Update: And the lucky ARC winner is…Krissy Holstein! Congratulations!

Now it’s my pleasure to welcome paranormal author Cynthia Garner to the blog.  I cannot wait for Cynthia’s new book, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, and I’m actually feeling very jealous right now…because one commenter will win an ARC of her book. Yes, it’s one of those win-it-before-you-can-buy-it-in-stores prizes. I love, LOVE those.  But I am incredibly jealous. Someone is going to get a fantastic read!

***

Congratulations, Giving Thanks…and More

First, let me start this post by saying congratulations, Cynthia, for the release of ANGEL OF DARKNESS.  I’m looking forward to another great read! Second, thank you for giving me some time here at your place. One of the things I love about romance authors especially is their willingness to support each other!

I’m also thankful for readers who have picked up my books and enjoyed them. Thank you all so much for your support! Starting next year I’m beginning a new series with Grand Central Publishing. In my Warriors of the Rift series, vampires, werewolves and other creatures of myth are no longer stuck between the pages of fairy tales and mythology. They’re loud and proud and living next door. Every 73 to 74 years the Moore-Creasy-Devon comet passes by Earth, opening a rift between dimensions. Entities from the other dimension–mostly criminals though some are political dissidents or persecuted as religious heretics–come through the rift and, in their drive to survive, enter and take over the bodies of human hosts. Their original species dictate the effect this possession has on the human bodies they now possess–some become vampires, some werewolves or other shapeshifters, etc.

The first book, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, is available for pre-order now! Half-demon, half-human, Nix de la Fuente is accepted by neither and mistrusted by both. Determined to prove she’s more human than not, she devotes herself to solving crimes between the world’s mortals and its most unsavory undead. But her latest case brings her face to face with the one vampire she could never resist . . .

Called in to investigate a string of violent murders, special agent Tobias Caine isn’t interested in rekindling his relationship with Nix. Yet one look and the vampire knows his need for her is as strong as ever. Once, their all-consuming passion nearly cost Nix her fragile hold on her humanity. Now, as their hunger for one another intensifies, exposing them to an unimaginable danger, it could cost them both their lives.

For everyone who leaves a comment on this post, I’ll toss your name into the hat to win an Advance Readers Copy of KISS OF THE VAMPIRE.

Update: The winners of Rebecca’s giveaway are:  Carlyn McKechnie and CYP@ABookalicious Story.  Congrats!! Hope you enjoy the stories!

I love vampires.  They’re sexy. They’re mysterious. They’re awesome.  And I had such a fun time creating my ANGEL OF DARKNESS vampire heroine, Nicole St. James. (Bad guys, watch out! That woman has bite!) I love to read all sorts of vampire books, and one of my favorite vampire authors (um, I mean she writes about vampires and not that she *is* a vamp herself) is Rebecca Zanetti. Rebecca is one of my Brava sisters, and I’m very glad to have her as my next guest.  Love your books, Rebecca! Love them!

HI everyone!  First, I’d like to say a big thank you to Cynthia for inviting me to be part of the ANGEL OF DARKNESS party.  I swear, the only place you’d see “party’ and “Angel of Darkness” together in perfect harmony would be around those of us who love paranormals.  Of course the sexy, dark Angel would love a good party!  How much fun would it be to actually attend a party with angels, vampires, shifters, witches and so on?  Of course, it’d be really awesome if we were angels, vampires, shifters…  And I got to thinking.  Why would it be cool to be a paranormal heroine?  Well…I thought of a few reasons.

1)      Paranormal heroines kick butt. When faced with a dangerous threat, does our heroine duck and cover, quivering with fright?  Heck no.  She grabs the nearest weapon and dodges into the fight, kicking serious bad guy butt.  Brave and deadly, our heroine is.

2)      Paranormal heroines are immortal.  Sure, they face down pain and possible damnation, but hey, they don’t wrinkle.  No night creams, silk pillowcases, or lots of hydration for these gals.  They don’t age.

3)      Paranormal heroines sleep with paranormal heroes. Really, do I need to say anything else about this one?  Didn’t think so.  J

4)      Paranormal heroines meet their matches in the heroes.  I have to admit, I love a good struggle between the equally dangerous hero and heroine.  Sure, they usually end up naked and between the sheets, but hey, that makes for great tension.

5)      Paranormal heroines love completely and find mates just as loyal. No one gets between a heroine and her man…and many of the men will wade through a battlefield of death, wounded and bleeding, to rescue their heroine.  (Who, usually, BTW, can rescue herself.  But hey, we like to see the guy making such an effort.)

So, there you have it.  My heroine in CLAIMED is a human geneticist bound and determined to cure a vampire virus threatening her sister.  She’s also mated to the king of all vampires, a fact she alternates between fighting for and fighting against.  Here’s a quick excerpt:

Dage shook his head without opening his eyes.  “No.  I don’t sense evil anywhere near us.  We’re probably safe for a couple of hours, then we should move again.”

A couple of hours?  Damn.  She needed him in fighting shape.  “Will drinking my blood help heal you?”

His lids flipped open, revealing those silver eyes that had haunted her dreams for fifteen years.  Hunger, raw and pure filled them.  “Yes.”

Emma gulped in air. The husky timber of his voice caressed nerves she didn’t want to own. “I won’t become a vampire?”

His dimples winked at her.  “No.  Vampires are born, not made.”

Fear and her damn curiosity blended until she could only whisper.  “Okay.”  She held out her wrist and shut her eyes.  And waited.  The breeze picked up outside the cave, rustling pine needles and leaves inside the small entrance, and she shivered.  Finally, she opened her eyes in exasperation.  “What?”

Reaching out with his good arm, he lifted her chin with one knuckle, waiting until her gaze met his.  “I want your neck.”

***

I hope everyone enjoys this awesome party today.  I’d like to give away two copies from the Dark Protector series – the winners can choose whether they want FATED or CLAIMED.  What do you like in a paranormal heroine?

BIO:  Rebecca Zanetti is a college professor by day and romance author by night.  Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews.  Publisher’s Weekly said the following about her latest release, CLAIMED, “This thriller’s true strengths: sizzling sex scenes and a memorable cast.”   To find Rebecca on the web, drop by her website: http://rebeccazanetti.com/

Update: The winner of TEMPTED is…Martha Lawson. Congratulations!

You know what I like to read? (Wait, did you just shout anything? Okay, that’s true, I’m a book addict), but I really enjoy hot paranormal romances. And guess what’s about to be our spotlight book of the hour? TEMPTED, a very hot paranormal romance by author Elisabeth Naughton.  Be sure to comment on this post, because I’ll send one commenter this book–just in time for some relaxing reading time during the holidays.

DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.

As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought. And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

Excerpt:

Isadora sensed Demetrius’s presence even before she rolled her head to the left and found him lying next to her, sound asleep on his side, his arms crossed over his middle and his head tipped her way.

Confusion hit first, followed by surprise. Why in Hades had he lain down next to her when he’d made it perfectly clear last night that he didn’t want to have anything to do with her?

The things he’d said came back full force, as did the mortification when she remembered what she’d done with him. Rolling quietly away, she tugged the blanket around herself and crossed the floor toward the stone table in the middle of the room.

The clothes he’d brought for her were scattered over the floor. Cheeks heating with memories of his mouth, his hands, how she’d all but begged for more, she stooped to pick them up, then dragged them on. The shorts were baggier than she liked, but they were better than nothing. She didn’t look at the table as she dressed, and when she was done she straightened, only to have a wave of nausea that came out of nowhere wash over her.

She reached out to steady herself. Breathed deep until it passed. Then wiped a hand over her damp brow.

That was weird. Yeah, she’d been a little stressed since she’d been here, and she wasn’t eating like she should be, but she hadn’t felt anything like that since…

Dread spiraled through her and she mentally ticked off days. At least seven had passed since she’d last been at the castle in Argolea. Seven days away from her sister. The ramifications of her situation suddenly hit full force. Regardless of what had happened here with Demetrius, she needed to get home before things turned dire for Casey.

Her gaze strayed to Demetrius, still sound asleep, and her temper kicked up. She moved around the table and flipped open the lid of the first trunk, looking for…she didn’t know what. Just something that would help her get the hell off this island. Not his type? Screw him. He wasn’t her type. Mean definitely wasn’t her type. Why on earth had she ever thought he wasn’t the bastard he’d always been back home?

She moved to the next trunk and silently rejoiced when she found a sword. She turned the blade in the low torchlight still burning from last night and figured it would do. It wasn’t as big as the one Demetrius carried, but it fit better in her hand. Orpheus had taught her just enough to wield the damn thing, but she wasn’t afraid now like she’d been before. She wanted off this damn island so bad she was willing to search for holy ground without him. She could open the portal on her own.

She turned for the steps, then belatedly remembered the spell book she’d seen in Jason’s chest.

What you’ve got there is more powerful than you or your sisters realize.

Orpheus’s words from days ago skipped through her mind. She looked down at the winged omega marking on her inner thigh, visible beneath the hem of her short shorts. Orpheus knew all about spells and drawing power, and if her link to the Horae gave her some sort of advantage where that was concerned, she was going to use it. No matter the cost.

She moved to Jason’s chest, set the sword down in front of her, and pawed through the contents until she found the book. The cover was dusty and she blew until the grime cleared and the Helios symbol became visible in the aged leather.

“Aren’t we curious this morning?”

Isadora’s heart lurched into her throat. She dropped the book, grasped the sword, and whipped around with her arm outstretched. The tip of the blade stopped centi- meters from Demetrius’s bare chest.

His eyes flicked down to the weapon, then lifted to rest on hers. “I see sleep did you well. You obviously remembered all those reasons you hate me.”

Her heart pounded hard against her chest. Relief that it was him and not some monster pissed her off more than if she’d found herself face-to-face with a Hydra. “No, I just remembered your legendary cruelty.”

“Very good, Princess.”

His low mocking tone clawed at her self-respect, heated her cheeks, and made her remember all over again what she’d done last night. With him. In this very room. The difference was, to her it had meant something. To him it was…

She didn’t know what it was to him. A game, she guessed. One more way to humiliate her.

He took a step forward, until the tip of the blade pressed into his chest but didn’t break the skin. “Do it. Now’s your chance.”

She wanted to. She was so angry she could barely see straight. Every one of his cruel words over the years crashed in to remind her of the thousands of times he’d belittled her. And that, coupled with the newfound fear over her sister, made her unsteady. But when he moved closer still and the tip pushed deeper, she tensed. Her eyes shot to his chest and to the tiny droplet of blood that trickled down the blade.

Her stomach rolled. Yes, she was angry, and yes, she hated that he made her feel anything at all, but she didn’t want this. She didn’t want to hurt him just because he’d hurt her.

“Go ahead, Princess,” he whispered. “All you have to do is push.”

Her eyes lifted to his and though she saw indifference in his black irises, she also saw something else. Lurking deep, there lingered…regret.

Her heart stuttered, caught, and picked up speed as she stared at him. The night before spiraled through her memory again, only this time she didn’t focus on his words. This time she focused on the look of desire in his eyes, the way he’d touched her, the fact he hadn’t been able to get enough of her. And she remembered the way he’d told her to tell him to stop, and when she hadn’t, how he’d finally let down his guard and taken her places she never knew existed.

He’d wanted her, and it scared the crap out of him. So much he’d reverted to his old ways to convince her he was the enemy. She lowered the sword, even as her heart raced beneath her breast.

“Your father’s right,” he muttered. “You’re no leader.”

His words cut to the heart of her, to every one of her insecurities and what she feared most in this world.

But she didn’t dwell on them. For whatever reason, he was trying to make her hate him. And his baiting words belied his actions. Those were what she focused on.

She turned the sword and held out the handle to him. “Maybe I’m not. But I know a lie when I hear one.”

For just a split second, confusion crossed his features. And then the mask came up again, the one that said Fuck you to the world and Leave me the hell alone. But that wasn’t the real him. The real him was the one who’d rescued her more times than she could count, watched over her, and pleasured her so completely last night without taking a single thing for himself in the process.

His fingers wrapped around the handle of the blade, and as he lowered it to the ground, she knew she had a choice. To let him go on believing that lie or prove to him he was wrong.

TEMPTED – Available Now – Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review!

ENRAPTURED – April 2012

ENSLAVED – November 2012

Want to win TEMPTED?  Then tell me what tempts you the most this time of the year. For me…Christmas cookies are like kryptonite! One commenter will be randomly selected to win. Good luck!

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!