Annie Nicholas - Pushed to be Greater

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Enter to win eBook copies of The Omegas and The Alpha.

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Pushed to be Greater by Annie Nicholas

We’ve all experienced that external push to be greater than the sum of what you are or have been the pushers. As parents we encourage our children to do better or as children our parents have given us a shove in the right direction. It doesn’t end in childhood. Bosses, mentors, spouses continue as the cheering squad in our lives, some more other than other.

Being encouraged is a powerful gift but what if you don’t want to grow in the direction you’re being shoved in?

In The Beta, book 3 of The Vanguards series, Robert is shoved in the leader’s role. His alpha is on a honeymoon and as second in command of the Vasi pack Robert needs to keep everything together for a few days.

Excerpt:

“Did you kill him?”

“No.” Robert glanced at Talon’s supine body.


“You’re within your rights. Your pack mates heard him say he was going to attack you.” Daedalus squeezed his six-foot frame through the opening into the apartment. “What a dump.”

“Killing won’t solve my problems. I need to earn the pack’s respect so no one will think to challenge me again, but not this way. Not to mention, killing is illegal.” The idea of murder turned his stomach, though it appealed to his beast. Good thing he always maintained strict control and not the other way around. Too bad he couldn’t say the same for Talon.

Some pack members held poor dominance over their inner beast, losing too much of their humanity as the animal took more and more control of their personality. Some poor souls lost it all and became nothing but animals needing to be put down. The old alpha allowed terrible things like this to happen, which had left the pack a mess.

“In some instances killing is necessary.” Daedalus crossed the room, baring his fangs as he crouched next to Talon.

Robert’s soul shriveled at the sight. “Don’t.” Could he fight the vampire and defend his helpless, yet stupid, pack mate? Sure, but he’d lose.

Daedalus was a gazillion-year-old vampire warrior who thought tossing him around the practice mat taught good fighting skills. After the way Robert just defeated Talon maybe the vampire really knew how to teach. Didn’t mean Robert could defeat his instructor.

Daedalus paused. “It’s a mistake to let him live. He’ll come after you again. Creatures like Talon always do.”

Hanging his head, Robert played with the temptation. Only three more days, then these kinds of decisions went back on his alpha’s shoulders. “Let him be. I’ll deal with it if he didn’t learn his lesson tonight.”

Disappointment passed over Daedalus’s face. Robert hoped it was because of a missed meal and not his decision. He and the vampire were far from best friends, but he did respect the bastard’s opinion.

“Let’s go,” Robert said. “I’m sure there’s still time to find a nice juicy evil-doer before sunrise for you to snack on.” He left the apartment and heard Daedalus close the door as he followed.

“You did well tonight.” Daedalus slapped his back so hard it rattled his molars. “There’s an alpha in you. I knew it. We’ll schedule more sparing time together. Hone your reflexes and increase the speed of your attacks.” The Nosferatu eyed Robert’s shoulders and arms. “Maybe add some bulk with more weight training.”

“I don’t think—”

Daedalus waved and ran ahead. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, buddy.”

“—that’s necessary.” God, they were buddies now? He sighed. Crap and a truckload of it. He had no desire to get molded into an alpha. He wasn’t thrilled at being the Vasi’s beta. More sparring time meant more bruises.

He descended the stairs out of Talon’s apartment building and exited onto the sidewalk. At this time of the night, traffic trickled one car at a time. The neighborhood left much to be desired, and he had parked his car blocks from here to avoid any theft. Muggers were welcomed to try him though. If he had to, he’d bust out his beast in an emergency.

Paranormal races were legal citizens, after all, but they still needed to be discreet. Occasionally a pitchfork-and-torch-wielding mob formed, so the Vasi tried to stay low-key. They didn’t need bad publicity.

The Beta Blurb:

Werewolves believe in soul mates. Sirens eat theirs.

Sirens, a mutation of mermaids, need sexual energy to survive. Marie Laframboise lost her only food source when her strip club burned down. Not wanting to kill any of her victims, she’d learned to glean the lust off her clients, and now she is starving. She can’t resist the temptation to invite herself to the singles shifter party held by local werewolf stud, Maxwell Cox, and feed.

Max doesn’t want a soul mate, but to his dismay, she shows up at his party. Just as Marie can’t resist the temptation to feed, Max can’t resist the instinctual urge to claim her. Marie has never wanted a relationship, but she can’t shake off Max’s pursuit. He offers her things she has only dreamed of, but she fears the hunger will turn those dreams into nightmares.

Her appetite is not one to mess with. Max thinks he’s found the perfect mate, but Marie may have found the perfect prey.

Graphic sexual content, hot shifters, and one scary-A** siren.

Buy Link: http://www.lyricalpress.com/the_beta

Annie Nicholas
http://www.annienicholas.com/
http://www.annienicholas.blogspot.com/

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Anita Clenney - Awaken the Highland Warrior

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Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Awaken the Highland Warrior!

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It’s a Writer’s Life for Me – Just You Wait and See by Anita Clenney

I’ve always loved reading, particularly mysteries and romance. A little over five years ago, just before my daughter started kindergarten, I had been on an intense reading fest and decided I wanted to write a story my way. Since the plan was for me to go back to work in a few months, which I really didn’t want to do, I decided it was now or never. If I could sell a book, I would have a legitimate career doing something I loved and that would be that. I would write a wonderful book and someone would immediately buy it. HA!

I had already fallen in love with writing when I realized I was in over my head, but it was too late to back out. I had found my dream job. After a couple of years, and several rejections, not to mention chinks in my self esteem, I met Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency at a conference. She really put me on the right track with my writing. Even though I wasn’t a client, she gave me great advice, and she wanted to see my manuscript. She took a look and agreed to represent me. Finding her was the smartest move I’ve made as a writer. Because I was so new at writing, I kept revising and polishing my story. Finally, after she and I were both happy with it, she submitted it. Three years, eleven months, and twenty-two days after I started writing, I sold my first book, a paranormal romantic suspense series about Secret Warriors, Ancient Evil, and Destined Love.

The story is about a secret clan of warriors that has existed since the beginning of time. Put in place by Michael the Archangel, these warriors guard unsuspecting humans from the demons hiding among us, disguised as our neighbors, and sometimes our friends, while they attempt to spread their evil and destroy our world. These warriors are equipped with powerful senses, strong muscles, and speed. They have some cool toys as well: Swords, talismans that zap out a laser-like beam of light to destroy a demon (also any humans who get in the way), and time vaults created to hold demons until Judgment. Time stops inside these time vaults, and they won’t open for 150 years, just in case someone finds one and tries to open it, the demon would be powerless.

This is where the first story comes in. Faelan, the most powerful warrior of his time, is betrayed and trapped inside the time vault he had brought to imprison the demon he was battling. Trapped inside, Faelan sleeps for 150 years. Along comes Bree Kirkland, a historian who feels more like Indiana Jones. She’s always been haunted by history and the lure of hidden treasure. When she inherits her grandma’s house, she finds a journal and a treasure map in an old trunk in the attic. Bree follows the clues which lead to the crypt behind her house, but she finds far more than buried treasure.

The attraction between Faelan and Bree comes hard and fast, and for a good reason, so does the frustration since they’re from vastly different cultures. Faelan can’t fathom a female being so bold and rash. The woman attracts danger like a bloody magnet. And she won’t let him protect her; he, a renowned warrior since before she was born. If he could drive that bloody thing she called a car, he’d toss her over his shoulder and get her away from her house before the demon who locked him up comes looking for him.

Bree feels something for Faelan that goes way beyond attraction, frighteningly so, but on the other hand she’s ready to stick him back in the time vault if he doesn’t stop with this over protective nonsense. It’s not the 19th century, for God’s sake, and he’s treating her like a child. Women are tough and independent. But after she finds out what has this big, bad warrior so worried, she’s glad to have all that muscle close by. What she wouldn’t give to get her hands on that talisman hanging around his neck.

Awaken the Highland Warrior has romance, adventure, humor, and lots of suspense. So, now you know a little about me. Tell me how you came to love books?

AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR BY ANITA CLENNEY

A Man From Another Time…

Faelan is from an ancient clan of Scottish Highland warriors, charged with shielding humanity from demonic forces. Betrayed and locked in a time vault, he has been sleeping for nearly two centuries when spunky historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently wakes him. She’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him, and if he’s not careful, she’ll uncover the secrets his clan has bled and died to protect…

Could Be the Treasure She’s Been Seeking All her Life…

When Bree inherits an old treasure map, she discovers a warrior buried in her backyard. But the warrior isn’t dead. Bree shocks Faelan with her modern dress and her boldness, and he infuriates Bree every time he tries to protect her. With demons suddenly on the move, Bree discovers that Faelan’s duty as protector is in his blood, and that her part in this fight was destined before she was born. But nothing is ever what it seems…



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anita Clenney writes paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Before giving herself over to the writing bug, she worked in a pickle factory, at a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, and was a secretary, executive assistant, and a realtor. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Virginia where she is working on her next book, Embrace the Highland Warrior, which will be in stores in November 2011. For more information, please visit www.anitaclenney.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

Night Owl Romance Reviews - 5 Star Top Pick
http://www.nightowlromance.com/nor/Reviews/Robin-reviews-Awaken-The-Highland-Warrior-by-Anita-Clenney.aspx

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Kristine Grayson - Top Ten Ways To Know If You’re Married To Prince Charming

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Enter to win 1 of 2 copies of Wickedly Charming!

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Kristine Grayson - Top Ten Ways To Know If You’re Married To Prince Charming

In the beginning, they’re all prince charmings. Every one of them. They open doors. They buy dinner. They dress up. They smile a lot. They never say bad words. Then you get to know them, and they relax. And you begin to realize that they usually forget to open doors, forget to smile, forget to clean up their language. In fact, they often forget about you.

But the One, the One you marry, he shouldn’t forget about you. And he doesn’t. Usually. But he rarely opens doors any more. You share the cost of dinner, and of course he says bad words, often at the top of his lungs. (Of course, you’re saying equally bad words back—and then you both make up and everything gets better. Much better.)

When you marry him, though, you get down to the core guy. The one who is hidden in those early dating days because he’s trying to impress you. The guy you marry, well, he can’t impress you 24/7. He has to be himself. And “himself” is the one you know really well.

So…how do you know if he’s still Prince Charming? Here are the top ten reason—backwards, the way David Letterman does it. Imagine the drum roll and Letterman’s voice before each number.

The Top Ten Ways To Know If You’re Married to Prince Charming. Here we go. Number Ten…

10. Um…he’s charming. Well, duh.

9. He’s handsome, and always will be.

8. He loves books.

7. He believes in romance.

6. He can wear a tux. He can wear a suit. Honestly, he can wear anything. But he looks best wearing nothing.

5. He only has eyes for you.

4. He says all the right things—and means them.

3. He doesn’t lord his princely-ness over anyone. In fact, he uses it to help other people.

2. He believes in true love.

1. He is always working to make sure you both have a wonderful happily ever after. So there you are, the top ten ways. Of course, he’s a prince in a hundred different ways. But these are the important ones.

I know. Because I found my prince charming 25 years ago. And he’s still charming, still marvelous, and still princely all these years later.

WICKEDLY CHARMING BY KRISTINE GRAYSON – IN STORES MAY 2011

He’s Given Up on Happily-Ever-After…

Cinderella’s Prince Charming is divorced and at a dead end. The new owner of a bookstore, Charming has given up on women, royalty, and anything that smacks of a future. That is until he meets up with Mellie…

But She Might Be the Key to Happily-Right-Now…

Mellie is sick and tired of stepmothers being misunderstood. Vampires have redeemed their reputation, why shouldn’t stepmothers do the same? Then she runs into the handsomest, most charming man she’s ever met and discovers she’s going about her mission all wrong…

It’s only natural that sparks fly and magic ensues when these two fairy tale refugees put their heads—and vulnerable hearts—together…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Before turning to romance writing, Kristine Grayson edited the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and ran Pulphouse Publishing (which won her a World Fantasy Award). She has won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and, under her real name, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, the prestigious Hugo award. She lives with her own Prince Charming, writer Dean Wesley Smith, in Portland, Oregon. Her next book from Sourcebooks Casablanca, Utterly Charming will be in stores in October 2011. For more information, please visit www.kristinegrayson.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

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Shermaine Williams - Nice to be Naughty

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Enter to win an eBook copy of Twisted Angel by Shermaine Williams!

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Nice to be Naughty
by Shermaine Williams

Whether it be in a fairy tale, a movie, a book or in real life, a happy ever after is always desirable. Who wouldn’t want a tale full of twists and turns, angst and issues, that didn’t come good in the end?

It is, after all, nice to be nice. Isn’t that what parents tell their errant children to control their behaviour? I’m sure I remember my mum telling me something along those lines but, alas, it didn’t take.

I’m nice most of the time, but other times, a little naughtiness is called for. I’m sure that many people pride themselves on being staid and responsible all the time (well done, good for you) but isn’t it all a bit boring? A little mischief can make things a little more interesting . Where would we be without the jokes created by naughty minds? Hilarious comedy sketches and sit-coms would never have existed.

For me, this notion doesn’t change when it comes to writing. Erotic romances between a loving couple are great, all sweetness and light leading to a wonderful—ahem—climax. But isn’t it a little too safe and predictable? A few issues on the road to a happy ever after can create a more intriguing story, making the reader more eager to turn the pages to see how the kinks get straightened out.

Defining what is bad in the first place is a minefield as the notion of what it actually constitutes is subjective. One person’s evil deed is another person’s no big deal.

My recent release, Twisted Angel, is all about an angel that comes to earth from hell and is, of course, the epitome of wickedness. The short story gave me the opportunity to outline a little of what I consider bad and how good it can be! Despite her origins, Bella still manages to have fun inflicting her particular skills on the corrupt. Similarly, I enjoyed creating the character of the flawed heroine and penning the insults that she so casually throws at the antihero, Charles.

There are a great many experiences I have enjoyed as well as written about that I’m sure the most moral in society would find objectionable. Now ask me if I care...Of course I don’t, I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Sometimes being bad, or what is perceived to be bad, is just plain fun!

Regret is a terrible thing and I would hate to think that I missed out on an opportunity for the sake of some moralistic notion of what is right and wrong.

I think there are many reasons why stereotypically bad things can actually be good, not least when writing a story. There are always going to be those who disagree and I can only suggest they avert their eyes. Any instruction to ‘be good’ will only be met with the response ‘not if I can help it’.

Shermaine Williams
Purveyor of erotic interludes
www.shermainewilliams.co.uk
www.shermainewilliams.wordpress.com

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Bianca Sommerland - The Making of 'Not So Snow White'

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Enter to win an eBook Copy of Rosemary Entwined!

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The Making of 'Not So Snow White' by by Bianca Sommerland

Believe it or not, that was the original title for Rosemary Entwined. Not a title I'd ever planned to keep--more a label I slapped on the story unfolding in my mind. Actually, unfolding is too tame a word. From the second I first indulged in the idea of a ménage involving seven men--using the plot of Snow White as the skeleton and adding paranormal elements for the flesh and blood--the story took on a life of its own and trampled through my mind like a giant, rabid plot bunny. All the fragile seedlings of more tentative ideas had to be replanted out of harm's way. The men were already crowding out the other heroes lounging about in my subconscious, demanding names, telling me all about their lives before I'd found them.

'But wait!' I said 'Give me a minute to think up good names for you! You're moving too fast!'

They all laughed at me. Told me they already had names.

For some reason, I didn't think having heroes named 'Happy' or 'Dopey' would be very sexy. But despite my doubt, it worked out. Felix and Alaire sound good as far as I'm concerned. Kurt was just obvious. Before long I had seven names and seven very distinct personalities.

Then Rosemary slipped in and the men went silent. Of course, at that time, her name wasn't Rosemary. She was just 'the heroine', the woman who all these men would lust after.

My muse didn't like that idea. He stopped talking to me for awhile. Cut me off, refused to give me a reason why.

I spent a couple of days filling the blanks with research, doing my best to get the creative juices flowing again. No matter what I did, I just couldn't get past this nameless woman who just wasn't good enough for the men I'd already come to love. She didn't deserve them and I couldn't see how to fix that.

Instead of trying to force matters, I went back to the story of Snow White and ripped it apart in my head. What didn't I like about the story? What could I do to make it my own, to put my own erotic, romantic spin on the classic tale?

Well, the story had its heroes. I already knew exactly what I would do with my prince. But the heroine...

Then it hit me. What kind of fairytale has a heroine? Don't they usually have damsels in distress so pure it's nauseating? The classic too stupid to live (for those of you who don't know me, I harp on that a lot, those women are the bane of my existence) maiden wouldn't hold the interest of my heroes for long. So how did I find a woman who would deserve the love and respect of all these wonderful men?

I started by making sure she didn't believe she deserved them either. Not a new concept, but it was a good start. The more research I did, the easier it became to see how this could happen. Rosemary--whose name was the topic of another post, so I won't get into it now--needs every one of those men to survive. She's known all her life that without a nest of loyal men, she wouldn't survive. She grew up believing she would never be beautiful enough to earn that kind of devotion.

One constant in all the retellings of Snow White is the narcissism of the Queen. Whether she is Snow White's step-mother, or her actual mother, in the story, her motives revolve around making sure she is the most beautiful in the land. But why? Why would it matter so much?

From that point on, the story seemed to write itself. The answers came to me and I couldn't write fast enough to get them all down. I knew what kind of creature would need the 'nest' I'd made the core of the story, I'd figured out how Rosemary survived being raised by a demon who'd view her as a threat. I even found ways to use some of the key elements from the original tales as a nice little twist.

And then I came up with the key to making this very lucky girl absolutely miserable. Actually, I think as a writer, the more you like a character, the easier it is to answer 'What's the worst thing I can do to this person?'.

This line explains it all:

One kiss might save her, but if Rosemary has to lose even one of her men, she doesn't want a prince.

Aww, isn't that sweet. Too bad she doesn't have a choice. Finding a prince isn't an option.

Here's a little excerpt I chose to show the moment Rosemary is faced with the dilemma. Naturally it comes shortly after everything seems to be going well for her. Her past catches up with her, almost kills her:

EXCERPT:

As though her thoughts had called him, Kurt stepped into the room. “I've figured it out.” He frowned when Shiloh skittered away from the bed to put space between them. Then he continued, “If the nest was complete, we would share powers. Felix would have been able to break the spell using either my talents or Shiloh's. I thought having seven would be enough, but I hadn't considered an essential part might be missing.”

“An essential part.” Rosemary's brow furrowed. She tried to think of all she knew of nests. What could be missing?

“You need a prince, Rosemary. You haven't chosen one, which means the one you need is still out there somewhere.” He ran his hand over his hair, expression dark. “You'll have to find him and let one of us go.”

“No.” Rosemary looked at Shiloh who had wilted as though she'd chosen to abandon him already.

“It's not happening.”

“You don't have a choice.” Kurt stepped up to the bed and rested his hands on the edge. She could see him fighting to hold the shards of his control together. Everything he'd been pushing her towards made what she had to do that much harder and he took full responsibility. Whatever accusations she wanted to throw at him were held back by the knowledge that nothing she could say would be worse than what he was saying to himself.

But she couldn't help a last ditch effort to deny him. “I have a choice. I'm the queen and I've chosen my nest as it stands.”

“Fighting this will kill you.” He dropped his eyes when she gave him a closed off look. “If you won't think of yourself, think of the others. We are bound to you. If you die, so do we all.”

So there you have it. Pretty simple, eh? ;)

For more of Bianca Sommerland visit: http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/

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Mary Margret Daughtridge - Focal Points: Birdbaths and Babies

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Enter To Win one of 2 Copies of SEALed Forever. Provided by the publisher.

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Focal Points: Birdbaths and Babies
by Mary Margret Daughtridge 

I glanced out the window this morning to see a robin splashing with sybaritic abandon in my birdbath. He liked it so well that after fluttering to the wooden fence to flip bright droplets from his wings, he went back for another dip.

You’d think it had been made just for him. The copper color of the shallow vessel complemented the rusty orange on his breast. The bottom of the bowl has just begun to turn the aqua-green-gray of verdigris. In the background, the heart-piercingly-new green of the leaves of the dogwood brought the composition to perfection.

As townhouses go, mine has a decent size concrete patio and enough ground enclosed by the privacy fence to make a real, albeit small, garden. When I moved in, it already had the aforementioned mature, shapely dogwood and waist high boxwoods, but they had been planted in no discernable order.

What the garden lacked was a focal point. Somewhere for the eye to rest, to meander away from, and to come back to. A focal point can be, but isn’t necessarily, in the center of a composition. Wherever it is, the focal point makes sense of the relationship between itself and all the other elements.

Though I had no idea what the focal point should be, I knew I would recognize it when I found it. But after a couple of years scouring garden stores and home décor shops, I had begun to doubt if I did know.

Mind you, on one of my first forays, I had spotted the birdbath at Tuesday Morning—one of those odds and ends places where they sell discounted stuff that obviously failed to sell somewhere else, but a little more upscale than Big Lots.

The birdbath was just what I needed to make a focal point. Standing chest high, the wide, shallow copper (real copper!) bowl upheld by four slender black metal tubes had the streamlined grace of art deco and a contemporary feel. Its unusual height wouldn’t be dwarfed by the seven foot privacy fence. The copper would age well.

It was perfect. For me, that is. The North Carolina sun is fierce. Copper heats up fast. Standing in the hot summer sun, the water would boil away. And any poor little bird perching on the rim would get his feet fried.

The bath’s design flaw would be no problem for my feathered guests. Except for an hour or two in the early, early morning, my garden is always in dappled shade.

I didn’t buy it. Even discounted, the birdbath was way out of my budget for an item of no real use except to birds. Beautiful as it was, if I’d paid what they were asking, the thing would have stood on the other side of the window, sullenly accusing me of fiscal profligacy every time money got tight.

What’s all this got to do with SEALed Forever, released this month?

Maybe it’s that Garth and Bronwyn, my latest hero and heroine, each lack a focal point in their lives. All the parts are there, matured and fully present, and yet disorganized, lacking coherence.

Take Garth. An ambitious Navy SEAL lieutenant, his career was going great. Okay, okay, his men called him Darth Vader behind his back, not meaning any disrespect, but hardly a testament to his lovability. Still he was on his way up until, against impossible odds, he and all his men survived an ambush in Afghanistan.

You’d think a promotion to lieutenant commander would be a done deal, but no. He’s stuck in Nowhere, North Carolina, aka Sessoms’ Corner, tending a tiny airstrip where black ops planes land—handling a job any E4 enlisted could do. And none of what’s happening makes sense.

Or…take Bronwyn. Having burned out as an ER doc, she’s come to tiny Sessoms Corner to practice the kind of medicine she can put her heart into. But the house she’s planning to open a home office in is haunted…or something. It resists her every effort to get organized.

I knew my garden needed a focal point, and I knew it when I found it. But unlike me, neither Garth nor Bronwyn recognizes the stowaway baby Garth finds aboard a spy plane as the focal point that will bring their lives together.

Like mine, their story has to get worse before it gets better.

I can’t tell you how their story ends. I can tell you how mine does though. About a year later I was trolling Tuesday’s and on the clearance aisle, there was the birdbath. Seventy-five percent off. I broke all land speed records hauling the heavy thing to the checkout counter.

For icing on the cake, as I muscled it down the aisle, I passed an interior designer. Designers troll Tuesday’s too. His blue eyes widened in undisguised competitive envy. “Is that pure copper? It’s beautiful. Where did you find it? Are there more?”

“Clearance,” I said. “Seventy-five percent off.” I wagged my head in utterly false sympathy and tried not to smirk. “Only one.”

SEALed FOREVER BY MARY M ARGRET DAUGHTRIDGE

He’s got a living, breathing dilemma… In the midst of running an undercover CIA mission, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds an abandoned baby, and his superiors sure don’t want to know about it. The only person who can help him is the beautiful new doctor in town, but she’s got another surprise for him…

She’s got a solution…at a price… Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has left the frantic pace of big city ER medicine for a small town medical practice. Her bags aren’t even unpacked yet when gorgeous, intense Garth Vale shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night with a sick baby…

But his story somehow doesn’t add up, and Bronwyn isn’t quite sure who she’s saving—the baby, or the man…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Margret Daughtridge has been a grade school teacher, speech therapist, family educator, biofeedback therapist, and Transpersonal Hypnotherapist. She is a member of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Romancing the Military Soul, and is a sought-after judge in writing contests. She resides in Greensboro, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.marymargretdaughtridge.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

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Reader Tattoo Appreciation

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Enter to win an author goodie package including a book!

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Today we wanted to share with our readers a cool way one reader showcases her reader appreciation. Teresa, a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Lara Adrian had tattoo's done that represent their books. Both tattoo's are on her back and we are sharing a couple pictures of them. Just click the pictures for a full size viewing.

One tattoo showcases a crescent with tear drop and that represents Lara Adrian. Lara loved the tattoo.

Teresa had two done that represent characters by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Both are from the Dark Hunter Series. Teresa said that Valerius and Wulf are her favorites.

So check these awesome tattoo's out and tell us how you have shown your reader appreciation.

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F E Heaton - A World With BITE

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A World With BITE by F E Heaton

I’m Felicity Heaton and I’m here today to talk about my ongoing Vampires Realm series, and the types of creatures readers will encounter in it—specifically the werewolves. But before we get on to the furry stuff, here’s a little background information on the series and my latest release in it.

Vampires Realm started back in 2007 with the release of Prophecy: Child of Light, the first novel in the Prophecy Trilogy. It introduced readers to a dark new world of vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. A world where mortals are seen as food for their superiors but know nothing of their existence, and only a small band of vampire hunters dare to attempt to track and fight the elite vampires of the seven pure bloodlines. Set in modern day Europe, the Vampires Realm series is dark and dangerous, full of action and intrigue, and passion that will turn the most loyal of hearts to surrender to forbidden desires.

In the latest novel in the series, Hunter’s Moon, it is a forbidden passion that brings the hero, a lone alpha werewolf, and the heroine, a young vampire of the Nocens bloodline from Budapest, together in an emotional rollercoaster and a fight for their lives and for the safety of their kind.

Love between two vampires from different bloodlines is forbidden, but love between a vampire and a werewolf goes beyond that. Vampires have a law against fraternising with demonic creatures in such a way, and werewolves are taught never to trust the vampires because of the history between their species. The hero in Hunter’s Moon, Nicolae, is aware of this more than most werewolves. He has spent half of his life, over a century, held in captivity by the pure vampire bloodline in Romania, forced to hunt and kill for them, tortured and starved, and, when he tried to lead his pack to freedom, made to watch them die at the hands of the vampires in a brutal slaughter from which only he escaped. Fury and hatred burn in his heart and have driven him far from Europe and into the remote wilderness of Canada where there are no vampires. He has lived for a century in the mountains with only a pack of timber wolves for company. They have become his companions when he has held all others at bay, even the local werewolf pack, for fear of failing those he cares about again. He is driven to hate vampires but when he finds Tatyana dying in the woods, shot by hunters with a poisoned arrow designed specifically to take down their kind, a war rages into life inside him. The light in him battles the dark and it’s a fight that continues to the very end of his story.

Tatyana, a vampire and the heroine of Hunter’s Moon, knows that the attraction she feels on first setting eyes on Nicolae is forbidden and that the Law Keepers will track her down and kill her if they ever discover it, but she can’t fight her rising desire as she works with Nicolae to discover why the hunters she has been tracking from Europe have come to Canada, and starts to unravel some of the mystery surrounding him.

The previous books in the Vampires Realm series have illustrated the darkness that lives within the hearts and souls of the vampires of the pure bloodlines, but in this book we get a closer look at the werewolf compounds and the effect it has on the werewolves held there, and also what the werewolves are like in the series. They’re just as dark as their vampire counterparts, and Nicolae shows that at points throughout Hunter’s Moon. He’s an alpha to the core, even without a pack, and he becomes fiercely possessive of Tatyana once he brings her into his cabin and his territory. Regardless of the things he knows about vampires, the pain he has lived through, he does all in his power to protect her, even fighting his own kind fang and claw to keep her safe from harm. It’s this dark possessive side to him that I’ve shown glimmers of in other werewolves in the Vampires Realm series, and will be exploring further as the series progresses. The werewolves in the Vampires Realm series are also in touch with nature. They take great pleasure from running as a wolf, and spending time out in the wild, and hunting in wolf form too. In Hunter’s Moon, Nicolae has formed a bond with the local timber wolves and speaks with them through this bond, communicating not only things that have happened and sharing knowledge, but also his desire to protect them from humans. They are Nicolae’s replacement family and those he is closest to, and I think it adds a new dimension to werewolves to see them interact with their animal brethren and care about them, and to be so in tune with the animal side of themselves. Nicolae might be dark, powerful, and sexily possessive, but his interaction with the wolves shows a softer side, the light that balances his dark soul.

It’s this balance of light and dark that I focus on in all of my characters in the Vampires Realm series, creating characters that readers can fall for regardless of their vicious nature and killer instincts. So if you want a world with bite, full of passion and action, and a darker, more traditional yet different take on these preternatural creatures, then why not check out Vampires Realm? There are currently nine books in total in the series, with a tenth being released later this year. Many of the books stand alone and don’t have to be read in order. Hunter’s Moon is one of those so it’s a perfect starting point from which to take the leap with a new series!

Hunter’s Moon by F E Heaton

The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when unfamiliar hunters and the scent of blood lead him to a beautiful woman and a hard decision—face his past and help her or risk losing everyone he cares about again.

Bearing a heart filled with grief and with vengeance on her mind, Tatyana is intent on killing the hunters she’s tracking and returning to her vampire bloodline, but her plan didn’t include being shot with poisoned arrows or rescued by a glowering alpha werewolf who stirs forbidden hunger in her.

When the hunters make their move, will Nicolae be able to stop them before it’s too late? Will he be able to overcome the darkness in his heart and embrace his desire for a vampire? And can Tatyana face her fears and risk her life for the sake of forbidden love? Read the official excerpt or find out where to buy: http://www.vampiresrealm.com

If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:

My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

Vampires Realm series website: http://www.vampiresrealm.com

My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

----About the Author----

Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.

Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.

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Carolyn Brown - Top Ten Ways a Cowboy Can Woo a Woman

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Enter to win one of two copies of Love Drunk Cowboy!

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Top Ten Ways a Cowboy Can Woo a Womanby Carolyn Brown

Good morning Night Owl Romance! How are things over in your part of the world? Here in Oklahoma everything is gearing up for summer big time.

And I’ve got a brand new book just hitting the book stores a couple of days ago so I’m so excited I could put on my cowboy boots and do a line dance with a sexy cowboy. Love Drunk Cowboy is the first book in the new Spikes & Spurs series. Don’t you just love the cover with all that red? Doesn’t it make you want to rush out and buy a pair of red cowboy boots like Austin is wearing?

I have to tell you though; Austin was not wearing boots when she first came to Terral, Oklahoma that spring day. She came to toss her granny’s ashes out over the Red River and she appeared in expensive stiletto heels, a black power suit and a determination to get her granny’s affairs in order and a watermelon farm sold before her two week’s vacation was up. But that was before she met Rye O’Donnell, one hunky, sexy cowboy who lived right across the road. It doesn’t take a degree in falling in love to realize that Rye is definitely interested in her and it was about to drive her right up the walls.

Now Rye didn’t believe in such sappy things as love at first sight, but it hit him like a head butt from a big old rangy long horn bull. His heart was galloping like never before and he was just plumb love drunk whether he believed in it or not. And of all things with a big city corporate woman who wouldn’t know the front end of a cow from a watermelon.

Seemed his job was to woo her severely for the next couple of weeks. Don’t you just love that word: woo? It sounds so cowboy doesn’t it? But that’s what Rye set out to do and in true cowboy fashion.

Maybe we’ll discuss the top ten ways a cowboy can woo a woman. I’m sure there are more than ten, especially if he’s sexy as Rye O’Donnell but with time and space in mind, we’ll keep it to ten.

Number 10: All a cowboy has to do is swagger into a room and the wooing begins right there without him saying a word.

Excerpt: Rye stood up and extended his hand. “I’m Rye O’Donnell.” Austin was struck mute…she put her hand in his and pure old sexual heat created sparks that danced around the café. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

Number 9: Boots, belt buckles and jeans that stack just right over his boots; you might not think about wardrobe being part of wooing…oh, but it is! Just looking at Rye, all cleaned up sent Austin’s mind spiraling to the gutterer.

Excerpt: (Granny had) never once mentioned that he was handsome and muscled up like a body builder. Or that he had amazing deep green bedroom eyes and hair that cried out to have Austin’s fingers tangled up in it. Number 8: Rye’s deep southern drawl!

Excerpt: His deep Texas drawl was enough to cause her bikini underwear to start to inch down toward her ankles. She had the urge to reach inside the waistband of her slacks and give them a jerk to remind them that there was no way she was letting a cattle rancher get under her skin or in her pants.

Number 7: They cook! Picture a tall, dark cowboy from Number 9 cooking steaks while you sit in a chaise lounge and sip watermelon wine.

Excerpt: Rye got home at seven o’clock. He threw two steaks into the microwave and pushed the thaw button, rushed to the shower, shaved, nicked himself in that same place he had when he was in a hurry to get to the Peach Orchard to see her the first time, applied cologne, and tried on four shirts before he put on a soft blue plaid cotton.

He cut up two large potatoes and wrapped each one in a foil packet with real butter, salt and pepper and quarter-inch slice of onion, and put them on the grill to cook while he prepared a salad and put it in the refrigerator to chill. He pulled down two plates and carried them out the sliding glass doors to the deck.

Number 6: One of a cowboy’s best wooing techniques is his ability to dance. Think Number 9. Now add a wonderful steak dinner from Number 7 and then he puts on some slow country music!

Excerpt: They danced through another song and then Willie Nelson began singing “Georgia on My Mind.” She and Rye were swaying and moving their feet very little by then. She would have gladly stayed in that vertical position until eternity. It was peace wrapped in wanton desire; heat and angel wings all rolled into one.

Number 5: Wooing involves sweet talk and flirting! Add up all the above and now add sweet words in that deep Texas drawl. Breathing hard yet?

Excerpt: He wrapped her up in his big arms and kissed her when he walked up on the porch. “Staying across the road and doing my Sunday chores was the hardest thing I’ve done in my life,” he whispered into her hair when he broke away from the kiss. He stepped back, grabbed both her hands…“You are gorgeous.”

Number 4: A cowboy remembers to call or text often! With today’s technology flirting takes on a whole new dimension.

Excerpt: (Rye) What are you wearing right now?

She bit the inside of her lip to keep from giggling and wrote back with one thumb. A business suit and spike heels.

Immediately he replied: Cute black panties with the suit? Number 3: They bring presents and it’s not always flowers and candy. They know their cowgirl well enough to bring what they need and spend a little time with them while they enjoy the present.

Excerpt: (Rye) “I always come around on the first day of the planting to watch for a while. Brought you some coffee.”

Number 2: Wooing involves physical activity, also, beginning with long, slow kisses that turn into heat producing kisses that come close to leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.

Excerpt: Rye groaned and picked Austin up like a bride, draped his duster over her body, and walked out the front door. By the time they were across the road and on her porch, they were both drenched but neither of them cared. There was plenty of heat from the passionate kisses they’d shared the whole distance.

And Number 1: Drumroll please! Cowboys listen to their women. When their cowgirl speaks they listen with their eyes, their heart and their smile. No excerpt for this one. It would be a spoiler for sure. But rest assured Rye O’Donnell knows all about how to dress for a woman, treat her like a princess and listen when she talks. He’s got the wooing down and Austin is feeling it!

Thank y’all for letting me stop by today! It’s been an absolutely lovely visit! Talk to me…what would you like if a cowboy set out to woo you?

LOVE DRUNK COWBOY BY CAROLYN BROWN – IN STORES MAY 2011

She’s a Self-Made City Girl…

High-powered career woman Austin Lanier suddenly finds herself saddled with an inherited watermelon farm deep in the countryside. She’s determined to sell the farm, until her new, drop-dead sexy neighbor Rye O’Donnell shows up… He’s as Intoxicating as Can Be…

Rancher Rye O’Donnell thinks he’s going to get a good deal on his dream property—until he meets the fiery new owner. Rye is knocked sideways when he realizes that not only is Granny Lanier’s city-slicker granddaughter a savvy businesswoman, she’s also sexy as hell…

Suddenly Rye is a whole lost less interested in real estate and a whole lot more focused on getting Austin to set aside her stiletto heels…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 bestselling romances for the library market. She now writes bestselling single title cowboy and country music mass market romances. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Carolyn’s next book, Red’s Hot Cowboy will be in stores in August 2011, followed by Darn Good Cowboy Christmas in October 2011. For more information, please visit www.carolynlbrown.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

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Laura Griffin's - Navy SEALs

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Enter to win an author goodie package!

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“I will never quit” By Laura Griffin

Several years ago I stood knee-deep in the Pacific Ocean, teeth chattering, wondering what on earth would possess a sane man to join the Navy SEALs. I was on Coronado Island that day, and my mission was partly tourism and partly research. I had decided to write a SEAL character in my next book, and had spent the past few months researching what many would call the most elite fighting force in the world.

Coronado is a place where young men who aspire to be SEALs suffer through a ruthless training regimen that boggles the mind. For weeks on end, bands of SEAL trainees run with telephone poles, do five-mile ocean swims, undergo “drown-proofing,” endure sleep deprivation. They are systematically broken down—pushed beyond all limits, both physically and emotionally—and if they survive, they’re built back up again. Few make it through, and that is the point. Those who do come out stronger and more deeply committed to their jobs than most of us can imagine.

It takes a special sort of man to become a Navy SEAL, which is precisely why I had decided to write a SEAL character in my next story. I want my heroes to be, well, heroic. I had recently finished reading Lone Survivor, a book about Marcus Luttrell, the SEAL who managed to live through a deadly firefight in the mountains of Afghanistan. Three of his teammates died. After being blown off a mountain by a rocket-propelled grenade, Luttrell--severely injured--crawled and walked seven miles to a village where he was taken in by a local tribe.

How did he do this? The man is a SEAL. The word “impossible” is not part of the SEAL vocabulary. Men who become SEALs share a special vision of what it means to stand in the face of adversity. I will

never quit…If knocked down, I will get back up, every time…I am never out of the fight. Sound hardcore? It is. It’s straight from the SEAL creed.

A man such as this—one who is unwilling to give up under the most dire circumstances—was just the sort of hero I needed for my story, UNSTOPPABLE, which involves a terrorist plot on American soil. After months of research, I started writing about U.S. Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, and I’m still writing about him today.

I thought about the SEAL creed this week as I watched the news about Osama Bin Laden. I am never out of the fight. It seems fitting, and not altogether surprising, that SEALs were the ones to finally track down the world’s most wanted man. They risked their lives, in an operation that could have ended in disaster, in order to make the world a safer place. These guys are tough, they are committed, and they never give up—not even after ten years. They are heroes. And it’s a good thing we have them in real life, and not just in books.

UNSTOPPABLE appears in the Pocket Books anthology DEADLY PROMISES. Please let me know if you are interested in a copy for giveaway. Laura’s next book, SNAPPED, will be published in September.

Please consider donating books and care packages to our brave service men and women stationed overseas.



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Lisa Renee Jones - Intro To the Zodius Series

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Enter to win one of two copies of "The Legend of Michael" by Lisa Renee Jones!

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Lisa Renee Jones - Intro To the Zodius Series

Thank you so much for giving me the chance to talk about The Legend of Michael! The Legend of Michael is book one in the Zoduis Series. A group of Special Forces men were lied to and told they were getting immunizations when they were receiving an experiment serum created from an alien sample they managed to secure decades before. There are no spaceships, or alien, or sci-fi elements beyond the serum coming from another life form. The men begin to develop remarkable special abilities. Very Superman like but each is a little different. The soldiers split between good—The Renegades, and bad—The Zodius.

I thought today I would give you a look at the first three heroes in the Zodius Series and the pictures I used to inspire me when I was writing. In the books, one of the heroes, Sterling always compares Michael to Batman– since he is dark and dangerous, and scares people just walking in the room. Sterling LOVES to give Michael a hard time. He calls Caleb, the leader of the Renegades, Superman, because he is all about morals and right and wrong. Michael believes sometimes you just have to be bad to be good :-) Oh, and Damion is Mr. America because he is all by the rules… until he meets a woman who makes him break them. Darn those women!

Sterling later gets his own nickname but you have to read the series to appreciate why. So onward!

Michael

Michael

He is a Lethal Weapon

One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.

He is Her Enemy… And Her Destiny…

Fate leads Michael back to Cassandra Powell, for she holds the key to defending his comrades. With their loyalties divided between duty and the people they love, only together can Cassandra and Michael overcome insurmountable odds to save humanity from the wrath of a madman.

But no ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear—the world will never be the same…

Sterling

Note –Rob Aston was a Mr. Romance and he died of a heart condition far too young. He still inspires me and always will!

Sterling

He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery…

Lethally daring. Ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door. Welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus he is danger. A volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is . . . Sterling.

Justin Hartman – The Green Arrow in Smallville! YUM!

Damion

Damion

Lethally passionate, wickedly dangerous…

He is a soldier of soldiers, an enforcer of the code of honor. Expectant of greatness and tolerant of nothing less. With ruthless precision, he calculates risks as deliberately as he does his lover’s satisfaction. Assessing, pleasing, and when needed, destroying. Inexplicably in control, there is absoluteness in everything he does, everything he is—everything he will make you feel. He is…Damion.

Channing Tatum. The man can’t act but who cares?!

So—what do you think of my inspiration?!

Lisa
www.lisareneejones.com

@Lisareneejones on Twitter

THE LEGEND OF MICHAEL BY LISA RENEE JONES – IN STORES MAY 2011

He’s a Lethal Weapon…

One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.

He is her Enemy… And her Destiny…

Cassandra holds the key to Michael’s power, and his pain. With loyalties divided and against insurmountable odds, Cassandra’s heart propels her to Michael’s side—but can her love do anything but destroy him…

No ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one th ing is clear—the world will never be the same…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award winning author Lisa Renee Jones has published more than fifteen novels in several different languages, spanning multiple genres of romance: contemporary, romantic suspense, dark paranormal and erotic fiction. Her awards include first place in the Romantic Times Aspiring Writers Contest. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, CO, where she is working on her next Zodius novel, The Renegade Conquest (working title), to be released in November 2011. For more information, please visit www.lisareneejones.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com.

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Kat Madigan - Why For Only A Year?

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Enter to win a Print copy of "Year of the Dog".

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Why For Only A Year??? by Kat Madigan

The other day one of my readers asked me how I came up with the idea for Year of the Dog and I was thrilled to give her an answer. The fact that I could trace the book back to a single moment almost made me feel more like an author than actually finishing the book and getting it published!

But let me start at the beginning. My answer to her question was this: jury duty. I’ve never been one of those people who moan and complain when I get called. Our system is undoubtedly broken, but I think part of the reason is that people no longer take responsibility for their place in our society, but I digress (again!) That’s a soap box better left for my next blog!

I was an alternate juror for a case involving a young woman whose ability to care for herself was being judged. Ultimately, the twelve jurors (I was never called on that final day) determined that she would remain under the State’s Conservatorship for at least another year. I wasn’t there for the declaration of the verdict, but I imagined what her reaction might have been. During the trial she had seemed disconnected from her surroundings, drugged even, but they had spoken about her dog, a German Sheppard, and how much she loved him. I wondered what would happen with her dog; judging by the lack of people in the audience during the trial it seemed as though she hadn’t any friends or family who were either willing or present to step up. I doubt anyone else worried about the dog, but that’s usually where my mind goes first. I always root for the underdog, literally in this case.

So now you understand – Year of the Dog is about a man who inherits a dog from his client who is remanded into the state’s custody for at least a year. You can see from the cover that the dog isn’t a German Sheppard in this case – she’s a spitzen. Even I couldn’t figure out how to get a pet-less man to take in an 85 pound dog, but a small 25 pound dog seemed a little more reasonable. And how does a pet-less man learn to cope with said dog? Enter the love interest and animal nut named Sara. The rest of the story just grew. In fact, it went in places that I had no intention of taking it. I tried to force my creations to follow directions and ultimately had to cut out entire chapters for lack of cohesion. They read like they didn’t belong, which goes to show that I should have listened to the characters to begin with!

I still find it to be amazing that one simple idea could blossom into an entire book, but it’s happening again as I work on the second novel, so evidently this is how I work. I’m still trying to control the characters, but I’m hoping they’ll respect the guidelines I’ve set in place.

Have you ever tried to do something that just wouldn’t go the way you wanted it to, but despite your expectations it somehow ended up right anyway?

Kat Madigan
Year of the Dog
http://www.kat-madigan.com

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Jennifer Estep - Pop Culture Junkie

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Enter to Win a Print copy of Tangled Threads

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Pop Culture Junkie - Jennifer Estep

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to Tammie and the rest of the folks at Night Owl Reviews for having me on the site today. Thanks, guys!

I’ll admit that I’m a total pop culture junkie. I watch waaay too much TV, and you want to know why? Because of all the great couples on TV these days. I love watching my favorite characters hook up, break up, and more over the course of a season. So today, I’d thought I’d share some of my favorite TV couples. Here goes:

Fiona and Michael on Burn Notice: Miami has plenty of heat, thanks to this on-again, off-again sexy spy couple. The couple who blows stuff up together, stays together …

Chuck and Sarah on Chuck: Chuck is the sweet beta guy who finally got the hot, kick-butt girl. These two are just super cute together.

The cast of Grey’s Anatomy: There have been so many hookups and breakups on this show that I just can’t keep track of them all. But despite their differences and fallouts, all the characters really care about each other. I really like the friendships between Meredith and Christina, and Callie and Mark. Lily and Marshall on How I Met Your Mother: Lilypad and Marshmallow are one of the nicest, sweetest, and funniest couples on TV.

Raylan and Winona on Justified: They might be divorced, but they still care about each other. And nobody looks better in a cowboy hat than Raylan does. LOL.

Nikita and Michael on Nikita: Whether they’re fighting each other or working together to take down the bad guys, these two simply sizzle whenever they’re on screen together. Tony and Ziva on NCIS: I know, I know, technically, they’re not really a couple, but the joking Tony and straight-laced Ziva definitely have plenty of chemistry.

So there you have it. Some of my favorite TV couples at the moment. What about you guys? Who are some of your favorite TV couples?

Jennifer Estep

--------About the Author--------

Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

Books in the series are Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, and Venom. Tangled Threads, the fourth book, was published on April 26, while Spider’s Revenge, the fifth book, will be released in October.

Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

The first book, Touch of Frost, will be out in August, while the second book, Kiss of Frost, will hit shelves in December. First Frost, a prequel e-short story to the series, will be out in July. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more.

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