Perrin Pring: The Ryo Myths

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Perrin Pring will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

Author Interview

1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. Thank you. Getting published was quite exciting for me. I’d say that the trait that probably helped me the most in getting published is my tenacity. I didn’t give up, even when I wanted to bury myself in my mountain of rejection letters. I just kept writing, even when the naysayers were the loudest.

2. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? If you had asked me, prior to me sitting down to write the first book of the Ryo Myths, Appointment at the Edge of Forever, if I would ever write science fiction or fantasy, I would have given you an emphatic no. I’d never considered writing sci-fi or fantasy. I’d read plenty of fantasy and a little sci-fi, but I’d never felt drawn to write it. Once I had the idea for the Ryo Myths though, it was like blowing up a dam. Now I can’t imagine writing anything else. Sci-fi is such a wonderful vehicle for stories about people. You get to go to amazing places, and you get to talk about real issues in a new way.

3. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? I’m not sure what a panster is, but I do prefer shorts.
BookCover_Appointment at the Edge of Forever
4. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? I have. When I was in high school I competed internationally in whitewater kayaking. Every now and then, I’d get into a situation on a river where I’d get the very real feeling that I was going to die. Almost all of the characters in the Ryo Myths have to, at some point, reason with their mortality. They are all put in situations that are dangerous, both in terms of the physical world, but also in terms of their mental outlook. What I learned from kayaking was that there was a lot that was out of my control, but the only thing I truely had in my control was my focus, which directly translated into my ability to move my boat. Throughout the Ryo Myths, my characters are forced to evaluate the way they perceive danger. I make them break down their self doubt and overcome it. I hope that I can be as rational when I myself land in a precarious position.

5. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? I would say that time management is an endless game. For the past several years I’ve worked mostly in the summer and been able to focus on writing in the winter. I just got a new job though, and I am re-learning how to manage my time. What I know though is that my writing always finds a way. I end up doing it no matter how much I try not to, so I’ve stopped stressing about making time for it. Now I just try to make the time I do write count.

6. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? In the second book of the Ryo Myths, Tomorrow is Too Late, Drakier Lu is introduced. He and Captain Eri used to date, and they don’t any more, for very good reasons. Drakier did some pretty terrible things to Captain Eri, and were I in his position, I couldn’t have gone through with it. I would have done anything to avoid doing what he did, but that’s the beauty of writing. Not all your characters are you. (Some of them are though, it’s unavoidable.)

7. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. I like to write in dark coffee shops. Is coffee a food? What about green tea?

8. Writing inspirations? Ernest Hemingway. I know all his stories have similar themes about being a man and what it really means to be that man, but his simplicity and attention to detail is impressive. I agree with Hemingway’s assessment of adjectives and adverbs. I personally love weather, and I’m all for simple yet real meals.

9. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I’ve got a lot of authors I admire, but currently I find myself reading a lot of Tana French. She writes these amazing novels that are a blend between mystery and literary fiction. French’s novels take place in Ireland, she has this way with writing curses in dialect and only the curses in dialect. What results from that is the reader thinks in an Irish accent without having to wade through long sections written entirely in dialect. If I were to ask her one question, it would be, where did she learn to do that?

10. I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. I call people out when they misuse words, constantly. I don’t think they like it, but seriously, endearing and enduring are different words. I’m just trying to help.

 

BookCover_Appointment at the Edge of Forever

The Ryo Myths

by Perrin Pring

Blurb:

Filion felt safe in his role as a Dream Searcher. He was paid to venture into other’s dreams and exert influence over individuals whom he would never meet in the flesh.

But that was until he received The Summoning. Filion has been called to track down and protect Ryo, the last of the Chozen. She is the only hope of preventing a tide of evil driven by the Afortiori and the prospect of universal slavery if they aren’t stopped.

Time is ticking and Filion has no idea of how to find Ryo let alone how to protect her, yet destinies of planets rest in her hands. Enlisting the help of a rag-tag band of mercenaries, Filion will set out to search the wastes for Ryo. Together they will confront an evil whose power they just might have fatally underestimated.

 

Excerpt:

She barreled blindly through the forest, not knowing where she was going, only that she had to go. She had to get away, away from whom she didn’t know, but she had to move. They were watching her.

Memories flooded through her. She was on a ship, she was in a car, she was healing the sick, she was giving orders, she was lost. These memories weren’t hers, yet they felt so natural. They felt so real. It was her, Ryo, in those memories, but she couldn’t recall any of them any more than one could truly recall a dream.

She stopped running. Her side ached from the exertion, and her right leg still bled painfully. She peeled back the dark, sticky dress. The cut was deep. It wasn’t going to heal on its own. Then the bubbling came back.

Her hands moved over her leg, and she gasped. The bubbling grew, the hotness, the confidence, the power; all of it came back. She closed her eyes and the pain peaked, then it was gone. She waited several breaths, and then finally opened her eyes. Other than the dried blood and torn dress, one would never have known her leg had been injured. The skin was flawless without even a hint of a scar. She looked at her hands. She had known exactly where to put them. It was as if she had done this every day of her life…

She stood up and quickly sat back down. Her legs shook, and her breathing was ragged. What was happening to her?

Who was she?

 

AuthorPic_TheRyoMythAuthor Bio and Links:

Perrin is the author of The Ryo Myths, a sci-fi/fantasy trilogy that has been heralded to engage both nerds and non-nerds alike. Check out her books on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. When not writing, Perrin enjoys drinking coffee and swimming, although usually not at the same time.

 

http://www.psquaredbooks.com


https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5400179.Perrin_Pring

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https://twitter.com/psquaredbooks

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https://plus.google.com/+perrinpringauthor/posts

 

AMAZON: http://bit.ly/AUTHAM

 

BN: http://bit.ly/AUTHBN

 

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Renee Charles: Sacrifice of a Virgin

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http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-blast-sacrifice-of-virgin-by-renee.html

Giveaway: a $10 amazon card, a small pewter dragon, and a signed copy of Renee Charles’ Only Love Survives.

 

SACRIFICE OF A VIRGIN

by Renee Charles

Blurb:

Rena stands tethered to a post high on a mountain, awaiting the dragon, praying her death will be painless and quick. Although she is meant as a sacrificial virgin, she soon discovers death will not be her fate. Powerful and seductive, the shape-shifting dragon, Marcos, has something far more erotic planned for her. She will fulfill his dark appetites and come to accept her own submissive nature without shame. At the dragon’s instruction, the virgin will explore needs and desires beyond imagination and Rena’s commanding lover will teach her just how wicked she can be.

 

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Excerpt:

He slipped off the bed, brushed his long hair out of his face and held her stare as he prowled around to the other side. He moved like a panther stalking its meal, muscles rippled with intent and purpose. His defined abs flexed and relaxed with each step. His strong jaw twitched, as if he held back the true power of his desire. The true hunger for his prey. His intensity frightened and excited her all at once.

Marcos lifted her free arm and kissed her hand with firm lips before binding it to the other post. He traced a path down her arm and found the hem of her gown still tangled around her shoulders and ribs. With little effort, he tore the remnants in two and removed them, exposing her breasts completely. He grasped a foot and tied her ankle to one post with a long strip of leather. It wasn’t until Marcos captured the other foot and spread her legs to secure it that she had a moment of panic.

“No, please.” She drew her knees together.

He locked eyes with her. “Use your word.”

Rena stopped struggling and shook her head, but still kept her knees together, her good sense warring with this new wanton desire.

 

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_SacrificeOfAVirginAuthor Bio and Links:

Romance Author, Renee Charles believes all love is legendary. Although she leans toward the strange & unusual, inevitably she leaves you with a sigh at the end.

www.reneecharles.net

https://www.facebook.com/ReneeCharlesAuthor

https://twitter.com/RCharlesWriter

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=984

http://www.amazon.com/Renee-Charles/e/B009Z0MYCI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1407271917&sr=8-2

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Search?query=Renee%20Charles&fcsearchfield=Author

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-love-survives-renee-charles/1116977040?ean=2940148439929

 
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Ron Hartman on Tour: Prophecy Revealed

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 http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/virtual-book-tour-prophecy-revealed-by.html

Ron will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter and a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn host during this tour and the Review Tour.

 

Author Interview

1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author.  I’d say the character trait that has served me best in my adventures to getting published would be a drive to never give up.  Prophecy Revealed is actually the second book I’ve gotten published, the first being Prophecy Foretold, which started the trilogy.  With Prophecy Foretold I would say it probably took about four years to finally get published from the time I finished writing it.  I initially tried to get a literary agent, but to my great surprise most wouldn’t accept you unless you’d been published, but for large publishing houses they won’t accept your work without agent representation!  Quite a conundrum…  If I didn’t have a strong determination to see this through, I’m sure I would have given up long before The Prophecy Chronicles ever saw the light of day.  Finally found a publishing house that was just the right size, Rogue Phoenix Press, and it has been smooth sailing since!

2. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you?  I’ve always loved the fantasy genre.  The first true novel I ever read was The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks.  For as long as I can remember I wanted to write a fantasy novel, so I guess you could say the genre chose me, but I knew from the start that Prophecy Revealed would be a fantasy novel, part of a fantasy series.

3. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? My writing is mostly of the plotter variety.  I start with an outline, but even that is only written after carefully considering the story arc and working out the major points ahead of time in my mind.  Occasionally, though, a sequence will just come to me while I’m writing.  Those are really exciting!  I’ve no idea where these tangents come from, but they are some of the most enjoyable portions to write.  I love it when I sit down without any idea what I’ll write and when I’m finished say, “Wow!  Where did that come from?”  An example are some of the characters that inhabited a chapter that was essentially a flash-back scene.  I knew what the action was going to be in that scene, but all of the lively characters that came to mind when I sat down were quite a refreshing surprise!  They really lit up the chapter, bringing it to life.

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4. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline?  One of my biggest fears is getting lost, followed closely by losing my family.  That is the central theme in the Prophecy Chronicles series, so yes, I guess you could say I have written them into the story.  Some of the scenes are difficult to write, and I have teared up more than once, both while writing the rough drafts and in revisions…some of those fears are just too close to home to not be moved by!

5. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? I’m not sure that I’ve completely conquered the juggling, but hey, who has?  I have a wife and three children, as well as two other jobs that fill my time when I’m not writing.  Consequently most of my writing time comes between 10pm and 2am, when everyone else is asleep and the other jobs haven’t started.  Wait, look back two sentences…I guess just saying that I have three kids probably has any parents out there thinking, “when are the balls not dropping?!?”  But seriously, usually I have to focus on the most imminent deadline and go from there, otherwise it wouldn’t be balls falling, it would be flaming chainsaws!

6. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention?  I’d say in just about any scene the result would initially be utter mayhem, followed by disaster.  In some parts of the Prophecy Chronicles I share how Daniel Marten, the protagonist, is a modern man, lost in a medieval world.  That would definitely be me!  I’m not much of a camper, hunter, scavenger, survivor, so I could see things going bad in a big way in a hurry.

7. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. My writing sanctum is in my office at home.  It is always very cluttered.  Sometimes I just look at it all and think, “Now, where did I put that outline?”  It is where things are usually quiet enough that “the magic happens”, and the story appears on the page.  Now, if only I could find that outline… My favorite comfort food depends on the season.  Since its summer, right now that would easily be a blueberry milkshake.  In the fall it would be a corn and noodle casserole (secret family recipe, so don’t ask!) my wife makes.  In the dead of winter it’d be gigantic chocolate chip cookies with a big glass of milk. In the spring I can’t live without a fruit pie, usually either cherry, blueberry, or mixed berry.  Is your mouth watering yet?  I know mine is!

8. Writing inspirations?  This book grew from a kernel that was planted in my mind long ago.  When I was sixteen or seventeen I was driving home from a job at night during a snowstorm.  I came around a series of s-curves and saw a frozen pond sitting not far from the highway.  My mind’s eye saw a car sliding across the road, breaking through a fence, and crashing through the ice of that pond.  That image stayed with me for years, until it finally became the opening sequence in Prophecy Foretold, the first book in the Prophecy Chronicles Series.

That was the initial inspiration for this series, but by far the greatest inspiration was my family.  Their love and support has carried me through many dark days when I would’ve given up if not for them.  It shouldn’t be surprising that Daniel’s wife Ashley is closely patterned after my own wife Leslie.

9. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? Kind of like my favorite comfort food, my favorite author is subject to change as well…Right now I’m on a historical fiction kick, so I’d say my current favorite author is Conn Iggulden, masterful writer of series of books on both Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan.  He’s just now starting a series on the War of the Roses that looks very interesting as well.  I think it was his series on Genghis Khan that I found the most riveting.  You don’t really see it in Prophecy Revealed, but in the third book of the series, tentatively titled Prophecy Fulfilled, there are some strong influences from Mr. Iggulden.  I guess the one question I’d ask him is, “When will you go back and write more about Genghis Khan and his grandson, Kublai Khan?  I can’t wait!

10. I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. I’m actually not too quirky…who has time?!?  My wife is my best friend, so I guess you could say the thing I do that gets to her the most is when I lock myself away, for hours at a time every night, plucking away at the keys and not letting her see the book until at least the first draft is finished.

 

MEDIA KIT Book  Cover

 

PROPHECY REVEALED

By Ron Hartman

Blurb  

Daniel Marten crossed the Burning Sea and convinced himself that he is the Prophesied One.  But what does that mean?  In this second installment of the Prophecy Chronicles trilogy, Daniel forges new alliances in his bid to save Naphthali from the Emperor.  He meets the Tene’breon, a magical race that has evolved to use the Weave as effortlessly as he breathes air.  The leaders of this race recognize him for what he is…but they also see something more.

Naphthali has been dramatically altered by the rule of a new governor, a man whose power is tied to Daniel in a horrifying way.    How far will Daniel go to save Naphthali?  And what is the secret that binds his destiny with his new allies?  Only time will tell in The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Revealed.

 

Excerpt

Rage started to build inside Daniel. He closed his right hand into a tight fist and felt a dull ache that quickly gave way to burning pain. Of course that was alright too, because that was as it should be. He looked back to his desk and there, on the now cluttered surface was—Ah! His solace. The ones he turned to at his darkest moments. Ashley and the kids beamed at him from photos.

He turned to the thing doing a poor job of mimicking one of his closest friends. Her eyes flashed orange and she gave off a series of clicks as realization struck. She may be orchestrating this, but it’s my mind, and I can control what happens. He looked at the pictures of his beloved family and considered his office, his refuge. She’d perverted it, desecrated it. Rage continued to build, and Daniel knew soon he would be powerless to stop it. Let it. He didn’t want to stop. Still looking at the photos, he started to speak, his voice shaking with fury. “These are my family, my friends. I give them my time, and my care.” He turned to not-Meg. “You are not one of them, and you will have no more.” The last came out in a roar as he closed the distance between himself and his tormentor.

He opened his right fist and clamped it around not-Meg’s throat, slamming her to the wall. The burning grew to encase his entire arm when he tightened his grip, but he refused to let go. He pulled his face to within inches of hers, and glared with suddenly steely eyes. “Who are you?” he growled.

 

MEDIA KIT Author Photo

Author Bio

Ron Hartman has had a life-long passion for the written word and is an avid reader.  The Prophecy Chronicles are his first written works.  The first in the series, Prophecy Foretold, was released in October of 2012.  Prophecy Revealed is the second in the trilogy.  Ron graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2000 and lives in Ottumwa, Iowa with his wife and three children.

 

Website link: www.prophecychronicles.com

Purchase link at Rogue Phoenix Press: http://shop.roguephoenixpress.ieasysite.com/category_v3.aspx?categoryid=96

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Adderley’s Bride: The Dreams and Nightmares Anthology on May 27th!

 

DreamNightmareAntho

Join the Facebook Launch Party!

Mark your calendar! We are making all your dreams come true with The Dreams and Nightmares Anthology, available on May 27th.

I’m so excited, I can’t wait any longer to share with you an excerpt from my story Adderley’s Bride. Gray is a lusty ghost who has a plan for his love, the living, breathing Sophie: be with me.  Nice plan if you call that living.

Why don’t we get this party started early? All you have to do is read the following excerpt featuring Sophie and Gray and pay particular attention to our gorgeous ghost. There’s something about him that comes up in one of my guessing games during the Facebook launch party on May 27th. Join the party and be the first one to provide the answer and you win a $5 Amazon gift card. Ready? Read on!

 

Adderley’s Bride

Her stomach growled, and he chuckled. “You haven’t eaten anything.”

“I’m not hungry.” She wanted to hear his stories. There was something about him that was so very compelling and she wasn’t going to fight it. He intrigued her.

Her stomach protested again and he gathered her in his arms. “Come on, then.” When he set her down they were standing in the kitchen.

Disoriented, she wavered on her feet. “H-How…did you do that?”

Grinning, he leaned against the counter in naked glory. He really was a large, beautiful man – ghost – she reminded herself. Ghost man.

“Oh, never mind.” He wasn’t going to answer her anyway. He was too much of a tease.

As she tried to gather her bearings, she decided she really was hungry. She retrieved the deep fryer from a draw under the island and placed it on the oven. After pouring in the oil, she gathered the ingredients for Monte Cristo sandwiches.

She rummaged in the refrigerator. “Continue.”

“After the rage, I began to listen. The Wynters were good people. Through them I learned what must have happened all those years ago. They had no idea their ancestor had not built this house. They were never told anything about me.”

She whisked the egg-flour mixture in a bowl. “Forest knows you’re here.” He didn’t answer and she turned, bumping into his chest. His movements were soundless and instant. It struck her that was the only way she could tell he was a ghost.

He set salt and pepper on the counter and took her by the waist, pulling her hips flush with his.

“But he won’t admit it,” she finished breathlessly.

“It’s for his own good now that Sophia is gone. Others would only think he is mad as a hatter.” He smoothed her bangs out of her face and bent to place his cheek against her hair.

She couldn’t argue with his reasoning and turned for the bread.

Gray wouldn’t let her go as he sniffed her hair like a predator assessing his meal. “It even smells like chocolate,” he murmured against her temple.

Desire rose in her like the jungle heat of her dreams. Her lioness was responding to his lion, almost making her forget how hungry she was.

Girl sleeping

Sweet Dreams…

 

 

 

 

 

Cate Masters: Cursed (The Vitruvian Man #1)

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Cursed (The Vitruvian Man #1) by Cate Masters

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance 

Categories: Action/Adventure

 

Publisher:  Decadent Publishing (new TEASE line)                                              

Release Date: April 21, 2013                                                                                                  

Heat Level: Steamy                                                                                                                

Word Count: 30,000

 

Available at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-The-Vitruvian-Man-ebook/dp/B00CGM8ARA/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cursed-1169369-140.html

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-cate-masters/1046524638

Coffee Time Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/decadent-publishing-c-93/cursed-p-9911

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=767&osCsid=55spbi1c1g6m9c5lo8rdo7jd17

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/308564

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Welcome Cate Masters with one that is going straight onto my TBR list: Cursed: The Vitruvian Man #1. But first, get to know Cate better as she answers my ten.

 

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Author Interview

How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book? I’m less about genre than writing a good story. 🙂 I love paranormal/fantasy, but also love contemporary and historical, sometimes mainstream, speculative/futuristic. I love to experiment.

Cursed is a bit of a mashup – it has some historical elements, a little science, a smidgeon of suspense, with the very cool backdrop of Carnevale, a ten-day masquerade festival in Venice, Italy. A couple of magazine articles sparked the story idea and it took off from there.

 

Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world? As the youngest of seven children, I’ve always had to scrabble to keep up, lol. But it’s taught me persistence, which is an essential trait for a writer. Growing up on a country road with no neighbors within walking distance made for a solitary childhood (my older brothers and sisters were all out doing other things!) so the writing instinct developed.

 

Where is your favorite place to write? Our house had a spare room that I claim as an office, though it also serves as a guest room, junk room, and hide-the-Christmas-presents room as needed.

 

How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains? I don’t write mystery or thrillers, so I don’t often kill them, but I do chuck them under the bus quite a few times, lol. Conflict and tension help drive the storyline, and I love flawed characters. Tortured heroes like Bruno are an added bonus.

 

You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? There are so many authors I’d love to meet! It’s so hard for me to pick favorites, but if I had to choose only one, it would be T.C. Boyle. I think I’d just ask if I could hang around with him for awhile in hopes some of his genius would rub off on me, lol.

 

Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows. I’m afraid I’m much more interesting as a writer. Most of my free time’s spent at the keyboard. It doesn’t make for gossip column material, lol.

 

You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack? A loaded iPod (solar-powered, I suppose), a computer (also solar powered with satellite Internet) and since my hubby probably wouldn’t fit in the backpack, I’d take my dog Lily. 🙂

 

If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be? Only one? Hmm. Flying’s high up on the list, but I loved the mom on The Incredibles – her elastic powers came in pretty handy. 🙂

 

Favorite snack? Chocolate covered almonds. Yum.

 

Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit? I can see the finish line from where I start, but how I get there is often different than I think when I begin. There’s a famous quote, and I wish I could remember the author, to the effect that I can see enough of the road in my car’s headlights to take me the entire journey. (I’m paraphrasing but you get the idea!)

 

Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Danita! It’s been a real pleasure.

 

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Description

Ten days of freedom. That’s all Fate had allotted me each year. In the streets of Venice, I could walk among them. Mingle. Belong.

During Carnevale, they had no idea who I was. What I was.

For ten days, it didn’t matter.

Until I met her.

Bruno diCesare lives alone by necessity, not choice. An experiment performed by Leonardo da Vinci, who believed having a dual DNA would grant a person immortality, used magic to render Bruno a chimera – the head of a lion, body of a dragon. The only time he can mingle with people is during Carnevale, ten glorious days of masked anonymity, frivolity and intimacy.

Melina Weaver learned fire dancing to enliven her dull existence. A scientist, her long hours at the lab leave no time for a social life. For ten days at Carnevale, she can pretend to be someone else. Someone sexy and daring, who lives on the edge.

Once she meets Bruno, her wish comes true, but everything goes terribly wrong. Beneath Bruno’s costume lurks an alpha male, but is he dangerous? Worse, can she return to an employer who sells her research to the military to make an army of efficient killers? Her only hope may lie with the man she’s just met and never seen.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

 

Excerpt

Light danced in his dark eyes. “I must admit, your fire dancing fascinated me. What made you choose such a dangerous skill to master?”

“The thrill of the challenge, I suppose.” It balanced the rest of her mundane life, to a degree. Mastering each new level gave her a sense of achievement, where work couldn’t.

Something flashed through his dark eyes. “Mistakes must be very painful.”

“I practiced a long time before I worked up the nerve to actually light the wands. I found the fire great incentive to focus, however.” God, her grin must be goofy, the way he stared. Such gorgeous eyes, such a deep brown they almost appeared black. He probably had rugged features, if his large hands provided any indication. Too bad he wore gloves, another barrier between them.

“Yes,” he said, “I imagine so.”

“What about you? What other magic do you know?” Oh please, can you get any more ridiculous? It sounded like a line from a bad chick flick.

The crinkle around his eyes was the only evidence of his smile, but enough to charm her.

“Lifetimes of studying the dark arts have provided me with many tricks.”

“Lifetimes?” she blurted.

He stiffened in her arms. “Pardon?”

She watched him carefully. “You said ‘lifetimes’. Plural.” And what the hell did he mean by ‘dark arts’?

Rigidity masked the grace of his movements. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.” He stared over her head as they whirled to the song’s rhythm.

Mistaken my ass. How very strange. More strange that the question upset him. He’d clammed up, and his muscles were so tense, she expected him to bolt. Better to drop it. For now. “Must have been a slip of the tongue.”

“Yes.” Relief sounded in his tone, though guarded.

This man had something to hide. How intriguing.