Chatting with Cassie Exline

Here to wrap up the 2011 All Things Romantic Suspense Tour is author Cassie Exline, who'll be dishing on all things writing and her latest release, Ruby's Deadly Secret. I'm a huge fan of the cover art for this, so let's get started, as always, with the cover and blurb.

What do you get when you add a ruby, diary, secrets, and a mansion? A motive for murder. Sheryl Locke Holmes and her best friend, Dot Watson, have been offered an exciting opportunity to explore Bridgeside, a Victorian mansion, to search for items for their antique shop. Their adventure is short-lived when they discover a diary containing dark secrets and a newspaper clipping with a warning written in what appears to be blood. They get trapped in the attic, Dot is attacked and they find out the owner died inside the house. As if that isn't enough, Jake is spotted with another woman. Clues are pointing to Sheryl as the next target, no matter who gets in the way.

Sound interesting? We've got an excerpt and an interview with Cassie, beneath the jump.

Chat and Win with Author Rachel Brimble!

Morning folks! Today we have All Things Romantic Suspense author Rachel Brimble stopping by to chat, and she's giving away an autographed copy of her romantic comedy The Sharp Points of a Triangle to one lucky commenter!

But her latest release is Getting It Right this Time, and before I turn the floor over to Rachel, let's have a looksie at the cover and blurb.

She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.

Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work.  But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter?  Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?

And now to the interview, beneath the jump.

Running to Sarah Ballance, and Happy Birthday Aleksandr Voinov!

Happy Wednesday, folks! I'm still bouncebouncebouncing like crazy over my hot new cover art for Where He Belongs (and the fact that I sold it, yay!) and the appearance of Anchored in paperback, and on top of everything else, it's my dear friend Aleksandr Voinov's birthday today, so it's been a damn great week. I didn't know Aleks on his last birthday, but now, quite frankly, it's hard to imagine life without him. I'm a better, more disciplined, more motivated writer for having him in my life, and he brings me more joy than I often know what to do with. Nearly every day we share laughter, frustrations, and writing. Heck, we're even sharing a story universe now. So, happy birthday, my dear, and may it be full of all the pleasures and surprises that make life so worth living.

In other fun news, the delightful author Sarah Ballance is here today as part of the All Things Romantic Suspense tour. And she brought her hot hot Run To You cover model with her. So, you know the routine by now. Blurb and cover, coming up.

Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.

Sound interesting? Run to You is available from Noble Romance Press and Amazon.com.

Speaking of interesting, Sarah talks about her boobs and backyard-streaking beneath the jump ;-)

Chatting with Leanne Dyck and Her Sexy Alter-ego Grace Meadows!

Today we welcome author Leanne Dyck, who writes mainstream under that name and erotica under Grace Meadows. She's here to talk about some of her favorite things, and also her latest novel, The Sweater Curse.  I live with a whole family of obsessive knitters (and have occasionally been one myself), so this book caught my eye straight away. 

Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey through her past and right a wrong. But which wrong?Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:  if she remains, others are destined to die.

How will she solve the mystery before it is too late? 

This isn't Heaven. It isn't Hell. And I'm not alive.

Picture this:  a bus stop, tons of people packed into the same small space all waiting to continue their journey. Many buses stop here. Some passengers get off, others get on. Young children with sickly white complexions huddle together in the shelter. Teenagers with rope burns around their necks get off the bus. Old men with bullet holes climb on.

Throughout this confusion, the only constant is me. I remain alone.

Why?

I don't know, but I must find the reason. I must examine my life to discover the momentary lapse. The wrong I've committed. The task I've neglected. It's my only means of escape.

-Prologue to THE SWEATER CURSE

And now my chat with Leanne, beneath the jump.

Torn Asunder with Kiki Howell, and a Moment of Squee

Greetings all! Kiki Howell has come to visit today as part of the All Things Romantic Suspense tour, and she's brought with her a yummy excerpt from her latest work, Torn Asunder.

Before we get to her interview and the steamy reading, kindly permit me a quick moment of squee. The indispensable QueryTracker.net website hosted a pitch contest this month for a one-line pitch and the first 100 words of a completed manuscript. Regular readers of this blog know I'm on an agent hunt for a non-romance (I know, *gasp!*) psych thriller titled White Lies, so I entered. I found out today that I'd won a 50-page read and a query evaluation. Even if the agent decides my work isn't for her, I'm super excited at the opportunity to have my query letter critiqued by a pro :D

Now then, on to what you're really here for. Welcome, Ms. Howell! Let us begin, as always, with some cover art--truly lovely despite its girl cooties :-p--and a blurb:

Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury.  He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation.   

However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers.  Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic. 

Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

Genres: Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic, Romantic Suspense

Warnings: Explicit Graphic Language, Violence

Want to know more? Kiki was kind enough to answer my odd questions and provide us with an excerpt, beneath the jump.

Chat and Win with Author Jerri Drennen!

This week's All Things Romantic Suspense author is Jerri Drennen, and she's here to talk shop, show you a sneak peek of her latest work, Untouched, and give you all a chance to win your own free copy!

As always, we begin with some lovely cover art and a blurb for Untouched (which is a Joyfully Reviewed Recommended Read).

Botanist Madeline Wentworth is relieved to be heading into the Amazon, far from the university and the vicious rumors circulating about her failed love affair. But on arriving in Peru, her team finds their guide dead with a small puncture wound to his neck. Waiting to replace him is Travis Kane, Amazon guide, treasure hunter, and superhunk. Mattie is instantly attracted but uncomfortably suspicious. When a member of her team falls ill and a similar puncture wound is found on his body, her suspicions deepen.

Travis has stuck with being a jungle guide for over ten years despite a run of unsavory clients. The rain forest is full of hidden ruins and undiscovered treasure, and he’s determined to find his share. But when his grandfather dies, leaving a letter boasting of Templar gold, he’s sure it's nothing more than an old man’s delusion. Everything changes when he finds his grandfather’s map. With high hopes, he leads Mattie’s team into the rain forest and finds himself overwhelmed by the beautiful blonde. When the group is attacked and has to fight its way out of the jungle, Travis discovers something more precious than gold--the love of a woman who’s made him want to be a better man.

Sounds interesting, yeah? Leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a free copy! And if you don't win? You can buy it here.

And now the interview and a tasty excerpt, beneath the jump.

Chatting with Elaina Lee - ATRS Guest Interview

Morning, folks! Today we have fellow Noble Romance and All Things Romantic Suspense author Elaina Lee stopping by to answer my desert island question (among others) and share a little bit about her first novel, Written In Blood. I've not read this one myself (girl cooties, dontcha know), but I know firsthand the quality work that goes on over at Noble, so if you like the cootch in your smut, I'd recommend checking this one out :-)

As always, some gorgeous cover art and a blurb:

Lyndi Crisdean is assigned one of the hardest cases in her career as a defense attorney. A serial murder case. Investigating is Alek Trevian, the lead investigator for the district attorney, and a handsome and supremely dangerous man. Lyndi finds herself in over her head when she chooses desire for Alek over common sense. If they're caught, Lyndi will lose everything she's worked for. Circumstances beyond her control pull her toward Alek, for he turns out to be the only one who can help when threats start to mount against her.

Lyndi may be the key Alek needs to bring down a murderous cult running loose in his city. When her beach house is broken into and a man begins to tail Lyndi, Alek can't help but reason Lyndi may be next on the cult's hitlist. The question is, will he discover the identity of the cult, keep her safe, and still win the case against the serial killer she's defending, all while losing a battle against the strong, untamable desire she alone ignites within him?

And for good measure, a shiny book trailer:

And now the interview, beneath the jump.

Chatting with Veronica Lynch - ATRS Interview & Giveaway!

Afternoon, folks! I've been fortunate to have a number of lovely guest bloggers over at Fantasy Unbound lately, and today the trend continues with All Things Romantic Suspense author Veronica Lynch, who's here to answer my weird questions and share a bit about her latest release. She's also giving away a free mouse pad to one lucky commenter, so be sure to stop in and say hi :-)

As always, let's begin with a blurb and some cover art:

Revenge is a dish best served cold. 

Twenty-five years ago, Fiona Thorpe's classmates voted her most likely to explode. Through hard work and rigorous self-control she is now every woman's fantasy, every man's wet dream. Head held high, and less than half her former size, Fee returns to her high school reunion weekend. Her goal: exact revenge on those who made her life a living hell back in the day. Her first attempts are remarkably easy and give her profound satisfaction. But no one is more shocked than Fee when she discovers the handsome, respected man seated beside her at the opening banquet is a modern day Paladin, who avenges those unable to defend themselves. To make matters worse, he is her former chief tormentor, Mick Dineen. 

Are some wounds too deep to heal? Or can two former enemies find common ground? 

(Pages 68) Sensual. Available soon at The Wild Rose Press.

Veronica kindly supplied us with a quick excerpt from The List:

Frustrated with the holdup, Fee glanced around the room, hoping to see Dru the minute she entered the ballroom. A hand on her arm claimed her attention. “Here comes someone you should meet.” 

“Who?” 

“Last year's Eastman Award winner,” Rafe said, “And a helluva nice guy.” 

“Where?” 

“There, coming toward us.” 

One nano-second later, all thoughts of revenge evaporated like steam out of a boiling kettle. Thick gold hair flecked with gray grazed the collar of his jacket. His features were weathered, as if he'd already lived ten times over. Broad through the shoulders and chest, and narrow at the waist and hips, he possessed the long legs of a broken-field runner. Moving across the parquet floor as if born to a runway, he looked confident and  at ease with himself. Without disrupting that graceful, fluid motion, he undid his tie, then shrugged out of his suit jacket. 

She'd almost given up on finding a man like this. 

This one had the Look.

And now the interview, under the jump.

Chat with Ursula Grey & Win a $10 ARe Gift Certificate!

As promised, here is blog post #3 for the day. This one features the lovely Ursula Grey, to whom I owe an apology for posting up a day late. Alas, while there are a great many wonderful things about being at sea (check back in a couple days for vacation recap hilarity), sketchy satellite internet is not one of them. 

So, without further ado, here's Ursula beneath the jump. And remember, one lucky commenter will win a $10 gift certificate to All Romance ebooks, courtesy of Ursula!

Chatting with the Puppetmaster, Mindy MacKay (And Free Ebooks!)

Morning, folks. Wonky weather has left me a day late with this week's All Things Romantic Suspense Interview, so without further ado, here's Mindy MacKay, author of the Puppetmaster series, to discuss the writing life and her latest release. She's also included an excerpt, and she'll be raffling off both ebooks in the Puppetmaster series (Peacebreakers and Soulgame) to one lucky commenter, so be sure to share the love for your chance to win!

As always, let's start with the cover and blurb for her latest novel, Soulgame. It has zombies and romance . . . hopefully not together ;-)

Kiera has managed to eradicate the zombie threat and restore order to the new empire, but the death of her lover still weighs heavy on her conscience. It doesn’t help that the Queen is using her misery to win over sympathy from the press. When an uprising threatens the stability of the regime, the ruthless Queen offers Kiera a chance to go back and change where she messed up on the condition that she eliminate the resistance…through whatever despicable means necessary. 

All the rest of the fun is beneath the jump.

Interviewing with Cassie Exline

Good afternoon, folks. Just a quick post today to make three reminders:

1. I'm being interviewed today over at Cassie Exline's blog. Cassie asked some interesting questions, so if you're curious to see my pet peeve or learn about some upcoming releases, be sure to check it out! Comment love over there might even result in a giveaway . . . they are prone to happening round these parts, after all ;-)
2. You have until tomorrow night to win your share of the big blog tour prizes. Please note that I now have more absolutely perfect scores than I do prize packs to give out, so be sure to double-check your answers before you email them off if you'd like to be in contention for a win. 
3. I'm still taking custom story requests for my upcoming Belonging-verse short story collection. You lovely folks have left many wonderful ideas, but you never know what will tickle the muse, so tell me what you'd love to see and I may very well write it for you! Remember though: your requests must lend themselves to the erotic romance genre (if I can't work a sexual or romantic encounter or a masturbation session into the story, it probably won't get picked), and all stories must take place before the events in Anchored. They all need to feature Daniel, as his history is the unifying thread of the collection, but anyone else is fair game. Heck, I'll even write a happy story, if you'd like ;-D

Marie-Nicole Ryan Talks Shop, Raffles Amazon Gift Certificate!

Good afternoon, my lovlies! Let's all give a warm Fantasy Unbound welcome to All Things Romantic Suspense guest author Marie-Nicole Ryan!

Marie-Nicole is here today to answer some questions about her life as a writer and her latest release, Love Me if You Can. She's also giving away a $5 gift certificate for either Amazon or B&N to one lucky commenter, so be sure to share your love!

First, as always, have a blurb:

Nashville sizzles in the summer. No wonder Tess and Scott combust.

Nashville Homicide Detective Tess O’Malley has a lot to prove. She comes from a long line of police officers, including her father and older brothers. First she and her partner are taken off a high profile case and sidelined with a cold case instead. After reviewing the files, she’s certain her cold case is connected to the current one, and she sets out to prove it. Too bad it means locking horns with a handsome PI who could win her heart and derail her career.

PI Scott Holt is all business when it comes to running his family’s PI firm. When the lovely Detective O’Malley comes to question him about his possible involvement in her cold case, he has everything but business on his mind. Like locking lips with the fiery redhead.

And now I turn the floor over to Marie-Nicole, beneath the jump.

Guest Blog: The Evolution of Dead Reality, by Jess Anastasi

Greetings, folks! Let's all give a warm, warm welcome to the very first guest blogger ever at Fantasy Unbound, Jess Anastasi!

Jess has a new novel with Noble Romance, and before I turn the floor over to her to talk about its evolution, let's start off with a blurb:

FBI Special Agent Ella Waverly is wrapping up one last assignment before heading off on her first holiday in five years. But thoughts of flip-flops and cocktails are the last thing on her mind when she meets the new team leader, Special Agent Bryce Lain, and finds out her long-planned-for holiday is being scuttled for an undercover assignment.

Agent Lain is gorgeous, the kind of gorgeous that guarantees he's an arrogant jerk. The news that he'll be her partner in the dangerous mission is almost enough to make her head explode. Before the day is out, Ella finds herself at Little Palm Island Resort in Florida, masquerading as a contestant on the latest reality TV show—Lord Bachelor. The bachelor in question, a disgraced British peer, is suspected of raping and murdering several women back in London.

Though Ella knows it safer where her heart's concerned to deny it, the longer she's stuck with Bryce, the more she sees there could be a man worth loving beneath the impossibly good-looking exterior.

As humidity frizzes her hair beyond the help of any type of de-frizzing, smoothing, glossing product, Ella tries to wrangle working against nineteen husband-hungry bimbos, one suspected serial killer, and one seriously hot agent who's trying everything he can to get under her skin.

And now Jess, below the jump.

Better Shovel the Walk, We're Having Visitors!

Morning, folks. Like so many of you, I am once again buried under a foot of snow. Not so crazy about shoveling out the walk and the car (which decided yesterday that it no longer wanted to start, grrr), but I do love being up before dawn and staring out at a world blanketed in silent, sparkly white. Few things in life are more beautiful than a fresh, deep coating of snow.

But enough about the weather outside; we've got some exciting things going on inside this week, too!

First--and yeah, okay, this may not exactly qualify as "exciting"--I'm being interviewed today over at S.R. Claridge's blog. Pop in and say hi; it gets cold and lonely out there by yourself. And while you're there, check out her place. She does some fun things.

Tomorrow, author Jess Anastasi will be stopping by right here to talk about the evolution of her new book, Dead Reality. Any book whose opening line is "They didn't have a nuclear bomb." is probably going to be a thrill a minute, so be sure to pop in and say hello.

Then on Friday, of course, the Anchored Release Party Blog Tour kicks off!

First stop is author Nina Pierce's blog, where you can read about how the Anchor idea was born (and also goatees), and comment to win a free book or a swag bag! Second stop, also on Friday, is the first exclusive excerpt from Anchored, and an interview with me by author Angela White. There too you can comment to win a free book or a swag bag. For those of you who have been waiting to read the book, this is your first chance. At both stops, I'll be hanging throughout the day to chat with you all in the comments. Ooh, and look, I have a shiny new book page over at Noble! This is where the book will go up for sale on January 17.

And now off to finish final proofing on Anchored and go ruin all that pretty fresh snow :-)

So Long Dear Cave, Hello Jess Anastasi!

Phew, Anchored edits are done! (Well, mostly; I will have one final pass to make, but that should be quick.) No, please, hold your applause; you're embarrassing me.

I'm now free to emerge from my editing cave, but I think I'm too tired to move. Tomorrow, then. It's nice and dark and cool in here anyway, and besides, the bear left hours ago.

Did you guys see all those crazy events I've got going in the next few months? I'm participating in the All Things Romantic Suspense (ATRS) guest-blog exchange, and my very first stop is at S.R. Claridge's blog this Wednesday. Who's my favorite character among all those I've written? None, of course; like any good mother, I love them all equally. Stop by her blog to find out!

And don't forget to check in this Thursday, when ATRS author Jess Anastasi will be stopping by to talk about the history and process of her new release. I always love learning how my favorite books spring into being, don't you? So bring comfortable shoes and show her your love as she walks you through her latest creation. Complimentary cocktails will be served at the conclusion of the tour.