Friday, December 30, 2011

Book Tour and Giveaway: Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro

 

Hellsbane

Title: Hellsbane (Hellsbane, #1)
Author: Paige Cuccaro
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: Novel
Release Date: December 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-64-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-65-7
Books 2 and 3 coming May 2012 and January 2013!

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/hellsbane/

A HELLSBANE BOOK - Book One - by Paige Cuccaro

UntitledEmma Jane Hellsbane just found out she’s not human—or, at least, not only human. She’s half angel, too, and now Heaven’s got a job for her: round up all the Fallen angels and their red-skinned, horned devil-demon minions and boot their butts back into the abyss. Only problem? The demons and their Fallen masters fight back…and they don’t fight fair.

Luckily for Emma, she can put a stop to the constant threat of having her head hacked off if she figures out which Fallen angel is her father—and then kill him before he kills her. Of course, in the meantime, she’ll have to avoid accidentally seducing her angelic mentor, help an old friend conquer his own Fallen sperm donor, and basically save the world from a cataclysmic divine smack down.

No one said being Heaven’s bounty hunter would be easy. But with a name like Hellsbane, Emma Jane was born for the job.

Author Bio:
Writing was never a foregone conclusion for Paige Cuccaro. She once had dreams of being a paigec102psychologist, a paediatrician, a school teacher, a photojournalist, a bartender, and/or an EMT. And then she met her husband and her world came into focus. Being wife and mother are her highest priorities and greatest joy. But escaping to the fanciful, sexy worlds twirling through her mind is an absolute necessity. Putting those worlds, and the cornucopia of characters that people them, on paper is just plain fun.

Paige lives in Ohio, with her husband, three daughters, three dogs, three cats, a parakeet and a bearded dragon named Rexy, in an ever shrinking house. When she’s not writing she can be found doing the mom thing with a book in one hand and a notepad and pen in the other. Ideas come without warning and the best way to stimulate your imagination is to enjoy the imagination of someone else.

Excerpt from Hellsbane:
So you’ve been doing this, hunting demons, since high school?”

“Demons and the fallen angels who called them up to do their bidding.” He exhaled, as though suddenly feeling the weight of the past eight years. “I tried to forget. Tried to pretend it didn’t happen. But they wouldn’t let me. They kept hounding me, bugging me to fight.”

“Demons?”

“No. Angels,” he said. “The ones that will talk to us...incessantly. They’re called magisters. They wanted me to train. To pick up the fight where Coach Clark left off. I didn’t want to. I didn’t know what it meant. So I ran. It was six years before I saw my parents again. They’d thought I was dead. Wanted me to move back home. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t expose them to the kind of life I had.”

“They don’t know?”

He shook his head. “They’d never believe me if I tried to explain anyway. They’re safer this way.”

“Must be nice.” He couldn’t have given me the same protection?

Tommy looked away. “If there’d been anywhere else safe I could’ve gone today, I swear...”

He looked at me, and I could see in his eyes he meant it. He hated what he’d gotten me mixed up in. Trouble was, I still wasn’t sure exactly what that was.

“What do they want, the demons? Why are they trying to kill you?”

“Us.” He winced, hugging his arm around his belly, holding his side. “They’ll be after you now, too. And they want us dead. They want to kill us before we kill them and send their fallen masters to the abyss.”

I laughed. Not because I thought anything was particularly funny, but because my brain had finally reached its capacity to accept the unacceptable, and no other reaction occurred to me. “You know how insane this all sounds, right? This can’t be for real. It can’t be. I mean, I don’t even believe in this God and angel junk.”

“Yeah?” He sucked in a sharp breath and used the doorjamb to leverage himself up to his feet, holding his side. After a second or two, he straightened. “Well, you’re about to become a believer, real quick.”

“You can’t make me.” Geez, I sounded like an eight-year-old.

“That’s what I thought. And then the demons came, and came, and came. And Eli kept dogging me, saying I had to train.” He stepped around me on his way to the door, limping, moving slower than he had when he’d come in. “The demons can find you anywhere, Emma Jane. They feel you the way you and I can feel each other when we first come together. You know, the way your stomach rolls?”

“The rollercoaster thing? You feel that too?”

He smiled his star-jock smile. “Yeah. I feel it, too. That’s how I knew you were nephilim in high school. I felt it. Felt it around Coach Clark, too. ’Course, I didn’t know what it was until Eli explained it. Before that it was kind of...confusing.”

“That explains a lot,” I said. “Who’s Eli?”

He turned and opened the door. “Eli will keep you alive. Unfortunately, if I don’t get to some holy water soon, I won’t survive to introduce you.”

Giveaway

I have one eBook copy of Hellsbane to giveaway.  If you would like the opportunity to win this eBook copy, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  I will draw a winner on 06 January 2012.  Good luck!!

 

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Adding to my Wish List: Living Violet by Jaimee Reed

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Goodreads blurb:
He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .
Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.
But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Release date:  27 December 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

A Very Merry Christmas to you

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Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everyone has a wonderful day and that it is just what you wish for . . . . a peaceful day or a loud and totally higgledy-piggledy day!

To my friends that do not celebrate Christmas – Happy Holidays!  Who doesn’t enjoy a few days away from all the hussle and bussle of everyday life!  Enjoy the public holidays!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Book Tour and Giveaway: The Last Awakening by Rachel Firasek

 

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CURSE OF THE PHOENIX - Book Two

Title: The Last Awakening
(Curse of the Phoenix, #2)
Author: Rachel Firasek
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: December 2011
ISBN: 978-1-937044-44-1
Book 3 coming January 2012!

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/the-last-awakening/

Amazon Kindle

Book Description:
For three hundred years, Arabella’s life has been one meaningless death after another. In a cruel twist of fate, Osiris–god of the Underworld–gifts the phoenix her mortality and returns her voodoo magic. If she fails to harness her wayward magic and save a man worthy of a second chance, imageshe’ll forfeit her power and her soul–forever.

Ex-soldier Greyson Meadows desperately wants to be freed from the nightmares and guilt that haunt him after the tragedy that brought him and Ari together. Confronted by the waif of a woman who forces him to face his worst fears, he resists, fighting the need to keep his personal demons hidden instead of setting them free.

When Ari becomes the target of her own magical blunder, it’s not just her life in danger, but now the one of the man she loves.

The Last Awakening Excerpt

Grey propped himself against the inside of the door. He’d given her a few minutes alone after work while he grabbed his bag from his car. In fact, he’d spent at least a good ten convincing himself he could do this. Now, he wasn’t so sure, but he would still fix her door before he left. Damn woman hadn’t even locked it. He’d knocked twice and stepped inside when she didn’t respond.

“Arabella?”

No answer.

He’d wait. Through the paper-thin wall he listened to the shower and then the light patter of dainty feet running across her room. This really was the worst apartment he’d ever seen. Worse than some of the military tents he’d lived in.

He sat his bag beside him and tapped his fingers along the door. Any day now. Her bedroom door flew open, and she rushed out. He’d imagined her in silk pajamas with beaded nipples teasing him and begging for his taste—not the sweatshirt or the flannel bottoms. They weren’t bad either and actually may have added to her

appeal—there was something highly erotic about wondering what was beneath.

She sagged a little and dropped a hand across her chest. The smile she’d met him with slipped. “What?”

“You’re beautiful.” Damn, if he didn’t stop putting his foot in his mouth.

She blushed, painting her cheeks with the prettiest shade of pink before she ducked away from him. “What’s in the bag?”

“You need more protection.” He pulled out his wallet and fumbled through the slots for a business card. She leaned in closer and stood on tiptoe, watching his every move. “Nosy?”

When he handed her the card, she frowned.

“What did you think this was?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, but her pink cheeks shouted it loud and clear.

“Did you think I was going for a condom?”

She turned away, sank down onto her sofa, and pouted.

Surely she didn’t think…nah, no way could she want…He burst into a fit of laughter. Christ, how long had it been since he’d laughed? Really laughed? She was feisty as hell. He wanted more than anything to snatch her up and carry her to her creaky bed and let Mike—and whoever else wanted to—listen through her walls as he connected with her in the basest of ways. But first, they had things to get out in the open.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

He chuckled harder and moved closer to her. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I brought some locks over. Before I leave, I’ll install them.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

She sputtered. Her eyes sparked for a moment, and when she blinked a soft cloud covered the amber. Shit. Smoke floated across her eyes like something straight out of a B movie. He shook his head and pinched the tender skin above his brow. Damn hallucinations. He thought he was past them. “Are you okay?”

“You laugh at me and then want to know if I’m okay? Really?”

“Your eyes. I thought I…never mind.” Shut up, man, before you show her what a fucking freak you are.

Ari spun away from him. She gathered deep breaths, stretching the muscles in her back tight. “I’ll be in my room while you do whatever it is you’re going to do. Come get me when you’re done and can remember your manners, s’il vous plait.”

“Ari?”

She didn’t stop for him. Damn, he’d been an ass. Exactly what he said he wasn’t going to do. His plan had been to fix her door. Maybe have a beer with her. Find out how she was dealing with what happened, and possibly share some of his sorrow. But he’d think twice about the drink if he was going to start seeing shit. He’d had all the flashbacks he wanted in a lifetime, but to actually start hallucinating was too much. The alcohol was screwing with his head. Might be time to cut back.

He installed the new deadbolts and loaded his tools. The bedroom door remained shut, but the light peeked from beneath it. He crossed to knock softly on the thin wood. “Ari?”

No answer.

“I’m done. I’ll let myself out…come lock up after me.”

Yeah, he’d screwed up and he’d be lucky if the one person he could connect with, who’d understand, ever talked to him again.

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CURSE OF THE PHOENIX - Book One

Title: The Last Rising
Author: Rachel Firasek
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: September 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-28-2
Mobi ISBN: 978-1-937044-29-9

 

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/the-last-rising/

Amazon Kindle

Book Description:

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

About the Author:

Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature,clip_image003 and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at www.rachelfirasek.com .

Giveaway

I have one eBook copy of The Last Awakening to giveaway today.  If you want to get your name thrown in the hat, just leave a comment below and I will draw a winner on 30 December 2011.  Good Luck!

 

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Mid-Winter’s Eve Blog Hop

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I am so excited to be part of this Blog Hop!  It is not something I usually take part in, so it is going to be soooooo much fun for me (and I hope for you).

I am going to make this as easy as I possibly can – it is holiday after all.  So I will be giving away one book (up to the value of $15) from the Book Depository – please make sure that they deliver to your country for free.  If not, you will unfortunately not be eligible.

Please leave a comment with three possible wishes and I will choose one if you are the giveaway winner – I love surprises, don’t you!

Okay, let’s get to it!

Giveaway Details:
1 (one) Book up to the value of $15
Open to all that receives free delivery from the Book Depository
Giveaway starts on 21 December 2011
Ends 27 December 2011
You must be a GFC follower
To Enter Fill out the Rafflecopter Form and leave a comment.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Book Tour and Giveaway: Immortalis Series by Katie Salidas

Immortalis_button_jpg

Let’s talk about being a pantser!

Now, I know you’re asking… What the heck is a pantser?

Hi, hello, that’s me! Okay, okay, I can’t take credit for being the only pantser out there. There are many, many, many of us. We’re the types who “fly by the seats of our pants.”

There is no one single “right” way to write a novel. Some people are plotters and some, like me are pantsers. At first, I didn’t realize this. I thought you had to do everything a certain way.

That made writing look like such a daunting task. When I think of outlining, plot structure, and word counts it makes me balk. “I can’t write 80k words! No. I just can’t do it!”

The thing is, you can do it. I did. Several times in fact.

Writing doesn’t have to be hard. The biggest lesson I had to learn was to relax and not focus on the end result. That’s the thing that stops a new writer from finishing a story. When you’re on word 1 and you have 79,999 more to go to reach your goal, you feel like you’ll never make it. And that’s just the writing it down part. Beyond that you have characters to invent. Those characters need backstories and lives of their own. They need names and jobs and families. Trying to plan that all out and get it all down on paper is enough to make you go insane.

Back when I started writing Immortalis Carpe Noctem, (Book one in my Immortalis series) I let that kind of stuff haunt me. I felt I had to plot everything out. I worried if my chapters would be long enough and if I could really ever hit that magical word count to qualify as a novel.

It took me 5 years to finish Immortalis. I kept forcing myself into the little box of plotting out everything down to the smallest detail and then hating where the story went. My characters wouldn’t talk to me, and all because it was in my outline, I kept trying to make them do things that didn’t feel right. Then when a chapter would end before my scheduled word count, I would try to force a chapter past its point. I ended up adding in too much unnecessary detail, because I felt each chapter needed to be a specific length.

Eventually, I set the manuscript aside, frustrated with it.

While I let that one settle, I allowed myself to “free write,” not caring if the story made sense or if it was ever going to be read by anyone.

You know what I found out?

My muse doesn’t like to be boxed in. I could write thousands upon thousands of words when I removed the limitations of a formal outline and dropped my word count goals.

Some authors need that structure and that is great for them. Me, I needed freedom. And I bet a lot of others need it too.

Once I realized that, I went back and rewrote Immortalis Carpe Noctem in a short time. After that, I wrote the sequel, Hunters & Prey, and then the third book, Pandora’s Box (scheduled for release July 12, 2011)

It was that “relaxing” and allowing my muse to speak without worry that helped me to finish my story.

So now, whenever I see a new writer saying, “Oh, I can’t write. It’s too hard.” I tell them the same thing. Just relax. Don’t worry about the end result. Get your story on paper the way you want it. After that, you can worry about “fixing” things. If you can’t get past the initial draft, you will never finish it and make yourself frustrated.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to check out my work, you can find me at

http://www.katiesalidas.com

 

clip_image002Immortalis Series, Book 1
Primary Genre: Urban Fantasy
Secondary Genre: Paranormal Romance
Adult Content: Some strong language. No sexual content.
Page Count: 323
Word Count: 85,000
Publisher: Rising Sign Books, LLC.
Print Publishing Date: March 2, 2010
Author: Katie Salidas

Synopsis:
Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity.

As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her “turning”, did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander.

Only by accepting her newfound immortality, seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander must fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them both.

 

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Immortalis Series, Book 2
Primary Genre: Urban Fantasy
Secondary Genre: Paranormal Romance
Adult Content: Some strong language. No sexual content.
Page Count: 263
Word Count: 75,000
Publisher: Rising Sign Books, LLC.
Print Publishing Date: December 10, 2010
Author: Katie Salidas

Synopsis:
Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She’s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum’s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she’s missed more than anything.

Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.

Worse yet, her revelation entangles Fallon in the struggle between vampires and hunters and The Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again, with a new army of hybrid creations: the Frenzy Soldiers.

If Alyssa hopes to survive and keep her mortal friend safe, she’ll have to be willing to make a deal with the enemy, and regain her clan’s support. It will take everyone working together in a precarious truce to fight against the Acta Sanctorum’s new threat.

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Immortalis Series, Book 3
Primary Genre: Urban Fantasy
Secondary Genre: Paranormal Romance
Adult Content: Some strong language.
Page Count: 238
Word Count: 65,000
Publisher: Rising Sign Books, LLC.
Print Publishing Date: July 12th 2011
Author: Katie Salidas

Synopsis:
After a few months as a vampire, Alyssa thought she’d learned all she needed to know about the supernatural world. But her confidence is shattered by the delivery of a mysterious package – a Pandora’s Box.

Seemingly innocuous, the box is in reality an ancient prison, generated by a magic more powerful than anyone in her clan has ever known. But what manner of evil could need such force to contain it?

When the box is opened, the sinister creature within is released, and only supernatural blood will satiate its thirst. The clan soon learns how it feels when the hunter becomes the hunted.

Apparently powerless against the ancient evil, the clan flees Las Vegas for Boston, with only a slim hope for salvation. Could Lysander’s old journals hold the key? And what if they don’t?

And how welcome will they be in a city run by a whole different kind of supernatural being?

Werewolves…

About the Author

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Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter
http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

Giveaway

I have one eBook copy of the winner’s choice of one of the three books in the Immortalis Series.  Just leave a comment below and I will draw a winner on 27 December 2011.

There is also an international tour wide giveaway of a Grand Prize of a signed set of all 3 books in the Immortalis Series with book swag.  Just fill in the form below:

Winner will be chose on 01 January 2012 by Bewitching Book Tours.

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

In my Mailbox (31)

   

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In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. It is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received in the mail or bought that week.

Let’s start with a book that was a free download.

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I got this book, Dark Earth,  the first in the series by Jason Halstead free on Amazon Kindle.  It sounds like a crazy mix of paranormal sci-fi to me.  I am going to try to squeeze it in somewhere!

 

I went a little overboard with NetGalley again.  I got a HUGE virtual stack of books!

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What is in your mailbox this week?

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Okay, you knew it had to come sometime, right??

Friday, December 16, 2011

Book Tour: Under the Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder

Under the Moon

Title: Under the Moon : Goddesses Rising Book 1
Author: Natalie J. Damschroder
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: Novel
Ebook Release Date: November 15, 2011
Print Book Release Date: December 6, 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-54-1
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-55-8

GODDESSES RISING - Book One - by Natalie J. Damschroder

Their power gives them strength…and makes them targets.

Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father’s bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate clip_image002she can never have.

But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by “family ties” she didn’t know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day.

But not as hard as denying their hearts…

 

Available at Amazon Paperback, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble

Excerpt

Chapter One

Society views goddesses the same way they view psychics—most people don’t believe in us, and since there are only about a hundred goddesses in the United States, skeptics rarely have occasion to be proven wrong. Some people have open minds but still no reason to seek to use a goddess’s talents. If you choose a public career as a goddess, you join in the responsibility for image maintenance. Help us keep public opinion positive.

—The Society for Goddess Education and Defense, Public Relations Handbook

When Quinn Caldwell’s cell phone rang, she assumed one of her clients needed an appointment or a Society member had a question about next week’s annual meeting. It took her a second to pull her attention from the paperwork on her desk, another three to register

the name on the screen.

Nick Jarrett.

Her spark of joy at seeing his name quickly changed to concern. He wouldn’t be calling for anything good. Quinn plugged her ear against the noise from the bar outside her office door, held her breath, and flipped open the phone. “Nick?”

“Quinn.” The rumble of his vintage Charger’s engine harmonized with Nick’s voice. “Service isn’t good out here so just listen.”

She knew it. “What’s wrong?”

“We have a problem. I’m coming early. I’ll explain when I get there. I won’t have a very good cell signal most of the time. I’m at least a day away, so stay close to Sam, and don’t…” His voice cut in and out before disappearing altogether.

Quinn’s skin prickled. She closed the phone, frowning. Nick never came until at least the week before new moon, when she was most vulnerable. In the fifteen years of their relationship, he’d never come a whole week early.

Something big had to be happening.

Quinn was the only goddess whose power source was the full moon, which meant she was only fully able to use her abilities for the seven days around it. As the month waned, she grew more “normal” until the new-moon period, when she had no ability to tap the power.

That was when Nick appeared. Never now.

“Who was that?” Sam’s solid, warm hand landed on her shoulder, and he dropped a pile of papers on the desk in front of her. Quinn blinked at the shift from the surreal nature of the phone call to the mundane clutter of her narrow office at the back of Under the Moon, the central-Ohio bar she’d inherited from her father. It was her main business, a connection to the parents who died within months of each other twelve years ago, leaving her without any real family.

It also kept her connected to the public between power cycles. The goddesses who made a living with their abilities mostly relied on word of mouth to find clients, and Quinn’s bar, centrally located for locals and travelers, had enough people channeling through it to give her customers for both businesses.

“Nobody,” she said, still lost in thought. She shook off the fog. “I mean, Nick.”

Sam’s eyebrows disappeared under his dark, shaggy bangs. He crossed to his smaller but far more organized desk near the office door. His chair squeaked when he dropped into it. “Nick called you?”

“Yeah. He’s coming early.”

“Great.” Sam glowered and mumbled something under his breath. “Why? The moon is barely waning gibbous.”

“I don’t know. The signal dropped.” She worried her lower lip. Stay close to Sam. Why? The order was protective—and after all, Nick was her protector, so that was his default mode—but what did she need protection from? She rubbed her right forearm, the phantom ache a reminder of the first time Nick had been assigned to her, that “goddess” wasn’t a synonym for “invincible.”

Sam sighed. “When is he getting here?”

“I don’t know that, either.” She rested her head on her hand, her elbow on a pile of folders on her worn oak desktop. The full moon would completely wane by tomorrow, taking most of her power with it, so she’d worked steadily for the last week, using mostly telekinesis and her healing ability to help her clients. She hadn’t slept enough to balance the depletion of her normal energy, and her sluggish brain resisted the apprehension buzzing in her now.

“We’ll have to wait until he shows up, I guess.” She shook off the mental fuzzies and focused on Sam. He watched her, longing mixing with concern in his light brown eyes.

“How long did you sleep?” he asked.

She stifled a yawn. “Seven hours, six minutes.”

He shook his head. “That’s not enough.”

“Gonna have to be. It sounds like we have a full house tonight.”

“It’s busy for a Tuesday,” he acknowledged. Murmurs and laughter mixed with the jukebox music filtering in from the main room. It was still early, too.

“Bets and Katie are both sick, so they probably need us out there.” She stood and stretched, closing her eyes briefly and arching with her arms high. He didn’t answer. “Sam?” She caught him staring at the stretch of skin bared by her sweatshirt and tugged it over the waistband of her jeans. Heat seeped through her, dragging tingles in its wake. Did he notice her skin flush?

He gave himself a little shake and pulled his gaze away. “Yeah.

Yeah, I guess.” But he scowled.

Quinn propped her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He sat up and shifted papers on his desk, but she knew it wasn’t “nothing.”

“Sam.”

He sighed. “We need to talk. You’ve put me off all week, and now we’ve got Nick…”

Shit. She had hoped Nick coming early would put an end to this debate. She dragged her cotton apron off the back of her chair and busied herself tying it. “I’d better get to work.”

But Sam didn’t get up. His voice was low and deep when he said, “Why didn’t you come to me?”

Her hands stilled, and she avoided his steady gaze by checking for her order pad and pen. “You know why.”

“I’m still here.” He stood and came around the desk, and she couldn’t help but look at him now. He dwarfed her, filling her vision, his scent flooding her senses, feeding the grinding need she’d battled for weeks. She kept her lids shuttered so he couldn’t see the inevitable dilation of her pupils and take the reaction the wrong way. Her moon lust knew what Sam could give her, her body giving a Pavlovian response to his nearness.

Tapping her power source had a price. As energy flowed through her, it depleted her resources like exercise depleted an athlete. Instead of needing water and vitamins to balance her body, Quinn needed sex. She’d never understood why, but her body had always been recharged by that primal connection to another human being. She hadn’t had that for three months now, and the longer she resisted, the more difficult it got.

So Sam’s long legs, ridged stomach, and broad chest all called to her. Quinn’s hands flexed, anticipating the silk of his shaggy hair bunched in them. Only a few minutes, a voice whispered in her head. That’s all it will take. For balance. A moment of thought, of remembering the heat between them, was enough to make her crave it again. Her mouth watered as she watched Sam’s long-fingered hand track up his chest and around the back of his neck, a move she knew

was calculated.

That didn’t matter. She took a step toward him, then forced herself to stop. She’d told Sam three months ago that she wouldn’t use him anymore and had held fast to the decision no matter how willing he was. It had been six years since she’d first had sex with him, and she’d only recently understood the damage they were doing to each other. Sam didn’t believe she could stop, but she had fought the moon lust for nearly twelve weeks. Tomorrow would end this full-moon

cycle; she’d have it completely under control, and it would get easier next month. It had to. Yeah, because it’s been a cakewalk so far. But she didn’t have to convince herself—she had to convince Sam.

“I’ve told you. What we’re doing isn’t fair. You’ve stopped dating, stopped even looking for—” She hesitated, uncertain how to phrase it.

“I don’t need to look for it.” His tone was hard with conviction, and Quinn closed her eyes, despairing.

“That’s my point,” she said. “I’m tying you up, and you deserve better.”

“That’s a matter of debate, and you don’t have to suffer because of it.”

Her laugh didn’t need to be forced. “Not having sex isn’t suffering.”

“For you it is.”

He’d closed the distance between them, and though Quinn knew she didn’t move, her body seemed to surge toward him in agreement.

She breathed in the remains of the aftershave he’d used this morning and wavered. He smelled so good.

A shout came from the other side of the paneled door, jerking Quinn out of her trance and replacing it with guilt. She couldn’t give in. Sam cared too much. And so did she, but not in the way he wanted.

“We’ll talk about this later,” she said as the racket outside the door escalated.

“You bet we will.” He set his jaw and opened the door, striding out ahead of her.

Quinn followed, her heart and body aching. She immersed herself in taking drink and snack orders from the bikers crowding around four-tops and stroking cues around the two pool tables, but being busy didn’t distract her mind. When she wasn’t detouring every trip around the room to peer out the front door to see if Nick had arrived, she was fretting over Sam.

He was her best friend and more. The son of a goddess, he’d been fresh out of college when he came to her six years ago looking for a job. He’d designed his education around becoming his mother’s assistant, but she’d died soon after graduation. Sam believed she’d put too much wear and tear on her body using her power to help others.

Since he couldn’t save her, he’d found Quinn.

She poured a pitcher of light beer for a group of Tuesday regulars and watched Sam help Katie deliver a full tray to a celebrating bowling team. He’d become indispensable within three months of her hiring him. He did research for the full-moon jobs on topics as wide-ranging as agriculture, medicine, geometry, and psychology. He also managed the bar and her schedule—managed her so she didn’t deplete her resources too fast or take on jobs she shouldn’t.

He caught her watching as he carried the tray back behind the bar and flashed a dimple. She couldn’t help smiling back, but then quickly bent to wipe down an empty table.

When she needed to recharge during the full moon, he volunteered. He joked that it was the best perk of the job, but they never discussed a long-term plan, assuming they’d take things as they

came. Like Sam would meet someone he wanted to be with, and they’d stop.

But it hadn’t happened. Quinn realized that Sam didn’t flirt with any of the women who came through the bar, and he kept his relations with her staff professional. He never pushed her when it wasn’t full moon. There was only one reason a guy would settle for that, and she couldn’t give him what he needed.

She considered and discarded a dozen speeches as she drew ale, poured whiskey, and brushed up against Sam whenever she had to get to the register. She was acutely aware of the tightness of her nipples, the sensitivity between her legs that grew whenever their bodies were near. As the moon rose, even as weak as it was, it tugged on her like the tides. Desire surged and ebbed, but it took concentration on her lingering guilt to force the latter.

The bikers, transients who’d been well behaved and heavy tippers, waved as they left at twelve thirty. To Quinn’s relief, the place was empty of customers within fifteen minutes. For a moment, she watched the waitresses and busboy wiping down tables and flipping chairs while Sam counted cash at the old-fashioned register.

Resigned to the coming confrontation and wanting to get it over with, she said, “Why don’t you guys go home? We can handle the rest of this.” No one argued. As they filed out, chorusing their good nights, Quinn braced herself for Sam’s first salvo.

“Did you talk to Nick again?” he asked, surprising her.

“No.” She ducked under the bar pass-through and crossed to the door to lock it, peering out the small pane of glass onto the gravel lot for the millionth time. “I tried to call, but I still can’t get through.”

“He’s never come this early before.” Sam flipped one of the heavy oak chairs up onto a hewn and polished tabletop. “What do you think is going on?”

“There’s no point speculating.” She went to the other side of the room to help him. “Let’s not start listing all the possible reasons. That’s too stressful.” She didn’t want to tell Sam that Nick had told her to stay close to him. That would increase his worry and maybe keep him from going home. She desperately needed some space to get through the next few hours without giving in to the moon lust.

“Okay. So we’ll talk about us.” Sam pulled down a chair and sat in front of her.

“Can I say no?”

He just looked at her.

“Fine.” She sighed and half sat on a nearby table. Sam waited, his eyebrows raised, his mouth cocked, as if he already knew what she was going to say and found it absurd. “You’re twenty-eight, Sam.”

“I know how old I am.”

Quinn folded her arms. “I’m ten years older than you.”

“I know how old you are, too.”

“I don’t want to keep you from fulfilling your destiny.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “And what’s my destiny?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She steeled herself, ignoring the slow roll of need in her gut. “It’s not me.”

He sobered. “Quinn…”

“No, Sam.” She made an effort to keep her voice steady. “You deserve a chance to find someone right for you. But that’s not the main issue.” She sighed. “It’s time.”

She didn’t want to talk about the way he’d been watching her. She recognized something in him that she’d buried deep inside herself, didn’t even acknowledge anymore. The belief that there was nothing else out there that could give him what he was missing. She’d tried to fill a hole in herself with Sam, using the moon lust as an excuse, not realizing it or seeing that she was creating a matching hole in him.

And now she couldn’t believe she’d been so blind and selfish.

“I don’t get it.” He spread his arms wide. “I’m not looking for someone else!”

“That’s the problem!” she shot back. “I’m holding you back from finding something real and lasting. A relationship with a woman who won’t relegate you to one week every month, for one thing.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “You need me.”

He meant it in a general sense, but it resonated physically. Need of the more carnal variety pulsed in half a dozen places. Quinn clenched her thighs, shifted her folded arms, and fought the impulse to reassure him. She’d told him the first week he worked for her that she would never lie to him. If she said she didn’t need him, he’d recognize the deception, and that would hurt him more than not being needed would.

“I’m not going to die if I don’t have sex,” she said instead. “I’ve managed three months already.”

“Yeah, and it took its toll. You had to work harder to do the same things this month, didn’t you?”

“No.” That wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t completely true, either. When Sam raised his eyebrows, she said, “I got tired faster. But I need more sleep, that’s all. I should be able to manage this another way.”

Frustrated, she pulled the bar towel off her shoulder and slapped it on the tabletop behind her.

“You’ve tried,” Sam said. “You told me so, back when you first hired me. It never worked, and the need grew. So why do you think it will be different now?”

“Because I’m older.”

“And more powerful. Wouldn’t that make the need worse?”

Damn him, he had an answer for everything. “I’ll find someone else.” Her gut twisted. The consequence of her heritage would be much easier to deal with if she didn’t care whom she slept with, but she always had. As much as it balanced her physically, sex with strangers or acquaintances left her more emotionally bereft, especially after her parents died.

Then came Sam. He’d filled so many holes in her life. Business manager, friend, family. Quinn knew that if she let him, he’d take that even further, marry her and raise children with her, and as blissful as the fantasy was, it would never be as perfect as he wanted it to be. She couldn’t love him the way he deserved to be loved.

“Who else?” He spread his hands and looked around. “Where are you going to find a guy like me? Available whenever you need him, able to take what you give—and give what you demand—and be safe? Not in here, I’ll tell you that much.”

Quinn didn’t respond. He was right. She’d tried before. She’d figured one-night stands were every guy’s dream, so it would be easy.

But too much got in the way. Locals wanted her to do it on their schedule. Basic standards, like avoiding disease and not having sex with attached men, were impossible if she targeted travelers. Most of all, though, was the compulsion that grew as she got older and used more power. The sexual need for mental and physical balance wasn’t something she could rein in once unleashed. Sam was the only man who had managed to withstand the intensity long-term. The only one

who hadn’t called her a freak.

Sam sprawled in his chair in front of her, his long legs so close, the frayed cuff of his jeans brushed her ankle. To keep from moving away, she gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles cracked. Retreat would be an admission that she couldn’t handle it. “I’ve managed fine

so far.”

“Have you?” He held out a hand, a knowing in his eyes that she couldn’t refute. The moon had risen hours ago, close enough to last quarter that she could do only the smallest tasks, but it fed her passion.

I have. The words caught in her throat. Her palms itched, wanting her to reach out and touch him. Take in the smoothness of his hot skin, get her close enough to breathe him in again. She’d climb onto his lap with the friction of denim on denim, his hard thighs between her legs, the rails of the chair digging into her knees. For an instant, the image was so real she thought she’d done it, given in. She blinked and found herself still standing, the involuntary ache almost unbearable. She curled her fists harder around the table edge until her knuckles ached, determined not to make the hallucination reality. She finally managed a nod to answer his question.

“Really.” He pushed out of the chair and slowly unfolded his body to stand inches away, deliberately testing her. She held herself still, hoping he couldn’t see the pounding of her heart beneath her white button-down shirt. She closed her eyes as he gathered her in to him, his arms loose around her back.

Her hands rose to rest against his chest. Her fingertips dug in to the resistant muscle, and her breath came out almost as a groan. Tension eased out of him as her body gave in, relief sending tingles head to toe as it curved toward him. “Dammit, Sam.” Her thoughts blurred under the intensity of Sam’s body heat. She couldn’t fight it anymore. Fight him.

“Tell me what you want, Quinn.” His voice rumbled through the swishing, thumping pulse in her ears. She dragged her focus back from the soft fabric beneath her palms, the delicious pressure of his hardness against her belly.

“What?” she managed to gasp.

“I’ll do what you want. Whatever you want.” His lips brushed her ear. Tingles erupted and danced across her skin, but what he’d said, what he was doing, penetrated. The offer wasn’t just for wild sex. Though he could take advantage of the lust raging through her, he respected her decision. Which brought home all the reasons he didn’t deserve the wrong choice.

She leaned back, unable to look at him, her arms trembling with the effort of denying them both. The guilt almost overwhelmed the need. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

He eased away, his hands sliding from her back to her upper arms, making sure she was steady, and then dropping when he’d put a foot of space between their bodies. “You’re sure.” Not a question.

Quinn nodded and finally met his eyes, regretting the sorrow she’d put there. “I have to do this. Please, please understand.”

He sighed and twisted to replace his chair on the tabletop. He stood with his back to her for a long moment, one hand still on the leg of the chair, before facing her again. “I won’t push anymore. Just…promise me you won’t…” He waved a hand. “You know. Get yourself into trouble.”

Her voice squeezed past the burning thickness in her throat. “I promise.”

They worked in silence to finish closing, their usual easy tandem punctuating the finality of her decision.

When they were done, Sam nodded and looked around, hands on his hips, clearly at a loss. “Okay. I guess I’m going home, then. You’re all right?”

Nick had told her to stick close to Sam, but there was no way she could ask him to stay now. She wished she knew how much longer Nick would be.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “Thanks.” She nudged him toward the door, turning him away from her so he couldn’t see the tears filling her eyes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Lock up after I leave.”

She closed the door hard behind him and twisted the lock so he’d hear it, then pulled down the blind. Sobs pushed upward from deep within her and she sank to the floor, covering her mouth to keep the sound from reaching Sam, whose presence she still felt on the other side of the wood. Finally, his boots crunched on the gravel, growing fainter with each step. When the familiar hum of his Camaro faded, she allowed herself to break down.

Quinn slept late the next morning. Her night had been full of erotic dreams, interrupted by abrupt waking to check the clock and try to call Nick, to no avail. Hoping some combination of rest, nutrition, and physical exertion would purge her system of the moon lust, she followed a workout with oatmeal and a shower. She was relieved, when she was done, to find herself less hungry. It wasn’t gone, but she could distract herself with work and by this time next week, maybe she’d be back to normal.

She took a deep breath before heading down the rickety staircase hugging the side of the building. Sam’s schedule had him there by ten or eleven most mornings, but she wasn’t sure what to expect after last night. Maybe he’d call in sick, or have cleaned out his things and left

a letter of resignation on her desk. Maybe, in trying to preserve the most valuable thing in her life, she’d destroyed it.

Bracing one hand on the rough wood planks of the outer wall, Quinn yanked on the warped back door, taking a moment to prop it wide and let in the sunlight and crisp October breeze. Not stalling.

Just…setting up.

She paused on the threshold to let her eyes adjust to the dim office. Her desk was how she’d left it the night before, with piles of invoices and orders to approve, checks to sign, and client files to

review. Dust floated in the beam of sunlight that hit the floor in front of her feet. Quinn forced herself to look deeper into the room to Sam’s desk, usually as full as hers, if more neatly organized. She held her breath as her vision sharpened, and movement turned into Sam’s

hand making sharp notations on a printed spreadsheet. He flipped open a file and tapped a few keys on his keyboard without looking up at her.

“How long did you sleep?” he asked.

Breathing was suddenly easier than anything she’d done so far today. Sam asked her that every damned morning. “Eight hours, thirty-three minutes.” Her perfect internal clock had amused and

delighted him at first, then became nagging when he used it to manage her, whether over how long she’d slept, gone without eating, or focused on a client. But that was what he was paid for, after all, and she welcomed the symbol of normalcy. He nodded his approval and kept working. Quinn went to her desk and booted up her computer.

Sam said, “You hear from Nick?”

“No.” The ongoing lack of contact after the urgency of his call scared her. “Sam, I—”

He shoved to his feet and headed out front. “We’re low on vodka. I’ll pull some up.”

Quinn sighed and slumped. So much for normalcy.

It didn’t get better. Sam worked out front while she stayed in the office. When she went into the bar, he retreated to the back. She stopped trying to talk to him, hoping the space would be a buffer both for their personal and professional relationships, and for her fading

moon lust.

There was still no word from Nick.

Finally, Quinn settled herself in a corner of the bar with her laptop to handle stuff that had piled up over the week, hoping her full e-mail in-box and the routine work, the easy decisions, would keep her eyes off the clock. Requests for appointments and vendor info she forwarded to Sam. Most of the rest was related to the Society. Quinn served as the board’s secretary, and many of her personal e-mails were about the annual Society meeting next week. Those she moved into a folder to address later. The official Society list e-mail was full of political posts, with elections coming up in November, but she skimmed and deleted most of them.

She’d gotten into such a rhythm that when Nick’s name appeared, it was a moment before her reaction caught up. The words were innocuous at first, so she didn’t understand the fear filling her until it merged with her ongoing low-level anxiety over last night’s phone call.

I plan to ask Quinn to put this on the agenda for the meeting, but I

thought you should all know ahead of time, so you can be careful.

Nick Jarrett’s gone rogue.

Quinn pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to try to reach Nick yet again. This had to be why he was coming here—but what the hell did it mean and what did it have to do with her?

A crash on the other side of the room redirected her alarm. She was on her feet before she’d even spotted the source of the disruption.

“I’ll goddamn keep drinking if I wanna keep drinking!” An old man, greasy gray hair hanging below a dingy trucker cap, wobbled in front of his overturned chair, arms flailing. Despite his obvious intoxication, his aim was good enough to hit Katie’s tray and send glasses flying. Quinn stormed across the room, glaring at anyone who looked like they might want to join the fight. None of her regulars moved. Most had seen her in action, and they didn’t want to get involved. A few strangers half rose but subsided when they saw her striding to the rescue. Not that Katie needed rescuing. Nearly as tall as Quinn’s five feet ten, the young woman had honed her manner and strength in New York City. By the time Quinn reached them, Katie was quietly telling

the drunk how he was expected to behave in Under the Moon.

Quinn’s heart rate and footsteps slowed, ready to back up her waitress but also willing to let her handle it. Then the drunk fumbled a switchblade out of his pocket and flicked it open.

Shit. She lurched forward, but she was still too far away to do anything, and Katie hadn’t noticed the knife. Reacting on instinct rather than thought, Quinn snapped her fingers and opened her hand as the knife soared to it. Relief flooded her. Concentrate. This isn’t over yet. She squeezed the handle of the knife so no one could see her shaking.

The drunk waved his hand, then frowned when he realized it was empty. “What the—” He looked up and blinked at Quinn. “How’d you do that?”

Quinn signaled a white-faced Katie to step away. She glanced around to be sure everyone was out of reach and then faced the drunk.

“You want to leave my establishment,” she told him with forced calm.

He scowled. “T’hell I do. I ordered a beer! And I’m not leavin’ till I get it!”

“Yes you are.” She jerked back as the man lunged at her, flicking her fingers at him. He slammed into an invisible wall but only grew angrier. Quinn swallowed hard. She didn’t have the power for more than this, and she couldn’t risk her staff getting hurt. Summoning the knife and stopping the drunk’s movement required only a little access to the waning moon. But because it had already passed the zenith of its arc, even this drained her.

She had enough for one more act. Please let it be enough. She thought heat and pointed at the sleeve of the man’s denim jacket. A second later it caught fire. He yelled and slapped at it, extinguishing the flame almost immediately, but it had done its job.

His eyes wide, he tried to back away. The overturned chair tripped him up and he stopped. “What are you?” His voice quavered.

Electric awareness alerted Quinn to the presence of the man two feet behind her before she heard his voice, a slight Texas drawl mellowing the deep rumble that always made her think of his

perfectly tuned muscle car. “She’s a goddess.”

“Goddess,” the drunk scoffed. “Them’s just a myth.”

Nick Jarrett stepped past Quinn, standing between her and the drunk without making it look like he was getting in her way. The hunger that had been easing all day flared, but because she’d never recharged with Nick, she was able to stamp it down more easily than she had last night.

“You don’t believe your own eyes?” Nick said to the drunk.

The drunk scowled at them, then at the tiny wisp of smoke rising from his sleeve. He blinked blearily and stumbled toward the door, grumbling under his breath.

“That’s what I thought.” Nick swung around to look at her, a hint of a smile on his full lips and welcome in his green eyes. “Nice parlor tricks.”

Quinn snorted, covering how happy and relieved she was to see him, and turned to her busboy. “Catch that guy and call Charlie to pick him up in his cab, will you?”

“Sure.” He pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial on his way out. Everyone else dispersed, leaving Quinn relatively alone with Nick. Adrenaline drained out of her, and she would have sat, if showing weakness in front of him wasn’t so unappealing.

“So what’s going on?” She tucked her fingertips into her jeans pockets. The anxiety buzzing in her all day disappeared, allowing the alarm triggered by the e-mail to resurge. “You’re never early.”

“We’ve got a problem.”

Quinn watched him scan the room, cataloging her customers and staff, lingering on her computer in the far corner and the closed door to her office. His face tightened, and he moved a step closer.

“I know we do,” she said.

He whipped his head around, his eyes sharp. “You do?”

“I just found out. Come here.” She led him to the table where her computer slept, its screen dark. “I read this e-mail not five minutes ago.” They sat down, and she tapped a key to wake the computer while Nick signaled for a beer.

They waited for the wireless connection to reestablish. “You getting a lot of trouble like that guy?” he asked.

“No more than usual.” She glanced at him. “Why? Is someone else?”

“Nah.” He stood to pull off his battered, hip-length brown leather coat and hang it over the back of the chair, then rolled the sleeves of his flannel shirt up strong forearms. A waitress sashayed over to set an amber bottle on their table. She looked at Quinn, who shook her head, but Nick made a face and dropped the money on her tray.

“Don’t listen to her.”

Quinn didn’t bother to argue. They had the same argument every time he came. Sometimes she won, sometimes he did. It balanced in the end.

Nick sat back down and took a pull of the beer, his strong throat working with the swallow. Light from a nearby candle picked up glints of gold in his short-cropped, dark blond hair. “Where’s Sam?”

Quinn cleared her throat. “In the office.” She diverted her eyes to the computer screen but heard his small snort of derision. “I had it under control, Nick.”

“The moon’s waning, Quinn. I don’t care how powerful you are at peak, you’re tapped out by this time—”

“Not completely. And protecting me isn’t Sam’s job.” She winced, realizing too late it might sound like criticism of Nick, and she hadn’t meant it to be.

He froze, the bottle halfway to his mouth, then set it down. “I told you to stick close. He should be out here. Or you shouldn’t. And I’m not listening to you argue with me. What have you got?” He turned the computer toward him, ignoring her exasperation.

She twisted to read the e-mail with him, now more confused by the words on the screen than anything else. “Well?”

Seconds passed while his eyes tracked over the words. “Fuck me,” he said softly. “That’s not the problem I was talking about at all.”

About the Author:

Natalie J. Damschroder came to writing the hard way—by avoiding it. Though she wrote her first book at age six (My Very Own Reading Book) and received accolades for her academic writing (Ruth Davies Award for Excellence in Writing for a paper on deforestation her senior year in college), she hated doing it. Colonial food and the habits of the European Starling just weren’t her thing. clip_image004

She found her niche—romantic fiction—shortly after college graduation. After an internship with the National Geographic Society, customer service for a phone company just wasn’t that exciting. So she began learning how to write the books she’d loved to read all her life. Now she struggles to balance her frenetic writing life with her family, the most supportive husband in the world and two beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, independent daughters (the oldest of whom has become a writer). She somehow also fits in a day job and various volunteer positions in and out of the writing industry.

Learn more about her at her website, www.nataliedamschroder.com, follow her on Twitter @NJDamschroder, or friend her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nataliedamschroder

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

I am currently reading WORLD WAR Z . . .

I started reading World War Z last week.  I am really enjoying it.

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I love zombie and dystopian books.  Must be my dark side.  LoL  While browsing on YouTube, I saw that they are making a movie of this book and wanted to share . . . looks good.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Book Tour: Bloodlines and Torment by Lindsay Anne Kendal

 

Lindsay Tour

Torment Tour

 

Blurb:
Keira Jameson used to lead a normal life, she just had a gift, passed down through the generations of her family. Bloodlines

Now, after hearing voices, having strange dreams of others calling out to her, and her grandfather's last words haunting her, she sets out to find other families like hers. Along with her best friend Lily, the only person outside her family to know about her gift, Keira begins a hunt for her ancestors. A chance meeting with a young man, Lucian Turner, sets them on the right track, but their discoveries change the way Keira will see herself for ever more.

Fear, superstition and heritage are shaping Keira's future and she must face her enemies, even if this could mean losing her life.

Through loss and love her destiny becomes inescapable.

Blurb:
Keira has been through Hell, literally..... But now she’s back, and stronger than ever!

In this second gripping instalment of the Bloodlines trilogy Keira and her friends – Lily, Lucian, Tyler, Jake and Danny – continue to try and understand their elemental powers, and protect themselves from their enemies, whose ultimate goal is to destroy them. Torment

This time, the stakes are higher – what seems to be a demon rebellion has broken out in hell and the Earth is plunged into chaos. Their problem is, no one – not even Lucifer himself – knows who the rebel leader is. It seems only Keira, her frightened but determined friends, and a new ally – a demon named Eligos - can find out who this person or thing is, why they are suddenly causing so much bloodshed, pain and upset for everyone, and destroy them.

Bloody awesome battles, amazing feats of magic, and a stronger-than-death passion, make for an intoxicating, unforgettable read in this powerfully imagined fantasy...

Lets get to know Lindsay a bit better.

When did you start writing, Lindsay?
I was poorly when I was 21 experiencing panic attacks and anxiety. I went from being a social butterfly to agoraphobic pretty much over night. I spent months indoors. I would just sit in my room listening to my music or watching a film. In the end I got so fed up, I needed something to do. I was battling my nerves and need something to help calm me down. I put my laptop on my knee and started writing silly little stories, none of which made any sense, but it entertained me for a few hours.

In the end I started writing Bloodlines. This story just seemed to come to me from nowhere, so I thought, why not write it down. I never told anyone I was writing, I thought it was just a silly pastime and to be honest I was embarrassed. Then one day, my mum came in my room and saw all this writing on my screen. She thought at first it was my diary, but realised she didn’t recognise any of the names. She asked me about it and I confessed all. She read it and came in my room, the look on her face was brilliant. She simply said “you must finish this.” So I did. The story grew bigger and bigger and I knew I would have to write it in a few parts. She encouraged me to contact a publisher, and within a month, I was in contract with a publisher in the UK. Later, I cancelled my contract with them as we no longer agreed on things, and I was published in the USA and contracted for the trilogy.

Does your family support you in your writing?
My family are amazing and I love them very much. They have supported me every step of the way, especially my mum. She is an amazing person and wants nothing more than to see me do well in life. She’s my mum, my sister and my best friend all wrapped up in one.

What would be able to distract you from your writing?
At one time, nothing could distract me at all. Someone could come the room where I was writing and start talking to me and I honestly wouldn’t hear a word they said. They would have to shake to me snap me out of my story world. Recently though I have been getting distracted easily, although I have just had some upset in my personal life and I think once the upset has passed, my concentration will come back.

What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to write something a little bit different to what’s out there at the moment. I also wanted a kick-ass heroine, instead of the insecure, needy ones we seem to be surrounded by currently. I’ve always been interested in magic and anything to do with the occult and demonology, so I put everything I wanted and everything I loved together and Bloodlines was born.

What kind of research did you have to do?
My books are set in Salem and touches slightly on the Salem Witch Hunts, so I had to really read into what happened to help tell certain parts of the story. I also had to do a lot of research into specific demons, learn their abilities and where they originated from. I wanted to keep some of the classic myth and lore, but I also wanted to add my own twist to things.

Who designed covers?
All the covers were picked by myself and I tweaked them a little. For example, the cover model for Bloodlines is actually a red haired, green eyed girl, and I had to change her to look more like my protagonist.

What is your next project?
I just putting the finishing touches to Revelations, the third of my Trilogy, then I have to work on the second part of my new two part series, Leticia. I also have a secret project I’m about to start working on. It’s still within the fantasy genre, but this is most definitely going to be for adults. I can’t say anymore about that though I’m afraid.

If you could meet any of your characters, who would it be and why?
It would have to be Keira. She’s like the double of me, she has my outlook on things, me personality, everything, so I would like to see if we got along or if we would clash.

A typical day in your life would be . . .
Wake up, go to work, come home and write, speak to friends and family, write some more and then back to bed lol.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
I would say, making sure your characters and storyline are interesting enough to keep the readers attention. I want my readers to be able to connect with the characters and feel everything the characters feel. I want them to come home from a hard days work, then be able to relax and escape into a world of fantasy that I have created.

Do you hear from your readers much?  What do they say?
I’ve spoken to a lot of my readers, and a lot of people have added me as a friend on Goodreads and Facebook. It’s always lovely to hear from them, whether they really enjoyed the books or if they had gripes. I take on board everything that people say to me, I think this will help my writing improve in future novels.

What is in your own TBR pile?
Mind Games Trilogy – Carolyn Crane (I’m waiting for the third to be released before I read any of them.)

Bound – Lee Taylor

A lot of other paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. There are so many that I couldn’t possibly list them all.

Thank you for talking to us today, Lindsay!

Author Bio:
I have lived in Droylsden, Manchester, all my life. I live with my parents clip_image002and my younger sister, Cheryl. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life until I began writing. This is my dream.

I get most of my inspiration from music, I’ll sit there listening to it and suddenly I’m no longer in the room. My stories play like videos in my mind, then I go and write them down.

I’m a very dark person, I love anything spooky, supernatural, or unexplainable, and so that’s the genre I want to write in for the rest of my life. I love watching scary films, although I find it very hard to find one these days that actually frighten me.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads

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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Are you joining any challenges in 2012?

2011 was a very bad challenge-year for me.  Life just got in the way . . . at first I just couldn’t find the time to read and then when I had the time, I was so easily distracted that I didn’t finish a lot of books. Definitely lost my reading mojo for a bit there!  

But I am determined that 2012 will be different.  I have not joined many book challenges and I am able to share my reads between challenges, so I am all set.

Here are the ones I am definitely joining so far:

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Just for Fun reading challenge – 12 Books

Read 1, yes, just 1 book for fun each month.  No books received for review, just a book you want to read for you.

All book formats are allowed, printed, audio, e-book.

These books can be counted in your total books read for the year challenge and to one other challenge but try not to cross them over to many other challenges as they really are to be read JUST FOR FUN!

Want to join us?  You can sign up here:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/58472.JUST_FOR_FUN_Reading_Challenge_2012

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Paranormal Romance Challenge – 20 Books

This challenge is hosted by Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

You have to read 20 adult paranormal romance novels and add a small review or long if you like LOL. Books are to be read during the Jan –Dec of 2012.  Paranormal for this challenges will be anything not normal, so it can be any, witch, warlock, time travel, vampire, shape shifters, steampunk, Sci-fi etc..

Want to join this one?  Here is the post with all the details:  http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2011/11/2012-paranormal-romance-reading.html

 

2011 Reading Challenge

2011 Reading Challenge
Chrizette has read 26 books toward her goal of 100 books.
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I am sure Goodreads will have a “Books read in 2012” challenge which I will join too.

South African Book Lovers's to-read book montage
South African Book Lovers 452 members
This is a book club for all South Africans who love reading! We also have members from other countri...

Books we plan to read



View this group on Goodreads »

Also my South African Reading Group has a few challenges which I have joined but our year has already started - Nov 2011/Oct 2012 :)

So tell me about the challenges you are going to join in 2012?

Would love to hear about all the options available! 

And good luck with all your challenges in 2012!!