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Perspectives on Predators

Cathy_Perkins | January 24th, 2012

We bought land in the mountains last spring, a Shangri-La escape from hectic day jobs. The critters outnumber the people, so when we kick back on the porch with a glass of wine, we watch the wild kingdom. Wood ducks, geese and the occasional heron hang out in the spring-fed pond. Owls haunt the trees at the edge of the woods. There’s even a bald eagle – how cool is that? They’re huge and have the haughty, I rule supreme around here attitude.

But I love the hawks. They ride the wind currents on wide wings until – boom – plummeting into the hay field after one of those irritating voles that dig huge holes and eat flower bulbs.

Spring rolled into summer and we spent long days clearing the property. The Canadian geese resented our work around the pond, departing with loud complaints. The wood ducks were more discrete, quietly fading into the rushes. Then ducks do what ducks do – we do write romance at Carina Press – and soon lines of yellow and brown fluffiness appeared behind the adults.

Gradually though, the lines got shorter and piles of poofed feathers appeared in the meadow. Yep, it appears hawks like baby ducks as much as they do voles.

Did your attitude towards the hawks just change?

Is the hawk a ‘bad guy’ or is it just doing what hawks are programmed to do in order to survive?

I had a lot of time to think about predators while cutting the hay field. I shared that story here. For many authors, the villain is a predator, either physically hurting someone or exploiting a situation for their own benefit. The best antagonists, in my opinion, have a reason for what they do, even if it only makes sense to them.

In the animal world, hawks eat to survive and they keep the world from being overrun with ducks. While a hawk is clearly a predator, is predator status inherently a bad thing? Or does it depend upon your perspective? Does it depend on the predator’s motivation?

What do you think makes the most intriguing villains?

When I write, I create a world, populate it with characters – good and not so good – and invite the reader along for the ride. An important element in making that journey rewarding is figuring out what motivates the characters. In THE PROFESSOR, the villain may have been warped by his childhood, but he chose to cross the line and prey on college women.

Meet the villain in THE PROFESSOR (read the excerpt here) – what’s your perspective on him?

I’d love to have you visit my website or Blame It On The Muse where I hang out with terrific writer friends. Connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.

Photos used by permission. Credits: hawk photograph Eagle Brother ; duck photograph NJ Birds

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Cover Art | 4 Comments »

EDGE OF SURVIVAL: Story of my life

Toni_Anderson | November 22nd, 2011

I grew up with a massive travel bug but was too poor to actually go anywhere. So instead, when I was a little girl (at home in rural Shropshire), I spent a lot of time hanging out in the Australian bush with Elyne Mitchell’s silver brumbies. Then as a young teen I borrowed my grandmother’s Mills & Boons and got to visit most of continental Europe and a lot of million dollar villas. When I was older I hung out in the alternate dimensions of Tolkien and David Eddings and Stephen Donaldson.

In my twenties I finally got to visit, in person, some of the places I was desperate to go.

I moved to North America in 1995 (for the first time–it’s complicated) and discovered Romantic Suspense. I spent a lot of time screaming around, dodging bullets and getting to know some really hot heroes :) . Little did I know that this would change my life.

After I started writing, I realized my hunger for travel came in pretty useful. My experiences fed my muse. They gave me really cool locations to set my stories and useful insight into different countries and cultures. In 1996 I got the chance to spend the summer in Northern Labrador (top right, North America–I didn’t know either) tagging fish, living on an icebreaker and being chauffeured around by helicopter pilots.

It was so incredible I HAD to use it in a story :) And that story is EDGE OF SURVIVAL and it released yesterday.

I still have a travel bug. I still love to visit new places, but now I get to call it research :)

Where’s the most exciting place you’ve ever been? Are you a wanderer or a homebody?

Blurb
Contains a foreword by Brenda Novak
Edge of Survival

Dr. Cameran Young knew her assignment wouldn’t be easy. As lead biologist on the Environment Impact Assessment team, her findings would determine the future of a large mining project in the northern Canadian bush. She expected rough conditions and hostile miners—but she didn’t expect to find a dead body her first day on the job.

Former SAS Sergeant Daniel Fox forged a career as a helicopter pilot, working as far from the rest of the human race as possible. The thrill of flying makes his civilian life bearable, and he lives by his mantra: don’t get involved. But when he’s charged with transporting the biologist to her research vessel, he can’t help but get involved in the murder investigation—and with Cameran, who awakens emotions he’s desperate to suppress.

In the harsh and rugged wilderness, Daniel and Cameran must battle their intense and growing attraction while keeping ahead of a killer who will stop at nothing to silence her…

My heroine has diabetes and I’m donating 15% of my royalties from Edge of Survival to diabetes research.

Toni’ Bio

Toni Anderson is a former Marine Biologist turned Romantic Suspense writer who now lives in the Canadian prairies with her husband and two children.  Her stories are set in the stunning locations where she’s been lucky enough to live and work—the blustery east coast of Scotland, the remote isolated mining communities of Northern Labrador, the rugged landscapes of the U.S. and Australia.

Check out her website for a list of current titles, her blog and Facebook Author Page for writing news and her personal Facebook page and Twitter for constant nonsensical chatter. She is also part of two wonderful group blogs—Not Your Usual Suspects and Just Romantic Suspense. Come introduce yourself.

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Posted in Books, Cover Art | 14 Comments »

A Good Knight is Hard to Find

Ruth_Casie | November 15th, 2011

Heroes, they’re the stuff that dreams are made of. In the 1980’s all a  hero had to do was be handsome and chase the virginal heroine around in order to end up with a happily ever after. Readers wanted a man that displayed great courage and even perhaps made a personal sacrifice for the greater good in the face of danger, adversity, or a position of weakness. Isn’t that what heroism is all about?

Thirty years later, the heroism factor hasn’t changed but the hero certainly has. Romance readers want a man of today with true emotions and vulnerabilities. Many readers don’t care if he looks like PhotobucketPaul Giamatti or Gerard Butler. Handsome doesn’t always translate into muscular or even gorgeous. Maybe it’s his smoldering eyes (sex still sells) or his heart-stopping smirk when his heroine’s intelligence shines (he’ll let the reader know but he won’t tell her until page 300). It can be almost anything. Most of all readers want insight into a sensitive man who needs to work out his own emotions in order to get his prize. It’s how he faces and eventually resolves his internal conflict that keeps them reading.

Heroes can be swash-buckling, debonair, unassuming, and even unlikely. They don’t necessarily have to be handsome with perfectly developed bodies, although for me that is still a plus *cheesy smile*. Readers want to cheer on the hero who struggles through his emotional quest, emerges enlightened, and wins the girl.

For my story I went back to the 17th century and wrote about a knight, Lord Arik, an alpha male who saves damsels in distress. What would happen when he met Rebeka, a heroine who is competent, intelligent, and capable of fending for herself – a woman from the 21st century? It was great fun writing how he reacted and interacted with her. He’s a hero after my own heart.

Who is your ideal hero?

To celebrate the release of KNIGHT OF RUNES, I’m giving away a journal to write your own story. I’ll pick one random winner from anyone who writes a comment about their favorite hero or legend.


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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art | 12 Comments »

What did I do on my summer vacation?

Cindy_Pape | August 31st, 2011

In a word, wrote. Now I know this might seem like work—and it is, but it’s the best possible job in the world, so I mind a little less that I didn’t take any long stretches off. I just sent Motor City Mage (Urban Arcana Book 4) and now it’s on to other projects.

Now that my kids are out of high school, there’s less delineation of “summer” in my house, although since my husband works for a university, some people are surprised to hear that. However he’s one of those non-classroom type employees, so his schedule is a normal business one, not based on the academic calendar. Therefore summer means hotter days, and more cooking on the barbecue, but otherwise, there’s not much to set it apart from spring and fall anymore. And while I kind of miss the distinct seasonal cycle in our lives to some extent, the steadier flow is certainly more productive for me as a writer.

So here we are, on the very last day of August, looking autumn in the face, and I have to say, I didn’t do much with summer. No overnight trips, a few day jaunts to Renaissance Festivals and other local events. I love live music and shopping at craft fairs, plus in my world, dressing up is always a bonus. I think these kinds of trips are great for story inspiration. We’d hoped to hit a couple museums, but I think those will have to wait until fall—not a big problem. Of course the local library is a frequent stop. When I do take a break, I love to sit outside and read. Now that I have an e-reader, that’s even easier. I’ve been devouring my fellow Carina authors’ work. It’s very good stuff! I promise.

But if you happen to be looking for one last summer read of your own, or an early fall mental getaway, I’d love for you to take a look at Motor City Wolf. Greg is one of my all-time favorite heroes, and Fee was a hoot to write. Romantic Times Book Reviews called it “charming and original” and “imbued with fun.” I’ll be giving away one free download to a random commenter at the end of this post, so let me know what you did on your summer vacation to enter the contest. (don’t forget to leave an email so I can reach you if you win.)

Thanks for reading and have a great autumn!

~Cindy  (www.cindyspencerpape.com)

Motor City Wolf

Urban Arcana Book 3

By Cindy Spencer Pape

Buy link: http://bit.ly/nv0Tlm

Blurb:

Motor City Wolf Cover

Less than a year ago, Fianna Meadows was a pampered noble in the Faerie court. Then she was exiled, turned mortal and forced to work for a living—in a werewolf bar in Detroit, no less! Still, Fianna has to admit her new life isn’t so bad…particularly when it comes to Greg Novak, the bar’s sexy owner.

For Greg, keeping his hands off Fianna has been a challenge. But his sense of honor won’t let him get involved with a woman put in his care, even if Fianna is eager to explore her new feelings of lust. Resisting the temptation to claim her gets even harder when Greg’s grandfather, the region’s Alpha, orders him to marry and Fianna agrees to pretend to be his chosen mate.

Fighting his attraction to Fianna isn’t Greg’s only problem. Someone is killing werewolves and attacking other paranormal beings in Detroit. He vows to do whatever it takes protect both his pack and Fianna—even if that means giving her up…

Excerpt: (PG-13)

With a loud, metallic clang, the door at the top of the steps slammed shut.

“What the fuck?” Greg ran up the stairs two at a time. “Not funny, assholes.” He pounded on the steel door with his fist. “Let us out.”

Fianna dropped the box of garbage bags and clutched the pole of a shelf. “What’s going on?” She was only faintly claustrophobic, she reminded herself. And surely, Greg would have them out in no time.

“I swear, if this is Vince or Lana playing a prank, I’m going to rip their tails off with my teeth,” he snarled, throwing his shoulder into the door to no effect.

“Why would they do that?” It didn’t make any sense at all.

“To throw us together, princess.” His voice softened at the nickname, which he’d originally used in such a derogatory tone when she’d first come to work for him. “I believe my brother and cousin think we ought to be a couple.”

“Really? Lana hasn’t said anything of the sort to me.” Although the other woman had been urging Fianna to wear tighter jeans and lower necklines, and she had gone out early tonight, leaving Greg and Fianna alone. “Can’t we phone someone for help?” She pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

Greg shook his head. “No signal. We’re too far underground. Sorry, Fee, I think we’re stuck here for the duration.”

Posted in Authors, Behind the Scenes, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art, Excerpt, Random conversation | 27 Comments »

Have You Ignored an Important Call?

Bonnie_Paulson | August 24th, 2011

Take that call next time.

Telemarketers always bug me during my writing time – afternoonish when my kids are sleeping. One or two a da. You’d think I was rich.

November 4th I sat down to write a particularly difficult scene and my phone rang. I glared at the offending buzz and shook my head.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. I groaned and answered. “Hello?”

“Is Bonnie Paulson available?” Super sweet voice which makes it even harder to say “no, not interested”.

“This is.” Mama taught me manners and I use ‘em.

“Hi, Bonnie. This is Angela James from Carina Press. I’m calling about the manuscript you submitted.” At this point, my eyebrows scrunched together. Had I done something wrong?  I’d never heard of an editor calling an author. Maybe I’d offended someone. Still wasn’t 100% certain she wasn’t a telemarketer.

But Ms. James continued on and I realized she was offering me a contract. I’d said “Uh hunh” to her comments and she paused, asking if I had any questions so far.

My response? Yeah, she tweeted about it. I said, “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

And you know what? I didn’t, but that sense of surreality hasn’t left.

Mallory Braus proved to be as sweet and romantic-at-heart as Breathe Again needed.

Angela James has been more than accessible and supportive at every turn – even when I sent her interview questions for my own blog that were less than professional.

My cover artist took my breath away.

The copy editor made me smile and taught me a thing or three.

But Mallory worked my story over and in my developmental edits she made a suggestion that, as I worked it out, brought me to tears. I finished the scene sobbing, closed my laptop and looked around. The only think I wanted to do involved an empty wineglass (I don’t drink), a fireplace (green of course) and me looking for tissues around the apartment/house.

Mallory and the Carina Press team made me feel like Joan Wilder discovering my stories all over again.

Here’s a favorite part of mine from Breathe Again.

How could one man be sweet and genuine while the other lacked all sense of manners? Maybe the brute was raised on a farm where he never had the opportunity to see normal people and acted like a bull because he was raised among the cows. Maybe my sheep reference hadn’t been far off… Shampoo bubbles filled my hair and a chuckle escaped at the thought of Brodan in denim overalls slinging muck.

Ryan, on the other hand, seemed smooth and courteous, fun even. He’d made me laugh and that hadn’t happened in a long time.

But if I could put Ryan’s personality into Brodan’s body, it might have been just what I would be looking for, or not looking for, since the idea was strictly shower thinking. I’d gotten in trouble before, pursuing thoughts generated in the shower.

I lathered my body, trying to push the images of the men from my head. Aided by my hunger, I switched easily to considering menu items, with thoughts of pancakes smothered in syrup and crisp sizzling bacon ruling my mind.

By the time I finished washing, my stomach growled in earnest. I wouldn’t make it another two hours. Rather I left for the 24-hour one-stop shop ten minutes farther.

Beside my adorable VW van, blue with a white top from the early 70s, I drew in a deep breath. I loved when the rest of the world slept and it felt like I was the only one awake. Opening my door, I tossed my purse onto the seat beside the driver’s side. Before I climbed in, the blue paint glinted, reminding me of Brodan….

Dang. I’d have to retrain my attraction guide. The man’s similarities to Dean should have been the only repellent I needed. Add his rudeness and the fact we couldn’t be in the same room together, I should feel nauseated just thinking of him. Get him out of your head, Maggie.

I wrote Breathe Again while I was pregnant and you’ll notice I involve food a lot in my story. I’d write about the lasagna (recipe to follow) Maggie makes for Brodan and of course, finished the scene and had to make some. I ate most of it – much to my Hubs distress.

I drew my husband in with this recipe I developed – my own personal creation. You can find it at the bottom of this post. Maybe make it for you and your *wink* friend or eat it while you read Breathe Again.

Breathe Again Cover
Don’t you love this cover? Maggie leans against Brodan. The skyline reminds me of a Montana sunset. Carina Press artists captured the mood perfectly. I literally gasped when I saw it – and teared up.

I hope you enjoy Breath Again. Another book I would direct you do – well, two actually – Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera and Endless Night by Maureen A. Miller OH and Man Law by Adrienne Giordanno, so three.

They capture the essence of what Carina has to offer – exceptional authors with a phenomenal team backing them. Harlequin is so awesome I used superlatives that aren’t slang.

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Lasagna OR Dip-It Lasagna

  • Sauce Ingredients: One large can of tomato sauce, 1 large can diced tomatoes, 1 TB of minced garlic (with oil), chopped onions, italian sausage, 2 TB dry/fresh parsley, 2 TB sugar, 1 – 2 TB salt with pepper:
  • Everything but the sauce and diced tomatoes brown in a pan keeping the sausage oil. Add the tomato sauce and tomatoes. Simmer until the rest of the ingredients are ready.
  • Cheese ingredients: One small ricotta cheese, one medium cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella grated, garlic salt (about 1 TB).
  • Mix all and set aside to be layered.
  • Layering ingredients: Fresh spinach, fresh sliced mushrooms, sliced olives, anything else you like in your lasagna – like noodles – but don’t prepare too many, this is a less-pasta-more-fun-stuff dish.
  • Start your layers. Best to start with something like mushrooms then top with pasta, sauce then cheese. Next, olives, spinach, pasta, sauce then cheese. You should have a fairly thick dish with few layers. Cheese tops it and you’ll cook it in your pan (whatever kind you love) at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. This is SLOPPY and great to dip your garlic bread in. I love garlic.
  • Also, play with this recipe. You can’t ruin it because it’s a subjective dish. Like it sweeter? Add more sugar. More noodles? Add more. The sauce and the bread is the only reason I make it.

Bonnie R. Paulson

Enjoy and please! Please! Please! email me and let me know how you liked it! bonnierpaulson@gmail.com

Come find me on Twitter – @bonnierpaulson

And my blog: www.bonnierpaulson.com

I’m offering a $10 gift card to a randomly selected commenter on today’s post. To another a copy of BREATHE AGAIN – Woot!

I’d like to know who has supported you throughout your life? It’s all about people and the roles they play to our hearts. Maggie and Brodan help the other heal… Who do you have? This is your “I’d like to thank the Academy” moment. What would you say?

Oh, sorry? Did you say you wanted to know how you can purchase Breathe Again?

Carina Press (of course!), Amazon, Nook,Lybrary.com.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art, Excerpt | 32 Comments »

What Do You Go Geek About?

Abby_Niles | August 4th, 2011

Journalist Emma Portland would do anything to save her career, even go undercover at the 31st Annual GalaxyCon in search of a story. Emma thinks she’s hit pay dirt when she meets Luke Evans, a bestselling scifi author whose readers have turned against him. She has no problem getting close to the sexy writer to get the scoop on his downfall. Except the more time she spends with Luke, the more she has a different kind of exposé in mind…

Luke can’t believe he’s found the one woman at GalaxyCon who hasn’t heard of him and can look that hot in a bikini. For the first time he’s opening up about himself…and the secret that torpedoed his writing career. Too bad his former fans are out for blood—and out to sabotage his budding relationship with Emma.

But amidst rival reporters, eager fanboys and overzealous role-players, it’s Emma’s secret that may put the brakes on their sizzling attraction for good…

How does one decide to write set a romance novel set at science fiction convention?

You read Pat White’s Got a Hold on You first.

I cannot express how much I adored this book. A-dored it. It’s not very often a book will get a belly-laugh out of me. I may chuckle, snort, smile in amusement, but belly-laugh?

Hardly ever.

Man, I hee-hawed my way through this book. You see, Got a Hold on You, is about a professional wrestler. Now, I’m not talking the Olympic style wrestling. I’m talking, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, sequences and tassels, wrestling. And it was AWESOME!

When I finished that book, I was pumped. I wanted to let my imagination go wild with zany settings, crazy secondary characters, and a love story readers would cheer for too!

What better way to do that than with something I know, and know well?

Geeks!!

Just like that the idea of Defying Convention was born. I had a freaking riot writing this book. How could I not with angry role-players (or larpers for the geekly knowledged) determined to teach their favorite author a lesson, an unwilling hero forced to play along, and a heroine so far outside her element she felt like she’d entered the twilight zone. Not to mention all the cult classic references I got to throw in. Rocky Horror Picture Show anyone?

Most of the story came pretty easy for me. The larpers gave me the creative outlet to have some major fun and put my hero and heroine in situations you’re not going to find in everyday life. Emma was fun to write. The poor chick only went to the convention to sniff out a story, but she got more than she bargained for—with the larpers and Luke. Then there was Luke.

Sigh. Luke. Luke. Luke. He just didn’t want to cooperate with me at all. In fact, a little over a year and half ago, I wrote a blog about how difficult he was being. I thought I’d share a portion of it with you. You can read the entire blog here.

January 23, 2010

I’m writing a romantic comedy. While it is a comedy, the hero has a secret. I’ve written this story believing his secret was nothing too heavy, just an awww poor guy sort of thing. Why? Because that’s what he told me.

As I got deeper into second edits, I realized Luke was much angrier this go round. There is no way he is this screwed up over what he’d told me. It wasn’t possible. Let me put it into perspective for you: Mountain meet mole hill. Yeah, that bad.

So we had a chat last night. It went something like this:

Me: “Dude, what the hell?”

Luke stared me down, jaw rigid. “I told you everything that happened.”

I banged my fist on my desk. “If that’s the case, you need major counseling. Because,” I waved my hand at the computer screen, “that pile of crap you gave me to begin with is not going to fly with your current attitude.”

He shrugged. “Not my problem.”

“Not your…Ooh! Listen, you pain in the butt, you came to me. If you want your story told, then I need the whole story not half-truths, Luke. It’s all or nothing. Which is it?”

A vein ticked at his temple as he glanced away. I was relieved to see this reaction. I was worried I was embellishing things just a tad bit in my interpretation of his story. But nope, there he was in all his angry glory. What seemed like a freaking eternity later—man, silence really can be deafening—he finally looked back and met my eyes, doing the whole if-I-look-furious-enough-maybe-she’ll-back-off-thing. Been there, done that, doesn’t work on me.

I looked at my invisible watch. “It’s late. Kids have school in the morning. You know the way out.”

I stood and walked toward the door. As I opened it, he finally spoke. One deep, sharp word. “Fine.”

Now that could have been taken one of two ways: fine leave or fine I’ll talk. But knowing him the way I do, I closed the door and returned to my chair. Picking up my pen and pad of paper, I said, “I’m ready to listen.”

Then he told me his story. And what a story it is. Now if he’d just told me this from the dang beginning we wouldn’t have had this conversation.

Yep, that was Luke Evans for me, a royal pain in the rear, but in the end, my struggle with Luke was worth it. I love the story. It’s one of my favorites I’ve written and I’m thrilled that Carina Press took a chance on it and allowed me the opportunity to share it with you. Thank you, Carina Press!

********************************************************************************************************************

CONTEST!!!!

So in appreciation of my release of Defying Convention, available now at Carina Press, I’m throwing a CONTEST!!! Not only am I giving away a copy of Defying Convention to one random commenter, I’m also giving away two $5 Amazon gift certificate to two more randomly chosen winners. That’s three chances to win people. Don’t say I’m not generous:) All you have to do is comment about what you go geek about.

I’ll start: Hello, my name is Abby. I’m a Harry Potter geek. I love everything Harry Potter. I even bought my son a shirt with Muggle written across it, and yes I did a happy squeal dance when I found it. I would’ve bought one for my daughter, but she refused my offer with “I’m not wearing something from the boy’s section.” She’s going to have to get over that. My Goonies t-shirt came from the men’s department. I love that shirt!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share this with you today!

*********************************************************************************************************************

Abby Niles has always loved to read. After having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. She mixed her love for laughter in with her writing and found she had a knack for humor. Nothing makes her happier than having a LOL written beside one of her favorite lines from one of her fabulous critique partners.

Abby is also published under the name Esmerelda Bishop. Esmerelda write erotic romance and has a paranormal titled The Panther’s Lair published with Carina Press.

When Abby’s not writing, you can find her playing ‘Just Dance’ with her kids on the Wii or trying to catch up on her never-ending to-be-read list. She also loves Zumba, and refuses to admit she looks more like Animal doing his Muppet flail than a sensual latin dancer while doing it. You find Abby at the following places: Twitter, Facebook, and her Website. 


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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art | 34 Comments »

Writing in Paradise

Rebecca York | August 3rd, 2011

DARK MAGIC Cover

It’s a hot afternoon, but I’m outside on the screened porch, enjoying the world around me.  Cone flowers and tall phlox sway in a gentle breeze.  A dove is eating the birdseed I put out a while ago.  Cat birds have come to splash in the birdbath.  The koi in the pond glide in and out of the cascading waterfall.  Two of my cats are sleeping nearby.

This is the perfect place to write.  If I’m trying to think of a word or a sentence or struggling to figure out a plot point, I can look up and enjoy the garden for a few minutes.

I think most writers have other creative outlets as well.  One of mine is gardening.  I love putting in plants and flowers and watching them grow.  I love moving rocks around the pond until I get their placement just right.  Weeding the flower beds isn’t as much fun, but it’s part of the job.

I edited a lot of my August Carina novella, DARK MAGIC, while sitting here in my little Eden.  That story took me away to another world entirely–one I’d made up for my own pleasure.  I started with the idea of a kingdom under siege and a virgin princess who thinks she can save her father’s people by sacrificing herself to the dragon who saved them long ago.  She doesn’t know her plans aren’t going to work out the way she expected.  A dark, mysterious, sexy stranger has taken the dragon’s place, and he wants to awaken Princess Devon’s sensuality rather than ravage her while she’s tied to a stake.

I had a lot of fun with this story–with Devon’s sexual awakening and also with her courage in choosing a heroic way to save her people–rather than the shameful fate her father had planned for her.

This isn’t contemporary romantic suspense, which is what I usually write.  Instead, I get to explore a fantasy realm where women are only pawns in the games that men play.  Of course Devon’s not willing to stick to her assigned role, which is what made her fun to write.

You can read an excerpt of DARK MAGIC here .

What kind of heroines do you like best?  Or do you care, as long as she’s the right match for the hero?

On August 8, I will give away an autographed copy of my classic Harlequin Intrigue, NOWHERE MAN, to a randomly selected reader who comments on my above heroine questions.

A USA Today Best-Selling Author, Rebecca York is a 2011 recipient of the Romance Writers of America Centennial Award.  Her career has focused on romantic suspense, often with paranormal elements.

Her 16 Berkley books and novellas include her nine-book werewolf “Moon” series.  KILLING MOON was a launch book for the Berkley Sensation imprint. She has written over 50 books for Harlequin Intrigue, many in her popular 43 Light Street series.

She has written for Carina Press, Harlequin, Berkley, Dell, Tor, Kensington, Tudor, Scholastic, and Pageant Books.

Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times:  for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. And her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series.

Many of her novels have been nominated for or won RT Reviewers Choice awards.  In addition, she has won a Prism Award, several New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf awards and numerous other chapter awards.

Web site:  www.RebeccaYork.com

Twitter:    @rebeccayork43

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RuthGlick

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Posted in Authors, Behind the Scenes, Books, Carina Press, Contest/Giveaway, Cover Art, Excerpt, Writing/Submissions Advice | 7 Comments »

Hunting Kat on Dysnomia Station

PJ_Schnyder | July 6th, 2011

The majority of Hunting Kat takes place on Dysnomia Station, a space station built into the single moon orbiting the dwarf planet Eris.

Why choose Dysnomia?

Stepping back in the timeline of Hunting Kat to Kat’s history, she came from Triton Moon Base. Triton is the largest moon orbiting Neptune. I wanted to choose another space station for Kat’s life beyond the events of Triton, a place farther from the home planet Earth and one with greater opportunities, or scope for mayhem. Take your pick.

In my research, I learned a bit of the process for naming Dysnomia. From a mythology standpoint, Dysnomia is the daughter of Eris, fitting the historical pattern of naming moons afer minor deities associated with the major god after which the planet has been named. Both Dysnomia and Eris represent aspects of chaos. This resonated with me on a deeper level because I wanted Kat to shake things up a bit when she arrived on station.

But that’s not all, the man who discovered the moon seems to have been a fan of Xena:Warrior Princess and liked that “Dysnomia” could be translated to “lawlessness”. This fun fact tickled me to no end.

Dysnomia was interesting to me. I wanted my setting for Hunting Kat to be interesting on many levels, even if the depth might not be a direct part of the story. From the mythology to the meaning of the name to the fun facts revolving around the moon, it was perfect.

So I hope you’ll visit Dysnomia Station with Kat and pull up a stool at Dissention Bar. Have a scotch.

Hunting Kat is available now at Carina Press.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Cover Art | 4 Comments »

An excerpt from Mercy

Eleri_Stone | September 7th, 2010

And last but not least, here’s an excerpt from Mercy…

Mercy cover“How was that for a mutant?” One arm was tucked behind his head, the other curved around her shoulders. His fingers traced lazy circles on the bare skin of her back.

She smiled against his damp chest. “Acceptable.” She would not pander to the weakness such a question represented. He swatted her rear and she pulled closer against him. “And I have never called you names,” she added.

“I can see it in your eyes, Iada. The same as all the others. I know what you think of me.”

“Obviously you do not.”

His fingers closed in the hair at the nape of her neck and tugged her head back so that he could look in her face. “You believe mixed blood is inferior.”

She would not lie. “Yes.”

His fingers tensed for just a moment before he suddenly released her. “You believe that I am inferior.”

“No.”

“Unique, then?” He chuckled, a low rumble beneath her breasts. He must have seen the answer on her face. “I’m not as unique as you think. Not even as unique as I would like to think.”

She looked at him steadily. “Show me. You’re the first person of human birth I’ve met. You could take me to your city, show me the others, let me see Anna.”

His fingers stilled in their circuit along her spine. “Trying to remove me from the compound?”

“I want to see the truth for myself. I’m risking everything to support you and we have no allies here. I assume you have friends who would return with us? We’ll need to gather people to protect us before we’ll be able to gain any support from the others. You must see that.”

She pushed to a sitting position and realized her mistake as soon as his eyes dilated and his attention drifted to her breasts. He skimmed his work-roughened hand over her skin, catching her nipple in the crevice between two fingers, and squeezed lightly. Her nipple instantly tightened in response.

“Is there no one here who will aid you?” His gaze lifted and there was a curiously pitying expression on his face.

“No one who is beyond manipulation. Even Mateus would yield if my uncles were to threaten Beatriz.”

He slowly nodded, then wrapped his strong fingers around her arm and jerked her forward so that her face was only inches from his. “If you work with your uncles to manipulate me in any way, Iada, your reign will be brief and violent.”

She closed the distance and licked his tightly compressed lips, swallowed down the growl that passed through them as they parted for her. There was never much hope that it could have been otherwise.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please don’t forget to check the comments if you posted previously to see if you’re a winner.

You can find Eleri online at her website or her blog.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Cover Art, Excerpt | 16 Comments »

Scope for the imagination

Eleri_Stone | September 7th, 2010

Mercy coverA large part of my inspiration for Mercy came from an archaeological site called Chavín de Huantar. It’s a pre-Incan site. The people who constructed it believed that their priests could actually turn into jaguars. They built a canal system beneath their Temple that was designed to make the sound of a roaring jaguar as the water rushed through it. The culture is fascinating, the artwork amazing and I was captivated by the mystery of the place. 

What if their priests really could turn into jaguars? What if there were other cities like that, hidden and undiscovered? What if someone still lived in them?

While Chavin is located in the Peruvian Andes, Mercy is set in the Amazon jungle. I love reading about the Amazon, mostly because there’s so much that we don’t know about it with new finds being made all the time which force us to reinterpret our understanding of the land, its history and the people who lived there.

For example, early Spanish explorers described encountering large numbers of natives, cities and even roads but this was dismissed as impossible for centuries because no one believed the harsh environment could possibly support a large organized civilization. But within the last year, satellite images over a cleared area of the jungle showed the remains of large structures, canals, roads and bridges. Also archaeologists have recently found areas in the jungle where the soil was intentionally modified by humans using as-yet-unknown methods to produce soil fertile enough to support large numbers of people.

Living as we do in a society with free education, public libraries, the internet and 24 hour news, it’s easy to think that there’s nothing left to discover. I like that edge where everyday life and accepted understanding meets with the undiscovered, the hidden and the strange.

It’s what draws me to paranormal fiction as a reader and as a writer – that maybe there’s more out there than what you can find in a Google search.

There are certain things that will always make me look twice at a book. If it’s set in Ireland, Scotland or a South American jungle. If it involves an archaeologist, a cowboy or a shapeshifter(I’ve yet to come across one that has all three but please let me know if it’s out there). And of course, if it involves the paranormal – magic, psychics, ghosts and all the beasts of legend and folklore.

So what is it that trips your book buying trigger? Aliens? Vampires? The Sahara desert? Alien vampires in the Sahara? (I’d read that book too.)

Commenting in this blog post will enter you into a drawing to win a free copy of Mercy. I’ll announce the winner at 7pm in the comment section of my last post.

You can find Eleri online at her website or her blog.

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Posted in Authors, Books, Carina Press, Cover Art | 14 Comments »

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