Monday, July 30, 2012

Sarim's Scent: The Blurb Blitz Tour





The blurb:

Fueled with thoughts of anger and revenge, Victoria embarks on a mission to find her father, certain he has the answers to questions she's had her entire life. Questions about why she prefers the night, gravitates toward the paranormal, and bears a strange tattoo on her neck, one she'd never put there. Her journey leads her into the arms of her childhood friend, Ivan, the only man she lets close to her heart. He understands her and has always been her confidant. But would he remain loyal if she revealed all of her secrets and the real reason she's searching for her father?


Weary of living a lie and unable to walk away from family obligations, Ivan is forced to deceive the only woman he has ever cared about, one who he now realizes is his mate. Ivan knows he's doing the unforgivable, and it's just a matter of time before Victoria finds out the truth, but he can't resist the chemistry between them or deny the sensuous passion he experiences with her. When Victoria's search becomes life threatening, Ivan must find the strength he needs to tell her the truth, or risk losing her altogether.






EXCERPT:

Victoria ignored the concerned, covert glances from the few in attendance at the open grave site. Damn them all, she thought, my mother is dead and it was that bastard’s fault.  She would avenge her mother's death. She would destroy the man who reduced her mother from a strong, vibrant woman to a lifeless, weak one. Even if it meant his death or the death of everything he loves.

Her eyes blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. Inhaling deeply she let her lungs feel with fresh air, with eyes closed, her body relaxed as she exhaled slowly. They were close and had gotten closer during her mother's last years. If she thought of her mother as gone, Victoria knew she would lose what little control she had left.  Sunlight hurt her eyes as they opened. Pain was good, she was back in control. Victoria had seen it all. She remembered how her mother's pale, gaunt face lit up whenever she talked about her father.  Like a good daughter, she listened. Now her mother was dead.  She would be an even better daughter and avenge her mother’s death. At first, Victoria had no idea where to start looking for him. Her mother told her he wasn't from the Boston area or even Massachusetts. It was said he had a New York sort of accent, but the child support database had found no one with his name there. Something kept pulling her to go to North Carolina. She couldn't explain why, but Victoria knew he was there.She also knew her father had a triangle tattoo on the side of his neck. He never answered her mother's questions about what it was, what it stood for, or how he got it. Her mom assumed it was a tattoo representing a symbol of a gang.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." As the preacher spoke, Victoria’s mind flew back to the present. Her eyes still dry, her gaze still focused on the casket. Grief was a foreign emotion right now. Tomorrow she would leave home to travel to the unknown North Carolina. She had to find the man who was her father not only for vengeance but for another reason.  A strange design on the side of her neck had appeared on the first day of her period when she was thirteen. One she didn't have tattooed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Juliette Springs writes about the darker side of romance, is the alter ego of a Southern chick who is a mother (two teenage girls and a wild three year old). In another life she works in the education field and holds degrees in English and Special Education. Juliette loves the paranormal (especially vamps) and devours romance novels (particularly paranormal). She is also addicted to the Vampire Diaries, and TruBlood.

She is a paranormal romance author, whose debut book Sarim's Scent is avaliable from

Buy links: www.soulmatepublishing.com  and www.amazon.com 
Author website: www.darkersideofromance.com
Follow on Twitter:@JulietteSprings



Juliette will award an eBook copy of Sarim's Scent to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop.

To follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/06/virtual-book-blurb-blitz-sarims-scent.html



Saturday, July 28, 2012

Preservation Blog Tour with Rachel Wade




Preservation
By Rachel Wade

Blurb: 

Fear is sabotage’s sweetest weapon.

Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage. 

When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor. 

But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.


1. What was your favorite writing class?

- I enjoyed general English comp. II because we studied a wide range of literature. I wrote my research paper on Flannery O'Connor since I chose Southern Gothic lit as my topic, and I really had fun with that.

2. What class in school did you just loathe and why?

- Math. Any and all math. I am absolutely horrid at math and I couldn't stand learning it. "Loathe" is too kind of a word to describe how I feel about the subject. :)

Lol. I support that!!!! 

3. What are some of your favorite classic books? 

- I love Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant, and Dracula and The Bell Jar are favorites of mine as well. 

4. Pride and Prejudice or Oliver Twist? 

- Oh man, that is so tough! I love them both. But I'd have to go with Pride and Prejudice. I really love Austen.

5. Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre? 

Haha another tough one! Jane Eyre. Final answer.

6. Classic novels or naughty smut erotica? 

- It depends. Both. I can't get enough steamy contemporary romance. It's one of my favorite genres to read. But every now and then, I go on a classic kick and won't read anything else. 

7. What are some of your favorite hobbies when you are not writing? 

Going to concerts, movies, and reading. My favorite thing to do is check out live music; smaller venues are especially fun. I love discovering new artists. I'm also a huge indie film buff (movie buff in general), so I watch tons of indie movies. Other than that, my nose is stuck in a book or I'm glued to my kindle.

8. Plot liner or by the seat of your pants kind of girl? 

Definitely by the seat of my pants. With my first novel, I worked with a strict outline, but as I began to write more, I pretty much threw structured outlines out the window. Now I use loose outlines and just go with the flow instead.

9. What was your favorite thing about Preservation? 

- The setting and the dynamic between Ryan and Kate, which was really fun to write. They're both frustrating characters and they clash, yet they work together, so I enjoyed writing their dialogue. Working with the setting was fun because I've been to all of the places in the book and I'm actually planning a move out there, so that was very personal and it felt like writing about home.

10. What is your current writing project?

- I'm working on two projects right now: a new contemporary romance (Love and Relativity) and the first book in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance series, called Repossession.

   Thanks for having me again, Dana! 




Excerpt:

On Monday I missed Ryan’s entire lecture, zoning in and out as he spoke, trying to make sense of everything that had happened with Carter. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the way he’d blown up over something that was nonexistent. I wasn’t involved with Ryan, I wasn’t planning on getting involved with Ryan, and I definitely had no interest in pursuing a relationship at all, let alone with my professor. Didn’t Carter know me at all? Hadn’t I made myself clear?

The truth began to gnaw away at me, the silence in my mind revealing my most inner realities—that I did like Ryan. I did let him flirt with me, and on some level, I enjoyed it. But so what? I wasn’t going to let it go anywhere. Certainly not after what I’d heard about him, even if I couldn’t believe everything I heard. And knowing he was dating the redhead? And likely romancing another blonde? 

Forget it. I wasn’t that girl, no matter how much he raised my blood pressure. So why was all this eating away at me so much?

Surely I wasn’t attracted to Ryan because I knew he was bad for me. And if I was, what kind of person did that make me? Knots formed in my stomach and I sank further down into my seat while I pondered the potential truth of Carter’s comments.

Before I knew it, class was over, and as everyone began piling out of the room, Ryan leisurely rested against his desk, rolling his pencil between his fingers as he watched me walk down the stairway to meet him, a cocky, expectant grin on his face.

I decided to keep things formal.

“Mr. Campbell, you wanted to see me?”

“Why yes, Ms. Parker, I did.” His grin turned to a frown when he heard my address, his tone uncertain. He stopped toying with the pencil and turned to grab a piece of paper. The room filled with silence as the last student shut the door.

“There’s something I wanted to show you, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in going with me.”

Going with him? Crap. “Okay...”

“It’s a writer’s conference in Portland, a month from now. I’ve had two spots reserved for months now, just in case one of my students wanted to attend. It’s a great chance to network and improve your craft.” He handed me the flyer.

I didn’t take my eyes off of it.

“No pressure or anything, just thought I’d offer.”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Sorry?”

“I mean, why me and not one of your other students?”

“Because I have faith in your work and I’m excited to see where it’s going to take you.” His eyes turned cold, his jaw set. “Is that sufficient for you?” He lifted himself from the desk, standing now.

“No, Mr. Campbell. I don’t think it is.”

“Is there a problem, Ms. Parker? Something you want to say to me?” Reaching for his tie, he began to loosen it, unraveling it with his fingers, angry eyes still locked on mine.

“I’m not sure I like being your pet. Or your science project, I don’t know which.”

“You have a smart mouth.”

“You make smart observances.”

“You’re going to make this invitation difficult, aren’t you?”

“If you’re dishonest with me, yes.”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t accept.”

“Is that a threat?”

“That’s a promise.”

I pursed my lips and peered out the window.

“Dishonest with you about what, exactly?”

My head snapped toward him again. “Are you inviting me to this because you sincerely want me to go to the conference or because you like me?”

“Like you? What is this, third grade? My answer is both. And that’s a problem because?”

“I’ve heard things about you.”

“Oh?” He plopped down onto the ledge of the desk.

“That you sleep with your students and cheat on your girlfriend.”

“Excuse me? I don’t have a girlfriend. And who I sleep with isn’t any of your damn business.” He walked around to the other side of his desk, removed his gray tweed jacket and flicked it onto his chair.

“I think it is my business if I’m going to be spending time with you off campus. And isn’t the redhead your girlfriend?”

“I’m assuming you’re referring to Alisha, and no, she is not my girlfriend. Not anymore. Damn it, Kate, who the hell do you think you are? You’re my student, I’m offering you a chance to go to this conference, and you’re going to take it. That’s it, nothing more.”

Excuse me?

He veered around the desk to stand in front of me again, our faces inches apart, nose to nose. “You heard me. You’re going to go because you deserve it. You’re going to go because it’s an excellent opportunity for you, and nothing you hear about me on this damn campus or elsewhere is going to deter you, understand?” He licked his lips and rubbed his jaw, glare stone cold.

My fists balled at my sides and I could feel my face flush, a combination of fury at his audacity and nervousness from standing so close to his mouth again. I didn’t trust myself around that mouth.

“You don’t even know me.”

“I know your writing.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“It’s more than enough.”

“Are you attracted to me, Mr. Campbell?”

“Ryan.”

“Ryan. Well are you?”

“Of course I am, Kate. What, are you not used to men finding you attractive? Do you need me to display it on a parade float for you? Do you want me to do a song and dance?” He spoke quieter now, an angry whisper. “I won’t screw you over like the other female students I have in the past, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“So it’s true.” I breathed, my eyes bouncing from his lips back to his smoldering, caramel eyes.

“I’m not proud of it and I can’t take it back. So take it or leave it.” He shifted forward and his fingertips grazed mine. “I won’t feed you lies and bullshit, Kate. I’ve messed around with my students and I was a complete asshole about it. But you’re too good for me. I wouldn’t hurt you. And from here on out, I won’t say or do anything that will make you uncomfortable. You can go to the conference without me, please just go.” Too good for him? What? Why is he talking as if he knows me? Damn it, where is this going?

The tips of his warm fingers sent a jolt through me and I involuntarily moved closer to him, understanding the weight of what I was about to do—right here in his classroom. A hypnotic thrall reeled me in, calling me to his touch, toward the current that passed from his fingertips to mine.

I peered up at him with frustration, trying to grasp his effect on me. It was so beyond my comprehension and yet so crystal clear. We shared similar defenses, just different mechanisms. He scared people off with his sleazy reputation and haughty persona, and I scared them off with the scars of my past and my workaholic nature. I could see right through him. Was I just as transparent?

“I won’t touch you unless you drop my class. And only if you want me to,” he shut his eyes and leaned in further, his lips barely touching mine as he tilted his head. “I can’t fuck up again, Kate. I won’t. Not with you.”

I rested my hand on his chest and felt it constrict, his heat pulling me in closer. “So if I’m not your student...” I whispered and brushed my lips over his, feeling his hand slip around and rest on the curve of my back. His stubble was so close and his heartbeat raced under the palm of my hand. He swept a few strands of hair away from my eyes and cupped my cheek in his palm, lightly brushed his lips against mine again, this time pressing down to capture a kiss.

The sound of the classroom door slamming against the wall caused us to jump apart.

“You son of a bitch.” There stood Alisha, the redhead, arms crossed and fury present. Damn. I thought I threw Ginger off the boat.


Wow. Well, that should give you a whole list of reasons as to why this book held my interest.

What I Liked:

This book was a page turner from the first and I had trouble putting it down to go to work. Wow! I love books like that. The drama with Ryan and his fiancee in the first part of the book was heartbreaking. Kate's fascination with Ryan is captivating and is one of those plots that gave me that sensation of being hung on every word. Having read other books by author, Rachel Wade, I have to say this is my favorite so far. The erotic tension between the two characters is gripping and I didn't want it to end.

What I Didn't:

Not a thing.

Overall:

Great characters, with a dominant male and smart female that mix it up with erotic tension and great dialogue. The action and movement of the characters felt natural and that is a big one for me.   This book held my interest and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. When it was over, I had one of those moments where you just sigh and wish there were about 500 more pages. I can't think of a better compliment to a book than that.

5/5





About the Author:

Rachael Wade is the author of the Amazon #1 best-selling paranormal romance series, The Resistance Trilogy, and the best-selling contemporary romance, Preservation. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and her work has been published in The Storyteller, A Hudson View International Poetry Digest, and Amulet Poetry. When she's not writing, she's busy learning French, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect wildlife and stop animal cruelty. The first title in her post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance series, The Keepers Trilogy, is set for release winter of 2012.

Web and social media links to include in your media kit, be sure to include links to youtube book trailers if you have them:



Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/RachaelWade



Thursday, July 5, 2012

Her Forgotten Betrayal: The Blog Tour and Interview with Anna DeStefano




Remembering will save her life. But will the truth destroy their love forever? 


When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain home to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. The FBI suspects her of selling top-secret government research, and has sent an undercover agent to find evidence of her treason. Still suffering from amnesia, she is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more terrifying—a determined enemy, plotting to make sure she never regains her fragile memory.


When a handsome stranger sweeps in from the cold, claiming to be her protector—and her former lover—she suspects he’s not telling her the whole truth about his sudden appearance on the mountain. As their unwilling attraction blossoms to sizzling passion, she begins to trust him…unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past—a past she doesn’t remember…a past that just may kill her.



A crash beyond the kitchen's door jolted Shaw from her thoughts. The wooden spoon rattled from her fingers to the stovetop. She whirled toward the dining room.

“Esme?” She raised a hand to cover her heart.

She was scaring herself senseless for nothing. She was going stir crazy, that was all. She’d simply been alone for too long. The unexplained rattles and noises and sometimes even voices she kept thinking she heard were symptoms of cabin fever.
Right?

The house answered her with silence, except for the soft hum of the refrigerator. She took an uncertain step forward, determined to conquer her fear. There was no one there, she told herself firmly. No one was ever there. There was no threat, except from her own panic. All she had to do was turn on the dining room lights, and there’d be no one lurking around the next corner, waiting to attack her.

She reached for the door.

“Sorry, Shaw,” the faceless, scratchy-voiced man whispered from her nightmare.

She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
“Don't be such a baby,” she said out loud. “Stop this.”

Fear and the amnesia it fed had stolen everything from her. She had no recollection of the four high-tech research centers she was said to oversee. Or how she’d come to be the sole living heir to an estate that included not only this mountain house near the North Carolina border, once used by her family as a summer retreat, but also a loft in Atlanta and homes on several other continents. And to add insult to injury, no one had yet been allowed to tell her more. Doctors orders.

She wanted her life back, damn it. She smoothed her hand against the dining room door, and braced herself to push it open. She could do this. She had to.

Sudden darkness swallowed the kitchen.
Her thoughts were immediately swamped with the panicked claustrophobia of being trapped in a closet, waiting to be discovered.

“No.” She blinked, willing the lights to come back on. Her imagination was merely playing tricks on her, anticipating the worst.

But regardless of how many times she tried to force the room into focus, there was nothing to see. Someone had killed the power for real. Her nightmare was coming true. It was waiting for her in the very next room.

She backed away.

Fell over one of the kitchen chairs.

Landed hard on her backside.

“There's no one there,” she insisted. “The electricity's gone out. That's all.”

Something else crashed in the dining room, followed by the distinct sound of a man's footsteps, inching closer. She covered her mouth with her hand. She scrambled backwards on the floor, her nightgown and robe twisting around her legs. Disjointed dream memories swirled through her mind. She lurched to her feet. She felt her way along the wall, blindly heading for the storage room and its back door to the outside world.

She was a fool, a weak, clueless fool. But she couldn't stop herself from panicking.

“Kill the bitch...” the night whispered.

She clawed at the back door's stubborn deadbolt. A glimmer of sanity kept her from running into the freezing, moonlit darkness. If she really was in danger, heaven only knew what waited for her outside the mansion’s protection. And there was suddenly nothing but silence behind her, no movement whatsoever.

She tried to believe this was just like all the other times when she’d freaked herself out and then realized how ridiculous she’d been. 
She was running from ghosts. She tensed to turn back, to confront her paranoia. And heard footsteps again. Closer than before. 


Behind her. Coming for her. And there she stood like a paralyzed idiot, trapped between the shadows beyond her family's home and the nightmare crowding closer within.

A hand clenched in her hair. A gun pressed into her skin. When it fired, the sound of the blast shattered her reality all over again.





Well, I don't know about you, but that has got to be one of the most suspenseful scenes I have read lately! 




Join me as we welcome ... for a glimpse inside of Her Forgotten Betrayal.



Hi Anna. Thanks for stopping by Bookgirl Knitting today to answer a few questions about your book Her Forgotten Betrayal and your writing life.

1. One of your main story elements for Her Forgotten Betrayal is amnesia. How did you decide to add that into the story and have you ever experienced it in your life?

I’ve actually had major concussions a couple of times in my life (insert obvious jokes about me not being in my right mind). Both times, I’ve lost significant time—memory I’ll never get back. And it’s definitely creepy to come out of that passage and realize you don’t know how long you’ve been away.

But what intrigues me about writing an amnesiac heroine is what the mind hides and what the search to discover the past reveals—and in Shaw Cassidy’s ace, what her subconscious continues to try and hide, no matter how hard she fights to remember. There are so many fun layers to her story—who’s the stalker who’s after, what’s happened in the past that’s tempting her mind to continue to forget absolutely everything, and who is the handsome, intriguing neighbor who shows up to protect her and seems more real, more familiar than anything else in her world?

There’s a lot of dream theory neatly tucked away in Her Forgotten Betrayal ;o) I’ve been fascinated by it for years—how if we look closely enough at our dreams, we’ll see the connection to and patterns from our own life, and will see the messages our dream work is sending us. I blog about that sort of thing regularly… It was fun to combine it with Shaw’s amnesia and explore dreams in a more real way in a contemporary romance—up ‘til now, I’ve only dabbled with it in my sci-fi/fantasy novels.

I’ve been an active dreamer my whole life and have regular conscious (lucid) dreams. Playing in a gothic thriller like HFB with dream symbols and themes and watching such Shaw and Cole Marinos figure out what her sleeping mind is trying to show her was super fun!

2.  Gothic romance has always been a favorite of mine. What authors do you especially love in that genre?

Anything Bronte, particularly Wuthering Heights. Du Maurier’s Rebecca. All the creepy historical romances I read as a young girl.
I love a setting that seems a threat to our heroine at every turn, the mystery, the always present villain the reader knows more about than the heroine, and the hero who may or may not be a good guy, the heroine’s never really sure… It was a blast playing with these elements into a contemporary setting. To the very end of this suspense, pretty much every element of the story and setting I focus on in the first few chapters is still paying off in the mood and atmosphere and sheer creep factor of the plot, the relationships, and the heroine’s interaction with her world.

Basically, will Shaw have learned enough by the end of Her Forgotten Betrayal to be able to shed the skin of her creepy, shadowy past and embrace the new beginning trying to rise from its ashes… Bwahahahaha!

3. What are your favorite genres to write in?

Romance… Whatever I write, it will always have a strong romance element. I like deeply emotional journeys with flawed characters that start from a broken place and have a long way to go before they find their way. Without a happily ever after ending to look forward to, what reader in their right mind would find that entertaining ;o) And I totally believe in the power of hope and enduring love. That’s why we read romance, to keep searching for what sustains us. I’ll be writing that for the rest of my career!

4. Do you write to music?

I write to ocean sounds. Each book has a unique soundtrack that I like to build now in Pinterest. But listening to music while I write distracts me. The sea, on the other hand, or the sound of any type of moving water, inspires me every time. I have a favorite Bed and Breakfast in the mountains set against a waterfall (it’s a working grist mill), that I retreat to several times a year when I’m on deadline. And writing near the ocean is always an amazing experience.

Nature is my music, I guess. Long hikes, filling up on the sites and sounds of it… I love music, but it doesn’t touch me in the same way.

5. What is one thing you would want to tell a new author about writing romances or erotic scenes?

Before you sit down to write a romantic or erotic scene, understand the story and character turning point that the scene triggers. Focus on the emotions of the characters in the scene. What are they learning about themselves and each other and the conflict between them? What’s being made worse and better by the intimacy? How will the story shift in a totally new direction once the scene is over. THEN write the hottest, most dramatic scene you can given the sub-genre you’re writing in.

Make the sex/romance about more than going through the motions. Make it about story and character growth, and you’ll never go wrong.

6. What is your next writing project?

I have another Dead Sexy book under contract, so I’m dying (heh) to dive into that. I’m currently waiting for my Harlequin Special Release, A Sweetbrook Family, to launch July 1st. And I’m working on the first in a three-book Amazon Montlake series—Christmas on Mimosa Lane, due out in October. I’m absolutely loving the project. It’s a women’s fiction/contemporary romance hybrid, and one of the most layered, satisfying, poignant stories I’ve ever written.
Thanks for having me over! Check out my blog (www.annawrites.com/blog) for fun weekly posts on an array of topics, and to keep up with my all the latest news about all my releases!

Thanks Anna! It was great to have you on the blog today!


What I Liked:



This story was all action and intrigue. I loved it. It was a page turner  from the start. The character development, dialogue and action all kept me reading long into the night. Who was the familiar voice Cassidy heard? Who was it that shot her and is now haunting her dreams. No spoilers here. You will have to read to find out!

What I Didn't:

Not a thing. I want to read much more from this author.

Overall:

The description of this book was a total hook and starting to read I was impressed with how the pages flowed and the story branched out. Being in the closet with Cassidy as she overhears some things she probably shouldn't have, lead her to getting shot and then things really start to get interesting. Who shot her? Who can she trust? Who is the voice in the darkness whispering her name? Is she crazy, or is someone out there trying to kill her- again? If you love a good romantic suspense, you have to give Her Forgotten Betrayal a try. I was impressed with the author's voice and completely fell into this novel. If I could have holed myself in a room to keep reading without stopping, I totally would have.

5/5


About the author:


Nationally bestselling author Anna DeStefano has searched her entire life for the soul of the matter at the heart of her world's mysteries. As a small child, she drew from her experiences, senses, and dreams to paint a lush fantasy world, filled with endless possibility and characters of her own creation. Putting pen to paper, Anna transforms these inner landscapes into rich storytelling.

Hers is a realistic but optimistic vision, searching for hope and transformation through intense emotional journeys. Her fuel--the inner passions and conflicts of the characters she crafts. Much like a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, Anna's characters face the ultimate of human choices: finding the courage to conquer their fears and thrive until, despite every obstacle, they become the beautiful things they're meant to be.

An author, workshop and keynote speaker, writing coach, and acquiring editor, Anna's creative vision permeates every challenge she undertakes. She wants you to stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. Her novels' rich blend of realism and fantasy invites Anna's readers into her creative mission to dig deeper and see each of life's moment with emotional honesty and clarity. 

Discovery and joy are her touchstones, regardless of how difficult her characters' journeys might be. She will challenge you to transform into all you're meant to be, as well. She speaks and blogs regulary. Join Anna each week for Soul Of The Matter, Dream Theories, Things My Teenager Says, How We Write, Waterfall Challenges, and more.

Past President of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW), Anna's also Senior Tech Writer with a GA Tech honors degree an 10 years of experience working in Corporate IT. Her novels have garnered numerous awards including twice winning the RT Reviewers' Choice Award, the Holt Medallion, the Golden Heart, the Maggie Award for Excellence, and finalling in awards such as the National Readers' Choice and Book Seller's Best Awards. She's the author of over 16 novels since 2004 in four different genres, with nearly half a million copies of her books in print in over 5 different languages.

Her interactive workshops and keynotes on the writing process regularly attract standing room-only crowds. She's presented to over 60 groups and conferences, and also teaches half-day and one-day seminars to smaller groups interested in a more intensive, interactive experience.

She's an acquiring editor for Entangled Publishing's Dead Sexy suspense line, and takes on a select number of freelance clients, coaching authors to create the very best books they can from their individual visions.




Want to win your own copy of Her Forgotten Betrayal? Entangled is having a tour wide giveaway. Enter a comment below to have a chance to win!

Happy Reading!



Tuesday, July 3, 2012

No Hero Blog Tour and Interview with Mallory Kane








A darkly handsome New Orleans detective who insists he’s no hero is blindsided by his one-time lover, a sexy investigative TV reporter, who exposes his secret troubled past to the whole world...and nearly costs him his job. When the at-risk teens he mentors start turning up dead, his vow to protect the other kids hits a major snag...his only clue to finding the determined killer is held by the one woman he never wants to see again. Compelled to work together to solve the vicious murders before another child dies, their passion reluctantly reignites, and their mutual mistrust slowly turns to respect as she realizes there’s much more to being a hero than outward appearances, and his deeply wounded heart gradually opens to the possibility of love.



"I believe readers will fall in love with Dev, a
man whose tortured past taught him that it's
dangerous to love, and will cheer for Reghan,
who is sure there are no heroes
until she glimpses the true man behind
Dev's guarded heart."
~Mallory Kane



Hi Mallory. Thanks for stopping in today to answer some questions about your new book, No Hero.

1. Writing spicy romance has to have its challenges. What is the funniest love scene you ever tried to write and why? 

In the 2nd book of my Black Hills Brotherhood trilogy, THE SHARPSHOOTER'S SECRET SON, I kept trying to write a love scene between the hero and the heroine, his ex-wife who was almost 9 months pregnant at the time. No matter what I tried to write, the characters just weren't going to do it. Oh, they'd do other things, but not it. So I had to be satisfied with writing a very very near-sex-scene. As it turned out, it was quite exciting.

2. Do you write with music playing or do you prefer silence?

I write while listening to Pink Floyd. For some reason when I put on the Floyd I can get into the zone almost right away.

3. What makes a man a hero in your eyes? 

Honesty, protectiveness, integrity, kindness, humor, responsibility--in two words, my husband.

4. What are the elements that make a good romance novel sing for you? What are some of your favorite authors? 

Elements of a good romance? Basically, as Deb Dixon said, goals, motivation and conflict. The tighter the conflict, the more impossible the goals and the stronger the motivation, the better the story.

5. Can you tell us about your next writing project?

I'm currently working on a Harlequin Intrigue called Special Forces Father. When Travis Delancey checks himself out of a military psychiatric ward and drives home to New Orleans, the last thing he expects is to find out he's a father. To his horror, he finds out his son is being held hostage to force Psychiatrist Kate Chalmet to testify that a senator accused of manslaughter is insane. Travis hates the idea of marriage, but he loves Kate, and of course she loves him. But the course of true love never runs smooth, does it? Weaving the suspense of their missing child in with their insecurities about their love is one of the most fun and interesting things about writing romantic suspense. SPECIAL FORCES FATHER will be on shelves in May of 2013.

Thanks so much for inviting me and for the great interview questions. This was fun.

mallory@mallorykane.com
http://www.mallorykane.com
http://www.facebook.com/mallorykane
https://twitter.com/#!/mallorykane
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/no-hero/ 

Thanks Mallory for stopping by Bookgirl Knitting!





When I received this book for the blog tour, I was excited to read it and was pleasantly surprised. While the suspense of the book takes you on a roller coaster ride, there is some serious heat going on between the two main characters, Dev and Reghan. It is a contemporary romance with a high thriller content.

What I liked:

The plot was well structured and the story line flowed well. The characters had a chemistry between them and it flared good and true throughout the book. The conflict kept you turning the pages it was equal parts romance and suspense. Who is killing the kids that Dev is saving? It looks clear cut, but is it?  I really liked the way the dialogue felt how the characters worked toward a central goal to stop the killer. 

What I didn't:

Not a thing. For a short book it had everything!

Overall:

The mystery, crimes and romance made this book a 5/5 all the way.  Proving that there are indeed heroes left in the world when you look in the right places was a really great theme. If you want a book to take to the beach or relax with for a spellbinding read, give No Hero a try. I loved the vivid descriptions and the serial killer plot twists, especially for a book of this length. This author has natural dialogue and character movement that was spot on.  Excellent read! I will be looking forward to more books by Mallory Kane. 



About the author:







Mallory Kane has always loved reading and writing stories. She credits her love of books to her mother, a librarian, who taught her that books are a precious resource and should be treated with loving respect. Her father and grandfather were steeped in the southern tradition of oral history, and could hold an audience spellbound for hours with their storytelling skills. She aspires to be as good a storyteller as her father. She loves romantic suspense with dangerous heroes and dauntless heroines. She is also fascinated by story ideas that explore the infinite capacity of the brain to adapt and develop higher skills.

When she's not writing, Mallory creates and designs greeting cards. She lives in Brandon Mississippi with her husband Michael and their two cats.

http://www.mallorykane.com/