GUEST BLOGGING over at GLIAS!

Get thee over to Get Lost in a Book!

Angi asks the hard questions of my Light Blade warriors - Kalan, Varian & Arek. You find out more about these awesome men.

Oh, and did I mention there's an international giveaway going begging?

There is a question posed at the end of the blog that you MUST answer though!!!!


This is the very last stop on my blog tour - see you there!

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Carla Caruso

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Carla Caruso.

Carla Caruso was born in Adelaide, Australia, grew up amid a boisterous extended Italian family – yet somehow managed to become a bookworm...

She’s worked as a newspaper and magazine journalist, government PR and fashion stylist. The romance genre appeals as she is a sucker for rom-coms.

Title – SECOND CHANCE
Release Date – February 10, 2013
Publisher – Penguin’s Destiny Romance

Call Story – My call story began in 2012 with my first book out with Destiny Romance, Cityglitter (about a half-fairy girl who does the one thing she promised herself she’d never do: fall in love with a human!).

I emailed a submission to Penguin’s ‘Monthly Catch’ unsolicited slush pile, not expecting to get a response as usual. I’d sent out various emails for previous manuscripts with no luck! But in a few weeks, I did get a response, asking if I could ‘up’ the romance thread of the story and resubmit. I did, working madly, and the rest is history!

About your book:
Hero - Lance Devic is the best friend of the heroine’s ex, who she never really noticed before. But he keeps popping up and messing with her head. Lance has never been one to embrace the new, preferring old-style music, cars, cameras and clunky antique presses… which may have something to do with him not wanting to forget the past as his mum died when he was young.
Heroine - On the night of her 36th birthday, Flora Brunelli is full of regrets. The celebrations have turned sour and life hasn’t gone according to plan. She wishes she could be 20 again. Then she finds herself zapped back in time, landing in the summer of 1998 when she was 20 years old. The Spice Girls are at the top of the charts and The X-Files is the hit TV show. It’s also the week Flora’s life unravelled. For Flora, this is a chance to change her future. 
Setting – Adelaide, Australia (some say the small city’s still stuck in the ‘90s… you can joke like this, when you’re from there!)

SECOND CHANCE excerpt

‘I thought I said no questions.’ I sigh, fluffing up the feather boa I’ve stolen from the makeup room, currently draped over my semi-naked front in an attempt at modesty. This is where the Old Me’s tendency to throw caution to the wind got me: Major Humiliation Land.
Lance shakes his head, next to me in his Capri, parked in the shadowy side street alongside Xavier’s studio. TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’ wafts from his radio. ‘You can’t turn up looking like that and expect me not to wonder what the hell is going on. You could be caught up in something terrible for all I know, like, I don’t know…a prostitution ring or something.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Thank you very much, but I’m not. Trust me, this,’ I gesture at my poor excuse for an outfit, including a pale blue hand towel masquerading as a skirt and, of course, my black bra, ‘looks worse than it is.’
Lance bangs a hand on the steering wheel, looking anywhere but at me. ‘Do you need more shifts at the newsagency? Is that what this is?’
Oh, man. He really thinks I’m moonlighting as an exotic dancer. He has me pegged for that sort of girl. I’m mildly offended. A sigh escapes through my gritted teeth.
‘Look.’ I turn around, readjusting the towel on my lap so I don’t reveal quite so much thigh. Unfortunately, the fabric has a suspect-looking stain in one corner. Ew. ‘I’ll tell you what happened only if you swear not to tell Ruben or Clementine or, okay, anyone for that matter. Promise?’
Lance glances at me, then, flushing, looks ahead again, his jaw clenched. ‘Fine.’
I suck in a breath, watching a fly tiptoe across the dashboard. Right. Speeding up my explanation might make it less painful, like ripping off a Band-Aid. ‘Okay, I responded to an ad in the paper about posing for a semi-nude portrait for an artist – a respected artist – but I got cold feet. Bad. I realised what a stupid impulsive idea it was and suddenly wanted to get the hell out of there. So I called you, then escaped out of the bathroom mid-shoot. Hence,’ I look down, ‘my lack of proper clothing.’
Thank goodness phones with cameras weren’t ubiquitous in the nineties. It would have been a money shot to catch me wiggling through the window in next to nothing. My arms and legs bear the scratches. Lance remains stony-faced as though processing the information…
Buy link.

You can find out more about Carla on her website, blog or follow her on Twitter. 

Other books by Carla:

Cat-urday! - Coffee & Tea

 Yes, it's...

For all the coffee addicts out there!!!

 

 

And one for the tea drinkers!

GUEST AUTHOR: Rowena May O'Sullivan

I first met Rowena May O'Sullivan several years ago at a Romance Writers of New Zealand conference. We were finalists together in the Clendon Award, a full length manuscript contest for unpublished writers.

To my utter delight I discovered we shared a love for paranormal romance, and I was so thrilled when I heard that Crimson Romance was going to publish one of Rowena's PR manuscripts...but I'll let her tell you more about it and the love she has for this genre.

Please welcome Rowena to my blog!

Rowena May O’Sullivan is a writer of paranormal romance and romantic comedy. My first memory of wanting to become a writer was as a child after reading my very first full-length book, Heidi. From there came the Famous Five series. After that it was a wonderful journey as I made my way through all the books on the library shelves, all the while thinking, I’d love to be able write books. At night I would lie in bed with the lights off making up stories and telling them to my sister before drifting off to sleep. Eventually I discovered romance. I love romantic comedy and paranormal romance. I love a great relationship story. I love magic and humor. I love anything quirky. So it only seemed natural to pen these types of books.

One night I dreamed the first book in my paranormal Greenwood Witches series, which eventually became The Silver Rose. From there, The Jade Dragon, Alanna and Gregori’s story was born. I hope you enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I’m currently working on Book 3 in my Greenwood Witches trilogy, Beth and Goran’s story.

About your book:

Title: The Jade Dragon

Release Date: 20 May 2013

Publisher: Crimson Romance

Hero: Gregori Rousseau

Heroine:  Alanna Greenwood

Setting: Raven's Creek and Cabasson (South of France)

Ensorcelled in a jade dragon, Warlock Gregori has a secret that could destroy his future with the one woman who could save him from turning rogue.

Charged with guarding the jade dragon, Alanna is shocked when Gregori shatters not only the stone imprisoning him, but also the invisible barriers she has placed around herself to hide a secret far greater than his.

A secret that could destroy not only her close relationship with her sisters, but also her life as a witch and most of all, any hope of a future with Gregori.

Sensuality Level: Sensual 

Rowena, what is it about the paranormal romance genre that intrigues you the most?
I believe that if the imagination can create something then surely, it exists.  My father read a lot about extra-terrestial visitations and practiced hypnotism in my younger years and this definitely had an influence, but it wasn’t until I took a book out of the library in my early 20’s that I became hooked on reading paranormal books (I don’t think it was called that).  It’s also freeing to write about worlds where the only boundaries are those you create yourself.

What challenges did you face publishing in this genre?
The biggest challenge, apart from actually writing those books, which is not easy – it can be like drawing blood from a stone – is getting a publisher, editor or agent to actually read your work.  They receive thousands of manuscripts from writers the world over and you need to be able to stand out or present the best manuscript you can in order to be read.

A good way, and this worked for me, is to enter competitions.  If you final, you’ll end up on an editor or agent’s desk.  Finalling also gives you confidence. You begin to think, “someone actually liked it enough to mark it high enough to final.”  That in itself provides validation for all those lonely hours sitting at the desk lost in your own world as you piece your story together.

Which authors have inspired you in your own writing? Or which ones do you enjoy reading?
I was inspired very early on. The first book I ever received as a gift was Heidi.  It was the very first full book I ever read.  Then came The Famous Five and that’s when I started trying to write my own adventures when I was approximately eight, nine, ten.

 I began to pester my parents for a typewriter and I actually saved for one and bought a very decrepit one when I was twelve.  I loved that typewriter and kept writing little stories, mostly children’s stories (I don’t know where they are now) until that typewriter died.

The kernel was born there, but it wasn’t until my son was about seven that I really put pen to paper and wrote a couple of short romances that finalled in Women’s Day competitions and I discovered Romance Writers of New Zealand around the same time.  I attended a meeting and “hey presto” I found a niche where I felt I belonged.

There are so many authors that inspire me that it’s difficult to name anyone as every book I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way.

When you get a chance to relax, what do you like to do?
 I often go to see my son, daughter-in-law and wee grandson, who has just turned one, as he learns to swim. Family is the most important thing in my world. Family, friends and reading a really good book!  Heaven! 

Five Minutes with Rowena 

I do a lot of staring out the window. I love to read, to disappear into other worlds. I wander off mid-thought often! I think life should be more like a musical. Quiet, introspective and yet strangely noisy and annoying. I’m prone to break out into song, even at work. My workmates are ecstatic I only know the first lines of songs. 

Fav.must-read author/s: There are too many to mention! Suffice to say I’ll read just about anything.
On my bookshelves at home I have: Jill Barnett, Janet Evanovich, Rachel Gibson, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Kristan Higgins, Nalini Singh, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Kylie Griffin and Liann Hearn, plus so many more! 

For relaxation you like to: Zone out with a good book or watch television. I love stories! Sleeping on the couch seems to be a favourite as well! 

Fav.colour: That amazing colour blue the sky goes at sunset.

Dream holiday destination: Greek Islands – I went there when I was 21 and fell in love.  I’m still waiting to return. Sigh. 

Hunkiest Actor: Joe Manganiello who plays Alcide in True Blood!

 

 

Excerpt from THE JADE DRAGON 

(Rowena says - This is taken from Chapter Four.  Gregori has just broken free of the Jade Dragon and Alanna doesn’t know what to do with him.)

She spread out a sheet on the cobblestones and rolled him, with a lot of shoving and pulling and pushing, onto it. Then she gathered the ends of the material at one end between her fists and dragged him across the courtyard, kicking shards of jade out of the way with her slippers. Even with the sheet protecting his body, he was sure to have grazes over his behind and legs.
“It’s just as well I lug stone around for a living,” Alanna huffed as she lugged Gregori towards the Gallery. Even more so now that she couldn’t use her powers to levitate an object at will. “You’re a dead weight!” she grunted, finally making it to the French doors. “I don’t know what you did,” she sputtered as she pulled with all her might, taking small backward steps through the Gallery, avoiding precious work by both her sisters and other artists, towards the office. “But I’m not taking any chances. Witches’ Oath be damned! Once you’re out of the cold and I’ve got your privates covered—and they’re the best bits I’ve ever seen—I’m going to get hold of Rosa, Beth, Goran, whoever, and spill the beans big time.”
She could do with some magic right now. She’d conjure up a replica dragon, perch it outside and fix those damned courtyard walls. Those without magic wouldn’t have a clue. Only Rosa, Beth, Aden, and Goran would notice the difference. At least she needed a way to make Gregori invisible while she came up with a plan.
She tugged steadily towards the small office tucked away out of sight where the sisters could rest, make a drink and take care of administrative matters. The daybed had come in handy on many an occasion. Lugging him upstairs was not an option. She had visions of losing hold and of him tumbling down the stairs, head over ass, to lie in a broken heap at the bottom.
“No. Not a good picture,” she mumbled as she heaved a final time into the office. She studied the daybed and then Gregori. “Not going to happen either,” she mumbled and let the sheet drop and Gregori’s head connected with a loud thud on the floor.
Alanna cringed and gnashed her teeth. “Witches’ Warts with knobs on!” 

*
Gregori heard muttering. Disgruntled muttering.
“Damn stupid warlock! What the hell did you have to go and do that for?”
“Damn” and “stupid” in the same sentence didn’t sit well in his foggy head. He ought to protest he was neither. He attempted to open his eyes, but they refused to obey. He willed his arm to move. It resisted. He tried to speak. Nothing. Unfortunately, his ears were working. The grunting and swearing continued. If he could talk, he would have been far more explicit in his choice of words, especially the moment his head connected with something hard and unresisting.
“How the hell am I going to explain you to my sisters?”
He likely had a concussion as well as the odd paralysis that prevented him from moving or responding.
“Sorry,” Alanna said. He knew her voice. Her scent.
He would have laughed if he could have. Her apology was belated and only half-hearted. Don’t ever apologize. Never reveal your weaknesses.
A mere bump on the head was the least of his concerns. His physical body wasn’t working, and—he checked momentarily—neither was his magic. Clearly, his mind was intact. He could hear and feel everything that was happening. Not unlike his imprisonment in the dragon. The cynic in him was both amused and irritated. It was fitting, he supposed, that his final prison should take the form of a small, lethal dragon of Marylebone. 

You can find out more about Rowena on her website & by subscribing to her newsletter, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads. 

 

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Alissa Callen

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Alissa Callen.

When Alissa Callen isn’t writing she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who really does believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She also is partial to historic homesteads and country gardens and has been known to drive hours to see an open garden.

She currently lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western New South Wales.

Title – BENEATH OUTBACK SKIES
Release Date – 1/2/13
Publisher – Random House Australia

Call Story - For a long time I wrote as an isolated writer before discovering Romance Writers of Australia. Via such a fabulous organization I’ve made lifelong friends as well as honed my craft.

At the 2012 Gold Coast Conference Harlequin announced Escape Publishing and Random House their digital-first romance list. So post-conference I sent out stories like they were Christmas cards and since then have been lucky enough for all my submission-stars to align.

WHAT LOVE SOUNDS LIKE came out with Escape Publishing (Harlequin) 10th January, 2013; and BENEATH OUTBACK SKIES as a launch title for the Random Romance (Random House) list soon after.

About your book: 
Hero - Tait Cavanaugh 
Heroine - Paige Quinn 
Setting - Outback, NSW, Australia 

BENEATH OUTBACK SKIES excerpt

Chapter One
‘Unless this city-boy is on a first-name basis with the rain gods, I’m not showing him around Banora Downs.’
    Paige Quinn’s quiet, measured words fell like much needed rain into the silence of her father’s study.
    ‘I know how hard you work, how busy you are, but I’ve given my word this man can stay.’ Lines of tension mapped Connor Quinn’s creased features. His strong shoulders were braced beneath the red-checked cotton of his best shirt. ‘Possum ... I’m sorry.’
    Her Akubra crumpled beneath her tight grip. She’d been out droving hungry cattle in the long paddock for a fortnight. In such a time it looked as though her father had aged a decade.
    ‘It’s okay, Dad. You can’t control fate. Can’t make life fair.’
    Her gentle tone failed to return colour to her father’s hollowed cheeks. They both knew she wasn’t talking about the endless blistering Australian summer.
    ‘We can do this. We can survive.’ Conviction echoed in her words like her footsteps upon the floorboards as she approached her father’s desk. ‘Just as we’ve always done. Just the two of us.’ She placed her hat upon the time-worn mahogany. ‘We don’t need some paying guest’s cash.’
    She may as well have been talking to one of the garden statues that now presided over old tools in the shed instead of lush lawns and fragrant flower beds. The only movement in her father’s expression was his eyes as they glanced from her face to her hat. She shifted on her feet. The sun-bleached felt would look pristine compared to her own torn-around-the-edges appearance. Her faded emerald-green shirt was caked in ochre dust, her jeans so stiff they could walk by themselves to the laundry.
    Her father lowered his hands and the sinews of his forearms flexed as he manoeuvred his wheelchair out from behind the desk. He rolled to a stop before her.
    ‘Yes, we do. We haven’t had a wheat crop for five years. We’ve few cattle left to sell.’ She steeled herself so the reality of how much they did have left wouldn’t show on her face. ‘This drought has hit us hard. We need money to eat ... to live.’
    She swallowed down her hunger. The meagre slice of toast she’d eaten around her dawn campfire was little more than a memory.
    ‘We’ll make do. You know what happened with the last city-slicker. He had three showers a day and drained the tank. Not to mention our phone bill because his mobile didn’t have reception. Then as for the time he went for a walk and we had to organize a bloody search party…’ She knelt to grasp her father’s hands. ‘This man will be just the same. He’ll be nothing but trouble. We don’t have the diesel to drive him to town. We don’t have the cash for his lobster and caviar.’
    ‘If it helps,’ a deep-timbered voice sounded from the doorway behind her, ‘I’m allergic to seafood.’

Any upcoming releases? I'm currently working on a small town series based around a country town that holds an annual Elvis festival. Fingers crossed the first book in this series will hit cyber-shelves before the end of 2013. I also am working on another full length rural novel.

Thank you, Kylie, so much for having me.
It's been a pleasure, Alissa!

You can find out more about Alissa on her website, or follow her on Facebook.

GUEST BLOGGING over at Totes Bags 'n' Blogs!

Procrastination or Research - come find out how an art department, an author (me), an editor and cover artist create a fantasy romance book cover.

There's a special giveaway too!

Just a reminder!

Don't forget this week Karly Lane, Cathryn Hein and I will be trekking to Taree (NSW, Australia) to take part in an author panel at Taree Regional Library!

Hope to see you there!

Saturday Seven! (Wild Encounter)

It's Saturday Seven!

WILD ENCOUNTER by Nikki Logan is a gritty, tension filled romantic suspense set in Africa. Anyone who enjoys a kidnap/strong heroine/mystery hero story line this is for you!

Clare and her precious cargo of wild dogs have just been kidnapped by poachers and they've reached their final destination. She's identified the leader as Alpha and he's imprisoned her in a room to keep her safe from the others...

A dangerous smile curved his lips. "I know you speak English, because you swear like an Irish gaurd. Again, what's your name?"
Clare doubted even her Da would have used the word she spat back at him.
The smile chilled. "Tell me your name."
An old joke from vet school fought its way into her mind. "Ana."
"Ana what?"
Her chin went up defiantly. "Phalaxis."
The smile disappeared along with all the aitr in the room as he stepped father into it. She couldn't help but stumble back.

WILD ENCOUNTER
In the wild, even love takes its chances.
A wildlife release mission in Africa turns deadly when the convoy is hijacked by smugglers, and veterinarian Clare Delaney is taken hostage. Terrified for her life and her animals, the intrepid Clare establishes a rapport with the man she believes is the criminals’ leader, and reluctantly finds herself under his protection…and falling hard for the enigmatic man.
Alpha-to-the-max Simon deVries sees right through his sexy captive’s attempt to seduce her way to freedom. So when their simmering attraction flares into true passion, it takes them both by surprise. Now he’s torn between completing his secret mission and letting her escape without telling her his true identity. He knows if he lets her go, he will be risking his career, his life…and his heart.

Booksellers Best Award finalist!

Some great news to share - an email arrived from the Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers Best Award  organiser to inform me VENGEANCE BORN is a finalist in the Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic section AS WELL AS the Best First Book section. Woohoo!!!

Results announced at the BBA Reception on July 17 following the RWAmerica Literacy Signing.

Full list of finalists here.

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Vanessa Stark

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

This week, please welcome Vanessa Stark. 

Vanessa Stark lives on the coast of Western Australia with her husband, their three chatty children, and three calming goldfish.

When she is not writing, Vanessa can be found at the local bookstore where she works part-time. 

Title - ROOM SERVICE
Release Date - 1st Feb 2013 
Publisher - Escape Publishing 

Call Story - Last August (2012) I experienced my first Romance Writers of Australia conference on the Gold Coast at the QT.
What a weekend. I met so many amazing writers and professionals, and came away with a wealth of knowledge.

I also came away with inspiration for a story - a story about a best-selling erotic romance writer with a deep dark secret and the hot hotel employee who just might be able to help her with it!

Two months later, I finished my novella and sent it off to the awesome Kate Cuthbert at Escape Publishing who then made my dream of being published come true by offering to buy my manuscript.
Room Service, my erotic romance novella, was released on the 1st of February 2013 and I have RWA to thank for it.

So, if anybody out there has any doubts about attending their first conference, push those fears aside and do it. You never know, you may even make a first sale out of it.

About your book:
Hero - Jace Branson 
Heroine - Natasha Raven 
Setting - Gold Coast, Australia 

ROOM SERVICE excerpt
Natasha Raven sucked in a deep breath through clenched teeth.
Here goes.
As the hotel doors parted, Natasha’s reflection disappeared along with the polished glass. Though she hadn’t slept a wink in twenty-four hours, somehow her long, curly hair had remained lush and frizz-free, her smart grey suit unwrinkled. Still, Natasha’s stomach contorted into knots as her stilettos clicked and clacked against the glossy cream tiles of the hotel foyer.
Cool, conditioned air tickled the sweat-dampened strands of Natasha’s hair, bringing forth a groan of relief in her throat. Okay. So there were some benefits to being inside. Peering over one shoulder, she watched as the glass doors came together, shutting out the heat-shimmering streets and the noisy city traffic.
Locking me in…
‘May I take your luggage to your room, Miss Raven?’
Natasha jumped. Standing before her was a male hotel staffer with an odd, half-suppressed grin upon his lips, as though he was in on some kind of private joke.
Maybe he knows a fake artist when he sees one.
She cleared her throat and forced her brows into a frown, hoping to wipe the grin from his shapely lips, but instead it earned her a fully blown smile and a soft shake of his head.
Her heart stuttered. Perhaps he really did know her secret? But if so, how?
No. Get a hold of yourself. He’s a stranger. A stranger who likes to grin a lot. That. Is. All.
Beneath his dark fringe flashed the most vivid blue eyes Natasha had ever seen. Eyes that blatantly roved from her face right down to her nine-inch heels and back up again, causing her pulse to jump in a most erratic manner. Natasha had to fight the urge to run a hand through her hair and wipe the shine from her brow, because there was no way she was going to show an inch of weakness in front of some random, cocky guy. She hadn’t spent the past month chanting confidence-building affirmations and practicing breathing exercises to crumble only a minute after arriving.
‘Your luggage, Miss Raven?’   
‘Oh, yes. Thank you…’ her eyes skimmed over his name badge, pinned to the crisp white shirt that stretched to cover his broad, muscled chest, ‘…err…J-Jace.’
‘My pleasure,’ he said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving hers.
Natasha’s heart, already racing from the endless cups of coffee she had downed on the red-eye flight, kicked up another gear. Was this guy actually flirting with her? He looked around twenty-five years old - at least ten years younger…
Get a grip and focus. He probably does this to all the guests.
Jace cleared his throat, his eyes now on Natasha’s luggage. ‘Are you going to let go of that?’
With a rush of heat to her cheeks, Natasha loosened the tight grip from the handle of her heavy suitcase and let it drop to the floor with a thud.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, immediately running her fingers through her hair and wiping the back of her hand across her brow.
Damn.

Buy link.

You can find out more about Vanessa on her website, or follow her on Twitter.

GUEST BLOGGING over at ARRA!

 Let loose your inhibitions and come talk about sex scenes (fictional, of course) with me over at the Australian Romance Readers Association blog! 

And what's better than a romance book giveaway to celebrate Mother's Day???

Saturday Seven! (Skin)

It's Saturday Seven!

SKIN by Kylie Scott is a post-apocalyptic romance that is hot, hot, hot! It tackles the controversial theme of forced seduction in a world that's been turned upside down and where the rules of convention have dramatically changed.

In this scene, Nick has taken Ros from the barricaded high school and is escorting her to the lodge he's converted to keep them safe from the zombies.  Ros is anxious as she doesn't know him from Adam and expects she's about to be raped.

Nick is keen to make her feel at home so they can get to know one another. He is also aware that Ros is rather naive of just how much the world has changed and is afraid she'll try to escape before she realises the dangers outside the walls of their new home...

Damn it, there was no reason why this couldn’t work, given a chance. He was a reasonable man with an offer to make. Besides, the world wasn’t exactly normal anymore and she had been set to starve inside those school walls. Either that or risk a trip into town and possible infection from a bite.
No. Not happening.
This was right for her. He’d be right for her. Those bastards had been wrong, making him leave Blackstone all those months back. He wasn’t one of the bad guys.
Eventually, she’d understand. He’d spoil her. Comfort her. Make life as easy for her as he could. Give her whatever the hell she wanted. If she’d just give him a chance.
“This way,” he said, ushering her towards the long wooden ramp leading up to the cabin.
“Mmhmm.” Her nod looked spring loaded like a bobble-headed doll.
Shit. What was she going to try? 

SKIN
Six months since the zombie plague struck, former librarian Roslyn Stewart has been holed up in a school with eight other survivors. But now the shelves in the school canteen are bare. The stranger at the gate has supplies that will ensure the group’s ongoing survival, but at a cost. He wants a woman.
Nick is a man with a plan. He’ll treat Roslyn like a Queen, devoting the rest of his life to protecting and providing for her. In exchange, of course, for sexual favours. It’s the deal of the century given the state of the world. But Roslyn doesn’t see it that way. The first chance she gets she attacks the ex-army man and attempts to escape, forcing Nick to contain her. And so begins his awkward courtship of the woman, with her chained to the bed for security reasons.
Chained like a dog and forced to spend her every waking moment with a creep, albeit a good looking one, Ros is determined to escape. When circumstances force them to band together against a common enemy their very survival depends on their ability to learn to trust each other. An uneasy partnership develops, but can a relationship with such a difficult beginning ever have a future?

GUEST BLOGGING over at Dark Side DownUnder!

Warriors, Demons &...DVD's?

Come join me over at the Dark Side DownUnder blog and learn more about Arek & Imhara from ALLEGIANCE SWORN.

And there's a Light Blade swag pack up for grabs!

Goodreads Giveaways Galore!!!

Two special Light Blade series giveaways are happening over at Goodreads for anyone in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and various Asian countries, folks!

Here's the link for VENGEANCE BORN.

 Here's the link for ALLEGIANCE SWORN.

Good luck!

NEW AUTHOR SERIES: Kate Belle

Time for a new series, and what an exciting one it is - New Authors!

All the featured authors are from the Romance Writers of Australia or Romance Writers of New Zealand, and have just been or are newly published with the digital imprints of Australian publishing houses like - Random House, Harlequin, Penguin and Pan Macmillan.

First author to kick off the series is Kate Belle.

Kate is a woman of many passions who juggles her pens with the rest of her life. She holds a tertiary qualification in chemistry, half a diploma in naturopathy and a diploma in psychological astrology.

Kate believes in living a passionate life and has ridden a camel through the Australian desert, fraternised with hippies in Nimbin, had a near birth experience and lived on nothing but porridge and a carrot for 3 days.



Kate lives, writes and loves in Melbourne, juggling her strange, secret affairs with her male characters with her much loved partner and daughter, and a menagerie of neurotic pets. 

Title – BREAKING THE RULES & BLOOM
Release Date – 1 February, 2013
Publisher – Random Romance

Call Story – While I’m no fan of 50 Shades, I really have E.L.James’ success to thank for my lucky break.

In May 2012, I received an urgent call at work from my agent. I’d only been with her for about six months. She’d picked up my erotic Australian novel, THE YEARNING, and had been submitting it to all the big publishers without luck.

Random House was one of the publishers who looked at it, but it wasn’t right for their list.

‘I’ve had a call from Random House,’ she said. ‘They’re looking for erotic romances, short novellas. Have you got anything in the bottom drawer?’

The truth was I didn’t, but as a new author I wasn’t about to let a little thing like not having a manuscript get in my way.

‘Not right now, but I can have.’

We talked about my idea for an unusual series about a sexy, handsome man who was a consummate lover of women, which I developed from the male character, Solomon, in my novel. Each story would feature a different woman, with a different relationship problem. My male character, Ramon, comes into her life and takes her on an exciting sexual journey of discovery, supporting her to get to know her own needs and develop the self-confidence she needs to ask for them.

Over a frantic four days, in between school runs and part time work, I developed a proposal for the series, which my agent delivered to Random House. The next week she was on the phone telling me they loved it and would be offering me a contract for two novellas. The best bit about that story is that Ramon was born – I’m so in love with him now I can’t see straight. 

About your book:
Hero - Ramon Mendez – a hot-blooded, handsome man of Spanish extraction who has studied ancient sexual practices and is a consummate lover. He is fit, attentive, smart and mysterious. He makes it clear he’s not interested in relationships, but why? Who will be the one to capture Ramon’s elusive heart?

Heroines - Grace (BREAKING THE RULES) is a beautiful, 46 year old academic in complete control of her world. She shut love out a long time ago in favour of a career, but all that is about to change when Ramon walks through her office door.

Emma (BLOOM) has the perfect life – a stable home, a reliable husband and three children – but something is missing. Gary doesn’t pay attention to her anymore and she feels frumpy and invisible. Ramon is her ultimate fantasy, and the one who opens her up and gives her the courage to discover and ask for what she wants.
 
Setting – An unnamed Australian city based on Melbourne. I imagine Ramon living somewhere like Northcote or Richmond.

BLOOM
‘Don’t be ashamed of your sexuality, Emma,’ said Ramon gently. ‘It’s okay for this to be about you. That’s why I’m here. Experiment with me. Explore. Learn to speak your needs.’
If it wasn’t for his grip on her chin her jaw would be on the floor. Listening to him talk was like being set on fire, slowly. It was like being dropped naked into a vat of melted chocolate. Emma felt her body relaxing, responding to him. God, this man was astonishing. She hardly believed he was real.
His gaze wandered over her shoulders and breasts. The heat of it warmed her skin. She reached up and traced a finger over his lips. They were shaped like a heart and perfectly kissable. He took her finger into his mouth and sucked it gently. She watched him, feeling his smooth tongue massaging her fingertip.
He took her finger and traced a wet trail down over his chin, over his Adam’s apple, then to where his shirt was buttoned in the middle of his chest. He placed her palm flat against him so she could feel the steady beat of his heart.
‘Tonight I’m yours,’ he whispered, ‘do with me what you will.’
That did it. Emma reached her hand behind his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. His tongue was strong against her own, probing and pushing and seeking. Emma collapsed against him, overpowered by the spicy aroma of his aftershave. He smelled so exotic, like he belonged in the tropics somewhere with a grass skirt and a necklace of shark teeth. Ramon’s hands slid from her shoulders down her back to her buttocks. He pressed her pelvis into his and she thrilled at the solid bulge in his pants.
Moving from her lips he flicked his tongue lightly along her jawline to her ear, then nibbled the lobe. ‘Tell me what you want, Emma, and I’ll give it to you.’
Emma was panting, aware of the moisture building between her legs. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been so turned on. She tried to gather her tangled thoughts. His kisses had already transported her to some kind of elsewhere. She no longer felt like Emma the hopeless housewife and mum. She was Emma the Goddess, Emma the Siren. She knew what she wanted now and with her eyes closed and her face pressed into his neck she told him.
‘I want you to really make love to me, long and slow. I want it to last. I want to be so turned on that, in the end, I can’t help but come.’
She heard rather than saw Ramon’s smile.
‘Well done,’ he murmured into her hair. ‘And you shall have what you want.’

Any upcoming releases?
My novel, THE YEARNING , will be released by Simon & Schuster in April/May 2013.

“I want to reveal myself to you… I need your eyes to see, your hands to touch, your spirit to acknowledge that which I hold most deeply and secretly in my heart. My yearning for you.”
Solomon’s hands are shaking as he reads the fourth anonymous love note penned by his young neighbour, a student in his third form English class. For months she’s been watching him, a ghost of a girl hiding in the shadows of her upstairs bedroom. He thought it harmless enough, just a teenage crush. But it’s become an obsession, and her sensual words are pushing him over an invisible boundary he knows he shouldn’t cross.
It’s the late 1970’s and a young girl, longing for romance, is in love with her charismatic teacher and next door neighbour, Solomon Andrews. Solomon, a handsome young teacher with a promiscuous past, has longings of his own, but they have nothing to do with love, or so he thinks. The girl lures him into an illicit affair, the consequences of which will affect them both until they meet again twenty five years later.

You can find out more about Kate on her website/blog, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

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COVER CONTEST - VENGEANCE BORN is a finalist!!!

VENGEANCE BORN is a best cover finalist in the Cover Cafe’s 2012 Alternate Reality category.

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