Kensington Zebra

Guest Author: Kate Douglas & Giveaway!

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For those of you who love a good paranormal romance – or just a darn great story – I have a treat for you today.  My friend and fellow Kensington author Kate Douglas is in the house!  Kate is the author of the groundbreaking erotic romance series, Wolf Tales, her amazing stories about the Chanku shapeshifters.  Her world-building is phenomenal, and it’s hard to underestimate the impact her books have had on erotic and paranormal romance.

Kate is currently wrapping up her acclaimed paranormal romance DemonSlayers Series from Kensington Zebra.  That series kicked off a few years ago with Demonfire, which got fantastic reviews.

Check out this four star review from RT Book Reviews:

“Douglas turns her red-hot talent toward paranormal romance with the first book in her new, devilishly sizzling DemonSlayers series. The author introduces her version of reality quickly and then launches her heroine on the ride of her life. Douglas deftly brings her protagonists and secondary characters to life, and the secondary ones hold plenty of promise. Look for Douglas to make a big splash!”

All the books in the series have gotten great reviews with their sizzling and action packed stories.  Nobody writes paranormal romance better than Kate Douglas, IMHO.

The fourth and final book in The DemonSlayer Series is just out this month, and CrystalFire is already getting great reviews.  Here’s a five star review from ShareARead:

“Paranormal romance fans if you have not picked up this series you are missing out! This series has it all: romance, adventure, colorful characters, witty banter, strong women and sexy warriors. I read an interview somewhere where Kate said she got the idea for this series from a Crystal/Gem shop on Mount Shasta and there you have Kate in a nutshell. Kate walks into a store looking at crystals and gems and walks out thinking about how crystal can kill demons and eventually we get Lemurians living in Mount Shasta fighting said demons. Remarkable!”

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?  Here’s the blurb for CrystalFire:

The Demon King still lives, stronger than ever, devouring souls in search of immortality. Against him stands the scholar Taron, a newly-minted warrior of Lemuria, and Willow, a woman of unearthly loveliness, born of mist…Taron must pass through the waterfall of molten gold that shields the secret portal to his beloved land. His brilliant mind and the speaking sword called CrystalFire are his weapons against evil. But nothing can protect him from the power of love.

Willow, whom he once knew as a sprite who could dance in his hand, has been changed by a master stroke of magic into the form of a beautiful, highly sensual woman, desiring a thousand pleasures that she insists he alone can give her. Innocent and eager, Willow arouses his deepest needs and sexual hunger – and his love. He will risk all to save her, even if it means a battle to the death with the ultimate foe…

You can get all the details about CrystalFire and The DemonSlayers Series on Kate’s website.  She’s got excerpts, fantastic videos, and all kind of interesting info about past and upcoming series.  Trust me–this woman is a paranormal powerhouse!

For my readers today, Kate is giving away a copy of CrystalFire.  Since Kate writes about all kinds of paranormal characters, let’s imagine life in her worlds.  If you could be any kind of paranormal being, which would you choose?  Would you be a vamp, a shapeshifter, a witch, a member of the Elvin races?  Pick one and tell us why to have a chance to win a copy of Kate’s latest book.

Guest Author: Zoe Archer & Devil’s Kiss!

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Hooray!  Zoe Archer is back on the blog today, talking about her new paranormal historical romance, Devil’s Kiss.  This is the first book in her new series, The Hellraisers:

Welcome to the ultimate bad boys.  A group of 18th Century rakes who will stop at nothing in their pursuit of pleasure—even if it costs them their souls.  Dark, sexy and beguiling, the Hellraisers will seduce you.  Sinning never tasted so sweet.

Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it?  Let’s talk with Zoe about her new book, and find out a little more about her, too.

Your latest series, The Hellraisers, is a based on a great high concept – a group of rakes who unleash the devil and literally raise hell.  How did you come up with the idea?

I’d been thinking about the Hellfire Club, actually.  The Hellfire Club was the name of a few exclusive clubs in 18th century England and Ireland, comprised of men of the aristocracy.  The most infamous Hellfire Club was founded by Sir Francis Dashwood around 1749 and lasting possibly through the 1760s.  It was alleged that this group of rakes used to meet in secret, dressed in monks’ robes, and have Black Masses that culminated in wild orgies.  Whether or not Dashwood and his fellow Hellfire Club members did these things isn’t entirely certain (though you can visit the extensive caves Dashwood expanded at West Wycombe), but he and his club are still fascinating scholars to this day.

My thoughts about the Hellfire Club led me to wonder: what if there was a group of 18th century rakes who literally were in league with the Devil?  Why would they summon the Devil, and what sort of powers might he bestow upon men who had wealth and privilege?  From there, the idea began to take shape, and the Hellraisers came into being.

Clearly, your heroes and heroines are all adventurous risk-takers.  Are you?  What’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done?

The risks that I take aren’t of the jumping-out-of-an-airplane variety.  I wasn’t born with the daredevil gene, I think.  That’s where “writing as wish fulfillment” comes into play.  Deciding that my career would be as a novelist—I think that was risky.  There’s not much job security, and it isn’t a way to get rich.  Another big risk I took was when I had just started dating the man who would eventually become my husband (fellow romance author Nico Rosso), and was accepted to an MFA program thousands of miles away in Iowa.  I wanted to stay in that relationship, but the MFA program was very prestigious, and I knew that if I wanted to pursue a career as a writer, I’d need to go.  Also, I’d never lived outside of California before (except the first six months after my birth, when I was in New York).  But Nico encouraged me to take the chance.  He actually helped me drive a U-Haul all the way from California to Iowa (twice!).  It was a difficult two years, but at the end of it, Nico and I were still together, and I had a shiny MFA degree from the top writing program in the country.  So I think it was all worth it.

What do you read when you’re working on your books?  Do you read historical and/or paranormal romance, or does that mess with your own writing voice?

Depending on how deep into the writing process I am, I limit my reading.  It’s tough to keep other people’s stories and voices out of my own head.  For the most part, I read historical romance, with occasional side trips into paranormal and contemporary.  In case you’re wondering, some of my favorite authors are Meredith Duran, Julie Anne Long, Shana Abé, Joanna Bourne, Carrie Lofty, Tessa Dare, Loretta Chase, and Judith Ivory.

And now for the silly question!  You’re stranded on a deserted island somewhere in the South Pacific.  What two luxury items would you kill to have?

So, we’re not talking survival, right?  I don’t need to worry about water purification, hygiene, food preservation, shelter?  I’d need a computer so I could write.  And maybe my stand mixer so I could bake cupcakes and cookies.  What’s the point of being in a tropical paradise if you can’t have cookies?

Before we get to the book giveaway, here’s the blurb and all of Zoe’s details:

Devil’s Kiss

Hellraisers Book 1

A handsome devil

1762. James Sherbourne, Earl of Whitney, is a gambling man. Not for the money. But for the thrill, the danger—and the company: Whit has become one of the infamous Hellraisers, losing himself in the chase for adventure and pleasure with his four closest friends.

Which was how Whit found himself in a gypsy encampment, betting against a lovely Romani girl. Zora Grey’s smoky voice and sharp tongue entrance Whit nearly as much as her clever hands—watching them handle cards inspires thoughts of another kind…

Zora can’t explain her attraction to the careless blue-eyed Whit. She also can’t stop him and his Hellraisers from a fiendish curse: the power to grant their own hearts’ desires, to chase their pleasures from the merely debauched to the truly diabolical. And if Zora can’t save Whit, she still has to escape him…

Excerpt

Trailer

Buy links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, All Romance eBooks

Zoë Archer: website, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr

Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master’s degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series. December marks the beginning of her new paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. Zoë and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, live in Los Angeles. Please visit her on the Web at http://www.zoearcherbooks.com

Zoe, thanks for being with us today!  Readers, Zoe will give away a copy of Devil’s Kiss to someone who comments on the blog today.  Just tell me what two luxury items you would bring to a deserted island, for a chance to win this awesome book!

 

Guest Author: Mary Campisi & Giveaway!

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Do you like emotional stories filled with love and laughter, compassion and hope, passion and warmth?  Then I think you’ll really enjoy my guest author today – Mary Campisi, who writes wonderful historical and contemporary romances.

Like many romance authors, Mary came to writing by a circuitous route.  She’s held a number of jobs, including registered nurse, manager for an ob/gyn, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, and she even worked as an accounts payable clerk (not her favorite job!).  But the lure of fiction always called to her and she finally gave in to her muse, eventually going on to be published with a number of publishers, including Kensington Zebra and Carina Press.  Her books have garnered loyal readers and critical acclaim, including a Romantic Times Top Pick for her contemporary romance, Paradise Found.


And here’s what The Season for Romance had to say about her recent Carina Press novella, The Sweetest Deal:

“Smart, sexy, and seductive; this novella is a great read for any contemporary romance fan.”

Mary also writes wonderful historical romances, which romance reviewers have called “absolutely delicious” and “not to be missed!”  Fortunately for her readers, Mary has a new book out, an ebook original called The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest.


Here’s the blurb:

Love and Betrayal . . . Regency Style

When Holt Langford, the new Earl of Westover, returns to England after twelve years at sea, he resembles more pirate than nobleman, a far cry from the scrawny youth shipped off by his father to become a man. No one recognizes him and he’ll use this anonymity to enter a game of subterfuge in order to expose the scoundrel who has vowed to destroy Holt’s family business.

Unfortunately, that scoundrel has a devoted daughter – Sophie Seacrest. Sophie can’t deny her attraction to the unorthodox stranger who stirs her blood and makes her think things no proper lady should. Holt and Sophie are drawn into a seductive tangle and just when he’s about to reveal his true identity and his honorable intentions, she discovers the truth and must choose between love and family duty.

I don’t know about you, but I love a nobleman who has a touch of the pirate in him!  I think Mary’s readers (and mine) are going to love this book.  Read all about The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest on Mary’s website, and don’t forget to check out the excerpt.

And while you’re there, check out Pieces of You, book one in Mary’s new contemporary romance trilogy,The Betrayed.

For my readers, Mary will be giving away a copy of The Seduction of Sophie Seacrest.  Just tell me what book you’re looking forward to reading this September.  One commenter will win a copy of Mary’s wonderful new release!

Guest Author: Kelly McClymer & Giveaway

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I’m so pleased to be hosting Kelly McClymer on my blog today.  Kelly is a multi-talented, multi-published author who writes in a true diversity of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, historical romance, and paranormal YA.  Her historical romance novels, including The Fairy Tale Bride, were published with Kensington Zebra and she has three YA books with Simon Pulse, the YA imprint for Simon & Shuster.  Fortunately for us, Kelly is now re-releasing her historical romances, and she’s here today to tell us all about it.

Charmed by the Boundary Pushing Earl…Again!

There’s something about a charming rake that makes many a woman lose her common sense.  That’s certainly true for Helena Fenster in The Next Best Bride.  After all, her charming rake agrees to marry her in her twin sister’s stead and doesn’t seem to mind the last minute switch.  You’d think she’d have more sense than to fall for him. But you’d be wrong.


Worse, though, while writing the book, I fell for the earl’s charming determination to stay unscathed by the bonds of love.  I made excuses for him and let him push my boundaries to the breaking point, just like he pushed Helena’s. After all, he saw Helena’s artistic talent and encouraged her to nurture it. So what if he wanted her to paint him nude? Artists benefit from studying the human form. Okay, I could write those scenes.

You’d think a seasoned historical romance writer would know better than to let her hero seduce her into writing three times as many love scenes as she had ever written in one book before.  But you’d be wrong.

You might also think, after ten years, when that same writer was editing Rand and Helena’s story for the ebook version of The Next Best Bride, that she’d be immune to the rakish earl’s charm. Surely, after so long, she could resist his insistence that he needed to have a more active role in the end of his story. Wrong. He charmed her into writing three extra scenes for him.

I hope he’s happy now, because I need some sleep.

Kelly McClymer recently rereleased The Next Best Bride, Book 5 in the Once Upon a Wedding series, after tussling with the charming earl over some key revisions he wanted to his story. The first book in the series, The Fairy Tale Bride, is also on sale for 99 cents until the end of July, for the last days of the big wedding promotion to help her pay for her daughter’s wedding (you can read all about it on her blog at http://kellymcclymer.com if you’re curious).

I don’t know about you, but I love a hero who makes you write extra sex scenes.  Sounds like a whole lot of fun to me!

For my readers, Kelly is giving away a copy of The Next Best Bride, either in its older print edition or in the newly revised digital format.  And since we’re talking about weddings – an ever popular theme in romances – tell me about your favorite wedding.  Was it the latest royal wedding, one in a book or on a TV show, or your own?  One reader who comments will win a copy of The Next Best Bride.

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