October 26. That’s the day I’ll be releasing not one but two new Doomsday Brethren stories. Today, I’m posting some of the very first excerpt from both of these stories ever. I hope you enjoy!

ENTICE ME AT TWILIGHT
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
ISBN: 978-1439166772
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | Books-A-Million
Simon & Schuster | Indie Bound | Overstock

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 only woman a magical warrior shouldn’t claim…and the one he can’t resist.

Dangerously handsome Simon Northam, Duke of Hurstgrove, and his uptight barrister brother hardly get along, but crashing Mason’s wedding and stealing his fiancée take sibling rivalry to a new level. Duke’s family knows nothing of his magical prowess or the Doomsday Brethren, so how can he explain that mankind’s fate lies with the beautiful, tenacious bride he longs to seduce for himself?

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 heed her simmering desires to mate with Duke, but he risks binding his life—and sanity—to a lover whose loyalty may be forever torn. He faces a terrible choice: betray his brother for ultimate survival . . . or lose the woman who tempts him beyond control.

Excerpt

The next few minutes passed in tense silence until, finally, Duke pulled off the motorway at the only bit of civilization visible. A few scattered cottages, looking as old as the tiny village itself, squatted on a dark, narrow road. At the end, nestled in trees, a plain mid-century house appeared, only visible because his headlights reflected off the front windows.

As he steered the convertible closer, he noted a faint air of lonesomeness. He pulled up in the drive and turned to Felicia. “Wait here.”

He hopped out of the car and sprinted to the little cottage door. A few envelopes bulged out of the mail slot. A peek through the window revealed newspapers littering the floor. No one had been home for days.

Praying the inhabitants were away for the holiday, Duke returned to the car, then followed the drive around the back of the house. He cut the lights and the engine.

“Who lives here?” she asked, frowning.

No idea. “A friend. Let’s go.”

Felicia grabbed his arm as he began to climb out of the car. “You’re lying.”

How could she know that? “We’ll only be here a few hours. Come on.”

“We can’t just barge into someone’s home!”

“This is life or death. We haven’t time to be polite.”

She dug in her heels. “We’re staying in separate rooms, yes?”

It would be wiser for his self-control, but… Duke shook his head. “I’ll do my utmost to respect your privacy. But I can’t let this…man get his hands on you, Felicia. I won’t risk you. ‘Depraved’ is too kind a word to describe him.”

She hesitated, then sighed. “All right.”

Her acceptance of the situation relieved him and made him a bit proud. She was smart and practical…and driving him mad with lust.

At he walked around to help her out of the car, he murmured, “Stay close to me.”

Felicia exited, shivering as she scanned their surroundings. He slung an arm around her and drew her against his side.

Bristling, she backed away. “I’m perfectly fine. There’s no one about.”

“You’d be surprised by the things that go bump in the night.” He smiled grimly at her. “Besides, you’re freezing. Let’s go.”

The moment they stepped away from the car, the January wind whipped through them anew. She shivered in the delicate lace of her wedding dress and crossed her arms, huddling into herself to keep warm.

Stubborn woman. Duke shrugged out of his coat.

“Oh, no. You don’t—”

Felicia didn’t even finish her protest before he settled his dinner jacket over her shoulders. Almost instantly, she sank deep into the warmth of the coat.

“Warmer?”

Felicia buried her hands in the lapels and inhaled deeply. Duke was already hard, but his erection turned painful.

Cheeks red, she lifted her face from the garment and nodded. “T—thank you.”

At the door, Duke hesitated. If Felicia weren’t with him, he’d simply wave a hand and let his magic open the door. He couldn’t send her two hundred meters away now. Too dangerous. So in addition to kidnapping, less than four hours later, he’d be adding breaking and entering to his criminal repertoire. Wouldn’t Mum be proud?

He reared back to elbow out a little pane of glass above the handle when Felicia tapped his shoulder. She held the key in her hand.

“Where did you find that?”

She gestured to her feet. “Flower pot. I keep my spare there as well.”

Very smart. Duke grabbed the key and stepped forward to open the door for Felicia.

They stepped into the cozy little house with its neutral colors and masculine touches. Duke closed the door behind her and locked it. Just in case, he tried to magically secure the door…but nothing. Damn. He’d have to keep her close and take other precautions.

He passed her on the narrow stairwell, his body brushing hers at the chest, and thighs. He steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. All right, it was an excuse to touch her. The yearning to press her bare flesh against him and unleash his need for her pounded him again, growing dangerously with every moment they were together. Only thoughts of Mason and Mathias enabled him to release her and trek down the hall.

Duke opened the first door. A slightly musty scent drifted out, as if no one had slept here recently. He flipped on the nearby lamp. The room was stark, masculine, minimal, and very small. The owner had squeezed an armoire, a wooden bench, and one narrow tester bed into the room.

It was going to be a long night.

Biting back a curse, Duke ushered Felicia into the bedroom. He took another glance at the little bed. His gut tightened. “Would you like the shower first?”

“If you don’t mind…”

Duke gestured to the adjacent room, and she edged past him, flipped on the light to reveal glossy black tiles lining a stark white shower, then turned. His gaze locked with hers, squeezing the air from his lungs, until she closed the door between them.

Letting out a breath, Duke tore off his shoes, coat, tie, and shirt. He’d rather strip down and ease this aching erection, but Felicia was forbidden, and wanking off to thoughts of her would not be helpful, he knew from experience. Besides, he must stay focused on her safety.

Lifting the dark wooden blinds, he looked outside at the night around him, alert for any signs of menace. He couldn’t see a damn thing beyond the trees, but Mathias must be out there searching, waiting for him to fuck up and expose Felicia to danger.

Suddenly, Felicia opened the bathroom door and peeked out, her face hesitant. “Can you help me? I hate to ask…”

“Anything,” he vowed, crossing the room to her.

She bit her lip. “My dress…”

Then turned her back to him. A row of small satin buttons secured the lace gown from her neck to her waist—twenty of them, at least. And she wanted him to unfasten them? Unwrap her like a package?

A fresh wave of desire swamped him, nearly overwhelming. Dear God, how could he touch those buttons—her skin—and not take more?

Felicia cast a nervous glance over her shoulder again, moving the thick tumble of golden curls that had fallen from her twist out of his way.

Duke did his best to school his face and soothe her as he closed the distance between them. His heart revved, his palms turned damp. He wanted her so badly, he could hardly walk right.

She’s not yours.

With shaking hands, he reached for the first button at the creamy flesh of her neck, just below the wispy curls rioting near her hairline. Another button, then a second, a third…revealing the line of her spine and the softest skin. With each button, Duke exposed more and more of her, and his greedy gaze ate up every inch. The dress fell away, baring the delicate slopes of her shoulders, her upper back, the hint of her small waist.

His breathing turned ragged. As close as he was, Felicia couldn’t possibly fail to notice.

Two buttons left. He reached for the first, and couldn’t resist caressing one fingertip down her spine. She shuddered and looked back, wide-eyed, pupils dilated. She bit her plump bottom lip between her teeth, her breathing sounding harsh in the silence.

Dear God, she was aroused.

Grabbing the last button, he twisted it, sliding it free of its mooring. He had to get away from her before he did something they’d both regret.

The dress sagged forward, and she caught it—but not until it fell from her bare shoulders and slid toward her hips, revealing a bit of the white lacy knickers he yearned to rip from her body.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

“You’re welcome.” His voice sounded rusty, as if he hadn’t used it in years.

Walk away!

But he stood, rooted. Staring.

Felicia retreated—until her back hit the portal. With one hand, she grabbed the edge of the door. To steady herself? To shut it? With the other, she clutched her dress to her breasts. Duke still saw the shadow between them, pale, plump, tempting…

His gaze jerked up to her face. She stared back.

The lust thickening his blood nearly knocked him over, and Duke gripped the door jamb above her head for support. In forty-three years, he’d never felt anything like this.

This was totally unfamiliar and beyond his control.

Duke shuffled closer. Her body heat grabbed him across the mere ribbon of space between them. He leaned in, tilted his head, his gaze zeroed in on her lips, thoughts of tasting her storming through his head.

He was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

“Stop me,” he murmured.

Felicia stared, breathless, silent.

Heart revving, Duke inched closer, enough to see the little line bisecting that lush lower lip and smell the peppermint of the holiday candy he’d given her in the car. “Felicia, stop me.”

But she swayed closer, her eyes fluttering shut. Her hand left the door and latched onto his bare shoulder. Her touch jolted his system, a lightning rod charging through him. Thought stopped, desire flared.

Yes, he was going to hell, but he’d go with her sweet taste on his tongue.

 *     *     *

On that same day, I will release “Mated” in a totally new anthology with New York Times bestselling author Jeaneine Frost and fellow Texas author Sharie Kohler.

“Mated”
HAUNTED BY YOUR TOUCH
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
ISBN: 978-1439166765
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | Books-A-Million
Simon & Schuster | Indie Bound | Overstock

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?

Excerpt

A moment later, they stood outside a neo-modern office building. Built in the 1960s and topping about five stories, the concrete structure had been carved with magical runes between each tier of white-draped windows. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

“It looks abandoned.” Eerily so, in fact.

He frowned, grabbing Tabitha’s hand tighter. “Indeed. Bram said the Council ministries no longer use this building. Apparently, it’s been the source of human speculation, particularly the meaning of the runes.”

“I recognize some of the symbols. Magic, mastery, truth, Fate. Death.”

Raiden shrugged, his wide shoulders looking almost menacing in a dark trench. “We don’t have time to decipher it now. I have an uneasy feeling. Let’s move quickly. I don’t want you out in the open where you’re vulnerable to Mathias or any eyes he might have watching.”

“He likely has no idea where I am.”

He hustled her under the building’s portico, deep in shadow, and pinned her with a glare. “Do you really think it would take Mathias very long to figure out that your father had a daughter he hadn’t managed to kill in the attack? And that the daughter carried my child? Once he pieces all the information together, he’s going to be but a breath behind us.”

Dear God, she’d never thought of that before, but her father would have recorded her own birth. There would be no mating listed in The Peers and People of Magickind because she’d never mated. The fact that she carried Raiden’s child wouldn’t be listed until the youngling’s birth, but even so, a wizard with Mathias’s cunning and resources could find that information. After all, he hadn’t managed to outwit most of the Council and stay a step ahead of the Doomsday Brethren by being a half-wit.

“Fuck.” Raiden ran a hand through his long, pale hair. “And once he starts pursuing us, I know where he’ll look first. We can’t go back to your house. Or mine.”

“You’re right.”

“I’ll tell Ronan to warn my father away until this is settled. He won’t be happy, but if we can find what we’re looking for now, then I can set all back to rights soon.”

“Meaning your father can go home, and you can wash your hands of me by dumping me on Sean Blackbourne’s doorstep?”

His face tightened, darkened. Raiden’s temper wasn’t a small thing, and she wondered if she’d crossed some line.

He cursed and turned away. “That would be for the best.”

“For whom?” she challenged, furious to the bone with his oblique answers. “It would certainly be easiest for you. Then you could rid yourself of me, guilt-free and—”

Raiden grabbed her and pulled her close. “Listen to me. I have tried every way I know to spare you more heartache. I was a bastard to you, yes. I seduced you with every intention of walking out the door. I don’t mate. I am my father’s son.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Tabitha shook her head.

“I’m trying to do the right thing now. Instead of seducing you again, I’m warning you away. Which do you think I’d rather do?” He raised a golden brow, his hot gaze wandering down her body.

*     *     *

Haven’t tried the Doomsday Brethren series yet? Read my free novella about Raiden’s twin Ronan here. Want a chance to win MORE Doomsday Brethren? For a chance to win a signed copy of each of the first three books in the series, leave a comment about either of the excerpts, and I’ll enter you in the drawing.

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So July is a month that I always expect lots and lots of presents. My birthday… and my anniversary is also this month. I always expect to score, big. Yes. I am materialistic. I admit this…I own this.

But this year, I’m actually going to give away a pressie.

I Thought It Was You

Grimm’s Circle, Book 2.5

The events of this free short story take place between the events of No Prince Charming and Ren’s story, Crazed Hearts. It turns out both Ren and Elle had some loose ends they needed to tie up…and that’s what this story is about. It’s not Ren’s happy ever after. That’s in Crazed Hearts.

This story is available for free via download @ Samhain Publishing, and I think will also be at places like Amazon, via the Kindle, BN via the Nook, etc. It’s just a short story, but it tied up some loose ends Ren had.

You don’t need to read it before you get his story… but hey, he’s so much fun to write. Maybe he’s fun to read, too.

Wanna read it? Here ya go…have at it!

And now… Ren’s story.

FYI… I adored Ren. And noooooo. I’m not telling you who he is. You’ll need to read it to find out.

And when you’re done… NO SPOILERS!!!!

Crazed Hearts

He’s no fairy-tale prince. But he just may be the hero she needs.

Grimm’s Circle, Book 3

Ren has always danced along the fine line between being a little bit crazy and being overcome by a darkness that’s haunted him since his mortal days. As an empath, he prefers to live far from people who would leak their emotions all over him, so he’s not expecting the woman who drives right into the heart of his wood. She has a cursed book with her and demons hot on her heels. Even more surprising are her abilities and the reaction Ren has to her.

Aileas is on the run. She just isn’t certain if she’s running from something real or imagined. One thing is for sure, her brother is dead and she’s certain the book she found has something to do with his death. She really starts to doubt her sanity when she meets a hot but somewhat crazed man in the middle of nowhere.

He calls himself Ren, and although he doesn’t seem to be out to hurt her, he definitely seems to want something. She just doesn’t understand what. She does know what she wants though. She wants him, and the shadows and darkness she glimpses inside him don’t matter. At least, right up until he claims to be a guardian angel.

And she thought she was going crazy.

An excerpt…

Crazed Hearts

“Where in the hell did you come from?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“I was out hiking,” he said, gesturing toward the hill. He lifted a hand and whistled. “Me and my sister.”

Mandy peered down at him from the top of the incline a minute later. He could see the disgust in her eyes and if he wasn’t so disturbed by the ever-darkening ripples he could feel moving through the air, he might have been amused by the silent fuck-you he saw in Mandy’s eyes.

“Your sister. Hiking.”

“Hmmm.”

She started to back away, eyeing him like he’d grown an extra head and razor sharp teeth. Ren acted like he didn’t notice, but he mentally commanded Pan and the dog obediently padded forward and placed his bulk in front of the door of the car. She couldn’t go traipsing off. Somehow she was in this mess up to her pretty neck, which meant she was in danger. He couldn’t have that, even if he wasn’t feeling strangely, almost insanely protective of her.

“Why would you hike around here?”

Now that he could answer.

“Oh, because I live around here, that’s why.” He flashed her a grin, tried to temper down the raging maniacal edge and pretend to be friendly, perhaps even charming. Did he remember charming? No. He was quite sure he didn’t. He didn’t know if he’d ever known charming. Well, other than a prince, of course. Still, he really didn’t want to show the crazier side of his nature. He needed to keep that under wraps.

“Just over the rise, a few miles down.”

Up said rise, Mandy was swearing as she started to make her way down. Tripping, too and not particularly happy. But as she moved to the busted, uneven road, she fell silent, picking up on something.

The mortal wouldn’t pick up on Mandy’s tension, but Ren had spent months with Mandy and he knew her well.

Well enough at least.

The look in her eyes was one of fear…and resignation.

She was staring not at the woman though.

She was staring just past her, at the car.

Ren shifted his gaze, focused on the car.

Yes…there. There it was, he realized. He lowered his shields, and that was when he sensed what Mandy had sensed.

That black, nasty vibe.

Something shuddered, twisted from the car.

Could a whisper have a stench, a feel? Could it make the air quake and wrench around you?

It seemed so.

“What have we here,” he mused, narrowing his eyes.

The whispers grew louder—an ocean of them. They flooded his mind, flooded his soul.

The darkness… It was all but reaching for the woman, trying to wrap itself around her like a boa constrictor.

Like hell, Ren thought.

He extended his gift, touched one of the distant minds in his territory. It was a bear cub, perched high in a tree and trembling, shaking. There was a smell in the air the cub didn’t like and

Ren understood why.

There was a car drawing closer to them that had some unpleasant bastards in it. They looked human on the outside, but that was it. Soul-sucking monsters. Orin. They fed on souls, stank of death and evil.

He watched through the cub’s eyes for a moment and then returned to himself.

“Holy fuck.”

Reaching up, he touched the leather band he wore around his wrist. It held a silver medallion in it. Under his touch, it pulsed once with an answering warmth, but he didn’t know if that was any sort of reply. Two women with him, and his animals. One of the tomes.

And it seemed this woman had orin trailing after her. Either her, or the book. Perhaps both. Ren wasn’t sure and there was no way for him to know. The minds of the orin were too alien for him to connect with, and they had nothing that even remotely resembled human emotion.

It made his skin crawl to think they might be after her directly.

They can’t have you, he thought, his mind teetering dangerously close to that dark, dark edge. Too close.

What in the hell? He pulled himself back under control.

He needed to focus, needed to think. Needed to get these two women someplace far safer than here. Back to his home. They’d be safe there and he could deal with this mess. Then he could figure out what was going on with—

Later. Problems now, woman later, Ren.

So…you want? Go buy…

And to head the question off….this will come out in print, but it’s probably about a year down the road. It’s not long enough on it’s own, so it will be paired up with Grimm Book 4, Tarnished Knight, which won’t be out until October-so, the print release will be at least 6 months after that. Spring or summer at the soonest… sorry!

Shiloh
http://shilohwalker.com/website

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This Tuesday, June 29, marked my first release as Emma Lang, RUTHLESS HEART. I posted a week’s worth of teasers on my blog, giving folks a view into the heart of the book. If you haven’t read them, what are you waiting for? LOL. Seriously though, I am very proud of this book and I hope readers like Eliza and Grady. They’re the most opposite hero and heroine I’ve ever written.

On the heels of this week’s release is next week’s, my erotic romance novel with Berkley Heat, UNBRIDLED hits shelves July 6. This was by far the hottest book I’ve written, obviously it’s for Heat, but it also contains my first true menage scene, and my first full length contemporary erotic romance. I’m nervous about how it will be received by readers.

So to quell my nervousness, and to introduce y’all to Alex and Connor (he is a seriously sexy cowboy), I’m going to kick off the weekend here by posting excerpts of UNBRIDLED.

First off, let me say, the cover is smoking hot. I mean, scorchingly sexy. I think it’s got to be the best I’ve ever had and that’s saying a lot because my Samhain covers are fantastic.

Now for you my esteemed readers, here is excerpt #1 of UNBRIDLED for your reading pleasure.

***

After retrieving her laptop from the trunk of the car, Alex entered the house again and set the empty iced tea glass at the check-in desk, then made a beeline for his office. She almost hoped he wasn’t there so she could snoop around.

There was no shame in snooping. Sometimes she could find out a lot of things simply by looking when no one was around to keep information from her. The hallway and the office were empty and Alex smiled grimly as she set up her laptop on his desk. It didn’t matter if he ran the place; if she was half owner, he could find another place to perch.

The laptop found a secured wireless network but she couldn’t find the password anywhere on his desk, although she did look through all the drawers just to be sure. There was a bottle of mouthwash, a toothbrush and toothpaste with floss in the bottom drawer. Obviously Connor had good oral hygiene, which was a plus in Alex’s book.

She found notebooks, pens, a thumb drive and a neat stack of invoices for feed, hay and veterinary services. The thumb drive intrigued her so she plugged it into her laptop and took a look-see at the contents.

“Find anything interesting?”

She didn’t look up at the voice because she knew it was Connor at the door. “Not yet but give me a few more minutes.”

“That drive contains the guest records for the last six months. No trade secrets or incriminating evidence.”

She saw him standing in the doorway out of the corner of her eye as she paged through the spreadsheets on the drive. He was telling her the truth, and that pissed her off, for whatever reason. She wanted him to get caught in a lie. It would make it easier to dislike him.

“Okay, now I want access to the real books. Not just guest records, fascinating as they might be.” She tapped her laptop. “Give me the network key and I’ll find what I need.”

His gaze narrowed. “I don’t work for you, and I sure as hell don’t take orders from you.”

Ah, she’d finally riled the calm Connor Matthews. Good, she’d rather have him rattled than annoyingly calm.

“I beg to differ. If I own half this ranch, then you do work for me.”

“There’s a clause in the will giving me the position of chief operating officer for the ranch. That means I work for the estate, not you.” He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, looking more like a stalking panther than a man. She shivered at the predatory gleam in his eye.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have stepped on his paw.

“Six of one, half dozen of another. You are responsible for giving me information when I want it.” She stood as he loomed over her. No need for intimidation tactics. Her pulse thrummed fast and heavy as she caught wind of his scent. Why did he have to be so damn attractive?

“I don’t have to give you anything you demand. Didn’t anyone tell you that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?” He leaned in so close, she could see the flecks of dark green mixed with the lighter green of his eyes.

“Who says I want to catch flies?” Why was her voice so breathy?

“You’re bossy.”

“You’re annoying.”

She didn’t want to kiss him, but damn if she didn’t find herself wrapped around him with her lips locked against his. After an initial moment of surprise, he pulled her close and she felt every inch of his hardened body against hers. My, oh my, he was definitely in shape. If she had been sober the night before, she wouldn’t have woken up alone; that was for sure.

Her nipples tightened fast and she ground them against his hard chest, eager for more. His hands cupped her ass, pulling her against an erection she really wanted to see up close and personal. Connor was well endowed and she couldn’t have been happier about that.

Their tongues rasped against each other, sweet wet heat she wanted repeated between her legs. Their clothes were annoying and preventing her from actually feeling skin on skin. She managed to get herself up on the desk, then spread her legs wide and pulled him into the vee of her pulsing core

.
****

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So I’m being lazy and just going to post some wicked cool new covers…

Excerpt

Excerpt

And also a quick pimp for my contest…it’s for The Missing which releases in mass market next month.  Details here!

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Cross posted from my personal blog…  -shiloh

So this July, The Missing is being reissued into mass market. I’m gearing up for promo stuff for that and the awesome Book Vixen is going a blog tour. If you’re a book blogger and haven’t read it, you can get in on the blog tour-head on over to her site to get entered in the lottery.

LOVE LOST

As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand – except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered – and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND

Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. but what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED

Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether – if the find his daughter in time – it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…

Preorder

Borders | BAMM | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound | Amazon | Powell’s

If you’re one of my bloggers that I’ve contacted about reviewing The Missing, I’ll be in touch soon. There will not be any ARCs for this book… sorry!

You all have probably noticed there have been some contests geared toward new releases this year and yes, there will be one for The Missing… just not sure what yet. O_O Probably along the same lines as the last couple of contests, but we shall see.

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I feel strange admitting this, but sometimes I re-read my own books. A couple of weeks ago, COS Productions made a book trailer for the Harlequin Showcase release of  The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement and watching it reminded me how much I adored Hope and her hero, Luciano.  Talk about a sexy Sicilian alpha!  Luciano has what it takes to play the leading man and then some. I stayed up late that night reading his and Hope’s book and thought how glad I was a whole new group of readers were going to get the chance to experience their story.  I love connecting at the heart with readers and I believe this book really does that.

So, if you’re looking for a hero, pick up the Harlequin Showcase with The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement and Julia James’ book, The Greek’s Virgin Bride.

The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement  
Harlequin Showcase: Reissue
ISBN-10: 0373688024
ISBN-13: 978-0373688029

Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciana di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background. But Luciano’s sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy—until she discovers that Luciano married her to fulfill his own ruthless agenda…!

The book also includes the fabulous “The Greek’s Virgin Bride” by Julia James.

Look for Showcases in the single title romance section of your favorite bookstores!

Read an Excerpt | Buy: Borders ~ B&N ~ Chapters ~ Books-a-Million ~ Amazon

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On April 28th my next vampire book is out. And the next My Immortal Knight. But wait! What’s up with that cover? I mean he’s nice, better than nice, but aren’t all the MIKs contemporary? I hinted at a longer history in Silent Knight, so decided now was the time to introduce a prequel to the current series. Hope you enjoy the excerpt. If you’d like to sample a sexier excerpt, I’m posting one of those on my blog today too!

While hiding her true identity, Maddie must seduce the mysterious Lord Garon to cement their marriage contract to assure she won’t be returned into her lecherous stepfather’s care.

Fresh from Crusade in Palestine, Lord Garon has a secret he must hide, a hunger that must be fed, and a dark and uncertain future. Having shed himself of a fiancée he never met, he’s home to lick his wounds. The only thing he wants is a warm-blooded meal—but the new housekeeper is strangely insistent on giving him much more. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Maddie shivered at the creaks and groans the portcullis made as it slowly rose. The rain-laden wind carried the noises and filled the silences in between with a howling that sounded like the hounds from hell had arrived at the castle gate. 

Shouts outside the curtain wall had alerted them only minutes before of Lord Garon d’Albermarle’s arrival. With only a bliaut over her sleeping shift, Maddie stood on the first step of the keep, holding a tray with a goblet of wine, ready to offer a proper greeting to her overlord. 

“Are you sure this is the way you wish to go about this, M-Maddie?” Egbert asked, fidgeting at her side. 

She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her mouth and nodded. 

“It be on your head then,” he said, his always-mournful tone as dire as one of Father Ansel’s Sunday sermons. She sent thanks above that the cranky priest was away or her deception wouldn’t last past the introductions. 

The clatter of dozens of hooves on the cobbled bridge beyond the gate filled the castle yard with thunder. From the encroaching darkness, the sounds were as ominous as the dark shapes looming on the gatehouse walls. The torches she’d ordered lit sputtered and flared, distorting and elongating shapes so the men riding through the entrance appeared as tall as giants. 

Already tired and on edge because she hadn’t slept since a messenger had arrived, warning the castle of his lordship’s arrival days before, Maddie’s fevered imagination painted them darker and larger still. 

“Be they devils?” Egbert asked, his narrow shoulders shaking. “No one travels on a night with nary a speck of light in the sky.” 

“Hush!” The storm whipping at her clothing and the fatigue from months of worry over this very moment combined to make her hands shake and blackened an already foul mood. 

The horsemen entered the bailey and a large figure separated from the contingent who approached the keep. As he drew closer, her fears weren’t eased one whit. The warrior sat atop a huge black destrier, forcing her to raise her gaze quite high to seek his face. 

He wore a helm that left only his square jaw exposed. The darkness cast by the metal nose guard concealed his eyes. Only his mouth gave a hint of his mood—a thin, straight line with the corners crimped downward. 

Under his stare, Maddie’s knees trembled but her tray never rattled. She squared her shoulders and shot a glance about her at the castle folk. “Stephen!” she called to the stable master. “See to their horses.” 

In moments, boys scrambled to accept reins, and the creak of leather and the clank of iron filled the air. 

The stable master himself approached the dark warhorse at the foot of the steps but the mounted warrior’s gaze never left Maddie. 

She licked dry lips with an even drier tongue. “Lord Garon?” she asked, although there could be no question who led this contingent. All gazes remained on his intimidating figure. “Please come inside, milord. Your people will see to the comfort of your men.” 

His mouth twisted. “And who will see to mine?” 

Maddie’s heart leapt to the back of her throat. “I will, milord.” 

A long pause indicated he looked her up and down. “And who might you be, madam?” he asked, his voice a deep, hollow rumble. 

Maddie remembered to curtsy and then straightened, girding herself to speak the lie aloud. “Your housekeeper. I take care of things now.” The latter, at least, was the truth. 

Lord Garon grunted. Without a glance at the stable master, he tossed down his reins and dismounted. 

When he turned toward her, Maggie’s breath caught. Lord, he’s a tall man. I thought it was just the horse.  

Maddie lifted the ornate chalice from the tray to deliver her much-rehearsed welcome. 

Instead, his lordship’s lips pressed into a tighter line and he brushed past her. 

She was left gasping on the bottom step. “What a rude ogre!” she exclaimed, annoyed he hadn’t fallen in line with the first step of her plan. 

“Watch your tongue, madam,” an accompanying knight said tersely as he followed the lord up the steps. “He has exceptional hearing.” 

“M-Maddie?” Egbert said, nodding toward the door. 

She shoved the tray at his belly and grasped her skirts high to rush up the steps. 

The plan had seemed so simple. All she needed was to get him alone and addle his sight with a little wine or ale so he’d not care she wasn’t the comeliest creature in the keep. Then she would seduce him. 

And the sooner, the better. The longer she took losing her virginity, the greater the risk he would discover her identity. The truth was, she would rather copulate with the devil himself than be returned home. 

However, this business of copulation, which had seemed a simple, messy, perhaps even enjoyable act, according to the cook, now promised to be a daunting trial. 

The lord of the keep turned out to be a giant and as dour as a priest at confession. The thought of being naked with him and accepting his manstaff into her body frankly petrified her. 

She rushed through the massive doors, hoping her preparations would meet with his approval. Nothing else could be allowed to mar her well-thought-out plan. 

His lordship stood in the center of the hall, hands on hips. Unlike his men, he wore no chain mail, only a leather hauberk to protect his body. He’d removed his headgear, revealing hair as black as midnight and a face as hard as carved granite. 

He was everything she’d remembered and more—more frightening, more imposing—and more beautiful because of the differences. Thanks be to God, he hadn’t recognized her. 

His gaze narrowed on the hall and she looked around to see what might have displeased him already. 

Around him servants scurried, delivering warm food to the men-at-arms as boys eagerly divested them of their armor. If she hadn’t been observing him so closely, she might not have detected the change in his posture. He scarce seemed to notice the din of activity. His mouth lost a little firmness, his hands unclenched on his hips and his chest rose and fell deeply. 

In that instant, Maddie lost a measure of her fear. Here was a man savoring his first night home after a long absence. He had a heart and cared for something at least. Perhaps he wouldn’t be a complete troll when making her his wife. 

Filed under: Delilah Devlin, New Releases | 15 Comments »
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Cross-posted from my personal blog….

Booksigning mishaps.  They happen.

Once I signed the wrong name. Yep.

On rare ocassion, I’ve spelled the reader’s name wrong, which is why I try to have people spell their name out for me.

But at last year, I had the signing mishap to end ALL signing mishaps. This should win me a prize, I swear.

It was at the Lori Foster/Dianne Castell’s Reader & Writer Get Together-this is a lot of fun…if you’ve never been, it’s well worth it. There’s a lot of ‘free time’…just walking around, hanging out, talking. I was doing just that, walking around and a reader came up, asked if I’d sign CHAINS.

We were talking. This was the first mistake. (I shouldn’t CHAT while I’m actively SIGNING the book)

I’d probably had a glass of wine, or a rum and coke. This was the second mistake.

I was also supremely stressed, because I’d just gotten a phone call about my daredevil that damn near turned my hair gray…WHERE I STOOD…now this wasn’t my mistake-out of my control, but still.

So. My brain wasn’t entirely…focused.

Halfway through signing, I stopped.

I closed the book. Looked at the reader and said, “Um. I just signed your book badly.”

She just blinked and said… “What?”

I started apologizing, profusely. Very profusely. Then I told her what I’d written. She burst out laughing. It tickled her to death. I’m mortified. If I’d had the presence of mind, I would have gone and bought a copy myself, replaced it. But I didn’t have the presence of mind at the time. However, she’s just tickled pink.

Wanna know how I signed it?

Read more »

Filed under: Shiloh Walker, romance, writing | 1 Comment »
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And I get to be one of the vanguard authors.  It’s pretty cool, really.  I get to wear a spacey looking suit and fly in hovercraft…oh, um…not really.  Sigh…  I just think being a vanguard should come with something Sci-Fi like, don’t you?

Okay, on with Harlequin’s new thing!  They are releasing two category books together in one volume.  Rather than being stacked in Harlequin’s special sections in bookstores, they’ll be sold along with all the other single titles.  They’ve been doing this in the UK for years (with a great deal of success, I might add), but it’s a brand-new  venture for Harlequin in North America.  The imprint is called Showcase and one of May’s launch books will include my The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement (winner of CataRomance’s Reviewers Choice Award) and Julia James’ The Greek’s Virgin Bride.

I love when publishers try something different – it’s good for readers and authors!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement (by Lucy Monroe):  Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciana di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background. But Luciano’s sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy—until she discovers that Luciano married her to fulfill his own ruthless agenda…!

Read an Excerpt!

The Greek’s Virgin Bride (by Julia James):  As the illegitimate granddaughter of a famous Greek billionaire, Andrea Fraser was disowned at birth and grew up in poverty. Now, at the age of twenty-five, she is unexpectedly called to Greece, where shocking news awaits her-Andrea’s grandfather has found her a husband! She’s promised to tycoon Nikos Vassilis as part of a business deal. But Andrea has no intention of meekly accepting a marriage of convenience. Nikos may be the most sophisticated man she’s ever met, but she’ll be leaving him the first chance…

Watch for the book video and more information on the book in May!

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You know, I’ve been writing western historical romance for about 14 years. It’s my favorite genre (obviously) and the one I feel most comfortable in. You know, like one of those old cushiony chairs that fits your (my big) butt just right? That’s western historical romance for me. Many would argue that I likely lived a full life back then and had memories of that past life. That’d be really cool if it were true.

However, I do try different genres. I’ve delved into short contemporary erotic romance with M/F and F/F, as well as some scorchingly hot erotica with a splash of romance.

On July 6, I take that dabbling to a new level with the release of my first erotic romance single title, UNBRIDLED. When I was writing the proposal, I kept thinking, can I do this? A full 80K+ book? I knew I could do it with historical western, but erotic contemporary? I have to admit, I was nervous.

I’m pleased to say I wrote the book, delivered on time, and I’m really happy with the story. I connected with the heroine, Alex, and the hero, Connor, as I do with all my H/H. It’s a good story, if I do say so myself, and full of extremely hot sex with a lot of romance, and yes, there is a wonderful HEA.

The cover is absolutely kickin’ too.

I’m on pins and needles, y’all, until the release date, which seems to be looming so close! Three months to go! I’ll be doing contests and promos all over the place so stay tuned for that.

Here is the blurb and an excerpt for your reading pleasure…

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