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Shayla Blacks Doomsday Brethren Series

Tempt Me with Darkness
Doomsday Brethren #1

He’s an immortal knight hungering for satisfaction….
As soon as Marrok sees Olivia Gray’s dark windswept hair and burning violet eyes, he’s sure they’ve met in eons past. He’s felt her soft gentle curves writhing in pleasure beneath his own hard powerful body…Morganna! For centuries, towering Marrok, once the mightiest of King Arthur’s warriors, has endured a terrible curse cast upon him when he spurned the witch.

She’s a modern woman about to discover ancient magic….
Olivia shares a mystical – and irresistible – connection with brooding Marrok. Soon after the sexy warrior appears in her erotic dreams, he abducts her, demanding she uncurse him. Their intense passion is more powerful – and intimate – than either of them has ever known. Olivia may be the key to unlocking the diary that will break Morganna’s hold on his life. But in the wrong hands, the book also holds the power to destroy all magickind. As they search for answers, a ruthless wizard returned from exile is building an army of evil. When he discovers Marrok and Olivia have the diary, only their love – with the help of a powerful group of magical Brethren – can save them.

Fated
Doomsday Brethren #1.5
Kari Keswick and Ronan Wolvesey burned for one another, but a deadly family curse targets their love with destruction. Will magic tear them apart?
Seduce Me in Shadow
Doomsday Brethren #2
When a villainous wizard escapes from exile, the devastatingly sexy Doomsday Brethren must defend all magickind in the spellbinding second book in bestselling author Shayla Black’s seductive new paranormal series.

Ex-marine Caden MacTavish has shunned his magical heritage all his life, but he will do anything to heal his desperately ill brother, a Doomsday Brethren warrior in mourning for his missing mate. Posing as a photographer, Caden must convince firecracker tabloid reporter Sydney Blair to reveal the source of her recent exposé on a supernatural power clash. Unfortunately, keeping his hands off the sizzling redhead proves as hard as getting them onto the potent and mystical Doomsday Diary he discovers at her bedside. A bloody rebellion led by an evil, power-hungry wizard is imminent. If Sydney divulges the book’s existence, she will jeopardize magickind’s most deeply guarded secrets and become the ruthless wizard’s number one target. Caden has never trusted magic’s cruel and dangerous powers, but he will protect Sydney with his life and magic — even if it means risking his heart.

Possess Me at Midnight
Doomsday Brethren #3
The sexy warrior Ice Rykard finds himself craving beautiful Sabelle Rion

As a mysterious dark cloud drains the life of her beloved brother, Doomsday Brethren leader Bram, Sabelle Rion can think of little else. Still, every time she meets Ice Rykard’s intense green gaze, her body aches with need for the sexy warrior. Their attraction is explosive, incredible—and forbidden. As dangerous as he is unpredictable, Ice is her brother’s sworn enemy. But as Bram weakens, a more sinister force is gaining power. Evil Mathias and his ruthless Anarki army are on a bloodthirsty hunt for the Doomsday Diary. Sabelle must guard the potent book with her life—and Ice vows to protect the beautiful witch with his. Duty demands that Sabelle deny her lover’s fiery call of possession and mate with a man who can sway the magical Council against the impending rebellion. With the fate of magickind hanging in the balance, will she forsake the burning desires she can’t ignore or turn her back on her people for the courageous man she can’t resist?

Haunted by Your Touch
Doomsday Brethren #3.5
“USA Today “and “New York Times “bestselling author Jeaniene Frost seduces readers into a forbidden new world as she teams up with romance stars Shayla Black and Sharie Kohler for a sizzling collection of original novellas featuring fallen angels, anarchistic demons, warrior wizards, and irresistibly dangerous creatures of the night.Enter the dark realm of Nocturna in Jeaniene Frost’s redhot tale, where blisteringly sexy Raphael dominates the demons of a lawless dimension and tries to help a beautiful young woman avenge her cousin’s disappearance. In the shadowy world of Shayla Black’s Doomsday Brethren, magical warrior Raiden vows to protect his woman and their unborn youngling from evil–and deliver her safely to another man. But once he’s saved her, can he let her go? Lycans rule the night in Sharie Kohler’s suspenseful story, as a fiery woman stalks mysterious Luc, the undeniably hypnotic being she believes can save her from turning . . . “if “she kills him. Danger beckons in these captivating paranormal tales that will tempt readers to the edge and leave them begging for more
Entice Me at Twilight
Doomsday Brethren #4
In national bestselling author Shayla Black’s electrifying new novel, the Doomsday Brethren fight their mortal enemy for the newest weapon in a bloody magical war: the one woman a warrior shouldn’t claim . . . yet can’t resist.
Dangerously handsome Simon Northam, Duke of Hurstgrove, and his uptight brother Mason are hardly close, but crashing Mason’s wedding and stealing his fiancee further aggravate their sibling rivalry. Duke’s family has no notion he’s a wizard, so how can he explain that magickind’s fate lies with the beautiful, tenacious bride he longs to seduce? Felicia is an Untouchable, a rare human whose presence disables magic–even the impenetrable forces surrounding Morganna le Fay’s tomb. The evil witch’s malicious powers could propel nefarious wizard Mathias to ultimate world domination . . . “if “he can resurrect her. To conceal herself, Felicia must succumb to her smoldering desire for Duke, but he risks binding his life–and sanity– to a lover whose loyalties are forever torn. He faces a choice: betray his brother for ultimate survival . . . or lose the woman who tempts him beyond control.
Embrace Me at Dawn
Doomsday Brethren #5
No man will ever define her again.
Anka MacTavish lost everything when Mathias D’Arc captured her, shattered her bond with her mate, and broke both her body and spirit. Determined to heal her bleeding soul, she joins the Doomsday Brethren’s fight to vanquish the evil wizard and seize her revenge. But becoming a magical warrior will require close contact with her former mate, the love who’s never left her heart, Lucan. And she’ll have to explain why she left him and fled to the arms of another lover…

No woman can ever take her place.
Lucan’s world crumbled when Anka escaped Mathias and sought protection from his long-time rival, Shock. Now she has returned, and Lucan must train her to confront a new and terrible danger that threatens magickind. With every punch, blow, and parry, Lucan discovers that Anka isn’t the demure wife he once knew, and his growing desire for this woman is a need he can’t control. He vows to do whatever it takes to reclaim her heart and make her his once more. But when the Doomsday Brethren are forced to make an unlikely alliance, it will test Anka’s resolve like never before. To survive, she and Lucan must rely on one another, face their deepest fears…and expose the dark secrets that threaten to destroy everything, including their love

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Guest Blog & giveaway with Carrie Lofty

A How-To on Hot Kisses
By Carrie Lofty
To me, the most important thing about writing a kiss that’ll curl toes is to get deep down into a character’s point of view. The last thing you want is to make the reader feel as if she’s looking at a lovely painting. Be the paint! Be the harshness and need and sweat! Think of it more as an experiment in how much sensation you can describe in one sitting, rather than who touched what where. Sensation is the key to seducing the reader with a kiss.
Let’s take the example of William and Catrin from my $.99 novella from Pocket, “A Little More Scandal.” They’ve just had an argument, and argument kisses are a lot different from other, sweeter, more measured or intentional kisses. These can be the most powerful and demanding physical scenes to write, outside of describing a fully intimate encounter, because they can also reveal tumultuous thoughts that a more logical, measured mind might not dare think.
Here’s William:
Their mouths did not meld; they dueled. She fought back as much as she acquiesced, with her tongue a weapon at turns defending and assaulting. He pushed deeper into her wet warmth, where her maddening ideas—she was so bloody quick of mind—found voice. Those lips. God, he could kiss them for the rest of time. She felt that good, that right.
Ooops. He had thoughts about her specialness! Let’s do continue, shall we?
“You silly, stupid girl,” he rasped against her throat. Her hands slipped up his forearms, his biceps, to the sharp tension between his shoulders and his neck. A brief squeeze. He nearly groaned. Then her clever fingers untied his cravat and slid down his nape, as if searching for even more of him—more forbidden places. “You have no idea what it is to be married to me.”
If you like, add in a dash of humor to keep the reader smiling as she’s melting into a puddle of romance goo.
“Surely it involves more of this,” Catrin said.
But of course, a hero bested by such a quick wit may feel the need to retaliate—in the best, tastiest sense.
William growled into her mouth. He kissed her with the abandon he rarely felt, always constrained by his ambitions and concern about how he should appear and behave to achieve them. Catrin upended those expectations. He dragged a huge breath into his chest. The burn of holding it in while he plunged his tongue between her lips was a quiet torture and a means of staying sane. He wanted to take her, to rip her clothes, tug her hair, make her scream.
Bloody hell. How dare she be so contrary to what he had planned?
Another ooops. All those pesky plans suddenly in disarray—probably like her hair and their clothes will be once they finally come up for air.
So remember. Lots of sensation. Thoughts that move the romantic plot along. A sprinkle of humor. And a hero and heroine who aren’t above demanding what they really crave. More, more, more…
“A Little More Scandal”
http://www.carrielofty.com/LittleScandal.html

Flawless
The Christies #1
A passion this seductive is more precious than diamonds…Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies’ man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire…and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. 

Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?


A Little More Scandal
The Christies #1.5
May 29, 2012
Digital Novella
  
Welsh minister’s daughter Catrin Jones is the talk of Britain. Many women served as nurses in the Crimean War, skirting the edge of propriety to tend lonely soldiers’ wounds, but only Catrin survived a shipwreck on her return voyage. Suddenly, like a circus curiosity, everyone wants a glimpse of the scandalous Miss Jones. Scarred, opinionated, and adjusting to a rush of fame so very different from far-away battlefields, she’s not the sort of woman Scottish robber baron William Christie aspires to marry. 
Following a decade of brilliant business maneuvers, William is on the verge of securing a key railroad contract. But his aristocratic wife’s death during childbirth meant the loss of considerable influence. Few in Society have forgiven his up-from-the-gutters youth. With respectability, wealth, and his two-year-old son finally his to claim, William must decide whether an extraordinary nurse is worth embracing just a little more scandal….

Starlight
The Christies #2
June 26th 2012
Passion sparkles forever . . . in the shining eyes of a true love.An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father’s ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law’s bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie’s posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police.

Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex’s guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man—vital and strong—behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests—and in a lasting love that conquers all?

GIVEAWAY TIME

I’d love to give away a print copy of FLAWLESS, the first of the Christies series from Pocket. (“A Little More Scandal” is a tie-in novella.) I’ll ship anywhere.  
To enter for a chance to win Carrie’s book Flawless please fill out the Rafflecopter from below.  

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Interview with Laura Deluca

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Laura Deluca to the blog today to talk about her new book Phantom.  



Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children.  She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. 
Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

Can you please share with us a little about yourself. 

In addition to being a young adult author, I am also a mom to four great kids, own a restaurant, and run a product review blog called New Age Mama. I live at the Jersey Shore (no, I don’t know Snooki), and I love spending the summer on the beach. It’s the best place to write.

Have you always wanted to be an author? I knew I was a writer for as long as I can remember. When I was in kindergarten, I wrote a book about bunnies getting married. When I was thirteen, I completed my first novel. I think writing is definitely in my blood, and I’ll probably die with a pen in my hand.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I write like I’m still in the 90’s, when I was a teenager myself. I want to hang Guns N Roses posters on the wall, I have people talking on touch tone phones, and I never think to add in cell phones or computers on my first draft. Those are normally things I edit in on the second or third draft when I realize that I forgot what decade it is…

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

Phantom is a modern day version of the Phantom of the Opera.  The high school drama club is performing the play, and like the musical, my heroine, Rebecca, finds herself torn between her two co-stars, the Gothic Phantom, Justyn, and the surfing hero, Tom.  When real life begins to mimic the play, and people start to get hurt, Rebecca needs to figure out who is bringing the twisted character of the Phantom to life before it’s too late.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
I went with a shorter version of the book and play that were inspiration for the story.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I am currently working on a fantasy novel calledMorrigan. Morrigan is a teenage witch who has been shuffled from one foster home to another all her life.  Now she is about to discover she is a princess from the mystical land of Tír Na NÓg. The handsome werewolf Filtiarn guides her through countless perils to find her mother, Ceridwyn, and grandmother, Hecate. Only together can they complete the magical triad and save their world. 

I am also considering a sequel to Phantom based on the musical “Sweeney Todd”.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
I would love to meet Christopher Pike. He was my favorite young adult author when I was a teenager, and he remains my idol to this day. His stories were unique and original. He is still writing today, but has moved on to adult novels.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Learn to take criticism and use it to improve your work. This is a harsh business at times, and I have gotten some rejections that made me want to cry. But when I really listened to what they were saying, I could see where my work needed improvement, and it’s made me a better writer, which has subsequently led to me getting published.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list? I want to see Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids before I die. I think it would be great inspiration for future novels.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am dying to read Taking 1960 by Rosa Sophia. She is my editor and her time travelling book sounds amazing. I actually have a copy already, and plan to start it shortly.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for including me on your blog! It’s been an honor to visit with you.




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Interview with Christine Warner



Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am living my dream in rural Michigan along with my husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends. 
Besides laughing until my sides hurt, I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking, reading, writing—but no arithmitic.  I am a confessed people watcher.  You’d be surprised how many times this activity has given me inspiration for stories.  I love to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.
I also have a new addiction.  I’m a girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned.  I enjoy meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and my website at christine-warner.com.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
From the time I won a few essay competitions I was bitten with the writing bug.  But I think what really threw me across the line and made me think about writing books was when I was in middle school and won a writing contest.   My story was printed and bound then placed on a shelf in the library.  It was a huge moment for me.
Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
It’s not very glamorous J  I normally wake up about 5am and start writing.  If I’m being good and the words are flowing on my WIP, I will generally write for several hours.  Sometimes I have to think through a scene and I find that it usually helps to get up and do housework…can you believe that?  Lol.  I have to admit that when I’m washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming or whatever, I can usually solve any plot dilemma I come across. 
If I’m not working on a story, or not feeling like working on my WIP, I will spend time outlining a new story, filling out character sketches or reading a book about craft.  I also enjoy socializing on my blog, facebook and twitter.  (which I think I mentioned above…it’s a fun addiction.)
The main thing I have to have while writing is quiet.  I don’t like to have music on or even the tv.  The only sounds I have in the background are the snores of my two dogs.  lol
Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most rewarding part of writing is to start out with just a simple idea and watch it grow into a complete story.  I love the challenge of developing my characters and my plots and having them all fall into place.  And of course when you write “THE END”, there’s no better feeling of accomplishment.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
I’d be happy to.  
Here’s my blurb for Some Like it in Handcuffs:
Some Like it in Handcuffs is available in print and digital format at:
http://thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

Sunny Kennedy, the only female in a family of blue blood male detectives, is determined to prove testosterone isn’t the only qualification required to solve a cold case. Handcuffed while undercover then taken to the precinct by an attractive detective, her domineering family demands she work with Detective Judson Blackwolf, or she’s off the case.
Judson Blackwolf thinks women in law enforcement should work behind the scenes. The prospect of working with his Captain’s sexy daughter doesn’t thrill him. He only agrees in hopes of solving the murder of his one time mentor’s daughter. Once the case is over, he’s moving to Montana to heal his wounds from the loss of his last partner.
But when their investigation takes a dangerous turn, Sunny and Jud soon realize their feelings for each other cannot be denied.
And here’s a small excerpt:
The sharp rap on the front door echoed through
her apartment and Sunny jumped. One of the
photographs slipped from her hand and fell to the
rug which covered the worn wooden floor. Chocolate
meowed, jumped from the edge of the yellow leather
sofa then took off for the safety of the bedroom.
Sunny hadn’t realized how quiet the room had
become. The crime scene photos absorbed all of her
attention.
On her way to the door, she looked over the top
of her reading glasses to check the clock on the far
wall. Relieved, she smiled, and pushed her glasses
up the ridge of her nose. There was plenty of time
before she needed to get ready for work.
Pulling the door open as far as the chain
allowed, her eyes widened when she recognized her
visitor. Pleasure welled up inside of her at the sight
of Judson standing on the doorstep. At the same
time, a cold grip of dread climbed her spine. She’d
avoided his calls the last couple of days in hopes he’d
forget about her. Apparently he was as persistent as
she.
“Detective Blackwolf, how can I help you?” She
sounded breathless, excited even, and it annoyed
her. Just because he sent her pulse into hyper-speed
didn’t mean she had to let him know.
“I stopped by to make sure you’re okay.”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks. Have a good night.” She
started to close the door, but he slapped his palm
against the wood.
“I’ve called and left several messages.” He raised
one eyebrow a fraction and continued, “How about
letting me in for a chat?”
“About what?”
“You can figure it out.” He stared at her through
the narrow slit in the door, his expression devoid of
humor.
“Hmm, you’re full of intrigue, hang on a sec.”
Sunny closed the door to release the chain and
paused chewing on her lower lip. If only she had
pretended not to be at home. She needed to invest in
a peep hole so she could screen her visitors. Taking a
deep breath, she released the lock and gestured him
inside with a defeated wave of her hand. “Come on
in. Let’s talk.”
As he sauntered past her, hands tucked inside
the front pockets of his trousers, her gaze drifted to
the taut fabric stretched over his behind. Heat flared
on her cheeks, and she looked away, but not before
her glasses slid down to the tip of her nose.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
This might sound silly, but I actually came up with the title first.  Some Like it in Handcuffs popped into my head and from that 5 word title a story developed.  Characters were formed, a setting was built and conflicts and plots were worked out.  That seems to be how most of my stories start, I come up with a title and work from that.
Can you share with us your current work in progress?
I’m actually finishing up edits before submitting the sequel to Some Like it in Handcuffs.  This next book is titled Some Like it on the Run and features Sunny’s brother Derek.  This is fast paced and full of action and I’ve loved writing it.  I’m also tweaking a contemporary romance that I’m planning to submit to Entangled Publishing.  They contracted another book of mine recently for their Indulgence Line with Lori Wilde and I’m hoping they’ll consider this next book as well
Who are some of your favorite authors?
If only it were that simple.  Unfortunately I can’t really pick just one.  There are so many authors and so may wonderful books.  I made a vow to myself this year to try new genres and I have several books loaded on my Nook ready to help me expand my reading world.  And in the process I’m excited that I’ll be adding more authors to my “must read” list.
Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Since I don’t really have a favorite author I can’t pinpoint an answer to any certain person in particular.  I would have to say each book I’ve read over the years has influenced me and taught me what I like and don’t like about certain styles.  Of course all of that reading molded me and I’m sure I’ve incorporated several of those likes into my own writing.
 
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Besides reading romance, I love reading true crime.  Ann Rule is one of the authors I enjoy the most in that genre.  I’m hoping she’ll have something coming out soon.  As for a book I have in my tbr, unfortunately that pile grows quicker than I can whittle it down.  Time is limited lately.  I have several books I’d like to get started on.  One for sure is from an author friend Brenda Dyer and her book is titled Love’s Prophecy.  I made a promise to myself that I would go outside my comfort zone in regards to different genres and I’ve never read much paranormal.  Brenda’s book is about a vampire and I’m curious to check out her story.  I’ve read several short blurps and I’m way intrigued.
And you can find me at:
My blog/website:  http://christine-warner.com/
Twitter under ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWords
My Facebook page…stop by and give it a LIKE to keep up on what I have coming up: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013
I love to hear from readers and other authors J  
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Interview & Giveaway with Shona Husk

Books-n-Kisses is SUPER excited to have Shona Husk on the blog today.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A civil designer by day and an author by night, Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Drawing on history, myth and imagination, she writes about heroes who are armed and dangerous but have a heart of gold—sometimes literally. You can find out more information about Shona and her edgy romances at http://www.shonahusk.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @ShonaHusk. 

Can you please share with us a little about yourself
SH: My twitter bio sums me up very succinctly: I design roads, write paranormal romance, read books and eat chocolate—not all at the same time.
In my day job I’m a civil designer which is road and drainage design; I often joke that working in an office of technically minded guys is the reason why I write romance. It’s the perfect escape, and the men are always heroes in romance—unlike in real life. I also buy too many books and I probably eat too much chocolate, but dark chocolate is almost a health food, right?
Have you always wanted to be an author?
SH: Even though I wrote as a child, I pursued a more usual career path before returning to writing as an adult. I have always been a reader though and that has never stopped and even when I wasn’t actually writing I was still making up stories for my own amusement—they just never made it onto paper.
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
SH: I use pen and paper a lot. To plot, to brainstorm and to write. I’ve written a whole book longhand sitting by the side of the pool at my kids swimming lessons (Dark Vow) and plotted another while sitting in an airport.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
SH: Kiss of the Goblin Prince is book 2 in the Shadowlands series, which is a trilogy about cursed Celtic heroes and their struggle to be free of the Shadowlands—a place where goblins roam and nightmares are born. Dai was once a prince but now he is human again in a world that has changed even if he hasn’t, and all the misdeeds he’s committed over the years catch up with him. There’s magic, and danger, and romance as Dai and Amanda help each other heal and move forward. There’s also a visit back to the Shadowlands to save an old friend…
How did you come with the idea for this story?
SH: Dai had a supporting role in The Goblin King. He was Roan’s younger brother. Incredibly clever and well versed in all kinds of magical lore, but he also harbored a few secrets of his own. I knew I had to write about him next, so I actually spent some time fleshing out his character while I was writing The Goblin King. I didn’t realize he was going to be interested in Amanda until I wrote the last scene of The Goblin King, but from there Dai’s story unraveled.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
SH: I’m doing edits on the last Shadowlands book, For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, and also Enchanting Absinthe. But I’ve also been working on a new erotic fantasy romance for Ellora’s Cave (magic and demi-gods) and a new trilogy in a totally new world for Sourcebooks which has been a lot of fun.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
SH: I love Katharine Kerr’s Deverry series, so to meet her would be great. Another author whose work I like is Jim Butcher.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
SH: Read a lot and read widely, and write. Write everyday even if it is only a paragraph and don’t be afraid to try different things—you never know where it will take you.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
SH: I’ve just done something off my bucket list which was take the kids to Disney and see some of America. It was a great holiday—my credit card doesn’t agree. Most of my bucket list involves travel, although I’d love to take a spin in a race car. There’s a place a few hours from where I live that does hot laps, but I just haven’t gotten around to doing it. I should, maybe I could call it research…
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
SH: I’ve been working my way through my TBR pile while I was on holiday. The Hawk of May is on my ereader, it’s an Arthurian re-telling (love them!) and Hounded by Kevin Hearne which I have in print, he had me at “tattooed Irish dude”. After reading Mariana by Susanna Kearsley, and loving it, I’m looking forward to reading Shadowy Horses.
Want to learn more about Shona or her books?  You can find her here.  
Website~~http://www.shonahusk.com 
Twitter~~www.twitter.com/ShonaHusk
Facbook~~www.facebook.com/shonahusk
Goodreads~~ http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3464665.Shona_Husk

KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES MAY 2012

The Man of Her Dreams…
He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter’s illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares…
After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he’s accumulated, he still doesn’t know how to heal Amanda’s daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he’d risk anything…including a return to the Shadowlands.


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Interview with Jenna Jaxon

Please help us welcome Jenna Jaxon to the blog today. 



Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am a multi-published author of historical and erotic contemporary romance, a wife and mother of two teen-aged girls, a working theatre director and a college instructor.  I have a penchant for the darker side of romance—any way I can make things dark and twisty for you the reader, the better I feel I’ve done my job.
Have you always wanted to be an author? 
Yes.  I wrote my first story when I was in third grade about a woman who finds a kitten.  I distributed copies to the first grade class, so I suppose I can consider myself published at the age of 9. J
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
 When I write scholarly/academic papers, I have to have the TV on or music or music videos so I can tune them out.  When I write romance, I have to have dead silence to write quickly and efficiently.  I think I need to hear my muse and my characters whispering in my ear.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)? 
My most recent publication was Almost Perfect, an erotic contemporary novella.  It’s part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series and this month’s Read For A Cure Book.  It’s the story of two people stranded on a deserted island who have to come to terms with how they’ve changed in the two years they’ve been divorced.  And what happens when their passion for each other flares again.
How did you come with the idea for this story? 
I was toying with the idea of writing for the 1Night Stand line, thinking about what two people I could bring together who would initially make each other miserable and the idea of a divorced couple suddenly popped into my head.  I was on the Metro in DC.  My muse has such a sense of humor.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
My next release (at this point still technically a WIP) is a full length historical romance, Only Scandal WillDo, set in Georgian London.  It’s set to release later this summer.  Then I’m querying another historical, a late-Victorian romance between an English lady and an American architect called As Long As You’re Mine. And this summer I’m working on revising the second book in the Scandal series, Only Marriage Will Do, and my medieval trilogy, Time Enough to Love.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
 Jo Beverley, my favorite romance author.  I’ve loved all her works, especially her Malloren series.  She gave me my love for the Georgian period and my Georgian series is in large part due to her inspiration.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?   Keep writing no matter what.  A dear friend , romance author Judi McCoy, once told me  “You can fix crap, you can’t fix nothing.”  She’s absolutely right.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
 I want to take a hot air balloon ride.  I’m deathly afraid of heights, but the romance of a balloon ride still calls to me.  I’ll just have to have had a lot of pina coladas before I go. J
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
 I actually just started one I’d been wanting to read—Stephen King’s 11/22/63.  But one I haven’t started but really want to is Diana Gabaldon’s  Drums of Autumn.  I love me some Jamie Fraser!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I mentioned that Almost Perfect is May’s Read For A Cure book and just wanted to let you know that all publisher proceeds from the book during May go to Relay for Life.  Please Read  For A Cure and help close the book on cancer.
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Interview with Cynthia Racette

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Cynthia Racette to the blog today.  We are looking forward to learning more about her and her new book Windswept. 



Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
I’m kind of a Renaissance woman. Another way of saying I didn’t know what I wanted to do. J My degree is in chemistry and I worked in that field for quite a while, then got a job as a newspaper reporter because I missed writing, then worked as a chemist again and started writing more then. I’m a professional photographer, water color artist, scrapbooker and now, an author.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Not always, but from my mid-20’s on, yes. My college roommate was the acclaimed science fiction writer Nancy Kress and that was my turning point, I think. Now, I am a writer, and my daughter is also the multi-published erotic romance writer, Cassandra Carr.
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I like quiet and hate having music on when I’m writing, but don’t mind background noise at all. My daughter and I write at a café in our area food market and the whole town could wander by and I wouldn’t know it.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My new release is called Windswept. It’s about a family that is torn apart when the husband is unfaithful. The wife, Caroline, must learn to cope on her own after David moves out. Her friendly neighbor tries to take advantage of the couple’s split to make a move for Caroline. She wants to reconcile with her husband but David is guilt-ridden and not sure they should get together. It all revolves around Windswept, the family’s beloved sailboat.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
My hubby and I are both sailors and had a sailboat for years that we adored. I wanted to write something about sailing but also show that in a broken relationship, both parties are hurting.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I am doing my final editing before submission on a book where the husband is suddenly killed in an accident, leaving the wife alone with huge debts and no experience running a household alone. Both of her children grieve in different ways with her older daughter getting into trouble with the police. The detective that arrests her daughter finds himself drawn into the family and particularly to wife Anna.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Jo Rowling—I think she’s an amazing writer and I read her Harry Potter books over and over just to enjoy her writing.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Read, read, read and then write, write, write. Include in the reading some books on the craft of writing.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
Take my husband to Rome. I went there with my daughter ten years ago and I want him to experience it. St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel are incredible. Also would like to spend winters in the South.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I’m anxious to read 50 Shades of Gray just to see what the furor is about, although I’ve heard it’s not well written. I want to read all the books written by our RWA members and some of ones my publisher has released.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I love writing and the whole publishing scene. There’s a camaraderie among authors and editors and agents, etc. that it’s nice to be a part of.  
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Guest Blogger: Sophie Barnes

Introducing Lady Alexandra and Lord Trenton:

After writing How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back, I was struck with a sudden urge for adventure. I wanted a plot with an action heroine who could hold her own in a sword-fight, and immediately began piecing together a character that’s not only strong and willful, but also quite vulnerable beneath her tough exterior.
Following her mother’s death, her father fell apart for a number of years, shirking the responsibility of turning his daughter into a fashionable young lady of the ton. Instead, Alexandra was allowed to run rampant on the family estate together with her brothers Ryan and William. Her hoydenish character flourished, and during this time, she honed her skills as a soldier, becoming an excellent shot, swords woman and equestrian. She is stubborn to a fault – a trait that lands her in trouble on more than one occasion, but she is also incredibly loyal. When it comes to family, there is nothing that she will not do in order to keep them safe. She fears only one thing, and that is love, for having seen the way in which it tore her family apart, she has come to believe that nothing good can come of it. Consequently, she has decided never to marry.
Enter Lord Trenton =)
His name is Michael Ashford (son of the Duke and Dutches of Willowbrook), and he’s not only an earl, but also a secret agent employed by The Foreign Office. He’s honorable, believes that before all else comes duty, and is also far more level headed than Alexandra, who tends to act a bit more on impulse. He’s incredibly handsome of course (see picture below =)) and can charm the most resistant of women into his bed! After all, rumor has it that he has no fewer than nine mistresses – one for each day of the week, with a couple to spare for variety’s sake. Like Alexandra, he has no intention of marrying either, for he’s quite content with his life as it is. However, the more time he spends in the company of the trouble-making blonde, the more he starts to wonder what a life with her by his side might be like – unpredictable and full of adventure, no doubt – and decides to make her his wife, only to discover that getting her to agree, is a whole other matter entirely.
I always find it difficult to put an actual person’s face to the characters I’ve created, for I see them a certain way inside my head, and nobody can ever quite fit that image perfectly. However, if a movie were to be made and I was allowed to decide who should play the part of Alexandra and Michael, based on appearance alone, then I’d probably choose Gabriella Wilde and Henry Cavill.
Image of Gabriella Wilde
Image of Henry Cavill
I’d like to thank Books-n-Kisses for hosting me today. I’ll be popping in throughout the day to chat with you and to answer any questions that you might have. So feel free to leave a comment or two – let me know what sort of characters youenjoy reading about.
If you’d like to follow the rest of my tour, I’ll be back again tomorrow at www.romrevtoday.com to take you on a tour of some of the locations mentioned in my novel =)
To find out more about me, Lady Alexandra’s Excellent Adventure, or my upcoming releases, please visit my website at: www.sophiebarnes.com
You can also follow me on twitter at: @BarnesSophie
or on Facebookat: www.facebook.com/AuthorSophieBarnes
To see the book trailer, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PbyzMfmiA
I have one e-copy of Lady Alexandra’s Excellent Adventure up for grabs.
To enter to win please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Kelly’s ARC review of Lethal Rider by the FABULOUS Larissa Ione

Lords of Deliverance #3
AUTHOR: Larissa Ione
PUBLICATION DATE:   05/22/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
They’re here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell’s minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday…or let it ride…

LETHAL RIDER

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he’s about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he’s ever wanted-a family.

REVIEWED BY: Kelly             
NUMBER OF STARS: 5+ Stars

REVIEW:  
Thanantos, aka Death, is not a very happy camper.  He has been a prisoner for the last 8 months, thanks to the his loving big brother and sister. So it is no wonder when feeling starts to return to his body the first thing on Than’s mind is revenge.   Revenge for the woman that betrayed him. Revenged towards his brother and sister, for imprisoning him.  Revenge for Pestilence, for not being Reseph anymore.  So Than comes up with a plan: step one get to the woman that betrayed him and make her pay.  Step two….. Well Than is not ready for step two because this involves something he never planned on.  Becoming a father.

Regan knows that she must protect the baby by any means necessary, but she keeps having nightmares of Thanantos killing her, taking the baby and not being able to stop the Apocalypse.  All because she betrayed him.  Betrayed him in such a horrible way, that no amount of sorry can explain away the hurt.   But there is one thing that Regan never counted on.  Than’s protectiveness over her and the baby.

What can you say about an author and a book that just totally blows you out of the water.  I am totally convinced that Larissa can’t write a bad book.   Lethal Rider gives us everything: love and lust, laughter and tears, betrayal, revenge, sacrifice, trust, redemption and forgiveness.   We get to see many characters for Larissa’s other wickedly good Demonica series.  And it is so nice to see the Horseman and the Demon kind working so well together.  🙂    I am SO in love with this series and am on pins and needle for Rogue Rider, Reseph’s book and the last of the Lords of Deliverance series.  But never fear!!!!!!!!!!!!   Reaver’s will be getting a book…..  SO can’t wait to see what Larissa has in store for the angel.  How she is going to redeem Reseph and where she is going to take us next…

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Kelly’s ARC review of Shades of Desire by Virna DePaul

Shades of Desire
AUTHOR: Virna DePaul
PUBLICATION DATE:   05/22/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N


BOOK SYNOPSIS:
WHAT SHE CAN’T SEE COULD KILL HER. Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision. Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance-charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation…never guessing that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive confrontation with a madman

REVIEWED BY: Kelly            
NUMBER OF STARS 4 ½ Stars

REVIEW:

Natalie has been racing the hands of time and her time has finally run out.  Her vision is now gone.  Natalie is trying to learn how to best cope with her new life, which is not easy.  But Natalie is a fighter.  She may lock herself away from the world, but she will not give up.  She will not be like her mom.   Natalie needs that fighting spirit when she is attacked in her own home and almost killed by a mad man.  

Liam “Mac” McKenzie, has seen many thing in his long career as a cop.  So this murder case was nothing new to him until he see a picture of the mad man’s latest victim.  A victim that survived.   A victim that could have seen something that will help them.  Only problem is that Natalie is blind.  

Natalie and Mac are a great team.  Both are stubborn, independent and very protective.   This was a good romantic suspense books with so many layers of who done.    If you like romantic suspenses you need to pick up a copy of Shades of Desire.

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Kelly’s review of Kiss of the Goblin Prince by Shona Husk

Kiss of the Goblin Prince
Book 2 in the Shadowland
AUTHOR: Shona Husk
PUBLICATION DATE:   05/01/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Trapped for centuries in the bleak Shadowlands, Dai clings to his humanity with a thirst for knowledge. But now he’s free of the goblin curse, and some would say he knows too much—he can make nature bend to his will, influence the minds of others, and command magic. Yet love eludes him. Then he meets Amanda, a single mother with a sick daughter whom he feels compelled to protect. But could she possibly place her trust in the kiss of a goblin prince?

REVIEWED BY: Kelly            
NUMBER OF STARS: 3 1/2 Stars

REVIEW:
I do have to start by saying that I should have read Kiss of the Goblin King first, just so that I had a better understanding of the Shadowland world that Dai & Roan have lived in for so long.  

That being said. I really enjoyed this book. Dai is a man that may be freed of a long held curse, but he is not free.  Dai has to learn to function in the Fixed Realm and deal with the magic that is calling to him.  On top of all of that Dai finds that he is drawn to Amanda in a way he doesn’t totally understand.

Amanda feels an instant connection to Dai when she sees him at the wedding of one of her dear friend. But Amanda is confused by her feelings.  I has been a long 8 years since her husband passed away and Dai is the first man to stir those feelings in her again.   

I enjoyed reading the struggle that Dai & Amanda have to come to the realization that they can’t fight the attraction to each other.  But first they have to learn to trust blindly.

I liked the world that Shona created with the Shadowlands and the Fixed Realms.  There are so many threads weaved together to make up these worlds. I never really thought of Goblins as appealing but Dai & Roan make the idea very appealing.  I look forward to the next book in the Shadowland series For the Love a Goblin Warrior.