I’ve gone through the majority of the candidates’ pics and have a pretty solid group of finalists so far.  The guys I’ve chosen not only possess the most closely aligned characteristics of Logan, but they each come with their own individual charm that I think will make for a great cover when it’s all shiny and designed.  Still a few more to go!  Trying to take my time and review these entries with careful consideration.

The hard part is being forced to turn away the gorgeous faces who submitted an entry, but just didn’t have the look of the character.  Man, I’d take all these guys and squish them together on one cover if I could.  So many absolutely stunning men in the world, I’m tellin’ ya!

Okay so a recap:

June 10^th – 14^th I’ll be posting the spotlights for these guys.

June 14^th – 28^th  YOU will be picking my next cover model!

Mark your calendars because believe it or not, as LONG as I’ve been talking about this contest, it’s only a couple of weeks away now!  OMG!

**breathes into a paper bag**

Remember that just for voting, you’ll not only be choosing my cover model, you’ll also land yourself on a special ‘Contributors’ page in book two’s acknowledgments AND you’ll score a VIP pass to nab the book before it goes on sale!

If you bring a friend to vote, you’ll increase your odds of winning one of TWO $50 Amazon gift cards that I’ll be giving away during the contest.

AND!!  If you leave a comment, you might just win some Sons of Wrath swag!

Okay okay okay.  I know, I said I’d keep it short, but I’m just too excited!

Now for the teaser …

Warning:  Staring at these abs for long periods of time may cause increased heart rate and bouts of fantasizing.

Be sure to take appropriate precautions while viewing at work in order to avoid embarrassment.

Don’t let this be you.

(Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/e928d2cc4375abfe76ed796374264cd8/tumblr_mlot7uIXJB1r99fqvo1_500.gif)

I’m pretty sure this guy is to blame for a whole lot of slack-jawed, drooling females.

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

I’ll blame it on the fact that Soul Resurrected is written, in edits, and I can’t really torment my characters much, that I feel the need to take it out on all of you.

My diabolical half has, once again, coerced my (otherwise angelic) self into serving up another inbox teaser from the Cover Model Contest.  By now, you know the drill:  a cropped, blurry, pixelated, ripped body—cruel on my part, I know.

I’m certain you haven’t even bothered with my ramblings this time and have scrolled straight for the goods.

For those who haven’t bailed on me yet, thanks for sticking it out.  You have incredible willpower because, yeah, I’d have skipped the first half of this blog post too and zeroed in on what’s really important here.

I’ll keep this brief.  A reminder:

JUNE 10-14   COVER MODEL SPOTLIGHTS (Get to know these guys)

JUNE 14-28TH  THE VOTING BEGINS!!

And just for stopping in to vote, you’ll not only exercise the power to choose my next cover model, I’ll also include you in the acknowledgments of book 2 on a special ‘Contributors’ page AND you’ll score VIP access to nab the book before its released!

I’m still going through all of the entries, as they continue to come in.  Keep in mind, the contest runs until June, meaning there will be lots of perfectly sculpted abs and pecs (and biceps … mmm) to keep my salivary glands in working order.  And lets not forget those lady-killing smiles to go along with them!

Sa-woon!

Oh wait … you guys haven’t seen those yet.  Sorry.  *snicker*

I’ll keep at it though, because I want to give you one kickass cover for the next book.  One you’ll hold in the palm of your hand, biting your lip as you ponder what exactly a washboard stomach tastes like.

All right.  Enough of my blah-blah-blah.  I know what you really want.

Believe me when I say, it hurts to have to mess with these pics.

Here’s today’s teaser:

And if you’re reading this at work, make sure your boss doesn’t catch you licking the screen …

Le sigh.

Somewhere in the world, this body, hidden beneath a perfectly normal t-shirt, is leaving behind a wake of distraction in every female he passes.

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

First though, a little blah blah blah and then I’ll give you what you came here to see.

The entries continue to trickle in for this contest—from all over the world, which is actually pretty cool.  The challenge is weeding through all these entries to find ‘the one’ most aligned with my character from book two.

This is not an easy task.  Sure, it sounds fun as all hell to drool over chiseled bodies and handsome faces.  The fact remains, I’m on a mission to find the most fitting guy for the cover.  And I can’t speak for all writers, of course, but I happen to be one picky biotch when it comes to my muse.  So to have found four suitable candidates is nothing short of a miracle.

I mentioned it before, but here is what I have in mind for this contest:

During the week of JUNE 10^TH – 14^TH, I will be spotlighting the candidates.  This is when you’ll FINALLY get to see their faces in addition to those muscly bods.  (I promise to lock away my inner tease who likes to torment you by blurring and cropping the pics).  They’ll provide more pictures, bios, as well as links where you can like/follow them and get to know who these guys are before you vote.

Voting will commence on JUNE 14^TH and continue through the 28^th.  I’ll be running a giveaway at that time as well, and anyone you bring along with you to vote will increase your chances of winning.  So if you KNOW someone who likes paranormal romance, tell them to check out Soul Avenged to get themselves all cozy and acquainted with this character before the voting begins!  And if your friend pops in to vote, you’ll score a bonus entry into the drawing.

Okay okay.  Enough with the deets.  Let’s move on to the candy, shall we?  You know the deal—cropped, blurred.  Sorry!  I promise you’ll see much more in those spotlights.

I happen to know today is his birthday too, so let’s show him some love.

I give you today’s teaser …

Too bad you can’t see the cute smirk to go along with this pose.

*evil, taunting laugh*

Hot DAYUM.

Oh yes, that’s ink on that muscled bicep!

No doubt, this guy is raising temperatures wherever he goes …

The Cover Model Contest runs until June 7th and YOU will vote on the final guy for the cover.  Book two is Logan’s story.  Want to know more about him?

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

“Nice job.” Gavin’s lips tightened as he nodded. “But I think we’re going to need to up our security. First that little shit who broke in earlier and now this.”

Lifeless, black orbs of the ghoul met Gavin’s stare.

“I’d wanted to avoid this, but I think it’s time to call on Xander.”

The ghoul’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed a mutilated hand down his face. “Ah hell, boss. Sure about that? I mean, with all these ladies you got staying here.”

“We know nothing of these creatures. Xander is a loose cannon, but I know whose side he’s on. Let’s not forget it was a nephilim who armed our trespasser earlier. Until we find the kid, our security is at risk. Time to fight fire with a goddamn blowtorch.”

“Sir, nephilim at least have human motivations. The fallen …”—the ghoul swallowed a harsh gulp—“well they’re worse than demons. No disrespect to ya, boss.”

“I understand. Right now I have two brothers overseas and one out of commission. Having him here will only be temporary.” Gavin pointed at the ghoul. “And you’re still head of security.”

“Yessir.”

“Prepare the others.” Gavin huffed, his gaze trailing over each of the ghouls surrounding him. “This place is about to get shaken and I am not looking forward to sharing the news with Ben. Nothing spells a shitty night on the horizon quite like a pissed off troll.”

Have you read Soul Avenged yet?

Grab your copy here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Here’s how this works:

* Each nominee must answer the 11 questions.
* Create 11 questions for the next nominees to answer.
* Link back to who nominated them.
* Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
* Go to their page and tell them.
* No tag backs!

Okay so first up, my questions from Soo:

What was your first response when you got my email about the Liebster Blog Award?

Um.  What the hell is this?

Name a weird event that has happened due to running a blog. If the answer is no, tell a joke. It must be FUNNY!

I can’t even pull off a written joke, I’m THAT bad.  Okay so, weird event?  Uh, I’ll go both website and blog and I’d have to say the DAILY weird events are the search terms people have used to get to my site.  Some of my faves:

1. Angels and demons having sex
2. Eating out in Keri Lake <<I’ll assume they were looking for the Greek resort here
3. Blindfolded ankles tied with rope  <<curious to know which page they landed on.

Has anything unexpected happened to you by writing a post? If the answer is no, create a haiku about your blog.

Hmmm.  *thinks REALLY hard to keep from having to write a damn haiku*  Oh yeah, here’s one: I was writing teaser posts for my Cover Model Contest, you know, cropping sexy bods and saving the likely candidates into folders.  Later, I ended up having an issue with a work-related account and had to call IT, who accessed my laptop remotely.  He pulled up my recent files and there were all the half-naked men with no heads.  Kinda felt like a perv.

Light saber or magic wand? Defend your answer! =)

Sabers are all about ass kickery.  Wands are for marching band color-guard wannabe wizards.

What is a flaw you would never give up?

I’m incredibly picky about my own writing.  Maybe even a little obsessive I guess.

If you could rid the world of stupid people, would you? Why or why not?

Probably not.  It’d be hard to appreciate the smart ones if all the stupid ones disappeared. Reminders, right?

What three things do you absolutely must have to survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

A recipe for artificial brains, cans of Lysol spray and probably Nerf guns, because c’mon, decaying flesh can’t be all that impenetrable.

Is there a book you regret reading? What was it?

My sister’s diary when we were teenagers.

What do you do when your creative juices dry up and you can’t write anything but ellipses?

Um … well … I guess I … jeez … I dunno … take a break? … Uh … read someone elses’s stuff for a while? … Can’t really … think, ya know?

What is your definition of a white lie?

Practice.

Why did you decide to accept the LBA & participate in the blog meme?

My muse ditched me for a cheap fling with fast fingers and quicker keystrokes.  I had nothing better to do.

Onto the next round of questions from J:

What is your favourite genre to read?

Definitely paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

You’ve just won a competition and the prize is any pair of shoes in the world of your choice. Describe them.

My dream shoes?  Stilettos that feel like I’m wearing Nikes.  Holy hell, I’d wear those suckers while cleaning house, even.

Which fictional character would you most like to meet and why?

I keep thinking this is going to change over time, but it hasn’t.  Rydstrom Woede because there’s something about this demon that gets my fan girl flags waving.  Some serious thigh-clenching going on too.

The zombie apocalypse is upon us. Undead beings are beating at your door, slobbering over your freshly-cleaned patio windows, and you’re barricaded into your living room. Sticking to truth, what’s the most useful item you have to help you swing your way out of this somewhat precarious situation?

Am I the only one who wonders what the big deal is about zombies?  We’re talking the walking dead here, right?  Decaying flesh and all that?  Seems one swift kick would send your foot flying through a rib cage and out its ass.  So I guess a pair of steel-toe boots.

I’ll never understand why mashed potato is considered a signature dish for a certain chicken restaurant in the US, so if you couldn’t have both, but had to choose, which way would you swing? Chicken or mash?

I actually LOVE mashed potatoes.  Besides, lots of things taste like chicken anyway.  Not like I’d miss it.

What is your most favourite accent in the world *cough* British *cough*?

What’s Gerard Butler’s accent again?

If you could visit any fictional land (created world/situation/etc) from any book of your choosing, which world/situation would choose to play witness to and why?

I’d like to be a patient in the UGH.  Hot demon docs taking care of me?  Yeah uh, sign me up!

Slippers or socks? No, they’re NOT the same!

Socks.

Favourite James Bond actor? Why, what’s so special about him, then?

Hands down, Sean Connery.  The accent, the sex appeal.

Best (in your opinion) special effects for a werewolf film to date? (to the US folk out there, film = movie. )

Honestly, much as they are a guilty pleasure, I cannot take Twilight films seriously.  I think I do more laughing than anything else.  And the transformations in True Blood, though sexy when they involve Alcide stripping down, do nothing for me.  I gotta go with An American Werewolf In London.  That transformation scared the hell out of me when I was younger.  Still the best in my opinion:

And last but not least: Head into your mobile (mobile = cell phone *snicker*) scroll through your ‘favourites’ list of numbers, find the number that you dial the most … Who is it? Can I have their number? ‘Cause they must be pretty cool if you ring them all the while, right?

Most dialed number is hubs.

And now here’s my 11 questions for the nominees:

1. Well, it turns out that your good-for-nothing fairy godmother actually came through with a spell that works.  The next book you read will become your reality.  That’s right, you’ll be transported from your current existence, straight into the book.  The question is, which book do you pick up next?
2. Your crazy uncle has finally done it … he’s built a time machine that he’s pretty sure is going to work, though he hasn’t actually tested it yet.  On humans, anyway.  You’re asked to be his guinea pig.  Knowing there’s a good chance you might not come back from this trip, to which period would you like to travel back in time?
3. While showing off your old cheerleading moves at an outdoor keg party, you lose your balance doing a herkie and land on a patch of ice, knocking your head pretty hard.  Your doc declares you out of sorts and writes you a note to excuse any behaviors deemed ‘temporarily insane’.  What’s at the top of your havoc-wreaking agenda for the day?
4. What’s your favorite supernatural?
5. If you were stranded on an island and had the choice between a hot guy or a REALLY good book with a smokin’ hot alpha, what would you choose?
6. First date attire:  jeans and t-shirt or a dress?
7. It so happens you’ve got some mad guitar skills.  You decide to form a band.  What’s the name of your band?
8. After months of floating alone through space, you land on a planet that makes our tropical paradises here on Earth look like the slums.  Even more exciting than that, the only beings on the planet are men.  But that’s not even the cake … every one of them are book boyfriends from the many romance novels you’ve read the last few months in your cramped spaceship cabin.  Okay, sure, maybe you’ve lost your mind, but that’s irrelevant.  The important question here is:  who’s gonna be your leading man on this crazy planet?
9. If you could be any badass female from any book or movie who would you be and why?
10. Describe yourself in three words.
11. The supes are at war with each other and as one of few humans remaining you’re forced to take a side.  Which supe is more likely to come out on top and why?  Demons, werewolves, vampires or witches?

I know this thing has gone around the net quite a bit, so I’ll pick a few of my favorite bloggers and leave the other 5 or so open to anyone who’d like to participate!

Candice Bundy

Krista Walsh

Narcisse Navarre

KL Schwengel

Kelly Said

Raelyn Barclay

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!

Well, in spite of the 2 hour meeting I have to look forward to later and a LONG day ahead of me, you guys managed to make my Monday pretty damn sweet.  Not only do I get to give something away (always fun!!), I get to add some hot new faces to my Eye Candy Board on Pinterest.  Yum.  Nice picks, ladies!

The winners for the Giveaway (also listed on the Rafflecopter below) are:

Linda L

Tammy D.

Congrats!!  I’ll be emailing you for shipping addresses and other details.  Thanks for making my Monday rock!

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

There’s just something about Mondays … ugh.  It’s that whole beginning of the week thing that has me dragging through my morning routine.  Well, I decided to do something about it, because for once, I’d like to say my Monday rocked!!

I have been running a few giveaways here and there on other blogs, but it’s been a LONG time since I offered up a giveaway on my own.

So here’s the deal …

I’m going to give away TWO signed copies of Soul Avenged and Sons of Wrath t-shirts to go along with them!

Answer the question below and enter to win via the Rafflecopter:

Pretend there was this novel about, oh I dunno, a bunch of sexy, brawny alpha demons who deal in vengeance.  And by some stroke of luck (that leaves the author of said book hyperventilating with excitement), it’s made into a movie.  Who would you cast as four of the demons?

They don’t have to be MY four demons, mind you.

Just pick four hotties that you’d love to see in one movie together in the comments below.

This contest will run until Monday, April 29^th, because Mondays usually suck and I need something to look forward to, right?

So give me some sexy picks and a reason to wake up all chipper and stuff:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

• TODAY I’m visiting Romancing the Dark Side for a Blogaversary celebration!  I’ll be giving away a signed copy of Soul Avenged PLUS I haz provided the lovely Lori with a deleted scene from Sons of Wrath #2!   All I’ll say is, there’s a mechanical bull and some cowboys.  So be sure to stop by and check it out …

• Mark your calendars, ladies!!  Beginning June 10^th – 14^th I will begin spotlighting the contestants for the Cover Model Contest!!  You’ll get to see their handsome faces, learn a little bit about them and check out additional pics of those sexy bods.

I’ve had a number of bloggers sign up to help spread the word about the contest and I hope you’ll do the same!  I mean, how often do you get to choose the cover model for a book???  Tell your friends, family, hairdresser, grocery store clerk, coffee barista … anyone you can drag in off the street!

And if staring at muscled bods and voting for your favorite hottie isn’t fun enough, I’ll also have a sweet little giveaway for the occasion.  So go, go!  Spread the word!

• Voting begins on June 14^th and runs through June 28^th.   Get your trigger finger warmed up and ready to rock.

• Finally, for anyone who might be interested in some Sons of Wrath merchandise (t-shirts, pajamas, underwear, mugs, iPhone cases, etc) I’ll be opening the Official Sons of Wrath store right here on my website this summer.

Now, on to the rest of my update:

Oh man, it’s been a long time since I’ve been ‘under the weather’, but it’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve been knocked the hell out by a bout of what I’m convinced is just a simple cold that got out of control.  The upside?  I’ve had some good sleep after taking Sudafed the last couple of days.  Even awake, I remained kinda half asleep.

The downside?  I didn’t get as many words down on the page as I’d hoped this weekend.  Boo.  This is why I hate getting sick.

I did tighten up a few spots though, which means when I do another editing pass, I’ll have less to edit.  It absolutely baffles me the way some writers can crank out anywhere from six to ten books a year.  Sure I can write a shell of the book in about a month, but its nothing more than dialogue for the most part.  I’ll then sweep over it a number of times adding layers.  I like to make sure all the details are tight and since I’m world building here, it has to be logical too.  There’d be so many holes in the story if I didn’t take the time needed to fill them.

I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say that I’m very excited about Sons of Wrath two for a number of reasons—one of which—this is the first time that I’ve actually designed my very own viral-like organism.  All those years of science, finally put to good use.  Ha!

Now don’t worry, this book isn’t going to go all sci-fi or anything.  It’s paranormal romance (maybe even a little romantica this time) and I promise there won’t be any big technical terms like you’ve just opened up a microbiology textbook.  I let the outward progression of disease do more explanation than what happens at the cellular level.  This was not in the first couple drafts of the story, so I’ve had to weave it throughout.

Book two is going to have a lot more steam than Soul Avenged and a lot more sexual tension between the characters.  Hehe.  It’s Logan’s book, after all—broody, I–need-a-woman–like-I-need-a-knife-through-my-heart, Logan.  So ya know, with me being the cruel master that I am, he’s just begging for a whole lot of sexy female time.

Awww, poor baby!

I gotta say, I listened to this song for Soul Avenged, but it’s WAY more fitting for this book.  In fact, I’m officially calling this my ‘Sexy Logan’ song since I have to play this while writing the love scenes between my tortured brooder and his leading lady.

As I mentioned throughout the Soul Avenged blog tour, the future books will be all about the brothers.  I’ll be giving you more insight into each character.

And … you’ll get to meet some new characters too!!  Whoohoo!  I’m pretty excited about that!

So once I am finished tightening up those details, making sure it all sounds logical, I’m going to go back and do editing sweeps.  I’ve designated a few ENTIRE days of nothing more than editing.  –bring on the coffee and candy- I’ll then pass this off to my beta readers.

If timed right, this will all come together right around the same time that the cover is finished and ready for reveal.  Which means?  Book two will be here soon.  Very.  Soon.

I couldn’t be happier because last week I wrote the opening scene for book three and I’ve been champing at the bit to get started!  Man, it’s torture not being allowed to jump right into the next one.  I’ll keep it in check though—I want Book 2 finished and in your hands ASAP.

Stay tuned!  Lots coming up!

Have you read Soul Avenged yet?

Grab your copy here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Something fun.  Something sexy.  Something exclusive.

I’ll admit, I’m one of the nags who’s asked her time and again, ‘So what exactly does Sean look like through your eyes?’

Just goes to show ya … ask a million times and ye shall receive!

Now I am a HUGE fan of this author’s work and so to finally get to meet one of the hotties I’ve been reading about for a while is well …

(Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/excited%20gif )

So I’m going to pass this post on to Ms. J, because the sooner I shut my mouth, the sooner we’ll all FINALLY get to see Sean Holloway!!

Oh yeah!!

Wanna (FINALLY) See Sean Holloway?

Putting a face to a name is a toughie for me. Even more so when I’ve been asked since Darkness & Light was published, ‘How do you picture Sean?’ or, ‘If you had to cast him, which actor would you choose?’

I get asked this a lot in interviews, too. And I’m always stumped. Always!

Because when I write a character, I know who they are, but other than a list of physical attributes, I often have no diggety dang idea what they actually look like as a complete package. I’m more about the presence and personality of a character. But then, I’m like that when I’m reading, too. Ask me what a character is like at the end of reading a book, and I can easily list a few quirks and ‘ways’ of theirs. Ask me what they looked like, however, and I’m hard pressed to do so.

So, for that reason, I’ve never (BEFORE) been able to give you guys a visual on this main Holloway Pack male.

But that is all about to change.

Yup.

You see, a couple months ago, I, by happenstance, stumbled across an image of a somewhat hunky male on the Internet, whereupon I literally threw up my hands and muttered, “My God, that’s Sean Holloway!”

Seriously.

I’ve found him!

And now I’m going to share him with you.

*nods head*

PLUS, to help you along, I’ve even included some Random Resonance One-Liners aaaaaaalll his own.

Here you go:

So … whatcha think? He anything like you’d think he would be?

(Hot dude’s name is Aaron O’Connell, btw. Here’s his Twitter Handle. You’re welcome.)

*wipes drool* I’m sorry … did you ask me something J?  *adds Twitter handle onto Tweeps to Stalk list*  And there you have him, folks! The sexy Sean Holloway … *~*~showering*~*~

Pick up a copy of Resonance:

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

GOODREADS

Yeah, I’m feeling that right now … so I decided to channel this mischievous energy and torment all of you with another teaser for my Cover Model Contest.  haha!

I’m telling you, somewhere deep inside of me is a dark and deranged scientist just itching to escape and raise some hell…

After all, it takes a twisted mind to morph a perfectly good photo of a muscled body into a maddeningly blurred version of the original.

Who does that?!

Only a crazy person.

But in my defense–again–can’t show off these tasty mancandy treats until the day of the contest, so you’ll just have to salivate over what little bits and pieces I can offer until then.

I promise you’ll not be disappointed when it comes time to vote.  I’ve been toiling away, hand-selecting the finalists from over 100 entries that I’ve received over the last couple of weeks.  And they keep trickling in!  Remember, this contest runs until June, people!

*sigh*

Say what you will, its NOT easy picking through images of half-naked men whose pecs and abs look like they were chiseled to perfection by an old master.

Anyway, I know you didn’t come here today to read my ramblings, so I’ll just cut it short and show you the goods.

Go ahead … brush your fingers across the screen.

It’s okay to touch.  *snicker*

Imagine these abs cloaked behind the white button-down shirt and tie, sitting across from you at the next Board meeting.

Le purrr …

That visual ought to make even the most painful three-hour meeting a little more tolerable (if not downright exciting).  Just make sure the object of your ogling doesn’t catch you sitting there biting your lip the whole time.

Although, maybe that’s not such a bad thing, come to think of it.

(Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/lip%20biting%20gif )

*raises coffee cup*  Cheers!

The Cover Model Contest runs until June 7th, after which, I’ll be narrowing down the contestants and YOU will vote on the final guy for the cover.  Book two is Logan’s story.  Want to know more about him?

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

Amazon (Kindle) |  Amazon (Print)  |  Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Okay I’m going to keep this post short this week.  Just wanted to take a moment to share a first experience for me:  vlogging.  I know for many, it’s not a big deal–sitting in front of a camera with no one around and chatting is just a natural thing for some people.  For me though, it’s absolutely frightening.

But I’m all about facing fears, so here goes …

This is a vlog that I was asked to prepare and discuss the characters of Soul Avenged, but since there was a bit of a mix-up, I’m just gonna give you a sneak peek.  I can now cross vlogging off the list …

Next up on that list of to-dos?  Jumping out of an airplane.