Monthly Archives: March 2009

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

New Covers – Doomsday Brethren

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I’m so excited, I couldn’t wait to share my new covers and backcover copy!

SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW
Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 2
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: September 29, 2009
ISBN 13: 978-1416578444
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Pre-Order: Amazon | Borders | Simon & Schuster
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 CoverPOSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT
Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 3
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: October 27, 2009
ISBN 13: 978-1416578468
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Pre-order: Amazon | Borders |Simon & Schuster

An apocalypse approaches in the new novel from bestselling author Shayla Black’s electrifying Doomsday Brethren series, as a magical warrior and a spirited witch ignite a smoldering passion that could destroy them both.

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?

The covers aren’t absolutely final. The verbiage will be added to and/or changed. But the images are set. I’m really thrilled. What do you think?

Delilah Devlin

Have a craving for cowboys?

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You would guess correctly if you said that I do.

I can’t help myself. Thirteen years in the Lonestar State, a working cattle ranch as my back yard…well, it was inevitable. Even average-looking men look dayum hot in Wranglers and a tall hat.

As a writer, I’m the ultimate flip-flopper. I write a paranormal, then have to write a man on horseback. Write a sexy contemporary and immediately have to find that oversized pickup truck and a set of scuffed boots.

Which is good if readers like those slow-talkin’ men. We’ll see.

At the tail-end of last month, TEXAS MEN released. You may have seen it in the stores. The cover’s kinda hard to miss.

 

texas-men_3271

Last fall, as soon as I wrapped up TM, it was on to the next in my DARK REALM books. You know, cowboy—demons/vamps/werewolves—then, it was back to another cowboy, or in the case of SADDLED, two.

Yeah, the only thing better than one cowboy is two. But the good news is you don’t have to wait long to quench your appetite. SADDLED will be out, ready for instant download on the 31st of this month. If you’d like to take a peek inside, just click on that sexy cover!

saddled_3271

Ashleigh Raine, Contests

Only three weeks left…

Only three weeks left until Forsaken Talisman is being released from Samhain Publishing. Lisa and I are bubbling over with excitement that release day is almost here. When we contracted the book with Samhain, we looked at what we’d originally written and were really unhappy with it. We’d grown a lot as authors and the book didn’t reflect where we are now as writers. So we scrapped the book and started over. It’s still Dusty and Skylar’s love story, but rewritten from beginning to end.

So to celebrate the upcoming release of the brand-new version of Forsaken Talisman, we’re having a contest. We love this book and hope you’ll love it too when it comes out on Friday, April 3 at Samhain Publishing. Mark the date! Although, we’ll remind you. 😉

But more about that contest. We’re giving away lots of awesome stuff–seven chances to win! 4 necklaces, a purse and two ebook copies of Lover’s Talisman.

And a little tease of one of the prizes we’re giving away.

And that’s just one of the prizes. You can find all the details on how to enter on our contest page. So go forth and enter the contest. Have fun and good luck!

Shiloh Walker

Oh puh-leeze

cross posted at my blog(s)

So the reason ebooks are taking off so big is because us women can read our ’salacious’ content in private?

According to this guy…yep.  he says:

Well, once again it seems like porn is blazing a path to a new media format. Of the top 10 bestsellers under the “Multiformat” category, nine are tagged “erotica” amd the last is “dark fantasy”. from the ITworld.com blog

First off…we don’t like it when people call our erotic romance porn.  Most die-hard erotic romance readers will tell ya that if the romance isn’t any good, the book’s not worth reading, no matter how well written, how hot the sex scenes are.  Please note…romance doesn’t equate sex scenes.  Romance is that slow slide into love, or that crazy free fall.  It’s the development of a relationship-the sex is just a bonus, because we need that romance.

If all we needed was porn or salicious content, (and felt the need to hide it) we’d buy playgirl and claim we read it for the articles.

From a romance reader, from a romance writer, from an ebook author, here are some reasons why ebooks are taking off.

  1. More and more people are becoming aware of them.  The gadget on that one little site…uh…oh, yeah, Amazon!  is making more and more readers aware of ebooks.  That Sony doo-dad that is in the Books a Million stores, Borders store, Target…many who were unaware of ebooks are now aware.  Once made aware, they are more likely to check things out, rather than when they didn’t know it existed.
  2. Storage.  I’ve got three tall bookcases crammed full.  One is for research.  One case is for keepers.  One case is my yet to be read.  I can only get so many books on those cases.  And I have no room as of yet for more.  Different story with ebooks.  I can store as many as my heart desires.
  3. Instant gratification.  Say I’m cruising an author site and a title catches my eye.  Now I’m impatient.  I could wait until the next day, the weekend, when I have time to go buy the book.  But if it’s in ebook, no need to wait.  Viola, it’s there.
  4. It is a little more earth-friendly.  No paper.  That simple.
  5. Bookaholics can tote a lot more books on an e-reader than they can in their suitcases.  Instead of taking 10 print books and hoping I don’t wish I had something else, I can take my reader, which has upwards of 75+ books on it at all times.
  6. Availability.  Perhaps the guy that wrote the blog post isn’t aware that many ebooks aren’t available in print.  Books from the smaller independent epubs like Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Loose Id, Changeling, etc put the books out in ebook form only and the print format doesn’t come along until later.  I’m not inclined to wait for print, not if I really want to read it and it’s only in ebook format.

The only time salacious content comes into play for me is if the cover is so blatantly erotic, I can’t keep it on my shelves-not because I’m ‘embarassed’ or I need ‘privacy’.  I’m protecting my children.  I have three children.  Three young children.  They don’t need to see a book with some chick caught in a nekkid clinch with three guys. So if the cover of the book crosses my limit, but I want to read it, I will then see if it’s in ebook.  It has nothing to do with me needing:

the privacy they offer, both during purchase and when reading.

I’m an adult. I read what I choose. I don’t care what the opinions of others are when it comes to my reading material. I’m the one reading it…not them. If they don’t like my reading material, that’s fine…nobody is making them read it.

Have I gotten knocked for reading romance or erotic romance? Oh yes, but those knocks don’t leave me inclined to ‘hide’ my reading. It only irritates me or amuses me, and my response tends to be…well, what was the last romance you read? Most people can’t answer the question.

So there’s the opinion of a woman who has been reading and writing romance for years. I’ve been epubbed since 2003 (I think) and I’ve been reading ebooks since 2002 (I think). Shame or some need to hide my reading material didn’t figure into my purchasing choices then, and they certainly don’t now.

Appearances & Events, Beth Williamson

Getting Educated

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The release of my first New York book, The Education of Madeline, on February 24th was more than just a blip on the radar. It was really the culmination of my education too.

You see, I have been published since 2004 with small print and e-pubs, an amazing experience that taught me how to be a better writer. Without my editor at Samhain, Sasha Knight, I would not be published with New York. I truly believe that y’all. She made me into a better writer and for that I will be eternally in her debt.

Last May when I signed with Kensington, it was like reaching the top of the mountain, breathless and sweaty with your muscles screaming. Then shouting “YES!!!!” at the top of your lungs and hearing it echo.

Then of course, I had to climb down the mountain. LOL. I had to learn everything I didn’t know about the business of publishing. My agent, Laura, and the funny, talented Kate Duffy, my editor at Kensington, gave me what I needed to step forward and be a writer as a career.

It’s not going to happen tomorrow, or even next month, but it will happen. I’m learning things every day about publishing, writing and the business of being a novelist. Each kernel of information is being tucked away, like I’m a chipmunk preparing for winter, and eventually I will feast. I promise. 🙂

If you like sexy cowboys, strong women, and lotsa hot, smokin’ sex, pick up a copy of The Education of Madeline. You won’t be disappointed. 😉

I’ll be signing copies at the Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College, 300 Monticello Ave. Level 2, Norfolk, VA 23510 on March 14 at 1 p.m. Hope to see you there!