I’m so happy to have fellow Kensington author Rebecca Zanetti guest-blogging with me today. She writes awesome paranormal romance, with truly cool, sexy vampires. Her first book, Fated, debuted last year to a great deal of acclaim from both readers and reviewers. I read Fated shortly after its release, and I loved it. Rebecca is a really talented writer, and she brings a fresh twist to a genre that can sometimes seem a little tired.
The latest book in Rebecca’s Dark Protectors Series is out this week. It’s called Claimed (love the title), and it sounds great:
While geneticist Emma Paulsen appreciates vampire king Dage Kayrs rescuing her from the evil, pasty, creepy Kurjan leader who wanted to mate with her, she wouldn’t have needed rescuing had the vampires not gone to war. And while she’s willing to spend one night fulfilling her fantasies with Dage, no way does she plan to stick around for good. Whether the king happened to brand her flesh or not.
That is until her pregnant sister, Cara, contracts a Kurjan virus that will not only destroy the baby but strip Cara’s chromosomal pairs until she’s possibly less than human. A virus that turns shifters into werewolves. A bug that requires science, magic and physics to be quashed. Emma will have to suspend her every belief in science and to trust the vampires in order to save her sister.
Dage Kayrs has waited three centuries to find his mate. As King of the Realm, he’s accustomed to diplomacy and design, although he’d rather rip his enemy’s head off than negotiate. He’s tired of hiding his true nature. He’s tired of being alone. But the greatest challenge of his long life will be in learning to compromise enough to keep Emma, his learning to bend during a time of war when his oldest friends might become his greatest enemies.
Without any further ado, I’m turning to blog over to Rebecca, so she can tell us a little bit about Claimed and also about herself!
First, a big thank you to Vanessa for having me over today! CLAIMED will be available in bookstores tomorrow (October 25th) and available for download to e-readers on November 1st. This is the second book in the Dark Protector Series and features the king of the vampires and his mate, a brilliant geneticist obsessed with curing a virus that threatens vampire mates. I had so much fun writing Dage and Emma’s story. Being a writer (and a lawyer and college professor), I’m rather…well…quirky. Here are my top five (yeah, there are many more) quirks when writing:
1) I have to wear socks to write. Big, comfy, thick socks that actually don’t need to match each other. Even in the heat of summer, if I’m writing, I have my comfy socks on.
2) I have dog hearing. Seriously, those dog whistles kill me. Most laptops have a high-pitched whine from the motor or fan or whatever it is. If I’m on my laptop, I have my earphones on to escape the horrible noise.
3) My best ideas usually hit me while I’m on the treadmill. No, I’m not one of those people who likes to work out. Not at all. But, while plugging away mile after mile (okay, step after step), ideas come to me.
4) I fall off the treadmill at least once a month. Being a klutz, this isn’t a surprise to me. Now I have a treadmill at my house, so if I trip, usually no one else sees. But I used to go to a gym and I have fallen in front of a row of people before. My friend looked down and said, “So, I guess you’re done for the day?”
5) I get lost in writing and often forget about real life while doing so. Unfortunately, this means that the UPS guy has seen me in my jammies, hair in scrunchie, no makeup on…because the doorbell has dinged and I’ve run upstairs to answer the door, forgetting that I haven’t quite prepared for the day yet. (Even though it might be noon because I was just going to write a sentence and then get dressed…and got lost instead.)
So, I want to thank Vanessa for having me over today. I’d love to give away a signed copy of FATED to one commenter, and a signed copy of CLAIMED to another commenter. Let me ask you this: Do you have any odd quirks?
Vanessa, here. Wow! Copies of both your books – that’s so generous of you, Rebecca. Thanks so much for visiting with us today. And readers, let’s start hearing about your quirks!
Rebecca Zanetti is a college professor by day and romance author by night. Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews. To find Rebecca on the web, drop by her website.
Hi Rebecca,
woow… 2 books, love it 😉
my quirk odds is i can do 3 things in same time : chat in fb, reading novel and eat, is this include =D
Wow – that’s great! Not me…I’m a one thing at a time gal…or I trip and fall. Thanks for dropping by today! 🙂
Me too, Rebecca. I’ll walk into walls if I don’t pay attention to where I’m going!
your a new author so i’ll be checking your website out 🙂
Hi Regina – thanks so much! I try to update my website every week or so to keep it current. I hope it’s easy to navigate. 🙂
Regina, you should definitely check out Rebecca’s website!
Hi Rebecca, you are a new author for me and would love to win and read these books. The only weird quirk is that I am obsessed with clean counters. I work front desk at a hotel and hate to have anything dirty on the counters. The first thing I do when I get there is clean all the counters. I hate when I go some place and they have a dirty counter. Thanks for the chance to win.
Hi Chris – you bet! I have to agree on the counters–if my kitchen isn’t clean, I can’t concentrate on anything else. Thanks for dropping by today!
Chris, I can’t stand dirty counters! Lysol Wipes has pride of place in my house.
To find privacy and quiet I take a coke,chocolate and a book into the bathroom lock the door and take 30 minutes to myself. I do it to get away from hubby and tenagers.
Oh Readergirl, that’s hilarious. I have SO done that before. I’ve also hidden in my closet to escape for some time. Have a great week!
Smart strategy!
OMG I’m dying to read Claimed!! Fated is one of my all time faves!! Cara and Talen were sizzling but sweet Janie stole the show! Quirks hmmm I’m the weirdo that has to have the Tv on while reading. I can’t take complete silence anytime except sleep time.
Hi Miranda! I’m so glad you liked Fated! Janie is a fun character to write about. I don’t have the tv on much, but at work (I teach at a college), I have the music blasting in my office a lot. I try to remember to keep it down…
Have a great one!
Miranda, wasn’t Fated great? I loved it.
Don’t know if this qualifies as a quirk but I have a ritual every night when I go to bed the covers have to be just right (I have even got up to fix the covers), my body pillow has to be just right, and when all is said and done I have to have the scarf over my eyes, no eye covering for me they are all too tight. When I am nice and comfy I hear my husband ask if I am finished now?
You know, Debbie, I’d qualify that as a quirk. 🙂 One of my sisters can’t leave the house unless her bed is made, and she’s particular about the covers at night too. It’s a good quirk!
Greetings Rebecca, Your books sound great!
Hmmm, my quirks; When I pick up a pencil, it better have a point that can stake a vampire or I just can’t use it 🙂 I can’t go to bed with dishes in the sink. (That could be a sickness, not a quirk.) If you ask my family I’m certain they will have a huge list 😀
Thanks for the chance to win.
Hi Gail! Oh no, we don’t want to ask our families about our quirks. No way. 🙂 I agree about the dishes in the sink, though. My kitchen has to be clean for me to relax. Have a great week!
Hi ladies!
I love hearing about people’s quirks. The dog hearing is new to me but I can believe it. Some people have great senses.
I have a quirk: I literally have a mental alarm clock. If there is a time I have to wake up, then I will right on the dot. Any time works, odds ones such as 6:46am, 5:23am…anything.
I still have an hard time believing it and will set the alarm anyway but there’s no need, as my mind will wake me up. Pretty handy huh?
As someone who has raced through a hotel to hurry to the airport because I’ve slept in…YES, your quirk is very handy! That’s awesome. 🙂
Thanks for commenting today!
That’s a very handy quirk, Na!
I have so many it’s probably not a quirk, more like ocd…
I have to lay on my left side for sleeping, and sleep with 2 body pillows and a regular pillow. Not to mention I mummy myself in the sheet, and only use a corner of Hubby’s blanket to cover my feet… I also use a blindfold, otherwise I’m awake looking at the walls… Dishes seem to take me forever because I have to pre wash everything before putting in the dishwasher, lol I say I put them in the dishwasher for a rinse =D
sorry forgot my email
emilytardy@yahoo.com
Hi Emily! Okay – I do the same thing with the dishes! Drives my hubby crazy–why have a dishwasher if we’re just going to wash them first anyway? But I can’t help it. Thanks for dropping by today!
Everyday when I leave for work, I get in the car and start it up. I start pulling out of the garage, stop, get out, and run back into the house to make sure all the knobs on the gas stove are off and the dryer isn’t running. Even though I probably checked them before I left the first time!! Just paranoid of the gas thing and any possible lint I have in the dryer catching fire. I’m not a phob, but my kids actually bumped one of the knobs on the stove once, and I came home to the house reaking of gas.
You are a new author for me, however, I love paranormal books, and this one sounds wonderful!
mnjcarter@charter.net
Missy, I’m a maniac about the dryer catching fire. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I’ve read that a lot of housefires are started from dryer lint!
I love it when an author throws in bits of humor! One of my reading quirks is that if I notice a book is part of a series, but I haven’t read the proceeding books, I’ll put it aside until I can start at the beginning. Therefore, if I’m lucky enough to get selected, I humbly request the copy of Fated (so I can start at the beginning).
sallans d at yahoo dot com
I think your quirk makes perfect sense, Diane!
Well I talk to myself when I’m working in front of the PC but I reckon that’s quite common. I hope?!
I like ironing. That must be considered an odd quirk!
Upon occasion I have hidden in the bathroom to hide away and read! LOL
Odd quirks…sigh. Well…I have some anxiety issues…so, I know I have quirks aplenty! For one thing…I know I hum…quietly. But my husband has dog ears like you do, apparently, and clues me in so that I stop. Because most of the time I’m not aware I’m doing it. And it’s not like I’m humming any kind of tune…I’m just…humming. I also click my nails. This too drives my husband batty. But again…when he clues me in…I’m not usually aware I’m doing it. Anxiety bites…but, then again since these are things that only seem to drive my husband batty…maybe it’s an unconscious effort on my part to drive him nuts! LOL! On another note…your books look really good and if I’m lucky enough to win, I’d choose to start at the beginning with Fated. In any case, I’m putting them both on my list…
Wow another author I have to check out. This is the first time I hear about Rebecca Zanetti, but I’m definitely going to get her books. The sound great and need I say more about those covers…yummy…
Odd quirks…well…I don’t like mess around the house, so I’m always clean till everything is right. Not that I’m a cleaning lady, but my place is not messy.
So excited that Claimed is finally out! After reading Fated I fell in love with the characters.
My odd quirk would be that I stare people down until they wash their hands before eating. It drives me crazy that people don’t wash their hands before eating.
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