Friday 31 March 2017

Flashback Friday with Shari Elder

Happy Friday, sci-fi fans! This one's for you. We've got Shari Elder here with the first in her sci-fi romance series, Green Rising. If that stunning cover doesn't have you intrigued, then the excerpt surely will. Let's dive on in!


A woman who lost everything.

Intergalactic storm racing champion Elaina Carteret had it all – fame, wealth, men – until a horrific accident took it away. To get it back, she agrees to pose as Lainie Carter, medical transport pilot and corporate spy. Her risk-taking attitude infuriates Dr. Erik Johansen, who runs the outpost with an iron hand, a permanent scowl and the tightest bod on the planet.

A man desperate for redemption.

Unable to forgive himself for a past tragedy, Erik works himself into an early grave. He has no patience for the insubordinate Lainie Carter, who can’t take an order, disrupts routine and flames his body to ash.

A planet at risk.

When the outpost is attached, they’re thrown together in a race across the desert to stop a deadly biogenetic weapon As a fragile trust blossoms between two damaged hearts, their pasts resurface and threaten their growing bond.


Be warned:  anal sex, bondage, menage sex, gender neutral characters.

Buy it now!




And read on for an excerpt!

Thursday 30 March 2017

News! News! News!

So I'm a tiny bit superstitious and wouldn't normally post about this until the contract is signed, but I am so excited about it, I'm giving superstition the finger this time.

LICH QUEEN is coming!

Evernight said yes to LICH QUEEN, which means Dawn Hardy's story is coming your way soon. I cannot tell you how relieved I am about this. Dawn's story is an essential part of the Blood Canticles series, and I loved the hell out of writing it, and for some reason I convinced myself it was going to get rejected. Blame it on generalised anxiety. But it didn't get rejected! \o/ 

I won't have a projected release date until the contract is signed, but I can share the (unedited) blurb with you.

Magic has ruined Detective Dawn Hardy's life.

Her partner is dead, her career is on the rocks, and Dawn fears she herself may no longer be human.

While she struggles with the aftermath of a vampire attack, dead bodies are going missing around Fort Rosser. A demonic plot is brewing, and Dawn and her friends may be the only ones who can stop it. If they can stop fighting each other. And if Dawn can conquer the growing darkness inside herself.

Vampires and demons were just the beginning.


I cannot wait to share more of the Blood Canticles world with you, or for you to get inside Dawn's head with me. In the meantime, I'm going to be working on finishing up Imperial Demons so you can also get more Lola and Tristesse! I say finishing up...I am nowhere near done, but I'm hopefully I can get a first draft finished in April. Stay tuned!

Friday 24 March 2017

Flashback Friday - We're following Alexa Sinclaire Into the Woods...

Happy Friday! I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for the weekend. I've spent a lot of this week being extra-adult both at home and at work, and I need a break. A bit of escapism is just what's needed, and Alexa Sinclaire is here to provide exactly that...



FORD

I’m not supposed to sleep with my employees. But how about fall in love with them? I’ve loved Charlie Alford since the day I met her. Now she’s leaving and I’ve only got once chance to get her to see we’re meant for each other, one chance to get past her walls and show her how great we’d be together. My method might be unconventional but it’s a shot I’m willing to take. In the end, she’ll love me. And if she doesn’t, I know she’ll definitely hate me.

CHARLIE

Ford Gross is the one man in my life that hasn’t tried to get into my panties. Of course he’s the only man I’ve truly wanted. My whole life I’ve been reminded over and over again how little I’m worth and the message has stuck. With Ford, it’s different. I’m different. But one night with Ford changes everything. He’s making me an offer I can’t refuse. But if I accept it means I’ll become everything I’ve always avoided and he’ll join the ranks of men that have used me and thrown me away.

Purchase Links

Evernight Publishing
Bookstrand
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.ca


Excerpt

Stepping into the main living area was stepping into a movie set. The place was a mix of quaint mountain cabin meets modern minimalist man-cave. This was not the Ford I knew. But I guess I didn’t know him that well.

“I’m going to make us something to drink. Something with chocolate. That always makes women happy,” he half-mumbled to himself as he headed towards the open-plan kitchen. “Have a look around and I’ll be right with you.”

The large dark leather sectional couches faced a television that could pass as a movie screen. Ford obviously liked hanging out. As far as I knew, he wasn’t social though. I pictured him sitting alone on one of his huge, comfy looking couches, watching a movie. Alone. And it made me sad. Although who was I to judge? My one and only friend, Katy, have left for Paris and most of my weekends were now spent working on my business plan and watching The West Wing.

Moving on, I spied a pair of French doors leading off from the living room out onto an enormous deck. The sound of Ford making hot cocoa filtered my way and I thought about offering to help. After making coffee for other people all day, the last thing I wanted to do was make another hot beverage, and anyway, the deck was calling me.

Unlocking the doors, I walked out onto what was basically a deck the size of the house. It extended into the woods and he hadn’t cut the trees down near the back, making it feel enclosed, the dark woods looming up around me. It should have been creepy and daunting. But the overall impression was the opposite. Somehow it felt cozy and secluded. A couple of deck chairs were laid out near the end furthest away from the house.

Sitting down, I closed my eyes and just took a moment to myself. The Serena drama, missing Katy, not exactly loving the whole abstinence thing but knowing it was good for me, my connection with Ford I knew would only ever just be a friendship, what I was going to do with my life now. My thoughts buzzed in my head and I concentrated on pushing them out one by one and just listening to the natural noises around me. The sounds of the woods took over slowly—an owl or two, the rustle of the leaves as a soft wind fluttered through the branches.

This is what I need. Peace and quiet.

“Pretty peaceful, isn’t it?”

I yelped in surprise. So lost on my moment of calm, I hadn’t even heard Ford approaching. Balanced on one hand, Ford held a tray with our two cups of something chocolaty and in the other, his laptop. I reached up and took the tray, placing it on the small table between the chairs.

“I was just thinking that. This place is amazing. I’d live out on this deck, if I had this place.”

He smiled in appreciation. “You won’t be saying that in about twenty minutes. I ran out of candles and the mosquitos can get vicious. But we’ve got enough time before the little vampires descend and I thought you could show me your proposal.” Sitting down sideways on my chair, he propped his laptop on my knees. “I kind of assumed you had it stored in a cloud or your email, so just log in and get it.”

I bit my lip, acutely aware of Ford’s gaze. For some reason showing Ford my business plan felt more intimidating than showing the bank. He nudged my shoulder and I bent over and logged in to my email.

Once I’d opened the document, I slid it over onto his lap and waited. His eyes flitted across the page as he quickly scrolled through it. Sitting this close to him, I decided to focus on anything but the fact Ford, an heir to one of the country’s most successful businesses, was probably laughing inside at my pathetic attempt to start my own little enterprise. Instead, I decided to focus on the fact our bodies
were touching.

A lot.

Sitting side by side, we were making contact essentially from our shoulders, all the way down our torsos, thighs, and then knees. Every moment, breath, sigh, fidget he made, I felt. There was something about Ford, the way he was so contained and in control, made me think underneath all that was an animal, waiting to get out. A caveman he needed to keep leashed in order to pass as a civilized man. Sure, his job wasn’t particularly masculine—selling coffee, but Ford was all man. I sometimes caught him looking at me when we worked together, his face dark and almost angry.

The first few times I thought it was because I messed up an order or dropped a bag of freshly ground beans, but then I realized it was something else. I didn’t know what it was though. At first I hoped it was lust or even longing. But he never made a move. Not once. A long time ago, a few months into working with him, I’d tried to flirt and let him know I’d be up for something but he never made his move. I’d dropped any fantasy I had of being with a man like Ford. I still caught him looking but that
didn’t mean much. Maybe he just liked to look. Lots of guys looked but never touched.

But sitting here, so close, I let myself wonder if perhaps I’d given up a bit too quick with Ford. I mean, he didn’t need to invite me to his house, did he? He could have patted me on the back and sent me on my way with a sympathetic smile and it would have been just as I expected. I struggled to read him, really read him and it made applying my little rules of life virtually useless.


Social Media & Contact

Email: alexasinclairewrites@gmail.com
Website: http://www.alexasinclaireauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexaSinclaire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexasinclaireauthor/
Tumblr: http://alexasinclaire.tumblr.com/

 About Alexa Sinclaire 

Alexa Sinclaire writes erotic romance: the hotter the better. Originally from the East Coast, she now lives in England with her very own Alpha male British husband.

Thursday 23 March 2017

Author Interview with JJ King!

Looking for that little extra something to boost you through Thursday and into the weekend? We've got you covered! JJ King is here today, answering some hard-hitting questions and sharing a look at her newest release, EPIC LOVE. Without further ado...




Hey, JJ! Welcome to the blog. Tell us a little bit about your newest release.

I’d love to, thanks! It’s called Epic Love and it’s the first of four that will make up the Masterclass series. It’s my first with Evernight Publishing’s Romance on the Go line, which is this amazing line of short stories for those of us with little time to read but with all the impact of a full length romance novel.

Epic Love is set in Newfoundland, Canada, in the oldest city in North America, St. John’s. I’m a Newfoundlander and I lived in St. John’s for around ten years so it’s part of who I am at this point. Plus, it’s this great old city with amazing homes that have secret passageways and hidden rooms, which is a big part of the mystery in this story. The main characters are Zoey Matthews, a divorced woman who is reclaiming her life and has returned to her alma mater to do a masters in English literature, and Dr. Sebastian Lane, the incredibly sexy professor her friend introduces her to. The sparks are intense and fly immediately, and the rest is up to you to discover!

I love the sound of this! I'm a big short story fan, and this one appeals as I'm an English Lit girl myself. Is there any part of this story you absolutely love, and why?

Epic love is set in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a place that I called home for almost ten years during my twenties. I made so many memories in that city, good and bad, that it’s become a huge part of what’s made me who I am. It’s also where I attended university and where I spent five years of my life, the best five years, doing an English literature degree.

In my story, Zoey Matthews is back in university, rediscovering her passions and meets a man who awakens desires inside her that she’s never felt before. Writing her character and her rediscovery of life was fun because I know the ins and outs of being an English student so well. I know the professors, the comradery and stresses, and I know the passion that lives inside the walls of the Arts building. Writing a romance just felt like a natural extension of those passions.

About halfway through this story, they end up at a downtown house. In St. John’s, the older homes are amazing and chalk full of little nooks and crannies that made writing the mystery a complete joy.

It's always fun to know an author has incorporated real life experiences into their work when they can - it just makes the story so vivid. Who are your biggest influences – they don’t have to just be literary ones!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hands down. I think I was at the right, young adult stage of my life, when it began and I was sucked into this amazing paranormal world where women could be sexy and strong and fight to save the world, all while caring about what they looked like. There was no “this is the only way to be a woman” attitude. It helps mold my entire character.

As for writers who’ve inspired me, I have to say it’s an equal toss between Stephen King and Nora Roberts. They both have incredible work ethic and amazing attitudes about what it means to be an Author. They aren’t elitist or snobbish and each writes what they love. I find that admirable and, besides all that, I love to read their novels. The Dark Tower series is my favorite series of all time.

I've only read the first Dark Tower book. I need to catch up before the film comes out! What else are you working on right now? What's up next from you?

I’m kind of in love with the idea of Evernight’s Romance on the Go line, which is why my next release, which is coming in a few weeks by the way, is another short story. It’s called The Scent of His Woman and it’s a cougar shifter story, the first in a three part arc called Northern Wild.

I’m a huge paranormal romance geek. I love reading it and I love writing it. My first published novel, Blood of Eden, is the first in a series called The Guardians. Books I and II are available now and book III is coming later this year. The Guardians is a wolf shifter series set in Canada and centering ona kickass alpha female character named Katherine LaFlamme.

I love writing wolf shifters, or my own version of them, so I didn’t want to do another wolf story. I went in search of an anaimal that intreagued me and I came across northern cougars. They’re so different than wolves, more solitary than pack creatures, and they’re just so beautiful. The secent of his woman is about a young woman named Kennedy who feels disconnected and lost. Adopted as a child, she doesn’t know who she really is, but that all changes when she meets Trace Grady, a cougar shifter, who triggers her first change. It’s sexy and passionate, and it’ll be a fun ride.

I’m working on the second book for the Masterclass series now, it’s called Theoretical Love. I’ll be working on both series for the next few months, getting them out to readers as quickly as I can because I know they’re going to want to keep going with these stories.

Okay, we have a lot in common writing-wise. I love writing wolf shifters, and I have a cougar shifter series under my pen name. I'll definitely be checking out your paranormal stuff! Are there any genres you haven't tried yet that you really want to?

I write paranormal and contemporary romances so far, but I’ve always really enjoyed epic literature and mythology. I think my next big project will be to encorporate mythology with epic qualities into a romance series that will be anything but predictable.

Thanks for having me. It’s been a blast! Epic Love – Masterclass book I is live today on the Evernight Publishing website and on Amazon. And, for this week only, to celebrate the release of Epic Love, my contemporary romance, Finding the right words, is on sale at Evernight and Amazon for .99¢! If you want a full length novel that oozes sexy, Finding the right words is for you!

Evernight – http://www.evernightpublishing.com/epic-love-by-jj-king/

Website: www.jjking.ca
Twitter: @JJKing_Author
Instagram: @jjking_author

Thanks, JJ! Some really interested and fun answers :) 

Now read on to get a proper (x-rated) look at EPIC LOVE!


Wednesday 22 March 2017

Wednesday Snippet - You had to be wild...



So it has been a particularly good few days for writing! I think yesterday was the first day in about a week I haven't written at least 1k a day, and I've even squeezed out a few 2k sessions. Given that a couple of weeks ago I could barely raise my arms above my head for pain, I feel pretty good about that.

Thus, I think it's a good time, for no reason, to visit with Tristesse. Enjoy!

Snip!


Friday 17 March 2017

Flashback Friday - Hot urban fantasy at a cool price!

Today's Flashback Friday comes with a bonus! From today until March 19th, you can get October Weeks' THE DAMNED, book one in the Tuck Houston series, for just 99 cents. That's ridiculous! So come and meet Tuck...



Title: The Damned
Series: the Tuck Houston series
Book One


Eight years ago, slayer Tuck Houston lost two of her closest friends to a Damned vampire named Josef Dragos—a beast who traded the sun for darkness and blood. She’s been hunting him since the day she walked into the carnage he created. But Josef has hidden himself well in the underground, from both slayers and other vampires.

Then, slayers around the globe start disappearing in a familiar pattern—Josef’s pattern—she’s put on the hunt. And despite the painful memories and very real threat to her future that come with tracking him down, Tuck is certain of one thing: she is going to make Josef Dragos wish he’d never been born.
Buy Links:   
Evernight Publishing: http://bit.ly/18BIaLD 


After making her call, Tuck relaxed back into the seat. “The fight isn’t far off. Another day or two.” She could feel his eyes on her as she looked out of her window. She turned her head to look at him, his gaze still moving from the road to her. “What?”
“You left something out when you were telling us of Bastien’s visit.”
Her back stiffened. “No, I didn’t. I told you everything he told me.”
His brown eyes glittered for a moment as he held her gaze, just long enough for her to realize that he wasn’t going to drop the subject.
She’d known this was coming, that the four of them weren’t going to let the conversation go. Taking a deep breath, she let it go slowly, then replied, “You don’t need to know more, Tristan. I’ve told you what you need to know for this hunt.”
His grip tightened on the wheel, and his jaw tightened as well.  “Tristan, please don’t push this.”
His grip loosened, and his right hand reached out and rested on her cheek. The warmth she felt through that touch spread over her skin. “Don’t keep secrets from me, belle chasseuse. I won’t say a word to the others, but don’t keep me in the dark.”
Beautiful hunter… He’d only called her that a handful of times, but the emotion behind that title now was more potent—she could feel the affection behind the words, and that nearly brought tears to her eyes.
She held those back as she replied, “I knew something was off when I wanted Sasha to send two vampyrs to watch over the city, though I kept that from Fiona when I asked her to contact him.”  Tristan’s hand left her cheek, moving it to her knee. “Shortly after she left, after I let myself process who I’d just killed, tiredness rushed through me. Tiredness that wasn’t mine. Didn’t take long to figure out a strigoi was causing it, though not Thorne.” “Bastien?” he asked softly.
“No. Once I was asleep, I opened my eyes in a dream and with me was—” she laid her hand on top of his “—Velnic Nikolai.”
Tristan stiffened—the hand on her thigh tightened slightly. When she took in his face, she saw the tension and fight to not only keep calm, but to focus on the road. The car sped up for a few seconds, getting close to the one in front of them, then it slowed back down.
“He’s not in the city, but he’s close by.” She told him about the dream and why Velnic was close to the city. 
Tristan rolled his neck after she was done, cracking it. That motion drained the anger out of him, but the tight grip on her thigh told her the protective streak in him was alive and well. 
“Tristan?”
“He’s here to deal with Thorne?” he asked, tone neutral. “Yes.”
He met her gaze briefly. “Is Thorne more of a threat than you’re letting on?”
Tuck sighed. “No, I didn’t hold back on that. I’m concerned of what his plan is after Josef and his son are dead, almost as concerned as I am with Penelope’s plan, but there’s nothing I can do about it—as of right now, he hasn’t betrayed me, nor has he even thought about betraying me.”
“They don’t know of his plan?”
“No, and I believe Bastien. They don’t call in Velnic without good reason—Thorne has definitely done something.”
His jaw tightened again, and his forehead creased, which told her he was fighting his anger again. She hated that she couldn’t assure him that she’d be okay, that Thorne wouldn’t harm her, but she couldn’t.
“You can’t help me with him, Tristan,” she said softly, moving in her seat so her body was more turned to him. “You can’t fight him, and you can’t keep his betrayal from harming me.”
“I know,” he said through clenched teeth. After a moment, he loosened his jaw and relaxed into the seat again. “I’ll do what I can on this hunt, what you ask of me, even if it kills me.”
Sadness swept through her at those words. Tristan would live through the fight, of that she had no doubt, but the aftermath is what he was talking about.
Her death would take a part of him.
“That would kill me, too,” she replied as she leaned back into her seat. “Whatever happens, get Ciprian out of the tunnels and someplace safe.”
“I can promise you that.”
“Tristan?”
He squeezed her hand. “What?”
“I have no intention on dying, but if something happens to me, I want you to promise you’ll take care of Penelope.” Anger coiled within her at the request, though she didn’t show it when she met his gaze briefly. “She’ll be near impossible to track, but she can’t be left to her own devices once Josef is dead. He’s her only leash.”
“We’ll see to her death—I swear it.”
As they neared the drop-off point, Tuck got her mind back on what needed to be done. This hunt wasn’t done—she had work to do—but her anger at the situation was hard to swallow. “I am going to rip that bastard apart,” she said, the slayer in her rising. “He’s going to wish he’d never crawled out his dead mother’s womb.” And his son wasn’t going to fair much better.
She could taste their deaths already.
 
 

Thursday 16 March 2017

Retro Reading - Help Wanted

If you asked me to name my major literary influences, off the top of my head I'd say Tamora Pierce and HP Lovecraft. With some more thought I'd talk about CS Lewis, Laurell K Hamilton, MR James, and Patricia Leitch. I would almost certainly have never mentioned Richie Tankersley Cusick.



Yes, it's more Point Horror! After enjoying the nostalgic kick of The Silent Scream last week, I decided to indulge my inner teen a bit more with Help Wanted. This is another of my favourites, and I always remembered it fondly when I thought back, but it wasn't until I re-read it yesterday that I realised Cusick may be the greatest literary influence I never knew I had.

To briefly recap the plot, Robin Bailey is a smart and conscientious student looking to make some fast cash for a Thanksgiving vacation with her friends. She answers a "help wanted" ad and finds herself cataloging books in a creepy old house for a creepy rich family with plenty of creepy secrets. Shenanigans ensue! I am simplifying it somewhat, of course. There are moments of genuine unease and disquiet throughout Help Wanted (like how did I not realise the school janitor was an actual sexual predator the first time round???). There are also some unintentionally uneasy moments, like sort-of love interest Parker Swanson casually dismissing his step-sister's suicidal tendencies as like "eh, she's weird, whatever."

But it holds up for me. I adored Robin as a teenager and I adore her more as an adult. I mean:



She's clever and caring. She defends her best friend, Faye, against boys who label her as "that airhead." She looks after Parker's step-sister, Claudia when everyone else dismisses her and slags her off. She works hard and is unassuming and earnest and I want to be friends with Robin, basically.

Another thing I always liked about this book was the romance - or lack of it. It's too easy to cram a pointless love angle into any book, and I do remember Point Horrors being replete with awkwardly timed teenaged fumbles. Like, look, you're running from a madman/vampire/crazy roommate. You have no time for flirting! Help Wanted skips this. Parker and another guy, Walt, are both obviously interested in Robin, but she has no time for their shit. The book ends with both guys gentlemanly escorting Robin home from a traumatic night of nearly being murdered, and lightly teasing each other about being competition for her, but Robin just sort of rolls her eyes and ignores them. I have to admit, I always kind of assumed that she ended up dating both and they formed a happy open relationship, as this seemed the most logical conclusion to me. On re-reading, I agree with my younger self.

So what are the things that made me realise how much Cusick influenced me? The setting - there's a gothic vibe to this story, with mediums, ghosts, and huge spooky houses playing central roles. If you've read any of my work from UNDERTOW to NIGHT AND CHAOS or my Brides of Darkness books, you'll know I dig that classic gothic vibe. Small towns with dark secrets, the undead, creepy locations, yes. Give me that. I doubt that all came from Cusick, but re-reading Help Wanted made me realise she definitely contributed. There's also the element of doubt in here - is it really something supernatural or is there a rational (but horrible) explanation. That appears in PHANTOM FEARS, for a quick example.

This is also the first book I remember reading where mental illness was a plot point, and an important one at that. I think I'd probably always gravitate towards characters who suffer or have suffered mental illness, because I have myself and it fascinates me, but Help Wanted was probably the earliest book I read where it was addressed and discussed openly. Does it handle it well? No. Claudia's paranoia and suicidal tendencies are dismissed as attention-seeking at best, and (spoiler!) she turns out to be the villain, so there's that nasty undercurrent of "crazy people are bad!" in there. Even so, it was...illuminating for me, a depressed and anxious teen, to read about a paranoid and anxious character in any context.

Thinking about Help Wanted lead me onto another Cusick book, Teacher's Pet. I haven't re-read this one yet, but it's another story that features a dark and gothic-esque plot with the whole "creepy setting, dark family secrets, mental illness" thing going on. If I remember correctly, I was outraged by the ending, in which the character I fell in love with turned out to be the villain (and mentally ill. I really need to write something about the presentation of mentally ill characters in Point Horror books, I guess). And the character I thought was a milquetoast wet blanket got the girl, even though he was considerably less attractive and interesting. Bah.

From Teacher's Pet, I think I drew a love of unconventional characters and love stories, in a strange way. I like darker, prickly heroines and romances. Is that all down to Cusick? Probably not, but throughout Help Wanted, I kept thinking "I love that trope! I write that trope!" and it was pretty cool to think about how I've used those tropes in my own work.

Next on the retro reading list? Probably Caroline B Cooney's Freeze Tag. We shall see!



Wednesday 15 March 2017

Wednesday Snippets



It's been a while! I've been pretty stop-start on Imperial Demons over the last week or so due to illness and pain, but I'm hoping to get back on track now. As proof of my re-dedication, behold a snippet!

Snip!

Monday 13 March 2017

Author Interview - Doris O'Connor

I'm always happy to have Doris here on the blog! And today we're not just getting a look at the latest in her Projects series, CLAIMING HIS HUMAN, but having a chat with Doris too! So without further ado, let's get stuck in...





Welcome to the blog, Doris! Tell us a little bit about your newest release.

Claiming his Human is book six in The Projects series. I actually got the idea for the story from the latest Evernight Anthology call, but it very quickly became apparent, that I had a much longer story on my hands than was allowed word count wise for the antho. So that idea went out of the window and I let the story develop as it needed to. It ended up over 50 K in the end and was such fun to write. Bear shifters are my absolute fav heroes to write about. Might have something to do with the fact that hubby is known as Papa Bear in my house. ;-)

Here is the blurb:

Shifters defend their mates to the death...

Bear shifter Darius Longton never expected to find his mate in his favorite coffee shop, but one sniff of her scent in the air is all it takes for his bear to know the truth. This delicious, sinfully curvy redhead is his.

Too bad she’s human and far too fragile for his volatile bear.

Holly Trent cannot understand the instant attraction she feels for this man. One look from his heavy-lidded eyes is all it takes to set her knickers aflame with lust. However, she will not be another notch on his bedpost, no matter how much his voice alone makes her want to sink to her knees.

But when a customer gets heavy with her, everything changes. Darius’s defense of her places them both in terrible danger. Thrown headfirst into shifter council politics, it falls to Holly to save her mate.

Be Warned: BDSM, anal sex, spanking


That is less a warning than an invitation! Was there any part of this story you found particularly tough to write? If so, why?

Well, not tough per se, but my editor is half convinced that I only write shifters so that she cannot pull me up on the amount of growling my heroes do.

I do like a man who growls...

*whistles innocently*

It would appear however, there was too much growling even for a shifter story, so I had to prune quite a few in edits.

It's ellipses for me! I'm forever being told I need to cut back, but I just...can't...help myself. Is there any part of this story you absolutely love, and why?

Oh, so many of them. Darius is just yummy and Holly was a fantastic heroine to write about. She has so much spunk, and she’s not afraid to put these big bad Alpha shifters in their places. I giggled a lot when I was writing, as she has some of the best lines. This was one of them.

“You two furry Neanderthals can stop sniggering, too. This isn’t remotely funny. It’s—”

The combined enraged growls of their respective bears filled the van. Darius had to marvel at Holly’s response. Where was the frightened stiff young woman of yesterday? Nowhere to be seen, that’s for sure because this new, much more assertive version rolled her eyes and mimicked a yawn.

“Save your posturing for whatever hapless female you’re trying to impress. It won’t work on me. Besides, I know damn well you can’t touch me, so give over and shut up.”


A no-nonsense heroine is always a bonus for me. So we know you love bears, but do you have a favourite genre to write in?

Hmm, that depends on my muse. She is currently on a shifter fix, and I do love writing shifters. However, I also really enjoy contemporary. My muse is like a demented gnat at times, and I’m a complete slave to her, so I write whatever takes her fancy.


Are there any genres you haven't tried yet that you really want to?

I would love to try my hand at a YA story, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon. My characters can never keep their hands off each other!

Who are your biggest influences – they don't have to just be literary ones!

My gran. She was a truly amazing woman, and if I’m half the woman she was then I’m doing okay. I still feel her influence every day, and I just know she would be so proud of my writing.

Now, the important question. Tea or coffee?

Coffee in the morning and during the day. Copious amount of tea in the evening.


Apart from writing, what are your great passions in life?

My family and my furbabies. I couldn’t imagine life without any of them.


Nope! Everybody needs a furbaby :) What else are you working on right now? What's up next from you?

Well, I did mention my demented muse, right? She has me writing three different stories at the same time right now. Alien Warriors, a Vampire, and a Dragon shifter. 

*head desk*

Plenty of other stories in the works. I have the start of the next book in The Projects, more books in The Cleaners, and my Spectrum Auctions series and whatever standalone my muse will conjure up.

I'm guessing with so many projects on the go, it won't be long before Doris's next release, but in the meantime, CLAIMING HIS HUMAN is available now from: Evernight  Amazon  Amazon UK Bookstrand

And read on for a very NSFW excerpt!


Friday 10 March 2017

Flashback Friday - The Tattered Bride

Happy Friday! This has been Quite The Week for me, so I'm looking forward to a weekend of being a complete and utter hermit. And what does a hermit need? Books! How about a jilted bride and the man working to win her back?




Childhood traumas lurk deep. Victoria Sparrow knows that. Especially when one’s father rejects one as not being worthy. Her romantic relationships founder, until Logan Doherty. He gives her reason to believe in goodness and true love, and she commits her heart and soul to him.

No longer prey to her damaged, young self, Victoria eagerly looks forward to their upcoming marriage—until she meets Logan at the altar. He informs her the wedding is off before their assembled friends and family, and will not tell her why.

Cast back into the nightmare of rejection, a devastated Victoria undertakes the momentous task of putting her life back together, her trust broken, her worst fears realized.

Meanwhile, Logan is working equally hard to deal with the secretive events that led to that cruel rejection, and then he plans to make it up to his tattered bride. If she will forgive him.


Read on for an excerpt!

Thursday 9 March 2017

Retro Reading

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling sorry for myself. I can't remember why, but I expect I was probably having a flare-up of my wrist/arm/shoulder problems and in a lot of pain, since that's the most common reason I would feel sorry for myself. My usual solution in such times is to buy myself something nice, like a new bag of loose leaf tea or a huge bar of chocolate. This time, however, inspired by a Facebook post, I headed on over to Amazon and searched for "Point Horror."

I must have read hundreds of Point Horror books as a teen. My parents were leery of letting me read Stephen King, but I guess they figured books like The Window couldn't possibly be psychologically damaging.

Eventually I ran out of bookshelf space and sold all my Point Horrors on, and mostly forgot about them. But once I remembered, thanks to said Facebook post, I was suddenly seized with an urge to revisit my childhood favs. It turns out there are a lot available for the Kindle now (sadly, The Cemetery, my hands-down favourite, is not...yet). But a fair few of my most cherished reads are there, including this one:


I absolutely loved the Nightmare Hall books (although they probably left me with a really warped view of American college life). I actually started with book two in the series, The Roommate, which I borrowed from a friend. Then I went back and read the series in order, although you don't really need to. Starting with The Silent Scream does give you the full story on why Nightmare Hall is so-called, though.

Anyway! I snapped this one up to make myself feel better. Then by sheer coincidence I discovered a podcast called Teen Creeps which recently did an episode on this very book. I decided to read the book, then listen to the podcast episode to get that full nostalgic whack. It was really fun to revisit this series, and I'm definitely going to pick up some more. The book is a lot shorter than I remember, but I guess when I was thirteen or so, it probably seemed like a pretty thick tome. I remember really loving the female friendships in The Silent Scream, and I was pleased to find on re-reading that they do hold up. Our heroine, Jess, is smart, relatable, resourceful, and kind. The horror is...well, it's teenaged horror, so it's definitely not psychologically scarring, but some scenes are still pretty creepy even to 33-year-old me. Like Jess finding her clothing drawer full of fucking worms omg, or being locked in a basement that's slowly filling with gas.

The villain, I think, got scarier with time, because I'm better able to appreciate now that a controlling, dominating man is a figure of genuine fear. When I was a kid, the villain's motives and actions seemed a bit lame, but experience has taught me that, no, this kind of thing actually happens. Maybe not the way it plays out in this particular book, but there are guys like him out there, and women are vulnerable to them.

I'm now trying to figure out which Point Horror to revisit next. I remember adoring Help Wanted (but being disappointed that the love triangle didn't turn into some kind of open relationship) and Freeze Tag, but there are a fair few available that I never read, so I'm debating picking up something brand new and seeing if those nostalgia googles affected my feelings on The Silent Scream. We'll see! Now I'm off to nurse my wrist/arm/shoulder, because typing thos post off definitely made it all hurt, which I guess is sort of poetic. Stay creepy!

Friday 3 March 2017

Flashback Friday - Reine's Salvation

Happy Friday, folks! I hope everyone has an awesome weekend planned. If not, well, it's not too late to pick up a fabulous book to tide you over. And if so, you can still pick up a fabulous book! Why not this one?




Alpha Protectors, 1

He’s the kind of man her mother warned her to steer clear from...

Mystique is happy with her current life, but for years she's struggled on a path of self-destruction. She knows she shouldn't get involved with the brooding hunk at the bar, but how can she stay away when his sorrowful gaze is so compelling?

Reine has lost everything: his wife, his friends, his ability to fight, and his identity as an Alpha Protector. There's nothing left for him except a world of anger and bitterness. At least, that’s what he believes until he meets an intrepid waitress. 

The attraction between them is immediate, but while Reine can’t let go of his past, Mystique is not willing to return to hers. With darkness constantly closing in, will they find a way to be together? Or, will Reine's behavior destroy their future?



 ~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Reine sighed. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Sure,” she agreed. She observed him for an instant. His eyes were closed. Her gaze traveled across his nose and over to his full lips. Damn it if she didn’t want to kiss him. She lay back down, trying to still her beating heart. “What would you like to talk about?” she asked.

“How about this insane attraction we’re both feeling?”

 “What?” Mystique squeaked.

“You heard me.”

Mystique shut her eyes as she heard the rustle of his clothes. She didn’t dare open them.

“I haven’t felt so attracted to any woman in over two years, and from what you’ve told me, it’s been a while for you too.”

Eight years, she thought. She’d kept herself away from one-night stands and sex with others in general, afraid she’d become angry and bitter again if things didn’t work out. She played with her toys and enjoyed her body on her own. It had been enough, until Reine. 
He was driving her hormones crazy.

“Well, yes.” She licked her lips.

“Damn it, woman, do you know what that does to me?”

Mystique gasped as Reine’s lips brushed against hers.
 
“It makes me want to devour your mouth,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding breathless to her own ears.

“Don’t be. Look at me,” Reine said gruffly.

She opened her eyes and found his face inches away. The intensity of his gaze was like looking into a pool of flaming desire that threatened to consume her.

“I thought—”

“Don’t think. It’ll make it easier.”

She didn’t have time to issue a protest as he lowered his head and kissed her. They both groaned as their lips melded against each other. His teeth snagged on her bottom lip, pulling slightly and making her body react like a fire alarm at the first hint of smoke. His tongue licked a path across her bottom and upper bow, and she eagerly opened up for him, needing to taste more. Her nipples hardened beneath her top.

Reine pulled her up into a sitting position and smashed his lips against hers. He possessed her mouth with his, not with strength, but with the ability of a man who knew what he was doing. His tongue delved deep, intertwining with hers. Mystique moaned. Her mind went blank, her senses taking priority over anything else. All she could do was feel the touch of his hand on her back, and the warmth of his mouth against hers.

Breathless, they both pulled back after a few minutes. Her hands trembling, she pushed a few strands of his hair away from his face. Reine kissed her gently. She angled her head and he explored her mouth at a more leisurely pace.

“You drive me insane,” he whispered. “This is not normal,” he insisted.
Mystique giggled.

“I want to fuck you,” he groaned into her ear. He brought her hand to his cock. Eagerly, she stroked him over his jeans. Liquid rushed to coat her panties and a dull ache began to throb between her legs.

“And what are you waiting for?”

“I can’t. Not here. Not after what you’ve told me.”

“What?” She placed a hand on his chest and pushed back. “What do you mean?” 

~~~~~~


 ~~~~~~


About Elyzabeth M. VaLey

Considered weird by normal standards – what is normal anyway?- Elyzabeth M. VaLey enjoys making up songs about mundane things, doodling stars and flowers on any blank sheet of paper, talking to her Lab whenever he feigns interest and coming up with love stories to make readers dream.

From contemporary to historical or fantasy, she enjoys writing stories about good and evil, love and passion and all that comes in between happy ever after.

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