Tantalizing Tuesday

Hello everyone! It gives me great pleasure to bring you another one of the neat ladies I met at Romance Bandits -

Anna Campbell!!!

Since we're entering November, a time that we should be thankful, and many of us are struggling to find reasons to be thankful for many reasons (spouse/person we know in Iraq, someone we love fighting cancer, or having lost someone in our lives), we need to remember to look past our troubles and be thankful for what we have. Easier said than done, right?

Well, sometimes laughter is the best medicine, or escaping to a different place works too. That's what books are for. In a time when so many of our favorite movies and TV shows are being remade due to lack of an original idea, many authors continue to come up with original ideas, and Anna Campbell is one of those authors!

I managed to pick up Untouched and Tempt the Devil from my local libraries and have them in front of me right now. I just did what I would do if I found them in a store - pick them up and read the first page. The problem with doing that is, I almost forgot I was supposed to be writing this blog intro. It was quite painful to pry myself away!

Who wouldn't want to know why people were referring to Grace Paget (Untouched) as a whore, especially when the girl herself didn't know? But that's what's so great about the start of this story, the reader is just as confused as the heroine. Truly wonderful beginning.

While Tempt the Devil starts out differently, the reader still wants to know why the Earl of Erith wanted Olivia Raines for his next mistress and why she had such power over him without having spoken a word yet.

That's the power that Anna Campbell has. She hooks you with a great piece of meat and happily you chomp on it as she reels you in! Her latest work, Captive of Sin, seems to be in that same fashion. I heard about some nightgown issues that just fascinated me, because I love nightgown issues!

Not only is she a great author, but she's a very neat person to talk to. We've had some very great discussions via email, and it's no wonder why I've brought her into the moonlight today. She's just not someone to keep to yourself, but a treasure you must share! I hope all of enjoy her interview as much I do!

In case you aren't aware of it, Anna Campbell lives on the other side of the ocean from us, so we gave her some slightly different questions.

Let’s start with some trivia about you:

ME: In the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving with a large feast (akin to early harvest celebrations), family gathering and in some cases, prayer. Do you have a similar holiday in your country? If so, what is it called and when do you celebrate it?

ANNA: Hey, Carrie and Moonlighters, thanks for having me as your guest! And happy Thanksgiving to you and your readers! I love the idea of a holiday where one gives thanks. We actually don’t have an official holiday like that down here in Australia. The closest we’d come – well, at least we eat lots including turkey, and it’s a real family gathering – is Christmas. We adopted a lot of the British Christmas traditions, although these days, we’re such a multicultural society, anything goes. Because it’s generally really, REALLY hot, the big Dickens Christmas with all that food and plum pudding has been replaced in some families by seafood or a barbecue. Lots of people go to the beach. Oh, by the way, my family always does the big traditional thing. You feel awful eating all that heavy food when it’s sweltering, but that’s part of our Christmas experience in Oz!

ME: What, if any, holiday traditions (decorating, gathering with friends and family for a meal, etc.) do you have?

ANNA: Well, Christmas, as I said, includes a lot of the British stuff. You know, trees and decorations and carols and lots of cards with snow on it – never really got that! Not a lot of snow in Australia at Christmas, although I did visit Tasmania one December and there was snow on Mount Wellington up behind Hobart. My poor little Queensland self in her shorts nearly froze her nether parts off!

ME: What was your most memorable holiday and why?

ANNA: Oh, too many to mention. Just pulling one out of the air, I think it was when my brother and his wife brought their first child and the first niece/grandchild in my generation down for her first Christmas. There was something lovely about the continuation of the family at that celebration.

ME: If you were to have a Thanksgiving meal with us, which would you put on your plate: white or dark turkey, white potatoes or yams, green beans or corn, bread rolls or crescent rolls? (If you have other ideas for a Thanksgiving feast, please share them!)

ANNA: MMMMM! Roast dinners! I don’t think I’ve ever had a yam. Is that like a sweet potato? I’d definitely have both types of turkey, potatoes, green beans and corn, and probably crescent rolls. Is there gravy? I love gravy with my roast dinners!

ME: What, in your opinion, was the oddest food served at a holiday dinner you’ve attended?

ANNA: One of the funniest – well, in a macabre way! – was when my brother caught a stack of mudcrabs and Mum decided to do a special entrée. Mudcrabs are a large and rather aggressive local crustacean from Moreton Bay where I grew up. The entrée was delicious however cooking the crabs was a bit of a fiasco. They kept getting away from us and clattering across the kitchen floor. Herding an army of angry mudcrabs with a broom? Priceless!

ME: Tell us 3 things you are thankful for this year, please.

ANNA: What a lovely question! Only three? OK, I’m always thankful for my lovely friends. Life would be so much poorer without them. I’m thankful my fifth book has just been accepted by Avon (MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, summer 2010), especially as for a lot of my life, I didn’t think I’d ever see one of my books in print. I’m thankful for my tottering TBR pile. How cool that I’ve got all those wonderful books ahead of me! What bliss!

ME: Just for fun, if you could be among any of the original members of that first Thanksgiving, who would it be, the Pilgrims or the Wampanoag (Native Americans)? Why?

ANNA: Hmm, given my fondness for roast dinners, I don’t think I should be running around revealing too much flesh. I think those copious black dresses that cover EVERYTHING might be just the ticket. So a Pilgrim’s hat for me!

ME: Considering that feast, what do you think that first harvest celebration meal would be? What would the meal be if it happened in your country?

ANNA: Man, I’m learning a lot doing this blog. I had no idea what they ate at the first Thanksgiving. And now, thanks to the History Channel, I’ve got a really good idea. Check out this link: http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving And there’s a menu too – might have skipped the seal and the eagle! But the seafood looks great! In Australia, if there had been a Thanksgiving dinner in 1788 when the first settlers landed, I think they would have had goat and mutton (brought over from England), kangaroo, fish and shellfish (Sydney’s coastline abounds in great seafood), birds like pelicans or herons, potatoes, turtles, maybe seaweed soup! Farming was a problem for the first settlers so I doubt they would have had many greens!

Now, let’s get to your writing:

ME: Why historical? Why hot romance versus actual regency? What’s the draw?

ANNA: I’ve always loved historical romance, right back to when I was a little girl and I used to watch Errol Flynn swashbuckle his way into many a wench’s heart. I love the way a great historical sweeps you into a different world – and hey, the glamorous clothes and settings don’t hurt either! If you’re talking about traditional Regency, the market for that has pretty much evaporated, sadly. It’s a pity. I used to enjoy a lot of those books. I think a higher level of sensuality suits the passionate, intense stories I tell and I love the way the characters are naked (in every sense of the word!) in a good sex scene!

ME: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? What do you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story?

ANNA: I use the phrase ‘passionate historical romance’ in my marketing material and I think that pretty much covers it. I hope readers go through an intense emotional journey with my stories and emerge with a sigh of satisfaction as my characters get their happy ending after all their travails.

ME: Have you ever written holidays into your stories? Why or why not?

ANNA: What a good question! I haven’t written any holidays into my stories – I guess it’s just never occurred to me. Yeah, I know, that’s a wimp of an answer.

ME: Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one basting the turkey?

ANNA: Mmm, turkey… Mind you, I’m still waiting to find out if I get gravy! What was the question again? Oh, muses. I tend to write from my subconscious, which I suppose you could say is where my muse lives. I know if I try to get the characters to do what I want instead of what they want, they go quiet on me and the book doesn’t progress. Mind you, the upside of that is that if the characters are in charge, I know the story’s coming alive.

ME: Have you ever based a character on a real-life person? If so, why? Was it simply to immortalize them or was there more to it than that? If you can, tell us the name of that person, please! We’re all curious here!

ANNA: Actually I haven’t! Really, truly. I’m sure elements of people I’ve known have crept into my characters but I’ve never consciously based a character on someone I know.

ME: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

ANNA: Actually my characters tend to pop up from my subconscious fairly fully formed so I’m not sure how much creating I actually do. My hero and heroine go through such hard times, perhaps fun isn’t the best description for writing their stories. I usually have great fun with secondaries though. Ben Ashton, Verity’s Yorkshire-speaking brother, in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN was huge fun, especially when he was pretending to be Ben Ahbood, the mute eunuch. In UNTOUCHED, my fun character was actually a dog. Wolfram was great to write about. In TEMPT THE DEVIL, the fun character was Olivia’s gay friend Perry with his awful taste in home decor. He was such fun, he makes a reappearance in MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. In CAPTIVE OF SIN, I loved writing about the hero’s best friend, Akash. He’s one of those smooth, incredibly capable, rather mysterious types who turns up when you most want him. A little like an Indian James Bond!

ME: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

ANNA: Oh, my goodness, what an interesting question. Clearly I’d LOVE to meet all my heroes – but then I might have trouble choosing between them. Hmm, I have enormous respect for Olivia Raines from TEMPT THE DEVIL and I think she’d have an unusual perspective on life. Actually, I think I’d like to met Wolfram. He was such a nice pooch! ;-)

I’ve written a couple of dastardly villains. Kylemore’s mum from CLAIMING THE COURTESAN was awful! Matthew’s uncle from UNTOUCHED was even worse, I think. In CAPTIVE OF SIN, Charis’s stepbrothers are really greedy and violent but I don’t think QUITE as bad as the other two I mentioned. I don’t want any of these people moving in next door, thank you very much!

BLURB:

He pledged his honor to keep her safe . . .

Returning home to Cornwall after unspeakable tragedy, Sir Gideon Trevithick comes upon a defiant beauty in danger, and vows to protect her whatever the cost. He’s dismayed to discover that she’s none other than Lady Charis Weston, England’s wealthiest heiress—and that the only way to save her from the violent stepbrothers determined to steal her fortune is to wed her himself! Now Gideon must hide the dark secrets of his life from the bride he desires more with every heartbeat.

She promised to show him how to love—and desire--again . . .

Charis has heard all about Gideon, the dangerously handsome hero with the mysterious past. She’s grateful for his help, but utterly unwilling to endure a marriage of convenience—especially to a man whose touch leaves her breathless. Desperate to drive him mad with passion, she would do anything to make Gideon lose control—and fall captive to irresistible, undeniable sin.

EXCERPT:

Winchester, early February, 1821

“Good God, what have we here?”

The man’s deep voice pierced Charis’s pain-ridden doze. She flinched, stirring from her cramped position. For one dazed moment, she wondered why she was shivering in fetid straw, instead of snuggled in her bed at Holcombe Hall.

Blazing agony struck and she stifled an involuntary moan. And a curse for her rank stupidity.

How could she forget the danger long enough to fall asleep?

But she’d been blind with exhaustion when she’d stumbled into the stable behind the sprawling inn. Unable to manage another step even though she hadn’t come far enough to be safe.

Now she wasn’t safe at all.

The light from the man’s lantern dazzled her bleary eyes. She discerned little more than a tall shape looming outside the stall. Choking with panic, she clawed upright until she huddled against the rough planking. Blood pulsed like thunder in her ears.

Muffling a whimper as she moved her injured left arm, Charis crossed shaking hands over her torn bodice. Scenting her terror, the big chestnut horse that filled most of the space shifted restively.

As the man lifted the lantern to illuminate Charis’s corner, she shied away. Beyond the ring of yellow light that surrounded him, menacing shadows thickened and multiplied up to the high pitched ceiling.

“Please don’t be frightened.” The stranger made a curiously truncated gesture with one black-gloved hand. “I mean you no harm.”

The rich baritone was sheathed in warm concern. He made no overt movement toward her. Charis’s crippling fear didn’t subside. Men, she’d learned from cruel experience, lied. Even men with velvet voices, smooth and cultured.

A sharp twinge in her chest reminded her she hadn’t drawn breath since he’d found her. The air she sucked into her starved lungs reeked of horse manure, hay dust and the sour stink of her own fear.

She turned her head and really looked at the man. Her throat jammed with shock.

He was utterly beautiful.



We might have tall red woods,


but take a look at this image from Tasmania (and it's not their tallest)!

Mystic Monday

Since I have officially entered the writing world as an author, I thought I would start November by answering our Paranormal October questions.  

Let’s start with some trivia about me:

Q. Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

A. It rotates. This has to be the first October where I didn’t watch any of the usual suspects and opted for ones I haven’t seen before. Haven’t found too many good ones yet this year. The usual suspects are (in no particular order): Halloween series, Friday the 13th movie and series, the Scream movies, the I Know movies, The First Power (Lou Diamond Phillips), The Order (Heath Ledger), Rosemary’s Baby, When a Stranger Calls, When a Stranger Calls Back, Prince of Darkness. I don’t really have a favorite.

Q. Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

A. I like to decorate, but I haven’t decorated much the past couple of years. This is the first year I actually decorated the house for Halloween. I hope to do more next year.

Q. If you do you dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

A. I dress up in fan gear for Packer (NFL) and Bucks (NBA) games all the time. Since the Milwaukee Bucks’ first home game was on Halloween, I just wore my fan gear. My favorite costume wasn’t worn at Halloween. It was the makeshift pirate/mage costume I wore to Gen Con when it was still in Milwaukee. I wore a really neat colored shirt. It wasn’t quite blue, but it wasn’t quite purple either. It was a mix between the two. I also bought a small crystal the same color as my shirt that year. I wore really cool black boots too!

Q. Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

A. Superstitious? Not really, I just knock on wood when I talk about something that hasn’t happened yet, so I don’t jinx it, and I don’t like to mention bad things about a sports player during a game (such as “he has a tendency to fumble”) because it just might come true on the next play.

Q. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

A. Yes, I do believe in ghosts. I’ve had encounters with ones I’ve seen and those I couldn’t. My first one was when I was six and the most recent one was earlier this year. I was six, it was the first time I slept in my bedroom on the second floor of the house. It was converted from an attic. While the room was being finished, my mother shouted, “Get out of here!” I told her she told me to bring something to her, but she continued to tell me that she was talking to the dog. We didn’t have a dog until the next summer. The dog belonged to the previous owners.

Then, sometime after that, I was freaked by something I saw. Everyone tried to convince me I had a nightmare, but that’s not true. I saw my sister walk through the hall from her room, walk through the white being (which dissipated when she walked through it) and I jumped and screamed when she touched me. Not because I was asleep and she startled me, but because I was that afraid.

Q. Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

A. For me, the tricks start on October 1st and continue through the 30th. The pranksters constantly like to hide my keys, my rings, and anything else I might need, so I can’t leave the house on time. I can’t tell you the number of times I would look for my keys in the same spot (where I set them down in the first place only to not see them. Then, after searching all over the house four times and pleading with the spirits to, “please knock it off because this isn’t funny any more and I need to leave,” I will find them right where I originally put them but moved slightly.

We always hear people walking around above our heads when he sit in the living room, but when we check the bedroom and the crawl space, we never find anything. It’s always creepy.

Q. If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

A. I would have mind powers if I could. I would like the power of telekinesis, teleportation, and the ability to communicate without speaking.

Now, let’s get to my writing:

Q. Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

A. I was always into science fiction. Weird, odd and bizarre stuff fascinated me. I also like reading science fiction and fantasy stories, so it was only a matter of time until I started writing in the genre myself.

Q. If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

A. Not sure. Honest. I haven’t written enough to know my own work enough to find one word that describes it.

Q. Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

A. I’m a trick and a treat person. It shows in my writing because I like to have one prankster or joker in every story, but I also like to have good things happen to the good characters.

Q. Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

A. Oh, definitely my muse and the characters she introduces me to. I have zero influence, even though I’d like to think I do.

Q. What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

A. Nightshade is the creature I am having the most learning about. He is a black common door dragon from my Centurion 54 world.

Q. If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

A. It’s a toss up. I would like to meet Brandon and Drake for sure. They are two tough but sexy men that make women swoon and fight over them. They are fierce protectors and extremely loyal. Cleo and Zack would be cool to meet too. And I would like to meet Lily and Jake too because they just seem so neat.

I would not want to meet Falcon. So far, he hasn’t revealed much to about himself to me other than that he is a killer, can move among the public unnoticed and can be a ghost when he wants to be. No one has been able to identify him or has seen him and lived to tell the tale, except for Brandon. He’s been searching for Falcon ever since they crossed paths when Falcon killed his mother and his fiancé.

SUPERNATURAL SUNDAY

The Moonlighters Welcome A.J. Chase

Please welcome A.J. Chase into the Moonlight. A.J. is the author of Cat and Mouse, which was recently released by Freya’s Bower.

Thanks for joining us today, A.J. And now, let’s get to know you a little better...

ME: Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving movie or program that you enjoy watching every year? If more than one, tell us all of them!

A.J.: Actually, to be honest I don’t like watching TV or movies. It’s not some “look how culturally advanced I am” thing. I think they’re fine and my family loves watching stuff but I think I’m just too ADD or something. I just can’t sit through them without doing something else.

ME: What, if any, Thanksgiving traditions (decorating, gathering with friends and family for a meal, etc.) do you have?

A.J.: We usually go to my in-laws house every year and even my family usually comes. One year when we hadn’t been married long my husband and I decided that we were going to host Thanksgiving for everyone. And it sucked so much that we basically thought, “Screw this, next year we’re going back to the old way.” lol

ME: What was your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

A.J.: The first time I really met all of my husband’s family was a formal holiday dinner. It was extremely awkward. But the best part was my sister and her three or four year old daughter were there too and my niece decided the plastic chair she was sitting in was an excellent place to release a series of explosively loud gas emissions. While I normally don’t find body humor amusing it sounded like it was echoing through the entire room and my sister was completely horrified. She ran off to the bathroom and didn’t come out for several minutes. I still get a good laugh out of that on occasion and my niece is now fourteen. (And apparently, deep inside, so am I.)

ME: Which do you choose: white or dark turkey, white potatoes or yams, green beans or corn, bread rolls or crescent rolls?

A.J.: I personally like dark meat but I will take a little of both. I hate yams but my Irish must be coming out because I LOVE potatoes. I would eat a thanksgiving dinner of nothing but potatoes and gravy and maybe bread. I like corn better but green beans are the appropriate Thanksgiving fare. I like both rolls and crescent rolls. I would take either. Or, you know, all of them. Are you going to eat that?

ME: What, in your opinion, was the oddest food served at a Thanksgiving dinner you’ve attended?

A.J.: One year my in-laws put out the green beans and the whole casserole was black. I mean, literally black. Apparently it wasn’t burned. I have no idea what my FIL put in there and no one talked about why they looked like that. It was utterly bizarre. I asked my husband and he said he’d probably put something in there like soy sauce. My FIL gets creative. Needless to say, I passed.

ME: Tell us 3 things you are thankful for this year, please.

A.J.: That my family has made it through healthy. There’s been some serious health issues in the town where I live, including thousands of case, a frighteningly large number fatal, of swine flu. I’ve been really scared but so far so good, knock on wood.

That we are getting back on our feet. We’ve had some hard times in the last year and not one of them were things we could control but we’re slowly digging our way out with the rest of America.

That we are having another baby. We were told years ago that PCOS would prevent me from getting pregnant again but pregnancy related complications made doctors unwilling to give me fertility pills. But we were surprised earlier this year to discover that we will be having another soon. Nice surprise.

ME: Just for fun, if you could be among any of the original members of that first Thanksgiving, who would it be, the Pilgrims or the Wampanoag (Native Americans)? Why?

A.J.: Um, I’d probably be among neither. I’d probably be off somewhere carving stories on to a piece of wood or some crap.



Now, let’s get to know a little more about your writing:

ME: Why paranormal? What’s the draw?

A.J.: I actually don’t normally write paranormal. Sometimes I do write Urban Fantasy but that is completely different. In this case someone mentioned the idea of a funny paranormal and I just thought, hey that might be a good time. So I wrote one. Normally I write YA urban fantasies which are, of course much more about the world and less about the romance, and dark and gritty romantic suspense. However, I also occasionally write first person series mysteries in a very similar voice used in Cat and Mouse.

ME: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? What do you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story?

A.J.: It really depends on what genre they’re reading. With Cat and Mouse I think I’d say the word is “light” but there’s a deeper message there that I’d like people to go away with about accepting yourself for what you are and what you’ll never be.

ME: Have you ever written Thanksgiving into your stories? Why or why not?

A.J.: Not that I remember but Thanksgiving isn’t one of those Holidays I think a lot about. I have several stories that take place around Christmas so logically some of them probably involve Halloween. But I can’t remember specifically an instance.

ME: Who decides what you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one basting the turkey?

A.J.: I think it’s mostly muse driven. I never plot. I just write. When I first started writing I was constantly stunned that everything worked out in the end. Like magic! So I think I’m mostly an automatic writer for that ghost called the muse.

Once I get to a certain point the characters really do their own thing. I have a four book YA series where I realized the secondary heroine wasn’t strong enough for the secondary hero so I put her in a situation where she’d have to grow some spine. Instead she just broke up with the hero because she couldn’t deal with it. Didn’t see that coming. Oops. That little plan backfired.

ME: Have you ever based a character on a real-life person? If so, why? Was it simply to immortalize them or was there more to it than that? If you can, tell us the name of that person, please! We’re all curious here!

A.J.: No, I never have. I don’t even base the heroines at all on myself. In fact, to be honest, my weirder traits typically show up in the hero. All my neuroses are going to show up in one hero or another. However, I did once use some of my husband’s more charming aspects to create a hero I would actually date. But that’s the only time and then all the rest of his personality was made up.

ME: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

A.J.: In this book I had the most fun with Kitty. She does think a little like me actually. But mostly it was creating her hang ups that were fun.

In other books my favorite character ever is probably either Simon Hoyell from a romantic suspense called Never Look Down or the heroine from one of my YA UF series. I love Simon because he’s so screwed up. It’s not just hang-ups or neuroses. He has real issues and they are complex and complicated to address and that’s always fun. The YA heroine I love because she’s a walking contradiction. She has a lot of issues that would crush another teenager but she is one of those people who never lets anything show. So it’s sort of fun to get all of these horrible things she’s feeling but keep it all internal and only let it come out in a couple of her behaviors. Only when she can’t keep it inside and it comes out by accident.

I think I just like characters that are a challenge to write.

ME: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

A.J.: Oh gosh lol this is hard. Just one? I have hundreds of characters. Wow. The one I’d most like to meet is Aodhagan McFarley, I think. The hero of my Birdwell, TX mystery series. He’s so like me sometimes and all of the attractive parts about him come from my husband, I think we’d have no trouble getting along. The one I’d like to meet least? I can’t tell you that specifically because it would give away the story, but I think the villain in Never Look Down.

BLURB:

For Katherine Stapleton(aka Kitty), being a shape-shifter isn’t nearly as glamorous as the novels and movies make it out to be. It isn’t all raw, animalistic sex and superhuman physical prowess. There’s also the hairballs.

Kitty has spent her entire life being a less-than-perfect were-cat. She can’t control her animal changes, so she decide to excel at matters human. After a decade of worldly successes, she’s back home for her ten-year high school reunion. Yet, she feels just as insignificant as she did back in school—except with Sam Philmore, a fellow D.C. lawyer and past classmate. And her former secret crush. In just three days Kitty gets the bad memories, the good times, the bitter truth, and a mouthful of one very sexy man who just happens to be a mouse sometimes...

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EXCERPT:

We wandered across the courtyard, deafened by the huge artificial spray of water as we crossed under the waterfall. The pair of us found a little niche between the pool at the bottom of the waterfall and a large—probably artificial—garden. We leaned against the stucco wall.

I ran my hand over my dress again, self conscious while Sam watched me. What could I do to get him to stop staring? “Do you like living in D.C.?”

“I’ve liked it better since two weeks ago.” He sounded so matter-of-fact I had to ask.

“What happened two weeks ago?”

He played with a random curl that couldn’t be shoved back in my twist. “I saw your name on the Montgomery list.”

Oh, God. My knees went weak, and it probably wasn’t the vodka. At least not all of it.

But it was the vodka and schnapps cruising through my veins that made me stand there limp, with blood pumping hot to all the right places, and not run away. It was the alcohol that made me capable of opening my mouth under his when Sam kissed me hard.

In another moment I would have fled if someone I hadn’t seen in years tried to slip me some tongue, especially considering one of us would probably have to be removed from the Montgomery case.

But not right now.

Sam tasted like cheesecake, high school fantasies, and man. I whimpered low in my throat while his stroking tongue worked magic on mine. Tangling my fingers into his hair, I got into the kiss.

It was a bad idea. But at the moment all I knew was he kissed like he meant it, felt like my wildest dreams, and had his hand on my ass. I don’t think two minutes passed before his tie was off, and my fingers were tangled in the crisp, dark hair on his muscled chest. My black skirt fit too tight to step between, but somehow it had managed to ride all the way up my thighs. Sam stood between my legs, his erection pressing unabashedly into me as we kissed with an insane level of abandon.

It had to be the alcohol. It had to be. God, he was so hot.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for fourteen years,” he growled, nipping on the lobe of my ear. “Fourteen years of fantasizing about that pretty little mouth of yours.”

“Fourteen—” I gasped as he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth. “I don’t believe you,” I managed after he’d abandoned my mouth and moved to my neck.

“You should. It’s true.”

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Starlight Saturday

YA Author Spotlight Presents...

Rachel Caine!!!

Vampires and vampire slayers are something that will, thanks to Joss Whedon and a few others, have a special place in people's hearts. Unlike Buffy, the popular blonde cheerleader who had no clue she was born a vampire slayer until her watcher found her and was killed by vampires in front of her. It is only then, when she moves from LA to Sunnydale, that the rumors about her burning down her school and all that surface causing her to downfall from the popular group to weird chick. Unlike Buffy, Claire of Morganville is already deeply sunk into the weird chick status, considering how she is in college at the young age of 16 (almost 17), basically a brain.

Claire's young age and physical build make her an easy target for Monica and her, "clan." Even though people feel sorry for Claire, they don't feel sorry enough to go against Monica, or want to incur Monica's wrath, so Claire is pretty much on her own. Battered and bruised from being shoved down the stairs by Monica and lucky she didn't break her neck, Claire heads off campus to live. Claire knows that if she stays in her dorm any longer, she won't have any clothes left because Monica will probably burn what little bit she hadn't thrown into the garbage and that Monica will eventually kill her, especially since Claire had hit Monica in her beloved face. No one hits Monica and lives.

Buffy had her own Scooby gang, so why shouldn't Claire? Well, she does get her own form of the Scooby gang when she moves into the Glass House. She chooses Glass House because it's off campus and nowhere near Monica and it was affordable enough. It's here she meets Michael, Eve and Shane.

Want to know more?

Ha, you'll have to read the books! (Yes, I'm evil that way, I know!)

Now let's get to our interview with Rachel Caine:

Let’s start with some trivia about you:

ME: Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

RACHEL: Hmmm, probably my favorite scary movie of all time is "The Ring." Or, if I'm in the mood for more of a classic, "The Haunting of Hill House." As far as favorite scary characters, actually not so much, although Pinhead comes close ...

ME: Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

RACHEL: To be honest, I'm usually VERY busy at Halloween doing signings, lectures, travel, etc., so I don't get much of a chance to decorate my home, which is too bad because I love it. But I do love to do the costume thing!

ME: If you do you dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

RACHEL: I think I'll probably be doing steampunk this year, since I have some faboo shoes and a new fancy hat. But I think my all-time favorite was when I went to a geeky classical musician party (which was AWESOME) and everyone dressed as their favorite classical composition. I was one of the three Fountains of Rome. I had a gigantic molded fountain on my head, spilling out silver and blue shiny tinsel. It was GREAT! (Our three dates came as the three Pines of Rome. Hee.)

ME: Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

RACHEL: I'm not at all superstitious. Never have been, weirdly enough.

ME: Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

RACHEL: Not actually sure I believe in ghosts, but I do believe that there are senses we don't understand. My personal story is fairly standard -- I decided, without any particular reason, to pick up and drive from Dallas to El Paso for Thanksgiving one year, because I had a bad feeling. It's an extremely long drive, and I started after work, so I drove all through the night. Around 6 am I suddenly felt a relief of pressure, and this sense that it was all going to be okay, and I should just stop, pull over, and sleep for a while. So I did. I got into town to discover that my father -- whom I didn't know was ill -- had passed away around the same time that I felt I could stop and sleep.

It was like he was telling me, "Don't rush, everything's fine, be safe."

ME: Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

RACHEL: A friend came to pick me up for a party once. I was standing in the doorway talking to my roommate, with my back to the parking lot; he reached in and grabbed me to scare me.

I slammed the door on his arms. That was funny in retrospect, not so much when he was screaming in pain. But hey, I have good reflexes!

Second one probably would be turning a corner while at a downtown party and finding my ex-fiance on a date with someone else.

Third -- hmm, probably sitting in the airport on a layover from Europe, jet-lagged, and realizing that the reason people looked so strange was that it was Halloween, and all the flight attendants were wearing their costumes. It actually took me a while to figure it out!

ME: If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

RACHEL: I'd definitely be a Djinn (genie). It's sort of like being an angel, with a wicked sense of humor and a grudge.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

ME: Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

RACHEL: I like to write about things that interest me personally, and the paranormal has always seemed to work its way into my fiction. I've only done one or two stories in my entire life that didn't have SOME paranormal component. Even the Harlequin books I did (for Bombshell and Athena Force) contained some paranormal elements. I think writing the real world is interesting, but complicating it with the paranormal is extra fascinating.

ME: If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

RACHEL: I have to break it into two categories:

For the YA books: Peer pressure sucks ... and so do vampires.
For the Weather Warden/Outcast Season books: You'll never watch the Weather Channel the same way again (thanks, Jim Butcher!)

ME: Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

RACHEL: I like treats, personally. But I think I'm all about the tricks in my writing -- lots of puzzles, challenges, unexpected twists.

ME: Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

RACHEL: I'm the one in the driver's seat (or at least my subconscious is) but my muse throws in the twists and complications.

ME: What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

RACHEL: I think "creature" may be too unkind a term, but it was probably the (vampire) character of Myrnin in the Morganville Vampires series.

ME: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

RACHEL: Hmmm, I think I'd like to meet David from my Weather Warden series. Because ... yeah. He's very, very shiny. And actually kind of a good guy, for a Djinn.

Never under any circumstances: probably the odious Yvette from the Weather Warden novels (Kevin's stepmonster). She was pretty awful.

A few bullet points about the series:

· We recently signed a deal for three more Morganville Vampires novels, which means there will be a total of 12 in the series
· Recent foreign publication sales (translations) to Poland, Hungary, Germany, Russia, France, Spain, UK, Italy, Turkey, Czech Republic
· Also available on Kindle and in ebook formats
· Also available as audiobooks, read by Cynthia Holloway
· New York Times and USA Today bestsellers

BLURB:

FADE OUT:
Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

EXCERPT:

Introduction

WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE. YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE..

So, you’re new to Morganville. Welcome, new resident! There are only a few important rules you need to know to feel comfortable in our quiet little town:

· obey the speed limits,
· don’t litter,
· whatever you do, don’t get on the bad side of the vampires.

Yeah, we said vampires. Deal with it.

As a human newcomer, you’ll need to find yourself a vampire Protector—someone willing to sign a contract to keep you and yours from harm (especially from the other vampires). In return, you’ll pay taxes . . . just like in any other town. Of course, in most other towns, those taxes don’t get collected by the bloodmobile.

Oh, and if you decide not to get a Protector, you can do that, too . . . but you’d better learn how to run fast, stay out of the shadows, and build a network of friends who can help you. Try contacting the residents of the Glass House—Michael, Eve, Shane, and Claire. They know their way around, even if they always end up in the middle of the trouble somehow.

Welcome to Morganville. You’ll never want to leave.

And even if you do . . . well, you can’t.

Sorry about that.

Rachel Caine - a perfect end to a lovely Paranormal October! 

Be sure to keep your eye out for the first omnibus for the Morganville Vampires containing Glass Houses and Dead Girls' Dance.  It has a really neat cover:

And, due out early 2010, Kiss of Death, Book 8 in the series

 

Enjoy the rest of your Halloween everyone!

PHANTASM FRIDAY

Tomorrow is Halloween. My eight year old is excited, I’m not sure if it’s the appeal of getting free candy—he’s a candy junkie—or becoming Rey Mysterio—his Halloween costume and his real life hero! If you’re unfamiliar with Rey Mysterio he’s a 5’3” WWE wrestler that my son worships. He cut his hair a couple of months back like Rey Mysterio—unmasked Rey, of course. LOL Here’s a photo of Rey Mysterio, so you’ll have some idea who’s going trick or treating with me tomorrow night!

I bit the bullet today and decided to participate in NanoWrimo. After all those edits for Elfin Blood, I’ve been a bit burned out and have had no motivation to write. So, I’m hoping Nano kicks my booty into writing action. I need something to kick my booty into writing mode. Are any of you participating in Nano this year?

But, in honor of Halloween, I’m going to talk about Haunted Houses…

*insert evil laugh*

Bwhahahaha….

We’ve all grown up with stories of haunted houses or haunted dormitories or haunted areas—something haunted anyway. The city I grew up in had a local legend about a bridge. If one went to it at night, the ghosts of those that had driven off the bridge would haunt the place. Personally, I went necking down there with my boyfriend and I didn’t see anything. Nope, nothing! So much for a legend, huh? Or maybe I was too consumed with kissing the boyfriend to notice any ghosts had they been haunting the place. =)

The term “haunted houses” brings to mind my personal experiences though. I grew up in a house that, while not necessarily haunted, it had a spirit of some sort living with us in perfect harmony. I often felt protected and loved by that spirit. I mentioned last week in my paranormal interview of seeing my great-grandfather. I do believe my great-grandfather haunts my father’s house, as I’ve seen his spirit more than once. The comparison between my great-grandfather and the spirit I grew up with startling. When I saw my great-grandfather the feeling was so intense, so vile and aggressive, and he wanted us gone. Or that was the way I interpreted it.



I have a girlfriend, Nicole, who bought a home with her husband. It was a beautiful piece of property, twenty-five acres, with an older fixer-up home. The home was so old it had a well built on the corner of the front porch. It was cool, a neat little piece of history. I can’t even imagine having to draw my water out of it just to meet the basic necessary needs. But after having kids I see the danger in it too. The place had oodles of potential and best of all it was away from the big city. It was so quiet and peaceful.

My first visit there, I came home telling my husband the place had a ghost. Everywhere I went, I felt like I was being watched. I never felt any hostility, but more curiosity. Daytime or nighttime, it didn’t matter, some unseen presence was watching. From inside the home to the shed in the backyard, something was always watching. The only time I could truly get away from the presence was when we would ride the four-wheelers across the back part of the property and woods.

I didn’t realize until we visited for a Halloween party a couple of months later that Nicole had purchased the home from an estate after the previous owner, an elderly woman, had passed away in it. It was like the light-bulb went off in my head—a smack my forehead V8 moment!—where I thought ‘that is why I’m feeling those hidden eyes’.

Another weekend I was there goofing off with Nicole and her mother, Jill, when Jill started talking about her conversations with the spirit of the woman who once owned the house! I got chills!! My eyes even watered! To have my feelings and thoughts confirmed was exciting. The only thing that would have made this haunted house perfect would have been for it to have a cemetery sitting on the property! LOL


I went home that night and told my husband about Jill knowing there was a ghost there too and couldn’t resist saying, “I told you so!” His reply was that I wasn’t the only crazy person in the world. ;-)

I’d love to hear your comments. And we’d love for you to come by the Moonlight, Lace & Mayhem Yahoo Group and tell us about your own "haunted house" experiences and stories! =)

Scary photo of the week…


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! And a safe Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

All photos were taken from Photobucket and no copyright infringement was intended!

~~~~~

Sheila Deeth gave me the following review on my new book, Elfin Blood:

"An elf thief and vampire elf-kin, brooding mansions replete with gargoyles, and a snooty twenty-thousand-year-old king who thinks he calls the shots; Gracen Miller creates an interesting cast of characters in Elfin Blood, and fills their world with delightfully intriguing surprises.

The vampire leader’s more sex-lost than sex-addicted at the start, and Landau’s reawakening with Julija is portrayed in powerful detail. From dance-floor kiss to coffee-shop chaos, to… well, you get the picture… these two are surely “going to be a problem.”

Tortured alike by their bodies’ betrayal and lustful imaginings, the two protagonists simultaneously spend the first part of the book avoiding each other and seeking each other out. But all is revealed, in history, forest and bedroom, and elvish soul-blends demand far more than the locking of lips and eyes.

The writing rises above the occasional typo, pulling the reader into a perfect pooling of passion and desire. Very nicely done Gracen, and definitely not your granny’s or granddaughter’s romance."

TWILIGHT THURSDAY

~~~~~~

TAMELA QUIJAS CAPTURES THE BLOOD OF THE BEAST IN THE MOONLIGHT

~~~~~~

Please welcome Tamela Quijas into the Moonlight. Thanks so much for joining us today, Tamela. It’s a pleasure and an honor. Now, let’s get to the fun stuff, learning more about you and your books:

1. Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

I love the movie, Monster Squad, and watch it with the kids. My favorite scary movie would have to be the series, Rose Red—scared the daylights out of me. The thought of a house with an attitude of its own is astounding and more than just a bit creepy. My favorite scary character—Dracula!

2. Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

We decorate the house and, while I take the little ones trick or treating. My husband and the older kids (in costume) pass out candy and scare the neighbors.



3. If you do you dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

I stopped dressing up years ago. It's more fun to plan the decorations outside of the house and help the kids with their Halloween plans. Their excitement is worth every minute!

4. Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

I was raised in a very superstitious country and I do believe! Yes, salt over the shoulder, knocking on wood and I even have a hex symbol hung by the door of my house to ward off the devil, as well as rosemary at the front and back gate.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

Ghosts! I believe in them 100%. A ghostly encounter?



I went to the movies with my DH a few years back and returned home around 11 pm. As I crawled into bed, out the corner of my eye, I saw a petite figure in white walk through the hallway. At first, I thought it was my youngest daughter, then realized she didn't have a floor length white nightgown. Chicken that I am, I jumped into bed and closed my eyes. The DH, who was nearby asked me if I had seen the same thing he had.

The following morning, my teenager (who would sleep on the couch out in the living room) told me how mad he was at his sister. When I asked why, he said that she had stood at the entry to the hallway and just stared at him until he told her to go back to bed. Then, he wanted to know where she got the white nightgown.

Very quietly, my daughter informed him she didn't have a white nightgown and never strayed from her bed that night.

6. Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

I have one that sticks out in my memory that still makes me laugh!

The DH does these fantastic layouts for Halloween in the yard. His favorite is to dress up in old clothes and have straw coming out of the sleeves and bottoms of his pants and he puts on a mask. As soon as it is dark, he sits out on a lawn chair like a stuffed Halloween figure. The trick is, when the kids come up for candy, he starts to twitch, making them scream and run.

A woman showed up with her baby in a stroller, trick or treating. He pulled the same routine, but the mother started screaming and ran off down the drive, leaving the baby behind. Here the husband was, dressed to scare the daylights out of someone, having to chase after her with her child.

7. If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

Oh, that's a hard one. I would love to be able to tap into a little of each creature because I love the combination of powers.

Now, let’s get to your writing:

8. Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

I love the unexplained and the mystical. The paranormal genre allows me to play with the questions of the darker side of the world and the shadows that may exist on the fringe of what we, as humans, term as acceptable.

9. If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

Come dance on the dark side of the moon is the phrase that I would use. I would like my readers to question what they believe and look beyond what they consider normal.

10. Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

No, I don't play tricks but I do enjoy bestowing treats. Life should be delicious and every moment savored.

11. Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

Would you believe my muse? I have a delicious little imp that makes constant suggestions for my latest creature, sending ideas in a rampant little romp through my over active imagination.

12. What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

Lucien D'Angel from Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood, was my favorite creature. I enjoyed creating him due to the fact that he is a 'soul gatherer', cursed to walk the earth and pay for crimes that were not of his making. Lucien gathers the souls of the dead that exist in the other realm of the world that is not visible to the human eye and he's tormented by the images he sees.

13. If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

Oh, that's a hard one! I would love to meet Lucien, for the entire ghost hunting experience. Demetri Petronov, from Blood of the Beast, would be another—the intelligent conversation would be stimulating!

The one character I would never want to meet? Julian D'Angel, consummate evil in human form, with powers that rival the devil.

~~~~~

BLURB:

…There is a scent that fills the night, far more delicate than the beat of the human heart, more fragile than the whisper of breath that escapes the lungs. It is the scent of the blood that pulsates through the mortal body. Commonly overlooked by those among the living, it is a sound so fervently sought by those that reside on the fringes of the world that exists between the living and the undead.

It is what the beast craves…

Detective Valentina Kureyev had been assigned to one of the worst cases of the century. A serial killer haunted the streets, depositing bloodless corpses throughout the section of town known as Little Europe. She hadn't a clue to the identity of the culprit, as the appearance of more bodies had begun to cause terror and panic.

The case was hopeless.

The terror was real.

As real as Demetri Petronov.

The Professor of Russian Antiquities had been targeted with the murderer's special form of a calling card. Val couldn't turn away from his offer of aide in the bizarre case, even though he whispered tales of the beast feeding on human blood.

He was the primary suspect.

EXCERPT:

“I don't savor the hunt or the fresh kill, Valentina moya.” He assured her gently. Demetri lifted his large hand and used his forefinger to press at the soft flesh under her chin, effectively snapping her mouth shut. He continued to hold her jaw, the chill of his hand cupping the tender flesh. His heavily lidded attention bore deeply into her robin blue eyes, immediately recognizing that she was helplessly ensnared by his own unspoken power. “I don't relish what I am, Valentina, nor did I ask to be transformed into this creature of the night. If I could do everything over, I would have never permitted myself into the situation that cost me my soul.”
Val blinked up at him, unable to speak as he continued to stare at her. The fiery color had vanished from the whites of his eyes and the ever-comforting shade of amber revealed a profound sadness she hadn't expected. She quivered beneath his touch and, as his hand slid across the softness of her cheek, she exhaled a sigh filled with longing.

“There's only one thing about this eternal damnation I do enjoy, Detective Kureyev.” He continued, a seductive luminosity filling his gaze as his head bent toward her upturned face. His image filled her vision and her heart began to beat at a betraying double-quick tattoo. Val licked at her lips, her breasts rising and falling heavily with each strangled breath she struggled to take. “I can make you lower your stubborn defenses. I can look into your eyes and your entire body quivers with need for me. Some far part of you, buried deep inside that over analytical and cryptic mind, wonders how I would pleasure you.”

Blood of the Beast can be purchased at Amazon:
Kindle Format: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002GP7YMY/
Paperback Format: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Beast-Tamela-Quijas/dp/1442173351

~~~~~

Leave Tamela a comment and be entered for a chance to win an autographed copy of one of her books!

Wistful Wednesday

Hi all,

Since Margay seems busy with her books today, I thought I would take this opportunity to promote her Jane Austen Society Pages textnovel.com entry for her:

One

It is the observation of This Lady that a woman in want of a good reputation should not risk being found in a compromising position with a man who is not her husband. Take a certain Mrs. M, for instance. Not three hours following the renewal of her vows to Mr. M, she was seen renewing something else with a mystery man at least twelve years her junior. Tsk, tsk, Mrs. M. Are you so desperate to have a child that you’re raiding the nursery for your pleasure? One must wonder what Mr. M thinks of this behavior. Could he be regretting his decision to renew his vows? One can be certain that when the answer is found, This Lady will report it here forthwith. ~ The Jane Austen Society Pages


If there was one thing of which Athena Willoughby was certain, it was this: Left to their own devices, the dregs of society would ultimately discover a way to mess up their lives. And people like her would be there to obligingly record it. For what were the dregs but attention seekers and social wannabes who expected their antics to be reported in vivid detail for all to see? Why else would they frequent the popular clubs and restaurants, or cozy up to the truly status worthy, belittling themselves to perform whatever tasks were asked of them?
Why, indeed?
Athena gave her head a little shake and continued to input her observations into her Blackberry. Ah, technology, she thought. How wonderful to be able to sit here in a semi-dark club, log a story into a cell phone and upload it instantly onto the Internet. What did they do before they invented the Blackberry? She shuddered to think of the possibility.
“That’s it, Mrs. M,” she murmured as she typed. “Shake it for all it’s worth.” She glanced up at her mark to ascertain that she was, indeed, still cutting loose on the dance floor with her young companion. Oh, yeah, she thought with a giggle. She was. “How about a picture to go along with that story?” Angling the phone to achieve the best shot, she clicked the button, murmuring as if in answer of her own question, “’Why, of course, Lady Gossip. Don’t mind if I do. Anything for you. Just make sure you get my good side.’ Of course, Mrs. M. Nothing but.” She clicked a few more pictures “Or should I say butt? Nice assets for one your age, Mrs. M. Kudos to your trainer. Oh! That is your trainer.”
Could this night get any better? Her trainer! How perfectly pedestrian. Married to one of the most powerful men in Baystate politics and she was out cavorting with her much younger fitness instructor! Oh, this was delicious. So that marriage renewal was not the blissful event it was touted as. So what was it? A publicity stunt? Well, Mr. M was suffering in the polls lately Perhaps he needed a little pick-me-up to spruce up his image. And it would have worked, too, if it hadn’t been for Mrs. M answering the call of her baser nature.
Athena chuckled in delight as she accessed her online column to update the story. “Oh, Mrs. M,” she said, “you little cougar.”
But her mirth was cut short when she glanced up from her Blackberry and found herself staring into the disapproving face of the dean from her college, Gabriel Sommersby. What was he doing here? Athena wondered as she swallowed against the panic that dried out her throat. Oh, god, did he recognize her beneath her short black wig and bold makeup? Oh, this was not good. Not good at all.

Like it? Vote for The Jane Austen Society Pages here!

TWILIGHT TUESDAY

~~~~~

AVA JAMES CREATES MISCHIEF IN THE MOONLIGHT

~~~~~

Please welcome author, Ava James, into the Moonlight. Ava hails from the midwest and is the author of One Dark Knight, published by Siren-BookStrand, Inc., Royal Cargo and The Eagle at Midnight, both published by Freya's Bower, Once Cuffed, published by Excessica, and A Crone's Query, published by Wild Child Publishing. Visit Ava's website to learn more about her and her books.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Ava. It's a pleasure and an honor to have you with us! Now, let’s learn some trivia about you:

1. Do you have a movie that you must watch every Halloween? What's your favorite scary movie? Do you have a favorite scary character or character type?

Sleepy Hollow is a recent addition to my Halloween movie list, The Craft, and Practical Magic are favorites too. As far as scary movies go, the classics are the best—You can’t go wrong with Michael, Freddie real isn’t my type though—I prefer the strong, silent ones. You know, the ones who walk with a determined stride and always seem to catch up to the frantically running busty and lusty ladies.

2. Do you have any Halloween traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, wearing costumes, etc.?

I dress up my black, polydactyl cat, with white angel wings and a halo. He doesn’t enjoy it, but the neighborhood kids get a laugh when I open the door to hand out candy.

3. If you do dress up for Halloween, what will you be dressed up as this year? What was your all-time most favorite costume that you ever wore? Why?

A few years ago, my husband dressed as a knight and I as a courtesan. I had a full length plum gown and big period appropriate jewelry. I love the giant, teetering on gaudy jewels.

4. Are you superstitious? Do you find yourself knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder? If not one of these two, what is your superstition?

Superstitious? No. I walk under ladders and own a black cat.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had a ghostly encounter and tell us about it?

I do believe in ghosts. I think the supernatural is as real as you and I. They are like the wind, just because you can not always see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

6. Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Halloweens.

1. Four years ago, I was cuffed to a rod-iron bar stool at a Halloween Party.
2. My husband got his cape caught in a bike chair and subsequently ruined his costume at the same party in which I was cuffed to the bar stool.
3. And, at this very same party, a guest was handing out lubricant and condoms as part of his “costume.”

*It was one interesting party…

7. If you could be any paranormal creature, what would it be and why?

Well, I would certainly want to be immortal. I think being a god would have its advantages. Vampirism does have its own appeal, but blood makes me queasy in real life, so I’ll pass. I’d welcome a werewolf into my bed, but as for me, I do not think I could deal with that much shaving—imagine the razor blades you go through!

Now, let’s learn more about your writing:

8. Why the paranormal genre? What was the draw for you?

The draw for me is the endless possibilities, the exploration of life beyond the norm. I find the occult and mythology fascinating.

9. If you could describe your paranormal writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please be creative and look beyond words like vampire, werewolf, etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

Memorable—that’d be a terrific response. I do not write to shock or frighten, but rather to instill the same curiosity that I share when approaching such.

10. Do you prefer playing tricks on people or bestowing treats? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

I bestow treats more than anything, but I have had a great deal of fun writing the trickster. There is something freeing in writing evil characters. I like to create characters that surprise the reader, like the crone in A Crone’s Query. She’s terrifying and yet likeable in her own grouchy way.

11. Who decides what creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stirring the cauldron?

I would like to think that we have a collective agreement to write every story to the best of our ability be there a werewolf, a Bean Nighe, fae, or demons.

12. What was the creature that you had the most fun creating and why?

Hector, the werewolf from Royal Cargo, he is raw sexuality and adventure in the façade of a pirate.

13. If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why? Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

The character that I would most like to meet is Llaw, my Celtic god from the story, The Eagle At Midnight. He has the most unique accent in the world and the ability to make any woman multi-orgasmic.

The character I’d least like to see in reality is Lady Tamlyn from my latest release, For One Dark Knight. The woman lacks a heart and a conscience. She’d slit your throat for a pint of ale.





I think this is adorable and I want to know where they got the costume—my bulldog would make a perfect Mr. Stay Puft!


Here’s what I’d be wearing while walking my Mini-Mr. Stay Puft pooch! Although, I’d wear a thigh-high boat instead.

To find me on the web, check out my blog and twitter.

Cheers,
Ava James
http://www.avajamesromance.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AuthorAvaJames



For One Dark Knight

For more information on For One Dark Knight, visit http://www.bookstrand.com/product-foronedarkknight-14960-330.html.

BLURB:


Past the suitable age for marriage, Lady Isobel longs for her life to begin. When the chance to flee the clutches of her misery arises, she sets out on a journey to her dower lands and childhood home. But no road is without its perils, and she soon finds she needs someone by her side.

Sir Robert de Gever's duties become vastly more complicated when Lady Isobel stumbles into his life in need of rescue. Questions arise and secrets run deep, leaving desire and suspicion to war within him.


Intrigue awaits the pair, and conspirators abound. Is the bond of one dark night spent together strong enough to save them from their fears?


EXCERPT:

He wished he could keep her locked away—far, far away. The woman looked as though she were arming herself for battle. Her sweet smiles changed the instant the last of the men quit the room.


“What is the matter?” Isobel asked with a clipped tone.


“What is the matter?” Robert began his counterattack in falsetto.


“Where should I start? My men have all left their posts, and training, to come to the beck and call of the devilish temptress besieging Durham .” He watched her eyes grow wide as he spoke. How was it that even now, he could think of nothing but her lips?


“Devilish temptress? If I tempted any man, it was in no way intentional, and in every way a result of the man’s baser interests.” Isobel took a challenging step toward him. She accused him with her eyes and her words. "Furthermore, if it weren't for yer noble act of imprisonment, I would not be here!"


Robert stepped closer to her. Her feminine scent wafted into his nostrils. She easily broke his train of thought. The aroma that lingered about her intoxicated his senses. Beyond doubt, she was a foul temptress! With every attempt to ignore her, he failed miserably. Each time he was in her presence she distracted him. If it was not her beauty that caught his attention, it was her voice and words. The woman drew him in and he did not care to be so affected by her. He needed to reign in his thoughts and focus.


Focus, focus.


In a much calmer voice he said, “Would ye rather I left ye to be ravished by those Saxon mercenaries?” He took another step closer to her as he spoke. He watched her gaze fall to his lips. Her pink tongue crossed her own bottom lip, and a blush came to her soft cheeks. God’s wounds, he felt too much for this lady.


She drew away. “Ravished by those Saxons is not what I want.” Her voice weak, and unusually breathy, he wondered just who she’d like to be ravished by.


His own errant mind conjured up dangerous visions of her naked body slick against his own. He couldn’t help himself, so he asked just what he’d been wondering. “What do ye want?”