Update: Thanks for sharing your summer stories!  🙂 I randomly picked a winner, and that person is…Sapphyria. Congrats!

It’s summer–the perfect time to curl up with a great book…and it just so happens that I have a great book that I want to give away today!

Bella Andre‘s new book, THE LOOK OF LOVE, is out now.  Here’s the blurb for you:

A successful photographer who travels the world and has his pick of beautiful women, Chase Sullivan thinks life is great just as it is – until he finds Chloe and her totaled car in a ditch on the side of the road in Napa Valley. She’s utterly lovely, both inside and out, and he’s soon willing to move mountains to love – and protect – her. But will she let him? Unfortunately, a wrecked car is not the worst thing to happen to Chloe that day. The bruise on her cheek can attest to that. She’s vowed never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Surely, the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of a rain storm is too good to be true. Or is he? Because with every loving look Chase gives her – and every sinfully sweet caress – as the attraction between them sparks and sizzles, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception. Although Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether…for Chloe’s heart.
Want to win?  Just leave me a comment and tell me why you love summer! I’ll pick one commenter at random to win. That winning commenter will win the Kindle ebook version of THE LOOK OF LOVE. (I’m using Kindle for this giveaway b/c it is so easy to email the ebook as a gift with their service. Next week, I’ll be giving away B&N gift certificates, so if you have a Nook, no worries, your time will come, too!)  However, you don’t actually have to own a Kindle in order to read Kindle books (though I bet you knew that already). You can download their free Kindle for PC program, read the ebooks on your computer, and be good to go!  Ah…and now I’ve rambled. 🙂

Back to the giveaway!!

Tell me what you love about summer–and THE LOOK OF LOVE could be yours!

I’ll start…I love star-gazing on a hot summer night.

Hi, everyone! Hope you’re having a fabulous week!

Previously, I had planned to attend the upcoming RWA Conference in New York, but, unfortunately, my schedule has changed, and I won’t be able to make it this year.  I will miss seeing all the wonderful readers and writers and hearing all of the great workshop presentations.  I know that those folks attending will have a fabulous time.

I also wanted to take a moment and say how honored I feel to be a RITA finalist in the romantic suspense category.  I am in a category that is filled with incredible authors, and I am honored to be included with them.  I would also like to wish all the RITA finalists (in all categories) the best of luck.

And now…a bit of party news. 🙂

Since I won’t be out of town next week, I can focus a bit more on the release of NEVER CRY WOLF. (It releases on 6/28/11! That’s next Tuesday! Next Tuesday!) I am planning a day-long party for this day. Beginning at 6 a.m. (Central time), I will put up contests and guests posts. Each hour, I will have a new giveaway scheduled.  Some absolutely fabulous authors are joining me in the fun (I’ll post the full list tomorrow so you can see them all).  You can comment directly on the posts to be included in the individual giveaways, and, then, I will go back at the end of the event and randomly pick commenters to win gift certificates.  So, yes, the more you comment,  that means the more chances you have of winning. Win, win, win!

The fun will begin at 6:00 a.m. Central time on 6/28/11, and I will leave comments open until noon (again, Central time) on 6/29/11. That way, folks in different time zones can all have a chance to participate.

So…are you ready to party?  I do love a good party…

I’ve received the first cover in my new Fallen Angels of Death series–and I love it!

And here’s the blurb:

HE FELL FOR HER

Nicole St. James was a nice woman. An innocent, pretty, twenty-something school teacher with her life ahead of her. But as the angel of death, it’s Keenan’s job to take that life away.  So when a vampire attacks Nicole, Keenan is not supposed to snap and take out the vampire instead. It cost him his wings–but she’s worth it.

Except when Keenan catches up to his pretty school teacher, she’s not so innocent anymore.  Hot red lipstick, tight black shorts and long white fangs–she’s ready to kick the asses of anyone who helped turn her into a damn bloodsucker. Unless that ass is attached to a certain fallen angel.  Even with all of heaven and half of hell after them, someone will have to teach Keenan about the fun kinds of sin…

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ANGEL OF DARKNESS will be out on 11/29/11.  I’m working on the book page now, and I’ll have an excerpt up soon.

Thanks!! Have a great afternoon.

NEVER CRY WOLF releases in two weeks (6/28/11). I am counting down the days. 🙂 And since the release is so soon, I thought it was time to share a new excerpt from the book.  Hope you enjoy it!

He slanted a dark glance her way.  “Pack protection doesn’t come as cheaply as you seem to think.  I don’t give a shit about the old laws.”

Her stomach dropped.  “If you don’t help me, then I’m the dead one.”

A shrug.

What? “You can’t be that cold of a bastard.  I need your help, and I’ve traveled over seventeen hundred miles to find you.”  Just like John had.  Hopefully, her quest wouldn’t end the same way.

She wasn’t ready to die.

Sarah sucked in a deep breath. “I know who set you up for murder. If you give me protection, and I’ll give him to you.”

Both brows rose.  “Oh, you’ll most definitely give him to me…one way or another.”

Her back teeth clenched.  “I could have left you in jail,” she gritted.

A hard smile. “And I could have let the coyotes have you.”

She flinched. Okay, he had a point there. A rather nasty, cold-hearted one, but…

“You must have done something pretty bad to get a price on your head.”

Not really. She’d actually tried to do something good. That just hadn’t worked out so well.

“Sarah King…” He drew out her name, as if tasting it. “Are you a bad woman?”

Yes. Don’t trust me. She bit back the words.  Now wasn’t the time for that much honesty between them.  So she didn’t speak but she managed to hold his stare.

After a moment, he lifted his hand, and offered it, palm-up to her. “Once you come with me, there’s no going back.”

The heated look in his eyes told her he wasn’t just talking about a few days of protection.

But right then, she would have traded what was left of her soul to walk away with Lucas Simone.

“I don’t want to go back.”  The rumors she’d heard over the years, about humans being absorbed into the packs—women, mostly, who disappeared after they were linked with male shifters—those stories drifted through her mind once more.

Some wolf shifters roamed alone. The Lones. Some Lones existed in society, blending almost seamlessly with the humans.  But most of the Lones didn’t blend so well. They had breakdowns. They’d been known to go on killing rampages. Often, they were tagged as serial killers and put down.

The rest of the wolves…they were pack.  Pack was sacred.  Pack was strong.

What would she have to do in order to belong? What would she have to sacrifice?

And did it matter?

Sarah took Lucas’s hand and kissed her old life good-bye.

***

Have a great Tuesday!

Update:  THE TWO WINNERS ARE… Lea & Stephanie M!! Congrats ladies! Please contact me at savannahstuart (@) hotmail . com (no spaces or parenthesis).

Today, my talented writing pal Savannah Stuart is joining me at the old blog. 😉 She’s talking about her new release, HEATED MATING, and giving 2 e-book copies to commenters.  (Sweet!) Savannah, welcome–and congrats on the new release!

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Thank you so much to the wonderful Cynthia Eden for hosting me! Since I’m having a release she’s been awesome enough to let me hang out and chat today.

When I first started writing the only thing I ever contemplated trying was romantic suspense. It was a genre I was familiar with and absolutely loved and it’s also the reason I fell in love with romance in the first place (thank you Linda Howard!). Thankfully I discovered other genres and soon I was writing paranormal romance in addition to erotic romance as well. It seems that whenever I said I doubted I’d ever write in a certain genre, I found myself wanting to try it. Apparently reverse psychology works when I do it to myself.

Recently I decided to try writing an erotic sci-fi even though in the past I was absolutely sure it was something I’d never be interested in. I like reading in the genre but just didn’t think it was for me. Even so Heated Mating was born. Thankfully my editor didn’t laugh at me when I submitted it to her.

What are some things you’ve surprised yourself by trying? And did you like the end results or regret it? Or, who are some of your favorite erotic sci fi authors? Two I really enjoy are Nathalie Gray and KC Burn. Answer either question and be entered to win a copy of Heated Mating. I’ll be giving away downloads (digital format only) to two commenters. Winners will be announced in the comments section tomorrow (Saturday) after 12 Central so be sure to check back! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Heated Mating Blurb:

Saroya has always been fascinated by Linc and never understood his reluctance to be near her. When he makes it clear he’s sexually interested in her she jumps at the chance to join him in bed. But things get more complicated when he won’t commit emotionally.

Linc has wanted Saroya from the moment he met her, and throughout her short mating with his brother. His culture might encourage two males to mate with one woman, but Linc could never share Saroya. Not even with his brother. When his brother dies, leaving Saroya unmated, Linc intends to claim her. Before he can win that battle he’ll have to swallow his warrior pride and win her heart once and for all.

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I was a kid and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. As Savannah Stuart I write sensual erotic romance and the majority of it is published through Ellora’s Cave. As Katie Reus I write dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. My publishing houses are Carina Press & NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit both my websites. http://savannahstuartauthor.com and http://katiereus.com.