Guest Author: Laurie London & Giveaway!

RoguesPassion

Isn’t that an awesome cover?  It’s from bestselling author Laurie London’s latest paranormal romance, Rogue’s Passion, #2 in her Iron Portal Series.  Laurie’s books are wonderful–and don’t just take my word for it.  Publishers Weekly calls them “sexy” and “sizzling.”  Yum!

The Iron Portal world is very cool, too, featuring warriors with special abilities and portals hidden in the Pacific Northwest that separate the modern and ancient worlds.  Here’s the blurb for Rogue’s Passion:

For years, Olivia Crawford has kept a low profile in order to keep her para-ability secret. If the army finds out she’s a Healer-Talent, they’ll force her to work for them—just like her brother who was taken as a boy and never seen again.

But when a terrible explosion rocks New Seattle, she risks everything to save the injured, including a handsome stranger with secrets of his own.

Blaming himself for the death of a friend, Iron Guild warrior Asher Kane vows to bring those responsible to justice. After he’s hurt on a mission and nursed back to health by a beautiful yet mysterious woman, this dangerously sexy bad-boy finds himself falling for her…even as he struggles to stay away.

But stalking them on the streets of New Seattle is a cruel and vengeful evil—one that threatens to destroy them both…

You can read an excerpt of Rogue’s Passion on Laurie’s website, and also be sure to check out her Iron Portal Pinterest board!

One person who comments today will win a digital copy of Rogue’s Passion.  Just tell us what ancient civilization you’d like to visit for a chance to win!


Guest Author: Geri Krotow & Giveaway!!

 

I’m very pleased to be hosting Harlequin author Geri Krotow on the blog today.  Geri is an award-winning author whose 2007 debut, A Rendezvous to Remember, earned several awards, including the Yellow Rose of Texas Award for Excellence. Geri’s first novel as well as her second book, What Family Means, received critical acclaim from publications like The Chicago Tribune.  She’s also had a very interesting personal life, as you’re about to find out.

You had a very distinguished career as a Naval Officer (thank you for your service to our country!).  How did your training and service influence your writing? 

You’re very welcome, and thanks for having me on your blog! My military background has made my writing more to-the-point, and I think my voice is cleaner as a result. But I had to work hard to go past “just the facts, ma’am” to be able to put real emotion on the page. The military doesn’t encourage random emotions! The military discipline has paid off in spades as getting into the chair and getting the words down regularly requires a tenacity I learned first-hand. The navy taught me to practice perseverance daily, which has helped me during times of rejection and career upheaval. I know that I can do it!

What can you tell us about your Whidbey Island series and your upcoming release?

My family lived on Whidbey Island for a total of five years during my husband’s career. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and was eager to use it as a setting for this series. The Navy series came about when my editor, Paula Eykelhof, suggested I draw from my experience and come up with a Navy story. I wanted more than anything to show an authentic slice of navy and military life. How the families live and struggle, and find hope no matter what. I’ve been on active duty and a navy spouse, so I’ve seen both sides of a tough coin. Our military families need and deserve all the support we can give them. 

As a special treat, in NAVY ORDERS, the new release, there is a free chemo cap/TBI cap knitting pattern in the back. It was donated by Robin Celli and Schnapps, her Schnauzer, from Delaware Head Huggers, a non-profit that collects donations of knitted or crocheted caps. They’re at www.delawareheadhuggers.org

One of your older books has a WW II angle, and your publisher has asked you to write another WW II book.  What can you tell us about that?

Yes, my first novel, A RENDEZVOUS TO REMEMBER, featured two parallel plots, contemporary and World War II in Belgium. World War II is a passion of mine and I happen to be married to a WWII expert of sorts, so it’s a natural fit for me. I love being able to honor the men and women world wide who sacrificed during this time period. I had a reader contact me earlier this year who had read NAVY RULES and wanted to tell me about how he’d served on Whidbey Island during WWII. I told my editor about it, and she suggested I think about doing a WWII book on Whidbey. NAVY CHRISTMAS will be a 2014 release and as with RENDEZVOUS it will have parallel plots. This time it will involve the War in the Pacific. It’s part of the Whidbey Island Series, so it will be interesting to see how it all ties together!

What else is going on in your writing life?  Any more Whidbey Series books planned? 

I just turned in NAVY RESCUE, a 2014 release (there will be 2 Whidbey Island books in 2014). As in NAVY ORDERS, it includes a mystery within the romance. When I started this journey so many years ago, I wrote romantic suspense. I’m back to my roots, but with more of a cozy  mystery in each romance. I like to say that I’m throwing in a dead body! I’m going to be giving a workshop at RWA National, I’m on two panels at the Baltimore Book Festival in September, and I’ve already booked my hotel for RT2014 in New Orleans next year! Like all writers there are many, many characters clamoring for me to put them on the page in their own story.

Thanks so much for coming on the blog, Geri!  For my readers today, Geri is giving away a copy of NAVY ORDERS.  Just tell us what some of your favorite contemporary romance settings and series are.  One person who comments will win the book!

And be sure to check out Geri’s website for excerpts and buy links!

 


Guest Author: Laurie London & Giveaway!!

I’m so pleased to be featuring romance author Laurie London.  Laurie writes the Sweetblood and Iron Portal series—dark, sexy paranormal romances, set primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Publisher’s Weekly calls the Sweetblood series “sexy” and “sizzling.”  And here’s what Joyfully Reviewed had to say about Seduced by Blood, book 4 of the Sweetblood series, which was a recommended read:

“Get ready to be blown away by powerful romance and action in Seduced by Blood.  I am so excited about this book I can hardly stand it.”

Wow!  High praise, indeed.

Laurie is starting a new series with her Iron Portal books.  She’s kicking things off with her Assassin’s Touch novella, which is already getting great reviews:

Ms. London begins her Iron Portal series in style! Assassin’s Touch grabs the reader from page one and gives us a fierce and passionate story…The plot line keeps you on the edge of your seat aching to find out what will happen next. I cannot wait to visit the Iron Portal series again!” Joyfully Reviewed, Recommended Read

Here’s the blurb for Assassin’s Touch:

Two worlds. Two enemies.

Haunted by loss, Cascadian assassin Rickert D’Angelus is on a mission of vengeance. Determined to stop the Pacifican army from finding a portal to his world, he leads a group of warriors into New Seattle with one goal—to kill Pacifican soldiers.

Neyla Trihorn had the perfect life until a deadly accident revealed her latent para-abilities. Now, the former fashion designer is the Pacifican army’s hottest commodity in their fight against the invaders.

When Rickert discovers a beautiful, unconscious soldier on a cold mountain ledge near the portal, he realizes she’s a Protection-Talent and cannot be killed. To prevent the army from using her skills again, he takes her as his prisoner instead.

One fated touch…

But when he pulls her into his arms, a sexy and compelling vision appears, awakening something inside him. Something he can’t ignore.

Torn between duty and passion, Rickert must decide if the vision is a Talent trick designed to foil the enemy or the answer to his deepest desires…

Sounds excellent, doesn’t it?  And what a great cover!  To read an excerpt, be sure to visit Laurie’s website, where you’ll also find the buy links to all your favorite retailers.

For my readers today, Laurie is giving away a copy of her new novella.  To be eligible to win, just tell us what qualities you like to see in your romance heroes in general, and your paranormal heroes in particular!

And be sure to look for Laurie on facebook and Twitter!

 


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