Update:  Donna’s winner is…Kelly Mueller.  Congrats, Kelly!

I’m thrilled to have fellow Danger: Women Writing author Donna Grant as my guest today.  Donna writes absolutely amazing stories about sexy, strong men and fierce, intelligent women. Love, love her work.  Donna, welcome!

Thank you to the talented and always lovely, Cynthia, for inviting me to her blog.  She comes up with the most unique themes for authors to come blog about.   I also want to give a shout out to Cynthia for her newest release DEADLY HEAT and the upcoming DEADLY LIES.  I couldn’t put DEADLY HEAT down, and I’m very impatient for DEADLY LIES to get into my hot little hands.  🙂

There are many things that inspire me before – and during – a book.  I can become inspired by something as simple as a lyric in a song or a line in a movie.  Often times it’s the look of a character in a movie that will make me think of an upcoming hero or heroine in one of my books, and its like a light goes off in my head, an “ah,ha!” moment.

My first inspiration…Taylor Kitsch.  There is just something about the actor Taylor Kitsch.  I noticed him not from Friday Night Lights, but in the move The Covenant, then as Remy LeBeau/Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  The overconfident, slightly wounded, and suspicious look Remy had was just what I was looking for to match my hero, the youngest MacLeod brother, Quinn.  With Kitsch’s long hair and piercing eyes, he was a definite match for the bad boy of the MacLeods.

Music…it always inspires me.  Usually there is one song or one album that will seem to fit whatever book I’m working on.  For WICKED HIGHLANDER it was the soundtrack to King Arthur staring Clive Owen and Keira Knightly.  The sweeping, haunting music always took me to Scotland, to a world filled with magic and mystery.  As soon as I hear the first strings of that soundtrack, the words seemed to flow so much easier.

I often find myself inspired by…research.  With the villain and the heroines in the series being Druids, the lack of certain evidence to what the Druids really wore (healers and wise men, or people who sacrificed the innocents and called up evil) allowed me to craft my Druids into what I need – which was both the good and bad I had read about in the Druids.  In WICKED HIGHLANDER, the heroine is a Druid who has the spell to once more bind the primeval gods inside the Warriors.  But it’s buried deep in her mind.

Another inspiration was the Celts.  Their stunning knot work, their history, the legends and lore, all of it inspired me.  The MacLeod brothers each wear an ancient Celtic torc around their necks, each with a special animal head that symbolizes them.  For Quinn, his torc has the heads of a wolf which meant cunning and intelligence.  Those are the characteristics that Quinn uses to his advantage throughout the series, but especially in his book.  In my books, the MacLeods were steeped in their traditions, and the sons of the laird all wore torcs with animals chosen by their mother.  Those torcs bound them to their clan – and to their past.  It also inspired me to have them give the women who would capture their hearts something with their animal as well.  For Quinn, he gives Marcail an arm cuff bearing a wolf’s head, and declaring to all she is his.

I’ll be giving away the third book in my Dark Sword series which released in Nov 2010, WICKED HIGHLANDER, to a commenter who answers this question:

What inspires you?

To find out more about me please visit my website at www.DonnaGrant.com.  To learn more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, search characters, take the quiz, or watch the book trailers, please visit www.donnagrant.com/DarkSword.

Hugs,

D

Book 3 in the Dark Sword series

The Dark Sword series unleashes the magic, passion, and fury of three legendary brothers – cursed by fate but bound by desire for the women they love…

A HEART IN CHAINS…

The most reckless and fierce of the MacLeod brothers, Quinn is a prisoner of the god inside him, tormented by his inability to save his family from slaughter. His fury governs him, and day by day he loses himself to the darkness in his soul. But Quinn has a profound yearning for a woman’s love…

A PASSION UNBOUND…

Raised by Druids, the achingly beautiful Marcail is as spellbinding as the ancient magic that surges through her body. To Quinn, she is the most desirable woman he has ever known. But to his enemy Deirdre, she is the perfect bait to lure Quinn into her trap. Once the two lovers are in her wicked grasp, their passion will be put to the ultimate test…

Update: Okay so I drew a winner randomly (sorry I’m late!) and it is: Leagh Christense

Leah, please email me at the shelli@shellistevens.com and let me know which ebook of mine you’d like and in which format!

First, a big thanks to Cynthia Eden for having me back to her blog! I adore Cindy, which she very well knows! We bonded in WA. D.C. at a conference, and I can’t wait to see her in NY!

I love a good suspense book. Both to read and to write. I myself haven’t written a real meaty, laden with suspense book yet though. They’re so intense and I love to read them and get lost in them. I guess when I write a romance with some suspense, it’s just that. ‘Some suspense’. I equate it to starting with a cup of black coffee, and adding just enough cream to change the color. If that makes any sense at all? Or maybe I’m just craving more coffee. But the element of suspense/danger, no matter how large or small in the story, can just up the intensity in a book.

I have a series out right now, Holding out for a Hero, that follows three brothers in a small town, the heroic careers they’ve chosen, and their journey in finding love. Two of the books in the series have a bit of suspense in them, Going Down and then Flash Point. And I had so much fun writing them! I love getting the hero/heroine into danger and seeing how they’re going to claw their way out–or if their butt will need to be saved 😉

So how about I keep this post short and sweet and give away a book. I’m going to make you work for it a bit. Okay, not a lot, because that would be mean. Why don’t you just tell me one of your favorite suspense movie in the comments, and either I or Cynthia will draw a winner for any ebook off my backlist. And before I go, here’s a peek at my next release, Flash Point.

Shelli 🙂

www.shellistevens.com

One taste of her lips, and friendship is off the menu

Kate has always been everybody’s friend and the de-facto little sister to the Wyatt brothers. But her feelings for Todd Wyatt, the town’s hottest firefighter, run far beyond the sibling variety. Not that he’s ever noticed.

After years of nursing her crush, Kate decides it’s time to take action. Except she has one awkward little secret: she’s still a virgin. She hopes she can seduce Todd without him realizing just how inexperienced she is.

In Todd’s mind, Kate’s the sweet girl he teases and hits up for free cupcakes. One surprise kiss over the summer, though, and suddenly she’s jumped from the platonic side of his brain to the want-her-in-my-bed side. Even though the last thing he wants is to lose her friendship, his resistance to her determined seduction is slipping. Fast.

When malicious attacks on her bakery escalate, it soon becomes clear that for all Kate’s friends, she’s made at least one big enemy. And if they don’t figure it out soon, things could take a deadly turn.

Read an excerpt here.

Update: The winner is…Angela! Congrats, Angela!

If you are a fan of my Elemental Witches or Dark Magick paranormal romance series, or have read any of my erotic romances like The Chosen Sin, Jeweled, or Jaded, you will find Raven’s Quest to be a much different kind of story. Raven’s Quest was one of the first books I ever wrote and it’s a pure fantasy romance, weaving an enduring tale of love through a world rich with magic.

I wrote this novel right after the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. At that point in my life, I’d given up on my writing. Then my husband and I ended up trapped in Europe for an extra week because of the attacks.  We were on one of the first passenger planes allowed back into U.S. airspace. On the flight home, I thought a lot about the people who’d been on those hijacked planes and how fast their lives had ended. I wondered why I wasn’t doing the one thing in my life I loved the most. Because I feared failure? What a stupid reason!

How much would the people on those planes give for a second chance to follow their dreams?

I came home and began work on Raven’s Quest right away. Since then I’ve written over forty other works, but Raven’s Quest still claims a very special place in my heart.

If you’re in need of a hero in your life, you might escape for a while with Lucan. The fourth son of a great king, he never expected—or wanted—to rule, but when his uncle kills Lucan’s family and takes the throne for himself, Lucan has no choice but to form a rebellion and force his unjust uncle from the throne.

Branna is a woman of magic and mystery who comes from a country far away. When she meets Lucan she knows he’s special in more ways than one. Strong and compassionate, Branna is willing to sacrifice her life for the good of her people, but the longer she knows Lucan, the harder leaving him becomes….

I had so much fun writing Branna and Lucan, building their magical world and guiding them both toward love. I hope you will enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Raven’s Quest became available yesterday. Here’s a short excerpt to give you a taste.

EXCERPT

A noise sounded behind her and she whirled, afraid Fiall had followed her. She searched in the half light to determine who it was. By the man’s form and the way he moved . . . aye, she knew him by the way he moved better than she’d ever known anyone . . . she could tell it was Lucan right away.

“Are you all right?” came his low, deep voice. His face was caught in shadow.

For some reason, the concern that laced those words nearly broke her apart. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears that welled over and onto her cheeks. How could she find this man only to lose him again?

She tried to collect herself before speaking. “Yes . . . I’m fine,” she said in the steadiest voice she could manage.

“Because if you need to be kissed, I can do that. If kissing is what you need, I’m your man.”

She could hear the smile in his voice, though she couldn’t see it on his face. She laughed and sobbed at the same time. Fine, she would follow Arturo’s advice and simply give in. “Aye, I could use a kiss,” she said in a voice made husky by her tears.

Before she’d even finished her sentence, he strode toward her. He caught her around the waist and brought his face close to hers. His breath was mint scented, and it stirred the fine hairs around the edge of her face. He smelled as he always did, of spicewood soap and leather, although this time it also seemed she could smell his desire.

One teardrop meandered its way down her cheek, and Lucan kissed it away. Then he tipped her chin up and placed his mouth against hers. She could taste the salty tang of her teardrop as he parted her lips and brushed his tongue against hers in a long, slow stroke.

Morrenna’s stars . . . thank the Goddess for kisses.

Read the first chapter at http://www.anyabast.com/ravens-quest/

Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of Raven’s Quest.

The contest will end at 5pm (est) tomorrow.

Good luck and thanks so much for reading! 🙂

Update: The winner is… Mary Kirkland! Congratulations, Mary!

Thank you so much for tuning in and checking out MY DEADLY VALENTINE! The guest authors and fun posts will continue until that  most romantic of days–Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow, the fabulous Anya Bast will be blogging, and other awesome authors this week include: Donna Grant, Shelli Stevens, and Beth Kery. Don’t miss out!

I also want to thank all of the wonderful folks who have read DEADLY HEAT–thank you! I have received so many great emails, and I am very happy that you are enjoying my latest Deadly book.  The third book in the series, DEADLY LIES, will release on 3/1, and I’ve gotten such great early reviews on this book, including this one from Publishers Weekly:

“The heart-pounding sequel to Deadly Fear and Deadly Heat offers surprise and sexy romance at every turn. Still traumatized by a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer, FBI special agent Samantha Kennedy fights to prove herself by tracking a kidnapper who is targeting the sons of wealthy men. She’s also navigating an attraction to business owner Max Ridgeway. When Max’s stepbrother disappears, he and Samantha must race against time and the ever-changing whims of a brutal killer while confronting their troubled pasts and their shared passion. Eden’s characters are complex and likable, and her plot speeds along breathlessly to a surprising and sizzling conclusion. (Mar.)”

So, as a thank you to everyone, I’d like to giveaway a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate.  I’ll leave this contest open until Friday.  To enter, just tell me how you’d like to spend your Valentine’s Day.

And, since I was chatting about DEADLY LIES, I thought I’d leave you with a DEADLY LIES excerpt:

Somehow I deleted Cynthia’s introduction when trying to update this section with the winner so I apologize!! 🙂

EDITED TO ADD: The winner (which I drew using random.org) is Michele!! Please contact me at katiereus (@) yahoo. com (no spaces or parenthesis). Congrats!!

Thanks so much to Cynthia for letting me blog with her today! The woman certainly knows how to throw a party 😉 I’m so excited for her release of Deadly Heat (which I’ve been impatiently waiting for after reading Deadly Fear)!

Today’s post is a little random but fun (I hope).

One of the most annoying things to me is when I get a completely ridiculous song stuck in my head. And I just keep humming or singing it all day or sometimes for weeks! My husband and I are always quoting Will Ferrell movies (I have a weird obsession with him) and if you’ve seen Blades of Glory you’ll know that Chaz (Ferrell’s character) is a ‘professional’ ice skater and is insistent that he and his partner going to skate to the song ‘My Humps’ by the Black Eyed Peas. That song is just so insane and makes no sense yet it crawls into your brain and sets up camp. Since my baby bump just popped (I’m pregnant with my first child, btw) my husband has been singing that song but replacing the words with ‘my bump, my bump, my lovely baby bump’. He changes the lyrics to a lot of songs and normally I think it’s hilarious but this time it’s driving me a little crazy because of the chosen song, yet I’m always humming it.

What does this have to do with writing or my recent release? Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to share some goodness about myself with you. So now you know I’m preggo and I love Will Ferrell (probably too much).

Writing is such a solitary profession so I love when wonderful authors like Cynthia let me hang out with them! This month I’m celebrating the release of my first book from Carina Press. This is the first release under my ‘Katie’ writing persona in two years so I’m very excited about it. It’s got danger and secrets (hence the title) and a very hot southern hero!

Dangerous Secrets Blurb:

Isabelle Ballantine has been fighting for independence since she was old enough to walk. Now that she’s finally out from under her father’s shadow, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. It’s tough living on her own, working in a bar and keeping her true identity a secret, but things start to look up when a sexy new stranger walks into her life. After working side by side for weeks, Izzy can’t figure out why he won’t make a move.

To cinch the deal of a lifetime, Adam Marcellus agrees to help Izzy’s eccentric father convince his daughter to move home. He’d assumed Izzy would be another spoiled rich princess, but he’s surprised to discover his feelings for her are stronger than anything he’s ever experienced. When a deranged stalker targets her, Adam finds himself fighting not only an unknown threat—but an unexpected attraction to the one woman he can’t have.

Thanks again to Cynthia for hosting me today! I love it when she has a blog party and since she’s been cool enough to host me, I want to offer a book from my back list to one commenter (check out my website for a complete list) who I’ll draw at random. Since this will be a digital giveaway the contest is open internationally (though void where prohibited). You have until tomorrow at noon (Eastern) to enter. I’ll announce the winner in the body of the post and in the comments section!

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I was a kid and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write sexy paranormal romance and fast-paced romantic suspense. Dangerous Secrets is my first release from Carina Press (2/7/11) and in early 2012 my first book in a paranormal trilogy will release from Signet Eclipse (NAL/Penguin). To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, or find me on twitter @katiereus.