Scent of Salvation

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Love blooms across species, culture, and time.

Chronicles of Eorthe, Book 1

Stranded in another dimension, on a primitive version of Earth, Dr. Susan Barlow needs to find a way to survive. There’s no electricity, no cities, and to her shock, no humans. Instead, she faces a population of werewolves, vampires and incubi. The people are vicious but she must find her place among them. And live.

An illness is killing Sorin’s pack. As alpha it’s his responsibility to save them, but it’s a battle this warrior doesn’t know how to fight. Then a blue light in the sky brings a creature he’s never seen. She calls herself human, but to him she smells like hope.

Sorin offers Susan a safe haven in return for a cure, but she’s not that kind of a doctor. She’s a doctor of physics, not a physician. Yet as they search for a cure to save a dying people, they find something special—each other.

But even with Sorin’s protection, Susan can’t help but wonder how long she can survive in a world without humans…

Warning: Feral shifters, power-hungry vampires, and a sole human female suffering culture shock.

 

 

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I love telling the story of what inspired this story because it shows how twisted my mind is. LOL

Both my sons were very ill with strep throat. Fever for days. When one was awake, the other was asleep, and vice versa. In other words, I had slept more than a few hours in days. I felt like the Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and antibiotic dispensing machine.

About two in the morning, I had both boys in one bed so I could watch them together. My oldest’s fever was raging and I was waiting anxiously for the meds to kick in or I’d have to place him in a cool bath. Again.  I was sitting on the floor and rested my head on the mattress and fell asleep.

In a matter of minutes, I dreamt of this whole world. I spent the next nine months writing book one and about a year editing it. If you’ve read where this story comes from and read the book, you’ll see much of the inspiration within it.  By the way, my boys are fine. Thank goodness for antibiotics.  :D

Susan is faced with Sorin’s sick pack. He offers her sanctuary within his small, poor den if she saves his people, but this Earth hasn’t developed technologically as ours has. There’s no Walgreens where Susan can get an antibiotic or supplies to create a vaccine. She has rock and fire and her knowledge to save this suffering pack.

I know how Susan felt as I watched my children suffer, waiting for the meds to take effect. I’m so thankful that I had those medicines in the first place. I doubt either of my boys would have survived without them.

Annie Nicholas

Website: www.annienicholas.com

Blog:  www.annienicholas.blogspot.com

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R.I.P.D. - M.I.B. with ghosts?

The other day, I saw Jeff Bridges on the Jimmy Kimmel show, promoting his new movie, R.I.P.D., with sexy co-star, Ryan Reynolds. Now, I've seen trailers for this movie many times, and every time I see them, I always think that the premise is very similar to Men In Black, but with ghosts instead of aliens.

The movie starts off with a young cop trying to take down a suspect. Then he learns about a secret organization that is in charge of keeping aliens/ghosts from disrupting normal human life. There is the seasoned veteran of the organization training the rookie. There are ugly aliens/ghosts. And then they learn there is a plot to destroy the world. I don't know if there are any other similarities between the movies, as I have not yet seen R.I.P.D. But I do plan on watching it. I love M.I.B. and this one looks just as funny.

Here's a look at both movies:






For those who have seen both movies, tell me, are they similar? How was R.I.P.D.? I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to sexy. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

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Villains You Love to Hate

What is the difference between the hero and the bad guy? My favorite villains are the ones you root for...and the ones you didn't see coming. The first time pulls at the heart strings but they always do something irredeemable. The second one...when you're surprised by the story villain, you want them dead. Quickly.

I have to tell you...I have a soft spot for a fantastic villain. Even when I love to hate them...a great hero/heroine deserves an equal and opposite. One thing, though, no one ever believes they're bad. They're righteous in their path. That includes the bad guy. I'm going to share some videos with you of my favorites.

Spoilers a-plenty my friends. You've been warned.

I got chills when Khan used Kirk's conscience against him in Star Trek: Into Darkness. The way he used Kirk's morality against him is what makes him such a remarkable villain. Righteous anger. And delicious sex appeal. 

I love the Master from Doctor Who in almost all of his incarnations...but the last one...oh man. My heart broke for the insanity he suffered (and when you found out why...). His relationship with The Doctor was amazing. 

When Moriarty wants to make a statement...he does it in style. You have to admire him for it.

Dolores Umbridge. Oh the hate I had for that woman. 

What about that moment you found out who the REAL bad guy was in Along Came a Spider? 

Pinhead of Clive Barker's Hellrasier. The character is loved, feared, and lusted after by so many. The only way you'd meet him, however, is when he'd rend your flesh...not fun. He was, at all times, logical. 

The Joker. Heath Ledger's performance was incredible. The movie gave me chills. I've always loved the way the Joker baited Bats. Heath nailed it.

What about you? Who are your favorite villains? Is there something you love about them?

Leave a comment and let us know!

Keep Reading!
Dawn Montgomery
http://www.dawnmontgomery.com
Writing Blog

Action. Adventure. Erotic Romance.
Website | Twitter | Writing | Facebook

Primal Hunger- available now from Ellora's Cave
With war on the horizon, they must fight to stay alive. And together. 
Haunting Melody St. Claire - available now from Ellora's Cave
Do you believe in love after life? 

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I am pleased to announce...

... that I was lucky enough to win 3rd place in the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter's yearly Prism Awards for "Blood of the Pride"!

The finalists were:

Light Paranormal
Blood of the Pride	Sheryl Nantus		Carina Press
Cynful	Dana Marie Bell		Samhain Publishing
Immortally Yours	Angie Fox		St. Martin's Press

It goes without saying that I was thrilled to be in the final three and happy as all get-out to win 3rd place! I can't think of better company to be in!

This isn't my first tilt at the Prism Awards, to be honest - in 2011 "Blaze of Glory" and "Wild Cards and Iron Horses" both finaled as well but I'm still looking for that elusive glass pyramid for my cabinet - maybe next year...

My thanks to everyone at FF&P, RWA and those who took on the job of judging so many great entries and making the contest work - and for those of you looking for some fantastic reading, please check out all of the fine authors and their works!

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Heat in Paranormal Romance

For the most part, I'd say I stick to the spicy stuff when I read paranormal romance. And when I read--it really is paranormal I go to first. I'm heading to camp this week and my reading list is a whose who of vamps, werewolves and fey. It's fun. If I'm going to read, I want it to be a complete escape and paranormal does that for me.

That leads to heat. Does paranormal have to be super duper sexy? I would say no. I like a funny, rockin' paranormal romance even with a sweeter side. Sometimes the building of sexual tension is the real ticket, the spicetastic magic that makes romance really great.

I went the not so spicy route on my story, Alice's Dragon. The fantasy story could have been super sexy--I enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it--but it just didn't suit. I adore Alice and Bade, but they were just not ready to jump into bed with each other. They had other things to do--an arm to heal, dragons to raise, shenanigans to execute--all the while a relationship, respect, and affection grew.

Alice's Dragon
by Stephanie Beck
A Challenge Series Story from Decadent Publishing

Dragon Charmer—taking care of your pesky dragon problem—for a price...

Business is good for Alice, right until her dragon goes crazy and bites off her arm. To make matters worse, a tall, dark stranger kills the cash-cow dragon before her eyes.

Instead of dying from her wounds, Alice finds herself under the tender care of Bade, a gentle-handed Bulgarian far from home with secrets in his satchel.

If they can scratch each others backs, the secrets might live on and Alice might still have a job. She’s never backed down from a challenge, but she’s in for more than she bargained for with the tall, dark stranger.

Buy Now:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alices-dragon-stephanie-beck/1115427256?ean=2940016500638

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alices-Dragon-Challenge-Series-ebook/dp/B00D1APOAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374371943&sr=8-1&keywords=alice%27s+dragon

Happy Reading! Smokin' hot or on the sweet side, paranormal romance is sooo the way to go.

Stephanie Beck
www.stephaniebeck.net
www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor
www.twitter.com/StephBeck123

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Sharks! Tornadoes!! Part 2!!!

Last Thursday night, an odd phenomenon occurred. If you logged onto Twitter, you probably saw people talking about this even. It certainly set the internet buzzing. I'm talking about Sharknado. Yes, the SyFy channel manage to draw quite the buzz about sharks and tornadoes.

Even my husband, who sat beside me on the couch reading a book got caught up and was soon adding to the "REALLY?" and "SERIOUSLY?" moments.

That's the fun of watching that kind of movie, seeing how outrageous they can truly do things. How over the top they're willing really to go. Sharknado was just as outrageously bad as I thought it would be, which is good because for a few hours, I could forget about the tough day I had at work and just sit back and relax.

BTW, if you missed it the first time, SyFy will be airing Sharknado again tonight at 7 pm EST. I think it will be a good way to kick off my vacation.

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Tools of the Trade for Nathanael, Brethren Warrior

So, what exactly does a Brethren Warrior use for tools of his trade? Well, Nathanael has a few weapons at his disposal. First, he has a Baretta that he uses for his bounty hunting. Many times, however, bounty hunting and Brethren angel duties mesh, so he also uses his ritualized sword to mete out Brethren justice. He also has the ability to shield himself so that he can move around undetected. His superhuman hearing and quick reflexes aides his ability to respond to threats or aggression.

A lesser realized weapon is his well-hewn body and charm with women. He never had time for women before. He doesn’t have time for them now, either. But there’s something about Callie Worthington besides what he’s been tasked to retrieve from her that brings out the best in him. She drives him crazy most of the time, but there are other times… well, she brings out latent qualities in him that endear him to her and vice-versa. Read for yourself…

 Here’s a tease:

Callie has secrets, too many to count.

For twenty years she’s been living a lie as Callie Worthington, hiding from the monsters who brutally murdered her parents for possession of the Elixxir of Life. Unsuccessful before, their killers have found her and will stop at nothing to acquire the Elixxir. And see her dead.

Nathanael has a couple of secrets, too. A nasty one in particular blurs the line separating Good from Evil. As an immortal Brethren Warrior, though, he must retrieve the Elixxir before it falls into the wrong hands. Just how he’s going to get it out of Callie’s is the big question.

Tempers flare and passion ignites as Callie and Nathanael reach out to each other with their own hidden agendas. She needs his protection. He needs the Elixxir. Will their fiery passion lead to lasting love, or will their web of secrets and lies ultimately destroy them both?

Secrets, lies, and love’s loyalties tested. What price for immortality? What price for love?

How about an excerpt to whet your appetite even more:

“Before you fall asleep there, what’s your real name?”

“My real name?” Her eyes remained closed. “I…I don’t think I can say it out loud. I whispered it just yesterday and nearly had a coronary.” Her eyes opened. “I’m scared.”

Nathanael approached the cocooned lump on the bed. He knelt to caress her hair. “Why don’t you whisper it to me, then? It’s only you and me here, no one else. No one is gonna come charging in as soon as you say it. Okay? A small whisper for me, that’s all.” He watched as fear gripped her tighter than the bed sheets, and then subsided slowly as she nodded and closed her eyes.

“Come closer. Give me your ear,” she croaked.

He leaned in so her lips nearly touched it.

“Ariana. Ariana Kupi.”

No louder than a ghost’s breath, she said her name, and he sensed years of pent-up anguish and terror. It pierced straight through to his soul, and he had no choice but to collect her in his arms and hold her. Hers trembled as she wrapped them around him.

“Shh. Shh. It’s okay.” He softly stroked her hair and murmured against her neck. How he knew what to do, he hadn’t a clue. He’d never consoled or comforted a woman before. But it seemed right, and she smelled so good, he continued. “It’s done. It’s finished. Only you and I know. Rest now. I’ll keep you safe.”

ELIXXIR, available now at your favorite eBook retailer, and:

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The Cuteness It Burns

You've been warned! There is no escape now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It just goes to show you cute comes in all shapes and sizes.

Annie Nicholas
www.annienicholas.com

Scent of Salvation releasing from Samhain Publishing on July 30th.

Love blooms across species, culture, and time.

 

 

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Can a Statue Be Cursed? My Encounter

Photo Courtesy of ImTyUk 2013

I had said last month this was going to be my topic for July, so it was fortuitous that the 3000 year old statue of  Neb-Senu in the Manchester Museum started mysteriously turning in its display case every night. In the mornings the statue will be found with its back facing out, while the other statues on the same glass shelf haven't budged an inch. The statue rotates exactly 180 degrees each night and not an inch more. Speculation surrounds the fact that the back of the statue is inscribed with a request for bread, beer, oxen and fowl and has taken to turning around so people will see his demand. Maybe he's worked up quite an appetite in all those centuries?

Photo Courtesy ImTyUk 2013

I don't get any vibes from looking at photos of Neb-Senu. If he's cursed, he's pretty mild about it. I recently had a statue in my house - briefly - that seemed to be really something else.

Since I write paranormal romance books set in Ancient Egypt, I'm always on the lookout for what I call "Egyptiana" - replicas of Egyptian statues or jewelry, or items with Egyptian themes, ranging from vintage advertising to Disney snowglobes. I like to use the items as illustrations for blogs and sometimes as the topic of the blog post, as with my Dick & Liz Cleopatra and Mark Antony Paperdolls from the 1960's.  I can't afford the real stuff, which belongs in museums anyway!

Recently I bid for and won an unusual statue of the Crocodile God Sobek on eBay. There's no photo of it to share - sorry. The eBay photo is long gone and I never took even one shot with my camera. Before I tell you what happened the day the box arrived, let me preface the story with the fact that my family is of Irish descent and the women, including me, have a touch of the "sight." No, I can't pick lotto winners or tell your future, but from time to time I get "feelings" or outright psychic flashes and I absolutely pay attention to them.

So when the mailman delivered the box, I eagerly tore into the wrappings and soon was lifting the statue out onto the table. I couldn't put it down fast enough. My two cats left the room in a hurry. I had a definite sense of unease and foreboding. Now I love Sobek. He's become kind of a good luck charm for me, since my first published book, "Priestess of the Nile",  had him as the hero. I have a variety of representations of him. So it wasn't anything to do with the fact that this was the Crocodile God.

The statue was about 12" tall, in a black stone or resin and depicted an unusually cruel-looking Sobek, half man, crocodile headed, with a much smaller woman standing in front of him, classic Egyptian sculptural style. I have no reason to believe it was anything but a replica of a genuine artifact.

And it made me extremely uneasy. Gooseflesh uneasy. I didn't even take it into the room upstairs where I keep my collection, to think about it for a day or two. I did not want this statue moving upstairs. OK, I thought, I'll put it in the Goodwill box for now and then eventually I'll give it to them. As I went to place the statue in the box, it was almost as if someone standing next to me said don't keep the statue in the house at all, not even overnight. So I didn't. I put the thing outside, on the opposite side of the iron gate and in the morning I detoured on my way to the day job to put the statue in the nearest Goodwill collection spot less than a mile from home.

(My theory is that the charities do so much good that their blessings cancel out any less-than-benign influences, ok?)

I pondered this for a day or two and then I e mailed the eBay Seller to ask if there was anything unusual about the statue, or any history about it that he might be aware of. I made it clear I wasn't going to return it. He said that his wife and daughters were extremely "upset" by the statue, wouldn't let him keep it and insisted he sell it immediately! He said it never bothered him to look at it. And that was all the information there was to be had.

So,  dear Reader, what do you think?

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Never Give Up, Never Surrender

I’ve been catching up on Glee since …well I think the last episode I watched was Rocky Horror Glee.

It’s been a while.

Anyways, I’ve been catching up with Glee on Netflix.

This week I heard Will Scheuster say this to Finn Hudson

“It’s not the broken dreams which break us. It’s the ones we don’t dare to dream.”

This quote spoke to me on so many levels because this year I made one of my goals come true when I sold to Harlequin.

I absolutely refused to sit there and “let” my dream come to me.

I never wanted to look back and regret it.

Plus the voices in my head wouldn’t let me.

I’m where I am because of hard work and never giving up. Rejections, sure I’ve got them. Any writer worth their salt gets them.

Bad reviews. Yep, got those too and though they sting it’s part of being an author.

I move past them after some chocolate. I don’t lash out.

I hold my head up high and work harder.

And I’m going to keep working hard, bettering myself, learning and becoming an even better author.

This is what I signed up for the moment I decided to become an author. This is what I wanted.

And I hope I write until I drop and it will be a life without regrets.

The point of this little ramble is to hopefully inspire aspiring writers or even just people who are trying to obtain any goal in their life.

Don’t give up the dream because you’re scared. You’ll regret it if you do.

And I’ll leave with a bit of an inspirational song:

You can find out more about Amy here: Website: http://www.amyruttan.com Twitter: @ruttanamy Blog: http://amyruttan.blogspot.com

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Spotlight on Lorelei's Song by Maureen O. Betita

Discover a hidden gem with a little something extra for the kink and the play, so what does happen when the sons of Cthulhu stalk a siren? 

Nicholas and Jerrod already know that what others consider a normal human experience is far from the insanity of their heritage. Yet, they still have hope for change. The answer to the primal drive that is slowly tearing their humanity away may rest in that opulent hotel preparing to host its first steampunk convention.

Lorelei is bored and well aware of how she appears; a spoiled, rich girl whose sexual tastes run toward the twisted and unpleasant. Looking to cure the discontentment winding through her soul, she arrives at the convention hoping for diversion. Instead, she finds Nicholas and Jerrod.

When the sons of Cthulhu stalk the daughter of a siren, the world shakes.

Amazon | All Romance | Decadent | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

His nostrils caught the perfume of something different. Spicy, with a hint of dry driftwood, it wafted by him and he froze. Damn, what the hell was that? A sharp rap on the table made him start. “Fuck.”

“Get up here!” A kick to the calf signaled he was needed.

He rose, rubbing his head, to find Jerrod snatching up a pair of goggles and sliding them on.

“What the hell?”

“My eyes. I can’t—” His kinsman turned his back on the nearly empty room. “I smelled something odd and—”

“Okay, okay. Sit and—”

“Get me the hell out of here!”

Jerrod gripped his arm tightly, head turned so Nicholas could glimpse the shadow of the change on his cheek bones.

Nicholas didn’t think. He wrapped his arms around his cousin and pulled him down to the shadow of the table. He lowered a hand and gripped the steel-rod erection he knew he’d find beneath the loose pants.

He held the rigid cock and whispered, “I smelled her, too. She’s out there. You just have to be stealthy. Be the monster who stalks, blend in. We’ll find her.”

“I…want….”

The hollow echo of the deepest crevasse of the ocean reverberated against his bones in the low voice.

“Yeah, we’re gonna find her, and we’re gonna fuck her, and this time, we aren’t going to hold back.”

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The Mercy Moon: When and Where?

Last month, we talked about the characters in our "novel in development", The Mercy Moon, so this month we're turning to the setting. While The Mercy Moon is set in today's world, it's definitely today's world with a great big twist: werewolves are real (which isn't much of a stretch for readers of this blog, who are used to seeing vampires, werewolves, demons, and the like). 

These werewolves have their own culture and hierarchy, and their contact with the human world is limited. There are six clans ruled over by the wolf king, and each has their own leader. To be alpha is both a trait and a role, and the king is the most alpha of all—something that will surely cause problems for Audamar and Soren. 

Generally, there is no shame in being omega. However, taking on the status of omega in punishment isn't unheard of. To be in disgrace (in ungnade) and forced to take on the role of omega is a difficult position to be in. 

And that's going to cause problems for Audamar and Soren too…

About Us

Anah Crow and Dianne Fox write sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary queer romance for Carina Press, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Allure. They’ve been writing together for more than 10 years. You can find them on the web at anahcrowdiannefox.com and on Twitter at @anahcrow and @diannefox.

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