book 3 in the trilogy, which is out December 27.

Since today is Marking Time’s launch day, I thought it would be fun to share a brief—and never-before-seen—excerpt. This is from one of my favorite scenes in which Clare realizes the hot carpenter she’s hired to help renovate her brother’s ski house in Vermont is actually interested in her. Up to this point, they’ve most bickered with each other—and not in a good way. So here is Aidan O’Malley and Clare Harrington on the cusp of that second chance we all love so much…

***

“Can I ask one more question?” Aidan said.

“I don’t know. You’re starting to irritate me again.”

For some reason, that seemed to please him. “Then I’ll make sure it’s a good one.” He waited for her nod of approval before he said, “Will you have dinner with me?”

Clare tried to hide her shock at the question. “I am having dinner with you.”

“I mean a real dinner with waiters and tablecloths. Maybe even candles, if you’re extra nice to me.”

She sat back, stunned. Okay now that would be a real date. No denying it. “I thought you didn’t date.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Bea said—”

He hooted with laughter. “You’ve been checking up on me, haven’t you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, startled by how laughter softened his hard edges.

“She volunteered the information.”

“Whatever you say.”

“She said you’ve got women in this town falling over themselves to go out with you. Why would you want to go out with me?”

“Because I like sparring—I mean talking—to you. Besides, you seem to have a very low opinion of me, so there’s no way I can disappoint you.”

“Have you disappointed lots of women?”

“Scores. The stories are legendary, but I’m sure you’ve already heard them all.”

She’d heard just the opposite, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “You’re doing a hell of a job selling yourself, O’Malley.”

“So?”

“I’ll have dinner with you, but it’s not a date. Not a real date.”

He unfolded himself off the floor and stood up. “You know what? I think I’ll hold out for the real deal. How about you let me know when you’re up for it.”

Once again he surprised her. “All right, but it might be a while.” If ever.

“Lucky for you I’m a patient man. I’ve done as much as I can in the kitchen until the cabinets come in, so I’ll be starting on the downstairs bathroom. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

At the door, he turned to study her with those sleepy, sexy green eyes of his. “I don’t know what happened to you, Clare, but you don’t need to be afraid of me.”

She held his gaze for a long moment. “I like talking to you, too.”

He smiled and waved on his way downstairs. A minute later, she heard the front door close quietly behind him.

***

Ahhh, I love me some Aidan O’Malley—almost as much as I love Jack Harrington from Treading Water, but that’s a story for another blog. Talk to me about second-chance romances and your opinions of them. I’ll give away a copy of Treading Water and Marking Time to one commenter today. Thank you for having me today, Cynthia, and HAPPY LAUNCH DAY to you, too!

Marie Force is the author of the bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series: MAID FOR LOVE, FOOL FOR LOVE and READY FOR LOVE with more books coming soon in the series. MARKING TIME continues a trilogy that began with TREADING WATER and continues with STARTING OVER. She is the author of the following contemporary romances: GEORGIA ON MY MIND, EVERYONE LOVES A HERO, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT, TRUE NORTH, THE FALL and THE WRECK.

She is also the bestselling, award-winning author of the Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press. The series includes FATAL AFFAIR, FATAL JUSTICE, FATAL CONSEQUENCES and FATAL DESTINY. “This novel is ‘The O.C. does D.C.,’ and you just can’t get enough.” (RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars for FATAL AFFAIR). In its July 2010 issue, RT Book Reviews named Marie a “Future Star of Romantic Suspense.” FATAL FLAW is coming in February 6, 2012.

She is a member of RWA’s New England and Published Author Special Interest Chapters.

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and a feisty dog named Brandy.

Find her at www.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog at http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor, and on Twitter @marieforce. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at marie@marieforce.com.

Update: The winner of the copy of ANGEL OF DARKNESS & and the cover flat of HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE is…JessS! And the $10 gift card winner is…Stephenia! Congrats!

My next guest is historical debut author Manda Collins. In February, Manda’s book, HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE will be on store shelves. But, for now, she’s here to talk zombie.  (Gift card giveaway alert! Read on to find out more…)

Zombies, Triangles and Creeps, Oh My!

Confession time! I am not a zombie kind of girl. Or a post apocalyptic aficionado. Or fan of sci-fi in general. So I pretty much steered clear of The Walking Dead, the latest television craze from AMC, from the moment I heard about it.

It’s not that I don’t like seeing bad guys vanquished. I think that my love of romantic suspense and paranormal romance shows that. But I am no a big fan of blood and guts. And to me, zombies are just…sad. And gross. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Sad and gross.

However, I live with my sister. And from time to time, as most siblings do, we try to watch television together. And as sometimes happens, I get to watch what I want, and she gets to watch what she wants. Guess who is a big old fan of The Walking Dead? Yeah, my sister. Who loves zombies, and blood and guts, and gore and every kind of story that involves the end of the world. I get to watch Downton Abbey, and she gets to watch The Walking Dead. It’s just how things work out sometimes.

So, much to my surprise, I found myself watching this season’s episodes that followed the saga of Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies), Shane (Jon Bernthal), and the rest of the zombie-killing crew, and actually getting hooked as they searched for the missing little girl, Amy and set up uneasy camp on a farm with Hershel (Scott Wilson). Sure there were the obligatory gross-out zombie killing shots, such as the one where they sent poor Glenn (Stephen Yeun) into the well to get a walker (a walker is what they call mobile zombies, as far as I can tell). And there were some deaths of characters I’d grown to love. But there was also something that I am always drawn to, no matter how much gore they throw my way, and that’s storytelling.

Despite the horror movie elements, watching these people struggle to understand what their world has become is fascinating. The continuing tension and drama in the Rick, Lori, Shane love triangle is the stuff great soap operas are made of. Seeing Shane’s perfidy slowly revealed, as he shows again and again just how far he’s willing to go to get what he wants is terrifying in the best sense of the world. I find myself shouting at the television screen, warning Rick to stop trusting him. And I haven’t done that for a good long while.

And of course I am totally shipping for Glenn and Maggie, though I know how these zombie shows often end. Or I’ve been told.

I never thought I’d be saying this, but I might even like these zombie, post apocalyptic tropes now. Would I choose zombies over costume drama? Uh, probably not. A girl has to have her priorities;) But I am dying for the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead in February. And that’s a far cry from my arrogant dismissal of all zombie shows as gross a few months ago.

Just don’t tell my sister, okay? I’ve still got my pride!

Are there any shows or books or genres that you were reluctant to try that you now love? I’d love to hear them!

Share your favorite shows with Manda, and you could win a $10 Amazon.com gift card! One commenter will be selected randomly to win. And in addition to the gift card, Manda is giving away a signed HOW TO DANCE WITH A DUKE cover flat & an ANGEL OF DARKNESS copy. Good luck!

Update: The winner of Mia’s giveaway is…Azteclady! Congrats!! I am sending your info to Mia so that she can contact you about the prize. Hope you enjoy the tale!

We’ve talked paranormal, we’ve talked contemporary…how about we head into the realm of delicious historical romance?  Talented author Mia Marlowe writes some fabulous historicals, and she’s here with a great giveaway. One commenter will win either MY LADY BELOW STAIRS or A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS.

My Guy Has Wings!

From Mia Marlowe…

First of all, congrats to Cynthia on the release of Angel of Darkness. It sounds delicious! There’s just something about the idea of a guy with wings.

Believe me, I know. My DH is a private pilot. About 10 years ago, I gave him a trial flight lesson as a gift for Father’s Day and the flying bug bit him hard. He started ground school and I spent my Saturday mornings on the deck of the FBO in Heber, Utah, binoculars in hand, watching him do “touch-and-goes” with his instructor. Before the end of the summer, he was the proud owner of a pilot’s license and a Cessna 182.

Then, he had to convince me to get in the plane with him. I’ve trusted this guy for a long time, but I’ve also always been a “white-knuckle” flyer. And a little prone to motion sickness. He had his work cut out for him, but I was game to try.

We took off as the sun was just beginning to peep over the tips of the Wasatch Mountains. Taking off in a small plane is different than flying in a big jet. There’s such a sense of exhilaration when the ground drops away beneath you and you hurtle skyward. We climbed out and then turned west to fly over the Great Salt Lake. The air was smooth as glass. Honestly, I felt like I was sitting in my living room, but with a “God’s–eye” view of the world.

My DH was very smart about my first flight with him. He took shallow turns. He showed me how the airfoil works and convinced me that we weren’t likely to drop like a stone. The plane wanted to fly.  And I have to confess, he was totally hot with his aviator sunglasses and David Cook headphones. I was hooked.

We flew all over the American West together, soaring through mountain passes and scud-running just under the clouds when the ceiling dropped unexpectedly. Our longest trip was from Seattle, WA to Kansas City, MO, but we made lots of shorter hops and day trips. We flew around Mt. St. Helens and circled on one wingtip to whale watch over Puget Sound. We saw things very few people ever see—like the little heart-shaped lake high in the Cascades with no roads leading in or out. Or the ancient lava flows in the Idaho basin.

My DH knows how to show a girl a good time.  Having wings works! Which is why I’m seriously excited about Cynthia’s Angel of Darkness. Thanks for having me here today!

To enter Mia’s giveaway, just respond to the following comment by Mia…

No one was more surprised that me when my DH learned to fly. How has your significant other surprised you?

Update: Thanks for all the great comments!! The winner of DESTINED MATE is…Monique, and the $10 Amazon gift card winner is…Eva/ TXBookjunkie. Congrats!

Do you like sexy paranormal romances?  (I do, I do!) If you do, too, then Katie Reus is an author I highly recommend. She’s here today, offering a giveaway of DESTINED MATE, her recent release from Harlequin Nocturne Cravings.  (Thanks, Katie!) And, for extra blog release day fun, one commenter to this post will also win a $10 Amazon.com gift card. So–you can get a great read and a gift card to use as you want.

Thank you so much to Cynthia for having me here today! I’ve been anxiously awaiting her new release, Angel of Darkness, and it’s finally here!! Since she’s been awesome enough to let me join in her blog party, I’d like to offer a copy of Destined Mate, my recent release from Harlequin Nocturne Cravings to one commenter. As a teaser, here’s an excerpt. Just leave a comment telling me what you like about the holiday season and you’ll be entered to win.

Official Excerpt:

Angela inhaled the various forest scents and tried to steady her breathing. She knew she was insane to sneak onto the land of the most powerful werewolf in the United States. But she had no choice.

Her best friend had been taken by these animals and she planned to get her back. She didn’t care what her tribe leader, Titus, said. She’d been stuck living with his coven for the past fifty years and while she normally didn’t mind his Draconian rules, she’d gladly suffer the consequences to get Natalia back. If she was still alive. Who knew what those animals had done to her by now? Natalia had only been gone about a week but the animosity between vampires and werewolves went back thousands of years. It didn’t matter that in a few months their two species would be signing a peace treaty. Right now nothing had been signed and her friend was fair game.

The icy wind whistled through the leaves of the giant red oak trees. Even though it was January, a lot of the foliage was still thick and would help block her scent.

She peered around the giant tree she’d been using as cover. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the outline of a huge male by another tree about forty yards away. Even though he was in human form, she knew he was a shifter. Of the wolf variety if she scented right.

Luck was on her side since she was downwind of him. Withdrawing her gun, she glanced around the rest of the forest but didn’t see or smell anything else unusual. Since his back was to her, she darted twenty yards closer until she hid behind another large tree.

She wasn’t sure if she could take on a trained, warrior wolf by herself so she knew she couldn’t miss this first shot. Raising her weapon, she held her breath and aimed directly for the spot below his skull.

The small puff of noise the tranquilizer dart made as it shot through her suppresser was enough for him to notice.

He stiffened but it was too late.

By the time he turned toward her, the tranq was already embedded deep in his skin. The giant shifter stumbled once, twisted in her direction then narrowed his gaze at her before he fell face-first in the dirt and grass.

Her friend Mick had been right. Those sedatives did their job fast. Unfortunately it wouldn’t last long on a shifter his size. She quickly secured his hands behind his back with silver bindings, took his weapons and his radio.

If others found out about her presence, she’d know about it soon enough. She hooked the radio on her belt and tossed his guns and blades behind a nearby tree before continuing north. She’d been traveling on foot for miles so she knew it wouldn’t be long until she reached her destination.

The sound of nearby male voices made her freeze in her tracks. Instead of trying to hide, she crouched down where she was. Until she figured out where the voices were coming from, she didn’t want to make any sudden movements or risk anyone scenting her.

“I’ve been trying to get King on his radio but he won’t pick up,” one of them said.

Another male chuckled. “He’s probably getting a piece of tail… Hey, what the…”

Crap. They’d spotted her. With her heightened night vision she could finally see the two outlines of male figures near a tree line. Judging by their stiff and alert posture, they’d seen her, too. It didn’t matter that she wore all dark camouflage, blended in with her surroundings and had a much lower heat signature than they did. All they’d have to do was see something about her that didn’t blend in with nature. Like her eyes. They likely looked like freaking Christmas lights to them.

She had two options. One was running. Even if she escaped it wouldn’t matter. Her friend would still be captive.

She’d have to take the other option—go on the offensive.

Wordlessly she jumped from her position and sprinted at them. From what she could scent, there were only two of them and they hadn’t made a move to notify anyone of her presence. Probably because they thought they could take her on their own. And maybe they could.

As she ran, they silently spread out to her right and left. Despite her keen awareness she couldn’t read their expressions in the dark. Knowing she’d only be able to bring one of them down at a time, she raised her gun and fired at the one on her right.

The soft thud of the tranq hitting flesh was music to her ears.

“Oh, shit…” He hit the ground faster than the first guy.

Before she could even think about swinging her arm around to take a second shot, a heavy weight rammed into her. Damn wolves were just as fast as she was. She flew through the air and landed on her side.

All the air rushed from her lungs but she quickly jumped to her feet to square off with the werewolf. To her surprise, the male hadn’t shifted form. He still wore black cargo pants and a long-sleeved black shirt.

“What are you doing on our land, little vampire?” His voice was almost mocking.

Little? Baring her teeth, she lunged at him, fist raised.

He dodged her punch but she was ready for him. She might be one of the youngest of her species but she was agile and she trained every day. As he moved his head to the left, she kicked out, high and hard.

When her booted foot made contact with the other side of his head, he grunted a string of curses. He hit the ground with a thud and she heard the unmistakable growl of the beast within him.

He’d be shifting soon. And while he did, she’d be hauling ass away from him. Werewolves were weakest when they shifted form and she knew it would give her time to run. She could stick around and try to tranq him, too, but knocking out a wolf in shifted form was a lot harder. As his body started to change form, she turned and ran.

Behind her, she heard the breaking and snapping of his bones. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Wouldn’t be much longer now before she was being hunted. Her legs pumped hard and her palms dampened.

Now wasn’t the time to freak out. She had to keep a level head. As she breached the clearing of trees, her heart jumped into her throat.

A brick house—a freaking mansion—lay on a giant spread of land surrounded by the forest. She didn’t know how many rooms it had but the mansion  had to be as big, if not bigger, than the one she lived in with thirty other vampires.

There were at least a dozen males patrolling the grounds and judging from their outlines, they were all armed to the teeth.

Flipping on the radio she’d taken, she kept the volume low. As she listened to the chatter, she realized she’d been discovered. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew of her presence. Her instinct to fight kicked in with a rush of raw rage she’d never experienced before. She might be outnumbered but she’d come this far. No turning back now.

Using one of her main advantages—lightning fast speed—she rushed toward the house. Her boots barely touched the earth as she sprinted right into the den of wolves.

*End excerpt*

Thanks for reading! Remember, all you have to do is tell me what you like about this awesome holiday season to be entered to win a digital copy of Destined Mate (and that Amazon gift card!). If you want the official blurb for Destined Mate, here it is:

Almost a century ago Angela was turned into a vampire against her will so she ran from her werewolf lover rather than face his disdain for her kind. After her best friend turns up missing, she has no choice but to follow the trail straight into a den of wolves and the arms of the man she fears most.

The last person Knox expected to invade his land was Angela. For so many years he’s thought about what he’d do to her when he finally got her where he wanted. When her tribe leader comes searching for her, determined to drag her home, Knox risks everything to finally claim her.

Warning: You can expect a red-hot shower scene, a smartass heroine who isn’t afraid to use her teeth and an alpha wolf who’s willing to fight anyone and anything to keep his vampire lover by his side.

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash at a young age and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and in early 2012 the first book in my paranormal series will release from NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.

Update: The winner of YOURS, UNEXPECTEDLY is…Yadira A. Congratulations!!

Do you like sexy, fun romances?  Then I’ve got a treat for you! Fellow Brava author Susan Fox is my next guest–and the lady has a gift for writing great contemporary romances.  One lucky commenter is going to find out all about that gift…because Susan is giving away a copy of her new book, YOURS, UNEXPECTEDLY.

***

It’s release day, and Cynthia and I are release sisters with Kensington Brava. How exciting! And thanks, Cynthia, for inviting me here today.

My new Brava is Yours, Unexpectedly . It’s the fourth and final Wild Ride to Love book. This is a sexy “planes, trains, automobiles, and a cruise ship” series. In the first three books (Sex Drive, Love, Unexpectedly, and His, Unexpectedly), the three older Fallon sisters travel home for their baby sister Merilee’s wedding.

In families, siblings each tend to find their own niche. Growing up, Merilee felt like she was in the shadow of her larger-than-life sisters – until she met Matt at age seven. She found her soul mate and her special niche: she was the Fallon sister who was lucky in love.

She and Matt are M&M, and Merilee’s always known they’d get married. At least until her sisters arrive home one by one, with exciting guys and passionate new romances. Suddenly, her relationship with Matt feels a little . . . flat. They’re only 21, yet they act more like a comfortable middle-aged couple than people who are passionately in love. Is this what she wants, for the rest of her life?

You can see what’s coming, right? This is a runaway bride story – with a twist.

When Merilee calls off the wedding two days before the ceremony, she needs to get some distance and perspective, to be alone and think. Because the Mexican Riviera honeymoon cruise is non-refundable, she decides to go.

But Matt has the same idea. And neither of them will back down and go home.

The idea behind the Wild Ride to Love books is that travel is a journey in more ways than one. And so it proves for M&M. It’s time to stop being joined at the hip – even though they’re stuck sharing a cabin – and find out who they are as individuals. As adults. Yes, it’s time to grow up, and to discover whether that means growing apart or growing together.

I hope readers will enjoy M&M’s wild ride from Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and back home again.  As they redefine themselves and explore new opportunities, they find that they’re still drawn to each other – even more deeply and passionately than before. And now, the idea of a lifetime together looks like the most exciting, romantic adventure they can imagine!

I’d love to hear your comments about travel, how to keep a long-term relationship fresh, and anything else that strikes your fancy. And, last but not least, I’m giving away an autographed copy of Yours, Unexpectedly.

Bio:

Susan Fox, who also writes as Susan Lyons, is the award-winning author of “emotionally compelling, sexy contemporary romance” (Publishers Weekly). She is published by Kensington Brava, Berkley Heat, and Harlequin Spice Briefs. A resident of both Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., Susan has degrees in law and psychology but would far rather be writing fiction than living in the real world.