His Dark Bond

I love fallen angels. As heroes, fallen angels are dark, sexy, and so damned alpha. The heroes of my book are take-charge warriors who, despite their Fall from heavenly grace, have a bedrock core of honor and a fierce desire to do what is right. The hero of my current release, His Dark Bond, is also an unrepentant bad boy—my favorite kind of hero, especially once my heroine gets her hands on his heart. She’s his last hope for salvation, whether he wants to be saved—or not.

Clearly, I’m not the only one in love with the bad boys of the angel world. My “first” was J.R. Ward’s Lassiter; after him, I’ve spent hours lost in other fallen angel books by J.R. Ward, Michele Hauf, Gena Showalter, Meljean Brook, Nalini Singh, Kristina Douglas and Cynthia Eden. I was hooked.

Blurb:

Zer is no angel—well, not anymore. He’s explored every flavor of sin imaginable, drinking in the pleasures of humanity. But now he must find the woman who carries his salvation in her very blood… a woman like Nessa St. James.

Nessa has considered the bargain the Fallen offer. Anything she wants in exchange for accepting Zer’s bond? No way. Not her. Not when she finds out about the mind-blowing ritual involved, and the marks of surrender that will ink her skin. But with a serial killer to stop and centuries of experience on his side, this is one job Zer’s going to nail.

Excerpt:

                        The erotic stillness of her body as she tried to make sense of an overload of sensations rocked his world, teasing all his senses with sensual promise. And then she melted into his embrace.

                        Good. “First time, baby,” he promised. He moved up her body, bit lightly at the smooth skin of her throat, marking her. Next time she wore that damn chignon of hers, the whole world would see his mark of possession. Would know that she belong to him.

                        He shouldn’t be doing this, but the pleasure was a torment now. So long since he’d felt this sense of welcome. Homecoming. As if, in all the universe, this was the one place he belonged. A male could drown in this pleasure.

                        Christ, he wanted this to be right for her. For him to be her fantasy the way she was his.

                        Ruthlessly, he stripped off his boots and pants. Shot a look at the shadows. Solid as a rock, there was his boy. Nael hadn’t moved from his position in the darkness. Safe. So, he slid his weapon under the pillow but didn’t remove the pair of blades strapped to his upper arm. Nael had his back, but no way would Zer risk Nessa now. She was worth too damn much. Losing her wasn’t an option, and for reason he didn’t want to explore. Not now.

                        Covering her, he deliberately bore down with his weight, pinning her to the bed. Her husky feminine moan went straight to his head.

                        “Bond with me,” he growled.

                        Her answer, when it came, rocked his world.

                        “Yes,” she groaned, licking at his ear. “You bond with me.”

Which fallen angel book sticks in your heart and your memory? I’d love to give away a signed set of Fallen books (Bond with Me and His Dark Bond), so leave a comment and tell me which story you can’t forget. Giveaway is open internationally and ends February  10th. Good Luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Anne Marsh is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

It was too good a chance to miss. So we’ve arranged a little “Ode to Matthew”—five lovely little tidbits proving these cowboys are very good at a lot of things. We hope you’ll enjoy taking a ride with our boys! (The full list of places to visit to read tidbits is listed at my blog.)

In this post we’re going for Cowboys Are Great Kissers…

~~**~~

Matthew

 Circle Eight, Book 1

By Emma Lang

A man learns to hold what is his…

It is a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas, the ranch their parents fought for … and died for. To the eight Graham siblings, no matter how much hard work or hard love it takes, life is unthinkable without family…

In the wake of his parents’ murder, Matthew Graham must take the reins at the Circle Eight. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him . . . until after the wedding night.

Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they’re walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever.

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Enjoy a snippet from MATTHEW:

She felt herself falling into his eyes. They were very green in the low light of the hall. It was as if they’d stepped into another place, without their entire noisy family only feet away. His thumb grazed her lips and a skitter of heat slid down her body. Her stomach felt funny and her woman place grew warm and tingly. Hannah could hardly catch her breath.

“Are you going to kiss me?” she blurted.

He smiled and leaned down, his lips slowly approaching hers. She didn’t want to close her eyes and miss it, but the closer he got, the more she fell into a whirlpool of unfamiliar sensations. His lips were softer than anything she’d felt before. Just a brush against hers, and then the second pass was a true kiss.

A small moan burbled up her throat as the second kiss turned into a third. Her body throbbed to the frantic beating of her heart. Hannah didn’t want to even take a breath and miss a bit of the most erotic moment of her life.

His arms closed around her and she pressed up against him. Oh my. He was hard from head to foot, harder than she expected. Matthew was a man who worked for a living, covered in muscle with callused hands and a firm grip.

~~**~~

Buy links: Book releases January 31, 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | B-A-M | Chapters | IndieBound | Powell’s

Emma Lang/Beth Williamson: Website | Blog | Twitter

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Rocky Mountain Desire
Six Pack Ranch, Book 3
By Vivian Arend

Nothing comes easy. You’ve gotta work for it.

Matt Coleman always figured at this point in his life, he’d be settled down with a family. Since his ex split for the big city, though, no way will he give anyone else the chance to drop-kick his heart. Physical pleasure? Hell, yeah, he’ll take—and give—with gusto, but nothing more.

Hope Meridan is working long hours to hold on to her new quilt shop, going it alone since her sister/business partner ran off. Sex? Right, like she’s got the time. Not that she doesn’t have the occasional dirty fantasy about Matt. Fat chance he’d dream of knocking boots with her—the younger sister of the woman who dumped him. Nope, she’ll just have to settle for the F-word.

Friends would be far easier if there wasn’t something combustible going on between them. And when casual interest starts to grow into something more, their tenuous bond strengthens in the heat of desire. But it may not survive the hurricane-force arrival of the last person either of them ever wanted to see again…

Warning: Small-town rivals, men in pursuit and family meddling—in good and bad ways. Look for a cowboy who knows how to rope, ride and rein in a hell of a lot more than eight seconds of sheer bliss.

~~**~~

Enjoy a snippet from ROCKY MOUNTAIN DESIRE:

She leaned in as close as possible without making her actions too noticeable. A deep breath let her soak in the scent of his freshly washed body. The soapy fragrance clinging to him made her want to eat him alive.

It also reminded her of his very blatant display in the shower the other day.

Three weeks and counting. They’d made it this far without falling into bed, but it was getting tougher to remember why she’d insisted they wait in the first place. Not counting all the times he’d dropped in at the shop or she’d been around the ranch, they’d also gone to a movie and had a couple of game nights with his family. Each activity confirmed how much she enjoyed his company, but now that pleasure seemed to highlight their rising sexual frustration.

“Did you just sniff me?”

Hope looked up guiltily. “Maybe?”

Matt laughed softly. “Come here.” He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in, not stopping until she was flush with the front of his body. He lowered his head slowly, giving her tons of time to retreat.

Like that was going to happen.

That first brush of his lips against hers made a shiver race over her entire body. The teasing rub of his whiskers against her lips made her hungry for more. She grabbed his belt loops, twining her fingers through them to resist sliding her fingers farther back to clutch his ass and grind them together.

Sweet kisses followed, accompanied by not-so-sweet mental images. Even as his tongue slipped between her lips, she was imagining his lips and tongue on other parts of her anatomy. The fine scratch of his facial hair dragging over sensitive skin.

“Hmm.” He pulled back, his dark gaze captivating her.

~~**~~

Buy links: (ebook releases March 13, 2012)

Rocky Mountain Desire: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Vivian Arend: Website | Blog | Twitter

Wow! That is some hot Matthew kissing action going on. Vivian is also offering a givaway: winner’s choice of the the first two books in the Six Pack Ranch series. Just leave a comment to be entered. Open internationally and ends February 6th. Good Luck!

Emma Lang and Vivian Arend Guest Post and Giveaway is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Touch Me

If you know me at all (either as Callie Croix or Kaylea Cross), then you know how much I love and admire military personnel. And you’ll also have figured out that I’m crazy for military heroes in romance novels. With Touch Me, I got to combine a yummy alpha military hero with one of my all time favorite romance tropes: the friends-to-lovers theme.

Along with the steamy romance, I also touch on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and PTSD, serious issues that a growing percentage of our men and women in uniform face on today’s battlefields. Once they return, their families suffer right along with them; collateral damage that is often overlooked. In Touch Me, you’ll see one example of this in how the heroine, Tianna’s life was affected by her ex-husband’s injuries sustained in combat.

Blurb:

Arriving home on leave from his tour of duty, Army Captain Alex Montoya knows there’s a beautiful woman waiting for him—his best friend’s sister. She’s always been off limits…until now. He fully intends to move them out of being “just friends” and encourage her to release the sexual needs he senses she’s buried deep.

Tianna McIntyre is starting over after her marriage ended. Her ex-husband weakened her self-esteem and caused her to deny her true sexual desires. But being around Alex brings all her dormant fantasies to the surface, and now Tianna feels the stirrings of her secret, submissive wishes.

Determined to help repair the damage Tianna’s ex did to her self-worth, Alex will use whatever means necessary to convince her they’re meant for each other, including tying her down to make sure he has her full attention while he takes her to the heights of pleasure she’s always dreamed of…

Excerpt:

She swallowed, mouth too dry to speak.His seductive touch wreaked havoc on her nervous system, but she was still unsure of his motives. Did he feel sorry for her now? Was she so lonely and desperate for his touch that he could tell?

“Alex.”

“Hmm?”

“What are we doing?”

His thumbs pressed deep on a spot that made her toes curl, and she bit back a moan. “Enjoying each other. Is that okay?”

She nodded. But was that all they were doing? Was that all she meant to him? She’d never had a fling. Didn’t think she could be just that to Alex.

Those clever fingers stroked higher, behind her knee, and paused. Her heart drummed loudly in her ears as she stared at him. God, she was already wet and throbbing for him, and all he’d done was touch her leg.

“Stop.”

She licked her lips. “What?”

“Stop thinking.”

Impossible. Her brain was whirring like a runaway carousel.

His fingertips moved a few inches higher, up her inner thigh. “Just feel.”

More than the words, the tenderness overlying the command in his voice sent a ribbon of heat curling through her. Her leg muscles drew tight while he continued to caress her over-sensitized skin in a lazy, slow pattern. Lighting up her entire body with no effort at all.

Alex’s eyes seemed to glow in the soft lamplight. “Feel good?”

She nodded, afraid to speak. God, it’d been so long for her. She wasn’t sure she could get through this without crying. He meant so much to her. This meant so much to her. But under the heat the nerves crept back in, those vicious little doubts that pricked her with sharp claws.

You take too long. You’re too much work.

You’re not sexy enough.

You’re not even wet. You need serious help. Her ex’s voice.

The hand around her ankle firmed, and she sucked in her breath. “Your skin’s so soft.” He sounded almost reverent, and it made her throat ache. Watching her, almost daring her to look away, his fingers trailed back and forth over her inner thigh, just inches from the edge of her damp thong. “I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.” When she didn’t answer, he finally spoke again. “Are you wet right now, Tia?”

Blood rushed to her cheeks, engulfing her face in heat.

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled slightly. “Are you?”

She didn’t know how to respond. If she said yes when he’d only been touching her legs, would she look pathetic? Chickening out, she broke eye contact. “Alex…”

“Tell me.” The heat of his fingers seemed to brand her skin.

Avoiding his gaze, she stared hard at the blanket covering her lap and nodded, praying it was the answer he wanted.

“Look at me.”

The ring of command in his voice brought her head up. What she saw in his eyes stole her breath. They were molten, full of raging hunger. For her. The knowledge shocked her.

“I’m going to keep touching you,” he said. “I want to find out what makes you squirm, makes you beg. And what makes you come for me.”

His words wrung a primal shiver out of her. She couldn’t believe what he was saying. How could he be attracted to her when he could have any woman he wanted?

His fingers paused, resting hot against her thigh. “Unless you want me to stop.”

“I don’t want you to stop.” Her voice was a mere thread of a sound.

One side of his mouth curved up. “Okay. But I don’t know what you need unless you tell me.”

Her heart fell. He expected her to say it out loud? The thought terrified her. “What I need?” God, did he somehow know about her secret fantasies? Did he think she was depraved or weird?

He nodded slowly. “I want to know what you need from me. Romance and candlelight aren’t my style, querida, but I’ll give them to you if that’s what you want.”

The endearment made her lower belly flutter in desperate longing, gave her hope. He’d never called her that before. “I don’t need them.”

One coal black brow rose. “Yes you do, and you deserve them. But that’s not the real me.”

Her throat dried up, her heart skipping frantically. Was it possible he wanted the same thing she did? “What…what’s the real you?” she asked before she could stop herself.

A sardonic smile curved his mouth. His tempting, edible mouth that had given her such pleasure this morning. “Not sure you’d like the answer to that.”

Oh yes, she might. Gathering her courage, Tia sat up and placed her hand over his. Her pulse hammered in her ears. “Then show me.”

I’d love to give away a copy of Touch Me to a commenter here, so please tell me a favorite military hero you’ve read about to enter the contest. This contest is open to international readers and will close January 18th. Good Luck!

Happy reading!

Callie Croix | www.calliecroix.com

Guest Post and Giveaway with Callie Croix is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

My New Years Book Resolutions

Um. Okay, so this shouldn’t be a New Years thing.  I don’t do resolutions cuz I never stick to them.  If I’m going to do something, I need to just do it.

But in the spirit of New Years, let’s make some book resolutions.

Fun ones, though.

I can’t make one like… I’m not buying another book until I finish my TBR stack.

I’m a compulsive book hoarder and I have no shame about it.  I covet, hoard and greedily buy many, many books.

But I do need to read more of them.

So.  My resolutions:

• I always buy new to me authors and then forget to read the books, and end up giving them away because I forget why I wanted to try them.  Need to stop doing this so much.
• I need to quit leaving books I buy in the car because kids tear them up.
• I need to try reading more horror books again.  I fell out of it a few years ago and keep telling myself to read more…used to love horror.  Dunno why I’m not into it now.
• I need to go through my shelves and get rid of the books I’ve read that I won’t read again. Why? Because it makes room for more books…

Okay… how about you?  What’s your book resolutions?

And since I’m kinda supposed to be mentioning my books…let’s get that out of the way. J

THE DEPARTED…I keep telling people this is the story of an asshole…Because the hero took a very long time to grow on me.  I wasn’t going to write a book for him. Ever.  But I kept getting asked.  And Asked. And ASKED.  And people kept asking why is he like that…

After hearing it so many times, I finally started to wonder myself…just why was he like that?

And he finally told me.

This is his story…

As Dez lowered her gaze to stare at the glass of whiskey, Taylor stared at her. She was still off–her color ashen, her hands shaking. Every once in a while, a shudder would wrack her body and he’d glimpse something in her eyes that just about tore his heart out.

Whatever it was, he couldn’t protect her from it, either.

“What happened out there, Dez?” he asked softly.

She shot him a look through her lashes. “I . . .” Her voice trailed off and she sighed, leaning back into the cushions of the couch. “I’ve been aware of something ever since Tristan moved on. A ghost. Old. Faint. Her presence . . . she feels young.”

Taylor tensed. His heart slammed against his ribs. Casually, he leaned back against the windowsill. “She?”

“I think.” She gave him a strained smile. “And I can’t even be sure that’s who I touched today. I do know today was a girl.” She lifted the glass to her lips but her hands were shaking so hard, the whiskey was splashing out.

Taylor went to her. Dread curled through him, flooding every last inch of him. Not Anna, not Anna, not Anna . . .

Read More…

And if you’re curious… LOL… I’ve got another book out at the end of the month.  IF  YOU SEE HER, the second book in my ASH trilogy.

So.  Now…about those book resolutions… what are some of yours?

Guest Post with Shiloh Walker is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

The second book in the Six Pack Ranch series, Rocky Mountain Haven, is ready to share with the world. I wanted to talk a little bit about the hero, Daniel. I guess I should introduce you to him, or have the heroine, Beth, introduce him as she first spots him:

 Then the newcomer stood as well and pivoted, his dark eyes examining the room before focusing in her direction. Her mouth went dry.

Oh my. If she’d thought the twins were good looking, this specimen was dazzling. He was still probably younger than her, but on him the tantalizing features of the other boys had matured, soft edges harder, more pronounced. There was no doubt he was a member of the six-pack they’d spoken about. Whatever else the family raised out on that ranch of theirs, the men were certainly impressive.

She lifted her chin, her pulse quickening as the older cowboy waved his brother down and made his way to her side. People seemed to part before him, and Beth got an eyeful of long, muscular limbs and smooth controlled motion as he approached.

Daniel was a great character to write about. He’s that easy going, yet multi-layered type guy. As the middle boy of six ( twin brothers as the youngest explain that one) he’s your typical middle child in many ways. Settles out of the spotlight, steps up to calm his brothers down. And the other side of being in the middle? Sometimes he’s ignored. The things he goes through are just as earth-shaking to him as they would be to others, but because he doesn’t complain, occasionally it seems he’s invisible.

But he watches. Learns. Decides what he really wants, and takes the steps to start heading that way. And when he decides Beth is part of what he wants, look out. This quiet man is as Alpha as they get.

He reached for her chin. “So what you’re saying, and pardon my crudeness, is you want a fuck buddy.”

She cringed. The phrase had skipped through her brain earlier, but it sounded far worse when said out loud.

Daniel stroked his thumb over her cheek. “You’re not looking for a friend with benefits because I ain’t allowed to be your friend.”

“It’s not that, it’s just—”

“Don’t know if I can do that.” She squeaked as he picked her up and placed her on his lap. “If all you’re looking for is some sex, I’m not interested. There’s a part of me that says, hell yeah, and I could be fucking you up against the wall in two minutes flat.”

Oh God, the images racing through her mind.

“But if you remember our conversation in the back hall of the bar, I don’t think you’re that type of woman. I’m not that kind of man. Honesty is one of the things that makes us who we are, and I’m going to be honest with you, darling.”

Beth held her breath as he cupped her face then stroked his other hand down her body intimately. He opened her legs and settled his fingers over her crotch. Could he feel how hot she was through her jeans?

“I find you very attractive, and I don’t just mean your body. I don’t know what troubles you’ve had in your past, but I hope we’ll get to talk them through at some point. So here’s what I suggest—you tell me if you agree. You and I do both. We fool around like you want, as long as you let us try to learn to be friends, like I want.”

I hope you enjoy Beth and Daniel’s story as they move through being lovers to being friends to being even more to each other.

~~**~~

If you’d like to try a taste of the Six Pack Ranch, I have an ebook copy of winner’s choice—either book one in the series, Rocky Mountain Heat, or an ARC of book 3 that will be releasing March 13, Rocky Mountain Desire. Leave a comment to be entered. Open internationally and ends January 16th. Good Luck!

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Rocky Mountain Haven

Six Pack Ranch, Book 2

It’s the quiet ones that take you by surprise.

Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever.

After ten years of unsatisfactory, missionary-position sex, she never expected her libido to reawaken. One look at sex-in-boots Daniel Coleman in a Calgary bar, though, blows the dust off her sexuality.

Sensing an edge of desperation, even fear, beneath Beth’s come-on, Daniel finds himself giving in to the powerful urge to let his normally subdued desires run wild. The lady wants non-judgemental, non-vanilla sex? She’s got it—in and out of the bedroom.

At first, friends with blazing-hot benefits is more then enough. Then she realizes Daniel is burning away the protective fortress around her heart…and the guilty secret she dare not reveal.

Warning: One woman determined to retake control of her life, a man with the single-minded purpose of offering her—and her body—everything she needs. Inappropriate behaviour in barns, change rooms, and oh-my-gawd phone sex with a cowboy.

~~**~~

 First Chapter: Excerpt

Buy links:

Rocky Mountain Heat: Samhain | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Rocky Mountain Haven: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Rocky Mountain Desire: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

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Vivian Arend: Website | Blog | Twitter

Guest Post and Giveaway with Vivian Arend is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Where I Write

Everyone has their special place to write. Mine used to be a desk and that was fine. Back in the days of a large, heavy computer, that is. I’ve been writing on a laptop for years and one day, a writer friend told me about her recliner chair – her special writing spot. I wasn’t happy with my writing place at that point, I was having ergonomic-related pain, and so I purchased a recliner – and suddenly my special writing place was born!

The cool thing about my writing spot and the recliner chair is that it’s catty-cornered, which leaves a space for my dogs to head behind the chair, stash toys, cuddle up and hang while I work.

My first dog, Buddy, used to go under the foot part of the recliner or next to it. He never ventured behind. Bailey, my second wheaten, LOVES to hang behind the chair and I admit I write better knowing she’s safe and happy back there. Brady, my Havanese boy, goes back there but he hasn’t yet figured out his “place.” Kind of like me before I found my recliner chair. He can’t be back there while Bailey is, and he’s still too much of a puppy to settle yet. But I can’t wait for that day.

I love writing in my chair – and when I’m not on it, the dogs sneak there so they can see what they can find on the table top next to it. Or just to cuddle there. Either way, I don’t mind. When I need time to myself, I head to my chair. When I want to watch my ABC soap operas alone, I head to my chair.

And when I wrote my newest Serendipity Book, Destiny, I wrote it in the chair!

So tell me – where is your special spot? Where do you curl up with a book? Or go to hide away from the world for a bit?

BIO

N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 30 romance novels with contemporary characters that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom to two daughters (15 and almost 20!) and two crazy dogs (a 1 year old Havanese named Brady and a 4 year old wheaten terrier named Bailey). In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers.

Carly lives in Purchase, New York and would love for you to like and follow her on the ‘Net!

Find Carly on the web:

Carly’s Website | Carly on Twitter | Carly on Facebook 

Thanks to the folks at Penguin, I have an extra copy of Destiny to giveaway. Just answer Carly’s question above to be entered. Open internationally and ends January 12th. Good Luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Carly Phillips is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Holiday Traditions
As my Elder Races novella True Colors is released by Samhain Publishing this week, I thought it would be fun to do a blog posting on holiday traditions, both those I have enjoyed in real life and those I built into the Elder Races universe for the story.

In real life, when my daughter and I lived in England, we celebrated Christmas with friends we had made. There we were introduced to all sorts of wonderful things, like Christmas pudding, which was something I had read about in stories but had never actually tasted—it was far different than what I had expected! Here’s a recipe at Saveur: Christmas Pudding. We also enjoyed Christmas crackers, which are a kind of party favor and Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.

When my daughter was young, I also adopted what my English friend chose to do with her child, and I wrapped small presents to stuff into a stocking that I put at the foot of my daughter’s bed. When she woke up at five in the morning, crazed with excitement, she knew she could open the stocking presents right away, while the bigger, “real” presents were to be opened when everybody was present. This strategy was, I thought, a very clever way to gain another hour or two of sleep—and it worked! When we moved back to the States, we kept that tradition. To this day we still prepare stockings for each other.

Moving into the fictitious work of the Elder Races, I wanted to create a holiday tradition, but of course Christmas wouldn’t do, so I built a holiday around the winter solstice. So many holidays are based on religious traditions, and I brought that into the Elder Races world as well. The Elder Races have seven gods that they call the seven Primal Powers, and they consider these gods to be the linchpins of the universe.

There is Taliesin, the god of the Dance. Then there is Azrael, the god of Death; Inanna, the goddess of Love; Nadir, the goddess of the depths or the Oracle; Will, the god of the Gift; Camael, the goddess of the Hearth; and Hyperion, the god of Law.

These gods have faces, or personas. For instance, Azrael has green eyes, Taliesin is both male and female and Inanna is a golden woman, but those personas are masks for the real Powers upon which the universe is based. When the Elder Races celebrate their holiday tradition, the seven days before the winter solstice is a time of parties and get-togethers. On the night of winter solstice itself, they hold a Masque of the Gods, which can be anything from a splendid masquerade ball to a small house party. Usually a masque of any size holds a parade of the seven gods, the roles played by volunteers—or paid actors at the really lush celebrations—who wear traditional costumes and masks that identify which god they represent.
This is the holiday season in which True Colors begins.

What holiday traditions do you observe? Which one is your favorite? Comment for a chance to win an e-copy of True Colors!

Guest Post and Giveaway with Thea Harrison is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Interesting question, E, and thanks for having me on The Book Pushers.

In my novel The Fallen Queen, Heaven is one of several spheres of existence, the world of Man being the mundane sphere. The celestial sphere is the home of the angelic race, known as the Host, while angels of mixed blood—or those who’ve forsaken the realm of Heaven for the world of Man—are called Fallen.

Though the Fallen try to blend in, the world of Man isn’t totally unaware of the existence of celestials. Government officials, in particular, have long-established relationships with the powers of Heaven that enable them to keep the Fallen in line. In addition, the members of a secret society known as the Night Travelers serve as liaisons between earthly powers and the Fallen.

The rest of humanity has the same spectrum of beliefs that you’d expect. Thus, for those from Judeo-Christian traditions, angels and demons are creatures of the spiritual realm. This makes it all the more imperative for terrestrial Fallen to maintain a low profile to protect their identity. Nobody wants to end up the object of an exorcism.

I’ve always been fascinated by angelology and demonology, as well as by the classical philosophies of the elements and the celestial spheres. I wanted to write about that mythology from a non-religious point of view. Though the hierarchy of The Fallen Queen—the Choirs and Orders—is based on traditional angelology, my Heaven is strictly a fantasy world, not a spiritual one.

I also wanted to take the familiar trope of angels and demons and apply it to another familiar concept—classism and institutionalized oppression. The hierarchy of Heaven seemed like a lovely complement to pre-revolutionary Russia, with the angels as nobility, and the demons in the role of peasants. While my angels and demons have powers ordinary human beings don’t have, they aren’t really that much different than we are. They deal with hope and heartache, love and loss, and the sometimes inexplicable certainty of desire.

* * *

Blurb for The Fallen Queen:

Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

About Jane Kindred

Jane Kindred began writing romantic fantasy at the age of 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed. Jane is the author of The Devil’s Garden (Carina Press/June 2011) and The Fallen Queen (Entangled Publishing/December 2011), Book One of The House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy.

You can find Jane on Twitter: @JaneKindred on Facebook or on her website.

The Fallen Queen will be available on December 6, 2011.
Links to Purchase:
Indiebound | Powellís | Kindle eBook | Barnes & Noble

This giveaway is open internationally. If the winner can choose pdf or papercopy. To enter leave a comment talking about your favorite aspect of angelology or demonology. This contest will close on the 15th with the winner announced on the 16th. Good luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Jane Kindred is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Many writers juggle what could be called their “day job” while they write until they are able to live solely off their writing income.  In addition they have family and/or other social responsibilities or obligations.  You have what is termed a 24/7, 365 day job i.e. being in the Army.  How do you manage to juggle all of your responsibilities?

Now onto Jessica’s response.

Hi E,
Thanks so much for having me here today on The Bookpushers. I’m excited about the launch of my first book, Because of You but I’m still nervous. The question you sent me about how to I balance my day job with writing is a good one and not one that I have a whole lot of answers for.

The main responsibility I have as a writer is to work on my craft and ultimately, write a good book. So, while I am on Twitter, a lot, I also do it in order to keep up with current publishing trends and what authors, agents and editors are talking about. This helps me keep current with conversations at conferences and stay up on what’s going on in the industry.

Additionally, my responsibilities as a soldier are significant, as you well know. I recently handed over the guidon and letting go of the responsibility for my company of over a hundred troops was a big deal for me emotionally. There were days when I was in command that I simply had zero energy to write and, honestly, though I know there are people out there who say you have to write every single day, while I was a commander, I gave myself permission not to write every day. My writing had to take a back seat during this time because by the time I was done with work, there were days when I didn’t even see my kids because I got home after they went to bed. So command was emotionally and physically draining for me but so worth it.

When I did write – which was always after my kids went to bed, so a typical writing day didn’t usually start until after 830 at night – I focused on what my current priorities were. Did I owe my editor anything? Did I owe my agent anything? Were there any guest blogs due? Had I posted on my blog recently? I try to post there at least once a week, depending on what’s going on. In figuring out what my priorities were, I had to assess where I was on my deadline timeline. While I’m good at working under pressure, as just about any army officer has to be, I write better when I’m not under pressure. So I didn’t want to come up to being a week out from my deadline and not have my book even written. So I’d work on it bit by bit, then let it rest a little while, go back to it and see where I was, then work on it some more.

I guess the answer to your question ultimately is pacing. What’s due when and how much time do I need to get there? I don’t like causing myself extra work or anxiety, so I’m a big fan of having a plan with realistic timelines. And if I can’t meet a deadline with my editor because of my Army obligations, I’ve been honest with her and she’s been amazingly supportive. The best part about my team at Random House is that they’re so incredibly understanding about the impact the Army has on my life. While I love writing and am absolutely thrilled to be published, every person I interacted with from the team at RH, as well as my agent, this summer at conference was completely supportive of my position that the Army has to come first if it comes down between deadlines and a mission.

Having that kind of support is huge to me and makes a big difference in my ability to focus and prioritize my efforts.

BP: Jessica is generous enough to offer up winner’s choice a $25 gift card to Barns and Noble, Amazon or Starbucks PLUS a copy of Because of You from the etailer of your choice. This giveaway is open to the US only. To enter leave a comment mentioning your favorite thing about military romance. The giveaway closes at midnight on the 22d of Nov with the winner announced on the 23d. Good luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Jessica Scott is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

What if you want it, you really want it and your partner wants it, too, but there’s just no way it’s going to happen?  You’re in the middle seats of an airplane.  You’re thousands of miles apart with only a phone line or Skype to connect you.  You’re in a crowded restaurant.

Instead of letting frustration kill the mood, use the delay to heighten the gratification.  That’s what Captain Jessa Tok and Sergeant Ryder Hiltop have to do.  They’re stuck behind enemy lines when they discover how deep their need for each other is in my sci-fi romance, THE LIMIT OF DESIRE.  There isn’t a time or place during the fight for them to strip off their body armor, so they do the next best thing.  They build their anticipation by talking about all the possibilities.  It’s like aural sex, the power of suggestion.  If you want the steamy details on what they’re planning to do with each other once they’re safely away from the battlefield, you’re just going to have to read the story.

But even if we’re not stuck in the trenches of the Limit War, we can use the same technique to spice up our own lives.  No one’s listening in that crowded restaurant, so tell your partner what you’re planning with them later.  It would be scandalous if anyone overheard and that just adds to the fun.  (If you ever see me and my wife, romance author Zoë Archer, out to dinner, it might look like we’re discussing the appetizer, but we’re really talking dessert. *wink*)

And if the sexy talk doesn’t come naturally, try working from a script.  Romance novels are a great place to find characters and dialogue to set the mood.  You could even listen to a book on tape, like Zoë’s COLLISION COURSE  By delaying the action, the mind and body have time to rev up, get tantalized.

So what do you say?  Would you leave a sexy little note in a coat pocket?  Make a steamy suggestion just before the waiter arrives?  Leave a comment with some of the ways you might whet the appetite when it’s impossible to get out of your clothes.  I’ll pick a comment at random to win a copy of THE LIMIT OF DESIRE.

TAKEN TO THE LIMIT can be found here:

-Amazon Kindle  – Liquid Silver Books – All Romance

You can find me at my website | And follow me on Twitter | And follow me on tumblr | And be a Facebook fan

Thanks so much Nico for being here! Nico is always giving one ebook copy away to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment or question to be entered. Open internationally and ends November 21st. Good Luck!

Guest Post & Giveaway with Nico Rosso is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter