I'm please to welcome to my blog today Tara Quan to tell you about Feline Valentine. The spotlight is yours, Tara.
A year ago, I released Fireworks at Midnight, thinking I would leave the world of A Witch’s Night Out forever. (I’d planned the series as a trilogy.) Unfortunately, my characters had other plans. Since I’d sicced Madame Eve on her cat familiar, earth mage Shelley Dupree insisted I make things right. To be fair, I’d already given her a magical handicap, forced her under house arrest, and buried her in bills—taking away her feline companion did seem a cruel and unusual punishment.
It took me two months of fictional time to even the scales with Feline Valentine. Part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series, my interracial paranormal romance is set in Washington, D.C., where magic-wielding folk try to live alongside us pesky humans. It’s my first true “shifter” AND “foodie” romance (talk about ticking two boxes with one book), and a quick read of the blurb should tell you what I mean.
To celebrate this unexpected return to my favorite series, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave a comment here and drop your details at my Web site, www.taraquan.com/felinevalentine.
Book blurb
Under magical house arrest in her great-grandmother’s suburban cottage, college graduate and reluctant earth mage Shelley Dupree whiles away most mornings spying on the warlock next door. Though erotic daydreams offer some distraction, she faces long working hours, cash flow problems, and a repeat burglar.
On Valentine’s Day, she sets a trap for the mysterious intruder, intent on ending his crime streak once and for all. But her scheming cat familiar foils her best-laid plans, and, with a little help from Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service, she discovers a far more dangerous species of magical feline.
After moving in next to a ramshackle building on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., pastry chef Adrien Chatdurois is plagued by repeat sexual fantasies starring the same curvy brunette. In a state of constant arousal, he devotes his early mornings to grueling exercise and spends the rest of his day handcrafting the city’s best chocolates.
When his younger brother stirs up trouble on the shop’s busiest day, the frustrated shifter is forced to pay a surprise visit on his reclusive neighbor. He soon learns not all witches are wart-covered hags, and one in particular might prove the most delicious of desserts.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Interracial/Multicultural
Buy links
Amazon | ARe | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | GooglePlay | GoodReads
Check out the rest of the series here!
About the author
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, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. To receive updates about her new releases and get a free sexy read, subscribe to her mailing list at www.taraquan.com/newsletter.
Author links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon
Excerpt
Adrien finished slotting the tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries into the case’s most prominent spot. In honor of Valentine’s Day, he’d drawn a Cupid’s bow on each fruit using melted white chocolate. Beaming a proud smile at the appetizing array, he made a mental note to drop off any remainders on his next-door neighbor’s porch after closing time.
With the notion came a sudden compulsion to also send a bottle of bubbly. Rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension in his fatigued muscles, he tentatively added champagne to the shopping list. If today’s profits met expectations, he should be able to gift the old lady some booze.
Less than a second later, an image of a bottle of peach Schnapps flashed over his vision. Stepping to his left, he took off the wool hat and placed it next to the cash register. Why was his brain fixating on ingredients for a Bellini? He didn’t even like cocktails.
White heat flashed over his vision. He found himself on his knees, crouched over a soft feminine body. Fizzy, bubbly liquid slicked skin the color of caramel. When her back arched, the drink sluiced over a set of tensed, quivering abs to soak her lacy pink waistband. He dipped his head, his tongue trailing over the potent mixture of peach, alcohol, and woman. He dug his fingers into her lush hips, tilting her in the opposite direction so the remaining liquid trickled over her ribs to catch along the underwire of her bra. Capitalizing on the excuse to taste, he--
Fingers snapped repeatedly in front of his face. “Oy. Where the hell did you go?”
With a sigh, he directed his gaze at his sibling. “Bass, what the hell do you want?” Their two-year age gap allowed for a healthy dose of fraternal bonding, but a lifetime as the man’s big brother had also built up baseline cynicism. Sebastien’s unannounced visits tended to have odd and oftentimes very expensive consequences.
Author interview
When and why did you begin writing?
As a kid, I read a lot. I don’t know when it started, but I remember at times wanting to change the ending, the pairing, or specific scenes in certain books. That’s probably why I wrote fan fiction in my teens, and I progressed to creating my own worlds after finishing college.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first manuscript, which will forever dwell in the bowels of my laptop, was a vampire romance inspired by my love of Nalini Singh’s style of writing. My first published book is a retelling of Rapunzel, set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, and it was inspired by a creative submissions call.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Despite numerous failed attempts to emulate my favorite authors, my sense of humor gets the better of me. My stories tend to be funny, lighthearted, and a little tongue-in-cheek. Of course, I’m a romance junkie and it shows.
What books have influenced your life most?
There are too many to count. I think my path to becoming an (English-language) bookworm started with Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Although I adore Nalini Singh as a reader, I think my writing style most closely approximates that of Julia Quinn. I think I learned a ton of language tricks by reading all her books.
How did you come up with the title?
This one was easy. It’s a story with a “big cat” shifter, and it’s set on Valentine’s Day. I was so stoked when I looked up Feline Valentine on Amazon and discovered it wasn’t taken yet.
A year ago, I released Fireworks at Midnight, thinking I would leave the world of A Witch’s Night Out forever. (I’d planned the series as a trilogy.) Unfortunately, my characters had other plans. Since I’d sicced Madame Eve on her cat familiar, earth mage Shelley Dupree insisted I make things right. To be fair, I’d already given her a magical handicap, forced her under house arrest, and buried her in bills—taking away her feline companion did seem a cruel and unusual punishment.
It took me two months of fictional time to even the scales with Feline Valentine. Part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series, my interracial paranormal romance is set in Washington, D.C., where magic-wielding folk try to live alongside us pesky humans. It’s my first true “shifter” AND “foodie” romance (talk about ticking two boxes with one book), and a quick read of the blurb should tell you what I mean.
To celebrate this unexpected return to my favorite series, I’m giving away a $15 gift card. To enter, leave a comment here and drop your details at my Web site, www.taraquan.com/felinevalentine.
Book blurb
Under magical house arrest in her great-grandmother’s suburban cottage, college graduate and reluctant earth mage Shelley Dupree whiles away most mornings spying on the warlock next door. Though erotic daydreams offer some distraction, she faces long working hours, cash flow problems, and a repeat burglar.
On Valentine’s Day, she sets a trap for the mysterious intruder, intent on ending his crime streak once and for all. But her scheming cat familiar foils her best-laid plans, and, with a little help from Madame Eve’s 1-Night Stand service, she discovers a far more dangerous species of magical feline.
After moving in next to a ramshackle building on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., pastry chef Adrien Chatdurois is plagued by repeat sexual fantasies starring the same curvy brunette. In a state of constant arousal, he devotes his early mornings to grueling exercise and spends the rest of his day handcrafting the city’s best chocolates.
When his younger brother stirs up trouble on the shop’s busiest day, the frustrated shifter is forced to pay a surprise visit on his reclusive neighbor. He soon learns not all witches are wart-covered hags, and one in particular might prove the most delicious of desserts.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy, Interracial/Multicultural
Buy links
Amazon | ARe | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | GooglePlay | GoodReads
Check out the rest of the series here!
About the author
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, paranormal worlds, and post-apocalyptic futures. Her characters, armed with magical powers or conventional weapons, are guaranteed a suspenseful and sensual ride, as well as their own happily ever after. To receive updates about her new releases and get a free sexy read, subscribe to her mailing list at www.taraquan.com/newsletter.
Author links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon
Excerpt
Adrien finished slotting the tray of chocolate-dipped strawberries into the case’s most prominent spot. In honor of Valentine’s Day, he’d drawn a Cupid’s bow on each fruit using melted white chocolate. Beaming a proud smile at the appetizing array, he made a mental note to drop off any remainders on his next-door neighbor’s porch after closing time.
With the notion came a sudden compulsion to also send a bottle of bubbly. Rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension in his fatigued muscles, he tentatively added champagne to the shopping list. If today’s profits met expectations, he should be able to gift the old lady some booze.
Less than a second later, an image of a bottle of peach Schnapps flashed over his vision. Stepping to his left, he took off the wool hat and placed it next to the cash register. Why was his brain fixating on ingredients for a Bellini? He didn’t even like cocktails.
White heat flashed over his vision. He found himself on his knees, crouched over a soft feminine body. Fizzy, bubbly liquid slicked skin the color of caramel. When her back arched, the drink sluiced over a set of tensed, quivering abs to soak her lacy pink waistband. He dipped his head, his tongue trailing over the potent mixture of peach, alcohol, and woman. He dug his fingers into her lush hips, tilting her in the opposite direction so the remaining liquid trickled over her ribs to catch along the underwire of her bra. Capitalizing on the excuse to taste, he--
Fingers snapped repeatedly in front of his face. “Oy. Where the hell did you go?”
With a sigh, he directed his gaze at his sibling. “Bass, what the hell do you want?” Their two-year age gap allowed for a healthy dose of fraternal bonding, but a lifetime as the man’s big brother had also built up baseline cynicism. Sebastien’s unannounced visits tended to have odd and oftentimes very expensive consequences.
Author interview
When and why did you begin writing?
As a kid, I read a lot. I don’t know when it started, but I remember at times wanting to change the ending, the pairing, or specific scenes in certain books. That’s probably why I wrote fan fiction in my teens, and I progressed to creating my own worlds after finishing college.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first manuscript, which will forever dwell in the bowels of my laptop, was a vampire romance inspired by my love of Nalini Singh’s style of writing. My first published book is a retelling of Rapunzel, set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, and it was inspired by a creative submissions call.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Despite numerous failed attempts to emulate my favorite authors, my sense of humor gets the better of me. My stories tend to be funny, lighthearted, and a little tongue-in-cheek. Of course, I’m a romance junkie and it shows.
What books have influenced your life most?
There are too many to count. I think my path to becoming an (English-language) bookworm started with Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Although I adore Nalini Singh as a reader, I think my writing style most closely approximates that of Julia Quinn. I think I learned a ton of language tricks by reading all her books.
How did you come up with the title?
This one was easy. It’s a story with a “big cat” shifter, and it’s set on Valentine’s Day. I was so stoked when I looked up Feline Valentine on Amazon and discovered it wasn’t taken yet.
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