I’ve got a letter up on Berkley’s site about Hunter’s Need… if anybody would like to read it, here’s the link.
All posts by aftermidnightfantasies
Hunter's Need…now available
I’ve posted the first chapter in its entirety at Scribd. You can read it here.
On Wednesday, 12/2, there’s a launch party @ bitten by books and you can enter to win book $$$.
Here’s one last, little excerpt from Hunter’s Need, and I’ve gotta admit…it’s one of my favorite scenes.
__________________________
“I gave you your answer, Ana. Can’t you answer mine?”
I love you. She wanted to tell him, wanted to throw her arms around his neck and tell him, over and over. But she held back. This wasn’t right. Wasn’t good, not for him. Even back when she let herself daydream about having Duke in her life, she’d known it wasn’t right. Duke deserved better than her. He deserved so much more.
“This isn’t good for you.” She blurted the words out before she lost her nerve. Pulling away from him, she jerked her shirt back up but her hands shook too much to button it. Instead, she just held it closed between her breasts. “This is bad for you. I’m bad for you. You’ve got to know that. Even if you…even if you think you feel how you’re saying, you have to know I’m bad for you. I’m not the kind of woman you need in your life, Duke. I’m not strong enough. You need somebody strong. Somebody more like you—”
Duke reached out and hooked his hand in the front of her jeans, gently. She resisted. He jerked harder and she crashed into his chest with a startled, “Ooommph.”
“I know what I need,” he growled. When she would have argued, he covered her lips with his finger. “I know what I want, what I need. And it’s you, Ana. If I wanted somebody like me, I would have gone chasing after Kendall or half a dozen other women that I’ve met. I didn’t go after them, because I was too hung up on you and I have been, from the first damn time I laid eyes on you. I love you. I want you. I need you.”
“But—”
He cut her words off with a hard, short kiss. “Don’t want to hear it,” he snarled. “I love you. You don’t get the right to tell me what I need, or what I deserve. That’s my call, princess. Now give me an answer—do you love me?”
__________________________
If you’ve enjoyed the snippets, I hope you’ll pick it up…either at your local indie store, local bookstore… wherever. :o)
Want to order?
I’m doing a few signings to for the release… if you live in or near the area, would love to meet you!
Waldenbooks
12/1/09
7-9pm
Oxmoor Center
7900 Shelbyville Rd
Louisville, KY
* * * * *
12/4/09
6:30-8:30pm
604 East Spring Street
New Albany, IN
* * * * *
Barnes & Noble
12/5/09
1-3pm
9455 Civic Centre Blvd
West Chester, OH
Repackaged… or is it UN packaged…
One of my novellas, DJINN’S WISH, was originally written from an anthology, A WISH, A KISS, A DREAM with my friends, Lora Leigh and Mary Wine.
The anthology, released in both ebook and print, was the only way to get the story.
In a few weeks… DJINN’S WISH will be released from Ellora’s Cave as a standalone. The stories written by Mary and Lora will also be released individually as well.
When a book is released in one form, and then released later on, (like novellas being placed with different novellas/a book given a new cover/etc), they tend to call it repackaging.
So would this be unpackaging…?
If you’d like to read an excerpt, you can do so here.
Also wanted to let you know about a contest I’m running through my personal blog through the end of the month. We’re counting down to the release of Hunter’s Need, releasing in mass market paperback on 12/1.
Other rambling news…finished up the second book in the Grimm’s Circle series. Grimm’s Circle is a little bit paranormal, a little bit urban fantasy, a little bit erotic romance, and a lot of fun, so far. The first book, CANDY HOUSES, released in October and the second book, NO PRINCE CHARMING, will be out in January from Samhain Publishing.
I’ll be out signing several places in December, so if you’re able to get to one of the signings, I’d love to meet you!
Waldenbooks
12/1/09
7-9pm(tentative)
Oxmoor Center
7900 Shelbyville Rd
Louisville, KY
* * * * *
12/4/09
6:30-8:30pm
604 East Spring Street
New Albany, IN
* * * * *
Barnes & Noble
12/5/09
1-3pm
9455 Civic Centre Blvd
West Chester, OH
* * * * *
Barnes & Noble
12/12/09
2-4pm
9891 Waterstone Blvd
Cincinnati, OH
And I think I’ve covered everything… O_O
Shi
A little guy in need of an early Christmas
Saw this on FB and wanted to share.
FYI, I checked it on out Snopes.com and it looks very legit… if you can spare a Christmas card for this little guy, I’m sure he’d love it. 🙁
_____________________
ATTENTION FACEBOOK FAMILY & FRIENDS! Diana Harrison Biorkman has a 5-yr old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with Neuroblastoma cancer.
They are celebrating Christmas next weekend and Noah loves Christmas cards. Please take a minute to send a card to: Noah Biorkman, 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon MI 48178. THANKS. PLEASE REPOST THIS MSG & EMAIL YOUR BUDDIES! this was sent to me pass it on
Shiloh
POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT releases!
It’s FINALLY here!!! POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT should be available everywhere in both print and eBook format. I’m putting up one of my favorite excerpts below…along with prizes.
Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 3 — Ice’s story
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN-10: 1416578463
ISBN-13: 9781416578468
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Release Date: October 27, 2009
Scroll down to read the first chapter!
Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders
Books-A-Million | Simon & Schuster | Indie Bound
Overstock | Target
Download eBook: Kindle | Barnes & Noble
Fictionwise | Sony |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?
Reviews
Rated HOT! “The volatile emotions in this tale are truly combustible!” ~ RT Bookclub
“Captivating… POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT [is] a book you won’t want to miss.” ~ Romance Reviews Today
Recommended Read! “Page-turning magical suspense… Wring[s] emotion from every pore… leaves readers clamoring for more.” ~ Fallen Angels Reviews
“I could not stop reading. POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT is absolutely perfect.” ParaNormal Romance Reviews
“I love the angst and passion between Sabelle and Ice; it’s tangible and often breathtaking. Possess Me At Midnight is another exciting chapter in the Doomsday Brethren’s fight…” Joyfully Reviewed
“Totally rewarding and particularly satisfying.” Single Titles
EXCERPT
“Better?” she asked.
Gingerly, he nodded. He looked white and exhausted and utterly depleted.
“Internal damage?”
“Healing.” He squeezed her hand. “I stopped the burn in time.”
A whole sentence. And now, he was breathing easier. His injuries were healing. “You’re certain?”
Again, he nodded. More a jerk of his stubbled chin than anything, but enough. “The damage stopped when you dragged me from the cellar. If you hadn’t come for me—”
“Of course I would.” Did he just assume she would leave him there to die?
“You could have run straight into danger, Sabelle.” He swallowed and fought for a breath, squeezed her hand again. “When I’m well, I’m putting you over my knee for that.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, her face flamed. “You’ll do no such thing.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t take away all my fun.”
A joke? He’d nearly died ten minutes ago, and now he was telling a joke. He didn’t wish her to know the extent of his injuries, clearly.
“Amusing, indeed.”
“Infuriating,” he corrected. “No more chances with your safety. On this point, Bram and I agree. You’re into magickind’s troubles too deeply.”
“I’ll tell you what I told Bram: I won’t sit about like some helpless princess while the rest of magickind fights. It’s my cause too.”
“Your funeral as well, if you’re not careful.”
“It could be anyone’s,” she argued. “Everyone’s. That’s Mathias’s doing. Not mine. Now, stop arguing and tell me how you feel. The internal damage has stopped?”
“Yes. I fought it off in the cellar, then you took me away. Between distance and your touch, I’ve improved.”
“Anything else?”
He hesitated. “My head. When the mine hit me, the force of it thrust me back. My head hit the wall. I heard a loud thump.”
Judiciously avoiding looking at the lower half of his very naked body, she gripped his large calloused hand in hers. Closing her eyes, she gathered up her power and summoned the siren in her. To Ice, she sent waves of healing, peace, sleep.
He growled. Suddenly, a wall shot up between them, blocking her well-meaning sentiments. Sabelle gasped. Where had that come from? Ice? Did he have the energy for that? Or was the mine still working its dark magic?
Then the barricade crumbled, and she felt Ice again. But this time, he sent her a blast of something else—desire that was thick, hot, screaming with lust and sex and need.
With a gasp, she pulled back.
A tired smile creased his face, and despite his exhaustion, his arrogance shone through. “Felt that, did you? I told you, I’ve no need for your happy sunshine and rainbows.”
“I sent you peaceful healing,” she argued. “You do need it.”
“Rubbish. I let you feel what I truly need.”
That overwhelming battering ram of desires and yearning? She placed a hand to her chest and forced herself to breathe evenly. Knowing he wanted her that badly staggered her. She blinked, looked at Ice, focusing on those green eyes of his that glowed with unquestionable want. Exhaustion still etched his face, and she knew that sending her any emotion had cost precious energy he didn’t have. Why bother?
“No one has ever bombarded me with their emotions like that.”
“You tell others what to feel and they abide?”
She frowned. “I try to be helpful and soothe the troubles or worries others have. I’m hardly forcing unwanted feelings upon them.”
“I didn’t want to sleep, princess.”
Sabelle felt her face flush again. “So I gathered.”
“Glad we’re clear.”
“Ice, you hardly have the energy to be wasting on such things. My touch has given you some, I suppose. But the sleep was to help you. I meant no insult. You must concede, your energy is dangerously low. Your magical signature is nearly transparent.”
He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
“Is—is that why you sent me the sexual vibrations?” She bit her lip and felt her cheeks flame up again. What was it about Ice that made her feel so feminine? “You need…energy?”
He stared, heavy, glowing, jaw clenched. “Sabelle…”
“You do.” She swallowed, studying his increasingly sheer magical signature. Normally a bold green laced with a fiery red. Black rimmed it, and she’d always worried that was a commentary on his sanity or his soul. But now, she could see straight through it all. And that frightened her. Without recharging, he would be unable to run, flee, help her evade Mathias. Yes, her touch, because he had Called to her, provided a bit of energy. But without a full dose of power, eventually he would die.
She eased off the bed and rose to her feet. With trembling hands, she pulled off her shirt. Instantly, she felt his gaze on the slopes of her shoulder, the curve of her neck, the lacy cups of her bra. His icy-hot eyes made her shiver. She locked stares with him, unable to look away.
Sabelle reached for the button of her jeans. Instead, he reached up and clamped his hands around her wrists. “Don’t.”
“But you need energy.”
“Yes, but—”
“You Called to me, so you can touch no other. And…I have no anger in me now to try to boost you that way. You want me and—”
“You know it. But I will be damned if I’ll let you make me into your next Lucan: a patient, a duty, a burden. What passes between us will never be an act you endure merely to heal me.” He squeezed on her wrists. “I would rather die.”
“Your pride is misplaced. My opinion is neither here nor there. Your life—”
“Will mean little if I have to swallow the bitter pill of being nothing to you. I hardly expect you to Bind to me, but I won’t have your pity.”
His passionate speech had used up more energy he could ill afford. The stubborn man! Frustration built inside her, a crescendo that trumpeted into fury. Ice could die, and he wanted to debate the meaning of an act intended to save his life? He sought to force her admission that she trembled for his touch before he allowed her into his bed. The energy exchange would be clean, simple, if he would merely accept her help. Did he not understand that crowding it with words and confessions would only make matters more difficult?
She tore her wrists from his grip, stepped away, and stripped off her pants and knickers. Her bra quickly followed. Ice’s eyes clamped onto her. His nostrils flared. His entire body tensed, and though she swore she would not look down, her gaze drifted across the harsh rise and fall of his chest, the undulation of his abdomen…and fixed on the hard stalk of his cock rising between his well-muscled thighs. A sudden gush of dampness slicked her intimately, where she now ached. She swallowed against the riot of sensations, a need unlike anything she’d ever felt.
If she admitted that to Ice, he would use this desire against her mercilessly.
Sabelle wanted to believe, more than anything, that Ice was motivated strictly by his desire to possess the witch he perceived as his mate. But niggling doubt made her wonder if revenge fueled him more.
“You have my help.” Her voice trembled as she sat on the edge of the bed next to him. “You need no more than that.”
Ice raised a dark brow. “You have no idea what I need.”
Before she could argue, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her under him, until her back hugged the sheets steeped in his warmth and earthy scent. He loomed over her, his shoulders blocking out most of the room’s light. She felt surrounded, enveloped. Overwhelmed.
“Did you come for him?”
His big, hot hands gripped her hips, and slid up her torso until his palms cradled her breasts. And his touch burned her. She bit her lip to hold in a gasp, but the aftershocks of their contact reverberated, crashing wave after wave of desire through her body. She softened. Her nipples peaked. She grew wetter.
He stopped. Sniffed. Smiled. “You want me.”
“My body is ready.” She dared not admit more.
His smile slipped, and he grunted. “Bloody answer me.”
Damn it all, she’d forgotten the question. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Lucan,” he growled. “Did you want him? Did he give you pleasure? Bring you to peak?”
Very direct questions. That shouldn’t surprise her. But she couldn’t answer him. No answer would satisfy him. In either event, he’d turn this into some sort of chest-beating competition. And the truth would only cause…issues.
“It’s hardly relevant. You need me, and I am offering. Nothing more or less.”
He flicked his thumbs across her nipples. Slowly. Back and forth. Until she gasped.
“I plan to make certain it is much, much more.”
#
To celebrate this release, I’m giving away a signed copy of TEMPT ME WITH DARKNESS and SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW, plus free reads from some favorite authors including Maya Banks, Gena Showalter, Sabrina Jeffries and others. 10 books in all! To register to win, SPREAD the word about POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT. Mention the book, series and release day (blurb appreciated but optional) on your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, blog, message/bulletin boards, etc OR review the book on an online bookstore or personal blog. Comment on my blog with the link and you’re registered to win. The winner will be drawn on 11/3.
Hope everyone enjoys the release!
Trinity is Now Available!
One witch, one cat shifter. Add one wolf. Blend. Safety glasses recommended.
Renee Parcell loves her life. Her smoothie/coffee cart business is successful, and she’s deeply in love with her boyfriend, Galen. He makes her laugh, he’s gainfully employed, and he satisfies her as only a sexy cat shifter can. He even puts the toilet seat down.
Yet they both sense something in the air. An anticipation that leaves them both unsettled.
Tall, blond and gorgeous Jack Meyers, Enforcer of National Pack and one of the most beautiful men Renee and Galen have ever seen, stumbles into Renee’s life and the riddle of their expectation is solved—Renee is Jack’s mate. What surprises them all is when the three of them touch, magick creates an unexpected triple bond of witch, cat and wolf.
Even as they learn to navigate the steamy intricacies of their bond, a threat looms over Renee. First in the form of resurrected memories, then in the shape of darker magicks someone is aiming at her. Set on stealing her inherent powers—even her life.
Renee can stand to lose almost anything, except her mates. But there seems to be no talking them out of laying everything on the line for her…
Catch it at My Bookstore And More and Books On Board as well as other digital publishing outlets like the Sony store and soon, Amazon’s Kindle store.
#beatcancer
Candy Houses…now available
Want an excerpt? of course, if you just want to buy… *G*
- Candy Houses
Blurb:
So you think you know fairy tales? Guess again.
Grimm’s Circle, Book 1
Greta didn’t get her happy ending her first time around. And now that she’s a Grimm—special kind of guardian angel and official ass-kicker in the paranormal world—romance is hard to find. Besides, there’s only ever been one man who made her heart race, and the fact that he did scared her right out of his arms. Now Rip is back. And just in time too, because Greta needs his help.
On a mission he knows is going to test all of his strengths and skills, the last person Rip expected to see is the one woman who broke his heart. Working together seems to be their only hope. But, when faced with a danger neither of them anticipated, the question is, how will they face the danger to their hearts—assuming they survive, of course.
_______________________________________
It came at me, a silent rush of death. At the very last second, I spun out of the way and felt the blast of air as it swiped out at where I’d stood only a heartbeat earlier. The thing’s hands ended in claws that measured close to three inches long.
The skin along the back of my neck prickled as I once more started to circle away from the bocan, weaving around it in nonsensical patterns. It made another rush and this time, instead of moving aside, I went down and sliced upward. Black, bitter blood covered me as I managed to break skin. It shuddered, but I figured out very quickly that while I’d hurt the demon, I hadn’t slowed it down. It slashed out as I scrambled away. Those claws got closer that time.
And then again. This time it caught me. I bit my lip to keep from screaming as the claws managed to get me in the belly, slicing me open. Blood flowed.
Shit—
A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed me, hauling me aside.
Dazed, I fell against the crumbled rock wall at my back and watched. I was in a state of shock, I think. I didn’t recognize the man at first…well, not consciously. My body probably would have, if I hadn’t been losing huge quantities of blood through the gashes in my belly. I whimpered and shrugged out of the blood-soaked jacket I wore and balled it up, pressing it to my wounded stomach.
The flesh was already knitting back together. I could literally feel it, deep, deep inside. It was a bad injury. If I was still wholly human, I’d be dead already. As it was, I was losing a lot of blood. Even us pseudo-immortals get weak when we lose too much blood.
Sinking to the ground, I watched as the man fought the bocan.
He was a lot more equipped to handle the thing than I was, that was for sure. The bocan tried to gut him with those lethal claws but the man moved away, quick as a wish. I saw one hand disappear inside the long coat he wore—something about that coat, the way it stretched over his shoulders, tickled a memory. I wouldn’t look at his face. Thinking about it now, I know why I wouldn’t look, because I knew in my heart who he was, and I needed to prepare myself a little bit more before I actually looked at him.
Instead, I focused on his hands…and on the very awesome weapon he’d drawn from inside that long, black coat. It was a black cylinder, maybe two, two and a half feet long. Yeah, I know, that doesn’t sound too flashy. It would do some serious damage to a human, probably even a number of manifested demons.
But a nine-foot-tall bocan?
Nope. Right up until he twisted it, I wasn’t impressed. But then he twisted it. I heard the whisper of metal as two edged blades appeared, one out either end of the metal cylinder.
Now it was five feet long, and bladed on both ends.
He used it like an artist. He moved like a dancer of death. The silver flashed through the air. His body barely seemed to touch the ground before he was moving off again. Eerie, deadly and oh so lovely to look at. In a rather morbid way, of course.
Black blood stained the metal as he sliced through the bocan’s scales.
The bocan hissed.
The man just laughed. That laugh. I knew that laugh.
Rip…
Just before I passed out, I finally let myself look at him. I found myself staring at his familiar profile. An ache settled in my heart and it followed me as I went under.
*
Rip had problems.
He had all sorts of problems. He had one dead demon on his hands. He had one unconscious, young adult female on his hands. He had one unconscious, not-so-young adult female on his hands—and she was injured.
His body screamed at him as he crouched beside Greta. Along his left arm, he had a series of gashes, three of them, each one of them a good seven inches long and deep. Very deep, because they weren’t healing fast. The bocan had managed to tear into his muscle, and the muscles had to knit together before the skin could. So he was still bleeding.
But not as bad as Greta.
She was pale, even paler than normal. That milky, fair complexion was ghostly and even though he knew she couldn’t die from the injury she’d taken, his heart skipped a few beats and then took up residence in his throat. To reassure himself, he laid a hand on her neck, felt the warmth and the life of her.
It didn’t help much.
He was going to relive the night’s events a thousand times over in the years to come—the nightmare of seeing the bocan come this close to gutting her, and he had been too far away to do a damn thing.
What were you thinking?
She had faced down a bocan with pretty much her bare hands. She’d had a knife. A paltry blade in her right fist as she’d circled around the demon. Bocans were too fucking big, too fucking strong, and that hide of theirs was like armor. Knives just didn’t cut it.
He shot the dead creature a nasty look and wondered where in the hell it had come from. Bocans were uncommon in the world because they didn’t have the abilities a lot of other demons had—they couldn’t manifest, couldn’t possess. They just killed.
A bocan. The paraisei he’d faced earlier. Something weird was going on. Demonkind didn’t ever gather together in one place for long—it attracted too much attention, the sort of attention that ended up them being sent back to the netherplains.
What in the hell was going on?
Greta shifted under his hands. Under her breath, she whimpered quietly and Rip, without even thinking about it, bent over her and pressed his lips to her brow. “Hush, angel. You’re safe now…you’re safe. Sleep…heal.”
His heart broke a little as she burrowed close to him.
buy (looks like it’s live at Samhain’s store front now)
If you have an Amazon kindle, you can preorder now.
What's Next? And Not…
I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while but I either forget or I’m too slammed so I’m writing it down while I have a quiet moment.
I often get emails asking me about older series and if I plan to continue them:
Witches Knot – I’m done with the series at this point. That’s not to say I won’t revisit in the future because I love the world and I’d really love to write about Kael and his Hunter Crew some more, but the main story arc is finished and my Charvez witches all found their HEA.
Cherchez Pack – This is probably the one I get the most questions on so let me be sort of blunt – I’d love to write more, but moving the series into another publisher is a hugely daunting task. There will be issues with some of the books being in print and me having to say over and over that I just don’t know if or when the first two will be out in print. Having to deal with that is more trouble than I’ve got time for right now so it’s not on my schedule, at least not this year. I do have a book for Skye but I don’t have the time to write it just now (and I still have all the stuff about moving the books elsewhere).
So I love the series, I love the wolves, but right now, the series is dormant.
Chase Brothers – Four brothers, four books. I’m done with the series (no inventing cousins or anything) but I’m not done with Petal. I do want to write HEAs for some of the Murphys. And yes, I do want to write Edward and Polly’s story, but it’s far more complicated than it may appear from the books, so it will take me some time. Time I don’t have just now, but it’s on my To Do List
Cascadia Wolves – I’m done with the main story arc from Enforcer to Standoff. But I am not done with that world by any means. Trinity is a spin off from that world and there are crossover plot issues. I’ll be back with more books after Trinity (if Samhain wants them that is) to tie up some loose ends I leave at the end of Trinity (though I promise the HEA is there!)
Federation Chronicles – Yes there will be more. Insatiable is Daniel’s book and it starts a three book story arc called Phantom Corps (as Daniel is all uber secret black ops guy). Mezmerized is the next one after that. There’ll be a final story as well.
Contemps – I don’t have a series title for my Seattle based contemporaries from Heat but yes, there will be two more books after Laid Bare. Coming Undone is Brody’s book and it’s out January 5 and Inside Out is Cope’s boo and I have no idea at this point as I just contracted it, but sometime in late 2010 or early 2011 most likely. I’d like to finish up with Adrian’s story.
I think these are the ones I get asked about the most often. Think of this as an open call for questions! Ask away and if possible, I’ll answer.
Fated – Free Doomsday Brethren e-Novella
They were meant to be together…but will magic tear them apart?
Find out in my my FREE Doomsday Brethren e-novella, Fated! Click here to reach the download link! Hope you all enjoy…
The next two books in the Doomsday Brethren series are coming soon. SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW on Sept. 29 and POSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT on Oct. 27. Mark your calendars and get ready for reads that are “passionate” and “page-turning”, according to RT Bookclub. I’m counting the days until release!