Archive for Bewitching Book Tours
I recently finished reading LOVE IS DARKNESS by Caroline Hanson and really enjoyed the relationship between its heroine, the snarky Valerie Dearborn, and her dark and mysterious vampire…blackmailer? It’s sexy and dysfunctional and intriguing all at the same time. I jumped at the chance to ask Caroline some questions about the book and series as part of her Bewitching Book Tour.
Please welcome Caroline to the blog as she discusses the first book in her Valerie Dearborn series,
LOVE IS DARKNESS.
***
1. For those who haven’t yet read LOVE IS DARKNESS, can you tell us a bit about the story and the Valerie Dearborn series as a whole?
I’d love to! My goal was for Valerie to be relatable. I had read a lot of urban fantasy where the heroines were always brave and willing to die and that didn’t seem to bother them. To me that didn’t make any sense because I wouldn’t react that way. If a vampire threatened me I’d be terrified and probably wet myself. I’d own stock in Depends if vamps were real.
Anyway, Val is a normal girl who is expected to join the family business of hunting vampires. She has no desire to do that and leaves for graduate school which pisses off her father and the guy she’s been in love with for years. That’s when Lucas shows up. He’s hot, afraid of the sun and emotionally unavailable.
He also blackmails her and tells her he’ll kill her family if she doesn’t help him. She gets drawn into vampire politics and learns that she has a little bit of her own supernatural ability. She’s part empath which means that if a vampire drinks her blood he’ll feel emotions. Empaths scared the crap out of vampires and Lucas spent centuries killing them all. He’s drawn to her because he hasn’t felt anything in a very long time and yet he’s also enough of a realist to know that the best thing to do would be to kill her.
I wanted him to have a weakness because he is the King of all vamps and basically indestructible. She’s his weakness. There’s action, sex and swearing. It was the book I was waiting to read having exhausted all the vampire books.
2. Do you already know the arc of the series? How many books are planned or are you keeping it open?
Ugh. I had hoped I was done with the main series after completing the trilogy, but it’s no longer looking that way. There will be another book and from what little of it I have written, I think the fans are gonna be happy.
3. What was your inspiration for the world and what came first – the world or the characters?
The initial idea was Lucas as the vampire villain and he had Valerie and Jack in a dungeon. The story that emerged had absolutely nothing to do with that scenario, but that was the image I saw first.
4. I loved Lucas. Hot, cold, mysterious, dangerous and hard to trust in a very real way. What do you think are the ingredients for a strong vampire-hero-love interest and why does Lucas stand apart from the pack?
That’s a great question! I like my vampires Anne Rice style. Smart, ruthless, worldly, maybe even wise but amoral. They’re not heroes or good. Whenever someone has to die so that they can live, that has ethical murkiness. I love that. They’re monsters but deep and tortured. I love exploring that.
5. Roanoke. This really intrigued me. How did you come to the idea of including the lost colony in your storyline and will it play a larger role in the next books?
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of the Lost Colony and it just made sense in my mind. It’s one of those weird things where my brain sorted it out and I was just kind of taken by surprise. Oh yes, we see more of Roanoke.
6. Who would be in your dream cast for the Valerie Dearborn TV series or feature film?
The tricky character for me is Valerie. For Marion I’d love Florence Welch. Lucas would be Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones (Jamie Lannister) That’s all I got. The fans keep suggesting Chris Hemsworth. Obviously, I wouldn’t kick him off the casting couch if you know what I mean 
7. LOVE IS DARKNESS is your first published full-length novel. How long did it take to write from conception to publication and what did it feel like to finally let your baby out into the world?
That book took me about a year. I wasn’t working but my kids were in school and it became a full-time job. I gave up hobbies and anything else I could to work on it. When I finished Love is Darkness publishers were no longer buying vampire books. It sucked. So I self published it. I’ve sold about a hundred thousand copies now, so it’s been a great experience.
8. How did a California girl find herself in London and what about the city made you want to set Valerie’s story in it?
This might be shallow but I loved English music and wanted to move there so I could dance and meet Englishmen. Valerie’s story is about figuring herself out and learning what’s important in life and to her. What, if anything, is actually worth dying for. I think I started to figure myself out when I was in London so it just made sense. I also love history and London has so much of it that it was a great setting.
9. What’s the last book you read that you would recommend to a friend?
I’m a big fan of the cliffhanger. They make me miserable and angry but it also means that something super-exciting is happening. I just finished SE Pacat’s Captive Prince and was smiling when I read the last page. That was a hell of a cliffhanger.
10. I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones where every family has a motto – the Starks have “Winter is coming” and the Lannisters have “Hear me roar!” What is the Caroline Hanson motto?
I thought the Lannister’s was ‘Lannister’s always pay their debts.’ J I’m a huge GOT fan too! Can I steal ‘the night is dark and full of terrors?’ If I have to come up with my own it’d probably be something like, ‘Never out of the woods.’ Neither characters nor authors should ever be complacent, there’s always something around the corner and the goal of every author has to be to put their soul on the page and just keep running.
GIVEAWAY
Book Information
AMAZON | B&N | BOOK DEPOSITORY
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
Valerie Dearborn wants a cotton candy life, but it’s more like a puffer fish: pointy, unusual, and—if not prepared exactly right—deadly.
In London for graduate school, Val knows she’s finally free. Her father and ex-almost-boyfriend are back in California and she’s out of the Vampire hunting biz for good. Or is she?
She draws the attention of Lucas, a 1600 year old Vampire, and King to his kind. He’s also wicked hot. As golden as Lucifer, and just as tempting, he makes Valerie an offer she can’t refuse— help him find out if the Others (Empaths, Fey and Werewolves) still exist or he’ll stop protecting those she loves.
Lucas tells her that Empaths were a Vampire’s biggest weakness before going extinct hundreds of years ago. While the Fey or a Werewolf might kill a Vampire, an Empath could enslave them, seducing or harming with emotions at will. The one detail he leaves out? Valerie is an Empath.
And after 1600 years of an emotionless existence, Lucas wants Valerie like a recovering alcoholic wants a wine cooler.
Can she keep those she loves alive, stop Lucas from munching on her, survive a fanged revolution and still find a way to have that boring, normal life she’s always wanted? Probably not, but boy is she gonna try!
About the Author
Caroline Hanson grew up in California and moved to London in order to dance and go to pubs. Adulthood ensued and she returned to California, bringing back her very own Englishman.
After becoming an attorney she had two children and now tries to parent, read, write and play tennis. She’s heard rumors that other mothers clean and cook but is trying valiantly to keep those rumors from reaching her family.
Caroline grew up listening to Brit pop and reading about vampires. As a teenager her favorite authors were Anne Rice and Jude Deveraux. Now she loves Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Nalini Singh and JR Ward–that’s the short list.
In terms of TV she’s big into Game of Thrones, anything by Mr. Whedon, Ms. Plec or Ms. Rhimes because she likes a love story– the more messed up and disastrous the better!
Her books have been on various Bestseller lists and she loves to hear from fans so long as they understand that Lucas is not real, she can’t hook them up, and he CERTAINLY isn’t chained to her bed.
Please visit CAROLINE at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
I recently read and reviewed a book by Philippa Ballantine from her Shifted World series. I loved it. Since then, all of her books have been pushed up my TBR list, most notably her Book of the Orders series. The cover art for these books consistently blows my mind, so I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Bewitching Book Tour cover reveal for the newest book in the series, HARBINGER. Enjoy!
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…
After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him.
Though she is haunted by the terrible truth of her past, Sorcha must lead the charge against the gathering hordes of geists seeking to cross into the Empire. But to do so, she will need to manipulate powers beyond her understanding—powers that may prove to be her undoing…
HARBINGER releases July 30, 2013
Click the links below to add HARBINGER to your Goodreads TBR &
pre-order your copy today!
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
About the Author
New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a mighty clowder of cats.
Author of: Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth and Harbinger (2013) from Ace Books and Hunter and Fox and Kindred and Wings (2013) from Pyr Books.
Co-author (with Tee Morris) of Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences— an Airship Award winning steampunk series. Novels: Phoenix Rising and the Janus Affair. Also includes digital short stories and a free award winning podcast series.
Please visit PIP at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
This excerpt is part of the Bewitching Books Blog Tour for Susannah Sandlin’s OMEGA FORCE Kindle Serial.
Please click here to see what other blogs are participating in the tour!
TITLE: Storm Force
SERIES: Omega Force (Serial #1)
AUTHOR: Susannah Sandlin
PUBLICATION DATE: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 9781477807576
PURCHASE BOOK:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
As leader of the elite counter-terrorism team Omega Force, former army ranger Jack “Kell” Kellison is always focused on getting the job done. So when a Houston high-rise is bombed and the governor killed or missing, Kell’s mission is clear: infiltrate the group suspected of the bombing and neutralize the threat by any means necessary. But once Kell meets beautiful chief suspect Mori Chastaine, he realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. And more to Mori than any man—any human man—could imagine.
Mori Chastaine is running out of options. Suspected for a crime she didn’t commit, forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, she sees no escape—until Kell walks through her door. A lifetime hiding her true nature warns her Kell might not be who he seems. But he could be the only one able to help save more innocent humans from becoming pawns in an ancient paranormal power play. If Mori reveals her secret, will Kell join her fight? Or will she become his next target?
NOTE: To be released first as a Kindle Serial beginning March 19, 2013. Print and audio and full digital editions to be released on July 9, 2013.
**A review copy of this book was provided by the author/tour operator in exchange for an honest review.**
STORM FORCE EXCERPT
Kell spotted the bird as soon as its wingtips cleared the edge of the cypress stand at the eastern rim of Bayou Cote Blanche. For a moment, he indulged a hope it might be a hawk in search of fish, or a pelican, or a cormorant, or a fucking giant mutant hummingbird.
Anything but an eagle.
“It’s her.” At the sound of his voice, Gator raised his spotted head and focused sharp, mismatched eyes on the horizon, barking furiously in his Catahoula big-dog voice, usually reserved for alligators and swamp rats.
Kell had been sitting on the porch of his cabin at Cote Blanche since Nik’s phone call from New Orleans two hours ago, waiting to see who’d arrive first—the man or the bird.
Should’ve known it would be the freakazoid eagle with the deceptively sweet name of Robin. He’d come to think of her as Razorblade Robin. Nik would have to rent a boat in Jeanerette and navigate the serpentine waterways of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Swamp to get here. Razorblade Robin could just sprout feathers and soar.
The midday sun glinted off the glossy reddish-brown wings of the golden eagle as it swooped over the smooth, murky water of the bayou and landed with a harsh caw at the end of his dock. Gator rose to his feet and looked up at Kell, asking permission to chase.
“Sorry, buddy. You don’t want to mess with that one. She can take you.” Hell, she could take both of them.
Kell took a final look at the pile of papers he’d been reading—notes about his team’s new assignment. Mostly, he’d been studying the photo on top of the stack. The woman, Emory Chastaine, an environmental activist well known in tree-hugger circles, had been photographed from a distance with a telephoto lens that gave the image a grainy feel, made worse by his generator-powered printer. But he could tell she was tall, athletic-looking in a t-shirt and jeans, shoulder-length blond hair, pretty in an all-American kind of way.
Not his image of a terrorist. Which made her even more dangerous.
Gator sprang off the porch as the eagle strutted down the dock toward them. He approached the bird in a crouch, his growls echoing off the still water. Damn dog never did listen worth a flip. Kell leaned back in his chair to watch the show. With a screech and a blur of feathers seconds before Gator reached her, the eagle morphed into a petite, waifish brunette.
Make that a naked, waifish brunette with a snark-tastic attitude who arched an eyebrow when Kell’s vicious watchdog turn into a slobbering, tail-wagging fool, jumping up and down so vigorously his black and white spots seemed to blur. You’d think the hound saw birds turn into people every day.
If Gator went the crotch-sniffing route, Kell might have to die of pure humiliation.
Not like the naked bird-woman came as any big surprise. He reached for the t-shirt he’d thrown across the other porch chair and tossed it to her as she approached, Gator dancing around her legs. “Put this on.”
Robin Ashton, five-foot-nothing of shapeshifter and the tracker for Kell’s new Omega Force team, caught the shirt and used it to wipe the sweat off her face. “It’s like a sauna out here. Pretty, though, if you’re into the primordial.”
She turned to study the bayou, a minor niche in the massive Atchafalaya basin, and Kell made it a point to keep his eyes away from her ass. It wasn’t that he wanted to look at it, exactly, but he was a guy, and it was right in front of him.
***
You can read my review of the first installment of this new series here. I loved it, highly recommend it, and am looking forward to the next release!
About the Author
Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
Please visit SUSANNAH at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INDIEBOUND
This review is part of the Bewitching Books Blog Tour for Susannah Sandlin’s OMEGA FORCE Kindle Serial.
Please click here to see what other blogs are participating in the tour!
TITLE: Storm Force
SERIES: Omega Force (Serial #1)
AUTHOR: Susannah Sandlin
PUBLICATION DATE: March 19, 2013
ISBN: 9781477807576
PURCHASE BOOK:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
As leader of the elite counter-terrorism team Omega Force, former army ranger Jack “Kell” Kellison is always focused on getting the job done. So when a Houston high-rise is bombed and the governor killed or missing, Kell’s mission is clear: infiltrate the group suspected of the bombing and neutralize the threat by any means necessary. But once Kell meets beautiful chief suspect Mori Chastaine, he realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. And more to Mori than any man—any human man—could imagine.
Mori Chastaine is running out of options. Suspected for a crime she didn’t commit, forced into a marriage she doesn’t want, she sees no escape—until Kell walks through her door. A lifetime hiding her true nature warns her Kell might not be who he seems. But he could be the only one able to help save more innocent humans from becoming pawns in an ancient paranormal power play. If Mori reveals her secret, will Kell join her fight? Or will she become his next target?
NOTE: To be released first as a Kindle Serial beginning March 19, 2013. Print and audio and full digital editions to be released on July 9, 2013.
**A review copy of this book was provided by the author/tour operator in exchange for an honest review.**
She-Wolf Review
As we all know, there is quite a bit Susannah Sandlin love here, at She-Wolf Reads, so when presented with the opportunity to review her new serial series STORM FORCE, my response was “Hell, yes!” I was particularly excited to read this because it’s a loose spinoff of her beloved Penton Legacy series. This is also my first serial review. It’s a bit difficult because I can’t give a review of the story as a whole — a beginning, middle, and end — but rather, I can give you my impressions and opinions about the start of the story. If the point of the first episode of a serial is to whet a reader’s appetite, Sandlin more than succeeds at that for me.
With this first episode we are introduced to Jack “Kell” Kellison, former Army Ranger, nursing an injury in secret and heading a counter-terrorism team, Omega Force. This covert group is made up of human and supernatural operatives tasked with investigating and thwarting acts of domestic terrorism. Jack’s team is interesting. Sandlin introduced enough information about them to make me want to know more – members include someone who can learn the history of something by touch, shifters, and a tech genius. But it’s really Kell that takes center stage and I like him – tough, smart, and leading a somewhat lonely existence. His life has been centered on the military and his injury threatens that life which also makes him a bit vulnerable. It serves as a reminder of his humanity, especially when his fellow Omega Force members are supernatural and stronger.
This team is thrown into investigating a bombing in Houston and their primary suspect is Mori Chastaine. She is the biggest mystery of this first installment. She’s young, the head of an environmental activist organization, and, I think, not human. We don’t know what the heck she is but we do know something is not right. Sandlin hints at enough darkness, power, and fear in her background to keep me on edge wanting to know what she is, who her family is, and why she’s been implicated in the bombing. When you find out who may be pulling the strings, it makes her mystery even more interesting.
What Sandlin always gets right is a sense of place and her character interactions. I always feel like I’m sitting right in one her scenes, whether it’s in the middle of the Bayou or in downtown Houston. Her ability to describe a place and make it tangible to the reader is remarkable. I also love her character interactions. She gets camaraderie right, she did it in Penton and she does in Storm Force. The hardest part of the serial is that I want more. But I guess that’s the point!
I really enjoyed episode one of STORM FORCE. The conflict is compelling and the characters are interesting. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next installment. Highly recommended!
4 HOWLS – Excellent and highly recommended
About the Author
Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
Please visit SUSANNAH at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INDIEBOUND
(Please click the button to see what other blogs are participating in the tour!)
As part of the Bewitching Book Tour, I’m excited to welcome author Carol Van Atta to SWR! Carol is the author of I KISSED A DOG, the first book in her new UF series, Werewolves of the West. The book features a heroine with unique powers and a sexy love interest who happens to be a werewolf. Please welcome Carol to the blog as she discusses werewolves, writing, and good books!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!
SHE-WOLF INTERVIEW
SWR: For those who haven’t yet read I KISSED A DOG, can you tell us a bit about the story and the series as a whole?
The story/series features an array of paranormal characters (some very different from the norm) and the humans with whom their crazy lives are intertwined. The first book features Chloe Carpenter, a twenty-four year old woman, who after a horrific, near death experience can now communicate with animals. So when a werewolf, in the human form of hottie, Zane Marshall, strolls into her life as a coworker at the local animal park, she can read his thoughts. Yep … because he’s part animal! They fall for each other hard and fast and are launched into an adventure of supernatural proportions. Murder, mystery, and a whole lot of mayhem ensue. Secrets, lies, and a ton of twists and turns take the reader on an often unexpected journey of surprising, even shocking, revelations. And, yes, book one ends with a major cliffhanger. Book two starts with a bang right where our characters left off, and adds a whole new dimension to the tale.
SWR: Do you already know the arc of the series? How many books are planned or are you keeping it open?
I know the general arc, and expect at least a trilogy. I’m under contract for two books, with the understanding there are more to come.
SWR: One thing I appreciated was that Chloe Carpenter, the heroine of the series, is Christian, biracial, and a virgin. This is not a combination you see very often in paranormal romance and urban fantasy! I appreciate the diversity it adds to the field. What was your inspiration for such a unique heroine?
Well, I wanted someone who wasn’t the typical heroine. Granted, her faith was a bit rusty, and she was just barely holding onto her virginity. Sadly, in the editing cuts that take place, some of Chloe’s background story was lost, background that would have helped readers who seem to dislike Chloe understand her better, but that’s the nature of the editing beast. She’s a love her or hate her kind of gal. As for her being a biracial woman, our world is filled with multiracial individuals. It’s about time we feature real-to-life characters in our books. On a personal note, my children are biracial. It just made sense!
SWR: Chloe’s special abilities were very original. Where did the idea come from to give her the ability to communicate with animals?
It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I look at my puppylicious sweetie, Stryder, and wonder what in the world is he thinking. Those big doggy eyes are so expressive. What if we knew what our pets were thinking? Thus the idea for the book.
SWR: What is your favorite scene in the book and why?
Oh goodness! Not that question … no! Hum … I like the parts where they’re investigating the murder scenes, the final battle, and I love it when the wig comes off. You have to read the book to understand the whole wig thing. That darn wig wreaks havoc in Chloe’s life.
SWR: Who would be in your dream cast for Werewolves of the West the TV series or feature film?
I’ve pondered this question on occasion. I thought maybe the lovely girl, Kat Graham, who plays Bonnie (a witch) on Vampire Diaries would make a good Chloe. Or maybe even Beyonce’. As for Zane, speaking of Game of Thrones (I peeked at your next question) Jason Momoa/Khal Drogo ‒ yummy. Valamir (vampire) would be played by a young Gary Oldman as he looked in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (you said “dream” cast). Alcuin (vampire) by Alexander Skarsgard. As for the werewolf father son duo … I honestly don’t know. Any ideas? For Jazmine (evil “b”word) Claire Holt (with dark hair) who plays the wicked Rebekah on Vampire Diaries. As for Luke Snider, I can totally see bar owner, Sam Trammell, with a tan. Though, on the other hand, finding a cast of semi-unknowns would be a blast.
SWR: You started your career writing Christian fiction. How did you move into the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genres and did you find it an easy transition in terms of writing style?
Odd transition, huh? And I still write both. I’ve always read paranormal romances and urban fantasy. I guess it has been my guilty pleasure. I wanted to write a story that wasn’t all sex and swearing, but still provided plenty of thrills, chills, and romance. It is fairly easy to go back and forth between genres. Some Christians would find what I’m doing appalling, while others would have no issue with it. I honor and understand both viewpoints. We all have the right to pick and choose what we read and why we read it. So far, my Christian novels have been in third person, with multiple POV’s, where my Werewolves of the West series is in first person. In book two, there will be two first person narrators. Very interesting.
SWR: What are some of your favorite werewolf novels and films?
For books, I’ve enjoyed Molly Harper’s series, I love Charlaine Harris, and the older werewolf books by Robert R. McCammon. I loved his book, The Wolf’s Hour. I’m looking forward to reading Anne Rice’s new werewolf book as well.
SWR: What’s the last book you read that you would recommend to a friend?
I’m pretty easy to please. I can find redeeming stuff in most of the books I read. I just finished an awesome book, The Devil’s Metal, by Karina Halle. Loved it! Read it! I’m an ex-80’s groupie chick so it was right up my alley. Rock n’ Roll with a supernatural twist. Tasty! I’m also enjoying a Christian vampire series by Ellen C. Maze. Her “Rabbit Series” is so original. VERY edgy for a Christian series on vampires.
SWR: I’m a big fan of Game of Thrones where every family has a motto – the Starks have “Winter is coming” and the Lannisters have “Hear me roar!” What is the Carol Van Atta motto?
I love Game of Thrones too, both the books and the series. Amazing! Every time I hear “Winter is coming,” I get a chill. So creepy. As for my motto. Wow. That’s tough. The first thing that popped into my head: “Howling for Heaven.” Corny, maybe? Deep and profound … possibly.
SWR: Thanks so much for the interview, Carol!
Thank you! This was one of the best interviews I’ve had. Great questions!
ABOUT THE BOOK
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Chloe Carpenter isn’t like other women. She can communicate with animals. A gift she unwrapped following one of her frequent dances with death.
In her otherwise wacky life, she’s finally found a semblance of sanity working at the Plum Beach Wildlife Park, where her unique talents can make life or death differences for the animals in her care. That semblance is shattered when a new veterinarian roars into the park in his spiffed up sports car and sets his golden gaze on her. If she had her way, he’d roar right back out.
Problem: He’s her new coworker and he’s saved her life twice – in the past twenty-four hours.
Zane Marshall, Enforcer for the Pacific Pack of purebred werewolves, has a job to do – figure out who or what is mutilating the young men of Plum Beach.
With orders to find the woman who talks to animals, he accepts a position working alongside the fiery Chloe Carpenter, a female who ignites his interest far more than he ever expected. Remarkably, she’s the one elusive female with potential to bring meaning and passion to his empty existence.
Problem: She despises him.
Together, they’re forced to unravel a mystery of supernatural proportions, a murderous mystery with eternal implications for everyone. In the process, they discover opposites really do attract.
Major Problem: Zane is pledged to another woman, and she’ll do anything to keep him from Chloe.
About the Author
Like most authors, Carol Van Atta is no stranger to the written word. She penned a short novel at age 12 (somewhat frightening illustrations included, and lots of bunnies were involved), and had a creative writing piece published in her high school newspaper (about David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs LP). Yes, she’s an ex-80′s chick.
Devouring books from numerous genres, Carol developed a deep thirst/hunger for more reading material, and could almost always be found with her nose in a book.
She has contributed to several popular inspirational anthologies and devotional books, and lives in the rainy wetland of Oregon with a terrifying teen (another in college) and a small zoo of animals. She is taking an undetermined hiatus away from inspirational writing to delve into her darker side. (Though you can check out her latest spiritual suspense novel, Soul Defenders). It is rumored that this genre-jumping occurred after Carol discovered too suspicious red marks on her neck, and experienced an unquenchable urge to howl at the moon.
Visit CAROL at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
Click the button to see what other blogs are participating in the OMEGA tour!
Today, I’d like to welcome author Susannah Sandlin to the blog! She’s here as part of the Bewitching Book Tour celebrating the release of the third book in her Penton Legacy series, OMEGA. Please welcome Susannah as she introduces us to the Penton crew while they discuss vampires and interior design!
House Beautiful, Vampire Style
Author Susannah Sandlin sneaked down into the underground facility known as Omega with some of the vampires of the Penton Legacy series this week to talk about home décor, since if they survive the current siege, they’ll all be building new houses. Unfortunately, all their homes in the vampire enclave of Penton, Alabama, were either bombed or burned recently. Aidan, the scathe leader featured in Redemption, was turned vampire in 1601 Ireland. Mirren, whose story is told in Absolution, is a former Scottish mercenary turned about the same time, also in Ireland. Will, featured in Omega (coming out Feb. 5), was turned as a 22-year-old in 1969 New York.
Thanks for meeting with me guys. You’ve been looking over building plans, I see. What style of houses are you thinking about building?
Mirren: I keep telling them it’s too (bleeping) early to be looking at those. We survive the next couple weeks, then we can look at (bleeping) house plans.
Aidan: Think positive. I’m going to rebuild on the same piece of land as my old house since it’s near the medical clinic where my mate works. And my greenhouse was still standing, as far as I know. Although maybe something smaller. All those “Gone with the Wind” columns were kind of over the top.
Will: I want a place with a heated pool. Lots of blond wood and glass. Speaker system wired into every room. A room for my new pool table. Man, I can’t believe my pool table got torched.
What about you, Mirren?
Mirren: Roof. Walls. Floor. It’s too (bleeping) soon to be talking about this.
Will: No kitchen in my house. What a waste of space. I kept computer software in the cabinets of my old house. Maybe a walk-in wine cooler instead.
Aidan: Yeah, no kitchen for us either. I used my old kitchen cabinets as bookcases. I’m looking at combining the kitchen and den space in one of these house plans and making a library.
What about you, Mirren? (Is there an echo in here?)
Mirren: Glory wants a kitchen. I hate (bleeping) appliances.
Will: Yeah, but you like smelling what Glory can cook in them—you’re just mad because you forget they’re hot and keep burning yourself. Plus, she made you store your motorcycle parts somewhere else.
Mirren: I need a (bleeping) workshop.
Will: I just want a real shower. One of those huge walk-ins with river rock walls and glass.
Aidan: That’s a lot of glass you’re asking for.
Mirren: He’s a bloody exhibitionist.
Will: Hey, if someone wants to look, who am I to deprive them?
Mirren: You are such a (bleep)tard.
Aidan: Those showers in the sub-suites below the clinic were great—lots of natural stone.
Will: I can believe they all caved in. I worked hard designing those suites. My father and his damned bombs.
So, what’s your ideal bedroom look like?
Will (stretches): Honestly? Right now anything that didn’t have a freaking twin bed in it would be a novelty.
Aidan: You’re the one who picked out the furniture for the Omega shelter.
Will: How was I supposed to know I’d get lucky while I was living underground? I haven’t seen either of you offering to give up those spacious double beds I gave you.
Mirren: Spacious, my ass. Do I look like I’d fit in a (bleeping) double bed? I curse you every single daysleep.
Will: Why do you even need a bed? Don’t you need a rack, or a bed of nails, or a slab of concrete, or—hey! That hurt.
Mirren: Shut it, junior, or the sword’s coming out.
Aidan (folding up blueprints and heading for the door): And, with that, I think it’s time to stop before we have a brawl and Will gets his other leg broken.
Wait—come back! How do I get out of this hole? How do you pull down the drop ladder? Guys? Wait?
***
OMEGA by Susannah Sandlin
PENTON LEGACY SERIES, BOOK #3
You can find OMEGA at:
ABOUT OMEGA:
The bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton, Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is charged with the care of Penton’s humans, though he longs to fight alongside his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal’s vicious leader, Will’s capture could doom the resistance. Yet he is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father—and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner. Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will’s polished charm—and Randa’s guarded heart—finally give way to the warrior within. Fans of Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third installment of the steamy paranormal series.
Read my review of OMEGA here!
The Penton Legacy Giveaway
One print, ebook, or audio book of the winner’s choice from the Penton Legacy Series
About the Author
Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
Please visit SUSANNAH at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INDIEBOUND
Click the button to learn what other blogs are participating in the OMEGA tour!
TITLE: Omega
SERIES: Penton Legacy #3
AUTHOR: Susannah Sandlin
PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 5, 2013
ISBN: 161218359X
PURCHASE BOOK:
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
The bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton, Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is charged with the care of Penton’s humans, though he longs to fight alongside his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal’s vicious leader, Will’s capture could doom the resistance. Yet he is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father—and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner. Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will’s polished charm—and Randa’s guarded heart—finally give way to the warrior within. Fans of Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third installment of the steamy paranormal series.
**A review copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
She-Wolf Review
It’s no secret that here, at She-Wolf Reads, there’s a lot of love for Susannah Sandlin (a.k.a. Suzanne Johnson) and her Penton Legacy series. I’ve reviewed the first two books here and here, the author has guest posted here, and the latest book in the series, OMEGA, made my most anticipated reads for 2013 here. There’s something about this community of vampires and their layered relationships, coupled with the tenuous future of Penton that keeps me coming back for more. Sandlin originally announced this as a trilogy. Let me say right now that I will start writing letters to the publisher to get more books in this series. Yes, I like it that much. And this latest release, OMEGA, didn’t disappoint.
Some of the strongest and most original aspects of OMEGA are its two main male protagonists – Will and Cage.
His ego couldn’t deal with both his father and a woman with bigger balls than him. A man had to have limits.
Let’s start with Will. In the second book, ABSOLUTION, when I got the sense that Will would be the featured character in the follow-up, I admit there was a part of me that may have been a little worried. I bought into his image as an arrogant, cocky, reformed rich kid who, while smart and with a good heart, still came across as someone who lacked a certain depth. That Sandlin is a tricky one. The Will we discover in OMEGA is unlike any other vampire hero I’ve read in a PNR. His arrogance masks insecurity and while he’s a strong male character, he’s not the overt alpha male we normally see in the genre. This guy has serious issues and a past he’s trying to not let define him. I love the depth Sandlin gave him, along with the very realistic coping mechanism of arrogance to hide insecurity. I also loved that he’s paired with Randa, a Vet, who probably scares and intimidates the shit out of him, all the while not knowing she feels the same about him. The tension is delicious and the coming together of the two is sweet, tender, and deserved.
One thing that sets OMEGA apart from the previous two books in the series is that there’s a good amount of time devoted to another character in addition to Will and Randa, the book’s central couple. That character is Cage. He got on my radar in ABSOLUTION and in OMEGA, Sandlin fleshes out his position in Penton and why he’s there. Cage is interesting. He has skills from his past in the military in addition to a unique profession that makes his insight into the Penton vampires probing and, at times, funny. Cage also starts to have feelings for one of the Penton crew which opens up a romantic dilemma for the tight knit group. While I did feel there were traces of insta-love, it didn’t matter. The conflict it promises to create is going to be heartbreaking and I want to see where it goes. But I won’t give details because it would be a major spoiler. Suffice it to say that if we’re lucky enough to get another book, Cage will be a major player both in terms of the future of Penton and with regards to its romantic drama.
For series fans, rest assured Sandlin brings the overarching storyline of Penton’s relationship with the Tribunal to somewhat of a conclusion and by that I mean she goes ahead and opens up another storyline that is, well, very cool. The potential for spinoff or continuation is ripe in OMEGA leaving me both satisfied and, honestly, rabid for more.
Now, be honest…a letter to the publisher…too much?
My Soulmate. May not be perfect, but it’s perfect for me.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
About the Author
Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
Please visit SUSANNAH at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INDIEBOUND
As part of the Bewitching Blog Tour, I’m happy to share a short excerpt from the steamy paranormal novella, WATERFALL by Lacy Danes. Please click the button above to visit the other blogs participating in this tour!
TITLE: Waterfall
SERIES: Dragon’s Fate #1
AUTHOR: Lacy Danes
PUBLICATION DATE: Jan 1, 2013
ISBN: 1619214490
PURCHASE BOOK:
GOODREADS SUMMARY:
It’s easy to fall in love. Destiny requires tooth and claw.
Curses are designed to be cruel, but the one afflicting Jordan and his brothers is almost beyond bearing. A dragon born by blood magic, he is an immortal trapped in human form, with only one hope of finding his eternal mate. He must bite her—and pray she lives.
One dark night, he senses the wounded heartbeat of a woman in the shadows, begging him to end her life. Ever the gentleman, he chivalrously obliges her wish. Only to discover three days later that she lives. And has married another.
Celeste always dreamed of marrying for love, but the nightmare of living in her father’s home drives her to wed the Duke of Hudson. Yet on her wedding eve, she is compelled to follow a mysterious man who professes to know her secret. A man with curious blue scales on his muscular arms—whose shadowed eyes reflect a dangerous mix of destiny and desire…
Warning: This novel contains explicit sex, sex in water, four super-hot dragon brothers, and a curse born from magical power that has left them wondering who they are all their lives.
Excerpt
Carefully stepping around scattered, fractured boards, trunks and lengths of tangled rope, Jordan and Ferrous neared the last grouping of rocks at the trees’ edge. Jordan sighed. About time.
A faint heartbeat crawled out of the obscure shadows, stalked up his spine. Something lived from this bloody mess. Though barely.
Jordan stilled.
Ferrous turned to the left. “I feel it too.”
Jordan followed.
On the opposite side of the rocks, jagged boards bumped, clattering against a boulder. A mass of tangled human remains bobbed and swayed with each lap of water against the shore.
From this mess, a heartbeat cried. Jordan closed his eyes and sighed as his stomach flipped. He would find it. He stepped into the water amid the carnage and shuddered. I must move as hastily as possible. I can do this. The sound of life grasped him as if a hand itself clasped his flesh. He flinched, then turned to the left.
An arm’s length away, half in the water, lay a woman. Her limbs were twisted and broken, as if made of nothing more than weeds. A man’s head, severed from the body it had once belonged to, floated close to her hand. Jordan’s heart pinched, and the scales on his elbows prickled anew.
No one deserved to be half alive after experiencing a tragedy such as this. He stepped up next to her, knocking the human debris away with his boot. He leaned down and wrapped one hand about her slim, bare shoulders. The other he slid beneath her knees, fisting up a handful of her full skirts. She should have drowned in such a garment. He lifted her, pulling her body up against his.
She hung like a sack of barley in his grasp. Her long, wet skirts and hair trailed cold water in a stream, trickling over the rocks and babbling down into his boots. He turned and stumbled along the slag toward the trees.
Ferrous turned after him. “She won’t live, Jordan.” He strode behind him. “Leave her.”
Her clothing, laden with seawater, soaked his coat in blood. Was it hers or the rotting blood of the pool in which she had lain? He shook his head. Don’t think about the stench. He grimaced. Think about her.
Ferrous was right. She would never live.
He fell to his knees and laid her on the high grass that bordered the trees. Her dress was that of an aristocrat, finely tailored with small pearls and embroidery now torn open down to her flesh in several places. Her hair had been swept up with the sun, golden rays that now hid beneath a cloud of red death. “I will end her suffering.” Yes, that was the correct thing to do.
“For bloody sake, Jordan. You are not to indulge unless you have an inkling she may be the one. There are no exceptions to our rules. Look what happens to Ilmir when he breaks one. Who knows what calamity awaits us in London.”
Jordan’s jaw clenched, and he narrowed his eyes, refusing to look at Ferrous, who stood behind him. “This is different, and you damn well know it. I am not Ilmir, and she is not a woman I am courting. She is dying.”
“Being chivalrous?” Ferrous threw up his hands, grumbled and walked through the trees back toward the shore. “Make haste. I wish to make this hellish scene vanish this hellish scene and be to London to deal with Ilmir.”
Did Ferrous truly think he wanted to do this? To kill another woman was the last thing he wished. Twenty years had passed… Jordan inhaled a deep breath and blew it out between tense lips. He ran his fingers down her pale cheek and around her chin, tilting her face toward his. A slender nose, full, angelic lips, and noble cheekbones. A beauty. “To a better afterlife, dear.”
He raised her chin, exposing her long, graceful neck and faintly beating pulse. Another death…
Dash it. He stared unblinking at the slight flutter of her blood beneath her skin. Relax, Jordan. He closed his eyes and exhaled. All will be well.
Prickling pain clawed through the roof of his mouth as his two pointed teeth extended into thin slivers of bone. He stared down at her neck. She had been floating in blood and seawater. He spit on her neck, twice. His saliva glimmered as it slid down her throat to the grass below. There, that should wash away the dirt she had stewed in. Or would it? His throat tightened. Don’t lick her. Be done with it.
He leaned in and pressed his teeth to her vein. His mouth opened, saliva pooled heavily, and his tongue thickened. The pouches by his back teeth filled with poisonous blood, forcing his jaw still wider. He inhaled a jagged breath. His heart leapt and pounded, vibrating through his entire being…
Bite her, Jordan. Be done with it. Bite her.
Her faint pulse bumped against his teeth, willing him to take her as his mate. Mate? Well, that urge was pointless. She would pass just as swiftly as the others. He rolled his lip back and hissed, then pressed, slicing through her soft, salty outer skin and into her tepid blood flowing below.
She didn’t flinch.
This was the first time he had taken a woman when he was not passionately joined with her. Odder yet not to have her scream. To have her do nothing but lie on the wilted grass.
He swallowed. Dirt be damned, he needed to taste her and know that one essence of the life he now took. He fluttered his tongue on her smooth skin. Warm, salty blood slid thickly down his tongue. Damn. His muscles quivered as his poisonous blood streamed from his pouches and down his teeth, twisting into her veins. His cock pressed painfully hard against his thigh.
The task was done. There would be no more. He would not take his pleasure in her. He would not know the feel of her flesh against his. He would never know her favorite color. This woman, like all the others who had come before, was not meant to be his. Enough!
He growled and opened his mouth wide. Her soft flesh slipped from his fangs. He pulled his head back, and their mixed blood trailed in streams down her neck and dress. His vision shifted and popped. Adrenaline mixed with power bubbled through his veins. This…this, he had missed.
This was what he was meant to be. His full elemental power at a glimpse. He tossed his hair back and then growled a dragon’s cry up to where the moon should hang in a radiant, colored vision. Yet only the ebony fog resided tonight. There was no moon to lighten this scene. His vision rippled with detailed clarity. Ah. Indeed. This was the power that years of existence without his mate had diminished. He wanted this power back. It had been too long. In a burst of speckled light, everything changed back to somber mist. Bloody hell. His throat closed off, and his eyes burned. No! He swallowed hard, and his shoulders sagged. This was a tease. A temptation.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. He would never know more of what the Zir were than this… Death and a glimpse of the exhilarating power they were destined to have.
He inhaled and smelled her metallic, sweet blood on his lips. His tongue traced his teeth and upper lip, gathering up the enslaving essence. Sweet orange blossoms and candied cherries. His made-up version of what she should taste like. Remember her. His jaw trembled as hot blood pounded through him to his groin. His soul wanted more of her. To mate. To love. To live a lifetime of companionship.
He clenched his teeth, and his fangs pierced his lower lip. You have done enough to end her suffering. Quite enough. Let her be. He opened his eyes once more.
A shadow shaped as Ferrous stood head down and arms straight out in the air at the rocks’ edge. “Make haste. I wait no more.”
Jordan placed her head softly back on the grass. “Will scant be a moment more of pain, beauty.” He trailed his hand down her broken arm to a heavy, thick bracelet looping her wrist. He unclasped the chain and slowly rubbed the metal between his fingers. His token of her death. He tucked the jewelry in his inner coat pocket, then rose to his full height. Turning to his left, he skulked into the inky woods.
Giveaway
About the Author
Lacy Danes made a New Year’s resolution to write a hot, historical romance.
A year and a half later, she achieved her goal. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where besides writing she enjoys playing cards, chasing her kids around, and savoring a great martini with the man of her dreams all while watching the world go by.
Please visit LACY at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
I’m excited to participate in today’s Bewitching Book Tour of River Road by Suzanne Johnson. This is book two in Johnson’s Sentinels of New Orleans series. I was a big fan of the first book, Royal Street, and I am a big fan of the author. Suzanne Johnson has written two of my favorite new series this year (Penton Legacy and Sentinels of New Orleans) and I cannot wait to dig into this latest release.
Enjoy the excerpt below and please don’t forget to enter the tour giveaway at the bottom of the post!
RIVER ROAD BY SUZANNE JOHNSON
TITLE: River Road
SERIES: Sentinels of New Orleans #2
AUTHOR: Suzanne Johnson
PUBLISHER: Tor
PUBLICATION DATE: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 0765327805
PURCHASE: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository
OFFICIAL BLURB:
Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.
Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.
It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.
Excerpt from River Road
The minute hand of the ornate grandfather clock crept like a gator stuck in swamp mud. I’d been watching it for half an hour, nursing a fizzy cocktail from my perch inside the Hotel Monteleone. The plaque on the enormous clock claimed it had been hand- carved of mahogany in 1909, about 130 years after the birth of the undead pirate waiting for me upstairs.
They were both quite handsome, but the clock was a lot safer.
The infamous Jean Lafitte had expected me at seven. He’d summoned me to his French Quarter hotel suite by courier like I was one of his early nineteenth-century wenches, and I hated to destroy his pirate-king delusions, but the historical undead don’t summon wizards. We summon them.
I’d have blown him off if my boss on the Congress of Elders hadn’t ordered me to comply and my co-sentinel, Alex, hadn’t claimed a prior engagement.
At seven thirty, I abandoned my drink, took a deep breath, and marched through the lobby toward the bank of elevators.
On the long dead-man-walking stroll down the carpeted hallway, I imagined all the horrible requests Jean might make. He’d saved my life a few years ago, after Hurricane Katrina sent the city into freefall, and I hadn’t seen him since. I’d been desperate at the time. I might have promised him unfettered access to modern New Orleans in exchange for his assistance. I might have promised him a place to live. I might have promised him things I don’t even remember. In other words, I might be totally screwed.
I reached the door of the Eudora Welty Suite and knocked, reflecting that Jean Lafitte probably had no idea who Eudora Welty was, and wouldn’t like her if he did. Ms. Welty had been a modern sort of woman who wouldn’t hop to attention when summoned by a scoundrel.
He didn’t answer immediately. I’d made him wait, after all, and Jean lived in a tit- for- tat world. I paused a few breaths and knocked harder. Finally, he flung open the door, waving me inside to a suite plush with tapestries of peach and royal blue, thick carpet that swallowed the narrow heels of my pumps, and a plasma TV he couldn’t possibly know how to operate. What a waste.
“You have many assets, Drusilla, but apparently a respect for time is not among them.” Deep, disapproving voice, French accent, broad shoulders encased in a red linen shirt, long dark hair pulled back into a tail, eyes such a cobalt blue they bordered on navy. And technically speaking, dead.
He was as sexy as ever.
“Sorry.” I slipped my hand in my skirt pocket, fingering the small pouch of magic-infused herbs I carried at all times. My mojo bag wouldn’t help with my own perverse attraction to the man, but it would keep my empathic abilities in check. If he still had a perverse attraction to me, I didn’t want to feel it.
He eased his six-foot-two frame into a sturdy blue chair and slung one long leg over the arm as he gave me a thorough eyeraking, a ghost of a smile on his face.
I perched on the edge of the adjacent sofa, easing back against a pair of plump throw pillows, and looked at him expectantly. I hoped what ever he wanted wouldn’t jeopardize my life, my job, or my meager bank account.
“You are as lovely as ever, Jolie,” Jean said, trotting out his pet name for me that sounded deceptively intimate and brought back a lot of memories, most of them bad. “I will forgive your tardiness— perhaps you were late because you were selecting clothing that I would like.” His gaze lingered on my legs. “You chose beautifully.”
I’d picked a conservative black skirt and simple white blouse with the aim of looking professional for a business meeting, part of my ongoing attempt to prove to the Elders I was a mature wizard worthy of a pay raise. But this was Jean Lafitte, so I should have worn coveralls. I’d forgotten what a letch he could be.
“I have a date after our meeting,” I lied. He didn’t need to know said date involved a round carton with the words Blue Bell Ice Cream printed on front. “Why did you want to see me?”
There, that hadn’t been so difficult—just a simple request. No drama. No threats. No double- entendre. Straight to business.
“Does a man need a reason to see a beautiful woman? Especially one who is indebted to him, and who has made him many promises?” A slow smile spread across his face, drawing my eyes to his full lips and the ragged scar that trailed his jawline.
I might be the empath in the room, but he knew very well that, in some undead kind of way, I thought he was hot.
I felt my face warming to the shade of a trailer- trash bridesmaid’s dress, one whose color had a name like raging rouge. I’d had a similar reaction when I first met Jean in 2005, two days before a mean hurricane with a sissy name turned her malevolent eye toward the Gulf Coast. I blamed my whole predicament on Katrina, the bitch.
Her winds had driven the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into the canals that crisscrossed the city, collapsing levees and filling the low, concave metro area like a gigantic soup bowl.
But NBC Nightly News and Anderson Cooper had missed the biggest story of all: how, after the storm, a mob of old gods, historical undead, and other preternatural victims of the scientific age flooded New Orleans. As a wizard, I’d had a ringside seat. Now, three years later, the wizards had finally reached accords with the major preternatural ruling bodies, and the borders were down, as of two days ago. Jean hadn’t wasted any time.
AMAZON | B&N | BOOK DEPOSITORY
About the Author
Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, after a career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities. She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’ birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.
Please visit SUZANNE at her favorite spots:
WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
I’m excited to participate in today’s Bewitching Book Tour of The Moonstone and Miss Jones, a book that I’ve just finished reading and I adored it. This was a wonderful follow-up to the first book in the Paranormal Investigator series, The Seduction of Phaeton Black. Stone introduced exciting new characters and took the series to a new level with the further sweetly sexy development of the relationship between Phaeton and America.
Please welcome Jillian to the blog as she interviews the devilish Phaeton Black. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!
TITLE: The Moonstone and Miss Jones
SERIES: Paranormal Investigator #2
AUTHOR: Jillian Stone
PUBLISHER: Kensington Brava
PUBLICATION DATE: September 25, 2012
ISBN: 075826898X
PURCHASE BOOK: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository
OFFICIAL BLURB:
A master of paranormal deduction—and paramour seduction—Phaeton Black has a knack for bumping into things that go bump in the night, from ghoulies and ghosties to long-leggedy beauties…
Mooning For The Moonstone
Barely escaping the clutches of a succulent succubus, Phaeton Black returns to London only to get sucked into another unearthly scheme. Professor Lovecraft has been tinkering with the secrets of life and death, replacing body parts with the latest mechanical marvels. To succeed, he needs to tap the power of the fabled Moonstone—and he needs Phaeton’s help. Of course, Phaeton would prefer to investigate the more interesting body parts of Miss America Jones. Perhaps, bringing his lady friend along for the ride won’t be to too much trouble…
Shanghaied In Shanghai
The bewilderingly beautiful and bountifully gifted daughter of a Cajun witch, Miss Jones is always up for an adventure, especially with Mr. Black as her traveling companion. But when Phaeton is mysteriously shanghaied in Shanghai, America thinks he’s run out on her. Stranded in the Orient—and steaming mad—she’s prepared to look under every stone for the missing detective. The case has put them both in the most compromising positions, but this time, Miss Jones is on top and Mr. Black is at the bottom…of a truly infernal plot.
An interview with Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigator about the just released, The Moonstone and Miss Jones.
Jillian: “How would you describe the paranormal side of the plot in The Moonstone and Miss Jones?”
Phaeton: “Ah yes, Phaeton and America part deux: a tale of two Londons. Where do I begin? Upon our return to London, America Jones and I quickly discover that an alternate future London is sucking the bloody life out of the dank, sooty metropolis of 1889––the city I know and love. For lack of a better name, we begin to refer to this parallel London as the Outremer––admittedly a rather hasty use of the French word meaning ‘distant lands beyond the sea.’ But then, when one is on the run from Skeezicks, Reapers and other strange dregs––what’s a paranormal investigator to do, but choose an overly romantic name for such an odd phenomena?”
Jillian: “A number of new characters, like the Nightshades, help you battle the strange Outremer creatures. And there are still others from the alternate London who claim to be––well, who knows if they are friend or foe? All of them are interested in one thing, and one thing alone…”
Phaeton: “The Moonstone. As I said, we’re under attack by these strange creatures who plague 1889 London, and, well, I suppose there’s no other way to explain it, but things appear to be unraveling––on both sides. With the help from the Nightshades, Miss Jones and I venture into the alternate London to extract the Moonstone and close the rabbit hole between the two worlds. Plot-wise, this is all I will reveal, and suffice it to say, Miss Jones and I have our own issues to work out, as well. The series reader has a new flock of characters to get to know and dare I say––the story continues well beyond The Moonstone and Miss Jones…”
Jillian: “What exactly are these issues you and America Jones have to work out?”
Phaeton: “I will reveal this much: we take turns being angry at one another, which keeps the sex lively. An RT reviewer’s warning: SCORCHER. The story picks up a few months after The Seduction of Phaeton Black. If you recall, America and I sail off into the sunset happily ever after––or at least happy for now. Then, in The Moonstone and Miss Jones I am quite rudely shanghaied in Shanghai. America, rightly or wrongly, believes I abandoned ship and chases me back to London. Needless to say, the moment she catches up to me, we become entangled in a nefarious plot by powerful Outremer moguls of industry to recover the Moonstone. Of course there is only one person in all of 1889 London who can unleash the Moonstone’s energy and save both worlds.”
Jillian: “And who might that be, the author asks with a grin?”
Phaeton: “Who do you think? The hero answers with a wink.”
Excerpt from The Moonstone and Miss Jones
Strange and amusing things happen when Phaeton ventures into the alternate, future London. I couldn’t resist the idea of dropping him into a modern day lingerie boutique and have him purchase the briefest of brief ladies unmentionables!
Phaeton entered Hanway Yard and checked his surroundings. Even though the uneven pavers were enough to trip a person up, gaslights had been replaced by electric lamp posts, and shop windows blazed with light. He had definitely crossed over into a parallel London and it was nearly dark. Phaeton strolled past chic boutique windows with smart looking togs on display and racks of clothing for sale inside. The future—if indeed this was the future, appeared ready-to-wear.
He stopped short near Tottenham Court Road, mesmerized by a shop window filled with ladies unmentionables. The delicate underthings lay scattered about in front of large photographs of statuesque women, nearly all of them nude, except for a tiny string, running between their buttock cheeks.
Christ, he was instantly hard as a stone.
The fragile, lace pantalettes on display came in every shade of pastel, cream and black. Tiny pieces of cloth and string––and all he could think about was how they might look on America.
One of the life-size women in the photographs looked over her shoulder. She cupped bare breasts with her hands––like there was something to be modest about when a lady’s buttocks were jiggling in the breeze? Still, he enjoyed a quick fantasy.
Phaeton scanned the yard behind him and entered the shop. A pert young woman with bobbed hair popped up from behind a pink and white striped counter. She looked him up and down. “Love your costume––going to the Anti-Christ?”
“Pardon?”
“The nightclub in Whitechapel? Steampunk theme night?
A bit slack jawed, he nodded. “Right.”
She pointed to the goggles around his neck. “Nice touch.”
Phaeton cleared his throat. “Might I inquire about the cream colored lingerie in the window?”
“Oh!” The shop girl gasped. “One of my favorites––did you notice the strategically placed little rhinestone? Adorable!” The enthusiastic young woman opened a shallow drawer in a display cabinet. “We have them in every color!”
Phaeton picked out the cream with the rhinestone, a violet lace little nothing and something in transparent black with a velvet bow at each hip.
“Is this a gift? Wife or girlfriend?”
Phaeton noted a flash of pale light out in the yard. No doubt his comrades were arriving. “More of a gift for me, actually.” He picked up the delicate underthings and stuffed them in his pocket. “How much?”
“Thirty-one and six.” When he stared, she added: “Including VAT.”
Luckily, he still had a money clip full of his gambling winnings. He counted out nearly as half year’s rent.
“Phaeton––we’ve been looking all over for you.” Jersey swept through the doorway goggles resting on top of his head, his cloak swept back off his shoulders, looking for all the world, like the adventurer he was. The shop girl’s mouth dropped open as her gaze moved from Jersey to Cutter, who also stood in the door way, whirring and rasping. “I could call a few friends…meet up with you blokes later in Whitechapel?”
Phaeton stepped away. “We’re off to a…masquerade party. Perhaps later, love.”
“After hours, then.” She winked.
They joined Ping and Lovecraft outside. “Shopping, Phaeton?” Despite the annoyed look, the professor stole another glance at the display window. They all did. Phaeton deciphered the sign above the pink striped awning and snorted. “Of course the queen would want to keep this shop a secret.”
GIVEAWAY
About the Author
Jillian Stone is the author of the Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigator series, which includes The Seduction of Phaeton Black, and the just released, The Moonstone and Miss Jones. The third sequel, The Miss Education of Doctor Exeter, is scheduled to release in summer 2013. Jillian is also the author of The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series. Watch for A Private Duel with Agent Gunn in late November!
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