Chasing my tail

OH LAWDY! It’s August 1st already. What the hell happened to 2016?

The year has been a blur thus far. Receiving my rights back from Liquid Silver Books on the Dirty White Candy series, means they were all recovered and re-released this year through Syn Publishing.

That took some work.    

In March, I released my very first Sci-Fi Alien Romance.

I also attended my very first multi-author book signing at the North Iowa Book Bash! I rubbed elbows with awesome artists such as Sidda Lee Rain, Ella Dominguez, Jenna Jacob and more! I was even fortunate enough to win a table at next year’s event.

Now, as for the remainder of the year…I am working on a super secret project and while I do want to spill the beans, all I can say is that I signed a confidentiality agreement! When I can tell you, I’ll scream it from the mountain tops.

Also, I’m involved in a Winter Anthology through Lavish Publishing. For my contribution, I’ve added 3.5 into the Shifter Chronicles. For the Anthology, the version will be PG-13, but for those who like erotic romance, I’ll be publishing a full-length, sexed up version. I don’t believe cover reveals are all that big of a deal, so I’ll share it with you now. 😀 See, Miss Anita loves you!

In this installment, we get a good look at the Special Forces division of FOSE and Jake’s obsession with Nala’s human friend, Susan. We may even get to find out who is behind the Separatist movement!

There is one more project I’m trying to finish this year, and that’s a Romantic Suspense/Crime Fiction novel. I’m not sure if I can squeeze it in, but if not, it’ll be early 2017 as I’ve already been working on it.

If you love sneak peeks and other surprises, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

My Bloody Valentine

We buy the cards, the candy, the flowers. We associate this day with love and sweetness.

Detail of the painted bleeding heart – symbol of love – in grunge style

But do you know the bloody history behind this holiday?

There once was a royal prick, who ruled as Emperor from 268-270. He was known as Claudius II or Claudius Gothicus. During his short reign it is told (unverifiable of course) that he banned marriage because he thought his Roman men were better off being soldiers than spouses.

The Priest Valentine defied the emperor and performed marriages in secret. He was beheaded for his crimes. In a cool move by Karma, herself, Claudius died of small pox, ending his reign of terror.

Even more interesting is that we celebrate this day in February because the Catholic Church was trying to “christianize” the pagan holiday, Lupercalia. Roman priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog, strip the goat’s hide, cut it in to strips and dip it in blood, slapping it on women and fields for coming fertility. Oh yes…that’s romantic.

Don’t worry, the blood continues.

Our favorite gangster, Al Capone, grew tired of his feud with George “Bugs” Moran. A $50k bounty on his head was the final straw. Capone ordered the Moran gang to be decimated. On February 14th, Moran waited for his men during a whiskey run. As he waited outside, seven of his best men were being slaughtered inside. On the seven year anniversary, again on February, 14th, one of Capone’s assassins was killed inside a bowling alley by gunfire.

I’m sure my readers are a little freaked. I mean, really, an erotic romance author is just killing our lovey-dovey holiday?

I just love irony. So while you’re cuddled up with your loved one at your Valentine’s Day celebration, remember that you’re celebrating one of the bloodiest holidays in our history.

Pain Free Facelift

No, I didn’t go in for plastic surgery. But I did get my shifter series a whole new facelift. The series now looks more cohesive and beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so happy with the new covers, the look and feel. As an author we spend so much time working on these books it is important to have a visual reflection of the story that makes me proud to display them.

Pursuing Grace is still free. You can find it here:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1RkIfF8

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1OcYTYL

Are http://bit.ly/1YUXKIG

Kobo http://bit.ly/1OcZ2vo

Smashwords http://bit.ly/1YUXQA2

CreateSpace http://bit.ly/1LYkgeE

Find Me here:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/U99P9

http://www.authoranitacox.com/

https://authoranitacox.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaCox

https://www.amazon.com/author/anitacox

https://www.google.com/+AnitaCoxAuthor

Ribbons of Death @EditaBoni

 

Enter to win a copy of Mistress of Deceit – a Rafflecopter giveaway and then follow the tour for more chances to win.

Anita Cox: Welcome Edita A. Petrick!  So you write romance.  Tell us why romance?

Edita: From writer’s point of view, because it’s infinitely more difficult to write than other genres. And from “me” point of view…because my late mother loved reading romances and kept telling me, “Write a nice romance so I can read it. I don’t understand your science fiction.” 

Anita Cox: Do you write in any subgenre?

Edita:  Yep, uhm, of ‘fer sure – for me going back to grassroots is writing science fiction (albeit these days YA sci-fi) And what’s a sci-fi without mystery and suspense – and when you combine all three and throw in a pinch of romance, you get genre that’s nearly impossible to define, especially when you need to tick off only ONE category. 

AC: What is the heat level of your books?

Edita: At Ellora it used to be “Blush” – at NCP, 3-flames max.

AC: Tell us about you.  Do you have any passions other than writing?

Edita:  I’m a collector. At one time or another I used to have a rock collection, stamp collection, ink-drawings collection, pastels and water color collection and lately, of course, book collection.

Anita Cox: I know that you have a very unique hobby. Please tell us about it.

Edita:  I like to refinish old furniture. My great-grandad was a carpenter.

Anita Cox: There was a place from your past that you’ll always remember. How do the memories of it influence your life/writing (either or…take it anywhere you like)?

Edita:  In high school, grade ten I think, I had a poem published in a yearbook.  I was not a very ‘visible’ teenager so when that poem came out, I suddenly felt eyes pinning to me as I walked down the hallway, heading for my classroom. I’ll always rememberw hat it felt like – exhilarating and absolutely terrifying. 

Are most of your works available or do you have what a drawer or closet of “not quite there” work? Do you think any of those old projects will see the light of day? 

Edita:  Not a drawer-full but a boat-load – and they’re coming out, one by one. I’m determined to re-write them, dust them off, so to speak and they will be published, oh yeah, they will.

Anita Cox: What is your writing “system” like, and how has it evolved over the course of your career? 

Edita:  For years I disciplined myself – ruthlessly I’d say – and I would write 5-10 pages every day, regardless of whether I had something to say or not. That phase lasted years and I think of it as my graining grounds. Then came the phase of ‘targeted writing’ – my short stories. I wrote for zines and print magazines and submitted to anthologies.  That phase faded like all fads and I finally settled into “tightly –focused” writing. This means when I sit down to write, I know what genre I’m going to do, what the story is and how it ends. Then I write. 

Anita Cox: Do you have beta readers in your family or circle of friends, or do you trust your own instincts before you publish your works?  

Edita: No one reads my work. By now I know whether the story’s working or not. Most of them are. Once written, it goes to one of my editor-colleagues or friends and that’s it.

I found that like most writers I don’t respond well to criticism in the early stages of the ‘story.’  Once the story’s finished, grammatical overhaul is mandatory and that’s when I do nothing BUT listen.

Anita Cox: What is your most recent book/story release? And could you tell us about it? 

Edita: Hard to answer this one – “Ribbons of Death” came out February 6^th from Solstice Publishing. I got some great reviews – but not enough, naturally. April 15h is the release day of my YA science fiction, The Witches of Calamora,  (Wee Creek Press) that’s on pre-order on Amazon; and May 31^st is a release day of my paranormal romance thriller with political background, “The Heirloom,” From Vinspire Press.  And if powers-that-be judge me not busy enough promoting, I’m sure Eternal Press will release my new hot-romantic suspense, “Mistress of Deceit,” between now and May 31^st. When it rains, it pours. And when I need rain, as in reviews, comes a drought. Never fails.

Anita Cox: What led you to tell this particular story?

Edita:  I was reading National Geographic, with articles on historical ancient sites and as I read (in the doctor’s waiting room) a story started to take shape in my head and that was that. Besides, I love archeology.  If my parents didn’t have their hearts set on engineering I’d have happily buried myself in the archives or lived on dusty digs. 

Anita Cox: Do you think of yourself as a particular type of writer and how do you think that influences the decisions you make about your stories/novels? 

Edita:  I think of myself as a ‘storyteller.’ My stories come to me when I ask: What if…? And if the story stays with me, it gets to be a book. If I lose interest in it, it gets printed out and goes in a folder and into the drawer.

Anita Cox: If you had an unlimited advertising budget, how would you “get the word out” about your latest release? 

Edita: I’d hire the publicist that Dan Brown had for The Da Vinci Code. I believe it was his wife and agent, rolled into one but hey, she was super-effective. Then again, I guess she had a much better book to work with than Brown’s previous work, “Angels and Demons.”  That one was just…a groaner. I couldn’t finish it. But “Code” was much better – it had a stronger ‘human’ element in it.  

Anita Cox: Though we have every expectation that you will live well past 125 years, when you finally find rest, what would you like your tombstone/obituary to say? 

Edita: I read this one many years ago though I’ve no idea whether it was fresh then or…ever.

“Six feet deep underground,

lies a man well renowned

A stubborn mind, a stubborn head

To prove his point he dropped dead.”

BLURB:

When a horribly scarred man knocks on the door of Stella Hunter’s ramshackle cottage in upstate Montana, she lets him in. What’s there to lose? The book critics killed her chances to warn the world about myths and legends behind the myths and legends.

But once the man pushes a book smudged with bloody fingerprints across the table, Stella sees a glimmer of hope. She may yet repair her academic reputation. She may re-establish her credibility within the scientific community and she may vindicate her ‘peace-taker’ theory. She may also be murdered by anyone standing next to her if her theory is correct.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

He kept his head tucked between his shoulders, watching one ‘on-the-scene’ reporter after another give commentaries to the police and medical work that went on in the background. Suddenly he felt Stella’s hand settle on his and turned his head. She was saying something. He pulled down the earphones because he wasn’t in a lip-reading mood.

“He struck at a local fair,” she said quietly.

He remembered her saying something like that earlier, though at the time it could have been just sarcasm.

“Your prediction was right,” he said.

“Yes but it’s something else. Let me have the laptop.”

He watched her call up a map of Dayton, Ohio, then zoom in and start pointing with the mouse arrow at the names of communities mentioned by the news reporters: Oakwood, Kettering, Whites Corners.

“Here,” she said, pointing the mouse at the red line of Interstate 675. “This is where the southbound effect stopped or played out. I didn’t hear any reports of an outbreak of madness in Belmont or Shakertown. None west of Interstate 75 either. It affected a long strip about half a mile wide at best; in geographical terms certainly a ribbon of madness that ended at I-657.”

“Another atypical strike,” he murmured. They didn’t need more puzzles. They were still trying to make sense of what they had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

By profession, I’m an engineer and ten years ago, I left a corporate job to concentrate on writing. It was perhaps the scariest thing I’ve done. Of course, there were other considerations at the time, life, kids, economy and my mother who was battling cancer. I wrote as means of staying grounded because I had to hold it together. There was no one else to pitch in. There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t have doubts about whether what I was doing was the right thing or not, but doubts come and go, while the need to write goes on forever. Since 2005 I’ve published 5 books and this year alone I have 6 new ones coming out. I live in Toronto with my family and our two pets – wheaten terriers. And whenever I’m tempted to look back, and start second-guessing my past decisions, I sit behind the computer and start another book. At least for me, that’s a cure-all.

 

http://www.editapetrick.biz/

http://knotsinromance.blogspot.ca/

Tweets by EditaBoni

https://www.facebook.com/edita.petrick

Perfect Fit by Lynda Simmons

Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway then follow the tour for more chances to win!

BLURB:

Fast-paced, funny and incurably romantic.

Rachel Banks has never believed in magic or moonlight, but if she’d thought that putting a piece of wedding cake under her pillow would conjure up a nightmare in the form of blue-eyed charmer Mark Robison, she’d have stuffed that cake into her mouth instead! Mark is only in Madeira Beach for some much needed R&R and his new neighbour is not the kind of woman made for vacation memories. But there’s something about the incurable romantic that just keeps drawing him back.

Jennifer Crusie. Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Lynda Simmons? Oh, yeah!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Excerpt:

Amanda snapped on her gear and opened the front door. “That was chance. But this.” She picked up a couple of bags. “This is fate.”

Rachel stopped in the doorway. “Do you really believe that? Do you think it’s possible for two people to be des¬tined for each other? Like soul mates.” She shook her head. “Forget it. Let’s go.”

Amanda blocked the way. “Who did you meet?”

“No one, and I’m late.”

Amanda planted her skates sideways. “You cannot do this. Not after I told you about the real estate broker.”

Rachel looked through the fringe of Amanda’s bangs into her frank green eyes and wondered if she should take a chance. “Let me ask you this. Have you ever heard of dreaming on a piece of wedding cake?”

“Sure, it’s an old custom. Like walking to church because it’s lucky and passing on a green wedding gown because it’s not. But most people serve the cake for dessert these days.”

Rachel tried a smile. “Not all.”

“Someone gave you cake to dream on?” Rachel nodded and it was Amanda’s turn to laugh. “Don’t tell me you did it.”

When Rachel didn’t answer, Amanda’s mouth dropped open and her voice rose. “You did, didn’t you?” She put the bags down. “Okay, I need details. Did you have a dream?”

It was on the tip of Rachel’s tongue to say no, to deny that anything out of the ordinary had occurred. But she found herself nodding and watched Amanda’s eyes grow even rounder.

“Did you see him? The man you’re supposed to marry?”

Rachel took comfort in the fact that her friend had been sucked into the fantasy as easily as she had and nodded a third time.

Amanda stepped closer. “Alright, this next part is really important. Where exactly did they get this cake?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lynda Simmons is a writer by day, college instructor by night and a late sleeper on weekends. She grew up in Toronto reading Greek mythology, bringing home stray cats and making up stories about bodies in the basement. From an early age, her family knew she would either end up as a writer or the old lady with a hundred cats. As luck would have it, she married a man with allergies so writing it was.

With two daughters to raise, Lynda and her husband moved into a lovely two storey mortgage in Burlington, a small city on the water just outside Toronto. While the girls are grown and gone, Lynda and her husband are still there. And yes, there is a cat – a beautiful, if spoiled, Birman.

When she’s not writing or teaching, Lynda gives serious thought to using the treadmill in her basement. Fortunately, she’s found that if she waits long enough, something urgent will pop up and save her – like a phone call or an e-mail or a whistling kettle. Or even that cat just looking for a little more attention!

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Lynda-Simmons/e/B001KI3Z4O

http://www.lyndasimmons.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/958842.Lynda_Simmons

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-Simmons-Author/149740745067442

Tweets by LyndaMSimmons

 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Fit-Lynda-Simmons-ebook/dp/B00P2OL0E4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424018511&sr=8-2&keywords=lynda+simmons

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview and Final Surrender by Jennifer Kacey

Enter to win an ebook and swag pack – a Rafflecopter giveaway then follow the tour for more chances to win!

Anita Cox: Welcome Jennifer Kacey!  So you write romance.  Tell us why romance?

JENNIFER KACEY:  Three words. Happily ever after. I love a happy ending. I love knowing going in that everything will turn out all right. I don’t have a massive amount of free time to read but when I do I want to know the time I’m investing is going to pay off when happiness abounds at the end. So I try to give THAT feeling forward when I write. Makes me happy! 

Anita Cox: Do you write in any subgenre?

JENNIFER KACEY:  Mmm….I write a lot of kink, but I write a good mix or just plain sexy as well. Am about to throw my hat in the paranormal ring which is super exciting, too! Love not having any limits in writing. If I have a story…I write it!!

AC: What is the heat level of your books?

JENNIFER KACEY: What’s the highest number?!? I don’t do sweet. I don’t beat around the bush. *snicker* I tell you  great it was, how loud it was, how many times they came, and how many neighbors called the cops. And how soon they’re going to do it again! Almost forgot that one.

AC: Tell us about you.  Do you have any passions other than writing?

JENNIFER KACEY: Absolutely!! Love traveling strictly for pleasure and for writing conventions. I crochet which I love because it keeps my hands busy especially when I’m working on story plots. Love going to movies with my son and doing projects and puzzles with him. Spending time with my best friends in Buffalo. Love my real job and all my co-workers. Seriously life is awesome.

Anita Cox: You had a very interesting relative/person who strongly influenced you? Who was that and why was she so important? 

JENNIFER KACEY: My grandmother on my Dad’s side. We were just….kindred spirits I think. She was a very no nonsense woman. Grew up during the Depression. Didn’t know how to throw anything out. She knew how to cook, and bake, and could can like her life depended on it. She taught me how to crochet, even though I didn’t hold the hook right. She tried to teach me how to knit but I wanted to stab my eyes out. Hate knitting! She also taught me to quilt, and garden and how to love a horrible devil cat named Tinker. She had bad knees but she never let it stop her. I could sit in a room with her in utter silence and say a million things. When she passed several years ago it hit me so hard even knowing it was coming. I have some of her things around me every day. Her big desk is in my office at my day job. I wear her wedding rings every day. Miss her dearly and can’t wait until we will get to talk again.  

Anita Cox: There was a place from your past that you’ll always remember. How do the memories of it influence your life/writing?

JENNIFER KACEY:  My grandparent’s house in Valpo. The feeling I get when I think of that house and property is the feeling I hope people get when they finish one of my books. Like coming home. Great memories and ones you want to revisit. The apple tree in the back. The ice cream freezer in the breezeway. The woodsy scent of the garage. Catching fireflies with my brother and feeling the breeze in the fall before the snow. I’ll never forget that place. 

Are most of your works available or do you have what a drawer or closet of “not quite there” work? Do you think any of those old projects will see the light of day? 

JENNIFER KACEY: Have quite a few projects that aren’t out yet. Some are turned in already. Some I’ve only shown 2 people ever. I love my stories. Truly love them. Love getting to share them with people that love them just as much as I do. I hope everything I have will be published at some point. It’s all about finding time in the day to get it all done. Which is fine because I already told my mom we can never die because we have too much to do. Oh! And I’ll sleep when I’m dead. That’s a goodie. 

Anita Cox: What is your writing “system” like, and how has it evolved over the course of your career?

JENNIFER KACEY: Write. Seriously. That’s it. I can write anywhere as long as I have my laptop. I can even write long hand if I have to. Like hell freezing over or me forgetting my laptop charger on a trip. OH SO NOT AWESOME!!! 

Anita Cox: Do you have beta readers in your family or circle of friends, or do you trust your own instincts before you publish your works?

JENNIFER KACEY: Totally depends on my deadlines and what the project is. Final Surrender had probably been read by a dozen people before I decided to send it to Samhain. It was a perfect fit there. Other things I have to bang out, self-edit, and get turned in. All situational. 

Anita Cox: Do you think of yourself as a particular type of writer and how do you think that influences the decisions you make about your stories/novels? 

JENNIFER KACEY: No clue. I write so I’m a writer. Love not having to fit the round peg of myself into a square hole. I’ll bounce around in the middle with all the other shapes and that suits me just fine. 

Anita Cox: What is your most recent book/story release? And could you tell us about it? 

JENNIFER KACEY: Elite Metal. An 8 novel / 7 author cohesive military set. One story leading into the next into the next. So awesome! We had a blast and are working on book two now. Elite Ghosts. WOO HOO!!!!

Anita Cox: What led you to tell this particular story? 

JENNIFER KACEY: Wanted to write with a bunch of my friends and the concept hadn’t been tapped before. I was more than happy to fill that niche and it’s done amazingly well. 

Anita Cox: Which part of your story was the most difficult to write? Why? 

JENNIFER KACEY: The first story. Lots of drama happened with that story and right at the end the whole thing had to be re-written. It was crazy! Love how it turned out though. Couldn’t be happier.

Anita Cox: If your next birthday party were going to have a theme based on one of your books, what would it be? 

JENNIFER KACEY: OMG I’d want it to be a kink party based off of my Members Only series. Every dark, delicious and decadent fantasy I could ever think of right at my fingertips?!? SIGN ME UP!!!!

BLURB:

Ten years ago, Angela Meyers told everyone she went to New York to find herself. It was a lie. She fled from the aftermath of one hot night with Clay Waters. A night filled with wet heat, all-consuming releases…then his regret.

Now, with a stalker threatening to destroy her career, there’s only one man she trusts to protect her. The man she still loves, hates, needs with every breath she takes.

It’s not that Clay never craved his best friend’s younger sister. With a ticket to boot camp burning a hole in his pocket, he couldn’t allow himself to love her. The moment he lays eyes on her again, the old need—to take down her tightly wound hair, press her long, lean body to his—surges inside him stronger than ever.

But this is no ordinary bodyguard assignment. The best way to identify the voice in Angela’s shadow is to lure it into the light of day. Even if it means convincing her to trust him with her heart…and surrendering his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT 

“You need to show him the park,” Mark commanded, as if somehow reading her mind and finding the one spot she didn’t want to share.

She turned as best she could and shot him her best Go to Hell look.

“What?” he asked with complete ignorance. “He needs to know where you go when you want to be alone. You love that place and you’re there all the time.”

“Yes, and it’s where I go to be alone, Mark.”

“What park?” Clay asked.

Angela opened her mouth to tell him it didn’t matter, when Mark butted right in. “Madison Square Park right off Park Avenue and East 26th Street.”

“Mark, shut up!” Angela barked.

“No, I’m not going to let you sabotage this, Ang. Clay needs to know where you are at all times, so you aren’t going to be able to just flit anywhere by yourself anymore. At least not until we get a handle on this.”

“The only situation I have at the moment is an overbearing brother who doesn’t know when to back off.”

“Yes, you definitely have that,” he admitted with a smirk.

“The fact that you think this is a good thing is really starting to piss me off.” She rolled her shoulders, trying to lessen the tension building again.

After a minute of silence, Clay asked, “So, where do you grocery shop?” Obviously trying to change the subject so he didn’t have to separate the siblings next to him.

“Meat district, west of the island, on 14th Street, straight down from the studio.”

“Food. I’m hungry,” Mark admitted.

“You’re always hungry, Mark. Do you not eat at home?”

On cue his stomach growled and he patted it, as if to quell the rising beast within.

“Where are we now?” Mark asked no one in particular.

“In Midtown on Park Avenue. Why?” Angela wanted to know.

“Meli Melo is right up the next block. Let’s get takeout and we’ll go back to your apartment and eat, so I can crash early and get packed since I’m leaving pretty early tomorrow morning.”

Angela’s heart stopped, not certain why she thought her brother would be staying longer. Obviously he didn’t know she needed a chaperone.

Clay asked, “What is a melli marshmallow anyways?”

Mark threw his head back and laughed as Angela gave a small snort and said, “You are a Texan, huh?”

“Born and branded,” Clay admitted with no humor whatsoever.

“Meli Melo is a restaurant with the best food.”

“That’s what you say about every restaurant in New York.”

“Yeah, but this time it’s true. What about you, Ang, you up for it?”

“That’s fine with me. I’m not really hungry, so just order me something little and you guys get whatever you want.”

“Clay, what about you?” Mark asked, completely pleased he was going to get his way.

“Sure, as long as I don’t have to eat raw fish, back home we call that bait, so other than that, I’m game.”

“Sweet, head over between 29th and 30th on Madison.”

While the cabbie maneuvered through traffic, Angela glanced at the clock and couldn’t see where the time had gone.

Clay had already been there more than five hours.

As they pulled up in front of the restaurant, Mark asked, “You guys coming in?” as they all exited the cab.

Angela paid, before Mark could even get his wallet out then said, “No, just order me a salad and some crepes.”

“Clay?”

“Just order me something that’s not rabbit food. I’ll stay with Angela.”

His eyes raked over, but she kept her gaze on the passing traffic, trying not to notice.

“’Kay, see you guys in a few,” Mark agreed as he entered the restaurant, more or less drooling on the patrons trying to leave.

Angela took a deep breath, trying to calm her still racing heart.

Unable to help herself any longer, she stole a glance in Clay’s direction.

He caught her looking and smirked.

Being taunted really wasn’t what she needed, so she turned and faced him head-on. She may have added a little bit more sass to her walk as she sauntered in his direction. Let’s see how he felt if he was put on stage to answer personal questions.

“So when did you get the scar on your cheek, Clay?”

The instant scowl on his face was all she needed to know.

She looked at the ground before glancing back at his gorgeous face. “You don’t have to answer if it’s private.”

“We’re a bit past private at this point, don’t you think, Angela?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. She’s the Amazon top seller and award winning author of the Members Only Series and the Surrender Series along with several stand alone novels and novellas. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less. 

Website – http://www.jenniferkacey.com/

Blog – The Decadent Divas – http://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/

Newsletter Signup – http://jenniferkacey.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f09bd32b8c279cebcc930950e&id=2a45c210e8

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey

Amazon Page – http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Kacey/e/B00GXHUB30/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_al1?_encoding=UTF8&refinementId=618073011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G8ZPDQJVKJPKXNBRY10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

 

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey

 

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

 

Release Day!

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Syn Publishing
Date of Publication: April 2, 2015

Wendy Baker is a staple in the Belfast Lycan pack. She serves others, manages the house and events. So when Nala Baker, her sister-in-law and new Alpha of the pack, asks her to relocate to the new shifter university, she feels lost. How can she leave her pack behind?

Zoltar, the Centaur King, has eyes for Wendy, but years of animosity between Lycans and Centaurs could mean Wendy’s excommunication if they’re discovered.

As new Headmistress at McGovern University, Wendy struggles to find her place and considers Zoltar. He’s smart, sexy, and thoughtful. What will her brother think? But before they can enjoy their new relationship, a Pixie is murdered and the school falls under attack by a group that does not appreciate integration, the Separatists.

Can Wendy overcome her fears and find true love? Can she defend her school and her new pack from the murderous revenge of the Separatists or will she lose everything?

**Content Notes** Adult content suitable for mature audience only. M/F, violence (not for titillation), bondage

Add Resurrection to your Goodreads TBR list

Amazon US
Amazon UK

“I can’t help but notice you look lost in thought. Is everything okay?”
Wendy turned to him again. “I’ve been invited to be headmistress at the new university.”

His laugh was smooth. It flowed like melted chocolate, stirring her longing further than it should have.

“It means leaving my pack, Zoltar. That’s very difficult for a Lycan to do—especially one my age.” She looked down at her feet. “An old handmaid sure, but I’m very attached to this place…to my pack.”

Standing from the rock, he extended his muscular arm toward her, his fingers relaxed and open. “Walk with me.”

After considering him for a split second, she complied, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. She wanted to sit and ponder her future, not wander around with a Centaur who would surely try to seduce her. Still, she followed him down the path around the lake, hoping no one would see them together and start gossiping about her desperateness for a mate. The Lycan men were on edge when the Centaurs arrived and the Centaurs had sworn an oath to keep their hands to themselves.

Wandering around alone with a single Lycan female wasn’t exactly part of that oath. Wendy’s hopes of finding a mate could be completely devastated if the men thought she was sneaking off in the woods with a horny Centaur male…King or not.

“How much do you now about my race?” He looked at his feet as he walked, his brows pulled together.

Shrugging she turned her attention to the path ahead of them, not daring to gaze at his handsomeness—a potential distraction. “Same as everyone, I guess. You have the ability to seduce females of other species so you can produce more Centaurs…being that Centaurs are only male. You are powerful warriors, fierce in battle.”

He strolled in silence for a moment, nodding as she spoke. “You know, there is far more to us than that.”

“I’m sure there is, Sir.” It was a fine line to walk, keeping a Centaur in check while managing not to be offensive at the same time. Anxiety teetered at the pile of emotions overwhelming her.

“Zoltar, please,” he corrected tilting his head. “Or you can call me ‘Z’ as my friends do.”

“Z?” She giggled. “How new age.”

He smiled then looped his arm in hers as if they’d been friends for ages.

The warmth from his arm permeated through her, giving her an odd sense of elation. She swore she’d have to remind herself to breathe.
“We are the sons of Apollo.”

His words caused an unexpected chuckle to escape her lips once again. “It explains the good looks.” Silently, she chastised herself for that statement. How dare she flirt with him?

“I find it very pleasing you think so,” he said with a wink. “It is true, we are fierce warriors. Fierce, but not invincible. The last female Centaur was killed in the battle with the Lapiths. There has yet to be a female born to our kind. It was our ancestors’ pleas to Apollo allowing us the ability to breed with other species so we would not go extinct. However,” he cleared his throat, “our offspring are not a hundred percent Centaur. They can shift into the form of their mother as well.”

“What? You’re telling me a child could shift to Lycan and to Centaur?” She stopped in her tracks. “How is this possible?”

Releasing her arm he turned to face her. The air around him shimmered and he shifted into a golden wolf briefly before shifting back into his human form. “Yes, it is true.”

She gulped. “Well, Z, if I needed a distraction, you certainly came through for me.”

He bowed. “Now,” he looped his arm in hers once again, “we are also very good at Astrology. We all have individual strengths, as I’m sure Lycans do. I, for one, have a touch of precognition. I’m also a bit of a healer.”

Shifting his eyes, he glanced at her while keeping his head forward. “Care to know why a Lycan of your age looks quite a bit older?”

She could not hide her embarrassment. The desire to jerk her arm loose and run far from him was overwhelming—or perhaps she could crawl under a rock. “Nothing I can change, so why bother?”

“And if one simple kiss from me would turn the clock back for you, would you grace my lips with yours?” He didn’t slow his pace as he waited for her to reply. When she tried to jerk her arm free, he held on a bit tighter.

“What? No.” She wanted to go back to the house, away from Z. She wanted some space so she could focus on the problem at hand…the university, her brother trying to get rid of her, being hopelessly single and aging.

“Your beautiful hair, restored to its former glory, the worry lines erased…the only cost being one simple kiss?” He laughed. “Does the thought of kissing me repulse you that much?”

“No.” She finally pulled her arm free. “I’m not some young pup you can trick into your bed.” She turned her back to him and started off toward the main house. His long legs prevented her stomping pace from putting any distance between them.

He latched onto her hand. “Please. I did not mean to offend you.”
She stopped, causing him to bump into her. The heat from his body sent her senses on fire. She could smell his arousal, meaning he could smell hers. She silently groaned. “Look, I don’t know what you’re playing at.” He was so sexy, standing there in a pair of jeans, hanging low on his hip. His blonde curls bounced when he moved.

“Fuck it.” She meant to give him a quick peck to shut him up, but something else happened. When she stood on her toes, large warm hands cupped her face. His searing lips brushed up against hers, making her limbs feel like putty. Her ears started to ring.

The kiss was slow and tender, but quite respectful. He didn’t shove his tongue in her mouth. He didn’t crush her mouth with his. This…was a first kiss, a tender moment and it melted her.

When he released her, she felt heaviness in her lids.

“That wasn’t too repulsive, I hope.”

Staring at him, she was at a loss for words, or a singular thought.
“I see,” he said with a smile, the thought of rendering her speechless apparently entertaining. “Race you back to the house.” Shifting into his wolf form, he tore off, leaving her behind. Wendy shook her head to clear her mind before shifting and taking off after him. His wolf was large, nearly as large as Grace’s. Wendy figured it had something to do with the royal blood. However, he didn’t spend much time in his wolf form and it was obvious as he was rather slow.

Wendy pushed hard to get next to him. He looked over at her and made a leap to get ahead of her. She dove under him, digging in her hind quarters then sprinted toward the yard, which was only a few feet ahead. When she finally skidded to a stop, the large Centaur-Wolf was skidding up behind her. The both shifted in unison.

“You’re a vivacious runner, Wendy.” He nodded. “Very impressive.”

“Wendy!” Colin stood glaring at Zoltar. She’d just been caught cavorting with a Centaur…by her brother.

International best-selling author, Anita Cox has been writing general fiction for nearly a decade. In 2012 she strapped on a new name for a new genre and jumped head first into writing erotic romance.

Anita Cox’s erotic debut series Dirty White Candy was picked up by Liquid Silver Books in 2013. In 2014, she became a Director for the Erotic Author’s Guild. Her altruistic nature found its purpose, assisting other erotic authors with issues specific to the genre.

Genres/subject matter you can expect to see from Anita: Contemporary, Ménage, Erotic Romance, Paranormal Romance, Erotic Suspense and all things naughty.

Anita’s Den
Anita’s Goodreads Page
Anita’s Facebook Page
Anita’s page @ Syn Publishing
Anita’s Twitter Page

Image by Cool Text: Free Logos and Buttons – Create An Image Just Like This

Release Day! Saving Grace

I have worked myself to the bone since October writing, editing, plotting…ok, not in that order.

I had already plotted the series when I was invited to join Paranormally Yours, so it was easy to toss a prequel in to give Grace’s backstory.

I finished writing Book 1 before the anthology was released and wrapped up Book 2, while the first was in edits. Oh, edits. I nearly cried. Just when you think you understand your craft, a good editor will dish out a slice of humble pie. I’m thankful she was so hard on me. She wanted nothing more than to put out a great book. Though I honestly don’t remember working so hard on a novel.

I digress! I’m super happy to announce that today is release day for Book 1, Saving Grace,  in my new series, Lycan Chronicles, an Erotic Paranormal Romance.

The Prequel, Pursuing Grace is currently only found in the anthology Paranormally Yours (until March.) There’s a sneak peek of Book 2, Resurrection, at the end of Book 1!!! So, without further ado…

Description:

Already struggling with her royal status, Lycan Princess Grace McGovern faces the challenge of accepting a mate. The very sexy Roman LaRossa, is already infatuated with Grace. He’s also her pack’s Beta. As Grace’s was raised in the human world, she is determined to bring Lycan women’s rights up to speed, bringing them equality and protection for the violence they face from the Scottsboro pack’s supernatural puppy mill. Can Grace succeed in her goals or will the Scottsboro pack win by kidnapping her and using her to breed her royal blood into their pack until there’s nothing left of her?

Jagger Merrell, Alpha of the Scottsboro pack, takes great pride in his need to bring an end to the Lycan Clan and will do anything and everything he can to bring it and their too independently minded Princess, Grace McGovern to her knees. Will he finally rule the Kingdom of Lycan and tame this odd Alpha Princess once and for all?

Roman, the Belfast Pack’s Beta, has always loved Grace but will his chauvinist and controlling ways cause her to refuse him as her King?

Can Grace find love with Roman? Can Roman save her from Jagger? Who will win this battle of wills to rule the Kingdom of the Lycan?

Buy Links: Amazon  ARe    Google Play

 

 

Not as Glamorous…

When I read books by my favorite authors, I can almost see them writing, glass of wine…single malt scotch maybe. I envision them toiling away, pounding out their masterpiece.

Before I continue, I feel compelled to lay out two facts. The first being that I love and cherish my family. They are everything to me. It’s because of them that I push so hard, that I leave a legacy behind that takes care of them long after I’m gone.

The second, is that I know my frustrations are shared by others. That other authors struggle to find time to write, visit social media to stay relevant and current with the fan base, to give back to their author community in the way of shares, blog posts etc. Moving along…

My brain does not function properly in the morning. It just doesn’t. Writing productivity doesn’t happen until long after the sun is down. Sometimes, I can manage to write during the day when the spouse is at work, the son is at school etc. But even then, my cellphone chiming in with a text message, an email alert on my laptop, the dogs needing to go in and out a bajillion times…there are just so many interruptions it’s very hard to concentrate.

Let’s get visual here. Here I am, head down, fingers on the keys, coffee at hand. Commence scene. Writing is in blue, interruptions in red.

Grace McGovern lay wrapped in a sheet, staring at the ceiling as she reveled in the warmth coming from Roman, who slumbered next to her. It had only been 

ooooooo….ewwwww..whineeee (Dogs need out.) Get up, open the door, let them into the fenced in back yard. Wait for them to come back in so it’s not another distraction. 

It had only been a matter of weeks since two strangers walked into her life the night she graduated college. They’d dropped a bomb shell on her. She was a Lycan—a wolf shifter. Kimmie’s got a nice butt. Gotta squeeze that butt. Ohhhhhh, Kimmie’s got a nice butt. (Husband singing loudly despite knowing I’m trying to concentrate.)

I manage not to throw knives, put noise reducing headphones on (with no music, mind you) and try to ignore what is making me barking fucking mad already.

Go back, read the few sentences I managed to write, and continue.

More than that, she was a Lycan princess…the last of her kind. Learning who and what she is was quite a shock, but even a harder pill to swallow WOW. WOW!

Spouse sees something interesting on Facebook. Sometimes even asks me to come look at it, because…I don’t have FB apparently and a funny meme or car accident is worth the distraction from my work.

Go back. Reread what little I’ve written. Try again.

but even a harder pill to swallow was her being a royal. She felt she handled it well. It had been a lot to take in, to accept. She was less startled by the wolf’s voice in her head, and visions of it lying there, or pacing around.

MOOOOOOOOM! I can’t find any socks. I’m hungry. What should I eat? Can Jimmy come over? (Son asks a bunch at once so…at least there’s that.)

So I began staying up later and later (3… 4 a.m. sometimes) and working in silence. It was working well. I could get up to 10k words written (I type really fast and my stories are plotted before I write.)

Then hubby gets laid off, stays up later, continues to interrupt.  He forgets what I’m trying so hard to do. It’s not that he doesn’t love me, he does. To his defense, I’m ALWAYS on the computer. I work upwards of 16 hour days. I might be able to work less if I could work more efficiently, but still…

And I’m exhausted most days. But I continue on. Writing, cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, shoveling, gathering firewood, repairing the transmission in my daughter’s car (yes, the actual repair, not sitting in the office of a mechanic.) Because my family needs me. And I need to write. So I sacrifice.

But I need to hear my characters. I need to see…no, feel the scene.

Because if I can’t feel it, I can’t expect my reader to feel anything other than boredom. Boredom doesn’t sell books, nor does it win you fans.

Through constant interruptions I push on. The books get written. The emails get returned. The skype messages get answered. And a little bit of money comes in at the end of each month.

However, the end result is less than pleasant, which is why you don’t see a whole bunch of Anita selfies.

 

#HopswithHeart Winter Warm-up #BlogHop

 

 

Winners Announced!!!!

Cheryl Drake Johnson you are the winner of the eBook ($10 or less) and Jean Torgeson White you are the winner of the CD.

I’m not a cold weather girl. I prefer the sun and sand so generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of winter. But I adore this time of year. People have recovered from the black eyes they received while Black Friday Christmas shopping.

Speaking of gifts, there are TWO rafflecopter contests in this post. One, from the hop itself and the other from yours truly

. a Rafflecopter giveaway I’m giving away an autographed CD from these guys: 

and an eBook of your choice, up to $10 from any site. That’s right – YOUR CHOICE OF EBOOK! It doesn’t have to be mine, it can be anything as long as it is $10 or less.

Back to my post…as a mom, my favorite thing about this time of year is the excitement building in my kids. We make cookies, decorate the tree, sing along with Bing Crosby like we were at a live concert and enjoy our family.

I also love that my husband is predictable. Among the wonderful things he’ll give me will be a bag of whole bean, Starbucks French Roast and a pair of fuzzy slippers.

This time of year is about giving…giving to your friends and family and giving them your time. Gatherings of family and friends…merriment, this is what makes me adore this time of year.

In the spirit of giving, this hop has it’s own rafflecopter contest – A $75 Gift Card!!! https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3ad276f824/ You can enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

But that’s not all – the fun thing about a blog hop is that numerous blogs participate, increasing your chances of winning prizes! You can visit the hop at www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas!