ANNOUNCING BACKFIRE!

I have some news to share for my contemporary readers.

Remember I said that Ricochet was going to be a standalone novel?

Well it is. 

At this time, I don’t have any plans to build a series around Nick & Aubree.  That’s not to say I wouldn’t consider a small spin off novella, perhaps an epilogue down the road if readers want more of these two, but at this point, Nicks’s story feels complete to me, so I’m leaving it alone.

HOWEVER …

I’m not done with this particular world yet.  See, as I was writing Ricochet, another storyline was snaking it’s way into my brain—another character, representing the not-so-innocent fraction of the population affected by The Culling sweeps. His story is going to be about betrayal and vengeance, and of course, love (and lust!). The book runs somewhat parallel to Nick’s, showing the other side of what happens on Devil’s Night to those considered enemies of the ruthless Seven Mile Crew.

The male MC is a tortured antihero, an unlikely hero—a man with a bad ass temper and a death wish.  Like many of the alphas I write, he walks the line between good and bad, savior and annihilator.   Merciless and unapologetic. And now fueled by revenge.

You’ll see some familiar characters—DeMarcus Corley, Rev, Brandon Malone—but for the most part, it’ll be a whole new story with a whole new couple and some new characters thrown in.  It is a romance, in fact, a very raw and powerful love story, amid the darkness and violence.

This book is titled Backfire and you can ADD IT TO GOODREADS!

Backfire will be a companion novel to Ricochet, as part of my Vigilantes set.  It'll be a standalone, and my intent is to write it so that a reader can pick up either book in the set, without feeling confused as to what's going on.

I’ll be working with a very talented cover designer and I’m looking forward to sharing the face of this book with all of you once it’s ready!

I’m also working on Book 4 for my PNR series, Sons of Wrath, so I suspect the release date for Backfire is going to be spring 2016.

More to come so stay tuned!

 

 

 

RICOCHET - New Update!

*Crawls out of writing cave and covers eyes to block the blinding sunlight* Holy hell.

About two weeks ago, my very first beta reader—the ONLY woman in the world brave enough to read my first drafts—sent back some changes for Ricochet.  A few of them were total rewrites for me.  But instead wallowing in misery and drowning myself in alcohol, I tightened the cuffs chaining me to the computer and prepared to buckle down for what would ultimately be one hell of a rough ride.  Call me a masochist, but I love brutally honest feedback.  Love a challenge.  Whatever it takes to make this sucker shine.  I had one week to get this bastard cleaned up, and that was in the thick of the day job and a few family-related events. 

My muse likes to toy with me when there’s a deadline looming overhead.  He likes to hold back and taunt me, feeding me bits and pieces of the story at a time.  Unfortunately for him, I didn't have the time to f**k around.

Within a week, I finished the edits and sent the manuscript to both my editor and a few betas.

I’m floored at the speed my betas have gotten back to me.  This book is longer than I’d originally planned – I know, stupid for me to ‘plan’ a short book, right?  So I kind of expected a couple of weeks before I’d hear back from them.

Definitely not THE VERY NEXT DAY.

One of my betas read the book in two sittings!!

Another beta has already posted a very early review based on her read-through and created some fantastic little teasers to go along with it!  Check out her spoiler-free review here, and be sure to add Ricochet to your TBR list:

“This book is what would result if The Punisher and V for Vendetta ever had a baby.”  READ MORE

So what’s next?

Well I have a few minor tweaks to make and it’ll be with the editor for the next few weeks.

Once she’s finished, it’ll go on to formatting and be available on NetGalley.  I have a list of bloggers who’ll be approved for the ARC.

I cannot wait to share Nick’s story with all of you!  So exciting!  Stay tuned for more updates!

 

Writing Progress

It occurred to me that I haven’t posted any sort of progress here in some time.  Let me assure you—silence is a good thing.  When you don’t hear from me for a long stretch of time, it’s because every free second that I’m not at the day job or hanging out with the family, is spent writing.  Some of the bigger challenges I’m facing with this book are: keeping it under 400 pages, and trying not to slip into too much darkness.  Though, to be honest, I fully subscribe to one of Ricochet's quotes, when my hero, Nick, says (unedited):

I totally accept that I’m probably borderline psychotic when it comes to protecting those I love, so in my mind, the violence and gore that my head wants to write for this story is justified.  Anything less just doesn’t seem like enough punishment for what happened to my MC and his family.

But I’ll do my best to keep it lighter than what my muse insists would make a better story.

So that’s where I’m at right now—busting my butt to try to get this book out as quickly as I can.  You know me though, if I’m not happy with the end result, I won’t release it until I am.

I’ll try to update as much as I can along the way, but I’ve become VERY greedy about my writing time.  As much as I really want to tell you how things are going, I also want to deliver all these stories bouncing around inside my head.

Hope you’re all having a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaser Tenth Excerpt

I'm a little late posting this.  TeaserTenth is a monthly meme for writers to showcase their published works and WIPs.  You can click on the image to the right and check out other participating authors! I'm busy writing Ricochet at the moment, and just released Soul Enslaved on December 5th.

For this month's Teaser Tenth, I'll be sharing a small excerpt from Soul Enslaved.  It's a little over 10 lines, but y'all know I don't know when to quit, so that's to be expected, I suppose.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gavin kept his back turned. “Sabelle, I’m going to need you to do something for me tonight.”

“Clean up the horrendous mess you’re making?” She belted out a laugh in hopes of reviving their playful banter. “You’re a good cook but kind of a crappy housekeeper. Just sayin’.” Alcohol had definitely kicked in.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a grin. “No.” He cleared his throat. “I’m going to need you to chain me to the bed.”

Sabelle blinked, trying to comprehend what the hell he’d just said. “Come again?”

 

 

 

 

Updates & Announcements!

I have a couple of announcements and then some quick updates regarding Soul Enslaved and Ricochet. First, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I must regrettably cancel my appearance at the signing in San Francisco.  I’m incredibly disappointed as I’d hoped to meet some of you, as well as some of the amazing authors and of course, Nadine—the very gracious host for this event.

Second, for those who may have missed it earlier in the week, I announced on my FB page that I will be pushing the release of Soul Enslaved back a couple of weeks as I work through some changes that have affected the entire storyline.

The original release date was scheduled for November 6th and given the length of this book, simply wouldn’t allow enough time to address the pieces of the story affected by this minor change.

So when is the release date for Soul Enslaved?

I’m looking at Friday, December 5th.  I'll post again soon, confirming the date.

My apologies for having to prolong the wait, but I cannot publish something that I’m not completely satisfied with.  These edits have strengthened the story and I have to say, my goal for each book is to write a better story than the last—Soul Enslaved is, by far, my favorite in the series.

I mentioned in an earlier post, that there will NOT be a blog tour for the release of Soul Enslaved.  With the holidays coming up and the number of projects I currently have going, I’d like to channel my energy into the writing.

HOWEVER.

I am doing a book blast on release day and could use your help spreading the word!  Not just bloggers – readers too!  For a VERY limited time, Soul Enslaved is going to be 99 cents.  A percent of sales will be donated to two organizations that help kids stay off the streets.

To join in on the blast, just click on the link below, fill out the form and I’ll contact you two days before the book’s release!

SOUL ENSLAVED BOOK BLAST SIGN UP

Additionally, there WILL be a rafflecopter with some awesome prizes that I’ll be giving away, including a limited edition print, signed by sexy cover model, Daniel Sobieray!

Soul Enslaved is with the editor right now, and I'll be handing this baby off to some beta readers very soon--like, next week, soon.

With Soul Enslaved written and out of my hands, I'll be shifting gears and working to get Ricochet out to readers as quickly as I can!  I've gotten a number of emails asking who that gorgeous face is on the cover.  That chiseled perfection belongs to British model, Chris Williamson.

Go add the book to your Goodreads shelf!

NEWS ABOUT SOUL AVENGED!

I’ve got some prrreeeetty exciting news about Soul Avenged ... It’s about to get a makeover.

That’s right, to keep the look of the series consistent, I’m having the cover redesigned by my favorite Cali photographer, David Wagner, who has designed not only Soul Resurrected but will be designing Soul Enslaved as well.

All of the content in Soul Avenged will remain the same so if you have an older version of the book, no worries, the story will not change.

Only the face.

And speaking of faces …

Ayden is going to have a new look as well!

Meet Carla Coates (Carla Harvey as I knew her).

click to enlarge image:

Not only has she worked as an entertainment reporter for the Playboy Channel with a variety of roles in film and TV, and published a comic book that premiered at Comic Con 2011 - (yes, she's an insanely talented artist), she’s also the lead singer of the Butcher Babies AND a former classmate of mine.  Originally from Detroit, Carla moved out to L.A. to pursue her dreams of music and mayhem, proving that you CAN make a living doing what you love.

With all this going on, including an international tour that will have her on the road most of this year, I was a little nervous to ask if she’d like to be the fresh new face of Soul Avenged.  After all, Carla and her co-singer, Heidi, were dubbed the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock by Revolver Magazine.  She's a hot ticket right now and her fan base keeps growing.  Which ... ahem ... includes me if you care to take a gander at my writing playlists.  I saw her band play last year at The Machine Shop and holy hell they put on one badass show!

(pssst!  Check it out:  Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock )

I was pretty damn thrilled when she said she'd love to!

Carla easily has Ayden’s badass, lycan-slaying, take no shit look.  And I am so excited to feature a Detroit native, the city where the series is set.

So, the deets still need to be worked out, but the photo shoot will happen sometime after Soul Enslaved.  And … for those attending the San Francisco signing next summer, I’ll have a gorgeous batch of books to sign!

 

 

Voting Has Begun!!

First round voting is under way!!

Yesterday kicked off the Cover Model Contest for SOUL ENSLAVED (Gavin’s book).

I’m letting readers select the best candidate from the four smokin’ hotties I’ve narrowed down by some miracle of the gods.

Phew!  Votes are pouring in and I must say, this is getting pretty.  damn.  exciting!!

It’s a good mix at this point, though I refuse to TOUCH these until it’s time to determine the winner.

Email subscribers will get to choose the TWO finalists that everyone will have a chance to vote on (beginning MARCH 6TH-9TH, 2014).

Wanna see all FOUR sexy candidates and choose YOUR favorites before the first round voting ends on March 2nd???

Head on over to THE VOTING BOOTH!

Not signed up for the VIP Email list?  No problem!  Sign up here then get ready to join the fun!!

SOUL RESURRECTED BLOG TOUR BEGINS!

Not only is it Humpday—which means I have a delightfully long staff meeting to look forward to later this morning—but it’s also the start of the

SOUL RESURRECTED BLOG TOUR!!!

A number of very awesome bloggers have signed up to help me spread the word about the series!

These are fun and knowledgeable folks, well-read in the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres.  If you like dark fiction, sign up to their blogs because they have a keen eye for good books and can steer you in the right direction.

I frequently visit their blogs when I’m hunting down a new read.

In case you missed my launch day post, here is what I’ll be giving away during the blog tour:

Gift cards, books, bookmarks, totes, t-shirts and a limited edition print signed by the smokin’ hot cover model, Julian Christian!

 

All you have to do is hop from blog to blog and check out what’s going on!  Spread the word about Soul Resurrected and increase your chances of winning!

On December 12th, I’m going to be over at Bitten By Books, answering all your questions about the Wrath brothers, the series, and whatever crazy stuff you wanna talk about.  Grab your drink of choice and be sure to stop by to say hello!  This was a lot of fun with Soul Avenged’s release and I look forward to hanging with you guys again!  Plus you’ll have a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Also …

With the start of the blog tour, I’m also kicking off the Scavenger Hunt today!

Go to the Scavenger Hunt page and just like you're filling out brackets for March Madness, you’ll print off the answer sheet.  Keep it handy!  Hop from blog to participating blog throughout the tour and record your responses to each question.

At the end of the tour, on December 11th, I’ll be activating the Response Submission Form right on the scavenger hunt page.

NOTE:  In order to avoid confusion, all responses will be submitted in one shot.  Response Submission form will NOT be activated until December 11th.

What’s the prize for this?

That, my friends, is a mystery … all I can say is, I’ve made it extra special just for you.

I want to thank everyone for picking up a copy of Soul Resurrected and enormous thanks for taking the time to leave a review.  I’m not much of a reviewer, but I have written a few here and there and I know that a lot of time goes into writing them.  Add the awesome pics and gifs that readers add to personalize their reviews and I’m certain it amounts to hours for many bloggers.

I want you to know, I appreciate your time.

If you haven't yet grabbed a copy of

Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2), find it here:

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

You can read some of the reviews for the book here:  GOODREADS REVIEWS

Oh!  And be SURE to check out the Special Contributors Page in the back of Soul Resurrected!  If you indicated that you WANTED to be included on this page (on the voting form during the Cover Model Contest), you’ll find your name listed there!!

Now go, go, go!  Get to winning some stuff!!

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) here:

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

Grab a copy of Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2) here:

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

 

SOUL RESURRECTED EXCERPT

Based on a request from one of my lovely readers, I haz decided to share an excerpt from Soul Resurrected.

The book releases October 31, 2013.

In the meantime you can add it to your Goodreads shelf:

ADD TO GOODREADS

Enjoy!

Excerpt:

Wearing only her nightclothes, she left the room and walked the quiet halls toward the Wreck Room she’d learned of, where the demons worked out.

Light bled through the cracks in the door as she pushed it open, but Calla halted as she stepped inside.

Logan stood before a sparring dummy—punching, kicking, until it knocked over.

He picked his silent opponent up off the floor and went at it again, grunting with each powerful punch that had the thing shimmying like a dashboard hula girl.

Sweat glistened across his skin as his muscles flexed with each movement—every hit executed flawlessly. A black ball cap, turned backward, hid his short cropped hair, above the black wife beater and warm up pants he wore.

Consumed by the contraction of his muscles and the precision of every hit, Calla’s fascination stole away her earlier anger.

The guy had a way of making a girl forget how much of an asshole he could be—or anything else for that matter.

What the hell had she gone there for?

As if he’d heard her thoughts, he stopped abruptly, mid-swing, and turned around.

Those brown eyes narrowed on her and his lip curled. “What are you doing here?” He faced-off with the dummy again. “Leave.”

Discomfort flooded her insides, turning her muscles stiff “I … I was just …” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

He accosted her faster than she could blink.

She backed herself all the way up to the wall. Her heart thrummed, pulse racing, as he boxed her in with his arms.

Chest heaving, his eyes radiated fury as they flickered red, emitting waves of authority that begged for her to look away. “Sorry for what, exactly? For getting me stabbed? Having my brother enslaved by a fucking succubus? Or do you mean you’re sorry for getting my other brother kidnapped by a goddamn psychopathic demon hunter?”

Tingles danced along the rims of her eyes and for all the effort of holding them back, tears spilled onto her cheek. Damn him.

Logan smirked and shook his head.

God, she wanted to claw his eyes out for it, as her sadness quickly turned into something primal, lodging deep within her gut, that couldn’t’ve given a damn that the male boasted three times her strength. “You’re a bastard, you know that?”

His jaw clenched. “What did you just say?”

“I’ve met a lot of repulsive creatures in the last few years, but you’re by far the worst of them all.” She swiped at her nose. “You hate me. I get it. So why don’t you cut the crap? You want me to leave? Fine. Happy to.”

She pushed herself off the wall but was thrown back against it, the collision knocking a small bit of wind out of her lungs and forcing a cough.

Like missiles warning fire, Logan’s massive arms replanted either side of her head, his face so close his breath hit her. Red flickered in his eyes. “You’re right. I’m the worst.” He inhaled a deep breath through his nose and spoke on the exhale. “Do you know what humans are to a Wrath? Blood in the water. Like sharks, we wait in hiding for that one moment when no one’s around. You’re all alone. Vulnerable.” His pelvic bone thrust against her. “A ripe fruit. Ready to be eaten.”

A cinnamon scent drifted past her, and weakness in her knees beckoned her to collapse. Her sex ached for him to grind against her again. She licked her lips. Touch me, she wanted to say to him, as if one single caress of his finger across her skin would take away the overwhelming need to be screwed right where she stood.

For some reason, she suddenly didn’t care who’d stroll in and see them.

The more the merrier.

His eyes met hers again, and as if lust took physical form, his lids seemed heavier, his lips so kissable they taunted the distance between them. “You’ll fall prey to my pheromones.”

That voice, so deep and powerful, tickled her stomach and she wanted to laugh at the thrill washing through her insides.

Fangs protruded from his lip and Calla wondered what it’d be like to feel them at her throat. “See, I don’t even have to try to make you want me. You’d let me fuck you right here against the wall if I wanted.”

Fuck. The word echoed in her head, and her body broke out in sweat. She bit her lip as visions of the raunchiest sexual experience she’d ever witnessed passed through her mind.

Every one of them starring Logan.

 

Oooh!  That's it ... but only a month to go and you'll have the whole thing!

Also, for those of you who may have missed it, check this out:

These would be the LIMITED EDITION prints of the cover that I'll be giving away during the Soul Resurrected Blog Tour (NOVEMBER 6-DECEMBER 6) signed by the very sexy Julian Christian.

Wanna know how you can win one?

Follow the tour!  This is one of many prizes you could score if you stop in on the participating blogs.

Upcoming Events n Stuff

It’s September. Sep

Tem

Ber.

Where the hell did this summer go??

A minute ago I was celebrating 4th of July with the fam, hanging out in the pool all day long and now I’m drinking pumpkin spice latte while my TV flips back and forth to all the football games!

I can’t complain though.  It means I’m that much closer to the release of Soul Resurrected. 

OCTOBER 31ST, 2013

That’s right … the kiddies won’t be the only ones scoring a Halloween treat.

The blog tour for Soul Resurrected will follow and run from November 6th through December 6th.

I’ve got some mad love for all the bloggers too because nearly every open slot is filled.  It’s going to be a full calendar of fun!

Know why?  Know why?

I’m sending you off on a scavenger hunt!

That’s right …

In addition to some awesome prizes that I’ll be giving away via Rafflecopter, one lucky winner’s gonna score a MYSTERY PRIZE.  I’ve been putting together some cool stuff to give away for the tour.  Be sure to get caught up on your reading!

More details to come so sit tight!

STARTING SEPTEMBER 15TH ….

Mark your calendars because the Night Owl Review’s Halloween Scavenger Hunt begins!  Participating authors are giving away pretty awesome prizes!!  I’m giving away some Sons of Wrath Love.  So be SURE to come back for that.

I’ll have an announcement post but see that Halloween graphic on the side bar? >>>  click on that and it’ll take you right to the hunt.

I’ll also be participating in the All Hallows Eve event hosted by Book Chick City.  This begins October 1st and runs through the 31st.

Lots of stuff coming up …

You see why I’ve been MIA?  Sheesh!  I can hardly keep my head straight.

In addition to that, Soul Enslaved is underway!  And that means another Cover Model Contest is right around the corner!

Poor me … I’ll have to weed through muscles and cute smiles again.    *sigh* how ever will I get through the day?

Man, Gavin’s gonna be a tough one too … perhaps the model gods will drop a smooth and sexy alpha right into my lap.  *bites lip and prays*

I’ve teased out some of his backstory and this one’s going to be hard to write.  The guy's gone through a whole lot of hell.  Little out of my comfort zone, but hey, ya gotta push yourself, right?

Finally, for those of you interested in the audiobook version of Soul Avenged, I’ve received lots of auditions and I think I may have found the voice to handle all these crazy ass demons.  I’ll keep you posted on this as well.

Okay, quick recap:

  • September 15th:  Night Owl Review Halloween Scavenger Hunt begins
  • October 1st:  Book Chick City’s All Hallow’s Eve Event begins
  • October 31st:  SOUL RESURRECTED RELEASES!!!  <<Are you ready for this??
  • November 6th-December 6th:  Soul Resurrected Blog Tour

Wishing all of you a fandamntabulous week!

 

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged (Sons of Wrath, #1) here:

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

 

 

 

 

 

Soul Resurrected Update!!

Whoa!  Just noticing that it’s been two weeks since I last blogged! Good reason for that though.

It’s been a preeeeeeeetty busy start to July!  First, the cover model results … did y’all see those?  If not, go take a peek because it’s worth looking at the winner’s photo one more time even if you have seen the results:

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Julian is so … le sigh.

He makes one very sexy muse for this character.  A great pick for the cover.

Okay so that’s one reason why I haven’t been blogging the last couple of weeks, but I’ll get to that in a sec.

Last week was my sister’s bachelorette party and I celebrated with her, friends and family down in Detroit.

Check out the bride-to-be:

 My other sister was also in town and I was VERY excited to hang out with her at my nephew’s birthday party:

 Miss her ❤

So that was my busy weekend with the family.

Going back to the book cover …

Julian’s photo shoot was last Sunday and let me tell you, in the thick of prepping Soul Resurrected for beta readers, I found myself slipping in and out of focus.

So.  Distracted.

Especially when photographer, David Wagner, sent me some images of Julian at the beginning of the shoot.

Holy Hella Hotness.

This cover is going to rock ... so frickin' excited!!

Yeah so much as I tried to concentrate after that, visions of chiseled abs and pecs mercilessly danced through my head.

Then there were the 300 or so additional images that David sent later in the evening that left me … totally done.  Like don't talk or look at me because my eyes are glued to the computer screen for the next hour done.

Good God.  I have no idea how I’m going to narrow it down to one pick.

By some miracle though, I did eventually finish up the final edits to Soul Resurrected and it’s in the hands of some very badass betas with sharp pens.  I hope they tear the everloving shit out of that thing and leave me with a ravaged, bloody mess.

So what’s next??

Well, I’m going to be opening the Official Sons of Wrath Store.

And …

I promised to put together a page for all the handsome faces I’ve stumbled upon during the Cover Model Contest.  So these two will be my focus for the next week while I try not to obsess over the fact that quite a few people are reading my book right now.

*breathes into paper bag*

David and I are choosing the final image for the cover and I’ll be scheduling the Cover Reveal VERY soon!!!

After that, I’ll be putting together some fun stuff for the Soul Resurrected Blog Tour.  Might do something a little different this time … I’ve got some crazy ass ideas floating around my head for that.

OH!!  And remember the sexy Italian model that I chose for Calix's cover?  I'm going to give you guys a little sneak peek of him too!!

I’m also going to be treating August as sort of a NaNo month and will be busting my butt to write Soul Enslaved (Gavin’s book).

All you Gavin fans will be pleased to know that the search for his cover model will begin soon!!

Phew!  Lots coming up ...

But I’m curious to know how YOU guys see Gavin … anyone come to mind when you think of this character?  Actors, musicians, your local Starbucks barista???  This will help me in the narrowing down sexy candidates process.  Not that I'm complaining, but it's not an easy job, ya know?  i kinda want to scoop all of them up and make a big sexy alpha sandwich for the cover.  So give me some input!!

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

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

 

What's New? Soul Resurrected Update

First, I want to thank the many readers who picked up a copy of Soul Avenged while it was 99 cents!  Hope you enjoy the read! Recently I was tagged by the lovely Krista Walsh to participate in this little Q&A about current projects that’s been circulating the blogosphere.  I’m actually pretty excited because I get to chat about my upcoming release, Soul Resurrected, due out sometime in October.

And so on to the questions …

What are you working on right now?

Well, on a non-writing topic, I’m running a cover model contest for book 2 and asking my readers to choose the face of my character, Logan.  That begins June 14th and I’m REALLY excited about it.  I’m also opening the Sons of Wrath store in a couple of weeks too.  As far as WiP’s, I’m working on edits to Soul Resurrected, the second book in my Sons of Wrath series.  And if I keep to Krista’s format with this, then I get to share a snippet from the book!  Yay!

Here’s a short scene from book 2 with Calla and Logan:

“Draven killed my brother.  I intend to kill Draven.”

“You referring to the little prick that stabbed me? He’s my kill.”

“My kill.  My kill,” she mocked.  “You sound like some kind of prehistoric hit man.”

Logan’s cheek dimpled as if he tried to subdue a smile.  “Let’s just say that I let you have a go at him—”

“Let me?”  She leaned back against the window and crossed her arms.  “What makes you think I’m asking your permission first?  I get a kill shot, I’m taking it.”

His once-over, tits to legs, followed by a lick of his lips had her squirming on the inside.

“You’re fucking cute as hell when you’re feisty.”  His gaze swung toward the road then back on her.

Warmth tingled in her cheeks at the same time her stomach fluttered like she’d ingested a brawling swarm of butterflies.  She snapped her head to the side, diverting her attention toward the window, hoping he didn’t catch the sudden flush.

“What would you do?  If he was yours to kill.  How would you do it?”

She glanced back and frowned.  “Why are you asking me this?”

“I’m a demon.  A sick fuck.  This shit turns me on.”

“He’s the reason my brother is dead.”  Calla twisted to face him again, her jaw tight as she spoke, “Jake suffered a slow and painful death.  So will Draven.”

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

I think a unique element of this series is the violence and gore.  It’s a dark world with a variety of supernaturals, and humans often unwittingly find themselves caught in the middle.  Yet, as it’s a paranormal romance, I like to tie everything up with HEA at the end.  This book is steamier than Soul Avenged too.

What experiences have influenced you?

Just about every little detail in my life has some level of influence over my writing.  A bad day can translate into a really violent scene.  Hahaha!  People I meet can give rise to heroic or villainous characters.  It depends.  Other writers have played a huge role in my writing as well.  Their encouragement and feedback really pushed me to publish Soul Avenged (I originally hadn’t planned to do anything with this series).

Why do you write what you do?

If I didn’t write, I think I’d go nuts.  A lot of what I do in my day is analytical, number crunching.  I crave creativity.  Paranormal romance and urban fantasy is the perfect genre to let my imagination run wild.  I can create worlds, supernaturals in those worlds, and rules that they must follow.  It’s fun and allows me to break from the madness of my day to day.

How does your writing process work?

My writing process is not ideal.  In fact, I’m sure most writers would roll their eyes at the way I approach my stories.  I can’t outline and plot or do anything organized like that.  I put the earplugs in and as soon as my fingers hit the keys I’m typing what my characters tell me to write. As fast as I can, I’ll get the bare bones of the story onto paper, er, computer screen.  Then its layer upon layer.  I like to flesh out the main storyline first, which happens to be the blossoming romance between the H/h.   After that, I fill in holes and add subplots.  Then I probably take about 1-2 months of intense editing before I feel okay enough to pass it along to betas.

What is the hardest part about writing?

Cutting it off!  My current WiP is 140K words because I just couldn’t stop.  Now I’m tasked with having to cut 20K or more from the manuscript, while making sure all the meaty parts of the story are still in tact.  I’m also very critical of my own work.

What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?

I actually have an idea for an erotica written down.  Not sure if I'll do anything with it.  I’m very closely bordering romantica in this current WiP.  I’d also like to try horror sometime.

Who are the authors you most admire?

My favorites are Anne Rice, Poe and Kresley Cole.  I also have a lot of respect for paranormal romance and urban fantasy author J.A. Belfield.  That woman is incredibly strong with all she’s been through and writes brilliant stories.  She also happens to be my editor and I think she’s just a whole helluva lot of awesome.

I also have enormous respect for the indies.

Who are new authors to watch out for?

Some authors that I think readers should check out are:  J.A. Belfield (mentioned above), Colin F. Barnes, Narcisse Navarre, KL Schwengel, Krista Walsh, Candice Bundy and Terri Rochenski.

What scares you?

Spiders and failure.

As this is a blog chain, I'll leave it open for anyone who'd like to participate and discuss a current WiP!

Add Soul Resurrected to your Goodreads shelf:

Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2)

Grab a copy of Soul Avenged here:

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

 

Updates, Cowboys & Stuff ...

First, before I get into this blog post, here are some upcoming events I want to pass along:

  • 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 10th – 14th 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 14th and runs through June 28th.   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)