Blog Archives

Forbidden Blood by R.L. Kenderson

7/29/2014

Today, I'm featuring a paranormal romance by R.L. Kenderson. Here's the synopsis: Next in line to lead the vampire species, Princess Naya Kensington has always abided by her royal responsibilities. At the urging of her best friend, Naya breaks the rules and crosses the line when she goes to a human nightclub. Following a chance encounter, Naya alters her life with a singular act forged from lust and blood.

Vaughn Llewelyn has secrets and obligations of his own, but he ignores them when he spots Naya across the nightclub. He wants her in a way he’s never felt before, and although he can’t possibly have more than one night with Naya, he knows no one else will do.

One night of forbidden love creates a bond that will forever change both of their lives…as well as their worlds.

And here's an excerpt: As Naya moved closer, she found a small opening near the corner of the bar. When she reached the counter, it was obvious as to why the space had been empty. Next to her sat a disheveled man perched on a stool. He stank of alcohol and smelled like he was about a week overdue for a shower. He ogled her, making her uncomfortable, but people were swarming the bar around her, so she was unable to put the space she wanted between herself and the dirty drunk.

However, she was sick of people forcing her to do things she didn’t want to do, whether it was consciously or subconsciously on their part. She was going to get a drink, head to the floor, and dance until she started to have fun, even if it killed her. She would not let anyone ruin her plans.

“Hey, baby,” he said as he scooted closer, looking her up and down and almost falling over in the process. Apparently, his intoxicated state wasn’t going to stop him because he next slurred, “You’re hot,” as he swayed into her personal bubble.

She’d had to hold her breath when he spoke since his teeth hadn’t met a toothbrush in some time.

Naya faced forward and ignored him, hoping he would get the hint. While situations like this didn’t happen often, she had learned that silence was sometimes the best policy.

He leaned in closer. “I said, hey, baby.”

This time, she gave him a stern look. “Sir, I am not your baby.” She turned away, praying the straightforward approach would work.

“Wanna come home with me tonight? We can grab a six-pack of beer and fuck.”

She gasped. “No!” Gross.

“What? You don’t like beer?” He laughed at his joke and extended his hand to touch her.

She jerked her arm away and lifted her chin with confidence. “I’m here with someone.”

If only it were true.

He called her bluff. “I don’t see anyone with you. Why are you playing hard to get, dollface?”

She groaned. Why won’t he go away?

She took a small step back, irritated that she had to be the one to leave, when she sensed a presence behind her. Even though she couldn’t see the person, she knew immediately that he was big, male, and powerful. But she wasn’t afraid. In fact, a calm sense of relief came over her, and she instinctively recognized he was the one who had been watching her. The deep feelings he’d first stirred in her now flared to life. Anticipation, excitement, arousal, and exhilaration fused into one. Her head was spinning as her nostrils flared, and the lonely place between her legs blazed to life.

From the mirror behind the bar, she caught a glimpse of a virile male before he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, engulfing her body with his own. He kissed her neck and lingered there as if he had the right.

She tilted her head and let him.

About the authors: R.L. Kenderson is two best friends writing under one name. Renae wrote her first poem in third grade and learned she might have a knack for this writing thing, while Lara remembers sneaking her grandmother’s Harlequin novels when she was probably too young to be reading them, and she always knew she wanted to write her own.

When they met in college, they bonded over their love of reading and the TV show Charmed. What really spiced up their friendship was when Lara introduced Renae to romance novels, and when they discovered their first vampire romance, they knew there always would be a special place in their hearts for paranormal romance. After being unable to find certain storylines and characteristics they wanted to read about in the hundreds of books they consumed, they decided to write their own.

They live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, where they’re a sonographer/stay-at-home mom and a pharmacist by day and sexy authors by night.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Tumblr

Buy the book:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/VCwraj
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1rT4iGa
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qgDhx8
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1v93jSe
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1iy4t9G

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Operation Owl, new from Tara Quan

7/23/2014

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I owe Annette a huge thank you for hosting me today. My multicultural romantic comedy, Operation Owl, was just released by Decadent Publishing. A Beyond Fairytales adaptation of The Owl by Brothers Grimm, it features a geeky hacker hero and his bookish best friend. They team up to expose a cyber conspiracy at the heart of the U.S. government and end up indulging in some other equally exciting activities.

For a chance to win a $25 gift card, drop by my website: TaraQuan.com/Owl.

Operation Owl

Five years ago, Maya Jain kissed her best friend, only to have him run out of her dorm room and leave the state. When he shows up in Washington, D.C. a wanted fugitive sought after by every branch of the U.S. government, she can’t bring herself to ignore his plight. As their physical relationship picks up where it left off, she decides it’s time to make him see her as more than the bespectacled, bookish girl he once called “Owl.”

After being accused of espionage and treason, Zack Strong needs a forensic accountant to help clear his name. Not knowing who he can trust, this white-hat hacker has no choice but to ask his former best friend and math tutor for help. Together, they unravel a cyber conspiracy at the Barn, an NSA facility tasked to intercept electronic communications. But as they traverse the nation’s capital to avoid capture, Maya insists on letting their simmering sexual tension take its natural course. Even though he’s never been able to shake the memory of their one kiss, he refuses to let her give up her life for a man with no future.

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy, Multicultural

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | AllRomance | Decadent | Goodreads

Here's an excerpt:

“About a year ago, I was contracted by the National Security Agency for what they called Operation Owl.”

Maya turned and squinted at him. “Operation Owl? Are you sure you’re not making this up?”

Zack rolled his eyes. “The irony isn’t lost on me either. Apparently, the person in charge of naming these NSA projects was a Nicodemus fan, so fairy-tale titles were used as operation code names. Mine happened to be The Owl.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You do realize the confluence of operation name, my nickname, and this meeting place supports the theory you’re a schizophrenic conspiracy theorist, right?”

He scowled. “And sane people don’t use words like ‘confluence’ in every day conversation. Do you want to hear my story or not?”

She patted his shoulder. “Sorry. Please continue.”

He had a feeling she was making fun of him but decided to let it slide. “The goal of Operation Owl is simple. The country’s top white hat hackers—”

“And now we can add delusions of grandeur to your list of symptoms,” she murmured.

Detecting a hint of amusement, he cleared his throat. “Some white hat hackers were hired to gain access to the Barn—a bank of servers the NSA uses to intercept any and all electronic communication. The government would like to think the facility is impervious to offsite attacks, but they wanted to make sure. We were given a simple task—break in, retrieve a picture of an owl they hid among the data, and brief them about their vulnerabilities. The people who contracted us were pretty damn sure we’d all fail.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t?”

How about one more excerpt?

“This better be important,” Maya grumbled as she fished the iPhone Zack had gifted her out of her purse, which she had left in the closet, all the way by the kitchen. She could never seem to remember simple daily tasks such as charging her phone, putting it in memorable and easily accessible places, or installing software updates. It was a miracle she had bothered to look for the darn thing at all. After spending the night and the better half of the morning slaving away at his behest, she didn’t have the patience for more demands. At least not until she’d gotten some sleep. “What do you want?”

“You need to get out of there.” Zack’s panicked voice rooted her to the spot. “And not through the front door. They’re already on their way up. Why did you take so damn long to answer?”

This wasn’t the right time to be scolding her, but they’d talk about it later. “Who’s on their way up?”

“Men with guns who won’t bother flashing badges. Put on shoes you can run in and come out to the balcony. Now, Maya.”

Too confused to think straight, she followed his direction and strapped on a pair of hiking sandals. Barely remembering to take her purse, she bolted across the living room with the phone still pressed to her ear. “What am I supposed to do there?”

“Leave your stuff. Jump to the apartment next to you and keep going until you find an unlocked door. Get out through there and take the fire-exit stairs down to the loading dock. I’ll be waiting.”

She turned the doorknob. “Who do you think I am? The Princess of Persia? I’m not the jumping over rooftops type of girl.”

About Tara Quan

Globetrotter, lover of languages and romance author, Tara Quan has an addiction for crafting tales with a pinch of spice and a smidgen of kink. Inspired by her travels, Tara enjoys tossing her kick-ass heroines and alpha males into exotic contemporary locales, fantasy worlds and post-apocalyptic futures. Armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, her characters are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. Follow Tara at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon

Link to Rafflecopter Giveaway -- $25 Amazon gift card or Paypal cash, http://www.taraquan.com/owl.

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Into the Light, new romance by Tami Lund

7/20/2014

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Today, I'm featuring a new release from Liquid Silver Books. Here's the synopsis: They were supposed to be enemies, not lovers. Tanner Lyons is a shifter without a pack, which is just the way he likes it—until he rescues Olivia Bennett, princess of the Lightbearers. Suddenly, he finds himself fighting an attraction that makes no sense, because Lightbearers and shifters have been mortal enemies since the beginning of time. Intrigue, adventure, magic, and passion -- you’ll find it all in Into the Light, Book 1 of Tami Lund’s exciting new fantasy series, Lightbearers.

Here's an excerpt:

Chapter 1

They found him in a no-name bar in a no-name town, playing pool and getting hustled by a human. Tanner spared a moment to determine he would rather continue to be hustled out of his hard earned cash than to talk with the two shifters who stood at the other end of the pool table.

He bent at the waist to take his shot, brushing an errant lock of hair out of his face as he did so. The redheaded woman in the pink shirt and blue jean mini that barely covered her ass noticed the gesture. He wondered how fast he could get rid of the two reminders of a life he’d left behind ten years ago, so he could make a move on the human.

Tanner took his time taking his shot, partially as an excuse to size up the intruders on his shifter-less life. Finnegan Hennigan, coppery hair, pale blue eyes, same age as Tanner, arguably the best tracker in Tanner’s former pack—if not the country. Not surprising they’d found him, with Finn assigned to the task.

The other one was Mickey Rollins, dark hair, dark eyes, a young punk who couldn’t be more than twenty, was probably more like seventeen or eighteen. Tanner remembered him as one of the many in the pack who idolized the pack leader and everything he stood for.

“Your father sent us,” Mickey said when Tanner made no move to acknowledge their presence.

Tanner did not take his eyes off the pool table. “There’s a shadow on the table,” he commented in a gravelly voice that was rough as sandpaper from lack of use. Tanner didn’t talk much. He didn’t have anyone in his life worth talking to.

Mickey scowled, but obligingly shuffled to the side. Finn smirked. Tanner took his shot, a sloppy one that nonetheless landed in the corner pocket. His human opponent nodded his approval and offered a word of advice for the next time he had the same opportunity. Mickey looked enraged that the human was even speaking to Tanner, let alone offering him advice on playing pool.

“He wants to see you, Tanner.” Mickey tried again to pull Tanner’s attention.

“I don’t give a fuck what that bastard wants.” He took another shot and succeeded in pocketing the cue ball.

“He captured a lightbearer.”

Tanner didn’t even lift an eyebrow. “Again? You know, Wyoming doesn’t have a very large human population to begin with. At the rate my father is going, he’s going to wipe them out.”

“It’s for real this time,” Mickey assured him. He glanced at the human pool player, who appeared oblivious to their conversation as he proceeded to run the table.

It’s always “for real this time.”

“Quentin Lyons rules the most powerful shifter pack in the country. He has everything a shifter would want. Why the fuck does he keep wasting his time chasing myths?”

He even had women, any and all the women he could possibly want, Tanner thought ruefully as he eyed the redhead again. Unlike Quentin, Tanner sometimes had to work to attract a warm, willing body into his bed. At a young age, Tanner had become aware that Quentin made a habit of sleeping around, despite having been mated to Tanner’s mother for nearly forty years. Shifters may mate for life, but in Quentin’s world, that didn’t mean they had to stay faithful for life.

Another reason to despise the man.

“It’s not a myth,” Mickey insisted. His eyes darted to Tanner’s human opponent. Discussing business associated with the magical world was strictly off-limits in front of humans, and Tanner knew it was making Mickey nervous that he didn’t seem concerned that the human had overheard any part of their conversation.

“No one can inherit magic from anyone,” Tanner replied, deliberately speaking at a normal level. The human could hear their conversation, Tanner well knew. The thing about humans, he’d learned, was that they only heard what they wanted to hear.

“Quentin says it’s true,” Mickey stubbornly pressed on.

“So that makes it true?” Tanner said with sour amusement in his voice.

“Yes.” Mickey insisted, absolutely convinced.

Finn stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, observing the interaction but offering no opinion. Tanner wondered if he even had an opinion on the subject, or if he followed blindly like all the rest in Quentin’s pack.

“Tell him I’m not interested in his stupid obsession,” Tanner suggested without looking at the messengers. He didn’t want them to see the guilt in his eyes. All three knew that if Tanner didn’t go back to the pack with Mickey and Finn, Quentin would take out his wrath on the messengers. It had happened plenty of times over the course of the last ten years. Every time they found him.

Time to move again.

Mickey shoved his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a scrap of material. It was white with silver and gold thread woven into the material. He thrust the scrap at Tanner. “It’s true,” he insisted. “Feel this. You can still feel her magic.”

The human won the game and Tanner pulled two twenties out of his wallet. “Why don’t you go get us all a round?” he suggested. He wasn’t surprised when the human nodded his head and did Tanner’s bidding. Whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not, he was a natural born leader. Future pack master.

No. I made my choice. I chose to live by my own rules, not his.

He noticed that the redhead lost interest and moved away from the pool table, probably because none of the men in the pool area were paying her any attention. Not all my choices are my own, he thought with disappointment, as her swinging ass disappeared around the corner.

Tanner pulled his eyes away from the sight and studied the scrap of material. In truth, he could feel ... somethingwithout even touching the stuff. But it had to be a trick of some sort. There were plenty of other magical beings in the universe. Not many that lived in the human world, though. Only the shifters claimed that right. Everybody else hadtheir own worlds in which to live.

“Descendants of the fae,” Mickey said in an excited voice, reciting what they’d all learned as younglings, crouched around Quentin’s knee as he expounded about his obsession. “They moved to our world to get away from the fae, who were so obsessed with them that they wanted to enslave the entire race.”

“I sense a theme here,” Tanner drawled.

Mickey flushed and angrily pressed on. “Their magic is renewable. Everybody knows it.”

“Yeah, I get that they got their magic from the sun,” Tanner acknowledged. He eyed the scrap of material in Mickey’s hand. “But no one has seen a trace of lightbearers in over five hundred years. Somebody wiped them out. Probably our kind, trying to inherit their magic.”

“Probably our kind eating them for dinner,” Finn contributed to the conversation for the first time. “Back then we were slightly more primal.”

“Slightly,” Tanner remarked tongue-in-cheek. Finn smirked. Tanner recalled how they used to hang out together as kids. They’d shifted for the first time together. Now, Finn was Quentin’s best tracker and Tanner was doing his best to avoid getting sucked back into the pack.Time and change and all that.

“If a shifter kills a lightbearer, he’ll inherit its magic.” Mickey refused to give up on Quentin’s obsession.

Considering the only magic a shifter possessed was the ability to change forms at will, it was a heady idea to be able to steal another creature’s magic. Especially for one who considered himself to be the top of the food chain, even without much magic.

“Touch it,” Mickey demanded as he waved the bit of material in Tanner’s face.

Tanner batted at the material, if only to push it away. His fingers skimmed the surface. A jolt shot through his system, so raw and potent that his entire body reacted as if he’d been electrocuted.

“Told ya,” Mickey said triumphantly.

“Give me that,” Tanner said as he snatched the torn bit of material out of Mickey’s hand. He held it, reveling in the feel of magic there. It felt ... intoxicating. “Where did you get this?” he breathed as he stared at the gold and silver thread that wove a pattern through the white material.

“The lightbearer. Your father figured you wouldn’t come, unless you had proof.”

Tanner continued to stare at the material. It wasn’t true—was it? Tanner—and a great many other shifters—believed they didn’t really exist. His father had never let go of the belief that they were simply hiding, and all he had to do was find one of them. Just one.

Was his father right all along?

Fates be damned, but Tanner certainly hoped not. He’d spent the better part of his life desperately hating the man for what he represented, for how he ruled his pack, for the way he treated Tanner’s mother and every other woman in his pack. Most of all, he’d hated the man for his obsession over a race of magical creatures that Tanner had been certain no longer existed.

Tanner didn’t understand his father’s obsession. The man was already pack master over one of the largest and most respected—or at least feared—packs in the country. He didn’t need magic to gain prestige and power. He already had it all.

“Come on, Tanner,” Mickey begged. “He won’t let none of us see her until you come back to the pack. He says you get the first honor. Come on.”

Tanner continued to stare at the scrap of material for a few more moments, pondering his decision. Finally, he tossed the pool stick onto the table. “Damn it to hell,” he muttered as he turned and strode from the pool area, out of the bar and into the cool summer evening air.

Damn the man for luring him back like this.

* * * *

“Holy fuck. It’s true.”

Tanner stared at the evidence curled up against the far wall of one of the cells built into the basement of his father’s oversized manor home. Only Quentin Lyons would think to build underground cells when he was having his home custom built, some thirty years ago.

Tanner still couldn’t believe the man was right to keep searching, to keep obsessing. Yet there she was, a petite, fragile looking thing, sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest, glaring at him through iron bars that were obviously strong enough to dampen her magic at least somewhat. Otherwise, Tanner assumed she would have tried to escape by now.

She had long blonde hair that was tangled and matted and looked as if she hadn’t been captured easily. Which made sense, because otherwise, Quentin would have found one before now, right?

Her eyes were bright, bright blue, the opposite end of the spectrum from Tanner and many other shifters, who tended to have pale blue eyes. They were large in her small, heart-shaped face. Her torn dress was white with gold and silver designs sewn into it. The dress clung to a body that was slight, with small breasts, narrow hips, and thin legs.

What was most intriguing, however, was the faint shimmer of magic that danced around her body like a thousand tiny sparks. He could see it, even in this dimly lit basement.

“Yeah, can you believe it?”

Tanner turned his head to the left and studied the shifter who had been awarded the privilege of bringing him down to the basement. The kid stared at the caged lightbearer, panting slightly, a fox studying its prey in the hen house. Tanner subtly stepped to the right, bodily putting himself between the young shifter and the caged lightbearer.

“Aren’t you the asshole who killed four humans in cold blood just recently?”

The kid affected a defensive look. “I thought they were lightbearers.”

Tanner waved at the woman crouched in the cell. “Did they look like this? Remotely? Did magic spark off their skin?”

The defensive look turned mulish.

“I thought you were in the human jail?”

The kid shrugged. “I just waited until no one was around and then I shifted into the form of a rat and snuck away,” he boasted.

Tanner felt disgusted. Four lives, wasted, just because Quentin’s poison had seeped into the entire damn pack. Sometimes he felt like the only shifter who did not support his father’s evil ways. And he was blood related to the man. If anyone should feel obligated to believe in him, it should be Tanner. Yet he was the only one willing to defy the pack master. He’d moved away from the pack ten years ago and only came back on the rare occasion that Quentin pulled some stunt like this to lure him back.

Not that he’d ever managed to quite pull this stunt before.

“Get out of here,” Tanner snapped. He was relieved when the kid slunk away with only minimal protest. Technically, Tanner had no pull within this pack, not since he left and walked away from his birthright. But shifters were a hardwired lot, and it would be difficult for any of them to defy him, despite his standing—or lack thereof.

Once he was alone in the basement with the silently observing lightbearer, Tanner walked closer to the cell and leaned against the iron bars. Iron did not affect shifters the way it affected the fae—and lightbearers, apparently. He was pretty certain the petite woman shrank away from the iron more so than him.

She was attractive, he decided, despite the tangled hair and torn dress. But not his usual type. When he looked at the shimmering magical creature, the words elegant andrefined came to mind. Not words that would describe his lifestyle—or the women in it.

Tanner liked women who had only one expectation and understood that they were not invited to stay for breakfast. Women who looked like this lightbearer were not the sortwho understood the rules of that particular game. She was the type of woman Tanner would admire from a purely masculine standpoint and then walk away from—as he headed to the nearest nightclub.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She didn’t answer.

“Are you really a lightbearer?”

She still refused to answer.

He stood there for a while, studying her, as she studied him back. She looked defiant, determined not to give him anything, especially answers.

“I’m not like the rest of them,” he said. “I don’t believe all that crap about killing lightbearers to gain their magic.”

He did not imagine the look of cautious relief in her eyes. So she knew the legends as well.

“Are you worried it’s true?” he asked.

“I am more worried that you’ll try to find out.” Her voice was soft, with an accent that was part Midwest, part something else, something ... magical.

He cocked his head. “Do you live here in this world?” he asked curiously. A magical creature with a Midwesternaccent?

Her chin lifted a notch and she refused to answer, but that was answer enough. Tanner whistled.

“Hot damn, not only was my father right about your continued existence, but he was right about you living in this world. Where do you live?”

Not surprisingly, she did not answer.

“I’ll find out from the ones who captured you, so you might as well tell me,” he pointed out.

“Vegas,” she finally ground out. She wrapped her arms more tightly around her legs and rested her chin on her knees as she continued to watch him with those overlarge eyes.

“You live in Vegas?” He was surprised by this information. Vegas did not seem very far from where his father’s pack lived, considering how far and wide he’d sent scouts to search for her species.

Although, in reality, Vegas made perfect sense. It was sunny nearly all the time, and eclectic enough that even magical creatures would be able to blend in fairly easily. He wondered how many of them lived in Vegas, and how his father had finally figured this out.

She shook her head. “That is where they caught me.”

“And what were you doing in Vegas?”

“Gambling. Playing. Enjoying myself. At least, I was until your stupid guard dogs figured out what I was,” she spat.

So she didn’t live in Vegas. “Not my guard dogs,” Tanner reminded her. “I’m not pack master here. Trust me, you’ll know him when you meet him.”

“I already have.” She shivered. Yep, she knew Quentin.

“Are there others in Vegas?”

She paused and then shook her head.

“Are there others in this world?”

“If you think I’m going to give up the location of the coterie, you are sadly mistaken. Even if I wanted to or was coerced to do so, I could not. We are all under the influence of a very powerful spell. It does not allow us to disclose the location, even under duress. You would simply have to kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Tanner spat irritably, and then he frowned. “What’s a coterie?”

“Where we live. A secret place that no one has discovered for five hundred years.” Her voice was slightly boastful.

“But it’s not in Vegas. So why were you in Vegas? Presumably alone?”

She hesitated again, and then apparently decided she had nothing to lose. “The coterie is like a tiny village. We are self-sustaining, all inclusive. We live our lives exactly as the king instructs us. It can become terribly oppressive.”

She complained like a petulant child. Tanner couldn’t help smiling. “And you prefer to have fun, regardless of the potential danger.”

“There hasn’t been a shifter attack in centuries,” she pointed out.

“You just said your coterie is so well hidden no one has found it in five hundred years.”

The woman frowned and said nothing.

“My name is Tanner Lyons. What’s yours?”

“Why do you care? You’re only going to kill me.” The shimmer of magic surrounding her body brightened for a moment. Tanner’s eyes flared briefly as he felt the impact as if she’d touched him, instead of simply glared at him.

He shook his head and made an exasperated sound. “I told you I’m not going to kill you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t think like the pack master. I didn’t even believe you all existed, let alone that you can share your magic.”And it would be a damn shame to kill someone so pretty.

“Then set me free,” she challenged.

“Shh,” he said as he cocked his head to listen to a sound only he could hear, thanks to his intensified shifter hearing. “Someone’s coming.”

The lightbearer shrank into herself, curling her body into a tighter ball as she watched the basement stairs with growing trepidation. Quentin had obviously made quite an impression on her.

Then he was there, the man himself. Tanner’s sire, not that he was particularly pleased or honored by that fact. Long, pitch-black hair, a well-groomed beard shot with silver and muscles to rival any twenty-year old, Quentin Lyons was without a doubt a force with which to be reckoned. If not for the silver in his beard and the fact that his eyes were black, whereas Tanner’s were a pale blue, the two men could be twins.

Tanner knew the only reason he’d been able to defy the pack master ten years ago was because he was Quentin’s only legitimate offspring, and his father was under the delusion that he would step up and take over the pack someday.

Not likely.

“Ah, the prodigal son returns,” Quentin drawled, his dark eyes sweeping over Tanner, as if searching for an indication that he’d decided to change his ways since the last time the two men met.

Tanner fought, as always, to remain passive in front of the dominant shifter. Do not let him know he gets to you.

“Mickey made it difficult to say no this time.”

Quentin chuckled. “As I knew he would. I told him it was his life or you. I am pleased he chose you. How did he do it?” At least he didn’t pretend Tanner wanted to be there.

“Produced a bit of fabric from the woman’s dress,” Tanner said as he thrust his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the lightbearer in the cage behind him.

Quentin nodded thoughtfully. “The boy is smarter than I gave him credit for. Perhaps it is time for a shift in the ranks.”

Tanner hoped not. A shift in the ranks was meant to be an honor, but to get there, Mickey would have to fight one of Quentin’s strongest guards in a dogfight that would probably kill one of them. Tanner’s money, unfortunately, would not be on Mickey to survive.

Quentin’s eyes shifted to the lightbearer. “I did it,” he murmured, sounding reverent. “I was right.”

“You were right that lightbearers still exist,” Tanner said carefully. Be that as it may, Tanner still could not accept the idea of killing this woman in cold blood, just on the off-chance that Quentin might inherit her magic.

“Can you see the magic, son?” Quentin’s eyes had begun to glow, a steady, dim light that was indicative of his level of excitement.

“It’s her magic,” Tanner said. “If you kill her, you kill the magic as well.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You don’t know that you will inherit it, either.”

“The legends were right about their existence,” Quentin pointed out. “Why would you think they wouldn’t be right about the magic?”

Tanner shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense. No magical beings have ever had the ability to share magic.Ever, in the history of magic. Leave her be. Let her go.”

Quentin’s eyes shifted to focus on Tanner. “You aren’t leading this pack yet,” he growled.

Tanner bit back his own growl. Telling his old man that he had no intention of ever ruling his pack would send the man into a rage, as Tanner well knew from past experience. And if his father flew into a rage, the petite lightbearer was most certainly as good as dead.

“You won’t inherit her magic if you kill her,” he tried again.

“You’re right,” Quentin surprised him by saying. “You will.”

Now available at Smashwords: It's the final installment of The Resort series, and nothing is going right in Allison Bell's life. She and her boyfriend, Carter James, have broken up. She's moved back to the apartment located over the ice cream parlor owned by her grandmother. Then her grandmother unexpectedly dies, leaving the ice cream parlor to Allison.

What does Allison know about running an ice cream parlor? Nothing, but she's determined to figure it out. She doesn't have a choice. She quit her job as Carter's office manager, and if she sells the ice cream parlor, she won't have a place to live.

As if that isn't enough drama, hot detective Dan McIntyre has decided he's tired of waiting to make his move. Allison and Carter aren't together, so why not? Unfortunately, the discovery that somebody is selling drugs out of the ice cream parlor makes it easy for Dan to keep close tabs on Allison, and then when her apartment is shot up and Carter is out of town, well, the only thing that makes sense is for Dan to pack her up and move her into his house.

Allison has a lot of decisions to make, and the most important is Carter or Dan? Get ready for a breathtaking and hilarious trip down the Messenger River to -- hopefully -- Allison's happily ever after.

Now available from Crimson Romance: Meet FBI agent Jack Beaudreax, a fun-loving, single guy who never leaves the ladies wanting...except for a relationship. Jack knows how to treat 'em between the sheets, but anything more than sex just isn't his style.

Meet nurse Kennedy St. George, a divorcee whose ex-husband stole everything she had to her name. She swears she'll never trust a man again. When she meets Jack, he convinces her that it's okay to have an affair -- no trust necessary.

While Jack is working undercover as a male stripper, he and Kennedy begin a heated affair that grows almost too hot to handle. Especially when Jack's case hits too close to home and Kennedy's life is in danger. Can Jack admit his feelings for Kennedy -- before it's too late?

Tami Lund is a romance author with an obsession: books. Writing them, reading them, sharing them. She can’t get enough. She reads just about anything, even books without happy endings. She writes contemporary and paranormal romance because, in whichever world she is writing about, she believes the good guys deserve a happily ever after. Tami has published multiple books, which can be found on her website, www.tamilund.com. A couple of those books have won awards, including The Resort, which won third place in the Great Expectations Contest hosted by the North Texas Romance Writers of America. Her paranormal romance, Into the Light, won first place in the On The Far Side Contest, hosted by the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA.

Tami loves it when fans stalk her through social media. She’s there, just about everywhere.

Find Tami at:
http://tamilund.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTamiLund
@TamiLundAuthor
Also on Tumblr, Google+, Pinterest, Linked In

Tami spent her younger years living in Mid-Michigan before moving to northwest Louisiana as a teen, where she stayed, blissfully winter-free, for 11 years.

She graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies, which is not unlike a liberal arts degree -- well-rounded but with no real focus.

When she was 25, she met her own knight in shining armor, transplanting him from Michigan to live with her in Louisiana … which lasted just long enough for him to discover a bone-deep hatred of all things summer. Less than two years later, they packed up shop and relocated back to Michigan, causing Tami to discover a long-suppressed and much surprising love of winter. They have been in Michigan ever since, vacationing in beautiful places that eventually helped to create the backdrop for The Resort series.

Tami has been writing, well, forever, it seems. In reality, she has notebooks of “novels” she wrote while in junior high and high school, but then she took a fairly long break from writing when she discovered partying while attending college. That pastime carried her through until she was married, which naturally led to birthing a couple of babies, and it wasn’t until she was laid off from her “real” job in 2009 that she finally put pen to, er, fingers to keyboard again and let those bottled up creative juices flow.

Tami continues to write during every spare moment. She has self-published seven e-books and also has e-books published by Crimson Romance and Liquid Silver Books, all of which can be purchased through her website, www.tamilund.com.

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Cover reveal: Hard Act to Follow by K. Vale

7/18/2014

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Today's guest blogger is my fellow Liquid Silver Books author Kimber Vale, who is unveiling the cover for her new novel. Take it away, Kimber.

First of all, thank you so much for hosting me on this, the momentous one-month countdown day to my upcoming release, Hard Act to Follow!

I’m super excited to be here. I absolutely adored writing these characters and I can’t wait to share them with…well, anyone who will take them in and throw them a scrap of bread. Do it. You didn’t want that crust, anyway. It was dry and had all those yucky seeds on it. Maybe even mold if your bread drawer is like mine. I promise you won’t regret it.

Here's a taste of what the book is about:

Kyrie is an actor with a physical aversion to telling lies, a one-eyed cat, and horrible taste in men. His ex-brother-in-law and best friend, Greg, harbors a secret crush he can’t shake. After denying his feelings for Kyrie for too long, Greg finally gives in to desire one drunken night. Come the morning, the facts get twisted. Kyrie pretends he doesn’t remember a thing — a lie that eats him alive — and Greg can’t stop thinking about how he screwed up the best thing in his life.

Before they can clear the air, Kyrie follows his dreams to New York City, but could he also be running away?

A mistake from Kyrie’s past detonates their silence, and Greg is forced to confront the man he loves. Is their new truth strong enough to support a relationship, or are they doomed to crumble under old fears? Their friendship could evolve into something a million times stronger, but maybe Kyrie’s act is just too hard for Greg to follow.

Kimber is giving away a release day e-copy of Hard Act to Follow along with a $5 Amazon gift card for a little extra spice from the spice weasel. BAM! Win it before you can buy it!

Here's the link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1251e96/

Hard Act to Follow is a standalone novel, but you can still get jazzed for its release by picking up the first two books in the Shooting Stars series, Forever is Now and Double Takes. :-)

Find Kimber’s work at Liquid Silver Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance, and all the other usual suspects.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22662993-hard-act-to-follow?from_search=true

Are you a blogger/reviewer who would like to jump on Kimber’s book tour train? The kindly old conductor solemnly swears not to speed (too much), and there will, of course, be a drink car.

Join the Blog Tour!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vEA9tsiIoOdmfeKRbhrWSeeDT0EoUcA5PkV6-IvVknE/viewform

K. Vale writes erotic romance of all stripes, from hot hetero to mouth-watering man love. Find her MF work published under Kimber Vale. Come for the sex. Stay for the story. Stalk Kimber on Facebook and Twitter @KimberVale, and check her site for updates, new releases, and freebies at http://www.authorkimbervale.com. The blog: http://www.kimbervale.me.

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Before the Dawn by Emma Weylin

7/14/2014

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Emma Weylin's new paranormal romance, Before the Dawn, Book 2 in the Secret Blood series, has just been published by Liquid Silver Books. Here's a teaser of what the book is about:

Samantha Moore doesn’t know she’s a werewolf. For years she believes she was a monster -- until a hot stranger walks into her father’s bar. With the promise of a better life and freedom from a cage, she decides to trust her animal instincts.

Nicodemus Wolcott works for the shape-shifter Tribunal. When he goes to investigate a report of a distressed shifter, he doesn’t expect to find his mate. He can teach his she wolf how to be a werewolf, but his one chance at love could be lost when nothing turns out as it seems.

Here's an excerpt:

Samantha rushed the tray of dirty lunch plates back to the kitchen. There wasn’t a crowd. She didn’t know if she should wish for the busy times or hate them. When the bar was full, Leon left her alone to work. When it was dead, like now, he delighted in terrifying her, but there was no one to see her if she lost control.

She was different. A freak. And tonight was a full moon. The change to her appearance would come easier today, and Leon would lock her in the basement to make sure she didn’t hurt anyone when the moon reached its peak.

She set the tray on the counter and turned toward the door. Leon would be pissed if she didn’t get the dishes into the dishwasher, but he’d also be furious if she wasn’t at the bar if a customer came in. They were slowly gaining regulars. They’d been open for a week, but business was good. They had a few more customers every day. It had to make Leon happy. They’d had to move again, because of her. She’d gotten out two full moons ago, and someone ended up dead.

She couldn’t remember when she changed into a creature, but Leon would find her in the woods covered in dirt and blood the next morning, and he’d move her again. This was the fourth time in as many years. The potions he’d given her since her thirteenth birthday weren’t working anymore.

The monster came out when she wasn’t looking. She was able to control enough of it where she’d only have fangs and claws, but if anyone saw her, Leon would kill them. No one could know his daughter was a freak, and it was her fault seven people had died because she couldn’t control herself on a full moon. She glanced at the steak knives on the counter. One slice in the right place, and she could end her nightmare existence. If she couldn’t heal herself, but she could. Every injury she’d ever gotten was healed over by the next morning, even when Leon had to teach her a lesson about not hurting people.

She let out a slow breath when the bell on the door sounded. She wiped her hands on her apron and rushed out of the kitchen. The scent of hot, raw male hit her nose, and she staggered with the sudden bolt of lust ripping through her body. She whimpered and straightened herself.

With a fixed smile on her face, she rushed behind the bar before chancing a look at the two men who came into the room. Scent drove her mad. It was everywhere, and she couldn’t get away from it or forget it. She did a quick adjustment of her outfit. Men gave better tips if they thought there was a chance to get laid. Not that Leon ever let her do it with anyone or keep more tips than what she needed to pay her expenses, but if she didn’t have enough to give him, he would become angry.

“Hello, um…” She swallowed hard when she looked up into sienna-golden eyes and lost her ability to breathe. She fanned herself and stepped back. It wasn’t enough. She grabbed a hand full of ice, rubbed it along her collarbone, and then pulled her hair up and ran it across the back of her neck. She gritted her teeth together and turned back to the customers. “Sorry. I think our air conditioning is broken.”

“G’mork,” the shorter but stockier of the two said. “Totally not fair.”

The one with the sienna-golden eyes and tall, fighter build appeared as stunned as she felt. He blinked a few times, and then a slow, sensual smile curved the corner of his mouth. “It must be. My name is Nicodemus Wolcott, and this is Ozz Kendell. We’re looking for someone, and we were wondering if you could help us.”

She dropped what was left of the ice into her cleavage and plastered a smile back onto her face. “I’m sorry, but the boss’ rules are we can’t answer questions unless you have a badge. If you have one, I’d be happy to help.”

The door of the backroom office burst open, and Leon came out in a fit of fury. “Samantha, go downstairs. Now.”

Here's where to buy the book:

Liquid Silver Books: http://www.lsbooks.com/emma-weylin-c388.php

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Emma-Weylin/e/B00CL1KL3M/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=emmaweylin-20

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/emma-weylin

All Romance: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Emma+Weylin

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search/Query?q=%22Emma+Weylin%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Emma+Weylin

Emma Weylin fell in love with the written word as a child. She loves to create her own worlds full of magic and wonder. One of her favorite things is populating those worlds with interesting and true-to-life characters who experience everything from epic love and heartrending battles to seriously silly or embarrassing “duh” moments. She believes love can and does conquer all things. When she’s not writing, she enjoys her family and has a copious yarn addiction.

Connect with Emma at:

website: http://emmaweylin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaWeylinAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaWeylin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7106051.Emma_Weylin

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Wild and Tender Care by Haley Whitehall

7/11/2014

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I’d like to thank Annette for having me on her blog today. It is a pleasure to be here. Wild and Tender Care is my latest release from Liquid Silver Books. It is my first historical of the Western variety, and I had fun with my feisty shady-lady-turned-laundress, Ida Page, and determined and gentle half-breed doctor, William Steere. Many of my historicals are interracial because I like the added tension an interracial relationship brings, especially when it is historical. Here's the mini blurb:

The town of Big Rock, Colorado is changing its wild-west ways, and ex-madam Ida Page and new town doctor William Steere are finding it difficult to be accepted for who they are. But when these two outcasts meet, they find their rightful place in each other’s arms. Haley Whitehall burns up the pages in her hot new historical romance, Wild and Tender Care.

Here's an excerpt:

The following day she focused on her usual pile of laundry. Scrubbing a pair of trousers, she did not know anyone had approached until she heard a man cough.

Stomach tightening, her spine snapped straight.

Dr. Steere nodded to her. “Miss Page, I did not mean to sneak up on you.”

“That’s quite all right, Doctor,” she said, her insides slowly unwinding.

“I see you are enjoying the sunshine.”

“If you consider running clothes over a washboard as enjoyment.”

He glanced up at the sun. “Colorado Territory does have pretty skies, don’t you think?”

What was this, a feeble attempt at small talk? She didn’t have the strength to keep up the charade any longer. It was much easier to be friendly. “A blue sky is a blue sky.”

He shook his head. “But this sky has horses and castles and giant flowers.”

She peered up at the clouds dotting the stretch of endless blue. Looking for shapes in the clouds had been a fun game when she was little. She pointed to a large cloud. “That one looks like a boat.”

Dr. Steere sidled up to her and followed her finger to where she was pointing. “Yes, it does.”

His masculine musk filled the air, surrounding her. A deep-seated ache migrated through her body and settled between her thighs. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. Even though whoring had been her business, she’d learned to derive pleasure from her clients. A pleasure she’d been long denied. Dr. Steere was not like any of the usual men who had called upon her nightly services. His presence alone aroused her. She didn’t even need his touch to remind her body what to do.

Her long-suppressed need for male companionship rose to the surface. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the corners of his lips twitching. Had he caught her looking at him?

If this was a game for him, she’d be happy to lose. Her heart raced, beating with eagerness to be with him. It would be more than sex with him. They had a deeper connection. He wanted to court her, make her his wife, and she longed for him to drop on one knee and ask her.

She could enjoy his strong, steady presence all day especially if it led to the bedroom. Damn, this was a precarious situation. He wanted her and her body wanted to be with him, but she knew the people of Big Rock better than he did. Was she ready for the storm that would follow?
While she was in charge of her own life, not the good Christians passing judgment on her, she did have to live within their community. Would it be more or less painful to live as Mrs. Steere?

Clearing her throat, she got his attention. “What is your business here, Dr. Steere? I take it you no longer require directions around town.”

“No, you explained the surroundings very well. It will just take time for me to get to know everything.” The way he looked at her left no question of whom he wanted to get to know.

Her pulse skidded out of control and her core heated. She put both her hands in her apron pockets to keep from running them up and down Dr. Steere’s broad shoulders.

She gulped air, grasping for her resolve to keep things strictly professional. “Did you come out here merely to discuss the clouds? I figured a doctor would have more important things to occupy his time.”

He put a hand on his chest. “The lady’s wit strikes again.”

She scowled. His sarcasm was not becoming.

“I was actually hoping you could get out bloodstains.” He took off his frock coat and then his vest, standing before her in a white shirt, tie, and trousers.

He was stripping in front of her. She couldn’t believe it! Yes, she’d seen many men strip for her before but that had been in the privacy of her room, not on the front lawn where anyone could see. Heat spread from her ears all the way down to her toes, and yet she could not tear her eyes away from the enthralling sight.

She wetted her lips and clenched her thighs, already feeling the moisture down below. He slipped off his tie and then proceeded to take off his white shirt.

Speechless, she gaped at his toned chest covered in a dusting of black hair.

“I suppose I should have changed at the office,” he said in an apologetic tone. “I wasn’t thinking.

I knew it was best to clean the bloodstain quickly. I was changing the bandage on a patient and my sleeve fell down.” He handed the shirt to her.

The right sleeve was coated in blood, still damp.

Somehow her lust-filled mind still managed to form a coherent sentence. “I will see what I can do.”

“Thank you. After medical school and the war I don’t have too much savings. I figure I’ll be scraping by until I build up a good practice. Of course, I realize many patients pay in kind out here.” His gaze migrated lower, pausing for a hairbreadth at her thighs and she pulsed with need.

“How much do you charge?”

“Charge?”

He pointed to the shirt she was holding. “For the washing,” he said, a taut smile tugging at his lips.

“Oh. Two bits.”

He nodded and began buttoning up his frock coat to hide his bare chest.

“I-I can deliver your shirt tomorrow,” she stammered.

“That will be fine, Miss Page. You know where my office is.” He walked all the way to the street and then stopped and turned around. “A doctor keeps long hours,” he called to her. “My door is always open.”

Liquid Silver Books ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes and Noble ~ ARe

Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State, where she enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical fiction and historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she's not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She hopes to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee and a view of the mountains make her happy. Visit Haley’s website at http://haleywhitehall.com.

Or connect with Haley at:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HaleyWhitehall

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5752677.Haley_Whitehall

Blog: http://haleywhitehall.com/blog/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Haley-Whitehall/e/B0078EO6CE/

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When life imitates art, and vice versa

7/10/2014

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A baby dolphin in need. An emergency response by the local aquarium. Bottle feedings. Around-the-clock care.

That's a story line from my soon-to-be-released contemporary romance novel, The Shore Thing. But it's also a real-life drama playing out in Pinellas County, Florida.

On July 4, beach-goers spotted a four-foot-long Atlantic spotted dolphin struggling in the surf off Redington Beach and called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. As onlookers cheered, wildlife officials and members of Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Stranding Team went into action.

The dolphin, estimated to be about 4 months old, was dehydrated, malnourished and too weak to swim. Rescuers took her to the aquarium, located in the Clearwater Beach subdivision of Island Estates and famous for its movie star dolphins, Winter and Hope. There, the calf is being fed "fish milkshakes" and being treated for a stomach ailment.

While still in a fragile state, according to aquarium officials, the dolphin is making progress and, two days after her rescue, had begun swimming on her own for short periods.

It's estimated that the baby had been away from her mother for a week. Think about that. This baby managed to survive on her own in the Gulf of Mexico despite having no idea how to hunt for food and having no defense against sharks. It's a miracle, really, that she lasted as long as she did.

Her prognosis remains uncertain, as does her future. Clearwater Marine Aquarium's primary mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild marine creatures. But some animals, because of injury, illness or other circumstances, end up as permanent residents there.

Dolphins that are separated from their mothers too early in life usually aren't good candidates for release after rescue and rehab. That's because they don't possess the necessary survival skills, and humans can't teach them.

If the baby dolphin rescued on Independence Day is deemed unreleasable, she'll likely become a permanent CMA resident just like Winter, Hope and Nicholas. All three of those Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were taken into human care as babies. Winter suffered a debilitating injury after becoming hopelessly entangled in a crab trap rope. Nicholas suffered a severe sunburn while stranded with his fatally ill mother, And Hope was found trying to nurse off her deceased mother's body.

Those stirring stories inspired my baby dolphin rescue in The Shore Thing. The book's two main characters, Danielle "Dani" Davidson and Evan Sanders, along with head dolphin trainer Paul "Flipper" O'Riley and other staff and volunteers at the fictional Gulf Shore Aquarium, respond to a call about two dolphins found on a beach near Cedar Key, Florida. The mother dolphin is already dead when they arrive. They bundle up the baby, a male estimated at about 6 months old, and head back to the aquarium in the west-central Florida town of Gulf Shore.

If you love dolphins in particular and marine life in general, or if you're a fan of smart romance with a lot of heart and a touch of humor, you'll want to download a copy of The Shore Thing when Liquid Silver Books releases it in September.

Stay tuned for future updates on Clearwater Marine Aquarium's latest rescued dolphin calf. For more on CMA's mission, resident animals and the Dolphin Tale movies, click on the link below.

Visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium online

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Forbidden Blood by R.L. Kenderson

Operation Owl, new from Tara Quan

Into the Light, new romance by Tami Lund

Cover reveal: Hard Act to Follow by K. Vale

Before the Dawn by Emma Weylin

Wild and Tender Care by Haley Whitehall

When life imitates art, and vice versa

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