Interview & Giveaway with Coreene Callahan

Books-n-Kisses is please to welcome back our pal Coreene Callahan to the blog.  Coreene writes about yummy bad-ass dragons in her Dragonfury Series . But today we are talking about Coreene’s 2nd book in her Circle of Seven Series Knight Avenged .  Oh and there is dragon in this series too!! Yeah Dragons!!!  So with out further ado.  

Coreene, can you please share with us a little about yourself?Coreene Callahan - head shot

I’m a rabid hockey fan! Then again, I guess that’s not much of a surprise considering I’m Canadian and live in Montreal—capital of hockey crazies. Yes, we take our hockey very seriously up here! J I started playing hockey when I four years old and was the only girl on an all-guys team from then on, right through university.

So what else I tell you about me? I’m stiletto-wearing shoe addict—I have far too many in my closet, all of which I love and could never part with. But they are gorgeous, so I’m sure the good Lord forgives me my weakness.

I also never go a day without eating chocolate. In fact, I’m eating a piece of Lindt’s 70% right now!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I knew from an early age (six or seven, I think) that I was storyteller. I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories in high school and attempted my first novel at seventeen. If someone had ask, however, I would never have said I wanted to be a writer. Or even an published author.

That dream came much later in life.

I didn’t become serious about writing until four years ago after I finished writing my first novel. Only then did I decide to see if I could get my work published. As it turned out, it didn’t take long once I started down the path to publishing. Within six months, I signed with a literary agent and had my first contract in hand. I will say, though, that I worked hard and was relentless in my pursuit of both. I entered contests to get my work in front of editors and agents. I queried publishing houses and literary agencies every week. I found a critique partner, helped critique other writer’s work, attended writing workshops and went to conferences. Tenacity, I’ve found, plays a big role in success. Keep at it. Work hard and fight for your dream. It will happen.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I’m extreme early bird. I’m up and writing everyday at 5AM. I don’t know why, but my muse likes a still house. I wish it wasn’t so some mornings, but the quiet before dawn is when the words flow best and my imagination comes to life.

KnightAvenged_FrontCoverCan you please tell us about Knight Avenged, book 2 in the Circle of Seven Series?

Okay, so I’m going to cheat here and give you the back cover blurb:

Alone in a world on the brink of war…two unlikely allies will discover a love greater than time.

Exiled from her home, powerful oracle Cosmina Cordei holds the key to uniting those protecting mankind from evil. But just as she makes her way into the holy city to perform an ancient rite, the enemy closes in for the kill…

Drawn by a destiny he won’t accept, elite assassin Henrik Lazar detests the mystical curse handed down by his mother. But when the sorcery in his blood is activated and past pain comes back to haunt him, his new abilities come into play and he must learn to control them.

Rescued by Henrik in the heat of battle, Cosmina must decide whether to trust the assassin who loathes the goddess she serves or face certain death on her own. Forced into an untenable position, Henrik is left with a terrible choice—protect the magical Order he despises, or deny destiny and lose the woman he loves forever.

How did you come with the idea for this series?

I know it sounds funny, but I don’t control how a story idea arrives. It just…arrives—pops into head and makes me curious enough to go digging for the root of the story. Usually, the idea arrives in the from a character. Henrik did that to me. He walked into my head fully formed and told me his name. Simple as that. Once I had him in my mind’s eye, I started searching for his truth—the who, what and why of him.

I’m fascinated by the study of human behavior, so psychological profiles are a huge part of my story prep. I complete one for each character, so I know what makes he or she tick, and then add to each one’s profile with every book I write in that Series.

Who was your inspiration for Henrik.  Because I have to say that I am totally in love with him.

Me too! He’s easy to love. As such, Henrik was my inspiration for Henrik. As I said above, he walked into my head fully formed. Although, I have to admit, he didn’t give up his secrets easily. But with each scene I wrote of Knight Avenged, he revealed more, and I fell head over heads for him. He’s a study in contradictions: damaged, but unafraid of connection. Lethal, yet capable of incredible gentleness. He was tortured by his own mother as a child, grew up in a place that didn’t value men, and yet he loves women anyway. He has a myriad of flaws, but somehow that just makes sexier.

Who was your inspiration for Cosmina?  Because anyone who has to deal with Henrik will have to be one tough cookie.

Cosmina is tough. She needs to be too as she’s been on her own for long time when Knight Avenged opens. My inspiration for her was driven by pure curiosity. I wanted to know what it would be like to live inside an oracle’s head. What would it be like to see the future? How would that effect the way she moves through the world and interacts with others? What would the consequences be? For her, it’s very difficult. She never sees the whole picture at once—just bits and pieces that end being more confusing than enlightening. She doesn’t like the gift she’s been given and fights it every step of the way. In time, she learns to accept her gift, which puts her on the road to controlling it.

How about we give the readers a little snippet from Knight Avenged. Please open Knight Avenged to a random page and give us a sentence or two.

All right, here we go. I closed my eyes, opened the book, and landed on page 258—the passage in which Cristobal, an assassin and comrade of Henrik’s, discovers his magical gift.

***

Magic flared as Garren shifted into human form and stepped alongside him. Cristobal tensed. Garren exhaled in a rush, wonder in his expression. “Hellhounds.”

Cristobal blinked. “What?”

Violet eyes met his. “Do you have similar marks on your other arm?”

“Aye.”

“Twin hellhounds,” Garren said, awe in his tone. His mouth curved a second before he nodded. “You’ve been given a great gift, Cristobal. I thought Xavian and Henrik were the only ones affected by magic, but the marks on your skin tell a different tale. The tattoos are incomplete, but once finished, you will be able to call on the beasts.”

He frowned. “Call on them?”

“’Tis the Goddess of All Things at work. She has tied the Hellhounds to you.”

(excerpt used with permission from Coreene Callahan © Coreene Callahan 2014)

***

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’m finishing up Fury of Obsession (the Dragonfury Series, book 5) right now, which centers around Venom, one of the Nightfury dragon-warriors. He’s so much fun to write! Not only he is deadly, but has a great sense of humor and is super hot too. Fury of Obsession will be released in February, 2015. But look for a surprise addition to the Dragonfury Series—the dragon-warriors who live in the Scottish Highlands are set to make an appearance this fall!

I’m also in the planning stages of Knight Unleashed, the third book in the Circle of Seven Series. Which I’ll be writing this coming fall and will be release in August 2015.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

Stephen King! I’d love to pick his brain. I really enjoyed his book ‘On Writing’ and have listened to it multiple times  as an audiobook. Such great advice on the writing front!

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

WRITE! Every single day. Practice, as they say, makes perfect. Or least, will ensure you become better at your craft.

Being an author is sometimes lonely. It’s a solitary profession and a lot of hard work. No one but you can force you to write. And honestly, it’s easy to lose perspective, become distracted, and procrastinate. (Think Facebook!) Which doesn’t put words on the page. So make the commitment, sit your butt in the chair every day, and the rest will follow.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

Hmm, a bucket list. Travelling to new places is one of my passions. Especially when I get to feed my love of medieval history. So I have a list of dreams countries I want to visit someday. Australia and New Zealand top the list at the moment. Prague is a very close second. The Scandinavian countries—Finland, Sweden and Norway—are up there too. Oh, and thanks to the World Cup, Buenos Aires, Argentina is now on my radar.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

My To Be Read pile is WAY too long. The drawback of being so busy writing, I guess, is that I don’t have as much time to read as I once did. Although, I have to say, when I write THE END on one of my own books, I become a voracious reader. It isn’t unusual for me to read ten or twelve novels a week when I’m not writing.

Right now, I’ve got S.G. Relding’s, Redemption Key, at the top of my TBR pile along with Victoria Dahl’s, So Tough to Tame.

 

A huge thanks to Kelly from Books-n-Kisses for inviting me to visit today. I had a blast answering all the questions. I hope you enjoyed my answers and will stick around to ask more! Ask anything you like in the comments below and do my best to answer them all!

 

Coreene Callahan - head shotA little more about Coreene:

Growing up as the only girl on all-male hockey team, Coreene Callahan knows a thing or two about tough guys and loves to write characters inspired by them. Call it kismet. Call it payback after years of locker room talk and ice rink antics, but whatever you call it, the action better be heart stopping, the magic electric, and the story wicked, good fun.

After graduating with honors in psychology and working as an interior designer, she finally gave in and returned to her first love: writing. Her debut novel, Fury of Fire, was a finalist in the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest in two categories: Best First Book and Best Paranormal. She combines her love of romance, adventure and writing with her passion for history in her novels. She lives in Canada with her family, a fun-loving golden retriever, and her wild imaginary world.

You can find out more about Coreene or her books here:

WebsiteFacebookTwitter: @coreenecallahanGoodreadsPinterest

 

Here is a closer look at Henrik.  I mean Knight Avenged

*****

KNIGHT AVENGED

Circle of Seven #2

knight avenged

Amazon| B&N | BAM |

Alone in a world on the brink of war…two unlikely allies will discover a love greater than time.

Exiled from her home, powerful oracle Cosmina Cordei holds the key to uniting those protecting mankind from evil. But just as she makes her way into the holy city to perform an ancient rite, the enemy closes in for the kill…

Drawn by a destiny he won’t accept, elite assassin Henrik Lazar detests the mystical curse handed down by his mother. But when the sorcery in his blood is activated and past pain comes back to haunt him, his new abilities come into play and he must learn to control them.

Rescued by Henrik in the heat of battle, Cosmina must decide whether to trust the assassin who loathes the goddess she serves or face certain death on her own. Forced into an untenable position, Henrik is left with a terrible choice—protect the magical Order he despises, or deny destiny and lose the woman he loves forever.
Make sure to check out Kelly’s review HERE

*****

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Coreene is giving away 1 signed copy of Knight Avenged.
To enter please fill out the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Skye Jordan’s Ricochet excerpt tour + giveaway

SJordan-RichochetBT1

 

 *****
Ricochet

ricochet-500x750

AmazonAmazon UKAmazon Canada | | B&N | iBookstore| Kobo|

After a tragic incident in Afghanistan leaves Master Sergeant Nathan Ryker the only man standing in his tight-knit team, he spirals into an alcohol-and-sex induced escape. A call from his lifelong buddy pulls Ryker from the shadows with a request for help with his stunt company’s latest blockbuster. If Ryker can survive the next three weeks of leave and get back to his remaining men, he might just be all right. But a sexy woman who can take his mind off his trauma is too hard to resist, and when he hooks up with Renegades’ sultry, snarky office manager, his sanity takes a backseat to his first glimpse of a future he isn’t sure he deserves.

Still reeling from a bitter romantic betrayal, Rachel Hart wants nothing more than an uncomplicated hookup. So when the mysterious Nathan seduces her with a little dirty talk and one delicious kiss, Rachel drowns all her good sense in a Mandarin and soda and gives herself over to a night of sexual bliss. But her memories tarnish in the morning light when Rachel discovers his real identity and his link to Renegades. Her job and her friends are the only thing holding her life together, and she won’t be ruined by one sultry night with this damaged and dangerously sexy man.

Check out Kelly & Kimberly’s review of Ricochet HERE

SJordan-Excerpt14

As Josh greeted the other men, Rachel saw him through new eyes—Nathan’s eyes. Aside from Josh’s clean-cut look and Wes’s messy Renegade style, the two men actually looked a lot alike—both over six feet, both blond, both handsome. Wes fell into the wicked rebel category, while Josh was more of the sexy CPA type.

“That him?” Nathan asked, his voice a little on the dark side.

“Yes. I’m sorry, I wanted to prep you before he got here.”

He laughed, the sound cynical. “Baby, I don’t need prepping. The fucking president could walk in here, and I’d be ready.”

She darted a glance at Nathan to gauge his mood. But his expression had changed so completely, he looked like a different man. His face was tight, his jaw hard, lips thin. And his eyes… Those weren’t the warm, flirty eyes that had eaten her up at the bar. Not the lust-filled eyes she’d drowned in last night. These eyes were…sharp, intense, assessing.

“I’m…” she started. “I didn’t mean—”

“Do you always socialize with business associates who have influence over a project?” he asked without taking his eyes off the men as Josh made the rounds to shake hands, take a beer, bullshit. Nathan’s gaze swung back to Rachel’s. “Or is he more than an associate?”

What?

Once the shock wore off, she saw the harsh comment for what it was, a flash of male competition. This had been her fear from the start; Nathan and Josh were too much alike. And problem upon problem tipped in Rachel’s mind like dominos.

She gripped his forearm, drawing his gaze again. “Don’t, Nathan. Don’t make this about you and me. That was one night. This is Renegades’ future. Troy’s future.”

Understanding softened his gaze. She didn’t want to pull her hand away. Sensed he needed it. And she loved the feel of him—hard, warm…so solid. But when she glanced toward Josh again, he was scanning the yard, and Rachel removed her hand just as his gaze landed on the pool and found her.

They’d worked together for months, and he had to have looked at her hundreds of times. But his gaze felt so much heavier now, when she was sitting next to Nathan, sure Josh would see or sense their attraction. She didn’t owe Josh anything. It was a ridiculous thing to worry about. Yet…

Josh’s smile gleamed in the darkness, and he started toward her. He was wearing his typical work clothes, trendy black flat-front slacks and a pinstriped button-down, the sleeves rolled up on his forearms. A neat square belt buckle reflected the light. He looked good. Sharp. Confident. Quietly powerful.

He always did.

And she had a damn good feeling that was going to cause even more conflict with Nathan.

Josh lifted a hand to her as he neared.

She smiled and waved back, then met Nathan’s gaze seriously. “If you take the job, you’re going to have to deal with Josh. There’s just no way around it. And if that’s going to be a problem, please, please step back. These people mean as much to me as Troy means to you. I’ll find another way to do the stunt.”

“Hey, beautiful.” Josh’s deep voice cut into their conversation.

The muscles in Rachel’s shoulders tightened like guitar strings. She looked away from Nathan’s I-knew-it expression. “Hey, Josh.”

Make sure to check out today’s other post. 

Follow the rest of the tour HERE

joanswan-skyejordan_headshotAbout Skye:

Skye Jordan is a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling romantic suspense author Joan Swan.

Skye’s novels are about enjoying that little wild streak we don’t let out often enough. About those fantasies we rarely get the opportunity to indulge. About stretching limits, checking out the dark side, and maybe even acting a little naughty. They’re about escape and fun and pleasure and romance.

And, yes, even love, because while wicked-great sex is good, happily ever after with wicked-great sex is even better.

Skye (aka Joan) lives on the central coast of California in the heart of wine country with her husband and two daughters. As often as possible, she retreats to a hotel with critique partners for a power-writing week where much drinking, laughing, and yes, even working, ensues. When she’s not writing, Skye goes to breakfast with her hubby, attends her daughters’ barrel races, and spends a lot of time with her own horse, Riddle…while her two dogs, Paxton and Indie, tag along. She also loves to read, knit, craft, row, ride, and dabble in photography.

Links: Website FacebookTwitter | Goodreads | PinterestNewsletter

Don’t miss out on the other Renegade books.  Find them here Reckless Rebel

 

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Giveaway Details:

Skye is giving away the following at each stop:

  • 1  American Flag Military Dog Tag Swarovski Crystals (1 winner)
    This sparkly, all-American military dog tag is symbolic of the tags Ryker wears RICOCHET, but much prettier.

The front features the American flag embellished with real Swarovski Crystals.

The reverse side is custom engraved with one of the following RENEGADE taglines: grandprizenecklace flagpendantetched-74BA33

MY HEART BELONGS TO A RENEGADE

RENEGADES ARE MY WEAKNESS

EVERY WOMAN LOVES A RENEGADE

KEEP CALM AND LOVE A RENEGADE

RENEGADE JUNKIE

DARE TO BE A RENEGADE

A RENEGADE STOLE MY HEART

I’M IN LOVE WITH A RENEGADE

MY (BOOK) BOYFRIEND IS A RENEGADE

WHO NEEDS A KNIGHT? I WANT A RENEGADE

REAL. ROMANTIC. REBELLIOUS. RENEGADE.

Each tag comes with a split ring for keychain or ball chain for pendant.

  • 1 American Flag Paracord Zipper Pull (1 winner)
    These patriotic cuties are made with quality 550 Paracord. Add them to everything you can imagine—for style and function! Ex: purses, luggage, jackets, camera bag, etc.
  • flag-paracord-zipperpull
  • 3 Digital copies of readers choice of any of the following books: (3 winners)

○     Reckless

○     Rebel

○     Intimate Enemies

○     First Temptation

○     Sinful Deception

 

 

GRAND PRIZE for the tour:

Stylish GUESS wallet filled with $70 in gift cards + necklace! (Valued at $150)

$25 Amazon
$25 Barnes & Noble
$20 iTunes
Handmade necklace: Home of the Free Because of the Brave!

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Guest blogger: Carrie Ann Ryan + a giveaway

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome our pal Carrie Ann Ryan on the blog today.  We are letting Carrie Ann take over the blog for a bit.  So without further ado.   Take it away Carrie Ann. 

What happened to Cinderella and Prince Charming after they rode off into the sunset in that white carriage? I’ve always wanted to know beyond a random Made-for-TV movie or internet MEME where they comment on the fact that the two characters actually didn’t know each other at all…but I digress LOL.

In my Redwood Pack series, I write novellas after each novel that looks into another couple I already wrote about. This hero and heroine already have their HEA (Happy Ever After in case you didn’t know) and are riding into the sunset. But what do they do along the way?

In A Night Away, my first novella, I wrote about Melanie and Kade, the hero and heroine from book 1, An Alpha’s Path. I wanted to see what happened to the pair after they’d had a child. It was one of my favorites only because I got to see Uncle Maddox babysit! It was the first time I’d written in his POV and loved it!

In Blurred Expectations, I wrote about Trinity Bound’s triad, Hannah, Josh, and Reed. The trio oh so wanted a baby, but it just wasn’t happening yet. I wanted to look into that and look into Josh’s military past since their book focused on their future with the Redwood Pack. It was a sad yet emotional novella to write and readers have really fallen in love with this trio!

In Forgiveness, I focused on Adam and Bay. Adam and Bay’s story, Enforcer’s Redemption, was the hardest (before I wrote Fighting Fate that is) book I ever had to write. Adam and Bay had a rough courtship and in the novella, they were parents learning to be a couple at the same time. I also got to introduce a character, Emeline, that surprised me! I hadn’t planned on writing her story until people begged and she wouldn’t get out of my head. So Emeline and Noah’s story will be in DARK FATES, coming out August 12th.

In A Beta’s Haven, I got to go back to Jasper and Willow from A Taste for a Mate. I wanted to see what happened to a couple who had been around since the beginning of the war and look at the toll said war had on them. I shouldn’t have been worried though, Jasper and Willow could make it through anything.

And finally, in Loving the Omega, I got to see my favorite hero. (I know I’m not supposed to choose favorites, but shh!) Maddox and Ellie are probably the most requested couple I have and I honestly have to agree. I love them to pieces. They went through SO much before they even had each other and now they’re in the middle of their happy ending. Only, it’s not so happy due to the aftermath of the war. I wanted to see how they coped and what their daughter, Charlotte, did now that she was part of the Pack.

I truly love writing these after the HEA novellas and I hope you enjoy them!!!

 *****

Loving the Omega

Loving the Omega

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Maddox Jamenson almost lost his mate before he knew she existed, but his life is now exactly how he’d dreamed it. The war with the Centrals is over, and his family is healing one day at a time. Ellie is reveling in the simple perfection that is her life and family now, but that doesn’t mean she can shed the self-doubts and concerns that come with being a new mother, mate, and Redwood.

When a disturbance in their quiet life threatens to ruin everything they’ve fought for, Maddox and Ellie will have to learn not only to rely on each other more than ever, but find within themselves the power to forgive.

Author’s Note: This is a novella set after book 7 to give you a taste of Maddox and Ellie. It is best that you have already immersed yourselves in the Redwood Pack world, however even new readers will enjoy a glimpse of one of the Redwood’s favorite couples.

Excerpt… (used with permission from Carrie Ann Ryan © Carrie Ann Ryan 2014)

The quick, lethal slice of the blade robbed him of breath, and he gasped, clinging to that last thread of life he knew would fade away as he exhaled. Fire scorched down his throat, down his spine. The absence of pain, the absence of agony was a torture in itself. He reached out, begging, screaming until his voice was raw.

It wouldn’t matter though.

It never did.

The darkness surrounded him, clawing, digging its talons into his skin until he bled dry. It was the same thing every time. No matter what he did, he wouldn’t save him. He’d watch him die and lose the connection to the one man who mattered.

He pushed off the enemy and the cloying scent that meant the nothingness had found him and ran through clay and mud to the man who’d fallen, the man who’d been his everything as a child.

“Dad!”

His screams did nothing.

The man fell to the ground, his body burning, turning to ash. There would be no rebirth. No phoenix rising. Only death.

“Maddox! Let go!”

He turned at the sound of his mother’s voice, the pain underlying her terror unbearable. She stood in a ring of fire, a sad smile on her face.

“Let go, baby. Stop fighting.”

*****Learn more about Loving the Omega

 

Carrie Ann RyanA little about Carrie Ann Ryan : 

USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

Get in touch with Carrie Ann Ryan!

WebsiteBlogFacebook, Author PageFacebook, FriendTwitter | GoodreadsPinterestNewsletterEmail

*****

Giveaway Time:

Carrie Ann Ryan signed paperback and a $15 Amazon gift card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz for Carrie Ann Ryan’s Loving the Omega

Loving the Omega

AmazonB&NARe | Kobo | iTunes

Maddox Jamenson almost lost his mate before he knew she existed, but his life is now exactly how he’d dreamed it. The war with the Centrals is over, and his family is healing one day at a time. Ellie is reveling in the simple perfection that is her life and family now, but that doesn’t mean she can shed the self-doubts and concerns that come with being a new mother, mate, and Redwood.

When a disturbance in their quiet life threatens to ruin everything they’ve fought for, Maddox and Ellie will have to learn not only to rely on each other more than ever, but find within themselves the power to forgive.

Author’s Note: This is a novella set after book 7 to give you a taste of Maddox and Ellie. It is best that you have already immersed yourselves in the Redwood Pack world, however even new readers will enjoy a glimpse of one of the Redwood’s favorite couples.

Learn more about Loving the Omega

 

Carrie Ann RyanA little about Carrie Ann Ryan : 

USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

Get in touch with Carrie Ann Ryan!

WebsiteBlogFacebook, Author PageFacebook, FriendTwitter | GoodreadsPinterestNewsletterEmail

*****

Giveaway Time:

Carrie Ann Ryan signed paperback and a $15 Amazon gift card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour & Review: Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Alias Hook_cover

I am excited to welcome Lisa Jensen to Books-n-Kisses today to talk about her new book, Alias Hook.  This book gives us a look at the infamous Captain Hook and a different take on the tale of Peter Pan.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself.

My first professional writing gig was writing film reviews for an alternative weekly in Santa Cruz, CA—a job I still have. I also contributed book reviews to the San Francisco Chronicle for many years, which is how I fell in love with the idea of writing my own books! I also have a thing for pirates—who knows why?— so my first couple of forays into fiction have involved swashbuckling!

2. Tell us about your new release, Alias Hook.

It’s an adult romantic fantasy that views the world of the Neverland from the caustic perspective of Captain James Hook, its prisoner. He’s trapped playing villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends—until Stella Parrish, a forbidden woman, tumbles into the Neverland in defiance of Pan’s rules against grown-up “ladies.”  The magical elements of the Neverland—the Sisterhood of the fairies, the First Tribes, the mermaids in their grotto beneath the lagoon—open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in James himself, she begins to see someone far more sympathetic and complex than the storybook villain. She might be James Hook’s one last chance for redemption and release—if they can break the curse that binds him there before the boys can capture Stella and drag Hook back into their neverending game.

3. Where did you come up with the idea to tell Captain Hook’s story?

Captain Hook has always been one of my favorite pirates. He has the funniest lines in Peter Pan! But when I re-encountered Peter Pan as an adult awhile back, I was also struck by the pathos of a grown man trapped in a world run by little boys. Who was Captain Hook before he became the villain of the Neverland? What on earth had he ever done to deserve such a fate? And most important—how can he ever get out? As soon as I got this idea, I started hearing James Hook’s voice in my head, and I knew I had to tell his story.

4. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always written for myself, ever since I was a child—stories, journals, comic strips. It never occurred to me I could make a living at it until I lucked into my newspaper job! Writing fiction is what I’ve always really wanted to do; I just picked a roundabout way to get to it!

5. Which authors do you feel have influenced you to become a writer?

Well, let’s see: Charles Dickens, for the complexity of his stories and all his colorful characters, Diana Gabaldon for the emotional depth of her love stories, J. K. Rowling and Patrick O’Brian, for telling such cracking good yarns.

6. What are you working on now?

Still dabbling in retold fairy tales, I have a Beauty and the Beast story in the works with another unique perspective.

7. Favorite TV guilty pleasure? Favorite movie? Favorite book that you’ve read lately?

 Game of Thrones; I’m in withdrawals during the off-season. Too many movies to mention! (But here’s a random shuffle: Midnight In Paris, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, A Hard Day’s Night, Captain Blood.) I loved The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley.

Thank you so much for answering my questions and being here on Books-n-Kisses.

It was my pleasure! Thanks for having me.

About the Author:

Lisa-Jensen_thumb3LISA JENSEN is a veteran film critic and newspaper columnist from Santa Cruz, California. Her reviews and articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Cinefantastique, Take One, and Paradox Magazine. She has reviewed film on numerous area TV and radio stations. She also reviewed books for the San Francisco Chronicle for 13 years, where her specialty was historical and women’s fiction.

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Alias Hook_cover

“Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile who drags him down to a watery grave. But it was not yet my time to die. It’s my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy, with that infernal, eternal boy.”

Meet Captain James Benjamin Hook, a witty, educated Restoration-era privateer cursed to play villain to a pack of malicious little boys in a pointless war that never ends. But everything changes when Stella Parrish, a forbidden grown woman, dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan’s rules. From the glamour of the Fairy Revels, to the secret ceremonies of the First Tribes, to the mysterious underwater temple beneath the Mermaid Lagoon, the magical forces of the Neverland open up for Stella as they never have for Hook. And in the pirate captain himself, she begins to see someone far more complex than the storybook villain.

With Stella’s knowledge of folk and fairy tales, she might be Hook’s last chance for redemption and release if they can break his curse before Pan and his warrior boys hunt her down and drag Hook back to their neverending game. Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen is a beautifully and romantically written adult fairy tale.

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Jennifer’s Review of Alias Hook

Review (3.5 Stars):  I was very excited to read this book because I enjoy books that have a different take on well-loved fairy tales and I couldn’t wait to read Captain Hook’s side of things.  In Alias Hook, we see another side to the infamous Captain Hook and it changes how we look at the beloved story of Peter Pan. Captain Hook isn’t really a villain in this story but a pawn in Peter Pan’s wicked game and Peter Pan is the bad guy in this tale. We find that Hook is actually trapped in Neverland, destined to repeat events over and over again without any way to escape this never-ending nightmare. This is all changes when a woman falls into Neverland by mistake and gives Captain Hook a chance at freedom to break this dreadful curse once and for all.

For me, Alias Hook had a lot of potential with beautiful descriptions of Neverland in such vivid detail and glimpses into Captain Hook’s true personality since the book is mainly from his point of view. I felt sorry for Captain Hook and was amazed that being in this never-ending nightmare hasn’t slowly driven him insane.  I loved his personality and by meeting Stella, it finally gave him hope and the one opportunity to defeat Peter Pan to change the end of his story.  My only complaint with this book was the pacing of the story, at times it felt very slow and drawn out, which had me skimming pages of this story to see when things picked up again.  With that said, I feel that Alias Hook was a very enjoyable adult fairy tale that I’m sure will please fans of the beloved Peter Pan.  I would recommend that people take their time reading this book and savor the rich vivid world that Ms. Jensen has created and hopefully will like Captain Hook as much as I did.

Masters of Seduction Release Day Spotlight + Giveaway

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have four of our favorite authors on the blog today to help promote their new release of  Masters of Seduction: Books 1-4: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set.  I, for one can’t wait to jump into this box  set and learn all about these Masters.   So what do you say we take a little look into the world of the Masters of Seduction.

MOS

Amazon| B&N | Kobo | iTunes

In the realm of the Incubi Masters, pleasure is to die for and love is the deadliest game of all . . .

Surrender to sinful pleasures and forbidden passions with Masters of Seduction, the sizzling new paranormal romance novella series from New York Times and internationally bestselling authors Lara Adrian, Donna Grant, Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy.

This all-new, never-before-published boxed set contains the first four novellas in the Masters of Seduction series. Each book in the collection is approximately 20-25,000 words.

For more information on the series, visit www.MastersOfSeductionAuthors.com

 *****

Are you interested yet?

Lara, Donna, Laura & Alexandra were nice enough to not only share their new box set but they are giving us a closer look into each story.

So here is a look at each of the stories.

Enjoy!!

*****

Merciless: House of Gravori 

by Lara Adrian 

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Seeking vengeance for the murder of his brother, Incubus Master Devlin Gravori demands justice from the high court of the Nephilim. But fury and retribution are no match for the consuming desire he feels for Nahiri, the beautiful Nephilim warrior he claims as his hostage.

Merciless Excerpt (Used with permission by Lara Adrian © Lara Adrian 2014): 

Nahiri awoke in the middle of a large bed in a strange room.

She shot upright the instant consciousness dawned, her hands reaching automatically for her weapons.

They were gone.

The leather sheaths that crossed her torso were empty.

No. That meant her nightmare hadn’t been just a dream. It was reality.

The Incubus in the temple…Devlin Gravori.

He really had taken her.

Nahiri’s eyelids snapped open in panic. Sunlight poured in from an open window across the room, blasting her vision.

Momentarily blinded, she squinted through her lashes, struggling to take quick stock of her new surroundings.

Creamy stucco walls. Dark hardwood floors and masculine-looking furnishings. Thick timber beams high above her head.

And beneath her, a massive bed. The mattress was as cushiony as a cloud, the cotton sheets and silken coverlet calling to mind all manner of sins.

All around her was the scent of intriguingly exotic spices and something even more enticing.

Him.

She sensed his presence even before she swung her head in his direction and found him seated in an upholstered chair beside the bed. No, not seated in it, exactly. Dominating it. The same way he seemed to dominate every space he occupied.

His big body lounged negligently where he sat, his powerful thighs spread, one arm draped over the side of the chair, the other propping his head up, fist curled loosely under the square line of his jaw.

He’d shed his suit jacket at some point, and now wore just his gray tailored pants and white business shirt. The collar was opened even farther than she recalled, just one more button loosened, but exposing enough of his tawny skin to make her mouth water with a sudden, unholy urge to taste him.

She wanted to dismiss the impulse as one he planted in her mind, but she could tell from the casual way he regarded her that any curiosity she felt in that moment was hers alone.

Nahiri scrambled off the bed. She backed into the farthest corner of the room, eyeing him warily. “Where am I? Where have you taken me?”

“You’re at Gravori House.” He cast a nonchalant look around the room. “More specifically, you’re in my bedroom.”

Even though she could have guessed as much, her heart still climbed into her throat. Since she’d gone to the temple to train at eighteen years old, she hadn’t left the sanctuary grounds even once. Let alone spent so much as a minute in a man’s bedroom.

She might be a virgin, but she had never been a wilting little girl. She was a grown woman. A skilled warrior. She refused to let him intimidate her.

“It was a bad idea to abduct me from the temple,” she informed him. “The Three will see you punished for this, Incubus, regardless of what you mean to do to me. And with or without my weapons, I am still a Blade. I will fight you every step of the way.”

“The same way you did in the High Chamber?”

Her cheeks flamed with heat at the reminder. With humiliation. Her weakness had shamed her in front of the other Blades, in front of the three priestesses who’d entrusted her with their lives. With their faith that she was the best, the strongest, of her peers.

And this demon had disproved all of that in a moment.

He would do it again if he wanted to. He could do anything he wanted to her. Nahiri could see it in the hard glint of his golden eyes.

No, for all her skill—for all her dedication to the teachings and training of the temple—Devlin Gravori could destroy her at his whim.

“I’m not interested in fighting you,” he murmured, as if he could read the troubled direction of her thoughts.

She swallowed, watching the way he stared at her from across the room. He didn’t move, and yet her body trembled as though his hands were already on her, as hot and roaming as his gaze. All the wicked, deviant things she’d ever heard about Incubi appetites poured over her in a rush of dread and terrible anticipation.

“In case you’re worried about it, I’m not interested in raping you either,” he drawled, the corner of his mouth curling around the sensual growl of his deep, rumbling voice. “Forcing a woman isn’t the Incubus way. Never been my way, at any rate.”

Nahiri hiked up her chin. “No, you’ll just bend my will until I submit. Or make me your Thrall so you can siphon my life’s energy for your own. Maybe you’ll manipulate my mind until I beg you to drain me completely. I suppose that would be more your way.”

He grunted, dark amusement in his tone. “I have plenty of women more than happy to slake my needs—all of my needs.”

As reassurances went, his did little to relieve her. He steepled his hands beneath his chin, his citrine gaze locked on her. Nahiri could hardly breathe. His dark energy was gathered about him, pulsating and vivid, but not the way she’d felt it in the temple.

He was holding his demonic allure in check now, despite the heat she felt licking along her limbs and putting a flame to her blood. He intrigued her as much as he unsettled her.

Heaven save her, but he tempted her.

Even as he terrified her, infuriated her…he stirred a dangerous longing in her.

And he knew.

The way he studied her, he knew she was struggling against an attraction she wanted desperately to deny.

One raven brow quirked nearly imperceptibly. “If I wanted to take you as my lover, Nahiri, or feed from you as my Thrall, I wouldn’t need force or Incubus magic to do it.”

The combination of her name on his lips and the terrible truth he spoke made her heart stumble in her chest. It beat shallowly, accelerating in time with her breathing.

And she tried not to notice how his gaze tracked every inch of her body, settling on her breasts as they rose and fell with each rapid squeeze of her lungs.

He got out of the chair and stood in place for a long moment. When he finally moved, his steps were measured, unrushed. So confident, as if doubt was something he never had to trifle with when it came to women.

Of course, he’d told her as much, so his arrogance shouldn’t surprise her now.

Nahiri stood, frozen, as he approached, his thick-muscled thighs carrying him in a slow prowl across the room. He paused an arm’s length away from her.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, grateful that the tremors of her body hadn’t found their way into her voice. She could not forget for an instant that she was dealing with a demon. “What do you want from me?”

His sensual mouth twisted in contemplation. “I haven’t decided yet. But let me be clear about one thing, little Blade. You may be pledged to the Three and their precious temple, but in this House, I am Master. So long as I have you under this roof, you will obey me. As of now, your well-being, your life—everything—belongs to me.”

She bristled, outrage shooting through her like fire. She welcomed the anger. It helped eclipse the desire that was still simmering inside her, unwanted and never to be admitted—especially to this overbearing heathen of a man.

Devlin Gravori was mad if he expected her to think of him as anything but her captor.

Her enemy.

And he might as well realize that now.

Nahiri peeled her lips back from her teeth in a furious smile. She squared off against him, ready to do battle even without the benefit of her weapons. “I would rather die before I give anything to you. Willingly or by force. I would see you dead before that day.”

He scowled as she hissed the words into his face. When he raised his hand, she thought for certain he would strike her.

Instead, his broad, warm palm came around the back of her neck. He held her in a firm grip, and brought his face terrifyingly close to hers.

When he spoke his voice was raw, as rough as gravel in his throat. “Be careful with your threats, Nahiri. Those are dangerous words. Particularly when my kin are already grieving the loss of one brother to your kind today.”

She stared up into his fierce golden eyes, transfixed by the power she saw there. By the pain and fury that hardened his handsome features and tightened the lush line of his mouth.

“On the other side of this bedroom door, I have a dozen Incubi brothers and cousins who might be tempted to take your threats against me to heart. They might be tempted toward other things too. But not so long as you’re under my watch. No one takes what belongs to me.”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to her mouth. It lingered there, and suddenly Nahiri could hardly swallow for the lack of moisture in her throat. Her lips tingled under his gaze, aching for contact. Her temples pounded with her heartbeat, a rising, steady thrum that seemed to echo in the small space between her body and his.

Everything female in her was fixed on this man—this dark, deadly demon—and the unholy need he aroused in her.

“You will obey me,” he muttered, the command like velvet on her senses when it should grate like sharp stones. “As of right now, Nahiri the Blade, you belong to me.”

A little about Lara Adrian: Adrian_L

Lara Adrian is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the Midnight Breed vampire romance series and numerous other titles published independently. With nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide, and translations licensed in more than 20 countries, Lara’s books have been called “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “strikingly original” (Booklist) and “a must-read” (Fresh Fiction). She lives in New England with her husband, where she is currently at work on her next novel. To learn more about Lara’s books and to sign up for her email newsletter, visit her here  Website| Facebook | Twitter @lara_adrian | Goodreads

*****

Soulless: House of Romerac 

by Donna Grant

Soulless_600x900Incubus Master Canaan Romerac is focused solely on revenge against those who betrayed him and put him in the Oubliette for five hundred years. That is until he sets eyes on Rayna. Can the beautiful Nephilim heal Canaan’s wounded soul before it’s too late.  

Soulless excerpt (Used with permission by Donna Grant © Donna Grant 2014):

There was a pause. “Your skin is flushed, but not from illness.”

Conceited prick. Of course a sex demon would know when she was aroused. “I know you won’t force me, and I’m not interested. So go away.”

She waited for his response, waited to hear the charm and seduction she knew was coming. Except there was nothing. Rayna counted to fifty before she opened her eyes.

And promptly gasped when she found herself staring into eyes of blue-green as fathomless as the sea.

Rayna tried to look away, but only managed to move her eyes to his chiseled chin and jaw that sported a shadow of a beard, making him even sexier. If that was possible.

She caught a glimpse of coal black hair against his shoulder and saw it hung loose, the waves begging her to slide her fingers into the thickness. A lock of that hair fell over his wide forehead to fall against the corner of his eye.

Once more she was caught in his gaze. A woman could drown in such brilliance. Between the brightness of his eyes, the long black lashes, his midnight hair, and his olive skin, he wasn’t just handsome. He was striking, breathtaking.

Magnificent.

“Not interested?” he said, a hint of a smile upon wide, full lips. Lips that no doubt kissed as heavenly as he looked.

Rayna had to try twice to get enough wetness in her mouth to swallow. Even then her voice wouldn’t work so she shook her head.

He leaned forward and ran his index finger softly down the side of her face before pushing her hair over her shoulder. “Say it again.”

Was he insane? Didn’t he realize she was barely holding it together? Or perhaps that was the point. He did realize exactly what kind of precarious situation she was in.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known pleasure. She’d had her share of lovers, but not a single one of them had heated her blood like the Incubi before her. And he hadn’t even kissed her.

Victory shone in the Incubus’s beautiful eyes, and the resulting anger was enough that she could remember just why she didn’t want him. She refused to be a pawn in the game played between the Nephilim and the Incubi.

“I don’t want you,” she said. It might be a hoarse whisper, but the words had come.

To make her point even more clear, she shoved past him. It was a mistake as soon as her hand landed on his chest. The resulting heat, the primal need that thrummed through her veins, halted her.

He moved behind her, his warm breath fanning her neck. Unable to stop herself, her eyes closed and her head fell to the side. Soft lips touched the place where her neck met her shoulders. It barely registered before his hot, wet tongue flicked over her skin.

“You’re correct, Nephilim. I won’t force you,” he whispered into her ear. “Your kind is normally so willing to couple with us. What makes you so different?”

Rayna turned to face him, wondering if she was a masochist. Why else would she willingly face someone so damned gorgeous again?

“I walked away from that world. I want nothing to do with it.”

Before she could get in another word, his lips were on hers. There was nothing soft or romantic about the kiss. It was all heat and desire, need and passion.

Lust and longing.

It sent her world spinning. Her body was scorched from the intensity of the kiss.

As suddenly as it began, the kiss ended. Rayna blinked up at him, unsure why he stopped. She licked her lips, liking the taste of him altogether too much.

“Farewell,” he said and disappeared into the night before she could utter a single syllable in response.

A little about Donna Grant: donna_grant_new

Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories.  She’s the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic.  Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.

To learn more about Donna and her books, please visit her here: Website | Facebook | Twitter @donna_grant | Goodreads

 

*****

Shameless: House of Vipera

by Laura Wright  

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Sexy Incubus Master Scarus Vipera has grown weak, and the only thing that will strengthen him again is Rosamund, the power-rich female of the Harem. But the mysterious Nephilim is determined to leave the harem untouched, her heart intact.

Shameless Excerpt (Used with permission by Laura Wright © Laura Wright 2014): 

Rosamund gasped as the man ran his nose along the seam of her sex. Why couldn’t they go away? These stupid, silly Nephilim? Their opinions meant nothing to her. All she wanted was this male. His mouth on her. His tongue inside her.

“Rosamund, you must wake!” called the second female, more urgently this time. “Constance is on her way. There is to be an announcement.”

Rosamund drove her fingers into thick, soft hair in response. Yes! Yes! Right there, male, she urged, squeezing his scalp. He groaned, the sound vibrating against her heat as he nuzzled his way to her swelling clitoris.

The sound of a doorknob rattling entered her consciousness, but she pushed it away. It was the click of a lock being breached that truly yanked her from the rising pleasure, cutting into her dream like a guillotine to the neck. She came awake with a start, eyes flying open, body jackknifing upward into a sitting position. Breathing heavy, she glanced around, blinked. It was pitch black in her little anteroom—the space she’d claimed when she arrived in the Harem nearly one year ago. The space that was all hers. Every other Nephilim in residence lived in shared accommodations—very gratefully and happily. But Rosamund had wanted to be alone.

No. She’d needed to be alone.

“Rosamund, Constance will give you a week in the kitchens if you’re not in attendance,” Eva persisted, inching the door open.

Panic seized Rosamund. She couldn’t have them see her. Not like this. “I’m up,” she called, scrambling off her pallet and rushing to the door. She pressed herself against it, blocking their entrance. “I’m up. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

There was a momentary pause, then a sigh. “All right,” Eva said. “We will see you in the courtyard. And Rosamund?”

“Yes?” she said with a touch of irritation she wasn’t quite awake enough to hide. Sleep still clung to her mind. Wet heat still claimed everything south of her navel.

“Good morning to you,” the female called.

Oh great Goddess, it had been, Rosamund thought with a groan as she listened to the females’ retreating footsteps. Or could have been. She heaved a sigh and let her head fall back against the wood. She was truly dying to know how her dream ended. She’d been having it nearly every night of her three hundred and sixty one nights in the Harem. And each time, the intensity grew, the need intensified. Granted, she could never see the male’s face clearly, but she knew it was Roger. The human man she’d met and fallen for three months before she’d been called to the Harem. The human man who believed she was away on a yearlong animal research trip in the Australian bush.

The human man who had held her in his arms the night before she left and sworn that he would wait for her forever. But Rosamund knew forever was a relative term—and that waiting wasn’t easy for anyone. Normally a letter from him came once a week, forwarded from a post office box in Sydney. But in the past couple of months she’d received nothing at all.

Her heart squeezed as she pushed away from the door. Just four more days, she reminded herself, setting about lighting the three lamps that lined her tiny bookcase and clothing rack. Four more days until she was back in San Francisco, back to Roger—back to creating the life, the home, the family, she’d always dreamt of having.

With quick, seasoned hands, she performed her daily routine. Tying down her breasts and padding her middle. Applying powders to her face to make her appear sallow and tired, and oils to her long, pale blond hair to make it appear unwashed. And the one last accompaniment that was a guarantee to her continued success—the one she’d had made before leaving San Francisco nearly a year ago—a dental prosthetic that made her teeth look almost rotten.

After slipping on the large pumpkin-colored day robe, she made a quick inventory of her appearance in the cracked half mirror. She looked as she did every day. A younger version of the witch who’d sold Snow White her poisoned apple. She heaved a great sigh of relief. Perfect. No male on Earth would choose her over the stunning Nephilim females of the Harem.

A little about Laura Wright: LauraWrightPic

Author of the Bestselling Mark of the Vampire series, Laura Wright spent the early years of her life immersed in the worlds of singing, acting and competitive ballroom dancing. But when she started writing, she knew she’d found her true calling. Laura lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband, two children, three dogs, two frogs and two fish. She’s been thrice nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and loves hearing from her readers.  To learn more about Laura and her books, please visit her here: Website| Facebook | Twitter @LauraWriteRom | Goodreads

*****

Ruthless: House of Xanthe

 by Alexandra Ivy

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Jian, Master of the House Xanthe, has devoted his life to returning his family to their former prominence.  When he’s offered a contract to hunt down the missing Sovereign, he’s eager to accept. The last thing he expects is to encounter a stunningly beautiful angel who stirs more than his lust

Ruthless Excerpt (Used with permission by Alexandra Ivy © Alexandra Ivy 2014)

Jian, the Master of the House of Xanthe, stood at the edge of the barren, uninhabited island in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.  He grimaced as he studied the jagged mountain of blue ice that soared toward the sky.

Despite the weak sunlight, the breeze was edged with a lethal chill and beneath his feet the ground trembled as the ice abruptly split open.  Only his swift leap to the side prevented him from tumbling into the deep fissure that formed.

Not the first place anyone would willingly choose to spend the night.

Not even a demon.

Thankfully, Jian wasn’t just any demon.

As a powerful Incubus, he could not only compel others with the force of his sexual enchantment, but he was physically impervious to the brutal elements.  He also possessed the unique ability to see through magical illusions.

Which was why he was the current Master of House Xanthe.

Unlike other Incubi Houses, Xanthe didn’t accumulate their wealth through vineyards, or sprawling hotel chains, or sex clubs.

No, their profitable spice trade had been destroyed, and worse, their lands stripped away, after Jian’s grandfather had stood against the House of Marakel and been labeled a traitor by the Council.  Now Xanthe depended on their own skills to rebuild their empire.

Two of Jian’s younger brothers were expert assassins who offered death for an obscene price.  And a handful of cousins sold themselves as mercenaries for other Incubi.

But it was Jian’s ability to gather and collect information that was slowly returning Xanthe to its position among the most respected Houses.

There was nothing in this world, or any other, that paid quite so well as secrets.

A wry smile twisted his lips as he recalled the extremely large fortune that had just been transferred into his account from a human politician who preferred to keep his habit of siphoning funds from his elderly donors from hitting the front page.

“This is a bad idea,” Taka growled.

Jian turned his head to study the large Incubus standing next to him.

The captain of Xanthe’s Watchmen, Taka looked exactly like what he was—a ruthless killer.  Dressed in leather pants and a T-shirt despite the frigid air, he was as large as an ox, with bluntly carved features and a smoothly shaved skull.  His skin was tanned to a rich mahogany, and his arms, which bulged with muscle, were tattooed with the Xanthe House emblem of a warrior.

Jian, on the other hand, was built along leaner lines, with the sleek muscles of a trained swordsman.

His skin was a smooth, unblemished honey and his straight blue-black hair was cut short on the sides, with the top long enough to fall over his wide forehead.  He had a thin blade of a nose and high, narrow cheekbones that whispered of his Far Eastern heritage.  His face was lean, with eyes that were faintly tilted and glowed like melted gold in the sunlight.

 

Alexandra IvyA little about Alexandra Ivy: 

Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series, as well as the Sentinels and Bayou Heat that she writes with Laura Wright.  After majoring in theatre she decided she prefers to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage.  She lives in Missouri with her family.

Learn more about Alexandra and her books, please visit her here:  WebsiteFacebookTwitter @AlexandraIvyGoodreads

 

 

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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Books-n-Kisses will be giving away 2 digital copies of Master of Seduction to two readers.

Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Kissin’ the week of July 7th to July 12th Goodbye

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Kimberly reviews Naughty Bits #3 by Joey W Hill

Kelly reviews Lacey’s Game by Shiloh Walker

Blog Tour & Review: Some Enchanted Eclair by Bailey Cates

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Release Day Blitz for Elisabeth Naughton’s Extreme Measures

Kelly reviews Extreme Measures by Elisabeth Naughton

What releases the week of July 7th? Check here!

Blog Tour & Review: Maple Mayhem by Jessie Crockett

7.9.14

Spotlight feature and review of Lacey’s Game by Shiloh Walker

Kimberly reviews Never Been Kissed by Molly O’Keefe

Kimberly & Jennifer review The Heart’s Game by Crista McHugh

Cover Reveal: The Social Media Experiment by Cole Gibsen

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Kimberly reviews Shifter’s Claim Part 1 by A.C. Arthur

Thursday’s Thought…

Blog Tour & Review: Silence of the Lamb’s Wool by Betty Hechtman

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Blood & Thunder Cover Reveal

Jennifer reviews Love With A Perfect Cowboy by Lori Wilde

Kelly reviews Better Home and Hauntings by Molly Harper

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Blog Tour & Review: A Biscuit, A Casket by Liz Mugavero

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I’m excited to have Liz Mugavero here today to talk about her new book, A Biscuit, A Casket.  This series is a lot of fun and I hope everyone gets a chance to read this great series.

1. Tell me about your new release.

A Biscuit, A Casket is the second in the Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food Mysteries.

Stan Connor’s Pawsitively Organic pet food business is taking off – she’s even catering doggie parties. That’s what she’s doing at the local dairy farm during Halloween season – but the party is derailed when the farmer’s dead body is discovered in his haunted corn maze and Stan finds herself once again mixed up in murder.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

When I was discussing proposal ideas with my now-agent, John Talbot, we talked about my interests and weaved those into what he thought the market might want. I’ve always been an animal lover and a mystery lover, and one of my constant quandaries was, how would I combine my two passions? When John suggested gourmet pet food, I thought, Yes! Because it allows me the opportunity to touch on rescue, as well, which is very important to me.

3. What was the most interesting thing that you had to research as a writer? Do you base characters on people that you know?

I’m working on revisions for a darker mystery that I wrote before Pawsitively Organic. This book touches on a lot of topics: alternative education, state social services, child abuse, mental illness, to name a few. The research on those topics was crazy – and there’s so much to understand.

As far as basing characters on people I know – I don’t take people in their entirety, change their names and plop them in my books, but I do infuse parts of many people into my characters. I love people watching and noting traits, habits, gestures, speech patterns, and all of that (and more!) makes it’s way into my books.

4. Which authors do you feel have influenced you to become a writer?

I’ve loved mysteries since I was a kid, and of course the Nancy Drew books were top of that list. Those were my first influence. And there have been so many since! Janet Evanovich’s humor, Dennis Lehane’s poetic darkness, Agatha Christie (of course!).

5. What are you working on now?

I just completed a proposal for the 4th, 5th and 6th books in the Pawsitively Organic series. I’m also working on revisions of the book I mentioned above. I’m anxious to get that out into the world. Maybe you all will see that in the near future!

6. Favorite TV guilty pleasure?  Favorite Food? Favorite place to travel? Favorite movie you’ve seen recently?

Oh, the fun questions! Let’s see. I love to watch Gilmore Girl reruns. My favorite food these days is any yummy smoothie I can make in my Vitamix – I love some of Kris Carr’s recipes. Travel? I am counting the days until I can visit San Francisco again. And movies – I’ve been so busy I’m terribly behind. But some of my all-time favorites are The Outsiders, Mystic River, Shawshank Redemption.

About the Author:

Inside3Liz Mugavero has been writing stories since she could hold a pen. Before that, she would tell them to anyone who would listen (not many at the time). After deciding early on she would write books for a living, she practiced by writing bad, angst-filled poems, short stories and even a storyline for a soap opera–all by age 15. She never wavered from her goals despite all the usual questions including, “So are you going to be an English teacher with that degree in English?” or, “That writing thing sounds nice, but how are you REALLY going to make a living?”

She went on to get a master’s in writing and publishing and spent time in journalism, PR, and presently, corporate communications. And she’s confident this writing thing IS the way to make a living.

Aside from writing, she loves animals (has a houseful), the beach, reading other writers’ masterpieces and Starbucks coffee.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

A Biscuit, A casket.indd

The small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut, has wholeheartedly embraced Kristan “Stan” Connor’s new business – preparing quality organic treats for dogs and cats. On a healthy diet, the animals may live longer…but one local farmer won’t be so lucky. As Halloween approaches, Stan is asked to cater a doggie costume party hosted by the Happy Cow Dairy Farm. Part of a local co-op, Happy Cow specializes in organic dairy products, and farmers Hal and Emmalee Hoffman have started opening up the farm for parties, offering a “haunted” corn maze as an added attraction. When Hal’s lifeless body is found in the maze, the police at first suspect his wife, but Stan soon learns the dairy farmer had plenty of enemies – from bitter family members to shady business associates. If Stan can’t extract a kernel of truth from the labyrinth of lies, she may be the next one to buy the farm…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of A Biscuit, A Casket

Review (4 Stars): This is a very cute series and I love how Stan has created her own business from doing something she loves such as creating special organic treats for animals.  In this book, Stan is gearing up for Halloween and is invited to Happy Cow farms to host a doggie costume party with her delicious treats.  After arriving at the farm, the body of Hal Hoffman is found in the corn maze and Stan immediately finds herself involved in another murder investigation.  The victim wasn’t a very likeable guy and had a handful of people that wanted to see him dead but no clues on who the killer could be.  Stan must find the answers quick before the Happy Cow farm goes under and Hal’s wife is charged with the murder.

A Biscuit, A Casket is a great addition to a charming mystery series that is bound to entertain.  I’ve liked Stan since the first book Kneading to Die because even though she lost her high-powered publicity job she realized that things happen for a reason and it was time for her to enjoy the simple things in life.  She has a new home, new furry friends and a new career in a place that is absolutely delightful.  I love books that center around Halloween and I enjoyed A Biscuit, A Casket from beginning to end.  Such a fun well-written mystery that you can’t help but love.  I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Ms. Mugavero and her third book in the Pawsitively Organic mystery series in the future.

Coreene Callahan’s Circle of Seven Series

Knight Awakened

Circle of Seven #1

Knight Awakened

In AD 1331, warlord Vladimir Barbu seizes control of Transylvania. But in spite of his bloody triumph, his claim to the throne remains out of reach. The king of Hungary opposes his rule, the Transylvanian people despise his brutal ways, and the high priestess needed to crown him has vanished without a trace. But Barbu hasn’t come this far only to be thwarted by a woman. He unleashes his best hunters to track her down and bring her to him—dead or alive.

For Xavian Ramir, killing is the only life he has ever known. Torn from his family when he was a child, he was trained from an early age to be an elite assassin. But now he longs for something more, vowing to start anew after one last job. The bounty on his target’s head is enough to set him up for good—if he can resist the long-dead conscience that stirs to life when he meets his beautiful mark.

Afina Lazar never wanted to become high priestess, but the brutal murders of her beloved mother and sister leave her no choice. Now she is running for her life, desperate to protect the magical amulet entrusted to her care. But when Barbu’s assassin comes for her, she realizes her only chance of stopping the warlord’s rise to power is to convince this enigmatic—and handsome—hunter that she is more valuable alive than dead.

Dramatic and fast-paced, Knight Awakened is a stirring love story between two people searching for a second chance in a magical world of assassins, warlords, unearthly beasts, and nonstop adventure,

 *****

Knight Avenged

Circle of Seven #2

Knight Avenged

Alone in a world on the brink of war…two unlikely allies will discover a love greater than time.

Exiled from her home, powerful oracle Cosmina Cordei holds the key to uniting those protecting mankind from evil. But just as she makes her way into the holy city to perform an ancient rite, the enemy closes in for the kill…

Drawn by a destiny he won’t accept, elite assassin Henrik Lazar detests the mystical curse handed down by his mother. But when the sorcery in his blood is activated and past pain comes back to haunt him, his new abilities come into play and he must learn to control them.

Rescued by Henrik in the heat of battle, Cosmina must decide whether to trust the assassin who loathes the goddess she serves or face certain death on her own. Forced into an untenable position, Henrik is left with a terrible choice—protect the magical Order he despises, or deny destiny and lose the woman he loves forever.

*****

Knight Unleashed

Circle of Seven #3

Cover reveal blitz for Charlie Cochet’s Blood & Thunder

*****

Blood & Thunder

(Thirds Series, Bk #2)
Release Day:
August 4, 2014

 

When a series of bombs go off in a Therian youth center, injuring members of THIRDS Team Destructive Delta, and causing a rift between agents Dexter J. Daley and Sloane Brodie, peace seems unattainable. Especially when a new and frightening group, the Order of Adrasteia, appears to always be a step ahead. With panic and intolerance spreading and streets becoming littered with the Order’s propaganda, hostility between Humans and Therians grows daily. Dex and Sloane, along with the rest of the team, are determined to take down the Order and restore peace, not to mention settle a personal score. But the deeper the team investigates the bombings, the more they believe there’s a more sinister motive than a desire to shed blood and spread chaos.

 

Discovering the frightful truth behind the Order’s intent forces Sloane to confront secrets from a past he thought he’d left behind for good, a past that could not only destroy him and his career, but also the reputation of the organization that made him all he is today. Now more than ever, Dex and Sloane need each other, and, along with trust, the strength of their bond will mean the difference between justice and all-out war.
Available for pre-order at 

 

 

Excerpt (used with permission © Charlie Cochet 2014)

“It is exceptionally important for you to knowwhen your partner is playing and when he or she is irate. Agent Daley, please

demonstrate.”

Dex arched an eyebrow at the instructor. “Whichone?”

“Both.”
“You want me to piss him off?” What kind ofclass was this?

“In a matter of speaking. Yes.”
“Great.” Okay. How could he piss off hispartner without losing a limb? What he needed to do was annoy Sloane, really annoy him. Shouldn’t be too

difficult. Dex had annoying down to an art. He thrust a finger in Sloane’s

face, knowing how much his Felid partner hated that. Then he started singing.  Nothing annoyed his partner like Hall and

Oates.

Sloane let out a fierce roar, and Dex starteddancing around him, his voice going high-pitched for certain lyrics while he

snapped his fingers. Sloane pawed at him, and Dex spun on his heels, avoiding

getting smacked. His partner hissed, baring his fangs before he took off after

Dex.

“Shit!” Dex bolted, weaving through the rows ofagents who were either laughing or watching him in disbelief while their instructor

narrated as if this was nothing more than some nature video. Dex could see the

title now. National Geographic presents Predatory

Partners.

“Understand your partner’s behavior. Why is heor she behaving in such a fashion?”

“Because I pissed him off?” Dex called out overhis shoulder, dashing back toward the instructor.

“Very good. Thank you, Agent Daley. You may nowsoothe your partner.”

Clearly, Dr. Eldridge didn’t personally knowSloane Brodie. Dex put his hands up, walking backward slowly as he spoke to his

partner.

“Hey, buddy. Just following orders, you know?You heard him. I wasn’t the one who

wanted to piss you off.” Dex crouched down and held a hand out. Please don’t bite me. Please don’t bite me.

Sloane blinked before jumping up on his two back paws, his front paws pushing

against Dex’s shoulders and knocking him onto his back. Sloane pinned him, and

Dex braced himself. When Sloane started licking his face, Dex shut his eyes

tight. “Okay, I get it. Payback. Take notes people.” Dex pointed at his partner.

“This is what I meant about payback.”

“Agent Brodie, if you’ll resume your placebeside your partner. Agent Daley, you may return to your mat.”

Sloane did as asked, and Dex wiped at his facewith his sleeve before returning to his spot. He was never more grateful not to

have ended up partnered with Ash than he was at this moment.

“Once you have assessed your partner anddeduced he or she is irate, you will want to give your partner space. If you

feel it’s safe to approach, you will do so with caution. Deal with what’s

causing the issue. For example, Agent Fuller, please approach Agent Daley.

Slowly.”

The moment Agent Fuller got to his feet,Sloane’s ears twitched. “Um, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Dex said,

watching Agent Fuller creep toward Dex, as if Sloane hadn’t noticed. The Human

rookie was clearly unaccustomed to dealing with Felids. “My partner’s a little

on the grumpy side and poking the sleeping jaguar with a pointy stick might not

end so well.”

Agent Fuller paused, his panicked gaze going totheir instructor.

“It’s all right, Agent Fuller. Proceed.”
Doing as instructed, Agent Fuller resumed hisprowl, while Sloane resumed his grooming of Dex, his heavy tail thumping

against the floor. Uh-oh.

“As you can see by Agent Brodie’s movements,he’s fully aware of Agent Fuller. His tail is telling Agent Fuller to be

cautious, Agent Daley is his, and he will not take kindly to any aggression

toward his partner.”

Dex held up a finger. “Can I just—”
“Please stand, Agent Daley.”
Dex did as asked, and Sloane released a huff athaving his grooming session interrupted. This was going to end badly. Dr.

Eldridge had no idea what he was about to unleash. Sloane Brodie chewed rookies

for breakfast and spit them out. Dex should know.

“Agent Fuller, please advance with theintention of striking Agent Daley.”

Dex didn’t bother taking a stance or preparefor a blow that would never land. His fellow rookies looked at him as if he was

crazy, but soon they’d understand. Poor Agent Fuller. The guy pulled back a fist

and the moment he took a step, Sloane’s roar echoed across the field. Ears

flattened, fangs bare, Sloane leapt toward Agent Fuller who screamed like a

preteen at a Bieber concert and made tracks across the field, Sloane on his

heels looking mighty pissed.

“Thank you, Agent Brodie,” the instructorcalled out.

Agent Brodie wiped his ass with theirinstructor’s polite orders and chased Agent Fuller down the length of the

grassy pitch. Dex glanced around. “So which of you is a medic?”

A few shaky hands went up.
“Great. Get ready for the next lesson. How topatch up a Human scratching post.”

 

About the Author

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
You can find Charlie at
               

*****

Giveaway

 

 

 

Blog Tour & Review: Silence of the Lamb’s Wool by Betty Hechtman

9780425252581_medium_Silence_of_the_Lamb's_Wool

Plan B

by Betty Hechtman

Even though SILENCE OF THE LAMB’S WOOL is the eleventh book I’ve written, I still hit the same wall.  There I was sitting down at my computer, synopsis in hand, expecting to start banging away at the keys and have the book pour out.  Not exactly.  I’d type a few words and stop.  Maybe a whole paragraph even and then backspace it all out.  I tried again and again, but every sentence seemed to turn into a dead end street.  Eternity seemed to pass as I sat there willing myself to come up with the beginning.

And then panic ensued.  If I couldn’t even do the first page, how could I write a whole book?  I always seem to forget that this happened before, like with almost every book.  Luckily I did remember I had a Plan B.

It called for me to abandon the computer and head for the kitchen with a yellow legal pad and my favorite kind of pen, a Sharpie fine point. A cup of coffee helps too.  Suddenly there was no pressure.  No blank screen staring at me.  And then as if by magic the words started to come and I began to hand write them all down.  There were stops and starts and lots of arrows pointing to where things continue, and scribbles in the margins, but I turned out a lot of pages.  Could it be there is a special connection between my imagination and my right hand?  I don’t know, but all I can say is thank heavens it works.

It might come from a practice I started a long time ago.  In the early 90s THE creative advice book was The Artist’s Way.  One of the exercises was doing something called morning pages.  I think it was supposed to be three pages and you were just supposed to write more or less a stream of consciousness without any inner editor telling you that what you were writing might stink.  Not one to follow rules, I changed it to become sort of a mixture of a diary, an inner conversation, notes on dreams, story ideas and whatever else was on my mind.  Writing three pages was easy, stopping at three pages was hard.  I have boxes and boxes of assorted notebooks of all those pages.

It has become a habit and I still do it first thing every morning.

But back to the yellow legal pad and pen.  It worked like it has before.  I had a whole pad filled before I went back to the computer.  Of course, since my pen tends to race over the page, my handwriting suffers i.e. a lot of it was unreadable even to me the person who wrote it.  It doesn’t really matter because I have found that while I bring the pad full of pages back to the computer.  I almost never look at them.  By then it is all in my head.

I don’t even notice the blank screen anymore.  I am too lost in the story.

Finally, finally as I’m starting another book I think I have figured it out.  Don’t wast time trying to start out on the computer.  Let Plan B become Plan A.  Try it.  It might work for you.

About the Author:

betty hetchmanSILENCE OF THE LAMB’S WOOL is the second book in the national bestselling Yarn Retreat series that features dessert chef Casey Feldstein who puts on yarn retreats at a slightly sinister hotel and conference center on California’s Monterey peninsula.  Betty Hechtman also writes the national bestselling Crochet mystery series.  All books in both series include patterns and recipes. She says it is like a dream come true to be able mix her love of mystery with her love of making things.  She grew up in Chicago and has a degree in Fine Art.  In addition she has studied everything from improv comedy to magic.  She has written newspaper and magazine pieces, short stories and scripts.  She lives in Southern California and Chicago and has yarn stashes in both cities.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

9780425252581_medium_Silence_of_the_Lamb's_Wool

Dessert chef Casey Feldstein has learned one end of a knitting needle from the other after inheriting her aunt’s yarn retreat business, but a murder threatens to unravel her latest event . . .

Casey’s running a new retreat called “From Sheep to Shawl” at a resort on the atmospheric Monterey Peninsula. Participants will learn about sheepshearing, fixing up the fleece, and spinning, and will eventually knit a lovely shawl.

Nicole Welton has been hired to teach the fleece-to-fiber portion of the retreat. She’s an expert spinner, and her small shop in Cadbury by the Sea houses a beautiful assortment of spinning wheels and drop spindles. But when the new teacher fails to show up for class and is found lying dead on the boardwalk, it leaves everyone’s nerves frayed.

Now Casey has to knit together clues faster than she can count stitches before someone else at the retreat gets dropped . . .

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Silence of the Lamb’s Wool

Review (4.25 Stars): Casey Feldstein runs Yarn2Go, a business that holds idyllic retreats for knitters in the beautiful town of Cadbury by the Sea.  In the second installment of the series, Casey is holding a bigger retreat for guests focusing on taking wool from a sheep and following the process of making it into a shawl.  The teacher that is supposed to help Casey with this retreat is found dead of an apparent suicide and Casey is stuck trying to figure out what to do for her 20 guests.  When things don’t start to add up for the teacher’s death, Casey decides to use her investigating skills again to find out whether it was actually suicide or murder.

Silence of the Lamb’s Wool is a great little mystery where the secondary characters are just as fun as the main character.  Casey is slowly finding her way in organizing yarn retreats after inheriting her aunt’s business and I love that she doesn’t have everything together like some characters.  She is very sweet and has no idea what she wants to do with her life and that is one of the reasons I like this character.  I also like the members of her yarn retreats, that we first met in Yarn to Go.  We spend more time with these characters in this book, I love each of their personalities.  The mystery in Silence of the Lamb’s Wool is very entertaining and I like that we learn more about knitting as the book progresses.  I’m not a knitter but after reading Casey’s adventures in the world of knitting, I want to pick up a couple of knitting needles and give it a try.  This is a great series and I’m looking forward to reading more adventures with Casey and her knitting group in the future.

Spotlight feature and review of Lacey’s Game by Shiloh Walker

Lacey’s Game

Lacey's Game

A novella (about 77 pages)

by Shiloh Walker

AmazonB&NKobo Ellora’s Cave

Lacey Morgan is fed up and heartbroken. Her boyfriend Brogan is all about control and she’s all about breaking through his barriers. Except she can’t seem to do it. Unwilling to settle for only part of him, she takes off, figuring it’s better that way. After all, half of a relationship is worse than none. She settles in with her best friend, hot and sexy photographer Lou, figuring she’ll lick her wounds and give her heart time to heal.

Finding Lacey gone is a punch to the gut. Finding her with another guy is even worse. She isn’t interested in listening to what he has to say, though. Not unless he’s willing to strip himself bare and give up pieces of himself that died long ago.

Brogan can’t do that. Or so he thinks. Lacey and Lou have other plans, a hot, torrid night, some hot, sexy pictures… Lacey is determined to show Brogan a new way of seeing things.

Read an excerpt here

Kelly’s review of Lacey’s Game: HERE

 

ShiProfessional Bio

Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really!  She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer.  She published her first book in 2003 and since then, has tried her hand at digital publishing, traditional publishing and self-publishing. Her publishers include Hydra Publications, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Berkley, Random House and St. Martins. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

Learn more about Shiloh:

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